Wednesday night. A private house-10 miles w- of Bedford

We cross'd the Juniaatta again to day, with a great deal of trouble, after waiting on its banks about 3 hours- It is astonishing how the last week's rain, rais'd every stream & overflow'd every place-The like here, has not been known for 30 years it is said— A waggoner last week, with 4 horses, was drown'd crossing a creek- He was advis'd by those who were by, not to venture- & answer'd "he would be damn'd to hell if he did not cross it"- he made the attempt & in a few minutes was sent into eternity, & probably to that awful place—— It has been raining very fast this afternoon, & we put up at a little log hut, a few miles west of Bedford- we came about 10 miles to day- The house is very small & there is scarcely room to move-

Thursday night— Allegany M^tn Nov- 16-

We have had a warm & pleasant day till towards night, when it began to rain, as it has done every day for a fortnight- We are now at a tavern half a mile from the top of the Allegany Mt-this Mountain is 14 miles over- At the highest part of it is a most beautiful prospect of mountains- 5 or 6 ridges one after the other— We clamber'd up a high rock near to the highest part, but found the prospect little better than the one from the road- I wish I could describe it to you- We have had no prospect of any consequence from any of the mountains before- I have been quite disappointed at not seeing any—We found winter green berrys in abundance on it-I pick'd a sprig of ivy from the top, which I will send you- call it laurel & preserve it, as it came from the very backbone of America, as they all tell us—We have walk'd a great deal to day, & indeed we are oblig'd to every day, for the whole country seems one continued m^tn- I thought we had reach'd the top of this, for we began to descend a little; but we have half a mile more to ascend yet—— This house is full of travvellers & wag'^nrs but all are very peacable-There is a curiosity in the house- a young lady who has come from N Connecticut unmarried— after staying in Warren a year—a thing I never before heard of, & had begun to think impossible. I feel quite encouraged by it- & do not believe the place as dangerous as is generally reported—— I find in every family a Paggy- every body is dutch— the children & girls, are all very much attracted by my little black buttons, & the manner in which my frock is made-& the Wag'^rs by the colour of it- There will be little of it left by the time I get to Warren, for it is almost gone—

Friday night- Allegany M^tn—

After a comfortable nights rest, we set out on foot to reach the height of the m^tn- It rain'd fast for a long time, & at length began snowing- We found the roads bad past description,- worse than you can possibly imagine- Large stones & deep mud holes every step of the way- We were oblig'd to walk as much as we possibly could, as the horses could scarcely stir the waggon the mud was so deep & the stones so large—— It has grown so cold that I fear we shall all perish tomorrow- We suffer'd with cold excessively, to day- From what I have seen and heard, I think the State of Ohio will be well fill'd before winter,-Waggons without number, every day go on- One went on containing forty people- We almost every day, see them with 18 or 20- one stopt here to night with 21— We are at a baker's, near a tavern which is fill'd with movers & waggoners- It is a comfortable place, but rather small- One old man has been in examining my writing, & giving his opinion of it in dutch, to a young fellow who was with him- He said he could not read a word of any thing— He found fault with the ink, but commended the straitness & facility with which I wrote- in english- I was glad he had not on his specs—— We came but 10 miles to day, & are yet on the Allegany- It is up hill almost all the way down the mountains— I do not know when we are down them for my part—I'm thinking as they say here, we shall be oblig'd to winter on it, for I reckon we shall be unable to proceed on our journey, on account of roads, weather, &c— We are on the old Pennsylvania road- the Glade road is said to be ten times worse than this-That is utterly impossible- We thought we should escape the waggoners this way; but find as many of them as ever- they are a very great annoyance—— What would the old man say hereto?— I am very tir'd, so good night—