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 up against it—by perseverance in exercise and rest alternately—checking my strong desire for liquids, and using only such as were proper for me, and that moderately, and especially by refraining from every thing which might have the smallest tendency towards keeping up the heat of the blood, with the exception of the tansey bitters at May's lick, I precluded the necessity of either medicine or professional advice.

CHAPTER XXIX

Hospitality of farmers—Primative dispensation of justice—Ellis's ferry, and Powers' tavern—Squire Leadham—West Union—Allen's—A North Carolina cotton planter—Brush creek—J. Platter's—A thunder storm—A hunter's cabin—Old Lashley—Marshon's.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I was employed in rambling about the woods, exploring and examining a tract of land, of a thousand acres, in the state of Ohio, which I had purchased when in Europe last year, and which had been the principal cause of my present tour. As it was only six miles from {180} Maysville, I crossed the Ohio and went to it on foot. I had expected to have found a mere wilderness, as soon as I should quit the high road, but to my agreeable surprise, I found my land surrounded on every side by fine farms, some of them ten years settled, and the land itself, both in quality and situation, not exceeded by any in this fine country. The population was also astonishing for the time of the settlement, which a muster of the militia, while I was there, gave me an opportunity of knowing—there being reviewed a battalion of upwards of five hundred effective men, most expert in the use of the rifle, belonging to the district of ten miles square.

And now I experienced amongst these honest and friendly farmers real hospitality, for they vied with each other in