[107] General Nathaniel Massie, born in Virginia in 1763, served in the Revolution while a youth, and at its close emigrated to Kentucky. There he was soon employed in the movement which led to the Virginia Military Reserve settlement in Ohio. When Virginia ceded her Northwest claims to Congress (1784) she retained a large tract between the Scioto and Miami rivers for bounty lands for her soldiers. Massie began the survey thereof in 1788, and two years later led out the first colony on the site of Manchester, Ohio. At the close of the Indian wars Chillicothe was platted (1796), and became the first capital of the state of Ohio. Massie was an influential leader in early Ohio politics; he headed the opposition to General St. Clair, and persuaded Jefferson to remove him (1803). A strong Democrat in politics, his presence at the constitutional convention aided in giving a democratic cast to the new state constitution. For many years he acted as major-general of the Ohio militia, and one of his last public services was to reinforce Harrison at Fort Meigs. His death occurred in 1813.—Ed.
[108] Nearly all the early travellers speak of finding paroquets in the Ohio Valley, but they are now only to be found much south of this latitude.—Ed.
{142} CHAPTER XXII
The Scioto—Alexandria—Colgin’s fine family—Very cold weather—Remarks on the sudden changes of weather—Salt lick—Salt springs and works.
The Scioto is about two hundred and fifty yards wide at its mouth, and is navigable for large flats and keel boats to Chilicothe, the capital of the state, forty-seven miles by land, but between sixty and seventy following the meanders of the river; and about a hundred miles further for batteaux, from whence is a portage of only four miles to Sandusky river which falls into Lake Erie—and near the banks of which the Five Nations have established their principal settlements, called the Sandusky towns. Its general course is about S. S. W. and except during the spring floods, it has a gentle current, and an easy navigation. About thirty miles from its mouth, and eight or ten from its left bank, are some salt springs, which make salt enough for the consumption of the country for forty or fifty miles round.[109]
At three o’clock we left Portsmouth, from whence to Alexandria is W. S. W. about a mile and a quarter. We landed there and walked through the town, which contains only ten large houses besides barns and other out buildings—but, though inhabited, they are neglected and out of repair, and every thing bears the appearance of poverty and decay. From hence to Chilicothe the distance by the road is forty-seven miles.
We delayed about an hour, and then proceeding down the river, we observed the hills on the left to be of conical forms, and the river bottoms very narrow. About four miles below Alexandria we observed rather a tasty cottage and improvement on the right. We inquired of a gentlemanly looking elderly man on the bank, “who resided there?” but {143} he uncourteously not deigning a reply, we were informed at the next settlement that it was a Major Bellisle.[110]
Passing Turkey creek on the right, and Conoconecq creek on the left, seven miles more brought us opposite to a very handsome insulated mountain, five hundred feet high, on the right, and passing Willow (small) island and bar on the same hand, we landed nearly opposite to buy milk at a decent looking cabin and small farm. It was owned by one Colgin, an Irishman, who has been several years in Kentucky, but only two in his present residence. He has only eight acres cleared, on which he maintains himself, his wife, and seven children, who are all comfortably and even becomingly drest. There was an air of natural civility, and even kindness, in the manner of this family, which I had not observed before on the banks of the Ohio. The children, who were all born in Kentucky, were uncommonly handsome.
Three miles further we passed on the right, Twin creeks, about a hundred yards apart, a mile beyond which we anchored under the Ohio shore at half past nine, and passed under our awning as cold a night as I have experienced in the more northern climates in November. The sudden and frequent changes from excessive heat to excessive cold throughout the United States, are amongst the greatest inconveniences to which the inhabitants are exposed, and are very trying to delicate constitutions, being the cause of pulmonary complaints, which are very common, particularly among the females.
On the clear, cold morning, of the twenty-ninth of July, we hauled up our anchor, and dropping down the current three miles, we landed at Salt Lick landing, at six o’clock.