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 but I am informed that it is very rich and plentiful at a short distance from the river.

Wheeling island in front of the town, is about a mile long, and half a mile wide in its broadest part. It is very fertile, and is all cultivated as a farm by Mr. Zanes. The post and stage road to Chilicothe in Ohio, goes across it, which occasions two ferries, an inconvenience which will be remedied by the new state road crossing by one ferry below the island.

Indian Wheeling creek, a fine mill stream joins the Ohio from the N. W. opposite the middle of the island, and Mr. Zanes has lately laid out a new town there named Canton, which has now thirteen houses, but from its proximity to Wheeling, it never can become considerable.[74]

CHAPTER XIII

Little Grave creek—Remarkable Indian monument—Floating store—Big Grave creek—Captina island and creek—Baker's station—Cressop's—Fish creek—Biddle's—John Well's—A rustick chorister—Uncommon fly.

On the 21st July at eight A. M. we left Wheeling, observing nothing very interesting, until we reached Little Grave creek, eleven miles below at {97} half past eleven o'clock. The creek, which is very small, puts in from the Virginia side, and there is a ferry house at the mouth of it, where we landed, and had a pleasant walk on a very good wagon road of half a mile to Tomlinson's, the proprietor