[J. Thomas Scharf (1886)] aboriginal ownership of the land, and upon which are now situated some of the finest farms in the State. In the intervale level, well-watered plains are found, which show evidences of having been the bottoms of extensive lakes or basins of swiftly-flowing rivers. The slope of the land is southeasterly; the rock for-mation gneiss and granite; the soil a rich loam, with a sub-stratum of clay. Not far from the southern boundary, and near the Muscoot River, old red sand-stone crops out of a break in the western edge of the ridges above mentioned. When the partition of the Manor of Cortlandt was made, in 1734, the allotment of this town was made: To Mrs. Margaret Bayard, lot No. 5; Phillip Van Cortlandt, lot No. 6; Andrew Johnston, lot No. 7; Andrew Miller, part of north lot No. 8; Stephen De Lancy, south lot No. 5; Stephen Van Cortlandt, south lot No. 6; and half of lot No. 7 to Mrs. Susan-nah Warren. These were the original owners of the town under the partition of the manor. Previous to this some adventurous spirits from Long Island, and beyond the present Connecticut line, had built their lodges in the wilderness and opened a friendly com-, munication with the resident Indian tribe. Their homes were the huts of the frontiersmen; their sus-tenance depended on the skill with which they used the old flint-lock, or made the rude traps for the game that then abounded on the hills of Amaghpogh or Amawalk.