Evening star., 1940-05-19

one in German, the other in old
French, he appears to have gone
directly to the Indian village of
Canavest, 40 miles above Great
Falls. He praises the island as "a
remarkably beautiful spot"
I'VE found a troop of savages
established there, and in particular,
a Frenchman from Canada, named
Martin Charter, who had married
an Indian woman or savage" Won
Graffenried relates. He says that
Charter, as result OF this alliance,
was in great credit with the wild
Indians of the nations which live
beyond Pennsylvania and Mary
land" Charter. he says, also had
gone to look for silver. Won Graf
fenried made an alliance with the
Indians cf Canavest, looking toward
the establishment of his colonists
from New Bern.
Won Graffenried apparently went
as far upstream as the mouth of the
Shenandoah River, but clearly pre-
ferred the region which now is
Washington. and which he describes
as "a most charming location at
the head of navigation for large
vessels"
From Canavest. Won Graffenried
went to Sugar Loaf Mountain,
which dominated his landscape
there, as it does today through this
whole region.
From there" he relates. I'VE
went further back upon a noun
tain of the highest in those parts,
called Sugar Loaf, for it has the
form of loaf OF sugar. We took
with us Martin Charter, surveyor
We also had with us, and there
came several Indians. From the
mountain We viewed an exceeding
ly broad extent of country, a part
of Virginia. Maryland, Pennsyl-
vania and Carolina, used the COM
pass, made us map, and observed
especially the mountain where the
silver mines were said to be, found
they were beyond Virginia and in
cidentally from the two Indians
that they had looked up and down
the mountains but had found not
the slightest sign of minerals, and
that the map that had been given
us CMichel's map) did not corre-
spond to the report at all. This dis
turbed us greatly -
when we came down from the
mountain we stayed overnight with
Martin Charter and returned the
next day to Mr.. Rosters quarters
below the falls, where 1 stayed a
considerable time in hopes of re-
ceiving my people there, as I had
agreed.
Il believe there is no more beauti-
full site in the world than this
which we intended to divide into
two small colonies; the first direct
ly below the falls where there was
very cheerful island of good soil
and opposite, between the Potomac
River and a smaller one called Gold
Greek, suited to receive everything
which comes up or down before the
falls, and the greatest merchant
ships can sail there. The other site
was to be at Canavest, as the map
shows"
Won Graffenried was deeply i'm
pressed by his trip down the Poto-
mac from Canavest.
Affected by Failure.
The failure to find silver was dis
astrous The Pennsylvanians went
home, dissatisfied. Won Graffenried
became convinced that Michel's story
was a fabrication. Gov. Spotswood
reports that Won Graffenried was
discouraged because of the uncer-
tainty of land ownership and the
share the crown might claim in
mines which he might open.
The baron has not been as far
up the Potomac as to discover the
head springs of that river nor to
make true draught of their course"
the Governor wrote.
The Palatines and Swiss refused
to come to Virginia on the strength
Of the baron's findings and, seeing
no hope of colonizing there, Won
Graffenried returned to New Bern,
where he died in 1743.
Baron Won Graffenried wrote the
following explanatory notes to ac-
company his map Of the Potomac
River, the letters corresponding to
those on the map:
"A. At the foot of this fall (Great
FallS). to the side. we wished tn
build house and establish a plan
tation in order to cart merchandise
from there. The greatest merchant
vessels can sail up to within a half
or quarter of league of this fall,
which is very convenient for COM
merce.
"B. just below the falls there is
caught Z prodigious quantity Of the
best fsh. In the month Of May they