from the banks of the Ohio. In this day's course we passed about ninety miles, the current being very strong.
5th.—Having passed the Five Islands, we came to a place called the Owl River. Came about forty miles this day. The country the same as yesterday.
6th.—We arrived at the mouth of the Ouabache,[1]
where we found a breast-work erected, supposed to be
done by the Indians. The mouth of this river is about
two hundred yards wide, and in its course runs through
one of the finest countries in the world, the lands being
exceedingly rich, and well watered; here hemp might be
raised in immense quantities. All the bottoms, and
almost the whole country abounds with great plenty of
the white and red mulberry tree. These trees are to be
found in great plenty, in all places between the mouth of
Scioto and the Ouabache: the soil of the latter affords
this tree in plenty as far as Ouicatonon, and some few
on the Miame River. Several large fine islands lie in the
Ohio, opposite the mouth of the Ouabache, the banks of
which are high, and consequently free from inundations;
hence we proceeded down the river about six miles to
encamp, as I judged some Indians were sent to way-lay
us, and came to a place called the Old Shawnesse Village,
――――
- ↑ Colonel Reuben T. Durrett, of Louisville, thinks Croghan "must have
meant Salt River when he spoke of passing Pigeon River during his first day's
journey after leaving the Falls of the Ohio." The Owl River he identifies with
Highland Creek in Kentucky, between the mouths of the Green and Wabash
rivers.
The Wabash River was early considered by the French as one of the most important highways between Canada and Louisiana. Marquette desig- nates it on his map as the Ouabouskiguo, which later Frenchmen corrupted into Ouabache. The name was also applied to that portion of the Ohio below the mouth of the Wabash; but James Logan in 1718 noted the distinction. See Winsor, Mississippi Basin, p. 17. Croghan was probably the first Englishman who had penetrated thus far into the former French territory, except Fraser, who had preceded him to the Illinois.―Ed.
