Washington's Crossing (Allegheny River) By John Buxton.
Then we had our Biscuit, which was laid in for the
Voyage,
delivered to us, with 1 lb of Pork to each, and
kindling large
fires we cooked our Provisions for next day and
slept around
the Fires, each of us being provided with a
blanket. We kept
along the southeast shore of Ontario Lake, and
passed so near
to the English Fort called Conquen or Oswego that
we could
talk to the Centinels.
Friday 28. — We travelled all the next day
down the said
creek, and just at night found some tracks
where Indians had
been hunting. We parted, and appointed a
place a distance
off, where to meet, it being then dark. We
encamped, and
thought ourselves safe enough to sleep.
Saturday 29. — We set out early, got to
Alleghany, made a
raft, and with much difficulty got over to
an island, alittle above
Shannopin's town. The Major having fallen
in from off the
raft, and my fingers frost-bitten, and the
sun down, and very
cold, we contented ourselves to encamp
upon that island. It
was deep water between us and the shore ;
but the cold did
us some service, for in the morning it was
frozen hard enough
for us to pass over on the ice.
From Saturday 21 to Tuesday, Jan'^ 7. — We
stayed at this
Place, We had a good Deal of Snow &
bad Weather — My
Son had the Misfortune to have his Feet
frost-bitten, which
kept Us much longer here than We intended
however We
kill'd Plenty of Deer Turkeys &c and
fared very well — The
Land hereabouts very good but to the W and
SW it is hilly.
1752
Wednesday Jan'>' 8 — My Son's Feet
being somewhat
better, We set out S 30 W 5 M, S 45 W 3 M,
the Land
middling good but hilly — I found my Son's
Feet too tender
to travel, and we were obliged to stop
again.
From Thursday 9 to Sunday 19. — We stayed
at this Place
— While We were here We killed Plenty of
Bear Deer &
Elk, so that We lived very well.
Monday 20. — We set out W j M — here we
were stopped
by Snow.
Tuesday 21. — Stayed all the Day in the
Camp.
Wednesday 22. — Set out S 45 W 12 M, where
we scared
a Panther from under a Rock where there
was Room enough
for Us, in it We encamped & had good
Shelter.
We went then a south west course by Land
eighty
five miles, where we came to a small river
and there we made
a little Boat which carried only two men
and our provisions.
The rest travelled by land for two days
and then we came to
a large river, where we enlarged our Barge
so as she carried
all our Company, and whatever loading we
had to put into
her.
, being in a strange place ;
far from home, destitute of friends,
clothing money and arms,
and in that deplorable condition had been
obliged to under-
take a journey of five hundred miles, but
-a gentleman who
was commander of a Privateer and now lay
at Charlestown
with whom we had discoursed several times
gave to each of
us a gun and a sword and would have given
us ammunition
but that he had but little. On the
eighteenth day of April
we left Charlestown the second time and
travelled by land,
and on the seventeenth day of May 1745 we
arrived at my
house, having been absent three years two
months and one
day from my family, having in that time by
the nicest calculation I am able to make, travelled by Land and water four
thousand six hundred and six miles, since
I left my own
House till I returned Home again.
The Journal of Christopher
Gist, 1750-1751
August 27th. – Set off again in the
morning early; rainy weather. We dined in a Seneca Town, where an old Seneca
woman reigns with great authority. We dined at her house, and they all used us
very well at this and the last mentioned Delaware Town. They received us by
firing a great many guns, especially at this place. We saluted the town by
firing off four pairs of pistols.
The journal of Conrad Weiser, Esq., Indian
Interpreter: 1748.
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