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Isaac Coates Journal of Journeys to the Indian Country

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EARLY in the morning on the 30th [of 9th month,1803] we all set off and rode to New Amsterdam, at the mouth of Buffalo Creek,which is about thirty-three miles, eight of which is mostly bad road or paththrough the woods to Lake Erie; the other part ofthe way is down the lake on the margin. A verypleasant ride, although each time I have ridden it Ihave been affected with the headache. A materialchange appears to me to have taken place on themargin since I was along it four years ago. Thebeautiful beds of lime-stone are generally coveredwith sand, and much of the best kind of slate verymuch gone. When we arrived at Amsterdam, RedJacketand several other Indian chiefs were therealong with the mill-wrights who say they have com-pleted the saw-mill for the Indians and want their pay. We sent for some of them and desired to knowwhether we could have them personally in council to-morrow at their village. Red Jacket informed usthey would be glad if they could comply with ourdesire, but hoped we would have patience, for theycould not well meet us to-morrow, but would meetearly the next day. We then conferred together and Isaac Bonsal and George Vaux were most easy to goover the Niagara river to-morrow in order to be at the meeting at Black Creek the next day, ThomasStewardson, John Shoemaker, and myself were mosteasy to stay in order to attend the proposed councilon First-day morning. Tenth month1st, and seventh of the week. JacobTaylor and myself went twelve miles up the BuffaloCreek to see the new saw-mill that is built for theIndians, (we some time past having made them apresent of all the iron), divers of the chiefs and one