Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 3).djvu/36

32 Pittsburgh is situated at the confluence of the two rivers, Monongahela and Allegany; These two rivers unite and form the Ohio or Belle Rivière. There are a great many more houses on the Monongahela river than on the Allegany. The number of houses is about 250 and it increases considerably every year. The ditches are still to be seen that served as the entrenchment of the Fort built by the French and called Fort Duquesne. The English, since that time, had built another almost beside it at the angle formed by the junction of the two rivers. It was built of brick and the Americans are demolishing it to use the bricks in building the houses that are being erected every day at Fort Pitt.

The Americans have a Fort of Palisades situated behind the town on the bank of the Allegany River; it serves as a Depot for the arrival of the troops that are being sent against the Savages and as a Magazine for the Munitions sent there from Philadelphia.

Wednesday the 14th of August, started from Pittsbourgh and slept at a distance of two miles only on the point of a small island on which I found Acer negundo, rubrum, saccharum; Evonimus capsulis glabris.

The 15th recognized at 20 Miles from Pittsburgh Pavia ————