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Indian Paths in the Great Metropolis

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The point of its crossing of Raritan river was about two miles west of Perth Amboy, where a fordable depth was doubtless found at a place which is marked on the old survey as Kents neck, the native name of which was Matockshegan, indicating by its use of the words matta, "bad," tuck, "a creek," and perhaps oushachen, "slippery," the awkward and difficult nature of the wading place. The path appears to have taken a fairly straight course nearly due north from this point, on a line which is not followed by any main road of later periods.

Keeping to the west side of Rahway river, it reached Springfield; thence it passed through the Short hills to Northfield and Livingston, where it crossed the Passaic into Morris county. Its course may be traced beyond that point by old roadways through Sussex county to the island of Minisink in Delaware river, which is situated halfway bebetween Hainesville and Milford.34 This is stated by Whitehead to have been the only native path or trail in upper New Jersey of which there is any definite record.