34 EXPEDITION TO THE 



CHAPTER II. 



Zanesville, Salt and Iron Works. Columbus. Piqua- 

 Indian Antiquities. Ohio Canals. Fort JVayne. 



HAVING spent three days in Wheeling, and changed 

 our mode of conveyance, in order to accommodate our- 

 selves to the state of the roads, rendered almost impassable 

 for carriages by the unusual quantity of rain which had 

 fallen this spring, we crossed the Ohio in a team-boat, pro- 

 pelled by two horses. The river is there divided into two 

 branches by the aforementioned island, which is about 

 three quarters of a mile wide ; over the first branch of the 

 river a team-boat plies constantly, and corresponds with a 

 common ferry boat on the other branch. The Ohio road 

 is carried along the valley of a rivulet called Indian 

 Wheeling, and is rendered extremely unpleasant to tra- 

 vel, by the frequent crossings of that brook. It was how- 

 ever so bad at that season of the year, that many preferred 

 travelling up the bed of the creek to following the road. 

 It has been observed by all travellers, that the Ohio runs 

 in a valley, the average breadth of which does not exceed 

 a mile and a half, the sides being lined by ranges of hills, 

 which are generally termed the River Mountains ; these 

 vary considerably in height, generally ranging between 

 t^ree hundred and five hundred feet. After these are 

 ascended, the country is rough, but the hills compara- 

 tively are small. These are, however, very steep, probably 



