JOURNAL 



our expences, which, with that deduction, amounted to 14 dollars 

 each, including every thing, for the journey from Pittsburgh to 

 this place, which is upwards of 500 miles. I could not but 

 remark the price of fuel here ; 2 dollars a cord for Hickory ; a 

 cord is 8 feet by 4, and 4 deep, and the wood, the best in the world ; 

 it burns much like green Ash, but gives moie heat. This, which 

 is of course the highest price for fuel in this part of the country, 

 is only about a fifth of what it is at Philadelphia. 



891. June i6th. Left Cincinnati for Louisville with seven 

 other persons, in a skiff about 20 feet long and 5 feet wide. 



892. June ijth. Stopped at VEVAY, a very neat and beautiful 

 place, about 70 miles above the falls of the Ohio. Our visit 

 here was principally to see the mode used, as well as what progress 

 was made, in the cultivation of the vine, and I had a double 

 curiosity, never having as yet seen a vineyard. These vineyards 

 are cultivated entirely by a small settlement of Swiss, of about 

 a dozen families, who have been here about ten years. They 

 first settled on the Kentucky river, but did not succeed there. 

 They plant the vines in rows, attached to stakes like espaliers, and 

 they plough between with a one-horse plough. The grapes, 

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

 luxuriant, and will be ripe in about the middle of September. 

 The soil and climate both appear to be quite congenial to the 

 growth of the vine : 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 waim, 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 1 



893. June iSth. Arrived at Louisvile, 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 direction 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. 



894. At Shippingport, stopped at the house of Mr. Berthoud, 



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