scenery,

"Each boatman bending to his oar,
With measured sweep the burden bore,"

and with the advance of this small but daring patriot force, the
Susquehanna valley ceased to be the permanent abiding place of the red
men. A few scattered representatives of the once proud Tuscaroras and
Oneidas built their temporary wigwams where convenience suggested, and
derived such subsistence as the chase and stream afforded, but they
were no longer a terror to the settlers.

In the expeditions sent out to the southwestward from Albany, and
likewise in the marauding expeditions of the savages against the
frontier settlements along the Schoharie, the Susquehanna valley,
wherein is situated the village of Oneonta, became the common highway
to both parties. The old Indian trail, it has been ascertained, from
the Schoharie fort to the west, passed down the Schenevus creek to its
mouth, there crossed the Susquehanna, and continued down the northwest
side of the stream, passed through the village of Oneonta nearly along
the line of Main-st., thence crossing the river near the lower end of
the village, it continued westward on the south side of the stream for
some distance down the river, on toward the Chemung and the fort at
Oswego. There was also another trail leading from Schoharie to
Harpersfield and thence down the Charlotte creek to the Susquehanna.

"We had gone on about ten miles farther which brought us as low down
as where Collier's bridge now crosses the river. Here we imagined that
the Indians were possibly as cunning as ourselves, and would doubtless
take the more obscure way and endeavor to meet us on the east side. On