Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/243

 view is bounded in that direction, by one ridge rising beyond another to a great distance. Turning round on the narrow ridge over which the road leads, I had Wheeling creek directly under me at the foot of a precipice, it running in such a manner as to make the scite of the town with the hill behind, almost a peninsula, between it and the Ohio.

I had proceeded about a mile, when meeting a traveller, of whom I inquired, I found I had taken a wrong road, in consequence of which I had to descend a steep precipice on my right, letting myself down with my hands from one tree to another, to the bottom. Here I got into the right road, which follows the meanders of the creek up a fine valley that has been settled about thirty years, and is now in a state of excellent cultivation.

{213} At two miles from Wheeling I passed a very handsome house, a fine farm, and a mill of a Mr. Woods on the left. Here I could not help being struck with the difference of appearance between this wooden house painted white, with green jalousie window shutters and red roof, and the stone and brick houses of Ohio and Kentucky, much in favour of the former, however better in reality the latter may be. A mile farther I passed Mr. Chaplin's fine merchant mill, and about a mile and a half beyond that, where the valley narrows, I observed on the left, some very remarkable large loose rocks, which seem to have fallen from a rocky cliff which impends above.

Half a mile beyond this, I stopped at a Mr. Eoff's neat cottage and good farm, where every thing had an air of plenty and comfort. Four or five genteel looking young women were all engaged in sedentary domestick avocations, and an old lady served me with some milk and water which I had requested, after which I resumed my walk.

A mile up the side of the creek brought me to Mr. Shep