I would not mention so often my mode of living and treating myself while on this journey, only to shew the good effects of temperance and cleanliness, which enabled me, though in so warm a season, to travel either on foot or on horseback, without fatigue or injury to my constitution.
FOOTNOTES:
[149] This was the home of Moses Shepherd, son of one of the most prominent pioneers of this region. For a sketch of his career, see Harris’s Journal, vol. iii of this series, p. 348, note 35.—Ed.
[150] On the origin of the name Alexandria, and the early history of the town, see Harris’s Journal, vol. iii of this series, p. 348, note 33.—Ed.
CHAPTER XXXVI
Fine morning—Clement’s tavern—Washington—Go on in the stage—Meet an acquaintance—Canonsburgh—Morganza—Colonel Plummer’s—Coal Hill—Frightful road—Charming views—Monongahela ferry—Arrive at Pittsburgh.
Thursday, twenty-first August, I walked on with the first dawn of a fine morning, nothing being wanting to render it delightful, except the carrol of the winged inhabitants of the woods, which throughout this whole country is very rare. I stopped to rest a few minutes at Clement’s tavern, five miles on the road, where I found a number of young men and women up, and drest decently, and even genteelly, though so early; indeed many of them had the appearance of not having been in bed all night. On inquiry I learned that there had been a wedding here last night, which had occasioned such a concourse of young people. Several of the males joined {216} the landlord in civilly pressing me to take my morning dram of bitters with them, and they were not a little astonished at my excusing myself, and requesting in lieu, a little milk and water.
Wishing to arrive in Washington in time to join the stage for Pittsburgh, I walked very fast, on a good road, through a pleasant but hilly country, and got to M’Cammont’s tavern, as the family were rising from breakfast.[151] The table was however soon replenished with plenty and variety, to which I did ample justice from the excellent effect on my appetite, of early rising, and a ten miles’ walk.
Having a little time before the stage would depart, I walked through the town, and was much pleased with it. Washington is surrounded by a fertile, well cultivated, and well inhabited country, rather hilly, but the hills not very steep. The town occupies a hill itself, and consists of one main street, intersected at right angles by four shorter ones, the whole containing one hundred and seventy-five dwelling houses, a good brick court-house and a stone gaol adjoining; two meeting houses, one of brick for Presbyterians, and an old one of logs for Methodists; a neat masonick lodge of stone and lime, and a small market house. There are several stores and taverns, and on the whole it is a thriving town, and a pleasant residence for either trader, mechanick or private man, the inhabitants being a spirited and polished people, mostly descendants from the northern Irish.
At noon I left Washington in the stage, having the pleasure of a fellow traveller in my old acquaintance Dearborn, who was returning to Pittsburgh after an excursion to Washington for the purpose of taking some likenesses. His anecdotes of domestick and social occurrences at Pittsburgh during my absence, beguiled the time pleasantly, and we were in Canonsburgh, without being sensible of the seven {217} miles between Washington and it. The road leads mostly along Chartier’s creek, crossing it three times in that distance. We stopped at Westbay’s excellent tavern, where is also the post office. They were making preparations for dinner, which (having breakfasted so late) we declined partaking of, and amused ourselves with a walk through the town. It is on the S. western declivity of a steep hill, having Chartier’s creek at the bottom. It contains eighty-eight houses, of different descriptions, exclusive of the college, which is a plain stone edifice, much out of repair, with a cupola belfry. There is also a small market house, but the town does not seem flourishing; indeed was it not for the college, it would probably soon go to decay, in favour of its more successful neighbour Washington.[152] The most striking thing I saw here was my landlord’s garden, which is both good and handsome, being laid out with taste, abounding in a variety of the best culinary vegetables, and having some very pleasant shady bowers, where the student, or man of leisure, sheltered from the noonday sun, and inhaling the fragrance of the surrounding aromatick plants, might luxuriantly roam into the realms of fancy.