Part III.] Journal. 26T 



of the sorts of claret and madeira, look very fine and 

 luxuriant, and will be ripe in about the middle of Sep- 

 tember. The soil and climate both appear to be quite 

 congenial to the groAvth of the nne : the former rich and 

 the latter warm. The north west wind, when it blows, 

 is very cold, but the south, south east and south west 

 winds, which are always warm, are prevalent. The 

 heat, in the middle of the summer, I understand, is very 

 great, being generally above 85 degrees, and sometimes 

 above 100 degrees. Each of these families has a farm 

 as well as a vineyard, so that they supply themselves 

 with almost every necessary and have their wine all 

 clear profit. Their produce will this year be probably 

 not less than 5000 gallons ; we bought 2 gallons of it 

 at a dollar each, as good as I would wish to drink. 

 Thus it is that the tyrants of Europe create vineyards 

 in this new country ! 



493. June l^tli. — Arrived at Louisville, Kentucky. 

 The town is situated at the commencement of the falls, 

 or rapids of the Ohio. The river, at this place, is little 

 less than a mile wide, and the falls continue from a ledge 

 of rocks which runs across the river in a sloping direc- 

 tion at this part, to Shippingport, about 2 miles lower 

 down. Perceiving stagnant waters about the town, and 

 an appearance of the house that we stopped at being 

 infested with bugs, we resolved not to make any stay at 

 Louisville, but got into our skiff and floated down the 

 falls to Shippingport. We found it very rough floating, 

 not to say dangerous. The river of very unequal 

 widths and full of islands and rocks along this short 

 distance, and the current very rapid, though the descent 

 is not more than 22 feet. At certain times of the year 

 the water rises so that there is no fall ; large boats can 

 then pass. 



494. At Shippingport, stopped at the house of Mr. 

 Berthoud, a very respectable French gentleman, from 

 whom we received the greatest civility during our stay, 

 which was two nights and the day intervening. 



495. Shippingport is situated at a place of very great 

 importance, being the upper extremity of that part of 

 the river which is navigable for heavy steam-boats. All 

 the goods coming from the country are re-shipped, and 



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