The 10th Sent a Messenger to Louisville.""

The 13th Sunday returned to Lexington and came back on Sunday the 20th, to Danville. Not having received general Clark's answer I was unable to take advantage of the Post to write to the Minister at Philadelphia.

The 21st received General Clark's answer.48

The 10th of November 1793, Year 2 of the French Republic, left Danville for Philadelphia after visiting Colonel George Nicholas" near Danville. He laid stress upon the plan he had proposed to me the previous day regarding the Navigation of the Mississipi. Namely: That the Naval Forces of the Republic should seize the Mouth of the Mississipi, declare that the Country belonged to them by right of Conquest and invite the Americans of the Western Country to take advantage of the freedom of Navigation. Then, if the Spaniards situated higher up the river molested the Vessels carrying the provisions conveyed by the Americans, the latter would have the right to repel Constraint and force by force.

47 The original letter sent by this messenger is in the Wisconsin Historical Library (Draper MSS., 55 J 5), and is printed in American Historical Association Report, 1896, p. 1013.— ED.

48 This reply is given in American Historical Association Report, 1896, pp. 1007-1009. The break in the manuscript of Michaux's diary is occasioned by the completion of one blank book and the commencement of another.-ED.

"Nicholas was one of a famous coterie of Virginia constitutional lawyers. Born in 1743, the son of a distinguished lawyer, Robert Cary Nicholas, he served as captain in the Revolution, and at its close qualified for the bar. His services in the Virginia convention which adopted the federal constitution, were important. Shortly after its close he removed to Kentucky, and there aided in the adoption of its state constitution, which is reputed to have been drawn up by his hand. Upon the formation of the state government, he was chosen first attorney general. Nicholas adopted a moderate position in regard to Western politics; the scheme here outlined, seems characteristic. In 1799 he was appointed law professor in Transylvania University, but died during the same year.- ED.

Thus the Spanish Government would have no reason to complain of the United States having broken through inasmuch as the country would be reputed in the possession of the French Republic.

Slept at Crab orchard distant from Danville 22 Miles.

The 11th of November 1793, started from Crab Orchard in company with 12 persons who had assembled at that place to pass through the Woods inhabited and frequented by the Savages. The tract between Crab orchard and Houlston settlement is 130 Miles wide and is called The Wilderness.50 Slept at Longford Station. 10 Miles.

The 12th slept at Modnell Station 28 Miles.

The 13th slept at Middleton station. 28 Miles.

The 14th crossed low, swampy places where the water was brown and stagnant. Six miles from Middleton Post and 18 miles before reaching the top of Cumberland Gap, saw a climbing fern covering an area of over six acres of ground near the road." At this season when the Frost had produced ice from 3 to 4 lines thick, this plant was not at all injured by it. In this territory are two places, one called Flat lick and the other Stinking Creek. Saw near the Carcass of a Stag the (Corvus corax). Davissas station 2 miles to the52 Cumberland Gap" 26 Miles.

Raven

50 Michaux returned to Philadelphia by the well-known "Wilderness Road,'' the chief means of exit from Kentucky. Parties frequently waited at Crab Orchard the western terminus in Lincoln ered to act as protection against the Indians.

County — until enough had gath

See Speed, "Wilderness Road,"

Filson Club Publications, No. 2 (Louisville, 1886); also Hulbert, Historic Highways of America, vol. vi.— ED.

52 Three words are here frayed away in the manuscript of the Journal.C. S. S.

Cumberland Gap, in southeastern Kentucky, emerging into Tennessee, was explored in 1750 by Dr. Thomas Walker, who named both mountains and river in honor of the Duke of Cumberland, son of George II.- ED.

The 15th of November traveled through parts of very high Mountains in the midst of which we crossed Clinch river and slept at Houlston Station in the house of one 27 Miles.

The 16th followed the bank of the Houlston river and slept at the house of Amis Esquire, three Miles from Hawkin Court house.55 26 Miles.

Sunday the 17th the Rain compelled me to remain in a a small Cabin near the North fork of Houlston

25 Miles. The 18th my horse was so tired owing to the rapidity of the journey and the bad roads across the Wilderness that I was obliged to stop after a Journey of only eleven Miles. II Miles.

The 19th started at daybreak. At the foot of the house where I lodged, the Kentuckey road divides," the right one leads to Burke court house in North Carolina passing by the Mouth of Wataga river; the other leads to Abington court house, the first town of Virginia. As my horse was still tired, I made only 20 miles.

