Sunday 2 oclock P M- We left the Inn this morning in the hope of getting a little piece on our way, but have only reach'd the baker's, half a mile from where we set out- The creek is so high we cannot cross it yet- An old man & his wife live here, & appear to be very kind clever people, & what is more than we have found before, they appear to regard the Sabbath- They are Methodists- This is a small log hut, but clean & comfortable- There are no waggoners here— I shall be oblig'd to colour my frock I believe, for it attracts the attention of those creatures so much, that I dare not go in sight of them scarcely- I often think of the 2 lines your Mama repeated to us "In Silk, &c"
Sunday night.
About sunset, we left the baker's & came down to the Creek, but found it was impossible to get over the waggon, & the road was so intolerable between the place we had left & the creek, that we could not go back, & what to do, it took a long time to determine; but at length Mr W concluded we had better come over to a dirty tavern this side, & let Erastus sleep in the wagon— The stream runs so fast, that we did not dare cross it alone, as there was nothing but a log to cross on; so the waggoners & our own party, were oblig'd to lead & pilot us, over the stream & thro' a most shocking place as I ever saw- The men were all very civil- they are waiting
this line is the shape of a Pensylvania waggon—
with their waggons, like the rest of us—— We fare
worse & worse, & still Mr W- & his wife, tell us this is nothing to what will come- I do not fully believe them, for we cannot endure much more & live—Susan & young Mrs Jackson have been quite unwell all day— I never felt in better health, & my spirits are pretty good, considering all things— We are not able to get beds here, & are to sleep on the floor to night- There is another family here, with several little children— They say there has been a heap of people moving this fall;- I don't know exactly how many a heap is, or a sight either, which is another way of measuring people— I would be apt to think it was a terrible parcel, to use the language of the people round me—— I have such an enormous appetite the whole time, that I have been in some fear of starving- for food of every kind, is very scarce with us- Money will not procure it, & nothing else I am sure, will- for they love money better than life, if possible— 4 Sabbaths we have pass'd on the road, & I suppose 2 or 3 more will pass before we get among people who "remember the sabbath day to keep it holy"— We find no books to read, only at the bakers to day I found part of a bible, a methodist hymn book & a small book containing an account of the progress of Methodism throughout the country; in letters from Ministers & others——We left Mr Beach & family, at the tavern we left to day— I hope tomorrow to write you from a comfortable place 6 or 8 miles at least from the next mountain—
Monday morn- We have now I think met with as bad as can befal us— Never, never did I pass such a night—— We could get no bed & for a long time expected to be oblig'd to set up all night- but we could get no room nor fire to stay by, & the landlady was so kind as to give up her bed to us; so Mrs W & Susan went to bed there, while I went to bed with Mrs Jackson in another room- I took off my frock & boots, & had scarcely lain down, when one of the wretches came into the room & lay down by me on the outside of the bed- I was frighten'd almost to death & clung to Mrs Jackson who did not appear to mind it- & I lay for a quarter of an hour crying, & scolding & trembling, begging of him to leave me-At last, when persuaded I was in earnest, he begg'd of me not to take it amiss, as he intended no harm & only wish'd to become acquainted with me— A good for nothing brute, I wonder what he suppos'd I was- I don't know of any thought word or action of mine that could give him reason to suppose I would authorise such abominable insolence—— The man & his wife, who are here, & their family, John Jackson & his wife, & Mrs Jackson, were all in the room-The moment he left the room, I put on my frock & was going in to Mrs W & Susan, but I could not get to them without going thro' the room where all the waggoners were, & Mrs Jackson did not think it safe, so I got on another part of the bed where none of them could come near me, & had been there about 10 minutes when Mrs W & Susan came into the room both crying, & as much frighten'd as I had been, for one of the creatures had been into their room, & they could scarcely get him out- Mr W- was in the waggon, & the landlord was so afraid of these waggs that he did not dare stay in his own house, for they threaten'd to put him into the creek, if he did not continue giving them liquor- I wish they had put him in- a mean sneaking fellow!— His poor wife was then oblig'd to bear it all, & she was very much distress'd on our account- She was not to blame for any thing that happen'd, for as long as her husband suffer'd it, she could not prevent it-At last Mrs W- went to bed with Mrs Jackson & me, & Susan lay down with John & his wife- We lay but a few minutes, when one of them came into our room again crawling on his hands & knees- Mrs W & I sprung & run out into the mud in our stocking feet & were going to call Mr W.- but the creatures came out to us & begg'd us not to, & pledg'd their honor (of which you may suppose they possess'd a great share) that we should not be disturb'd more- & tenderness for Mr W- who we knew would be sick to day if depriv'd of rest, at length determin'd us to go back; but we did not go to bed again till just morning, when some of us slept nearly or quite an hour- which was every wink of sleep we could obtain during the whole night- The fellows were all but one, very still afterwards- Indeed there was but 2 who made any disturbance, & only one of those was very bad- but one, was a complete child of the evil one- the vilest, worst, most blasphemous wretch, that ever liv'd— Mr W- came back to the house before 2 oclock, & this morning, threaten'd them with a prosecution- They are quite angry- they are in the employ of this man who is moving; he is a merchant & they carry his goods to Pittsg—