We dropped down the stream gently three miles, to the end of Blennerhasset’s island, a little beyond which, on the Ohio shore, we observed a very good looking two story brick house, which as we had been informed, is an excellent tavern owned and kept by Mr. Miles, but we were not tempted to stop, as we had already breakfasted on bread and milk in our skiff. Two miles and a quarter below Miles’s we passed Little Hockhocking river on the right. It is about twenty-five yards wide, and has a wooden bridge across it, and on its right bank is a large square roofed house, handsomely situated.
A mile and a half below Little Hockhocking, we saw on our right a remarkable cavern on the side of a craggy hill, and four miles lower, having passed Newbury and Mustapha’s islands, the latter of which is above a mile in length, and partly cultivated, we came to big Hockhocking river on the right.[90] It is only about thirty yards wide at its mouth, nevertheless it is navigable for keels and other small craft {112} nearly seventy miles, a little above which highest point of navigation, is situated the flourishing town of New Lancaster.
Two miles and a half below Hockhocking a rivulet called Lee’s creek, puts in from the Virginia side, and half a mile further on the same side, is the village of Belleville, or Belle-prè, finely situated on a high bank, commanding a good view of the river both ways. There are here only four or five cabins occupied by hunters and labourers, and a tolerably good wooden house owned by a Mr. Avery from New-London in Connecticut, who purchased a tract here of five miles front on the river, and commenced this settlement about eleven years ago, but going largely into ship building, he was so unfortunate in that business, that in consequence he is now confined for debt in Wood county gaol.
A Mr. Wild, from Durham in Connecticut, who has been five years here, resides in Mr. Avery’s house, and cultivates the farm, which is on a handsome plain running back from the river, on which he has this season seventy acres of corn and fifty of wheat, besides a large proportion of meadow. He was very civil to us, insisting with much hospitality on our taking some refreshment.
Last fall Mr. Avery’s barn with two thousand bushels of grain, several stacks of grain, and a horse, grist and saw mills, were burnt by incendiaries, who, though known, could not be brought to justice for want of positive proof.
From Little Hockhocking the right bank is hilly and broken, and the left an extensive bottom; both sides very thinly inhabited, to ten miles below Belleville, in the last seven we not having observed a single {113} cabin, though the land is level and rich. I cannot account for the right shore not being settled, as it is part of the Ohio Company’s purchase; but the reason on the Virginia side is, that the heirs of general Washington to whom that valuable tract descended on his death, ask for it no less than ten dollars per acre, so that it will probably remain in its savage state as long as land can be purchased cheaper in its neighbourhood, notwithstanding its good situation and its excellent quality.[91]
After leaving Belleville we saw several bald eagles hovering about us. They are about the size of large crows, and when on the wing have their tails spread out in the form of a crescent.[92]
About the middle of this uninhabited tract, we observed on our right a very remarkable large cavern called Devil’s hole: It is in the face of a rock about half way up a steep hill close to the river. About fifty rods further on the same hand we passed Shade river, which is a considerable stream, and apparently very deep. During the war with the Indians, a detachment of the Kentucky militia, ascended this river, landed and destroyed some Indian encampments, but effected nothing of moment.
Five miles below Shade river, we came to Buffington’s island, which is partly cultivated and is about two miles long. Though that on the left is the ship channel, we chose the one on the right, as it presented a long narrow vista, which promised the strongest current: We found it however very shallow, but beautifully picturesque. The river above the island is about a quarter of a mile wide, but below, it is contracted to about two hundred yards, and four miles lower, it is only one hundred and twenty.
Though the river continues narrow, yet probably from the depth of its bed the velocity of the current was not increased for a mile and a quarter further to {114} Peter Neisanger’s fine farm, where we stopped at half past seven o’clock.[93]