Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/207

 my complaisance in listening to him, by recounting as much of his own memoirs as my time would permit me to hear.

I left Paris, and passing Millersburgh, and one of the first settlements, called the Irish station, four miles further, just before entering the barren country three or four miles on that side of Blue licks, I spurred my horse past Nicholasville court house and tavern, where I counted above a hundred horses, fastened under trees. I was induced to hasten past this place, as the voters in that sterile part of the country did not appear quite so peaceable and orderly as those I had seen in the morning at Paris, and I was not sure but some of them might have been moved by the spirit of whiskey to challenge me to run a race with them, or to amuse the company with a game of rough and tumble, at both which the backwoods Virginians are very dexterous.

I arrived at May's lick about sunset, much fatigued with my ride of fifty-two miles, in one of the hottest days of the season. I was very feverish, yet I forced myself, though without appetite, to take a light supper, after which I bathed my feet in warm water, and retired to bed, where I passed a sleepless night in high fever and excessive thirst, which being no ways abated at the first dawn of day, I arose and called my host to prepare my horse, being determined not to sink under my indisposition, while capable {178} of making the smallest exertion. My flushed countenance, black and parched lips, and frequent nausea, alarmed my host so as to induce him to dissuade me to proceed, but finding me decided he prescribed a strong infusion of tansey in Geneva—the bitterness of which a little relieved my thirst, but did not prevent its return accompanied by nausea and excruciating headache, in which situation I arrived at Washington at seven o'clock, and returned my horse to its hearty old owner with the young fat wife.