Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/155



Galliopolis—A Canadian boat's crew—Menager's store and tavern—Mons. and Madame Marion—A family migrating from Baltimore—Red Birds—Meridian creek—Mercer's and Green's bottoms—Hanging rock—Federal creek—Bowden's.

On Sunday 26th July, we left Point Pleasant, and passing Great Kenhawa river on our left, and Galliopolis island, half a mile long on the right, at 7 we landed on the Ohio side, at Galliopolis four miles below Point Pleasant.

We found at the landing a keel loaded with lead from Kaskaskias on the Mississippi;[98] It was worked by eight stout Canadians, all naked, except a breech clout. They are the descendants of the original French settlers, and they resemble the Indians both in their manners and customs, and complexion; which last is occasioned by their being exposed naked to all weathers from their infancy; which also renders them very hardy, and capable of enduring much fatigue. They are temperate in the use of spiritous liquors, while engaged in any laborious employment, but they must be fed with double the quantity of food which would suffice American or English labourers. The meat which they prefer is bacon or salt pork, of which they use daily about four pounds each man, besides bread and potatoes.

They are preferred to any other description of people for navigating the craft on the rivers in this country, being patient, steady, and trusty, and never deserting their boats until their engagement is fulfilled, which the American boatmen frequently do.

We got an excellent breakfast at Mr. Menager's, a French emigrant, who keeps a tavern and a store of very well assorted goods, which he goes yearly to Baltimore to pur-*