CXXll 
LIFE OF WILSON. 
his father died early in the revolutionary war of the camp fever, 
near Newyork. 
Marietta stands on a swampy plain, which has evidently once 
been the ancient bed of the Muskingum, and is still occasionally 
inundated to the depth of five or six feet. A Mr. Putnam, son to 
the old general of Bunker’s Hill memory, and Mr. Gill man and 
Mr. Fearing, are making great exertions here, in introducing and 
multiplying the race of merinos. The two latter gentlemen are 
about establishing works by steam for carding and spinning wool, 
and intend to carry on the manufacture of broadcloth extensively. 
Mr. Gillman is a gentleman of taste and wealth, and has no doubts 
of succeeding. Something is necessary to give animation to this 
place, for since the building of ships has been abandoned here, the 
place seems on the decline. 
The current of the Muskingum is very rapid, and the ferry 
boat is navigated across in the following manner. A strong cable 
is extended from bank to bank, forty or fifty feet above the surface 
of the river, and fastened tight at each end. On this cable are two 
loose running blocks ; one rope from the bow of the boat is fasten- 
ed to the first of these blocks, and another from the after part of 
the boat to the second block, and by lengthening this last a diago- 
nal direction is given to the boat’s head, a little up stream, and the 
current striking forcibly and obliquely on her aft, she is hurried 
forward with amazing velocity without any manual labour what- 
ever. I passed Blannerhasset’s island after night, but the people 
were burning brush, and by the light I had a distinct view of the 
mansion house, which is but a plain frame of no great dimensions. 
It is now the property of a Mr. Miller from Lexington, who intends 
laying it chiefly in hemp. It is nearly three miles long, and con- 
tains about three hundred acres, half of which is in cultivation, but 
like all the rest of the numerous islands of the Ohio, is subject to 
inundations. At Galliopolis, which stands upon a high plain, and 
contains forty or fifty scattered houses, I found the fields well fenced 
