Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/120

 very fine girl his eldest daughter were spinning cotton, while a younger one was attending the ferry, who though a delicate and pretty girl, paddled the skiff backwards and forwards as well as a man could do. He has been very industrious, as besides having built several skiffs since his removal, he had planted and cultivated twelve acres of the finest corn I ever saw, some of it now twelve feet high, just beginning to ear. He had also a large garden well stocked with useful roots and vegetables.

At seven we left Roland's, and three miles and a half below, passed between the north end of Wheeling island on the right, and the principal part of the town of Wheeling on the left,[73] which is situated on so high a cliff, with the avenues from the river so steep, that on account of the apparent difficulty of getting our baggage carried up, we preferred going on to where the cliff was considerably lower, landing just under Sprigg's tavern near the ship-yards, a little above the confluence of Wheeling creek with the Ohio.

This being a great thoroughfare, on account of its situation where the great post roads from Philadelphia, Baltimore, and the northern part of Virginia unite, and cross the river, on the route through the states of Ohio and Kentucky, to Tennessee and New Orleans, we found several travellers of various descriptions in the house, and after partaking with them of a good supper, we went out to saunter until bed time through the town, into which we had to {95} ascend a steep but short hill. It appeared very lively, the inhabitants being about their doors, or in the street, enjoying the fresh air of a clear moonlight evening, while two flutes were playing en duo the simple but musical Scots ballad of Roy's wife of Aldwalloch, the prime part very tastily exe-*