Paoli stands very pleasantly: Hindostan, on a branch of the White river communicating with the Ohio by the Wabash, also is _to be_ a town of great trade: Washington is perhaps the worst situated for trade[37] but the land around it is {84} very fertile. There are also many other intended to-be towns, but at present containing about half a dozen log huts, such as Greensville, Brownsville, Fredericksberg, &c. &c. called thus after the first proprietor of the land, who, if he is so fortunate as to make choice of a favourable situation, rapidly makes his fortune by the quick influx of settlers; but this is not always the case and there are many "Villes" and "Bergs" which will probably long remain as we found them. At Hindostan I met with an adventure which, considering how little respect is paid to any law, I might perhaps as well have avoided. At a miserable log tavern there, kept open (and to all the winds) by a Colonel, the entertainment both for man and horse was the worst we had lately met with--the hay it was pretended was too far off to fetch; and a few heads of Indian corn was all we could procure for the horses. For ourselves, after a miserable meal, we found a bed laid in an out-house, which also served for lumber-room and larder. All this travellers must learn chearfully to bear, but another evil, which too frequently follows, the high charges, it is not so easy to pay with good humour: in this case I ventured, as I had hitherto done with good effect, to reason against one or two of the items in a quiet delicate way fit for the ears {85} of an independent; but here it did not succeed, for my Colonel turned upon his heel saying, if I objected to his charges he would take nothing at all, and away he went. I had a great mind to take him at his word on account of his treatment; but after waiting for his return some time, with my horses at the door, I at length left with the Colonel's lady more than sufficient to defray the proper legal charge according to the rate made out by their magistrates, to which however few of them pay much attention: well, we then drove on, but had not got to the river side before a lad was sent after me with the money, for the Colonel had in fact been hiding to see what I would do, and coming out from his hole to hear what had been left for him, preferred venting his spite even before his money. I now determined to see how this would end, and therefore put the money into my pocket, drove down to the river side, and leaving my name and address at a store there for him, crossed the ford and proceeded. An hour or two after, my gentleman passed me on horseback, pale, "spiteful and wrathful," and we kept a good look out, a little apprehensive of being _rifled at_ from behind the trees; so we got the arms out ready; and drove on with circumspection to the town of Washington about eighteen miles from {86} Hindostan. Here he had collected more people than I should have supposed possible in the short