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Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2009 with funding from
University of Pittsburgh Library System
http://www.archive.org/details/instructionsgiveOOgist
FOR THE HONBLE ROBERT DINWIDDIE ESQUIRE
GOVERNOR & COMMANDER
OF VIRGINIA
Instructions given M' Christopher Gist by the
Comittee of the Ohio Company the ii*^
Day of September 1750.
jOU are to go out as soon as possible to the Westward of the great
Mountains, and carry with you such a Number of Men, as You think
necessary, in Order to search out and discover the Lands upon the
River Ohio, & other adjoining Branches of the Missisippi down as
low as the great Falls thereof : You are particular!}' to observe the Ways Sc Passes
thro all the Mountains you cross, Sc take an exa6l Account of the Soil, Quality,
& Produfl of the Land, and the Wideness & Deepness of the Rivers, & the several
Falls belonging to them, together with the Courses & Bearings of the Rivers &
Mountains as near as you conveniently can : You are also to observe what
Nations of Indians inhabit there, their Strength & Numbers, who they trade
with, & in what Coiiiodities they deal.
When you find a large Quantity of good, level Land, such as you think will
suit the Company, You are to measure the Breadth of it, in three or four different
Places, & take the Courses of the River and Mountains on which it binds in Order
to judge the Quantity : You are to fix the Beginning & Bounds in such a Manner
that they may be easil}- found again by your Description ; the nearer in the Land
lies, the better, provided it be good & level, but we had rather go quite down the
Missisippi than take mean broken Land. After finding a large Body of good level
Land, you are not to stop, but proceed farther, as low as the Falls of the Ohio,
that W^e may be informed of that Navigation ; And You are to take an exaft
Account of all the large Bodies of good level Land, in the same Manner as above
directed, that the Company may the better judge where it will be most convenient
for them to take their Land.
You are to note all the Bodies of good Land as you go along, tho there is
not a sufficient Quantity for the Company's Grant, but You need not be so parti-
cular in the Mensuration of that, as in the larger Bodies of Land.
You are to draw as good a Plan as you can of the Country You pass thro :
You are to take an exaft and particular Journal of all your Proceedings, and
make a true Report thereof to the Ohio Company.
1750.
N CoMPLYANCE WITH my In-
stru6^ions from the Com-
mittee of the Ohio Company
bearing Date the 1 1 "^ Day
of September 17 50
Wednesday Ocf 31
Set out from Col° Thomas Cresap's at
the old Town on Potomack River in Mary-
land, and went along an old Indian Path
N 30 E about 1 1 Miles.
Thursday Nov'' 1
Then N 1 Mile N 30 E 3 M here I was
taken sick and stayed all Night.
Friday 2
N 30 E 6 M, here I was so bad that I
was not able to proceed any farther that
Night, but grew better in the Morning.
Saturday 3
N 8 M to Juniatta, a large Branch of
Susquehannah, where I stayed all Night.
Sunday 4
Crofted Juniatta and went up it S 55
W about 1 6 M.
Monday 5
Continued the same Course S 55 W 6
M to the Top of a large Mountain called
the Allegany Mountain, here our Path
turned, & we went N 45 W 6 M here we
encamped.
Tuesday 6 Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8
Had Snow and such bad Weather that
We could not travel for three Days ; but
I killed a young Bear so that we had Pro-
vision enough.
Friday 9
Set out N 70 W about 8 M here I
crofted a Creek of Susquehannah and it
raining hard, I went into an old Indian
Cabbin where I stay'd all Night.
9
Rain
away in
Saturday 10
and Snow all Day
the Evening
but cleared
Sunday 1 1
Set out late in the Morning N 70 W 6
M crofting two Forks of a Creek of Sus-
quehannah, here the Way being bad, We
encamped and I killed a Turkey.
Monday 12
Set out N 45 W 8 M crofted a great
Laurel Mountain.
Tuesday 13
Rain and Snow.
Wednesday 14
Set out N 45 W 6 M to Loylhannan an
old Indian Town on a Creek of Ohio called
Kiscominatis, then N 1 M NW 1 M to an
Indian's Camp on the said Creek.
Thursday 15
The Weather being bad and I unwell I
stayed here all Day : The Indian to whom
this Camp belonged spoke good English
and directed Me the Way to his Town,
which is called Shannopini Town : He said
it was about 60 M and a pretty good Way.
Friday 16
Set out S 70 W 10 M.
Saturday 17
The same Course (S 70 W) 1 5 M to an
old Indian's Camp
Sunday 18
I was very sick, and sweated myself ac-
cording to the Indian Custom in a Sweat-
House, which gave Me Ease, and my
Fever abated.
Monday 19
Set out early in the Morning the same
Course (S 70 W) travelled very hard about
20 M to a small Indian Town of the Dela-
wares called Shannopin on the SE Side of
the River Ohio, where We rested and got
Com for our Horses.
Tuesday 20 Wednesday 21 Thursday 22
and Friday 23
I was unwell and stayed in this Town to
recover myself; While I was here I took an
Opportunity to set my Compaft privately,
& took the Distance acroft the River,
for I understood it was dangerous to let a
Compaft be seen among these Indians:
The River Ohio is 76 Poles wide at Shan-
nopin Town : There are about twenty Fa-
milies in this Town : The Land in general
from Potomack to this Place is mean stony
and broken, here and there good Spots
upon the Creeks and Branches but no
Body of it.
Saturday 24
Set out from Shannopin's Town, and
swam our Horses acroft the River Ohio,
& went down the River S 75 W 4 M,
N 75 W 7 M W 2 M, all the Land from
Shannopin's Town is good along the River,
but the Bottoms not broad ; At a Distance
from the River good Land for Farming,
covered with small white and red Oaks and
tolerable level ; fine Runs for Mills &c.
Sunday Nov'' 25
Down the River W 3 M, NW 5 M to
the Logg's Town ; the Lands these last 8
M very rich the Bottoms above a Mile
wide, but on the SE side, scarce a Mile
wide, the Hills high and steep. In the
Loggs Town, I found scarce any Body but
a Parcel of reprobate Indian Traders, the
Chiefs of the Indians being out a hunting :
here I was informed that George Croghan
& Andrew Montour who were sent upon
an Embafty from Pensylvania to the In-
dians, were paf^ed about a Week before
me. The People in this Town, began to
enquire my Busineft, and because I did
not readily inform them, they began to
suspeA me, and said, I was come to settle
the Indian's Lands and they knew I should
never go Home again safe; I found thisDis-
II
course was like to be of ill Consequence to
me, so I pretended to speak very slightingly
of what they had said to me, and enquired
for Croghan (who is a meer Idol among his
Countrymen the Irish Traders) andAndrew
Montour the Interpreter for Pensylvania,
and told them I had a Meftage to deliver
the Indians from the King, by Order of
the President of Virginia, & for that Rea-
son wanted to see M"^ Montour : This made
them all pretty easy (being afraid to in-
terrupt the King's Meftage) and obtained
me Quiet and Respe^l among them, other-
wise I doubt not they woud have contrived
some Evil against me — I imediately wrote
to M'" Croghan, by one of the Trader's
People.
Monday 26
Tho I was unwell, I prefered the Woods
to such Company & set out from the Loggs
Town down the River NW 6 M to great
Beaver Creek where I met one Barny
Curran a Trader for the Ohio Company,
and We continued together as far as Mos-
kingum. The Bottoms upon the River
below the Logg's Town very rich but nar-
row, the high Land pretty good but not
very rich, the Land upon Beaver Creek
the same kind ; From this Place We left
the River Ohio to the SE & travelled acroft
the Country
Tuesday 27
Set out from the E side of Beaver Creek
NW 6 M, W 4 M ; up these two last
Courses very good high Land, not very
broken, fit for farming.
Wednesday 28
Rained, We could not travel.
Thursday 29
W 6 M thro good Land, the same
Course continued 6 M farther thro very
broken Land ; here I found myself pretty
well recovered, & being in Want of Pro-
vision, I went out and killed a Deer.
Friday 30
Set out S 45 W 1 2 M crofted the last
Branch of Beaver Creek where one of
Curran's Men & myself killed 1 2 Turkeys.
Saturdy Dec"" 1
N 45 W 10 M the Land high and tole-
rable good.
Note by M'' Gist's Plat he makes these 2
Courses N 45 W 10 M, & N 45 W 8 M, to
be W 8 M and N 45 W 6 M.
Sunday 2
N 45 W 8 M the same Sort of Land,
but near the Creeks bushy and very full
of Thorns.
Monday 3
Killed a Deer, and stayed in our Camp
all Day.
Tuesday 4
Set out late S 45 W about 4 M here I
killed three fine fat Deer, so that tho we
were eleven in Company, We had great
Plenty of Provision.
Wednesday 5
Set out down the Side of a Creek called
Elk's Eye Creek S 70 W 6 M, good Land,
but void of Timber, Meadows upon the
Creek, fine Runs for Mills.
Thursday 6
Rained all Day so that we were obliged
to continue in our Camp.
Friday 7
Set out SW 8 M crofting the said Elk's
Eye Creek to a Town of the Ottaways, a
Nation of French Indians ; an old French
Man (named Mark Coonce) who had mar-
ried an Indian Woman of the six Nations
lived here ; the Indians were all out a
hunting; the old Man was very civil to
me, but after I was gone to my Camp,
upon his understanding I came from Vir-
ginia, he called Me the Big Knife. There
are not above six or eight Families be-
longing to this Town.
13
Saturday 8
Stayed in the To\\ti.
Sunday 9
Set out do\\'n the said Elk's Eye Creek
S 45 W 6 M to Margarets Creek a Branch
of the said Elk's Eye Creek.
Monday Dec"" lO
The same Course (S 45 W) 2 M to a
large Creek.
Tuesday 1 1
The same Course 1 2 M killed 2 Deer,
Wednesday 12
The same Course 8 M encamped by
the Side of Elk's Eye Creek
Thursday 13
Rained all Day.
Friday 14
Set out W 5 M to Moskingum a Town
of the Wyendotts. The Land upon Elk's
Eye Creek is in general very broken, the
Bottoms narrow. The Wyendotts or little
Mingoes are divided between the French
and English, one half of them adhere to
the first, and the other half are firmly at-
tached to the latter. The Town of Mos-
kingum consists of about one hundred
Families. 'VMien We came wthin Sight
of the TowTi, We percieved English Co-
lours hoisted on the King's House, and at
George Croghan's; upon enquiring the
Reason I was informed that the French
had lately taken several English Traders,
and that M' Croghan had ordered all the
WTiite Men to come into this Town, and
had sent Expreftes to the Traders of the
lower Towns, and among the Pickweyli-
nees; and the Indians had sent to their
People to come to Council about it.
