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of water passing through the town, and found the water in each of them 514-In the afternoon the thermometer rose to 69°. The commissary not arriving, I set out about 3 in the afternoon, and rode to Strasburgh.—The water in the large spring in the

town 51°.

24th, Left Strasburgh early in the morning. A very heavy hoar frost, vines, potato tops and corn leaves killed in the vallies between the mountains. Breakfasted at Dunn's, dined at Bird's and stayed all night at Wild's tavern at the foot of the Sideling Hill. Peaches in abundance along the road on the north sides of the hills. The frost the preceding night struck much more severely in the vallies, than on the mountains. The thermometer in the morning on the outside of my window was at 35°, rose in the afternoon to 71°.

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25th, Took an early breakfast, and rode to Hartley's and dined, from thence proceeded to Ward's, and stayed all night.-Thermometer 35° in the morning, rose in the afternoon to 73°.

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26th, Proceeded to the foot of the Alleghany mountain and breakfasted, ascended the mountain about ten o'clock in the morning and proceeded to Stoy's town and dined, then rode to Mr. Wells's and stayed all night.-Thermometer 53° in the morning, rose to 71°, fell to 52° in the evening. The water in a good spring on the top of the mountain was 55°. The frost appeared to have fallen very partially on the mountains: in some places the vegetation was destroyed, and in others equally elevated, it was not touched.

A number of the farmers on the mountain were engaged in cutting their Buckwheat, and Oats; but Mr. Wells informed me that this was not common so

late

late in the season. The summer on the mountain, is not sufficiently long to bring Indian corn to perfection.

27th, Left Mr. Wells's before sunrise. A very heavy hoar frost: crossed the Laurel hill, and took breakfast at Freeman's tavern: crossed the Chesnut ridge, and dined at Baldrage's: proceeded from thence to Greensburgh, and stayed all night.-Thermometer 35% in the morning on the outside of my window; rose to 80° after crossing the Chesnut ridge.-The water, in a good spring at the base of the Laurel hill 58°, and in a spring on the west side of the Chesnut ridge 57°. It may appear singular, that the water which falls out of the west side of those mountains, should be the warmest that was examined on the road: whether it be owing to subterranean heat, or some other cause, is yet uncertain.-The coldest water in Greensburgh was 55°.

28th, Cloudy left Greensburgh at seven o'clock in the morning, and rode to Col. John Irwin's and took breakfast, from thence to M'Nair's and dined. Left M'Nair's in a heavy rain, which continued till I arrived at Pittsburgh.-Thermometer 60° in the morning, rose to 68°.

The morning after my arrival at Pittsburgh I waited upon Major, Craig, and found that he had two boats ready, one of them flat-bottomed, commonly called a Kentucky boat; the other a second hand keel-boat. These being insufficient he was requested to procure another, which he did in a few days, it was likewise a second hand one. After leaving Major Craig, I waited upon Col. Butler, and presented an order from the secretary of war for a military escort: he gave me assurances, that the men should be ready by the time the waters were sufficiently high to descend the river. The waggons with our stores, instruments

and

and baggage arrived on the 3d of October. On the 4th, I examined the state of the instruments, and found that some of them were injured by the jolting of the waggons; repaired them on the 5th. On the 6th, found the water in the Alleghany river 68°; that in the Monongahela 64°; and a few paces within the coal-pit, the temperature of the water was 51°:

On the 16th, there was a small rise of the water, and the three boats were sent off, but had not water to proceed more than three miles. On the 20th, Gen. Wilkinson, and his family arrived, and he very politely gave his boat up to me; it was a second hand one, but the cabbin was new and spacious. The 21st and 22d, were spent in making some repairs to the boat, and on the 23d, I went on board of it, and proceeded down the river to the others, and made such a distribution of the loading, that each vessel drew about the same water.

During my stay at Pittsburgh, the fogs were very heavy, every morning except two, and on those days we had rain.-The thermometer was at no time below 48" nor above 71°.

The town of Pittsburgh continues to improve, the situation is favourable, being on a point of land formed by the confluence of the Alleghany and Monongahela rivers, from which circumstance it enjoys a considerable trade.

24th, Got under way about 10 o'clock in the fore'noon, but the water was so low, that it was with difficulty we made eight miles.-The thermometer rose to 76. The morning very foggy.

25th, Left the shore at sunrise. The large boat was stopped for want of a sufficiency of water, three times in the course of the day; but by the exertions of about thirty men, she was brought along. Fog in the morning-Thermometer rose from 53° to 71°.

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26th, Got under way early in the morning. The large boat was so much injured by dragging her over the stones, that the men had to keep lading out ther water all last night; proceeded with great difficulty: down to a small town, opposite to the mouth of little beaver. The large boat did not arrive. Fog in the morning Thermometer rose from 42° to 70°.

27th, The large boat arrived early in the morning, but so much injured that we had to unload her, stop, the leaks and make some repairs; reloaded about 4 o'clock in the afternooon, and proceeded a short distance down the river, to get clear of the town, wheresome of our men got intoxicated, and behaved extremely ill. This will generally be found the case in all small, trifling villages, whose inhabitants are principally supported by selling liquor to the indiscreet and dissipated in the neighbourhood, and to the imprudent traveller. Fog in the morning-Thermometer rose from 41° to 69°.

28th, Left the shore early in the morning; the fog was so thick that when our boats were within twenty yards of each other, they could not be discovered by any of the persons on board. We made about sixteen miles this day. The water had but little motion, Thermometer rose from 39° to 61°.

29th, Got under way very early in the morning: but little fog; the atmosphere had been so full of smoke ever since we left Pittsburgh that it was but seldom we could see across the river distinctly, but. it was carried off this morning by a smart north west wind.

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The buildings on the river banks, except in the towns, are generally of the poorest kind, and the inhabitants who are commonly sellers of liquor, as dirty as their cabbins, which are equally open to their

children,

children, poultry and pigs. This is generally the case in new settlements; the land being fresh, produces with little labour the immediate necessaries of life, from this circumstance the habit of industry is diminished, and with it the habit of cleanliness.

Encamped in the evening opposite to the Mingo bottom which is rendered memorable for the inhuman murder of the Indians of that name, who resided on it, either by, or at the instigation of Capt. Cresup, Harman Greathouse, and a few others. This outrage was followed by a war of retaliation, which continued for many years with a cruelty scarcely to be equalled in the annals of history.

The evening became calm, and the atmosphere again loaded with smoke, occasioned by the dead leaves and grass, over a vast extent of the country being on fire, which during the night, illuminated the clouds of smoke and produced a variegated appearance beautiful beyond description. Our smoky weather in spring and autumn, is probably the effect of fires extending over the vast forests of our country.

Our people were much fatigued by dragging our boats over the shoals.-Thermometer rose from 39° to 57°.

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30th, Detained till one o'clock in the afternoon by the commissary who was endeavouring to procure some meat; but being disappointed we proceeded down the river to Buffalo, where we were again disappointed. Buffalo is a decent village, and is situated on the east side of the river, just above the mouth of a rivulet of the same name. Left Buffalo in the evening, and proceeded about three miles and encamped. The morning was very smoky.-The thermometer rose from 30° to 51°.

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