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I believe there are no farmers in the world who live
on so coarse and so poor food as do the generality of
farmers in Scotland.
...But the richest soil in all North America is on the
rivers Ohio and Mississippi, and I intended to have
gone there at first, but my wife did not incline to go
so far back at that time; and that was the reason I
made a purchase so soon, and did not take Dr.
Witherspoon's advice. But I made the purchase on
the road that leads to the Ohio River, and, as I am
told, I am just 150 miles from Fort Pitt; as soon as we
have this plantation put into some order, I, and one
of my sons will go back and take up a large tract for
the rest of my children.
...By my being here I see that much of the fine land
on the Ohio and Mississippi will be quickly taken up....
I see emigrants in crowds passing this way almost
every week. One of my family, whom I lately sent to
Philadelphia, lodged in a house with fifty of them and
within these few days I saw more than threescore, all
of them hastening to the banks of the Ohio.
...We are in no fear that any harm will be done us by
the Indians. I have seen many of them, and by all that
I can hear they are harmless people, except they be
offended or wronged. I hope we shall never have any
bickering with them; but it would not be a small
number of enemies that would terrify us, or even
those about Fort Pitt, for, besides a well-trained
militia, we all have guns in our hands.