Saturday 15 & Sunday 16
Nothing remarkable happened.
Monday 17
Came into Town two Traders belonging
to M"" Croghan, and informed Us that two
of his People were taken by 40 French
Men, & twenty French Indians who had
carried them with seven Horse Loads of
Skins to a new Fort that the French were
building on one of the Branches of Lake
Erie
Tuesday 18
I acquainted M' Croghan and Andrew
Montour with my Busineft with the In-
dians, & talked much of a Regulation of
Trade with which they were much pleased,
and treated Me very kindly.
From Wednesday 19 to Monday 24
Nothing remarkable.
Tuesday 25
This being Christmaft Day, I intended
to read Prayers, but after inviting some of
the WTiite Men, they informed each other
of my Intentions, and being of several dif-
ferent Persuasions, and few of them in-
clined to hear any Good, they refused to
come. But one Thomas Burney a Black
Smith who is settled there went about and
talked to them, & then several of them
came ; and Andrew Montour invited seve-
ral of the well disposed Indians, who came
freely ; by this Time the Morning was
spent, and I had given over all Thoughts
of them, but seeing Them come, to oblige
All, and offend None, I stood up and said,
Gentlemen, I have no Design or Intention
to give Offence to any particular Secflary
or Religion, but as our King indulges Us
all in a Liberty of Conscience and hinders
none of You in the Exercise of your reli-
gious Worship, so it woud be unjust in
You, to endeavour to stop the Propagation
of His; The Doctrine of Salvation Faith,
and good Works, is what I only propose
to treat of, as I find it extracted from the
Homilies of the Church of England, which
I then read to them, in the best Manner I
coud, and after I had done the Interpreter
IS
told the Indians what I had read, and that
it was the true Faith which the great King
and his Church recoiiiended to his Chil-
dren : the Indians seemed well pleased,
and came up to Me and returned Me their
Thanks ; and then invited Me to live
among Them, and gave Me a Name in
their Language Annosanah : the Inter-
preter told Me this was a Name of a good
Man that had formerly lived among them,
and their King said that must be always my
Name, for which I returned them Thanks ;
but as to living among them I excused
myself by saying I did not know whether
the Governor woud give Me Leave, and
if he did the French woud come and carry
me away as they had done the English
Traders, to which they answered I might
bring great Guns and make a Fort, that
they had now left the French, and were
very desirous of being instructed in the
Principles of Christianity ; that they liked
Me very well and wanted Me to marry
Them after the Christian Manner, and
baptize their Children ; and then they said
they woud never desire to return to the
French, or suffer Them or their Priests to
come near them more, for they loved the
English, but had seen little Religion among
Them : and some of their great Men came
and wanted Me to baptize their Children ;
for as I had read to Them and appeared
to talk about Religion they took Me to be
a Minister of the Gospel : Upon which I
desired M'' Montour (the Interpreter) to
tell Them, that no Minister coud venture
to baptize any Children, until those that
were to be Sureties for Them, were well
instructed in the Faith themselves, and
that this was according to the great King's
Religion, in which He desired his Children
shoud be instrucfled, & We dare not do it
in any other Way, than was by Law estab-
lished, but I hoped if I coud not be ad-
mitted to live among them, that the great
King woud send Them proper Ministers
to exercise that Office among them, at
which they seemed well pleased ; and one
16
of Them went and brought Me his Book
(which was a Kind contrived for Them by
the French in which the Days of the Week,
were so marked that by moving a Pin
every Morning they kept a pretty exadl
Account of the Time) to shew Me that he
understood Me, and that He and his Fa-
mily always observed the Sabbath Day.
Wednesday Dec'' 26
This Day a Woman, who had been a
long Time a Prisoner, and had deserted,
& been retaken, and brought into the
Town on Christmaft Eve, was put to Death
in the following Manner : They carried
Her without the Town, & let her loose,
and when she attempted to run away, the
Persons appointed for that Purpose pur-
sued her, & struck Her on the Ear, on the
right Side of her Head, which beat her flat
on her Face on the Ground ; they then
stuck her several Times, thro the Back
with a Dart, to the Heart, scalped Her,
& threw the Scalp in the Air, and another
cut off her Head : There the dismal Spec-
tacle lay till the Evening, & then Bamy
Curran desired Leave to bury Her, which
He, and his Men, and some of the Indians
did just at Dark.
From Thursday Dec"" 27 to Thursday
Jany 3 1751
Nothing remarkable happened in the
Town.
Friday JanJ" 4
One Teafe (an Indian Trader) came to
Town from near Lake Erie, & informed
Us, that the Wyendott Indians had advised
Him to keep clear of the Ottaways (these
are a Nation of Indians firmly attached to
the French, & inhabit near the Lakes) &
told Him that the Branches of the Lakes
are claimed by the French ; but that all
the Branches of Ohio belonged to Them,
and their Brothers the English, and that
the French had no Business there, & that
it was expecfled that the other Part of the
Wyendott Nation woud desert the French
17
and come over to the English Interest, &
join theirBrethren on the Elk's Eye Creek,
& build a strong Fort and Town there.
From Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8
The Weather still continuing bad, I
stayed in the Town to recruit my Horses,
and tho Com was very dear among the
Indians, I was obliged to feed them well,
or run the Risque of losing them as I had
a great Way to travel.
Wednesday 9
The Wind Southerly, and the Weather
something warmer : this Day came into
Town two Traders from among the Pick-
waylinees (these are a Tribe oftheTwigt-
wees) and brought News that another
English Trader was taken Prisoner by the
French, and that three French Soldiers
had deserted and come over to the Eng-
lish, and surrendered themselves to some
of the Traders of the Pick Town, & that
the Indians woud have put them to Death,
to revenge their taking our Traders, but as
the French Prisoners had surrendered
themselves, the English woud not let the
Indians hurt them, but had ordered them
to be sent under the Care of three of our
Traders and delivered at this Town, to
George Croghan.
Thursday 10
Wind still at South and warm.
Friday 1 1
This Day came into To^^•n an Indian
from over the Lakes & confirmed the
News we had heard.
Saturday 12
We sent away our People towards the
lower Town intending to follow them the
next Morning, and this Evening We went
into Council in the Wyendott's King's
House — The Council had been put oflP a
long Time expe (fling some of their great
Men in, but few of them came, & this
Evening' some of the King's Council being
a little disordered with Liquor, no Busineft
coud be done, but We were desired to
come next Day.
Sunday Jan'^y 13
No Busineft done.
Monday 14
This Day George Croghan, by the As-
sistance of Andrew Montour, acquainted
the King and Council of this Nation (by
presenting them four Strings of Wampum)
that the great King over the Water, their
Roggony [Father] had sent under the Care
of the Governor of Virginia, their Brother,
a large Present of Goods which was now
landed safe in Virginia, & the Governor
had sent Me to invite Them to come and
see Him, & partake of their Father's
Charity to all his Children on the Branches
of Ohio. In Answer to which one of the
Chiefs stood up and said, " That their
*' King and all of Them thanked their
" Brother the Governor of Virginia for his
" Care, and Me for bringing them the
" News, but they coud not give Me an
" Answer untill they had a full or general
" Council of the several Nations of Indians
" which coud not be till next Spring : &
" so the King and Council shaking Hands
" with Us, We took our Leave,
Tuesday 15
We left Moskingum, and went W 5 M,
to the White Woman's Creek, on which
is a small Town ; this White Woman was
taken away from New England, when she
was not above ten Years old, by the French
Indians ; She is now upwards of fifty, and
has an Indian Husband and several Chil-
dren— Her Name is Mary Harris, she
still remembers they used to be very re-
ligious in New England, and wonders how
the White Men can be so wicked as she
has seen them in these Woods.
Wednesday 16
Set out SW 25 M, to Licking Creek —
-9
The Land fi-om Moskingum to this Place
rich but broken — Upon the N Side of
Licking Creek about 6 M from the Mouth,
are several Salt Licks, or Ponds, formed
by little Streams or Dreins of Water, clear
but of a blueish Colour, & salt Taste, the
Traders and Indians boil their Meat in this
Water, which (if proper Care be not taken)
will sometimes make it too salt to eat.
Thursday 17
Set out W 5 M, SW 15 M, to a great
Swamp.
Friday 18
Set out from the great Swamp SW 1 5
M.
Saturday 19
W 1 5 M to Hockhockin a small Town
with only four or five Delaware Families.
Sunday 20
The Snow began to grow thin, and the
Weather warmer ; Set out from Hock-
hockin S 5 M, then W 5 M, then SW S
M, to the Maguck a little Delaware Town
of about ten Families by the N Side of a
plain or clear Field about 5 M in Length
NE & SW, & 2 M broad, with a small
Rising in the Middle, which gives a fine
Prospeifl over the whole Plain, and a large
Creek on the N Side of it called Sciodoe
Creek. All the Way from Licking Creek
to this Place is fine rich level Land, with
large Meadows, fine Clover Bottoms, &
spacious Plains covered with wild Rye :
the Wood chiefly large Walnuts and Hick-
ories, here and there mixed with Poplars
Cherry Trees and Sugar Trees.
From Monday 21 to Wednesday 23
Stayed in the Maguck Town.
Thursday 24
Set out from the Maguck Town S about
15 M, thro fine rich level Land to a
small Town called Harrickintoms consist-
ing of about five or six Delaware Families,
on the SW Sciodoe Creek.
Friday 25
The Creek being very high and full of
Ice, We coud not ford it, and were obliged
to go down it on the SE Side SE 4 M to
the Salt Lick Creek — about 1 M up this
Creek on the S Side is a verj- large Salt
Lick, the Streams which run into this Lick
are ver>' salt, & tho clear leave a blueish
Sediment : The Indians and Traders make
Salt for their Horses of this Water, by
boiling it ; it has at first a blueish Colour,
and somewhat bitter Taste, but upon dis-
solved in fair Water and boiled a second
Time, it becomes tolerable pure Salt,
Saturday 26
Set out S 2 M, SW 14 M
Sunday 27
S 12 M to a small Delaware TowTi of
about twenty Families on the SE Side of
Sciodoe Creek— We lodged at the House
of an Indian whose Name was Windaug-
halah, a great Man and Chief of this Town,
& much in the English Interest. He en-
tertained Us very kindly, and ordered a
Negro Man that belonged to him to feed
our Horses well , this Night it snowed,
and in the Morning tho the Snow was six
or seven Inches deep, the wild Rye ap-
peared very green and flourishing thro it,
and our Horses had fine Feeding.
