Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/282

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much she ought to be ashamed to take such advantage of the necessities of travellers.

The right hand shore now consisted of bold projecting rocks, with openings at intervals, in all of {249} which are settlements, while the Kentucky side being low is more thinly inhabited.

After passing Hurricane island, we came to Robins's ferry on the right, from whence is a road one hundred and thirty miles to Kaskaskias on the Mississippi, and about two miles lower on the left, we observed one of the finest situations we had seen on the Ohio; it was a hill occupied by a house and farm, opposite to a rectangular bend of the river which forms a beautiful bason. Three miles further on the right, is a hill with a remarkable face to the river, of perpendicular rocks of a reddish colour, below which, is a settlement and a creek, from whence Cumberland river is twenty-five miles distant.

Four miles more brought us to Lusk's ferry on the right, now owned by one Ferguson from South Carolina, who has a very good house and fine farm, with Little Bay creek joining the Ohio just above. The main road from Kentucky to Kaskaskias crosses here—the latter distant one hundred and fifteen miles.

Having passed the Three Sisters' islands and Big Bay creek on the right, at eleven miles below Ferguson's, we rowed in to the right shore, and moored to some trees, where we had a heavy storm all night, with thunder, lightning, and hail as large as pigeons' eggs.

May 19th, proceeding at early dawn, we passed Stewart's island on the left, and the first of Cumberland islands on the right, just below which, we observed on the Indian shore, the fine settlement we had seen from Big Bay creek, nine miles.

With some difficulty and much rowing, we forced our