hv_coatesi_account_1798_087

the longer I have been among that people, themore near and united they have felt to me;and now on parting, they feel like brethren, withwhom I had been intimately acquainted, and forwhose welfare I feel ardent wishes About 8 o'clock we left Buffalo. Much ofthis days ride was through a country very thinlytimbered, grown over with plenty of pretty goodgrass, so that I thought thousands of cattle might have been fattened upon it, if were notfor a species of large flies and mosquitoes.We stopped twice to let our horses eat grass:but they were so worried with these insects, thatthey did little but run about, untill we got brushes and kept them off. If we stopped our horsesone minute in the woods, in some places, themosquitoes would be on them in such numbersas almost to hide their color. Joshua Sharpless,says, I covered my head, neck, and the most ofmy face with my silk handkerchief, wrappeda pocket handkerchief round one of my hands,and with all the defence I could make, was muchbitten and swolen with them. When nightcame on we got no relief. We took up our quartersabout sunset, beside a small stream of good waterunder the bough of an oak, and kindled fires in diferent places around us, in order to smoke themoff: but with all, we were worried that the whole night through,