Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 4).djvu/89

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A SEAMAN'S JOURNAL
85

April 14th: Detachment of Seamen were order'd to March in the Front: arrived at Mr. Lawrence Owen's: 15 Miles from Rock's Creek; and encamp'd upon good Ground 8 Miles from the Upper falls of Potomack

April 15th: Encamp'd on the side of a Hill near Mr. Michael Dowden's;[1] 15 Miles from Mr. Owen's, in very bad Ground and in 1½ foot Snow

April 16th: Halted, but found it extreamly difficult to get either Provisions or Forrage.

April 17th: March'd to Fredericks Town; 15 Miles from Dowden's, the road very Mountanious, March'd 11 Miles, when we came to a River call'd Monskiso, which empties itself into the Potomack; it runs very rapid; and is, after hard Rain, 13 feet deep: We ferried over in a Float for that purpose. This Town has not been settled Above 7. Years; there are 200 Houses & 2 Churches 1 Dutch, 1 English;[2] the inhab-

  1. The use of full names in this journal is strong evidence that it is the original.
  2. The Gordon Journal assiduously reverses every such particular as this; it reads here: "there are about 200 houses and 2 churches, one English, one Dutch."