So Obsei-vaiiom made during a Tourm the United States. [Aug. I, 



the field celebrated for the defeat of Gen. 

 Braddock. Pittlburgh is extremely well 

 fupplied vvjthinoft excellent coals, at lend 

 as good as the Canuel coals, which are de- 

 L vered at the houfes in town at tlie rate of 

 Aire cents per bulhel. The blaze of thefc 

 coals, we were allured, artbrded ib llrong 

 a light, that in winter neither tailors 

 nor other mechanics burn caudles. Coal 

 i.-> furnilhed principally to the town from 

 the mountains on the verge of the Mo- 

 noric^ahela, iVom which they are turnbled 

 iato the veilcls below. During our revo- 

 lutionary war one of thefe coal-mountaias 

 caiught tire, and was only cxtinguiihed by 

 the falling in of its fides, which fuftbcated 

 the flame' Coals of various quality are 

 found, however, in all directions within 

 feventy miles of this nature-favoured 

 town. The vclTels which go down the 

 Ohio ufe coal as ballart, as it colls only 

 the t)-ouble of digging from the lidcs of 

 ike hills. 



PJttfburgh forms one of the great 

 points from which emiijrants divaricate 

 vho intend to Ibttle in the imnienre val- 

 ley bouiide<l by the Alleghany Mountains 

 to the eail, the Cidf of Rlexico to the 

 fouth, the frozen regions to the north, 

 and the White Mouutuins to the well. 

 This valley embraces alnioll every cli- 

 mate, and confe(|uently every foil ; but 

 fiill for its general fertility may without 

 hyperbole he denominated the paradife 

 ot the world, tlie lalt refort of fieedoni. 



Pittfburgh contained -whon I was there 

 about one thoufand houfes and five ihou- 

 fand inhabitants, many houfes l)eing 

 Luilt purpofely for the accommodation of 

 emigrants, who, when the Ohio is low, 

 are frequently detained a confiderablc 

 length of time. It is however rapidly in- 

 crcafing in fr/e and confequence, and af- 

 fords many beautiful views. I'he town 

 is principally built on the Monongahela, 

 When I was at Piltlburgh this river af- 

 forded a pleafant fandy mari;in, of about 

 thirty feet broad : the furface of the clilT 

 is about twenty feet abo\e this lirand, 

 and is, when the waters are much out, co- 

 vered by them. Whenever our popular 

 tion is futficient to enable ws to become 

 a manufacturing people, the fituation oi 

 Pittlburgh will render it important, the 

 carriage of heavy articles operating as a 

 premium in favour of thofe there pro- 

 duced. Its fituuiion at the confluence of 

 two mighty rivers, and at the fource of 

 an immenfe inland navigation, with a 

 fupply eternal of fuch excellent coals, 

 iplenty of filh, and a rich furrouading 



country, are advantages few places can 

 atVord. The new fort lias, liuce the cel- 

 iion of the adjoining country by the In- 

 dians, been convened into a llorc for the 

 United States, in which they depofit thq 

 ditferent articles dellii'.ed tobediilributed 

 through Wellern America, and is only 

 ganiloned by a hcutenant and leven 

 men. 



Iloufe-rent and all the neceflaries of 

 life are cheap at Pittlburg. It contains 

 a handfoinc court-houte, and tolerable 

 market-houfe. The town was, how- 

 ever, dirty, confequent on the ricluiefs of 

 the adjoining foil, the narrowrfL'fs of the 

 ftreets, and the profufe ufe of coal. A 

 branch of the bank of Pennfylvania is 

 edablifhed in this town. Tin; befl hick' 

 ory wood fells at a dollar and a half the 

 cord. The taverns are equal to any ei- 

 tlier in Walhington or Baltimore ; and 

 although I foigot to note their charges, t 

 renjemberthey were reafon^ble. 



The coimnon boats which convey paf- 

 fengew and goods down the Ohio arc 

 twflve feet wide, and coll, according to 

 their length, a dollar a foot : when well 

 covered, painted, and divided into apart- 

 ments, they will fell for a dollar and a 

 half the foot. .Some are very elegant, 

 and colt more. Of thi-'e we faw two : 

 one belonging to Gcnoial Wilkinfon j 

 the other to Colonel Burrows: both were 

 elecant, the tirft particularly, being gilt, 

 itiKt highly ornamented. Thofc deltincd 

 for ufe more than fliow are cflimated to 

 carry each abi.at half a ton for every 

 foot in length. Of thefe boats about one 

 hundred, having about twelve emigrants 

 each, were laid to be waiting between 

 Browiifield and Geneva, on th? Allegha- 

 ny, and about as many more on the Mo- 

 nonsfahela, till the waters fhould rife, to 

 waft tlietn to their intended fettlements. 

 Thefe emigrants were hourly experted at 

 Piti!bui-gh, one boat having already arriv- 

 ed, and luckilv that boat belonged to our 

 incfrinudjle friend Colonel Lyons, member 

 of Congrrfs tor the flate of Kentucky, 

 who was returning to his feat at Edde- 

 ville, on Cumberland river, where it 

 emjities info the Ohio, wjthin about forty 

 mile;,; of its contiuence with the Millillip- 

 pi. After a week's pretty fevure ex- 

 ercife, to pafs a day or two with this gen- 

 tleman was gr.itctui to our feelings, al- 

 tiiough the parting afterwards with fo' 

 lincere a friend, fo honeft a man, and fo' 

 ufeful a eitiv.en, was among the moil.' 

 painful incidents of the journey. 



On :he aeth day of April the Ohio rofn 

 fuu; 



