Topography of the LiitJc Kenmvha. 85 



the manufacture of boards. The magnolia tripetala, or " Jesuit's 

 tree," as it is here called, is found in the sheltered hollows, but is 

 much smaller, seldom exceeding forty or fifty feet in height and a 

 foot in diameter. On the southern and western head branches, the 

 holly is very abundant, cheering the lonely winter with its ever 

 green leaves and bright scarlet berries. Many of the hills and ridg- 

 es, as they approach the mountains, are covered with extensive for- 

 ests of chesnut, having in early days, afforded a grateful repast to the 

 wild tenants of the wood. The bear, the deer and the wild turkey, 

 associated in countless numbers at the season of their ripening, and 

 fattened on the nuts which covered the ground. In more recent 

 days, the inhabitants drove their hogs from considerable distances to 

 feed upon the " mast" in these mountain districts ; and at this time, 

 in favorable seasons, a man, with a rake, can gather a number of 

 bushels in a day. Thirty years since, about the period of my be- 

 coming an inhabitant in the valley of the Ohio, the wild turkey was 

 found in astonishing abundance ; many hundreds being, on favorite 

 feeding grounds, often seen in one flock. They were so little 

 alarmed at the sight of their natural enemy, man, that they often en- 

 tered his fields close to the door of his cabin, and partook of the corn 

 he had thrown out to his hogs. They also regaled themselves from 

 that standing in the fields. At this period, a " backwoodsman" had 

 established himself on or near to, the eastern branches of Hews's riv- 

 er, between Marietta and Clarksburgh, Va. He had erected a cabin 

 and opened a small " clearing." In the autumn, he enclosed a lot 

 near his door, in which to feed and fatten his hogs. A flock of 

 about thirty turkies, attracted by the corn, came regularly, morning 

 and evening, to partake with the hogs, which, being themselves in 

 those early days, well fed, when every kind of food was abundant, 

 made no opposition to their visits. The owner of the cabin, stand- 

 ing in the door, however, every day shot one or two of the unsus- 

 pecting birds : seeing no person near, they were but little alarmed 

 by the report of the rifle, nor were they frightened away by the 

 sight of their dead companions. In this manner, without leaving 

 the door of his hut, the owner, at the time of my information, had 

 killed twenty seven out of the thirty turkies. The same man had 

 also, at that time, in his possession a tame female deer, which he had 

 taken when very young and brought up with the children. They 

 soon become remarkably docile, and much attached to their home. 

 This deer, in the summer and autumn, made daily visits to the sur- 



