The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-11-23
Washington'S Tour 10 the
Ohio in E77O

washington's Tour TO the
Ohio in I75O
About six or seven miles below the
Little Kenawha, we came to small
creek on the west side which the Indians
called Little Hockhocking; but before
we did this, we passed another small
creek on the same side near the mouth
of that river, and cluster OF islands
afterwards. The lands for two or three
miles below the mouth of the Little
Kenhawa on both sides of the Ohio APP
pear broken and indifferent; but oppo-
site to the Little Hockhocking there is
bottom of good land, through which
there rams q small water course. sup.
nose there may be, of this bottom ana
dat land together, two or three thousand
acres. The lower end of this bottom Is
opposite to a small island, OF winch L
dare say little is to be seen when the
river is high. About eight miles below
Little HOckhGcking we encamped OPP
posite to the mouth of the Great Hook
hooking, which, though so called, is not
a large water, though the Indians say
canoes can 90 up some forty or nifty
miles. Since we left the Little Renha.
wa, the lands appear neither so level
nor so good. The bends of the river and
bottoms are longer, but not so rich as in
the upper part of the river
On the 18th, four miles below Big
Hooking, Washington says, 1--WE found
Kiashuta and his hunting party encamp-
ed. Here we were under necessity OF
paying our compliments, as this person
is one Of the Six Nations chiefs; and
the head of those upon the river. In
Kiashsta | found an old acquaintance,
he being one of the Indians that went
with me to the French, In 1888. lie eX
pressed satisfaction at seeing me, and
treated US with great kindness, giving
us q quarter of very fine buffalo. He
insisted upon our suspending that night
with him, and in order to retard Us little
as possible moved his camp down the
river lust below the mouth of a creek,
the name of which l could not learn"
In the morning they talked about peace,
friendship and trade, and Washington
says. The tedious ceremony which the
Indians observe in their counsellngs
aud speeches, detained us till nine
O'clock"
Going on, he speaks of the Great
Bend ut the upper part of Meigs coun-
ty, and of the creek opposite Letart, at
the mouth of which was the warriors,
path (across the Ohio) to the Cherokee
country; and encamped, 29th, two and
half miles below.
October Both, on the Virginia side
nearly opposite Pomeroy. 1--WE found
many shallow ponds, the sides Of which
Astounding with grass, invited innumer-
able quantities of wild fowl. About
five miles below we encamped in bot
tom of good land"
October 3lst, / sent the canoe down
to the Kenhawa, and set out upon
hunting party to view the land. We
steered nearly east eight or nine miles,
then bore southwardly and westwardly;
till we came to our camp at the contlu-
ence of the rivers
November 1st, went up the 'kenhswa,'
ten miles. Land on sides at the mouth,
Every fne."
November ID, went flour miles furth.
er up the Kenhawa, and then encamped,
and went hunting: killed five bnffaloes,
wounded some others, three deer, &c.
This country abOunds in butfaloes and
wild game of all kinds" Bottom next
to the water, every rich;' and the "lndi-
ans say it continues to the falls, which
they judged to be fifty or sixty miles
higher up"
November Sd, "set off down the river
on our return homewards, and eucamp-
ed at the mouth" He was so pleased
with the land, that he says: At the be-
ginning of the bottom above the juno
nd Of hn of
branch on the east side, ] marked two
naples, an elm and hop wood tree as
corner of the soldiers land, Give can
get it, intending to take all the bottom
from hence to the rapids (Letart)
In the Great Bend, into one survey"
Also he marked trees below the mouth
of the keuhawa.
November 4th, going up the Ohio,
met canoe geing to the Illinois with
sheep," and below Letart, met with q
sycamore about sixty yards from the
river OF most extraordinary size, it
measured, three feet from the pronnd
forty feet round, lacking two
inches"
November 5th, with Capt. Crawford.
Washington walked across the neck ON
foot" in Meigs county, "about eight
miles, in two hours and a half" keeping
close 90 the hills. "Good peck of land
the soil being generally good, and in
places very rich, valuable tract and
judge the quantity to be about four
thousand acres"
November 9th, made only about FIVE
miles, when Washington again came to
the camp of his ''old acquaintance"
kiashpta, and he says evidently with
lmpatlence, that he was detained all the
rest OF the day "by the kindness and
iaie ceremony of the Indians" Wash
ington and Kiashuta now talked
november 18th arrived at Mingotown,
just below Steub- nville, and there wait
Cd three days for their horses TO arrive
there to Pittsburgh. ' -'0
November 18th, agreed with two Del
aware Indians to take up our canoe IN
Fort Pitt, for the doing of which was
to pay six dollars, and give them onart
tin can"
November 2lst, reached Fort Pitt.
November 44th, "after settling with
the Indians and the people that attend.
60 me down the river, and defraying
sundry expenses occurring at Pitts
onrgh, l set off on my return home"
horseback.
Inc time occupied by this tour from
Plttseurgh to fourteen miles up the
hanawhs, add return, was thirty-two
Gays, or twenty-eight days deducting
the one lost by the "kindness'' of the
INDIANS, and the three at Mingo Town.
NV ne distance was about 27s miles, and
th he same on return. Going down river.
ZIG party seems to have travelled abont