Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/249

 At Fosset's, three miles further, we changed an excellent set of grey horses, for as good a one of bays, owned by my friend M'Cullough of Pittsburgh.—For four miles from Fosset's to M'Cully's, the country is neither so fertile, nor so well cultivated as before, but it there improves again a little, and is ornamented at two miles further, by colonel Plummer's fanciful but handsome house and fine farm on the left. Rather exceeding three miles more brought us to the top of the Coal hill, the descent of which to the Monongahela, almost a mile, is so steep that two of the wheels of the stage wagon had to be locked, and I frequently wished myself out of it, but it was impossible to stop to get out, so I comforted myself with the reflection that no unfortunate accident had yet happened to the stages on this hill, which giving me courage, I was enabled to enjoy the views so inexpressibly fine, which are perpetually varying, as the road winds down the hill.

From a bird's eye view on the top, the town of Pittsburgh, Grant's hill, and even Boyd's hill so much higher than Grant's, appear as a plain, enclosed by the Monongahela from the S. E. directly under one, and the Allegheny meeting it at a point below the town, and both together forming the Ohio, which glides off majestically towards the N. W.—keeping the course of the Monongahela rather than that of the more rapid Allegheny, which flowing into it at a right angle from the N. E. is seen several miles upwards in that direction, with some beautiful islands about three miles above Pittsburgh. Descending the hill, the Monongahela gradually opens more on the right from its breadth assuming the appearance of a beautiful lake surrounded by irregular hills, with Mr. Beelen's finely situated country house, shewing to great advantage, at its upper end.

{219} When near the bottom of the coal hill, a sudden precipice on the right, and a short turn of the road to the