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Isaac Coates Journal of Journeys to the Indian Country

SW_IC1799_Page_01

[THE following journal, kept by Isaac Coates, a Friend, of Caln, Chester County, describes a jour- ney taken to visit "the Indian Country" in Wes- tern Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York, in 1799 and 1803. It gives an animated description of the coun- try passed through, the experiences of the travelers, etc., as well as many interesting details concerning Friends and the Indians. Isaac was the son of Samuel Coates, of East Caln township, and was born Fourth month, 12, 1748. He married Hannah Stalker, of the same township, (b. 3d mo. 9, 1752), and lived on a farm that had been his father's, near the present Caln Station, on the Pennsylvania Railroad. It was from here, presuma-bly, that he set off on the journey described below. He was a member of Caln Meeting, and is buried in that burying-ground. Among his children was Lind- ley Coates, a prominent and esteemed Friend, active in the anti-slavery movement. Lydia, a daughter, (b. 2nd mo.6, 1778), was a minister among Friends, and died in 1839. She married Mark Hughes, and it is their son William, of Avondale, Chester county, who has handed us the Journal of his grandfather for publication. It will run through several issues of our paper. - EDS. INTELLIGENCER AND JOURNAL.] 6th-day. the 23d of the Eighth month, 1799, after a solid time in my family I left home on my journey into the Indian Country and Upper Canada. Dined at Robt. Moore's fourteen miles. Reached Wm. Webb's, twelve miles, and lodged that night; at both places kindly entertained. 24th. Dined at Wm. Wright's, where we were af-fectionately received With some difficulty crossed the Susquehannah, (the river being low); passed through York Town to my brother Caleb Kirk's. This day's ride, twenty-five miles. 25th. Stayed meeting at York, and lodged at brother Caleb's two nights. 26th. Rode to Warrington, eleven miles; attended quarterly meeting, after which rode to Thos. Thorn-burg's, eight miles; lodged and fared sumptuously. 27th. Rode over and through the gap in several mountains, past a furnace known by the name of Kittera's. The precipices on both right and left of one of them exhibited a magnificent appearance. After which we entered a limestone valley of good land, though not improved, as I apprehended, in the best manner. Fed our horses at the stone tavern, sixteen miles; [then] to Shippensburg twelve and one-half miles, part of which, notwithstanding it was in the valley, appeared to be very poor, covered with pine of small growth and barren oaks. A few miles before we reached Shippensburg we passed through some excellent wheat land, being covered with black oak and hickory. Dined at Shippensburg. The gen-eral part of the corn thus far very poor; buckwheat, in some place, pretty good. Then proceeded to a small village called Strasburg, ten miles; through tolerable land but no water which I thought fit to drink for myself or horse for twenty miles. Then ascended the mountain called the Blue Ridge, the ascent and descent of which is three miles, affording a prospect which shows the wonderful works of the Author of Nature. Crossed a branch of the Conodo-guinet running to the right, and lodged at Skinner's in Horse Valley. This day's ride, forty-one and a half miles. 28th. In the morning, ascended and descended two large mountains, the valley between them called Path Valley, in which is a small village called Ferris-burg; it being seven miles across those two moun-tains. In the aforesaid valley is a fine stream run-ning to the right, called Conogocheak [Conoco-cheague]; and a pretty good settlement. After crossing the mountains, very poor broken land thinly inhabited, to Fort Littleton, twelve miles from Skinner's; here we breakfasted. In crossing those mountains and valleys my mind was much em-ployed in contemplating the wonderful works of an all-wise Creator. To John Skinner's on the top of Sidling Hill, eleven miles, being a tremendous mountain, on the ridge of which we rode about four miles; at the end thereof, and descending the mountain, a grand pros-pect opened of the Allegheny Mountain and what appeared a tolerably level valley, considerably im-proved with plantations; but in riding through it we found it to be very hilly, approached to mountains; then crossed a branch of Juniata, running to the right, and rode to Hartley's, where we expect to lodge. The river was frequently on our right hand and fre-quently near our left hand, and we on an eminence perhaps of one or two hundred feet, some place ap-proaching near perpendicular. This day's ride, thir-ty-nine miles. 29th. Rode up the valley through some tolerably good limestone land to Bedford, six miles; crossed two branches of the aforesaid water. After leaving Bed-ford passed through a gap in Wills' Mountain and over Juniata again. Here is some of the best land and the best improved I have yet seen amongst those mountains. To our right to Stotler on the ridge, in divers places was oats growing of a good length; some ripe, some almost ripe, and some standing in shock. From thence to Berlin, thirteen miles. On our way we met an old man who had just killed a large buck which had horns with a number of prongs, covered with the velvet, which he had skinned and had some