| OCR Text |
Show CHAPTER II WATERWAYS, PORTAGES, TRAILS, AND MOUNTAIN- PASSES ( 1500- i800) THE two most important factors in the exploration and settlement of a country are the waterways and mountain systems - the one an assistance to travel, the other an obstacle. In the sheltered bays, inlets, and rivers of the Atlantic coast of North America the early European settlements were mostly placed; but some locations were chosen well inland, up the larger rivers, and often near the head of navigation for sea- going vessels - for example, Quebec and Montreal on the St. Lawrence, where the lower shores were forbidding; and the settlements on the James and the Delaware, where fear of attack by sea determined the sites. From these points as bases the early exploration and settlement of the country extended, and the significance of the rivers and streams at once became evident. 1 The dense forests, where the only road was the narrow Indian trail, were not passable except on foot; even pack animals could be used 1 For the authorities, see chap, xviii., below. 23 |
