There were some favorable situations along the Hudson shore, where fresh-water springs existed, such as at 79th street and at Strikers bay or 96th street; and at the latter point an old resident stated that oys- ter-shell deposits had been observed before the Riverside Park improvement began. The limited use of such stations would not have warranted the divergence of the main line of travel up the western side of the island.

They were more probably reached by a trail through the woods, which was in use in 1679, when Sluyter and D ankers made their way from Harlem to North river, "which we followed a little within the woods to Sappokanikke." Some trails doubtless led across the island to the main path on the eastern side, one of which may well have extended from Strikers bay along the line of the later Bloomingdale crossroad (between 94th and 96th streets), thus connecting North river with the village of Konaande Kongh (5), the headquarters of the chieftaincy of the Reckgawawanc.