Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 11).djvu/293

 Saw twenty-two chattering parroquets on one bough.[99] Mr. Ingle, this day, offered ten dollars an acre for cutting down all the timber, burning some with the grubbing, and sawing others into three lengths, but it was refused.

A young man came to the door and boldly asked if he could have a breakfast with us, and a job of work after.

During the last month, three travellers in the state of Illinois, on the lonely road from Vincennes to St. Louis, and one in Indiana, were murdered; two being shot, and two having their throats cut, one of whom recovered sufficiently to tell his tale. The unfortunate man in Indiana was sleeping at a lone tavern, in a room with another. In the morning, the landlord found that both were gone, but following the traces of blood on the floor, and along the road, into the wood, they found the body covered with leaves. Law and justice extend not thus far at present.

I met Mr. Maidlow, jun., who has abandoned his wife in England. She would not come. I saw also a poor man, of the name of Hall, just come from Surrey, where he was a gardener, and during his last year lost 50l. Finding it impossible {311} to live without spending all, he came away with money enough to enter half a quarter section. The gentry of Surrey, who respected him, endeavoured to prevent his coming.

9th.—Owing to want of pot-hooks, which are dispensed with, because they cost money, we lost our dinner. The pot, placed on the fire, became dried, and pudding, meat, and sauce, all took fire, and in the absence of all were burnt up. A blacksmith lives close by who could make pot-hooks, but it is said a pair from Pittsburgh, 900 miles off, will cost less money; they therefore wait, suffering