The 20th I made 15 Miles; arrived at Abington.57

The 21st I slept 22 Miles from Abington near Seven Miles Ford, the middle Branch of the Houlston.

54 The Clinch and Holston rivers are upper waters of the Tennessee, in southwestern Virginia and northeastern Tennessee. The settlements in these valleys were among the first on the west-flowing streams. See map in Turner, "State Making in the Revolutionary Era," in American Historical Review, i, p. 74.— ED.

55 Both of these stations are mentioned in an early journal; see Speed, Wilderness Road, p. 21. The first was the seat for Hawkins County, Tennessee.- ED.

"The forks of the road was at the junction of the north and south forks of the Holston River, near the present town of Kingsport, Sullivan County, Tennessee. ED.

57

67 Abingdon, originally known as Wolf Hills, was one of the earliest settlements in the Valley of Virginia, and the seat of Washington County. It was established as a town in 1778. It is still the county seat, and a station on the Norfolk & Western Railway.- ED.

The 22nd of November 1793 crossed Seven Miles ford. The Holston river consists of three principal Branches, namely: North fork, Seven Miles fork and South fork of Holston river.

In the space of six miles after crossing that little river, observed on the northern Hills bordering several small rivers the Pinus abies canadensis, Thuya occidentalis, Rhododendron maximum and also Magnolia acuminata in places where the soil is very rich: Fagus chinquapin; clayey soil, ferruginous Quartz rocks, Slates rare and lime Stones sometimes interveined with white Quartz; grey Squirrel (forgot to mention that, in passing Abington, saw a Tortoise 8 inches in diameter petrified in a black calcareous substance like the Rocks abounding in the territory) Our day's journey was 23 miles.

The 23rd of November slept in the house of a German. During the night my horses strayed away. Between Abington and With Court houses among the Mountains Abies canadensis and Thuya occidentalis.

Sunday the 24th, passed by With Court house and at about 18 Miles in the steep Mountains observed Pinus Strobus, Pinus foliis ternis (pitch pine) Pinus foliis geminis Pinus abies canadensis, Rhododendron maximum, Kalmia latifolia, Gaultheria procumbens, Epigea repens: In more arid places, Fagus chinquapin, Fagus castanea americana, Fagus sylvatica americana, Andromeda arborea, Hypericum Kalmianum. Among the damp rocks or those watered by the streams; Rocks of silex and also of agate slightly transparent.

From Seven Miles ford to With Court house 36 Miles.

58 Wytheville, near the centre of the county of that name, and its county seat.- ED.

The 25th crossed the ferry called Peper's ferry59 on the New River and afterward crossed from the West to the East side of the Alleganies; slept on a branch of James river called Catawba which flows eastward while the New River flows West of the Mountains.

The 26th continued on my way to Botetort Court house 30 miles.

The 27th passed by Botetort Court house" and by the south Branch of the James River 12 miles from Botetort.

The 28th passed by Lexington 40 miles distant from Botetort and by the north branch of James river to one Mile from Lexington. Thuya occidentalis, Pinus Strobus. The 29th of November, remained in Mac Dowall's house; my horse's leg was so swelled that he could not walk.

The 30th journeyed 27 miles.

Sunday the first of December 1793 passed by Stanton, a small and rather flourishing town situate 120 Miles from Richemont and 75 Miles from Botetort."

"The early route through the Virginia Valley crossed New River at Ingles's Ferry, a short distance west of Blacksburg, Montgomery County. A new road shortened the distance and crossed the New River about five miles farther up the stream, at a ferry operated by the pioneer family of Pepper. They are alluded to in the Draper MSS., Wisconsin Historical Library, 1 QQ 97.— Ed.

60 Botetourt Court House, now Fincastle, the seat of Botetourt County (established in 1769), was laid off as a town in 1772 on land donated for the purpose by Israel Christian. It was named for the ancestral seat of Lord Botetourt, an early governor of Virginia.- ED.

61 Lexington was established by law in 1777 as county seat for Rockbridge, then newly-formed out of Augusta and Botetourt. See ante, note 28.— ED. 03 Col. James McDowell, who lived near Fairfield, Rockbridge County, was a descendant of the Scotch-Irish settler, Capt. John McDowell, who came to the valley as a surveyor in 1737, and was killed in the first Indian fight therein (1742).— ED.

The present roads through the Valley of Virginia follow the course described by Michaux, passing through the same towns. Staunton is one of the earliest towns of the region, having been settled in 1732 by John Lewis, a Scotch