Volume 3 — Travels to the West of the Alleghany Mountains,
Reading edition
by François André Michaux Reprint from London edition, 1805
Carte des Etats du Centre, de L’Ouest et du Sud DES Etats-Unis. Dessinée par Dupias fils An xii.__1804.
TRAVELS TO THE WEST OF THE ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS, IN THE STATES OF Ohio, KENTUCKY, AND TENNESSEA, AND BACK TO CHARLESTON, BY THE UPPER CAROLINES; COMPRISING The most interesting Details on the present State of Agriculture, AND THE NATURAL PRODUCE OF THOSE COUNTRIES: TOGETHER WITH Particulars relative to the Commerce that exists between the above-mentioned States, and those situated East of the Mountains and Low Louisiana, UNDERTAKEN, IN THE YEAR 1802, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF His Excellency M. CHAPTAL, Minister of the Interior, By F. A. MICHAUX, MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY AT PARIS; CORRESPONDENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE SEINE AND OISE.
LONDON: Printed by D. N. SHURY, Berwick Street, Soho; FOR B. CROSBY AND CO. STATIONERS’ COURT; AND J. F. HUGHES, WIGMORE STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE:
1805.
CONTENTS
CHAP. I
Departure from Bourdeaux.—Arrival at Charleston.—Remarks upon the yellow fever.—A short description of the town of Charleston.—Observations upon several trees, natives of the old continent, reared in a botanic garden near the city 117
CHAP. II
Departure from Charleston for New York.—A short description of the town.—Botanic excursions in New Jersey.—Remarks upon the quercus tinctoria, or black oak, and the nut trees of that country.—Departure from New York for Philadelphia.—Abode 125
{vi} CHAP. III
Departure from Philadelphia to the western country.—Communications by land in the United States.—Arrival at Lancaster.—Description of the town and its environs.—Departure.—Columbia.—Passage from Susquehannah, York, Dover, Carlisle.—Arrival at Shippensburgh.—Remarks upon the state of agriculture during the journey 132
CHAP. IV
Departure from Shippensburgh to Strasburgh.—Journey over the Blue Ridges.—New Species of rhododendrum.—Passage over the river Juniata.—Use of the cones of the magnolia acuminata.—Arrival at Bedford Court House.—Excesses to which the natives of that part of the country are addicted.—Departure from Bedford.—Journey over Alleghany Ridge and Laurel Hill.—Arrival at West Liberty Town 141
CHAP. V
Departure from West Liberty Town to go among the mountains in search of a shrub supposed to give good oil, a new species of azalea.—Ligonier Valley.—Coal Mines.—Greensburgh.—Arrival at Pittsburgh 149
{vii} CHAP. VI
Description of Pittsburgh.—Commerce of the Town and adjacent countries with New Orleans.—Construction of large vessels.—Description of the rivers Monongahela and Alleghany.—Towns situated on their banks.—Agriculture.—Maple sugar 156
CHAP. VII
Description of the Ohio.—Navigation of that river.—Mr. S. Craft.—The object of his travels.—Remarks upon the state of Vermont 163
CHAP. VIII
Departure from Pittsburgh for Kentucky.—Journey by land to Wheeling.—State of agriculture on the route.—West Liberty Town in Virginia.—Wheeling 168
CHAP. IX
Departure from Wheeling for Marietta.—Aspect of the banks of the Ohio.—Nature of the forests.—Extraordinary size of several kinds of trees 172
{viii} CHAP. X
Marietta.—Ship building.—Departure for Gallipoli.—Falling in with a Kentucky boat.—Point Pleasant.—The Great Kenhaway 177
CHAP. XI
Gallipoli.—State of the French colony Scioto.—Alexandria at the mouth of the Great Scioto.—Arrival at Limestone in Kentucky 182
CHAP. XII
Fish and shells of the Ohio.—Inhabitants on the banks of the river.—Agriculture.—American emigrant.—Commercial intelligence relative to that part of the United States 188
CHAP. XIII
Limestone.—Route from Limestone to Lexinton.—Washington.— Salt-works at Mays-Lick.—Millesburgh.—Paris 195
CHAP. XIV
Lexinton.—Manufactories established there.—Commerce.—Dr. Samuel Brown 199
{ix} CHAP. XV
Departure from Lexinton.—Culture of the vine at Kentucky.—Passage over the Kentucky and Dick Rivers.—Departure for Nasheville.—Mulder Hill.—Passage over Green River 206
CHAP. XVI
Passage over the Barrens, or Meadows.—Plantations upon the road.—The view they present.—Plants discovered there.—Arrival at Nasheville 215
CHAP. XVII
General observations upon Kentucky.—Nature of the soil.—First settlements in the state.—Right of property uncertain.—Population 222
CHAP. XVIII
Distinction of Estates.—Species of Trees peculiar to each of them.—Ginseng.—Animals in Kentucky 228
CHAP. XIX
Different kinds of culture in Kentucky.—Exportation of colonial produce.—Peach trees.—Taxes 237
{x} CHAP. XX
Particulars relative to the manners of the inhabitants of Kentucky.—Horses and cattle.—Necessity of giving them salt.—Wild Horses caught in the Plains of New Mexico.—Exportation of salt provisions 243
[CHAP.] XXI
Nasheville.—Commercial details.—Settlement of the Natches 250
CHAP. XXII
Departure for Knoxville.—Arrival at Fort Blount.—Remarks upon the drying up of the Rivers in the Summer.—Plantations on the road.—Fertility of the soil.—Excursions in a canoe on the river Cumberland 255
CHAP. XXIII
Departure from Fort Blount to West Point, through the Wilderness.—Botanical excursions upon Roaring River.—Description of its Banks.—Saline productions found there.—Indian Cherokees.—Arrival at Knoxville 258
{xi} CHAP. XXIV
Knoxville.—Commercial intelligence.—Trees that grow in the environs.—Converting some parts of the Meadows into Forests.—River Nolachuky.—Greensville.—Arrival at Jonesborough 265
CHAP. XXV
General observations on the state of Tennessea.—Rivers Cumberland and Tennessea.—What is meant by East Tennessea or Holston, and West Tennessea or Cumberland.—First settlements in West Tennessea.—Trees natives of that country 271
CHAP. XXVI
Different kinds of produce of West Tennessea.—Domestic manufactories for cottons encouraged by the Legislature of this State.—Mode of letting out Estates by some of the Emigrants 276
CHAP. XXVII
East Tennessea, or Holston.—Agriculture.—Population.—Commerce 280
{xii} CHAP. XXVIII
Departure from Jonesborough for Morganton, in North Carolina.—Journey over Iron Mountains.—Sojourn on the mountains.—Journey over the Blue Ridges and Linneville Mountains.—Arrival at Morganton 283
CHAP. XXIX
General observations upon this part of the Chain of the Alleghanies.—Salamander which is found in the torrents.—Bear hunting 286
CHAP. XXX
Morganton.—Departure for Charleston.—Lincolnton.—Chester.—Winesborough.—Columbia.—Aspect of the Country on the Road.—Agriculture, &c. &c. 290
CHAP. XXXI
General observations on the Carolinas and Georgia.—Agriculture and produce peculiar to the upper part of these states 296
CHAP. XXXII
Low part of the Carolines and Georgia.—Agriculture.—Population.—Arrival at Charleston 301