Journal of Col. Croghan, 261 



of the river, from Great Conhawa to this place, inclines to the 

 south-west. The soil rich, the country level, and the banks of 

 the river high. The soil on the banks of Scioto, for a vast dis- 

 tance up the country, is prodigious rich, the bottoms very wide, 

 and in the spring of the year, many of them are flooded, so that 

 the river appears to be two or three miles wide. Bears, deer, 

 turkeys, and most sorts of wild game, are very plenty on the 

 banks of this river. On the Ohio, just below the mouth of Scioto, 

 on a high bank, near forty feet, formerly stood the Shawnesse 

 town, called the Lower Town, which was all carried away, ex- 

 cept three or four houses, by a great flood in the Scioto. I was 

 in the town at the time, though the banks of the Ohio were so 

 high, the water was nine feet on the top, which obliged the whole 

 town to take to their canoes, and move with their effects to the 

 hills. The Shawnesse afterwards built their town on the opposite 

 side of the river, which, during the French war, they abandoned, 

 for fear of the Virginians, and removed to the plains on Scioto. 

 The Ohio is about one hundred yards wider here than at Fort 

 Pitt, which is but a small augmentation, considering the great 

 number of rivers and creeks, that fall into it during the course 

 of four hundred and twenty miles ; and as it deepens but very 

 little, I imagine the waters sink, though there is no visible 

 appearance of it. In general all the lands on the Scioto River, 

 as well as the bottoms on Ohio, are too rich for any thing but 

 hemp, flax, or Indian corn. 



24th, 25th, and 26th. Stayed at the mouth of Scioto, waiting 

 for the Shawnesse and French traders, who arrived here on the 

 evening of the 26th, in consequence of the message I sent them 

 from Hochocken, or Bottle Creek. 



27 th. The Indians requested me to stay this day, which I could 

 not refuse. , 



28th. We set off: passing down the Ohio, the country on both 

 sides the river level ; the banks continue high. This day we 

 came sixty miles ; passed no islands. The river being wider and 

 deeper, we drove all night. 



29th. We came to the little Miame River, having proceeded 

 sixty miles last night. 



30th. We passed the great Miame River, about thirty miles 

 from the little river of that name, and in the evening arrived at the 

 place where the elephants^ bones are found, where we encamped, in- 



