hv_swaynej_diary_1798_007

the next night we lodged at the House of a worthy friend Thomas Gibson, and were respectfully entertained, having been from home eight Days and traversed upwards of 250 miles by way of Shippensburg Strausburg and Bedford. 7th of the month three of our company went to Reece Cadwalders, halliday jackson and myself to Union Town to see some of our old acquaintance that lived thereabouts, Halliday and I parted at William Dixons and I went to see my brothers and Sisters that lived near that place, we were much rejoiced to see each other and I had a good degree of satisfaction in my visit, yet my stay was not as long as would have been desirable, in the course of my journey through Readstone I observed that the land is of a supervisor quality, abounding with a great quantity of excellent timber such as Black Walnut Hickory Wild Cherry and Sugar Maple from the latter many of the inhabitants supply themselves with sugar and molasses of an excellent quality which is a great advantage to a new settled county. Stone Coal and Iron Ore of an excellent quality abounds plentifully in this settlement and appears to afford encouraging prospects for Iron