. New England; a human interest geographical reader. f not ruined, by the muddy water. The Indians were the rivers earliest paddled its winding length in their bark canoesand dugouts on fishing and hunting expeditions, or onforays against their enemies. Its first white explorerwas Adrian Block, who visited it in 1614 in a smallDutch yacht, the Onrust, a name that means Restless inEnglish. He went up the river until the EnfieldRapids prevented his going farther. Ten years laterthe Dutch had begun to make somewhat frequenttrading voyages to the river. All through the colonial per
. New England; a human interest geographical reader. f not ruined, by the muddy water. The Indians were the rivers earliest paddled its winding length in their bark canoesand dugouts on fishing and hunting expeditions, or onforays against their enemies. Its first white explorerwas Adrian Block, who visited it in 1614 in a smallDutch yacht, the Onrust, a name that means Restless inEnglish. He went up the river until the EnfieldRapids prevented his going farther. Ten years laterthe Dutch had begun to make somewhat frequenttrading voyages to the river. All through the colonial period the Connecticut wasan important highway for trade and war. At first no 18 New England large craft went beyond the head of tide-water sixtymiles from the mouth. But soon a scow was contrivedthat with twelve men to pole it could pass up the EnfieldRapids, and then it could go on as far as the SouthHadley Falls. These and certain of the other fallsbeyond were an effective barrier to navigation up-stream, though rafts and boats could come down some. A fall near Greenfield, Mass. of them when conditions were favorable. Men becamevery expert in running the rapids in their flatboats. As settlements pushed farther and farther up theriver and the region grew more populous, roads weremade around the unnavigable falls, so that goodsbrought by the flatboats could be transported on theoxcarts of the local farmers to the opposite end, andthe voyage be continued on other boats. New Englands Longest River 19 The flatboats were generally provided with a largesquare mainsail and a topsail. When the wind was un-favorable the boats were propelled by poling. Thepoles were from twelve to twenty feet long and had asocket spike at the lower end. One spike-pole manon each side was sufficient for the smaller boats, butas many as three on a side were needed on the largerboats. The spiked end of the pole was thrust down tothe river bottom, and the pole-man brought its upperend against his shoulder and
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