interspersed with cultivated farms and increasing to its banks, and bids fair to be settled from its mout source. The trade up and down this river has bee object of much importance to the lower settlements being a great demand for flour, whiskey, apples, fcide bacon, glass, iron, &c. at the different ports on the and among the inhabitants of the surrounding country quantity of salt which comes from Onondargo, in t of New York, through the lakes, and thence do river, is so immense as to be sufficient for the suppl the western country. The Alleghany rises near Sinemahoning Creek; gable stream that falls into Susquehanna, to whic is a portage of only twenty-three miles. Thence it ders, receiving many tributary streams; and in south-westerly direction joins Monongahela at Pit where these two rivers lose their names, and togeth the Ohio. Waterford (originally called Le Bouf) is fiftee from Erie: it was laid out by the state of Per nia, and is now increasing. This is one of the ports which were evacuated only a few years ago. way hence to Meadville, a distance of forty-two had to pass through the Le Bœuf Lake, Muddy Cre Dead-water: a passage void of any lively interes dangerous in respect to shallows, rapids, and stagn pours rising out of ponds near its banks and their diate neighbourhood. Meadville is pleasantly situated on French Creek: a prosperous condition; and is a seat of justice counties of Erie, Warren, Venango, and Crawford last of which it stands. This town carries on a rable trade: it contains about fifty houses, and stores. The distance from Meadville to Bigsugar Cr Franklin, is thirty miles. From the mouth of t there is a considerable fall, all the way to Franklin though the descent is rapid, and the boat difficult to s Three miles lower is a very rocky place, called Ewalt's feat: the channel is on the east side, near the shore. Th to Freeport, a distance of eighty miles, the river is fu eddies, ripples, rapids, rocks, and other dangers, whic requires the utmost attention to avoid. In some of the ples, the water runs at the rate of ten miles an hour; a boat will go at the rate of twelve without any other as ance than the steering oar. Freeport lies at the mouth Buffalo Creek, which falls into the river on the west; opposite to it are received the waters of the Kiskemine Sandy Creek is thirty-two miles from Freeport at its mo a vessel of 160 tons burthen was lately launched, filled w a cargo, and thence sailed for the West Indies. This cr is but ten miles distant from Pittsburg. The river is interspersed with several small islands, wh have a very pleasing effect: though they interrupt navigation, and render it particularly dangerous at nig as the current has a tendency at times to cast a boat on points of islands, and on the sand-bars which project fr them. I could bear of but few objects of curiosity wor observing: I visited indeed the seat of some old Indian s tlements, but did not find them distinguished by the fi features which characterize the ruins near Brownsville. N far from Pittsburg is a well which has its surface cover with a bituminous matter resembling oil; and which th neighbouring inhabitants collect, and use in ointments a other medicinal preparations. This vapour rising from th well is inflammable; and has been known to hang in a lan bent state over the orifice, being fed by fresh exhalation for several hours together. The medical men of Pittsbur profess to have analyzed this oil; and to have discovere in it a variety of virtues, if applied according to their ad vice. They also extol the water of the Alleghany, and sen their patients to bathe in it when the season permits; to the water is ascribed the faculty of strengthening weak sto machs, and aiding digestion. Those who are afflicted wit babitual vomitings too (a complaint not uncommon here) Is, which rupt the at night; at on the ect from y worth lian set the fine overed send this sto with ere), neither of which sources is by any means healthy. The Onondargo, which (as I observed) has a communication with this river, is a fine lake of water, surrounded by springs, from two to five gallons of the water of which make a bushel of salt pears as if Nature expressly intended this region t pulated; and, as a strong temptation, placed thi in the bosom of hills and woods. Had it not been and similar springs dispersed through the western salt must have been at such a price as to deter pers settling there. All the animals of those parts hav fondness for salt. The cattle of farmers who give stance to their stock, prove superior in value by 25 to such as are not supplied with an article so esser only to their general improvement, but their health. 