Monday Jan-^ 28
We went into Council with the Indians
of this Town, and after the Interpreter had
informed them of his Instru(fi:ions from the
Governor of Pensylvania, and given them
some Cautions in Regard to the French,
they returned for Answer as follows. The
Speaker with four Strings of Wampum in
his Hand stood up, and addrefting Himself
as to the Governor of Pensylvania, said,
" Brothers, We the Delawares return You
" our hearty Thanks for the News You
" have sent Us, and We afture You, We
" will not hear the Voice of any other Na-
zi
" tion for We are to be direcfled by You
" our Brothers the English, & by none
" else : We shall be glad to hear what our
" Brothers have to say to Us at the Loggs
" Town in the Spring, and to afture You
" of our hearty Good will & Love to our
" Brothers We present You with these
'•' four Strings of Wampum This is the
last Town of the Delawares to the West-
ward— The Delaware Indians by the best
Accounts I coud gather consist of about
500 fighting Men all firmly attached to
the English Interest, they are not properly
a Part of the six Nations, but are scattered
about among most of the Indians upon the
Ohio, and some of them among the six
Nations, fi-om whom they have Leave to
hunt upon their Lands.
Tuesday 29
Set out SW 5 M, S 5 M to the Mouth
of Sciodoe Creek opposite to the Shannoah
Town, here We fired our Guns to alarm
the Traders, who soon answered, and came
and ferryed Us over to the Town — The
Land about the Mouth of Sciodoe Creek
is rich but broken fine Bottoms upon the
River & Creek — The Shannoah Town is
situate upon both Sides the River Ohio,
just below the Mouth of Sciodoe Creek,
and contains about 300 Men, there are
about 40 Houses on the S Side of the
River and about lOO on the N Side, with
a Kind of State-House of about 90 Feet
long, with a light Cover of Bark in w^**
they hold their Councils — The Shanaws
are not a Part of the six Nations, but w^ere
formerly at Variance with them, tho now
reconciled : they are great Friends to the
English who once protected them from
the Fury of the six Nations, which they
gratefully remember.
Wednesday 30
We were condu(?i:ed into Council, where
GeorgeCroghan delivered sundrj' Speeches
from the Government of Pensylvania to the
Chiefs of this Nation, in which He in-
formed them, " That two Prisoners who
" had been taken by the French, and had
" made their Escape from the French
" Officer at Lake Erie as he was carrying
" them towards Canada brought News
" that the French offered a large Sum of
" Money to any Person who woud bring
" to them the said Croghan and Andrew
" Montour the Interpreter alive, or if dead
" their Scalps ; and that the French also
" threatened these Indians and the Wyen-
" dotts with War in the Spring" the same
Persons farther said " that they had seen
*' ten French Canoes loaded with Stores
" for a new Fort they designed on the S
Side Lake Erie. M"" Croghan also in-
formed them of several of our Traders
having been taken, and advised them to
keep their Warriors at Home, until they
coud see what the French intended which
he doubted not woud appear in the Spring
— Then Andrew Montour informed this
Nation as He had done the Wyendotts &
Delawares " That the King of Great Britain
" had sent Them a large Present of Goods,
" in Company with the six Nations, which
" was under the Care of the Governor of
" Virginia, who had sent Me out to invite
" them to come and see Him, & partake
" of their Father's Present next Suiner "
to which We received this Answer — Big
Hannaona their Speaker taking in his
Hand the several Strings of Wampum
which had been given by the English, He
said " These are the Speeches received by
" Us from your great Men: From the
" Beginning of our Friendship, all that
" our Brothers the English have told Us
" has been good and true, for which We
" return our hearty Thanks" Then taking
up four other Strings of Wampum in his
Hand, He said " Brothers I now speak the
" Sentiments of all our People ; when first
" our Forefathers did meet the English
" our Brothers, they found what our Bro-
" thers the English told them to be true,
" and so have We — We are but a small
" People, &. it is not to Us only that You
23
" speak, but to all Nations — We shall be
" glad to hear what our Brothers will say
*' to Us at the Loggs Town in the Spring,
" & We hope that the Friendship now
" subsisting between Us & our Brothers,
" will last as long as the Sun shines, or the
" Moon gives Light — We hope that our
" Children will hear and believe what our
" Brothers say to them, as We have always
" done, and to afture You of our hearty
" Good- Will towards You our Brothers,
" We present You with these four Strings
" of Wampum " After the Council was
over they had much Talk about sending a
Guard with Us to the Pickwaylinees Towns
(these are a Tribe of Twigtwees) which
was reckoned near 200 Miles, but after
long Consultation (their King being sick)
they came to no Determination about it.
From Thursday Jan 3 1 To Monday
Feby 11
Stayed in the Shannoah Town, while I
was here the Indians had a very extraor-
dinary Kind of a Festival, at which I was
present and which I have exa6^1y described
at the End of my Journal — As I had par-
ticular Instru(51;ions from the President of
Virginia to discover the Strength & Num-
bers of some Indian Nations to the West-
ward of Ohio who had lately revolted from
the French, and had some Meftages to
deliver them from Him, I resolved to set
cut for the Twigtwee Town.
Tuesday 1 2
Having left my Boy to take Care of mv
Horses in the Shannoah Town, & supplied
myself with a fresh Horse to ride, I set
out with my old Company viz George
Croghan Andrew Montour, Robert Kal-
landar, and a Servant to carry our Provi-
sions &c NW 10 M.
Wednesday 13
The same Course (NW) about 35 M.
Thursday 14
The same Course about 30 M.
Friday 15
The same Course 1 5 M. We met wth
nine Shannoah Indians coming from one
of the Pickwaylinees Towns, where they
had been to Council, they told Us there
were fifteen more of them behind at the
Twisrtwee Town, waiting- for the Arrival of
the Wawaughtanneys, who are a Tribe of
the Twigtwees, and were to bring with
them a Shannoah Woman and Child to
deliver to their Men that were behind :
this Woman they informed Us had been
taken Prisoner last Fall, by some of the
Wawaughtanney Warriors thro a Mistake,
which had like to have engaged these
Nations in a War.
Saturday 16
Set out the same Course (NW) about
35 M, to the little Miamee River or Creek
Sunday 17
Crossed the little Miamee River, and
altering our Course We went SW 25 M,
to the big Miamee River, opposite the
Twigtwee Town. All the Way from the
Shannoah Town to this Place (except the
first 20 M which is broken) is fine, rich
level Land, well timbered with large Wal-
nut, Ash, Sugar Trees, Cherrj' Trees &c,
it is well watered with a great Number of
little Streams or Rivulets, and full of beau-
tiful natural Meadows, covered with wild
Rye, blue Graft and Clover, and abounds
with Turkeys, Deer, Elks and most Sorts
of Game particularly Buffaloes, thirty or
forty of which are frequently seen feeding
in one Meadow : In short it wants No-
thing but Cultivation to make it a most de-
lightfull Country — The Ohio and all the
large Branches are said to be full of fine
Fish of several Kinds, particularly a Sort of
Cat Fish of a prodigious Size ; but as I
was not there at the proper Season, I had
not an opportunity of seeing any of them
— The Traders had always reckoned it
200 M, from the Shannoah Town to the
Twigtwee To\\ti, but by my Computation
I coud make it no more than 1 50 — ^The
Miamee River being high. We were obliged
to make a Raft of old Loggs to transport
our Goods and Saddles and swim our Horses
over — After firing a few Guns and Pistols,
& smoaking in the Warriours Pipe, who
came to invite Us to the Town (according
to their Custom of inviting and welcoming
Strangers and Great Men) We entered the
Town with English Colours before Us, and
were kindly received by their King, who
invited Us into his ou-n House, & set our
Colours upon the Top of it — The Firing
of Guns held about a Quarter of an Hour,
and then all the white Men and Traders
that were there, came and welcomed Us to
the T\\"igtwee Town — This Town is situate
on the NW Side of the Big Miamee River
about 150 M from the Mouth thereof; it
consists of about 400 Families, & daily
encreasing, it is accounted one of the
strongest Indian Towns upon this Part of
the Continent — The Twigtwees are a very
numerous People consisting of many dif-
ferent Tribes under the same Form of
Government. Each Tribe has a particular
Chief or King, one of which is chosen in-
differently out of any Tribe to rule the
whole Nation, and is vested with greater
Authorities than any of the others — They
are accounted the most powerful People
to the Westward of the English Settle-
ments, & much superior to the six Nations
with whom they are now in Amity : their
Strength and Numbers are not thoroughly
known, as they have but lately traded with
the English, and indeed have very little
Trade among them : they deal in much
the same Comodities with the Northern
Indians. There are other Nations or Tribes
still further to the Westward daily coming
in to them, & 'tis thought their Power and
Interest reaches to the Westward of the
Mif^isippi, if not acrof^ the Continent ;
they are at present very well africted to
the English, and seem fond of an Alliance
with them — they formerly lived on the
farther Side of the Obache, and were in
26
the French Interest, who supplied them
with with some few Trifles at a most ex-
orbitant Price — they were called by the
French Miamees ; but they have now re-
volted from them, and left their former
Habitations for the Sake of trading with
the English ; and notwithstanding all the
Artifices the French have used, they have
not been able to recall them.
