University of Virginia Library

Monday 2nd.. Sept. 1805.

a wet cloudy morning. we loaded our horses and Set out
about 7 oClock and proceedd on. the road bad Some places
thick bushes and logs to cross. other places rockey. went
about a N. E. course up the abo. ment. Creek. Crossed Several
large Spring runs. Saw a nomber of large beaver dams, &
ponds the pine and bolsom fer timber verry pleanty and
thick up this Creek Some of the Pine is large enofe for boards
[One line in MS. illegible.]

we proceeded on through a bad thicket of tall Strait pitch
pine bolsom fer & cotton timber we were obledged to cut a
road for the horses to go and some places verry Steep and
rockey. we followed the creek up, crossed a nomber of fine
Spring branches and waided the creek a nomber of times.
the mountains on each Side of the Creek is verry Steep and
high. the bottoms on the Creek narrow and Swampy a nomber
of beaver dams. we Call this place dismal Swamp, and it is
a lonesom rough part of the Country. we were obledged to
climb Several hills with our horses, where it was So Steep and
rockey that Some of the horses which was weak and their feet

Sore they fell back 3 or 4 fell over backwards and roled to
the foot of the hills. we were then obledged to carry the loads
up the hills and then load again. one of the horses gave out
So that his load was left a little before night. we Came 13
miles this day and Camped in a thicket of pine and bolsom
fir timber near the Creek. 2 of the men came up with their
horses and loads after dark. this horrid bad going where we
came up this creek which we Call dismal Swamp was six miles
and we are not out of it yet, but our guide tells us that we will
git on a plain tomorrow. Several fessons [Pheasants] killed
this day, but no other kind of game Seen by our hunters.