'tive animals of the country too, as the buffalo, elk, are well known to pay periodical visits to the salin and lakes, bathing and washing in them, and drin water till they are hardly able to remove from their The best roads to the Onondargo from all parts, are falo-tracks; so called from having been observed to by the buffaloes in their annual visitations to the I their pasture-grounds: and though this is a di above two hundred miles, the best surveyor could chosen a more direct course, or firmer or better I have often travelled these tracks with safety and tion I perceived them chosen as if by the nicest ju and when at times I was perplexed to find them themselves nearly in parallel lines, I soon found sioned by swamps, ponds, or precipices, which mals knew how to avoid: but that object being effe road again swept into its due course, and bore to destination as if under the direction of a compass. An old man, one of the first settlers in this count his log-house on the immediate borders of a sal He informed me that for the first several seasons, t loes paid him their visits with the utmost regulari in from being trampled under their feet, or crushed to deat his own ruins. At that period he supposed there could have been less than ten thousand in the neighbourhood the spring. They sought for no manner of food; but bathed and drank three or four times a day, and rolle the earth; or reposed, with their flanks distended, adjacent shades: and on the fifth and sixth days separa into distinct droves, bathed, drank, and departed in sin files, according to the exact order of their arrival. T all rolled successively in the same hole: and each thus o ried away a coat of mud, to preserve the moisture on th skin; and which, when hardened and baked by the s would resist the stings of millions of insects that otherw would persecute these peaceful travellers to madness or ev death. In the first and second years this old man with some co panions killed from six to seven hundred of these no creatures, merely for the sake of the skins, which to the were worth only two shillings each: and after this "wo of death," they were obliged to leave the place till the fo lowing season; or till the wolves, bears, panthers, eagle rooks, ravens, &c. had devoured the carcasses, and abar doned the place for other prey. In the two following year the same persons killed great numbers out of the first drov that arrived, skinned them, and left the bodies exposed t the sun and air; but they soon had reason to repent of this for the remaining droves, as they came up in succession stopped, gazed on the mangled and putrid bodies, sorrow fully moaned or furiously lowéd aloud, and returned in stantly to the wilderness in an unusual run, without tasting their favourite spring, or licking the impregnated earth which was also once their most agreeable occupation, no did they, or any of their race, ever revisit the neighbourhood. The simple history of this spring, is that of every other in the settled parts of this western world: the carnage of beasts was every where the same. I met with a man who had killed two thousand buffaloes with his own hand; and could not Durhood of ; but only d rolled in ed, in the separated din single 1. They thus car e on their the sun, otherwise 5 or even me com e noble o them work The fol eagles, aban years, Iroves sed to this; sion, row in ting rth, nor ur her of Go d living creature, and thien hunt and persecute them Deer, which also abounded in this country, ha shared the same fate as the buffaloes; and they to be entirely annihilated, if they were not capable o ing in places almost inaccessible to man, The sin ber that remain, frequent the mountains: their desi water of the saline springs, however, occasional them into the plains, where they do not want for there being no settler who would not abandon the portant business, in order to pursue this species What was formerly common to all, in consequend multitude of herds daily passing backward and can now only gratify a few; for they esteem the this fine animal a triumph, and neglect no oppor thus distinguishing themselves over their associa killing a deer, he is immediately skinned, even palpitating; nor are the bowels taken out, lest should shrink. The baunches alone are valued the rest is either given to the dogs, or left for beasts or vermin, which every where abound. The salt lake and springs are also frequented b other kinds of beasts, and even by birds: and from minute inquiries, I am justified in asserting, that t tations were periodical; except doves, which appe light in the neighbourhood of impregnated springs make them their constant abode. In such situati > are seen in immense numbers, as tame as domestic but rendered more interesting by their solitary n --plaintive melody. In descending the river, and traversing immense meadow and woodlands. which are in a state of have found the atmosphere, after a hot day, so meph offensive, as to give me vomitings and head-aches undoubtedly would have terminated in a yellow or tent fever, if I had not previously fortified my blo bark and other preventives. I recommend the same ASHE.] G |