Spread of English-Speaking Peoples 205 



dark hair; his somewhat sombre face had in it a 

 look of self-contained strength that made it impres- 

 sive ; and his taciturn, quiet, masterful way of deal- 

 ing with men and affairs, together with his singular 

 mixture of cool caution and most adventurous dar- 

 ing, gave him an immediate hold even upon such 

 lawless spirits as those of the border. He was a 

 mighty hunter; but, unlike Boone, hunting and ex- 

 ploration were to him secondary affairs, and he 

 came to examine the lands with the eye of a pioneer 

 settler. He intended to have a home where he could 

 bring up his family, and, if possible, he wished to 

 find rich lands, with good springs, whereto he might 

 lead those of his neighbors who, like himself, eagerly 

 desired to rise in the world, and to provide for the 

 well-being of their children. 



To find such a country Robertson, then dwelling 

 in North Carolina, decided to go across the moun- 

 tains. He started off alone on his exploring expe- 

 dition, rifle in hand, and a good horse under him. 

 He crossed the ranges that continue northward the 

 Great Smokies, and spent the summer in the beau- 

 tiful hill country where the springs of the western 

 waters flowed from the ground. He had never 

 seen so lovely a land. The high valleys, through 

 which the currents ran, were hemmed in by tower- 

 ing mountain walls, with cloud-capped peaks. The 

 fertile loam forming the bottoms was densely cov- 

 ered with the growth of the primeval forest, broken 

 bere and there by glade-like openings, where herds 

 of game grazed on the tall, thick grass. 



