Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 7).djvu/141

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NEW YORK PORTAGES
137

flows into Oneida Lake. This carrying place, afterward the site of Fort Stanwix, was called by the Indian Da-ya-hoo-wa-quat (Carrying-place). From it the old trail ran through the Oneida Lake, and down the Oswego River to Lake Ontario. At the mouth of the Oswego River, on Lake Ontario, was the old Indian village called Swa-geh, the lake-port of the Iroquois. . . Between Schenectady and Swa-geh was a line of forts built for the protection of the traveling fur-traders, and as barriers to French and Indian invasion from the valley of the St. Lawrence. The first of these was at the mouth of the Schohariekill, and was called Fort Hunter. It was built on the site of old Indian Te-hon-de-lo-ga, the lower castle of the Mohawks. Above Fort Hunter, near the Indian Ga-no-jo-hi-e—'washing the basin'—the middle Mohawk castle, was Fort Plain. The Indian name of Fonda was Ga-na-wa-da—meaning 'over the rapids.' Of Little Falls, it was Ta-la-que-ga—'small bushes,' and of Herkimer the Indian name was Te-uge-ga, the same as the river. At Herkimer was Hendrick's castle and Fort Herkimer, near Ga-ne-ga-ha-