ALEXANDER WILSON. lxxxvii 
The country now became mountainous, perpetually ascending and 
descending ; and about forty-nine miles from Danville I passed 
through a pigeon roost, or rather breeding place, which continued 
for three miles, and, from information, exceeded in length more 
than forty miles. The timber was chiefly beech, — every tree 
loaded with nests ; and I counted, in different places, more than 
ninety nests on a single tree. Beyond this I passed a large com- 
pany of people engaged in erecting a horse mill for grinding grain. 
The few cabins I passed were generally poor, but much superior 
in appearance to those I met with on the shores of the Ohio. In 
the evening I lodged near the banks of the Green River. This 
stream, like all the rest, is sunk in a deep gulf, between high 
perpendicular walls of limestone ; is about thirty yards wide at this 
place, and runs with great rapidity ; but as it had fallen consider- 
ably, I was just able to ford it without swimming. The water was 
of a pale greenish colour, like that of the Licking and some other 
streams, from which circumstance I suppose it has its name. The 
rocky banks of the river are hollowed out, in many places, into 
caves of enormous size, and of great extent. These rocks abound 
with the same masses of petrified shells so universal in Kentucky. 
44 In the woods, a little beyond this, I met a soldier, on foot, 
from New Orleans, who had been robbed and plundered by 
the Choctaws, as he passed through their nation. 4 Thirteen 
or fourteen Indians,’ said he, 4 surrounded me before I was aware, 
cut away my canteen, tore off my hat, took the handkerchief 
from my neck, and the shoes from my feet, and all the money 
I had from me, which was about forty-five dollars.’ Such was 
his story. He was going to Chilocothe, and seemed pretty nearly 
done up. In the afternoon I crossed another stream, of about 
twenty-five yards in width, called Little Barren ; after which, the 
country began to assume a new and very singular appearance. 
The woods, which had hitherto been stately, now degenerated into 
mere scrubby saplings, on which not a bud was beginning to 
unfold, and grew so open, that I could see for a mile through 
them. No dead timber or rotten leaves were to be seen, but the 
whole face of the ground was covered with rich verdure, interspersed 
with a variety of very beautiful flowers, altogether new to me. It 
seemed as if the whole country had once been one general level ; but 
