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Travels in Some Parts of North America, in the Years 1804, 1805, & 1806, by Robert Sutcliff

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river, the scenery and prospects are in many places grand and beautiful in a high degree; espe-cially in sailing by the Highlands, Stoney Point, and the Katskill Mountains. Sometimes, for a considerable distance, the rocks rise from the edge of the river, in bold, lofty precipices, similar to those of Middleton Dale, in Derbyshire; and the river, in many parts, is from one to two miles over. This gives room for the vessels, which navigate the river, to pass and repass each other without danger; although the number is said to be upwards of 1600. They consist chiefly of sloops of about 70 tons burthen; yet large ships are occa-sionally seen as high up as Hudson's and Athens, being about 150 miles up the country. In sailing on this river, we sometimes had the sight of 15 or 20 vessels within a short distance of us; and Captain Bunker mentioned that he had sometimes seen 30 in company. Although this river is pretty straight, in general, yet it frequently winds its way between lofty rocks and mountains, which cause a variety of currents in the wind, so as to require a good deal of care and management to work the vessels to advantages. It was amusing sometimes to ob-serve that, while we lay becalmed on one side of the stream under a lofty rock, the vessels which hap- pened to be on the contrary side, would skim past us like an arrow, with a fair wind, leaving us far behind; and at the same time the company would divert themselves at our difficulties as they glided