University of Virginia Library

June 4th Monday 1804—

a fair day three men out on the right flank passed a large
Island on the.St. Side called Seeder Island, this Isd. has a great
Deel of Ceeder on it, passed a Small Creek at 1 ml. 15 yd.
Wide which we named Nightingale Creek from a Bird of that
discription which Sang for us all last night, and is the first


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of the Kind I ever heard.[29] passed the mouth of Seeder Creek
at 7 Ms. on the S. S. abt. 20 yds. Wide above Some Small
Isds passed a Creek on the L. S. abt. 15 yds. wide, Mast [Mast]
Creek, here the Serjt. at the helm run under a bending Tree
& broke the Mast, Some delightfull Land, with a jentle
assent about this Creek, well timbered, Oake, Ash, Walnut
&c. &c. passed, wind N W. by W. passed a small creek
called Zancare C on the L. S: at this last point I got out
and walked on the L. S.d thro a rush bottom for 1 Mile & a
Short Distance thro: Nettles as high as my brest assended a
hill of about 170 foot to a place where the french report that
Lead ore has been found, I saw no Mineral of that description.
Cap Lewis camped imediately under this hill,[30] to wate which
gave me Some time to examine the hill, on the top is a
mound of about 6 foot high, and about 100 acres of land which
the large timber is Dead in Decending about 50 foot a projecting
lime stone rock under Which is a Cave at one place
in this projecting rocks I went on one which spured up and
hung over the water from the top of this rock I had a prospect
of the river for 20 or 30 ms. up, from the Cave which
incumpased the hill I decended by a Steep decent to the foot,
a verry bad part of the river opposit this hill, the river continus
to fall Slowly, our hunters killed 7 Deer to day The
land our hunters passed thro: to day on the S. S. was verry
fine the latter part of to day. the high land on the S. S. is
about 2d. rate

Course & Distance 4th.. June

         
N. 30° - W.  Ms. to a pt. on S. Sd. psd. a C. & 2 Isd
N. 25° - W.  Ms. to a pt. on S. Sd. psd. Seeder C. 
N. 58 W.  7 1/2  M.s. to pt. on L. S. a Creek on L. S. 
N. 75. W.  Ms. to a pt. on S. Sd. opsd. Mine Hill 
17 1/2 
 
[29]

No species of the true nightingale (Daulias luscinia) is found in North America;
the so-called "Virginia nightingale" is the cardinal or red-bird (Cardinalis virginianus).
Coues (L. and C., i, p. 14).

The ordinary mocking-bird sings in the night; so also, occasionally, do the catbird
and the brown thrasher.—James N. Baskett.

[30]

Brackenridge locates this hill nine miles above Cedar Creek. —Coues (L. and
C
., i, p. 14).