(seq. 168)

May 10.th

We enterd into Botetourt County -

11.th Crossd the Roanoke seven times.

12.th reached Mr. Howards, where notwithstanding the wretched state of
the Country the Mistress of the family in the absense of her husband
showed all the dispositions imaginable to make her house agreeable to us -

13.th forded great Otter Creek - crossd otter creek six times, and
Otter river once - The Pecks of Otter make their appearance in
various points of view, and terminated many of our prospects very
agreeably - A Gruff Landlord -

14.th Arrived at Bedford in the County of the same name - a tolerably
well built but now nearly deserted Village, the situation well chosen
and healthy - We halted here the 15th but could scarcely keep ourselves
warm within doors, so ranged about to keep ourselves warm - to get a
plentyfull meal was now a rarity, and what we were not to expect -

Heard a coarse German girl play on an instrument of one string, which
she managed tolerably -

16.th We arrived at Lynche's ferry on the head of Jame's river, and
set forward the day following on a raft composed of two canoes lashed
together, and lay at the plantation of a Colonel Bosville on
the North side of the river in Amherst County - 18th. 19th. proceeded -

20.th Made a halt about breakfast time, to get some water that of the
river being very hot and distastefull, to our great surprize found
Brigadier General Hamilton and Major Kirkman of the convention army
who received us with all imaginable cordiallity and politeness - In the
Evening reached the plantation of a rich old Chuft a Colonel Lewis,
who demanded or rather exacted fourscore dollars for our scanty supplies -
While I was walking in the garden I saw three officers in British uniforms
ride by, and saluted them tho' little imagining I could know or be known,
but Captain Freeman aid de Camp to General Reidesel knew me thro'
the disguise of a slouched hat & very shabby cloathing -