After We had been some Time in the
King's House M"" Montour told Him that
We wanted to speak with Him and the
Chiefs of this Nation this Evening upon
which We were invited into the long House,
and having taken our Places M"" Montour
began as follows — " Brothers the Twig-
" twees as We have been hindered by the
" high Waters and some other Busineft
" with our Indian Brothers, no Doubt our
" long Stay has causedsome Trouble among
*' our Brethren here. Therefore We now
" present You with two Strings of Wam-
" pum to remove all the Trouble of your
" Hearts, & clear your Eyes, that You may
" see the Sun shine clear, for We have a
" great Deal to say to You, & We woud
" have You send for one of Your Friends
" that can speak the Mohickon or the
" Mingoe Tongues well, that We may un-
" derstand each other thoroughly, for We
" have a great Deal of Businef^ to do " —
The Mohickons are a small Tribe who most
of them speak English, and are also well
acquainted with the Language of the Twig-
twees, and they with theirs — M' Montour
then proceeded to deliver Them a Meisage
from the Wyendotts and Delawares as fol-
lows "Brothers the Twigtwees, this comes
" by our Brothers the English who are
" coming with good News to You: We
"■ hope You will take Care of Them, and
" all our Brothers the English who are
" trading among You : You made a Road
" for our Brothers the English to come
" and trade among You, but it is now very
" foul, great Loggs are fallen acroft it, and
" We woud have You be strong like Men,
" and have one Heart with Us, and make
27
" the Road clear, that our Brothers the
" English may have free Course and Re-
" course between You and Us — In the Sin-
" cerity of our Hearts We send You these
" four Strings of Wampum, to which they
gave the usual Yo Ho— Then they said
they wanted some Tobacco to smoak with
Us, and that tomorrow they woud send for
their Interpreter.
Monday Feby 18
We walked about viewed the Fort which
wanted some Repairs, & the Trader's Men
helped Them to bring Loggs to line the
Inside.
Tuesday 19
We gave their Kings and great Men
some Clothes, and Paint Shirts, and now
they were busy drefting and preparing
themselves for the Council — The Weather
grew warm and the Creeks began to lower
very fast.
Wednesday 20
About 1 2 of the Clock We were informed
that some of the foreign Tribes were coming,
upon which proper Persons were ordered
to meet them and conduct Them into the
Town, and then We were invited into the
long House ; after We had been seated
about a Quarter of an Hour four Indians,
two from each Tribe (who had been sent
before to bring the long Pipe, and to in-
form that the rest were coming) came in,
& informed Us that their Friends had sent
these Pipes that We might smoak the Ca-
lamut Pipe of Peace with Them and that
they intended to do the same with Us.
Thursday Feb^ 21
We were again invited into the long
House where M"" Croghan made them
(with the foreign Tribes) a Present to the
Value of £100 Pensylvania Money, and
delivered all our Speeches to Them, at
which they seemed well pleased, and said,
that they would take Time and consider
well what We had said to Them.
28
Friday 22
Nothing remarkable happened in the
Town.
Saturday 23
In the Afternoon there was an Alarm in
the Town which caused a great Conftision
and running about among the Indians, upon
enquiring into the Reason of this Stir, they
told Us that it was occasioned by six In-
dians that came to war against Them, from
the Southward : three of them Cutaways,
and three Shanaws (these were some of the
Shanaws who had formerly deserted from
the other Part of the Nation, and now live
to the Southward) Towards Night there
was a Report spread in Town that four
Indians, and four hundred French, were
on their March and just by the Town :
But soon after the Mefsenger who brought
this News said, there were only four french
Indians coming to Council, and that they
bid him say so, only to see how the Eng-
lish woud behave themselves ; but as they
had behaved themselves like Men, He now
told the Truth.
Sunday 24
This Morning the four French Indians
came into Town and were kindly received
by the Town Indians ; they marched in
under French Colours, and were condu6led
into the long House, and after they had
been in about a Quarter of an Hour, the
Council sate, and We were sent for that
We might hear what the French had to
say to them — The Pyankeshee King (who
was at that Time the principal Man, and
Comander in Chief of the Twigtw^ees)
said. He woud have the English Colours
set up in this Council as well as the French,
to which We answered he mie^ht do as he
thought fit. After We were seated right
opposite to the French Embassadors, One
of Them said. He had a Present to make
Them, so a Place was prepared (as they
had before done for our Present) betw'een
Them and Us, and then their Speaker
29
stood up, and layed his Hands upon two
small Caggs of Brandy that held about
seven Quarts each, and a Roll of Tobacco
of about ten Pounds Weight, then taking
two Strings of Wampum in his Hand, He
said, " What he had to deliver Them was
" from their Father (meaning the French
*' King) and he desired they woud hear
" what he was about to say to Them ;"
then he layed them two Strings of Wam-
pum down upon the Caggs, and taking up
four other Strings of black and white Wam-
pum, he said. " that their Father remem-
" bring his Children, had sent them two
" Caggs of Milk, and some Tobacco, and
" that he now had made a clear Road for
" them, to come and see Him and his
" Officers ; and pressed them very much
" to come ; then he took another String
of Wampum in his Hand, and said, " their
" Father now woud forget all little Dif-
*' ferences that had been between Them,
" and desired Them not to be of two
" Minds, but to let Him know their Minds
" freely, for He woud send for Them no
*' more " — To which the Pyankeshee King
replyed, " it was true their Feather had sent
" for them several Times, and said the
" Road was clear, but He understood it
" was made foul & bloody, and by Them —
" We (said He) have cleared a Road for
" our Brothers the English, and vour Fa-
'*' thers have made it bad, and have taken
" some of our Brothers Prisoners, Which
" We look upon as done to Us, and he
" turned short about and v/ent out of
" Council ■' — After the French Embafta-
dor had delivered his Meftage He went
into one of the private Houses, and endea-
voured much to prevail on some Indians,
and was seen to cry and lament (as he said
for the Loft of that Nation.
Monday Feb? 25
This Day We received a Speech from
the Wawaughtanneys and Pyankeshees
(two Tribes of the Twigtwees) One of
the Chiefs of the former spoke " Brothers,
30
" We have heard what You have said to
" Us by the Interpreter and We see You
" take Pity upon our poor Wives and Chil-
" dren, and have taken Us by the Hand
" into the great Chain of Friendship ;
" therefore We present You with these
" two Bundles of Skins to make Shoes for
" your People, and this Pipe to smoak
" in, to afture You that our Hearts are
" good and true towards You our Brothers ;
" and We hope that We shall all continue
" in true Love and Friendship with one
" another, as People with one Head and
" one Heart ought to do ; You have pi-
" tyed Us as You always did the rest of
" our Indian Brothers, We hope that Pity
" You have always shewn, will remain as
" long as the Sun gives Light, and on our
" Side you may depend upon sincere and
" true Friendship towards You as long as
" We have Strength " — This Person stood
up and spoke with the Air and Gesture of
an Orator.
Tuesday 26
Tho Twigtwees delivered the following
Answer to the four Indians sent by the
French — The Captain of the Warriors
stood up and taking some Strings of black
and white Wampum in his Hand he spoke
with a fierce Tone and very warlike Air —
" Brothers the Ottaways, You are always
*' differing with the French Yourselves,
" and yet You listen to what they say, but
" We will let You know by these four
" Strings of Wampum, that We will not
" hear any Thing they say to Us, nor do
" any Thing they bid Us " — Then the
same Speaker with six Strouds two Match-
Coats, and a String of black Wampum (I
understood the Goods were in Return for
the Milk and Tobacco) and directing his
Speech to the French said, " Fathers, You
" desire that We may speak our Minds
" from our Hearts, which I am going
" to do ; You have often desired We
*' shoud go Home to You, but I tell
" You it is not our Home, for We have
" made a Road as far as the Sea to the
31
" Sun-rising, and have been taken by the
" Hand by our Brothers the English, and
" the six Nations, and the Delawares
•' Shannoahs and Wyendotts, and We as-
*' sure You it is the Road We will go ; and
" as You threaten Us with War in the
" Spring, We tell You if You are angry
" We are ready to receive You, and resolve
" to die here before We will go to You ;
" And that You may know that this our
" Mind, We send You this String of black
" Wampum." After a short Pause the
same Speaker spoke again thus — " Bro-
" thers the Ottaways, You hear what I say,
" tell that to your Fathers the French, for
" that is our Mind, and We speak it from
" our Hearts.
Wednesday 27
This Day they took down their French
Colours, and dismif^ed the four French In-
dians, so they took their Leave of the Town
and set off for the French Fort.
Thursday 28
The Crier of the Town came by the
King's Order and invited Us to the long
House to see the Warriors Feather Dance ;
it was performed by three Dancing-Mas-
ters, who were painted all over with vari-
ous Colours, with long Sticks in their Hands,
upon the Ends of which were fastened long
Feathers of Swans, and other Birds, neatly
woven in the Shape of a Fowls Wing : in
this Disguise they performed many antick
Tricks, waving their Sticks and Feathers
about with great Skill to imitate the flying
and fluttering of Birds, keeping exa^l Time
with their Musick ; while they are deincing
some of the Warriors strikes a Post, upon
which the Musick and Dancers cease, and
the Warrior gives an Account of his At-
chievements in War, and when he has
done, throws down some Goods as a Re-
compence to the Performers and Musi-
cians ; after which they proceed in their
Dance as before till another Warrior strikes
32
y*^ Post, and so on as long as the Com-
pany think fit
Friday March 1
We received the following Speech from
the Twigtwees the Speaker stood up and
addrefting himself as to the Governor of
Pensylvania \\ith two Strings of Wampum
in his Hand, He said — " Brothers our
" Hearts are glad that You have taken No-
" tice of Us, and surely Brothers We hope
" that You will order a Smith to settle here
" to mend our Guns and Hatchets, Your
" Kindneft makes Us so bold to ask this
" Request. You told Us our Friendship
" should last as long, and be as the greatest
'• Mountain, We have considered well, and
" all our great Kings & Warriors are come
" to a Resolution never to give Heed to
" what the French say to Us, but always
" to hear Si. believe what You our Brothers
" say to Us — Brothers We are obliged to
" You for your kind Invitation to receive
'• a Present at the Loggs Town, but as our
" foreign Tribes are not yet come, We
" must wait for them, but You may de-
" depend We will come as soon as our
*' Women have planted Com to hear what
" our Brothers will say to Us— Brothers
" We present You with this Bundle of
" Skins, as We are but poor to be for
'• Shoes for You on the Road, and We
" return You our hearty Thanks for the
" Clothes which You have put upon our
" Wives and Children" — We then took
our Leave of the Kings and Chiefs, and
they ordered that a small Party of Indians
shoud go with Us as far as Hockhockin ;
but as I had left my Boy & Horses at the
lower Shannoah Town, I was obliged to go
by myself or to go sixty or seventy Miles
out of my Way, which I did not care to
do ; so we all came over the Miamee Ri-
ver together this Evening, but M- Croghan
& M'^ Montour went over again & lodged
in the Town, but I stayed on this Side at
one Robert Smith's (a Trader) where We
had left our Horses — Before the French
Indians had come into Town, We had
drawn Articles of Peace and Alliance be-
tween the English and the Wawaughtan-
neys and Pyankeshees ; the Indentures
were signed sealed and delivered on both
Sides, and as I drew them I took a Copy —
The Land upon the great Miamee River
is very rich level and well timbered, some
of the finest Meadows that can be : The
Indians and Traders afture Me that the
Land holds as good and if poftible better,
to the Westward as far as the Obache
which is accounted lOO Miles, and quite
up to the Head of the Miamee River,
which is 60 Miles above the Twigtwee
Town, and down the said River quite to
the Ohio which is reckoned 1 50 Miles —
The Graft here grows to a great Height
in the clear Fields, of which there are a
great Number, & the Bottoms are full of
white Clover, wild Rye, and blue Graft.
