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Show V I R G I N I A. Iution in n3ture, ll aS rett.r e d ' and lofi a .c onfiderable part of that dominion which formerly belonged to It. . . The Blue-ridge is much higher than the P.Ignut. though even thefe mountains are not to be compared wlth the Alleg- J To the fouthward, indeed, I was told, they are more 11e;w~. d but little if at all, inferior to them. The pafs at Ao (thyb y' 'sa nG ap, f rom ' the foot of the mountain on the eafif iern fide to the Shenando, which runs at the foot on the we ·ern, I.S about f our mt'1 es. The aCcent is no where v. ekry hft.e ehp ; thouah the mountains are, upon the whole, I thm , Ig er than oany I have ever feen in England. When I was. got to the t 0 I was inexpreffibly delighted with the fcene whtch opened P, · h. I before me. Immediately under the moun tam, w lC 1 was .co-vered with chamredaphnes in full bloom, was a moil .beautiful river : beyond this an extenfive plain, diverfified w~th every pleafing objett that nature can ex hi bit; and, at t~e ddlance of fifty miles, another ridge of fiill more lofty mou~1tams, called the Great, or North-ridge*, which inclofed and terminated the whole. The river Shenando rifes a great way to the fouthward from under this Great North-ridge. It runs through Auguila County, and falls into the Potowmac fomewhere in Frederic. At the place where I ferried over, it is only :bout a hundred yar~s wide . and indeed it is no where, I beheve, very broad. It IS exceedingly romantic and beautiful, forming great variety of falls, and is fo tranfparent, that you may fee the fmalleft pebble at the depth of eight or ten feet. There is plenty of trout and other fi(b in it; but it is not navigable, except for rafts. In fudden fre(hes it rifes above forty or fifty feet. The low grounds upon the banks of this river are ve? rich an~ ferti.le ; they are chiefly fettled by Germans, who gam a fuffic1ent hve- * All thefe ridges confifr of ftngle mountains joined together, and run parallel to each other. lihood ' • \V I N C H E S T E R. ·ihood by raifing t1ock for the troops, and fending butter down into the lower p.arts of the country. I could not but refleCl: with pleafure on the fituation of thefe people; and think if there is fuch a thing as h appincfs in this life, that they enjoy it. Far from the bufile of the world, they live in the mofi: delightful climate, and rich efi: foil imngin able; they are every where furrounded with beautiful profpe :ts, and fylvan fcenes; lofty mountains, tranfparent t1reams, falls of water, rich vallies, and majeftic woods; the whole interfperfed with an infinite variety of flowering a1rubs, confl:irute the Jandfcape furrounding them : they are fubject to few difeafes; are generally robu£l:; and live in perfe[t liberty: th ey are ignorant of want, and acquainted with but few vices. Their ine xperience of the elegancies of life, precludes any regret that they poffefs not the means of enjoying them: bu~ they pofiefs what many pnnces would give half their dominions for, health, content, and tranquillity of mind. vVinchefter is a fmall town of about two hundred houfes. It is the place of general rendezvous of the Virginian troop s, which is the reafon of its late rapid increafe, and prefent flouriQ1ing condition. The country about it, before the reduttion of F ort du ~efne, was greatly expofed to the ravages of the Indians, who daily committed mo!l: horrid cruelties: even the town would have been in danger, had not colonel Walhington, in order to cover and proteCt it, ereCted a fort upon an eminence at one end of it, which proved of the utmofi utility; for although the Indians were frequently in fight of the town, they never dared to approach within reach of the fort. It is a regular fquare forti fication , with four bafiions, mounting twenty-fou r cannon; the length of each curtain, if I am not mifiaken, is about eighty yards. Within, there are barracks for 450 men. The materials of which it is built, are F loggs 33 |