Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 (1907 Volume 4).djvu/83

 an excellent house and fine farm of a Col. Irwin, one of the assistant judges; and three miles further we stopped to change horses and breakfast at {60} Stewart's, where we were charged only a quarter of a dollar each.

We soon after entered Allegheny county. The weather was cold and clear, and very pleasant for the season, but the country afforded no variety, being still, hill, dale, woods, and scattering farms. At nine miles from Stewart's, we descended a very long and steep hill, by a shocking road, crossed Turtle creek at the bottom, which runs to the south-*ward to join the river Monongahela, 12 miles above its confluence with the Allegheny; we then ascended another hill by an equally bad and dangerous road. It is astonishing that in so fine and so improving a country more attention is not paid to the roads. A turnpike is projected from Pittsburgh to Harrisburgh, which I am clearly of opinion, might be kept in repair by a reasonable toll;—and then wagons with goods may travel between the two places in a third less time than they do now, and without the present great risks of breaking down, and the mails may be delivered at the post-offices one half sooner.

When about seven miles from Pittsburgh, we had a picturesque view of the Monongahela on the left, which was soon hid again by the intervening hills; and when within three miles of that town, the view was beautiful over the fine low cultivated level, or bottom, as it is called, which skirts the river Allegheny from thence to Pittsburgh, which is seen at the confluence of that river with the Monongahela; beyond which, the high and steep coal hill crowned by a farm house most romantically situated, seems to impend directly over the glass manufactury, on the bank of the river opposite the town.

The last two miles was along the fine level above mentioned, passing on the right, between the road and the