Saturday March 2
George Croghan and the rest of our
Company came over the River, We got
our Horses, & set out about 35 M. to Mad
Creek (this is a Place where some English
Traders had been taken Prisoners by the
French.)
Sunday 3
This Morning We parted. They for
Hockhockin, and I for the Shannoah Town,
and as I was quite alone and knew that
the French Indians had threatened Us,
and woud probably pursue or lye in Wait
for Us, I left the Path, and went to the
South Westward down the little Miamee
River or Creek, where I had fine travel-
ling thro rich Land and beautiful Meadows,
in which I coud sometimes see forty or
fifty Buffaloes feeding at once — The little
Miamee River or Creek continued to run
thro the Middle of a fine Meadow, about
a Mile wide very clear like an old Field,
and not a Bush in it, I coud see the Buf-
faloes in it above two Miles off: I travelled
this Day about 30 M.
c
Monday 4
This Day I heard several Guns, but was
afraid to examine who fired Them, lest
they might be some of the French Indians,
so I travelled thro the Woods about 30 M ;
just at Night I killed a fine barren Cow-
Buffaloe and took out her Tongue, and a
little of the best of her Meat : The Land
still level rich and well timbered with Oak,
Walnut, Ash, Locust, and Sugar Trees.
Tuesday 5
I travelled about 30 M.
Wednesday 6
I travelled about 30 M, and killed a fat
Bear.
Thursday 7
Set out with my Horse Load of Bear
and travelled about 30 M this Afternoon
I met a young Man (a Trader) and We
encamped together that Night ; He hap-
pened to have some Bread with Him, and
I had plenty of Meat, so We fared very
well.
Friday 8
Travelled about 30 M, and arrived at
Night at the Shannoah Town— All the In-
dians, as well as the white Men came out
to welcome my Return to their Town, be-
ing very glad that all Things were rightly
settled in the Miamee Country, they fired
upwards of 150 Guns in the Town, and
made an Entertainment in Honour of the
late Peace with the western Indians — In
my Return from the Twigtwee to the
Shannoah Town, I did not keep an exa(5l
Account of Course or Distance ; for as the
Land thereabouts was every where much
the same, and the Situation of the Country
was sufficiently described in my Journey
to the Twigtwee Town, I thought it un-
necessary, but have notwithstanding laid
down my Trail pretty nearly in my Plat.
Saturday March 9
In the Shannoah Town, I met with one
of the Mingoe Chiefs, who had been dovm
at the Falls of Ohio, so that We did not
see Him as We went up ; I informed Him
of the King's Present, and the Invitation
down to Virginia — He told that there was
a Party of French Indians hunting at the
Falls, and if I went there they would cer-
tainly kill Me or carry Me away Prisoner
to the French ; For it is certain they would
not let Me paft : However as I had a great
Inclination to see the Falls, and the Land
on the E Side the Ohio, I resolved to ven-
ture as far as poftible.
Sunday 1 o & Monday 1 1
Stayed in the Town, and prepared for
my Departure.
Tuesday 12
I got my Horses over the River and
after Breakfast my Boy and I got ferryed
over — The Ohio is near ^ of a Mile wide
ot Shannoah Town, & is very deep and
smooth.
Wednesday 13
We set out S 45 W, down the said Ri-
ver on the SE Side 8 M, then S 10 M,
here I met two Men belonging to Robert
Smith at whose House I lodged on this
Side the Miamee River, and one Hugh
Crawford, the said Robert Smith had given
Me an Order upon these Men, for two of
the Teeth of a large Beast, which they
were bringing from towards the Falls of
Ohio, one of which I brought in and de-
livered to the Ohio Company — Robert
Smith informed Me that about seven Years
ago these Teeth and Bones of three large
Beasts (one of which was somewhat smaller
than the other two) were found in a salt
Lick or Spring upon a small Creek which
runs into the S Side of the Ohio, about 1 5
M, below the Mouth of the great Miamee
River, and 20 above the Falls of Ohio —
He aftured Me that the Rib Bones of the
largest of these Beasts were eleven Feet
long, and the Skull Bone six feet wide,
acroft the Forehead, & the other Bones
36
in Proportion ; and that there were seve-
ral Teeth there, some of which he called
Horns, and said they were upwards of
five Feet long, and as much as a Man coud
well carry : that he had hid one in a Branch
at some Distance from the Place, lest the
French hidians shoud carry it away — The
Tooth which I brought in for the Ohio
Company, was a Jaw Tooth of better than
four Pounds Weight ; it appeared to be
the furthest Tooth in the Jaw, and looked
like fine Ivory when the outside was scraped
off — I also met with four Shannoah Indians
coming up the River in their Canoes, who
informed Me that there were about sixty
French Indians encamped at the Falls.
Thursday 14
I went down the River S 1 5 M, the Land
upon this Side the Ohio chiefly broken, and
the Bottoms but narrow.
Friday 15
S 5 M, SW 1 o M, to a Creek that was
so high, that We coud not get over that
Night.
Saturday 16
S 45 W about 35 M.
Sunday 17
The same Course 1 5 M, then N 45 W
Monday 18
N 45 W 5 M then SW 20 M, to the
lower Salt Lick Creek, which Robert Smith
and the Indians told Us was about 1 5 M
above the Falls of Ohio; the Land still
hilly, the Salt Lick here much the same
with those before described — this Day We
heard several Guns which made Me ima-
gine the French Indians were not moved,
but were still hunting, and firing there-
abouts : We also saw some Traps newly
set, and the Footsteps of some Indians
plain on the Ground as if they had been
there the Day before — I was now much
troubled that I coud not comply with my
Instructions, & was once resolved to leave
37
the Boy and Horses, and to go privately
on Foot to view the Falls ; but the Boy
being a poor Hunter, was afraid he woud
starve if I was long from him, and there was
also great Djinger lest the French Indians
shoud come upon our Horses Tracts, or
hear their Bells, and as I had seen good
Land enough, I thought perhaps I might
be blamed for venturing so far, in such
dangerous Times, so I concluded not to
go to the Falls ; but travell'd away to the
Southward till We were over the little
Cuttaway River — The Falls of Ohio by the
best Information I coud get are not very
steep, on the SE Side there is a Bar of
Land at some Distance from the Shore, the
Water between the Bar and the Shore is
not above 3 feet deep, and the Stream mo-
derately strong, the Indians frequently paft
safely in their Canoes thro this Paftage, but
are obliged to take great Care as they go
down lest the Current which is much the
strongest on theNW Side shoud draw them
that Way ; which woud be very dangerous
as the Water on that Side runs with great
Rapidity over several Ledges 'of Rocks ;
the Water below the Falls they say is about
six Fathoms deep, and the River continues
without any Obstrucflions till it empties it-
self into the Miftisippi which is accounted
upwards of 400 M — The Ohio near the
Mouth is said to be very wide, and the Land
upon both Sides very rich, and in general
very level, all the Way from the Falls —
After I had determined not to go to the
Falls, We turned from Salt Lick Creek, to
a Ridge of Mountains that made towards
the Cuttaway River, 8c from the Top of the
Mountain We saw a fine level Country SW
as far as our Eyes coud behold, and it was
a very clear Day ; We then went down
the Mountain and set out S 20 W about
5 M, thro rich level Land covered with
small Walnut Sugar Trees, Red-Buds, &c,
Tuesday March 19
We set out S and crofted several Creeks
all running to the SW, at about 12 M,
38
came to the little Cuttaway River : We
were obliged to go up it about l M to an
Island, which was the shoalest Place We
coud find to croft at, We then continued
our Course in all about 30 M thro level
rich Land except about 2 M which was
broken and indifferent — This Level is about
35 M broad, and as We came up the Side
of it along the Branches of the little Cut-
taway We found it about 1 50 M long ;
and how far toward the SW We coud not
tell, but imagined it held as far the great
Cuttaway River, which woud be upwards
of 100 M more, and appeared much
broader that Way than here, as I coud
discern from the Tops of the Mountains
Wednesday 20.
We did not travel, I went up to the Top
of a Mountain to view the Country, to the
SE it looked very broken, and mountainous
but to the Eastward and SW it appeared
very level.
Thursday 21
Set out S 45 E 1 5 M, S 5 M, here I
found a Place where the Stones shined like
high-coloured Braft, the Heat of the Sun
drew out of them a Kind of Borax or Salt
Petre only something sweeter ; some of
which I brought in to the Ohio Company,
tho I believe it was Nothing but a Sort of
Sulphur.
Friday 22
SE 1 2 M, I killed a fat Bear, and was
taken sick that Night.
Saturday 23
I stayed here, and sweated after the In-
dian Fashion, which helped Me.
Sunday 24
Set out E 2 M, NE 3 M, N 1 M,
E 2 M, SE 5 M, E 2 M, N 2 M, SE
7 M to a small Creek, where We en-
camped in a Place where We had but poor
Food for our Horses, & both We and They
were very much wearied : the Reason of
our making so many short Courses was,
39
We were driven by a Branch of the little
Cuttaway River (whose Banks were so ex-
ceeding steep that it was impoftible to ford
it) into a Ledge of rocky Laurel Mountains
which were almost impalpable.
Monday 25
Set out SE 1 2 M, N 2 M, E 1 M, S 4
M, SE 2 M, We killed a Buck Elk here
and took out his Tongue to carry with Us.
