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[right margin] 331 hath been convulsed by earth quakes & violent eruptions, about a mile or two on this side Pittsburgh came to the banks I rode alongside the Allagany River, which runs rapid & 3 or 400 yards over hills on each side, with skirtings of low land next the River - - - [right margin] 12
Pittsbourgh is situated on the bank of Monogahany River 540 yards broad, which has a placid gentle Current. Fort Pitt a few hundred yards to the Southward, near the Bank of Allagany River 320 yards wide, which runs rapidly & almost at right angles into Monogahany River, which when united forms the head of the Ohio River. The town consists of about 150 houses mostly Log or framed, some good stone a presbeterian meeting; near 400 men. there is a fine prospect of the town & River from Grants hill, or from coal hills the other side Monogahaney river. Steers of 400 w. or Cow & calf sell for 5£ Beef 3 or 3 1/2 Veal & mutton [?] grown fowls 8d, pork 22/6 the 100 -- excellent flour not the first 10 to 12 f the 100. Venison [illegible] the carcass 5 to 7/6. fish cheap & plenty, pike of 33 lb salmon perch Bass Catt Sturgeon [illegible] &c. wood land near the town from 5 to 20 £ The Spring generally in March, the fall the middle of Novembr. Snow seldom lies on the ground above 5 or 6 days, nor is the River frozen above 3 or 4 days, temperate climate, tho had 2 warm days after Rain. a fog over the River in the Morning dispelled about 7 o clock
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Fort Pitt
Stockado
[top of page has a drawing of the Fort Pitt stockade, including features identified as "Bridge" to the fort entrance; "Ditch"; "130 feet"; "Curtain 150 ft."; "Shorter angle 55"; "Brick Barracks gone to ruin"' and "Storehouses gone to ruin."]
The above fort is fifteen feet thick of stone faced with brick. the ditch about the same breadth, between that & Monogahany river are two small Redoubts 1 1/2 brick thick, which as usual was made a Job of & cnt Governm 100,000 £ Sterling - Near the fort is a distillery well constructed, with a still of 1500 galls. a late work by Maj. Craige but much too large to answer _ Breed of horses not much attended to from 14 to 16 hands, all from 20 to 30 £
July 5. Crossed the Monagahany river & mounted the Coal hill opposite the town, in which they have a coal, inclining to that of kernel but not so hard or good, there is much coal in the neighbourhood at the summet are several farms good land. great variety of trees, & plants - also prickly goosberries, some currents, black berries hops, ginsang
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plums, asparagrass, Sarsaparella, wild ginger diferent kinds of grapes, Sassafax I saw one plant with a rose equal to those cultivated in gardens _ they cultivate wheat Rye Barley Indian Corn Oats buckwheat with all kinds of roots, greens & [pulse?] the below.
From the Pittsbourgh Gazette of the 17 June 1787 _ "Since the 10" of October 1786 to 12 May 1787, there has passed down the Ohio river to Kentucke 177 boats _ 2689 people 1333 horses 766 Cattle 102 Waggons & 1 pheaton, from a Journal by the Adjutant at fort Harmer or Muskinghum - a number passed in the night unobserved."
besides the above many go in boats from Fayette town, as also from Virginia & Maryland by land.
Kentucke is 600 miles down the Ohio. the boats that go down are from 35 to 60 feet long 10 to 14 wide with a roof of slight oak shingles or clap boards 3 feet long laid horizontally over each other, like to Noahs ark, & steered with an oar, their fore man & horse 35 / goods 2/6 [illegible], a single person found in bread bacon & water per 15 p they are from 6 to 10 days going down, sell their boat for the value of the boards, the bottom & sides being flat & the hands 3 weekes coming up by land.
NB The 4 July cellebrated the American independance with 28 gentlemen, had 13 toasts & fired a howitzer near 100 times having no cannon. In the afternoon crossed the Allagany river 3 acres are laid out at the point for a town; on this side is the Indian country not yet purchased & is abundantly richer than on pitsburgh side, went up the River 7 or 8 mile to W Burtons farm, in the
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way came to Wigwams, from whence the Indians often come to Pittsbourgh with peltry to trade. 3 miles further came to other Wigwams where were 16 Indians men women + children cooking victuals. an Island in the River cultivated _ _ _ _ _
July 6 [in left margin]
_ _ _ _ Went down the Ohio in a - Durham boat 50 by 9 ft broad, rowed down with the Current & poled up against it _ in 1/4 mile passed Smoak Island of 40 acres, in 3/4 mile Elliots Island a mile long 150 acres _ on Washington side 2 miles further is [Sherteers?] Creek 100 yards wide, at the mouth of which is a remarkable high Rock, on which is a noted spring of excellent water, 2 miles lower is Cow Island 40 acres then came to Monteers, now General Irvins Island 5 1/4 miles long 948 acres of exceeding rich valuable land, landed 3 or 4 miles down + went to the farms on the heigths, now Let, where was exceeding fine corn &c. there is on the Island wild deer & turkeys, Turtle, wild asparagrass plums, cherries hickory timber trees 3 Island to the Eastward will soon join the generals - there [illegible] _
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_ _ _ _ _ Being sunday went to Church + heard W Barr, who gave a good discourse to 120 persons, - several who had taken umbrage for his dispute with Mr Brackenridge on politicks &c. did not attend
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_ _ _ _ _ Crossed Monogahany River to General Nevils, passed a creek on the way on which was a Saw mill. the General has 5000 acres of fine land 600 of
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375 [in right margin]
which in cultivation 50 acres in wheat 60 acres in Indian corn, near his house is the remains of an Indian Semicircular fort, its_ diameter 150 yards, which had a parapet & ditch its diameter 150 yards, & dug perpendicular 30 feet; within the fort is a large heap of human bones, covered with sods alternately also a large heap or mound of mussel shells_ here is a large bottom on which many Sugar maples of which the Gen made Sieg during the war _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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_ _ _ _ _ _ _ To Col Cannons Washington County fine land & good road & easy hills, 15 farms & an excellent Grist + saw mill _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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To Washington town, lately made a Borough, in the County of Washington, it has a Court house Goal + 70 good log houses mostly of 2 Story & built within 2 years 21 farms on the road, within 10 miles round the town there is not 200 acres together without a family, the County returns near 5000 taxable men _ _ _
July 10 [in left margin]
To Col Bells, easy hills & excellent land. 22 farms on the road which is good. the Col has 200 acres open, let to Tennents. 70 acres he cultivates himself with 2 sons (one but 12 year old& a negroe has excellent wheat Indian corn flax &c _ plenty of wild turkeys, yellow gray red & black Squerrels _ _ _ _ _
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