BY EDWARD DOUBLEDAY. 201 



was very heavy as we crossed the mountains, had swelled the 

 rivers to such a degree that we had to wait at one lock for five 

 hours, the towing-path being eight feet under water. 



When we approached Pittsburgh we found them repairing 

 the banks of the canal : in order to accomplish this they had 

 let off the water so low, that there were two boats jammed 

 together aground, whicji we, of course, could not pass. Some 

 of the passengers who lived in Pittsburgh walked off home at 

 once. I waited awhile, but at last thought I too would go, 

 especially as our provisions were short on board. The captain 

 asked me to send carriages down, for the other passengers and 

 luggage. 



As you pass through Chester and Lancaster counties, you have 

 views over as fine, rich, cultivated valleys as ever the eyes of man 

 saw. From hence farm-house follows farm-house in endless suc- 

 cession. The wheat-harvest was over, but the corn was still 

 in its glory. The orchards were weighed down with fruit ; the 

 rich pastures of the wide valleys spread out between the hills 

 were green, as in the " Emerald Isle." Above was a clear 

 blue sky, and a most glorious sun. I could fancy that the 

 spirit of Penn was hovering over that goodly landscape, enjoy- 

 ing the prospect, and rejoicing in the full success of his plans ; 

 surely if we may " unbodied choose a sanctuary," the soul of 

 that great man must sometimes visit those lovely regions. The 

 Alleghanies are clothed with wood, not lofty, but beautiful, 

 and sometimes romantic, especially by moonlight. There are 

 few houses excepting where there are some small salt, coal, 

 and iron works. One scene particularly struck me. The 

 river was wide, and formed an angle, close to which was a 

 very high and steep mountain, casting its dark shadow on the 

 water, while the other hills were beautifully lighted by the 

 moon. At the foot of the mountain, in its deepest shade, was 

 a salt work ; its large fires reflected in the calm water, and its 

 columns of steam rising high into the moon-beams ; around 

 the fires we could just discern the forms of something like 

 human beings — they might be Cyclops for aught we could 

 tell. 



Pittsburgh itself stands on a point of land where the Alle- 

 ghany and Monongahela join to form the Ohio. On either 

 side are high hills, so the smoke is not soon blown away, and 

 this town is consequently as bad as London. The houses, 



NO. II. VOL. V. D D 



