47§ TRAVELS IN NORTH AMERICA. 
Alexandria in Virginia, a fine city on the Weft 
banks of the Patowmac, about the 26th of De- 
cember, having had excellent roads, and plea-, 
iant, moderate weather, neither fnow nor ice to 
be feen, except a flight fall of fnow from a flying 
cloud, the day before I reached this place ; but 
this evening it clouded up from the Weft, the 
wind North-eaft and cold. Next morning the 
fnow was eight or ten inches deep on the ground, 
and the wind fhifting to North-weft, cleared up 
intenfely cold : I however fat off and crofted the 
river juft below the falls, and landed at George- 
town in Maryland. The fnow was now deep every 
where around, the air cold to an extreme, and 
the roads deep under fnow or ftippery with ice, 
rendered the travelling uncomfortable. 
Being now arrived at Wright’s ferry, on the 
Sufquehanna, I began anxioufly to look towards 
home, but here 1 found almoft infuperable em- 
barraffments : the river being but half frozen 
over, there was no poftibility of crofting here; 
but hearing that people croffed at Anderfon’s, 
about five miles above, early next morning I fat 
off again up the river, in company with feveral 
travellers, fome for Philadelphia : arriving at the 
ferry, we were joined by a number of traders, 
with their pack-horfes loaded with leather and 
furs, where we all agreed to venture over toge- 
ther; and keeping at a moderate diftance from 
each other, examining well our icy bridge, and 
being careful of our fteps, we landed fafe on the 
oppofite fhore, got to Lancafter in the evening, 
and next morning fat forward again towards Phi- 
ladelphia, and in two days more arrived at my 
father’s houfe on the banks of the river Schuylkill 1 , 
within four miles of the city, January 1778. 
