Alida; or, Miscellaneous Sketches of Incidents During the Late American War.: Founded on FactComfield, Amelia Stratton
History
Alida; or, Miscellaneous Sketches of Incidents During the Late American War.: Founded on Fact
Comfield, Amelia Stratton
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Juvenile fiction
At Utica the gentlemen hired a stage to visit the Falls of Trenton,
distant fourteen miles. They were accompanied in this route by a number
of passengers from New-York and North Carolina. They crossed the Mohawk
upon a covered wooden bridge. After this the road gradually ascended to
a forest, which was in part cleared for new fields. At a little distance
from the falls is a tavern, where they left the carriage, and went on
foot through thick woods, from which a pair of stairs conducted to the
falls. The beautiful mass of green around, the azure sky, the large and
variegated rocks, and the three falls, produce a most happy effect. The
rocks of these falls are so excavated by the water, that they have the
form of a common kettle. The upper falls, which are about ninety feet
high, are the grandest. They dined at the tavern, and towards evening
returned to Utica.
The day was fine and pleasant. They regretted that it was too late, upon
their return thither, to visit a hydrostatic lock designed to weigh the
boats which pass on the canal. Having seen enough of the canal, and
being anxious to see the newly-settled country between this place and
Niagara, they continued their journey the next day in the stage coach.
With this intention they left Utica at four o'clock in the morning, and
the same day arrived at Auburn, distant seventy-three miles. They passed
through twelve villages on their route from Utica to Auburn. Between
Manchester and Vernon day dawned, and they found themselves in a rather
wild country, in the midst of a wilderness. Behind the village of
Oneida, the road led along a considerable hill, from which they had a
beautiful view of Oneida lake, which presented the appearance of a large
stream. Here there were a number of extensive prospects, which, however,
as there was but little cultivated land and few houses, were rather
uniform. Something further on, after they had left Oneida, they came to
a small lake, called Salt Lake, which is in the midst of a forest, and
has on its banks three picturesquely situated towns, Liverpool, Salina,
and Syracuse. At Salina are rich salt springs, the water of which is
collected in reservoirs, and it is evaporated by the heat of the sun to
procure the salt. Beyond Sullivan they passed through the village of
Chitteningo. A branch of the Erie canal forms a kind of harbour at this
place. They dined at Manlius, a new village. From the canal, which forms
an angle here, they drove in a southerly direction in order to keep on
the plains. The two Onondago villages are pleasant places.
Beyond Marcellus the night unfortunately closed in, which prevented
their seeing Skaneateles Lake, as well as the town of the same name.
About nine o'clock in the evening they arrived at Auburn, and found good
accommodations at one of the public houses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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