The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-02-16
From A< " Y. EvsmiAs Post
THE WEsTOvEA MANU- sCRIPTs-JoUBNEY
TO TIE l. Nd Dk EnEN

than hundred years ago, By Colonel William Byrd
residing at Wesloser. on the north bank Of jaime.
river an accomplished gentleman, with much of the
spirit OF the old cavaliers Of Virginia about him
The manuscripts consist OF History of the d.
sidiDg Lane between Virginia aud North Carolina
run IA the year 'J2c an account Of Journey 10 he
Land oil Eden, tract OF country the Dan aud Pc.
dee rivers, lying, We believe ia rth Carolina and
finally Progress 10 the Mines They OF, the per
sonai narratives OF the author aud are written ia an
agreeable an lively nanner The publication of
these manuscripts has been male unde. the superin.
tendenee OF Edmund huih1, at Petesburgh, Viz
ginii
We copy some passages from the first named Of
these writings.
DAoUrRREoTYrE IMAGE MADE by LIGHTNING.
''This rain was enlivened with yery loud thunder
which echoed back by the hills ia the neighbor
hood IN irightful manner. There Is something in
the woods that makes the sound Of this meteor more
awful, aud the violence OF the lightning visible
The trees frequently shyered quite down to the
root, and sometime perfectly twisted. But Of all the
| effects OF lightning that ever heard OF, the most
amazing happened In this country ia the year 1876
In the summer of that year sur Icon OF a ship
whose name was DAVIS, came ashore at York 10 visit
patient lie was sooner got intp the house, but
II began to rain with many terrible caps Of thunder
When II was almost dark there came dreadful fash
OF lightning, which st uck the surgeon dead as he
was walking about the room, ba, hurt other per-
son. though several were him. AT the same
which grew about ten feet from the window. But
what Was most surprising this disaster was thaton
the breast OF the unfortunate that killed was
the figure OF pine tree, city dclineated as any
Inner in the world could draw il nay the resem-
blance went far IL represent the color Of the
pine, well as the figure The lightning most prob
ably must have passed through the first before il
struck the man, and by that means have printed the
icon Of il ON his breast. But whatever may have
been the cause the effect certain and be at.
test nv cloud nj Wi had the
| 10 go and see ,hiswonderful phenomena.
TRAVELLING AMONG WOODS AND MOUNTAINS.
awe need Welsh runls and Hi hland gailoways
TO climb our mountains wthal they used TO pre-.
cipices and will bite close Bsnslesd Down
sheep But should much rather recommend mules
if we had them, for those long ard painful exped-
tons though, till they can be bred certainly asses
the fttest beasts Of burden for The mountains.
They sure.tooied, patient under the heaviest ia.
tigue, and will subsist upon moss or browsing on
shrubs all the winter. one Of them viii carry the
cessary luggage Of four men withbu, any difficulty,
and upon pinch will take a quarter Of bear or
venison upon their lacks into the bargain Thus,
when the men are light or dsengaged from every
thing but their guns they may go the whole Journey
on foot with pleasure. And though my dear couu-
trymen have 50 great passion for riding that they
will often walk two miles to catch horse, in order
to ride one, yet if they will please take my word
for it, when they go into the woods upon discovery
would advise them by all means TO march afoot, for
they will then be delivered from the great care and
Germ for their horses, which takes up too large
portion OF their time. Overnight we now a, the
| trouble Of hobbiing them out and often Of leading
them mile or two 10 convenient place for forage,
and then in the morning some hours in finding
them again. because they apt to stray great way
from The Place where they we're turned out Now
and then, too, they lost for whole day together
and ale frequently weak and jaded that the
pany must lie still several days, near some meadow
or highland pond, to recruit them. All these delays
retard their progress ntoIerabIy; whereas il they
had only few asses they would abide close 10 the
camp, and find sufficient food everywhere. and IN all
seasons Of the year Men would then be able 10 ira
vel safely hills and dales would the steepest
mountains obstruct their progress. They might also
search more narrowly for mines and other produc-
tons OF nature without being confined TO level
grounds in compliment to the fades they ride on
Aud one may foretel, without the spirit Of diyina-
ton, that so long wo Ddsmen continue to ra,ge on
horseback, shall be strangers TO our own country
and few or no valuable discoveries will ever be
made. The French courriers de bos, who have
run from one end of the continent TO the other,
have performed IT all on foot else in all pruba'
bilty must have continued fully ignorant
are Our couniry has now been inhabited more thaG
one hundred and thirty years by the English and still
we hardly know any thing Of the Appalachian noun
tains, that are no where above hundred and fifty
miles from the Whereas the French, who are
later corners, have ranged from Quebec southw ard
far a. the mouth Of the Mississippi in the bay of
Mexico, and TO the west almost as Ear as Cahfornia
which Is either way above two thousand miles"
A VIRGINIA INDIANS NOTION or A FUTURE STATE
=" In the evening we examined friend Bcarskin
concerning the religion of his country and lac explain
ed TO US, without any Of that which has ma
lion IS subject lie told u, he bel eyed there was
one supreme God, who had several subalern deiiies
under HIM. Aud that this master God made the
world long time ago. That he told the SUM- the
mo n, aud stars, their business in the beginning
which they, with good looking after, have faithfully
fls.rft
made all things at hrs has taken care To keep the m in
the same meth d and IN. ton since. lie beliey-
ed that God had formed many worlds be fore he FORM.
ed TINS, 0ui That those worlds either grew old and
NOUS or were destroyed Tor the dishonesty OF its IN.
habIaDA. That God is very lust and very good
ever well pleased with those men no possess hose
God-ike qualities That he takrs good people into
his safe protection, makes them yer, rich fills their
bellies plenfuly, preserves them from sickness and
from being surprised or overcome by their enemies
But all such tell hes aud cheat thos. they have
dealed with, he never fails TO punish with sickness
poverty aud hunger, and after all that suffers them
TO be knocked on the head AID lped by those who
light against them. lie believed that after death
both good and bad people conducted by a strong
guard into great road which departed souls travel
together for some, time TIL at a certain distance tins
road folks into two path, the one extremely level
the other stony and mountainous. Here the good are
parted from the bad by flash ofghinng the first being
hurried away 10 the right the other TO the left. The
right hand road leads TO charming warm country,
where the spring Is everlasting aud every month Is
nay and a. The year Is always IN its youth
people, and particularly the brsh, stars
and never scod That IN this happy climate there are
deer, turkeys, elks, and bunaioes innomerabc, per
peually lat and gentle whsle the tre,s are loaded
with delicious fruit quite Throughout, the four sea-
sons. That the soil brings forth spontaneously,
Without the curse of labor, and so very wholesome,
That none who have the happiness 10 eat Of 1t arc
ever sick, grow old, die Near the entrance into
this blessed land a venerable old man On A
richly woven, who examines strictly all that are
brought before him, and II they have bch we'd well the
guards are ordered 10 opcn the crystal gate aud let
em enter into the land OF delight. The lofl hand
path Is very rugged and uneven, leading 10 a dark
and barren country, where II - always wi ter The
ground the whole round covered "a iih snow.