Tuesday 26
Set out SE 10 M, SW 1 M, SE 1 M,
SW 1 M SE 1 M, SW 1 M, SE 1 M SW
1 M SE 5 M killed 2 Buffaloes & took out
their Tongues and encamped — These two
Days We travelled thro Rocks and Moun-
tains full of Laurel Thickets which We
coud hardly creep thro without cutting
our Way.
Wednesday 27
Our Horses and Selves were so tired
that We were obliged to stay this Day to
rest, for We were unable to travel — On all
the Branches of the little Cuttaway River
was great Plenty of fine Coal some of which
I brought in to the Ohio Company.
Thursday 28
Set out SE 1 5 M crofting several Creeks
of the little Cuttaway River, the Land still
full of Coal and black Slate.
Friday 29
The same Course SE about 1 2 M the
Land still mountainous.
Saturday 30
Stayed to rest our Horses, I went on
Foot, and found a Paftage thro the Moun-
tains to another Creek, or a Fork of the
same Creek that We were upon.
Sunday 31
The same Course SE 15 M, killed a
Buffaloe & encamped.
Monday April 1
Set out the same Course about 20 M,
40
Part of the Way We went along a Path up
the Side of a little Creek, at the Head of
which was a Gap in the Mountains, then
our Path went down another Creek to a
Lick where Blocks of Coal about 8 or lo
In : square lay upon the Surface of the
Ground, here We killed a Bear and en-
camped.
Tuesday 2
Set out S 2 M, SE 1 M, NE 3 M, killed
a Buffaloe.
Wednesday 3
S 1 M, SW 3 M, E 3 M, SE 2 M, to
a small Creek on which was a large War-
riors Camp, that woud contain 70 or 80
Warriors, their Captain's Name or Title
was the Crane, as I knew by his Picture
or Arms painted on a Tree.
Thursday 4
W^e stayed here all Day to rest our
Horses, and I platted down our Courses
and I found I had still near 200 M Home
upon a streight Line.
Friday April 5
Rained, and We stayed at the Warriors
Camp.
Saturday 6
We went along the Warrior's Road S 1
M, SE 3 M, S 2 M, SE 3 M, E 3 M, killed
a Bear.
Sunday 7
Set out E 2 M. NE 1 M, SE 1 M, S 1
M, W 1 M, SW 1 M, S 1 M, SE 2 M,
Si M.
Monday 8
S 1 M. SE 1 M. E 3 M. SE 1 M, E 3
M, NE 2 M, N 1 M, E 1 M, N 1 M, E 2
M and encamped upon a small Laurel
Creek.
Tuesday 9 & Wednesday 10
The Weather being somewhat bad We
did not travel these two Days, the Country
being still rocky mountainous, & full of
41
Laurel Thickets, the worst traveling I ever
saw.
Thursday 1 1
We travelled several Courses near 20
M, but in the Afternoon as I coud see
trom the Top of the Mountain the Place
We came from, I found We had not come
upon a streight Line more than N 65 E
10 M.
Friday 12
Set out thro very difficult Ways, E 5
M, to a small Creek.
Saturday 13
The same Course E upon a streight
Line, tho the Way We were obliged to
travel was near 20 M, here We killed two
Bears, the Way still rocky and moun-
tainous.
Sunday 14
As Food was very scarce in these bar-
ren Mountains, We were obliged to move
for fresh Feeding for our Horses, so We
went on E 5 M. then N 20 W 6 M, to a
Creek where We got something better
Feeding for our Horses, in climbing up the
Clifts and Rocks this Day two of our
Horses fell down, and were pretty much
hurt, and a Paroquete which I had got from
the Indians, on the other Side the Ohio
(where there are a great many) died of a
Bruise he got by a Fall ; tho it was but a
Trifle I was much concerned at losing
Him, as he was perfectly tame, and had
been very brisk all the Way, and I had
still Corn enough left to feed Him — In the
Afternoon I left the Horses, and went a
little Way do\\Ti the Creek, and found such
a Precipice and such Laurel Thickets as
We coud not paft, and the Horses were
not able to go up the Mountain till they
had rested a Day or two.
Monday 15
We cut a Pafsage through the Laurels
better than 2 M, as I was climbing up the
Rocks, I got a Fall which hurted Me pretty
42
much — This Afternoon as We wanted Pro-
vision I killed a Bear.
Tuesday l6
Thunder and Rain in the Morning — We
set out N 25 E 3 M.
Wednesday 17
This Day I went to the Top of a Moun-
tain to view the Way, and found it so bad
that I did not care to engage it, but rather
chose to go out of the Way and keep down
along the Side of a Creek till I coud find
a Branch or Run on the other Side to go up.
Thursday 18
Set out down the said Creek Side N 3
M, then the Creek turning NW I was
obliged to leave it, and go up a Ridge
NE 1 M, E 2 M, SE 2 M, NE 1 M, to the
Fork of a River.
Friday 19
Set out down the said Run NE 2 M,
E 2 M, SE 2 M, N 20 E 2 M, E 2 M, up
a large Run.
Saturday 20
Set out SE 10 M, E 4 M, over a small
Creek — We had such bad traveling down
this Creek, that We had like to have lost
one of our Horses.
Sunday 21
Stayed to rest our Horses.
Monday 22
Rained all Day — We coud not travel.
Tuesday 23
Set out E 8 M along a Ridge of Moun-
tains then SE 5 M, E 3 M, SE 4 M, and
encamped among very steep Mountains.
Wednesday 24
SE 4 M thro steep Mountains and
Thickets E 6 M.
43
Thursday 25
E 5 M, SE 1 M, NE 2 M, SE 2 M, E
1 M, then S 2 M, E 1 M killed a Bear.
Friday 26
Set-out SE 2 M, here it rained so hard
We were obliged to stop.
Saturday 27 Sunday 28 & Monday 29
These three Days it continued raining
& bad Weather, so that We coud not tra-
vel— All the Way from Salt Lick Creek to
this Place, the Branches of the little Cut-
taway River were so high that We coud
not paf^ Them, which obliged Us to go
over the Heads of them, thro a continued
Ledge of almost inacceftable Mountains,
Rocks and Laurel Thickets.
Tuesday 30
Fair Weather set out E 3 M, SE 8 M,
E 2 M, to a little River or Creek which
falls into the big Conhaway, called blue
Stone, where we encamped and had good
Feeding for our Horses.
Wednesday May 1
Set out N 75 E 10 M and killed a Buf-
faloe, then went up a very high Mountain,
upon the Top of which was a Rock 60 or
70 Feet high, & a Cavity in the Middle,
into which I went, and found there was a
Paf^age thro it which gradually ascended
to the Top, with several Holes in the Rock,
which let in the Light, when I got to the
Top of this Rock, I coud see a prodigious
Distance, and coud plainly discover where
the big Conhaway River broke the next
high Mountain, I then came down and con-
tinued my Course N 7 5 E 5 M farther and
encamped.
Thursday 2 & Friday 3
These two Days it rained and We stayed
at our Camp to take Care of some Provi-
sion We had killed.
Saturday 4
This Day our Horses run away, and it
44
was late before We got Them, so We coud
not travel far, We went N 75 E 4 M.
Sunday May 5
Rained all Day.
Monday 6
Set out thro very bad Ways E 3 M, NE
6 M, over a bad Laurel Creek E 4 M.
Tuesday 7
Set out E 10 M, to the big Conhaway
or new River and got over half of it to a
large Island where We lodged that Night.
Wednesday 8
We made a Raft of Logs and crofted
the other half of the River & went up it S
about 2 M — The Conhaway or new River
(by some called Wood's River) where I
crofted it (which was about 8 M above the
Mouth of blue Stone River) is better than
200 Yards wide, and pretty deep, but full
of Rocks and Falls — The Bottoms upon it
and blue Stone River are very rich but
narrow, the high Land broken.
Thursday 9
Set out E 1 3 M to a large Indian War-
rior's Camp, where We killed a Bear and
stayed all Night.
Friday 10
Set out E 4 M, SE 3 M, S 3 M, thro
Mountains cover'd with h-y and Laurel
Thickets.
Saturday 1 1
Set out S 2 M, SE 5 M, to a Creek and
a Meadow where We let our Horses feed,
then SE 2 M, S 1 M, SE 2 M to a very
high Mountain up on the Top of which was
a Lake or Pond about -|- of a Mile long
NE & SW, & i of a Mile wide the Wate^
fresh and clear, and a clean gravelly Shore
about 10 Yards wide with a fine Meadow
and sLx fine Springs in it, then S about 4
M, to a Branch of the Conhaway called
Sinking Creek.
45
Sunday 12
Stayed to rest our Horses and dry some
Meat We had killed.
Monday 13
Set out SE 2 M, E 1 M, SE 3 M, S 1 2
M to one Rich'' Halls in Augusta County
this Man is one of the farthest Settlers to
the Westward upon the New River.
Tuesday 14
Stayed at Rich'' Hall's and \\T0te to the
President of Virginia & the Ohio Com-
pany to let them know I shoud be with
Them by the 1 5"^ of June.
Wednesday 15
Set out from Rich'' Hall's S 1 <
M.
Thursday 16
The same Course S 22 M and encamped
at Beaver Island Creek (a Branch of the
Conhaway) opposite to the Head of Roa-
noke.
Friday 17
Set out SW 3 M, then S 9 M, to the
dividing Line between Carolina and Vir-
ginia, where I stayed all Night, the Land
from Rich'' Hall's to this Place is broken.
Saturday 18
Set out S 20 M to my o^\-n House on
the Yadkin River, when I came there I
found all my Family gone, for the Indians
had killed five People in the Winter near
that Place, which frightened my Wife and
Family away to Roanoke about 35 M
nearer in among the Inhabitants, which I
was informed of by an old Man I met near
the Place.
Sunday 19
Set out for Roanoke, and as We had
now a Path, We got there the same Night
where I found all my Family well.
Christopher Gist.
Instructions given to M^" Christopher Gist by the
Comittee of the Ohio Company
July 16^^ 1 75 1
FTER You have returned from Williamsburg and have executed the
Coiiiission of the President & Council, if they shall think proper to
give You One, otherwise as soon as You can conveniently You are to
apply to Col" Cresap for such of the Company's Horses, as You shall
want for the Use of 5'ourself and such other Person or Persons You shall think
necessary to carry with You ; and You are to look out & observe the nearest &
most convenient Road You can find from the Company's Store at Wills's Creek
to a Landing at Mohongeyela ; from thence You are to proceed down the Ohio
on the South Side thereof, as low as the Big Conhaway, and up the same as far as
You judge proper, and find good Land — You are all the Way to keep an exaf!
