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Jacob Lindley's Account, 1793

SW_JL1793_Page_062

Proceeded forward, and that evening reach- ed Fort Schuyler, where is erected a wooden bridge, whose arch is one hundred and twenty feet wide, without any support from below. The butments are of framed timber, without stone in any part ofthem. The sweep of the arch appeared to be aboutseven feet. The land in this day's progress, was very rich; and the whole face of the country, as far as I could see, was flat, and abounding with very large sugar trees, elm, white walnut, beech, &;c. — The water, in this day's journey, which was about twenty-three miles, was a fine, deep, still run, great part of the way, without using our oars. This coun-try settles rapidly. I was much perplexed for miles, with the continued smoke from the fires on shore, where they are clearing the lands, and manufacturing pot and pearl ash, and maple sugar. The potash is a great article of trade, selling at from forty-five to fifty pounds per ton. At New York, one merchant, I was told, procured one thousand tons the last year. 15th. The morning clear, and the air cold. Here the earth is very dry, having had but little rain for two months. Several of our company took horse at Whitestown, and rode to Fort Stanwix, at the head of the boat navigation, on the Mohawk river. The fort stands on the highest ground between the wa-ters which run to the sea southward, and those which run into the Oneida lake, and empty into the St. Lawrence river. Our journey this day by water, was twenty-four miles. Those who rode by land, about sixteen miles. They passed the ground where a battle had been fought with the Indians, in the last war; in which many fell on both sides; but the In-dians kept the ground. The skulls of divers remain