Travels in North America, From Modern Writers: With Remarks and Observations; Exhibiting a Connected View of the Geography and Present State of that Quarter of the GlobeBingley, William
History
Travels in North America, From Modern Writers: With Remarks and Observations; Exhibiting a Connected View of the Geography and Present State of that Quarter of the Globe
Bingley, William
Canada -- Description and travel; Mexico -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
This gentleman, in company with a Mr. Craft, set out from Pittsburgh, on
the 14th of July, 1802; and, two days afterwards, arrived at Wheeling, a
small town on the bank of the Ohio, and about eighty miles distant from
Pittsburgh. _Wheeling_ had not been more than twelve years in existence,
yet it contained, at this time, about seventy houses, built of wood. It
is bounded by a long hill, nearly two hundred fathoms high, and the base
of which is not more than four hundred yards from the river. In this
space the houses are built: they form but one street, along which runs
the main road. From fifteen to twenty large shops supply the
inhabitants, twenty miles, round, with provisions. This little town
shares largely in the export trade that is carried on with the western
country at Pittsburgh.
At Wheeling the travellers purchased a canoe, twenty-four feet long,
eighteen inches wide, and about as many in depth. Canoes of this
description are made from the single trunk of a tree: they are too
narrow for the use of oars, and, in shallow water, they are generally
forced along either with a paddle or a staff. As a shelter from the sun,
M. Michaux and his friend covered their canoe, a quarter of its length,
with a piece of cloth thrown upon two hoops; and, having placed on board
of it a sufficient stock of provisions, they embarked about five o'clock
in the afternoon of the ensuing day. They floated twelve miles down the
stream that evening, and slept on the right bank of the Ohio. Both M.
Michaux and his friend were excessively fatigued with their first day's
voyage; but not so much by paddling their canoe along, as by remaining
constantly seated in one position. For, the canoe being very narrow at
the bottom, they were obliged to keep their legs extended; as the least
motion of the vessel would have exposed them to the danger of being
overset. In the course, however, of a few days, they became accustomed
to these inconveniences, and attained the art of travelling comfortably.
They were three days and a half in proceeding to _Marietta_, about a
hundred miles from Wheeling. This town is situated on the right bank of
the _Great Muskingum_, and near the place of its junction with the Ohio.
Although fifteen years before M. Michaux was here, it was not in
existence, Marietta now contained more than two hundred houses, some of
which were built of brick; but the greatest number were of wood. Several
of them were from two to three stories high, and somewhat elegantly
constructed. The mountains which, from Pittsburgh, extend along the side
of the river, are, at Marietta, distant from its banks, and leave a
considerable space of level ground, which will facilitate, in every
respect, the enlarging of the town.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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