Diary & Journal & therein note every Parcel of good Land, with the Quantity
as near as You can by any Means compute the same, with the Breadth,
Depth, Course and Length of the several Branches falling into the Ohio, &
the different Branches any of Them are forked into, laying the same as exadly
down in a Plan thereof as You can ; observing also the Produce, the several
Kinds of Timber and Trees, observing where there is Plenty and where the
Timber is scarce ; and You are not to omit proper Observations on the moun-
tainous, barren, or broken Land, that We may on your Return judge what Quan-
tity of good Land is contained within the Compass of your Journey, for We woud
not have You omit taking Notice of any Quantity of good Land, tho not exceed-
ing 4 or 500 Acres provided the same lies upon the River Ohio & may be conve-
nient for our building Store Houses & other Houses for the better carrying on a
Trade and Correspondence down that River.
1751.
URSUANT to my Instru(?lions
hereunto annexed from the
Comittee of the Ohio Com-
pany bearing Date 1 6"' July
1751
Monday Nov"" 4
Set out from the Company's Store House
in Frederick County Virginia opposite the
Mouth of Wills's Creek and crofting Po-
tomack River went W 4 M to a Gap in
the Allegany Mountains upon the SW
Fork of the said Creek — This Gap is the
nearest to Potomack River of any in the
Allegany Mountains, and is accounted one
of the best, tho the Mountain is very
high, The Ascent is no where very steep
but rises gradually near 6 M, it is now
very full of old Trees & Stones, but with
some Pains might be made a good Wag-
gon Road ; this Gap is diredlly in the Way
to Mohongaly, & several Miles nearer than
that the Traders comonly paft thro, and a
much better Way.
Tuesday 5
Set out N 80 W 8 M, it rained and
obliged Us to stop.
Wednesday 6
The same Course 3 M hard Rain.
Thursday 7
Rained hard and We coud not travel
Friday 8
Set out the same Courses N 80 W 3 M,
here We encamped, and turned to see
where the Branches lead to & found they
descended into the middle Fork of Yaugh-
aughgaine — We hunted all the Ground for
SI
10 M, or more and killed several Deer, &
Bears, and one large Elk — The Bottoms
upon the Branches are but narrow with
some Indian Fields about 2000 Acres of
good high Land about a Mile from the
largest Branch.
From Saturday 9 to Tuesday 19
We were employed in searching the
Lands and discovering the Branches
Creeks &c.
Wednesday 20
Set out N 45 W 5 M killed a Deer
Thursday 21
The same Course 5 M the greatest
Part of this Day We were cutting our Way
thro' a Laurel Thicket and lodged by the
Side of one at Night
Friday 22
Set out the same Course N 45 W 2 M
and cut our Way thro a great Laurel
Thicket to the middle Fork of Yaugh-
yaughgaine then S down the said Fork
(crofting a Run) 1 M, then S 45 W 2 M
over the said Fork where We encamped.
Saturday 23
Rested our Horses and examined the
Land on Foot, which We found to be tole-
rable rich & well timbered but stony and
broken.
Sunday 24
Set out W 2 M then S 45 W 6 M over
the S Fork and encamp'd on the SW Side
about 1 M from a small Hunting Town of
the Delawares from whom I bought some
Com — I invited these Indians to the Treaty
at the Loggs Town, the full Moon in May,
as Col" Patton had desired Me ; they treated
52
Me very civilly, but after I went from that
Place my Man informed Me that they
threatened to take away our Guns and not
let Us travel.
Monday 25
Set outW 6 M, then S 45 W 2 M to a
Laurel Creek, where We encamped &
killed some Deer.
From Tuesday 26 to Thursday 28
We were examining the Lands which
We found to be rocky and mountainous
Friday 29
Set out W 3 M then N 65 W 3 M, N
45 W 2 M.
From Saturday 30 to Friday Dec"" 6
We searched the Land several Miles
round and found it about 1 5 M from the
Foot of the Mountains to the River Mo-
hongaly the first 5 M of which E & W is
good level farming Land, with fine Mea-
dows, the Timber white Oak and Hiccory
— ^the same Body of Land holds 1 o M, S,
to the upper Forks of Mohongaly, and
about 10 M, N, towards the Mouth of
Yaughyaughgaine — The Land nearer the
River for about 8 or 9 M wide, and the
same Length is much richer & better tim-
bered, with Walnut, Locust, Poplars and
Sugar-Trees, but is in some Places very
hilly, the Bottoms upon the River 1 M,
and in some Places near 2 M wide.
Saturday 7
Set out W 6 M and went to an Indian
Camp and invited them to the Treaty at the
Loggs Town at the full Moon in May next ;
at this Camp there was a Trader named
Charles Poke who spoke the Indian Tongue
well, the Indian to whom this Camp
belonged after much Discourse with Me,
complained & said " my Friend You was
" sent to Us last Year from the Great Men
" in Virginia to inform Us of a Present
" from the Great King over the Water,
" and if You can bring News from the
53
" King to Us, why cant You tell Him
" something from Me ] The Proprietor of
" Pensylvania granted my Father a Trail
" of Land begining eight Miles below
" the Forks of Brandy Wine Creek and
" binding on the said Creek to the Fork
" and including the West Fork & all its
" Waters on both Sides to the Head Foun-
" tain — The White People now live on
" these Lands, and will neither let Me have
" Them, nor pay Me any Thing for Them
" — My Father's Name was Chickocon-
" necon, I am his eldest Son, and my Name
" is Nemicotton — I desire that You will
" let the Governor and great Men in Vir-
" ginia know this — It may be they will tell
" the great King of it, and he will make M''
" Pen or his People give Me the Land or
" pay Me for it — This Trader here Charles
" Poke knows the Truth of what I say, that
" the Land was granted to my Father, &
" that He or I never sold it, to which
" Charles Poke answered that Chickocon-
" necon had such a grant of Land, & that
" the People who lived on it coud get no
" Titles to it, for that it was now called
" Mannor Lands — This I was obliged to
" insert in my Journal to please the Indian.
Sunday Dec'' 8
Stayed at the Indian Camp.
Monday 9
Set out S 45 W 1 M, W 6 M to the Ri-
ver Mohongaly — at this Place is a large
Cavity in a Rock about 30 Feet long & 20
Feet wide & about 7 Feet high and an even
Floor — The Entrance into it is so large
and open that it lets in Plenty of Light, and
close by it is a Stream of fine Water.
From Tuesday 10 to Friday 13
We were examining the Lands which
for 9 or 1 o M, E is rich but hilly as before
described, on the E Side the River for se-
veral Miles there are fine Bottoms a Mile
wide and the Hills above them are extra-
ordinary rich and well timbered.
54
Saturday 14
We had Snow.
Sunday 15
Crofted the River Mohongaly which in
this Place is 53 Poles wide, the Bottoms
upon the W Side are not above 100 Yards
broad, but the Hills are very rich both up
and down the River, and full of Sugar
Trees.
Monday 16
Spent in searching the Land.
Tuesday 17
Set out W 5 M the Land upon this
Course hilly but very rich for about a Mile
and a half, then it was level with good
Meadows but not very rich for about a
Mile & a half more, & the last 2 M next to
Licking Creek was very good Land ; upon
this Creek We lodged at a hunting Camp
of an Indian Captain namedOppaymoUeah,
here I saw an Indian named Joshua who
spoke very good English ; he had been
acquainted with Me several Years, and
seemed very glad to see Me, and won-
dered much where I was going so far in
those Woods ; I said I was going to invite
all the great Men of the Indians to a Treaty
to be held at Loggs Town, the full Moon
in May next, where a Parcel of Goods, a
Present from the King of Great Britain,
woud be delivered Them by proper Comis-
sioners, and that these were the Goods
which I informed them of last Year, by
Order of the President of Virginia, Col"
Lee, who was since dead, Joshua informed
Them what I said, and They told Me, I
ought to let the Beaver know this, so I
wrote a Line to him by Joshua, who pro-
mised to deliver it safe, and said there was
a Trader's Man who coud read it for him
— This Beaver is the Sachemore or Chief
of the Delawares It is customary among
the Indian Chiefs to take upon Them the
Name of any Beast or Bird they fancy, the
Picfture of which they always sign instead
of their Name or Arms.
Wednesday 18
Stayed at the Camp.
Thursday 19
Set out W 3 M, S 45 W 2 M, W 1 M
to a Branch of Licking Creek
Friday 20
Set out W 1 M, S 45 W 6 M and en-
camped.
From Saturday 2 1 to Tuesday Jan''y 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 & 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 5 M — here We were
stopped by Snow.
Tuesday 21
Stayed all the Day in the Camp.
Wednesday 22
Set out S 45 W 1 2 M, where we scared
a Panther from under a Rock where there
was Room enough for Us, in it We en-
camped & had good Shelter.
56
From Thursday 23 to Sunday 26
We stayed at this Place & had Snow &
bad Weather.
Monday 27
Set out S 45 W 6 M, here We had
Snow & encamped.
From Tuesday 28 to Friday 31
Stayed at this Place, the Land upon
these last Courses is rich but hilly and in
some Places Stony.
Saturday Feby 1
Set out S 45 W 3 M, S 45 E 1 M, S
2 M, S 45 W 1 M, crofted a Creek on
which the Land was very hilly and rocky
yet here and there good Spots on the Hills.
Sunday 2
S 45 W 3 M, here We were stopped
by Snow
From Monday 3 till Sunday 9
We stayed at this Place and had a good
Deal of Snow & bad Weather,
Monday 10
Set out S 45 W 8 M— The Snow hard
upon the Top & bad traveling
Tuesday 1 1
The same Course S 45 W 2 M, then
W 1 M, S 45 W 4 M.
Wednesday 12
Killed two Buffaloes and searched the
Land to the NW which I found to be rich
& well timbered with lofty Walnuts, Ash,
Sugar Trees tS:c but hilly in most Places.
