Lot 14th James Simson's Begins at a Rock Stone on ye Mountain Side Corner to Lot ye 13th & Runs thence So 65 Et 280 pole to a Spanish Oak thence No 25 Et 228 pole to a Large Hickory in a Vally thence No 65 Wt 108 to ye Low G: 180 pole to ye Fork 280 pole to 3 Red Oaks on ye Mountain side near a Spring Branch thence to ye Beginning S 25 Wt 228 pole this Lot I survay'd.
The Courses of ye Fork from Lot 14th Down to ye Mannor Line Beginning at 2 Red Bud Trees[36] & a Black Walnut on ye West side ye Fork & Running Down ye Several Courses of ye Fork No 9 Et 19 po No 34 Wt 12 po No 15 Et 22 po No 39 Et 24 po No 12 Et 23 po No 17 Wt 66 po N 6 Et 42 po opposite to Henry Harris's house No 26 Wt 20 po West 32 op Phillip Moors house bears No 86 Wt No 23 Wt 48 po to a Blazed Tree[37] from here Phillip Moors house bears So 54 Wt No 6 Wt 33 po No 28 Et 26 po No 73 Et 28 po No 7 Wt 85 po to a blazed tree No 45 Wt 24 po. ye Widow Wolfs[38] house bears So 52 Wt about 60 po. No 65 Wt 27 po So 84 Wt 18 po. S 50 Wt 14 po S. 19 W 20 po No 67 Wt 22 po. No 28 Wt 23 po. So 78 Wt 29 po No 71 Wt 25 po. No 39 Wt 19 po No 3 Wt 24 po. xx No 60 Wt 20 po No 39 Wt 20 po No 8 Et 46 po to an Ash black Walnut & White Walnut in ye Mannor Line on ye sd fork thence So 36 Wt along ye Mannor Line 320 poles to 2 W: O & a R: O.
[36] The Red Bud or Judas tree.—A common tree that grows wild in the United States. In botany it is known as the "Cercis Canadensis," and often grows to the height of 30 feet or more. It flowers in April, clothing its limbs in a reddish-purple bloom for a week or ten days before its leaves appear, and from this circumstance it is popularly called red bud.
[37] Blazed trees.—These are surveyors' marks made on trees to proclaim and identify certain routes or lines. The "blaze" is made by removing with an axe a strip of the outer bark of a tree or sapling, for about a foot in length and well into the inner bark. In the future growth of the tree a lighter color marks the cicatrix which rarely ever wholly disappears. Surveyors, to distinguish corner trees in a survey, not only blaze the sides of the tree in the direction their lines run but cut three small notches through the bark which will remain distinct during the life of the tree.
[38] Widow Wolf.—There was a Fort Wolf on Stony creek a few miles south-west of Woodstock, erected by the Germans at an early period in the settlement of the valley; there is also a marsh or creek named Wolf's marsh, which empties into the Shenandoah about twelve miles above Ashby's Ferry. Possibly these were so called from the name of this widow's husband.
Tuesday 5th We went out & did 4 Lots we were attended by ye same Company of People yt we had ye day before
April ye 5th 1748
Lot ye 15th Phillip Moore Beginning at Lot ye 14th on ye Fork & Running down ye Meanders to ye first Blazed Tree a Black Oak on ye Fork thence So 69 Wt 80 to ye Edge of ye Low G: 226 po to a Spanish Oak thence So 41 Et 296 po. to a White Oak on a Mountain side thence No 40 Et 38 po to 3 Red Oaks on a Mountain side near a Spring Branch this Lot very good
Lot ye 16th and 17th Widow Wolfs and Henry Sheplars a Black Smith by trade Begins at a Black Walnut on ye Fork & Runs So 17 W 76 po to a Red Oak & Hickory 90 po Crossing ye Road about 20 po: above ye house 226 po to 2 W: O thence No 41 Wt 96 po to 2 White Oaks in ye Mannor line to ye River the line of ye 16th Lot from ye 2 W: O S 41 Et