Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/131

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

ague, the first time it had been known in the family—a proof of the salubrity of the situation, the bottoms and flats throughout this country being generally subject to this harassing and enfeebling disorder, which however diminishes in proportion as the lands are cleared. I recommended a plentiful use of calomel occasionally, and a strong decoction of Peruvian bark, snake root and ginseng, during all the intermissions.

On Thursday 23d July, we proceeded down the river at five A. M. passing three small islands called the Three Brothers, between a mile and two miles and a half below squire Green's, the two first of which are rather low, but the third is partly cultivated.—The river, its banks and islands are very beautiful hereabouts; the hills having gradually lessened from the south end of the Long reach, there are none but {105} very moderate risings to be seen from the river, at twelve miles below squire Green's, where I observed on the left a saw for ship plank. Two miles further, at half past nine, we passed Little Muskingum river on the right. It is about twenty-five yards wide, and has a handsome Chinese bridge over it. Dewal's island extends from hence two miles and a half to Marietta, where we landed on the right at eleven o'clock.

This town is finely situated on both banks of the Muskingum, at the confluence of that river with the Ohio. It is principally built on the left bank, where there are ninety-seven houses, including a court-house, a market-house, an academy, and a post-office. There are about thirty houses on the opposite bank, the former scite of Fort Harmar, which was a United States' garrison during the Indian wars, but of which no vestige now remains. Some of the houses are of brick, some of stone, but they are chiefly of wood, many of them large, and having a certain air of taste. There are two rope walks, and there were on the stocks two ships,