Thursday 13
Set out W 1 M. S 45 W 2 M, W 2 M, S 45
W 2 M. W 2 M— In this Day's Journey We
found a Place where a Piece of Land about
100 Yards square & about 10 Feet deep
from the Surface had slipped do\\-n a steep
Hill, somewhat more than it's own Breadth,
with most of the Trees standing on it up-
57
right as they were at first, and a good
many Rocks which appeared to be in the
same Position as they were before the
Ground slipt: It had bent down and
crushed the Trees as it came along, which
might plainly be seen by the Ground on
the upper Side of it, over which it had
pafted — It seemed to have been done but
two or three Years ago — In the Place from
whence it removed was a large Quarry of
Rocks, in the Sides of which were Veins of
several Colours, particularly one of a deep
yellow, about 3 Feet from the Bottom, in
which were other small Veins some white,
some a greenish Kind of Copperas: A
Sample of which I brought in to the Ohio
Company in a small Leather Bag N° 1 —
Not very far from this Place We found
another large Piece of Earth, which had
slipped down in the same Manner — Not
far from here We encamped in the Fork
of a Creek.
Friday 14
"We stayed at this' Place — On the NW
Side of the Creek on a rising Ground by
a small Spring We found a large Stone
about 3 Feet Square on the Top, and about
6 or 7 Feet high : it was all covered with
green Mofs except on the SE Side which
was smooth and white as if plaistered with
Lime. On this Side I cut with a cold
Chizzel in large Letters,
THE OHIO COMPANY
FEB^
175:
BY CHRISTOPHER GIST
Saturday 15
Set out S 45 W 5 M, rich Land but
hilly, very rich Bottoms up the Creek but
not above 200 Yards wide,
Sunday 16
S 45 W 5 M thro rich Land, the Bot-
toms about i of a Mile wide upon the
Creek.
58
Monday 17
The same Course S 45 W 3 M, W 3 M,
5 45 W 3 M, S 20 W 3 M, S 8 M, S 45
W 2 M over a Creek upon which was fine
Land, the Bottoms about a Mile wide.
Tuesday FebJ 18
S 1 o M over the Fork of a Creek S 45
W 4 M to the Top of a high Ridge, from
whence We coud see over the Conhaway
River — Here We encamped, the Land
mixed with Pine and not very good.
Wednesday 19
Set out S 1 5 M, S 45 W 6 M to the
Mouth of a little Creek, upon which the
Land is very rich, and the Bottoms a Mile
wide — The Conhaway being very high
overflowed some Part of the Bottoms.
Thursday 20
Set out N 45 W 2 M acroi^ a Creek over
a Hill, then S 80 W 10 M to a large Run,
all fine Land upon this Course — (We were
now about 2 M from the River Conhaway)
— Then continued our Course S 80 W 10
M, the first 5 M good high Land ; tole-
rably level the last 5 thro the River, Bot-
toms which were a Mile wide and very rich
to a Creek or large Run which We crofted,
6 continued our Course S 80 W 2 M far-
ther & encamped.
Friday 21
The same Course S 80 W still continued
8 M further ; then S 2 M to the Side of
the River Conhaway, then down the said
River N 45 W 1 M to a Creek where We
encamped — The Bottoms upon the River
here are a Mile wide, the Land very rich
— The River at this Place is 79 Poles
broad.
Saturday 22
Set out N 45 W 4 M, W 7 M, to a high
Hill fi-om whence We coud see the River
Ohio, then N 45 W 1 2 M to the River
Ohio at the Mouth of a small Run where
We encamped. The Bottoms upon the
59
River here are a Mile wide & very good,
but the high Land broken.
Sunday 23
Set out S 45 E 14 M over Letort's
Creek — The Land upon this Creek is poor,
broken, & full of Pines — Then the same
Course S 45 E 10 M and encamped on
the River Side upon fine rich Land the
Bottoms about a Mile wide.
Monday 24
Set out E 1 2 M up the River all fine
Land the Bottoms about li Miles wide,
full of lofty Timber : then N 5 M crofting
Smith's Creek. The Land here is level &
good, but the Bottoms upon the River are
not above i a Mile wide — then N 45E 8 M
to a Creek called Beyansoss where We
encamped.
Tuesday 25
We searched the Land upon this Creek
which We found very good for 1 2 or 13
M up it from the River — The Bottoms
upon it are about i a Mile wide, & the
Bottoms upon the River at the Mouth of
it a Mile wide, and very well timbered.
Wednesday 26
Set out N 45 E 1 3 M to the River Ohio
at the Mouth of a Creek called Lawwella-
conin; then S 55 E 5 M up the said
Creek — The Bottoms upon this Creek are
a Mile wide & the high Land very good
& not much broken, & very well timbered
Thursday 27 Friday 28 & Saturday 29
Rained and We coud not travel — Killed
four Buffaloes.
Sunday March 1 and Monday 2
Set out N 30 E 10 M to a little Branch
full of Coal then N 30 E 16 M to Nawmis-
sipia or Fishing Creek — My Son hunted
up this Creek (where I had cut the Letters
upon the Stone) which he said was not
above 6 M in a streight Line from this
Place — The Bottoms upon this Creek are
60
but narrow, the. high Land hilly, but very
rich and well timbered.
Tuesday 3
Set out N 30 E 18 M to Molchu-
conickon or Buffaloe Creek.
Wednesday 4
We hunted up and down this Creek to
examine the Land — The Bottoms are |- of
a Mile wide & very rich, a great many
cleared Fields covered with white Clover,
the high Land rich but in general hilly.
Thursday 5
Set out N 30 E 9 M to a Creek called
Neemokeesy where We killed a black Fox
& two Bears — Upon this Creek We found
a Cave under a Rock about 1 50 Feet long
& 55 Feet wide ; one Side of it open
facing the Creek, the Floor dr\' — We
found it had been much used by Buffaloes
& Elks who came there to lick a kind of
Scdtish Clay which I found in the Cave, and
of which I took a Sample in a Leather Bag
N°. 2.
Friday March 6
We stayed at the Cave — Not verj' far
from it We saw a Herd of Elks near 30 one
of which my Son killed.
Saturday 7
Set out N 30 E 7 M, to the Ohio River
— ^The Bottoms here were very rich and
near 2 M wide ; but a little higher up, the
Hill seemed very steep, so that We were
obliged to leave the River & went E 6 M
on very high Land: then N 9 M, thro'
very good high Land tolerable level to a
Creek called Wealin or Scalp Creek where
We encamped.
Sunday 8
We went out to search the Land which
We found very good for near 15 M up
this Creek from the Mouth of it, the Bot-
toms above a Mile wide & some Meadows
— ^We found an old Indian Road up this
Creek.
61
Monday 9
Set out N 45 E 1 8 M to a Creek— The
same Course 3 M to another Creek where
We encamped — These Creeks the Traders
distinguish by the Name of the two Creeks.
Tuesday 10
We hunted up and down these Creeks
to examine the Land from the Mouths of
Them, to the Place where We had crofsed
near the Heads of Them ; in our Way to
the Conhaway — The}' run near parallel at
about 3 or 4 M, Distance, for upwards of
30 M — The Land between Them all- the
Way is rich & level, chiefly Low Grounds
& finely timbered with Walnuts, Locusts,
Cherry Trees, & Sugar Trees
Wednesday 1 1
Set out E 1 8 M crofsing three Creeks
all good Land but hilly then S 1 6 M to
our old Camp, where my Son had been
frost-bitten. After We had got to this
Place in our old Tracl, I did not keep any
exacl Account of Course and Distance, as
I thought the Rivers & Creeks sufficiently
described by my Courses as I came dowTi.
Thursday 12
I set out for Mohongaly crofted it upon
a Raft of Logs from whence I made the
best of my Way to Potomack — I did not
keep exactly my old TracT; but went more
to the Eastward & found a much nearer
Way Home ; and am of Opinion the Com-
pany may have a tolerable good Road from
Wills's Creek to the upper Fork of Mo-
hongaly, from whence the River is navi-
gable all the Way to the Ohio for large
flat-bottomed Boats — The Road will be a
little to the Southward of West, and the
Distance to the Fork of Mohongaly about
70 M — VNTiile I was at Mohongaly in my
Return Home an Indian, who spoke good
English, came to Me & said — That their
great Men the Beaver and Captain Oppa-
mylucah (these are two Chiefs of the De-
lawares) desired to know where the Indian's
62
Land lay, for that the French claimed all
the Land on one Side the River Ohio &
the English on the other Side ; and that
Oppamylucah asked Me the same Ques-
tion when I was at his Camp in my Way
down, to which I had made him no An-
swer— I very well remembered that Op-
pamylucah had asked Me such a Question,
and that I was at a Loft to answer Him as
I now also was : But after some Considera-
tionmy Friend "said I We are all one King's
" People and the different Colour of our
" Skins makes no Difference in the King's
" Subjedls ; You are his People as well as
" We, if you will take Land & pay the
" King's Rights You will have the same
" Privileges as the White People have,
" and to hunt You have Liberty every
" where so that You dont kill the Wliite
" Peoples Cattle & Hogs — To this the
Indian said, that I must stay at that Place
two Days and then He woud come & see
Me again, He then went away, and at the
two Days End returned as he promised,
and looking very pleasant said He woud
stay with Me all Night, after He had been
with Me some Time He said that the great
Men bid Him tell Me I was very safe that
I might come and live upon that River
where I pleased — That I had answered
Them very true for We were all one King's
People sure enough & for his Part he
woud come to see Me at Wills's Creek in
a Month.
March
From Thursday i 2 to Saturday 28
We were traveling from Mohongaly to
Potomack for as We had a good many
Skins to carry & the Weather was bad We
traveled but slow
Sunday 29
We arrived at the Company's Factory
at Wills's Creek.
Christopher Gist
This Day came before Me Christopher Gist & made Oath on the holy Evan-
gelists that the two Journals hereunto annexed, both which are signed by the said
Christopher Gist ; the first containing an Account of his Travels and Discoveries
down the River Ohio, & the Branches thereof, for the Ohio Company in the
Years 1750 & 1751 together with his Transactions with the Indians and his Re-
turn Home. And the other containing an Account of his Travels and Discoveries
down the said River Ohio on the SE Side as low as the Big Conhaway made for
the s*^ Ohio Company in the Years 175 1 & 1752 & his return to Wills's Creek
on Potomack River (as in a Piatt made thereof by the said Christopher Gist and
given in to the said Ohio Company may more fully appear) are just & true except
as to the Number of Miles, which the said Christopher Gist did not af?ually
measure and therefore cannot be certain of Them, but computed Them in the
most exaft Manner he coud & according to the best of his Knowledge. Given
under my Hand this Day of 175
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