244 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



siderable with the passage of time Of public houses 

 of worship or of justice there are none as yet. How- 

 ever a German preacher lives there, who ministers to 

 all of the faith ; and the state of Pensylvania, as is 

 customary in this country, sends hither a Judge once 

 or twice a year to administer the law- -The inhabitants 

 are still poor, as circumstances are at present ; but also 

 extremely inactive and idle ; so much so that they are 

 recalcitrant when given work and opportunity to earn 

 money, for which, however, they hanker. There was 

 general complaint in this respect and we also found it 

 the case that every trifling thing made here is dearer 

 than at Philadelphia even ; that the people here do not 

 grow rich by industry and fair prices but prefer rather 

 to deal extortionately with strangers and travellers ; 

 and shunning work charge the more for it, their com- 

 fortable sloth being interrupted. They gained their 

 living hitherto by farming and trafficking in skins and 

 furs. But now that considerable settlements are be- 

 ginning farther down the Ohio which continually in- 

 crease by the great number of people daily going 

 thither, they find trade very profitable and what is to 

 be gained by catering to those passing through. How- 

 ever little to be regarded the place is now, from its 

 advantageous site it must be that Pittsburg will in the 

 future become an important depot for the inland trade. 

 The Ohio, (la belle riviere) is the only great river in 

 the whole extensive western country between the 

 northern lakes, the mountains, and the Mississippi, 

 receiving all other rivers into itself and flowing into 

 the Mississippi (at 36 43') after a course, reckoned 

 from this place, of 1188 English miles. Of its two 

 chief branches the Alleghany comes from high up 



