Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/223

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

M'Arthur's elegant stone house and noble farm.[139] The other two miles and a half was through a level plain, passing a neat house and handsome improvement of Mr. Henry Massey's, just before entering Chilicothe, which I did at eight o'clock, stopping at Muker's tavern, as the breakfast bell rang, which summoned seventeen or eighteen boarders and travellers to an excellent breakfast with good attendance, to which I did ample justice, after my bath and walk.



CHAPTER XXXI


The Scioto—Chilicothe—Indian monument—Fine prospect—Colonel M'Arthur's—Colonel Worthington's.


Chilicothe, which signifies town in most of the Indian dialects, is most beautifully situated on the right bank of the Scioto, about forty-five miles by land, and nearly seventy following its meanders from the confluence of that river with the Ohio, between Portsmouth and Alexandria. In all that distance the river has a gentle current, and unimpeded navigation for large keels, and other craft for four feet draught of water. It continues navigable for smaller boats and batteaux upwards of one hundred miles above Chilicothe, towards its source to the northward, from whence it glides gently through a naturally rich, level, and rapidly improving country.