The Fairfax Line: Thomas Lewis's Journal of 1746. In the Following Pages is Reproduced with Literal Accuracy the Journal Kept by Thomas Lewis, Surveyor, from September L0, 1746, to February 24, 1747, While He, Colonel Peter Jefferson, and Others Were Surveying and Making Maps of the Southwest Line of Thomas Lord Fairfax's Princely Domain in Virginia. It is a Story Rich in Adventure and Achievement |
Common terms and phrases
aChesnut oak aSpruce pine md awhite oak Began Beverley Blue Ridge Branch Runs Brook Capecapon Capt Downs Coburn Comisrs Conway River Day Before Thence Dito Dobins Encampd Evining Extremly Fairfax line Fairfax Stone Fumfire Gentlemen Comisioners Grant County head Spring head streams Hedgman Jefferson Capt Winslo John Killd Lewis's journal line crossed Lomax Loral Swamp majesty Massanutten Gap miles Mill Creek night Before Thence North Mountain Northern Neck numbered Page County Peaked Mountain Peter Jefferson pole a white pole apine md pole aRed oak pole fare Side pole the top poles apine markd Port Republic Potomac probably provision Rockingham County Runs to left Runs to Right Saturday Shenandoah County Shenandoah River South Branch South Fork Spring head Spruce pine Styx Sunday survey surveyors Swamp Begins Swift Run Gap Thomas Lewis tope trees Tuckahoe Tusday Valley Water Wensday West Gap West Virginia white oak md
Popular passages
Page 44 - ... being of a strong mind, sound judgment, and eager after information, he read much and improved himself, insomuch that he was chosen, with Joshua Fry, professor of Mathematics in...
Page 41 - The initial point of the work,— the Fairfax Stone,— stands on the spot encircled by several small streams flowing from springs about it. It consists of a rough piece of sandstone, indifferent and friable, planted to the depth of a few feet in the ground and rising a foot or more above the surface, shapeless in form, it would scarce attract the attention of the passer by. The finding of it was without difficulty, and its recognition and identification by the inscription Fx, now almost obliterated...
Page 46 - Never was any poor Creaturs in a as Such Condition we were in nor Ever was aCriminal more glad By having made his Escape out of prison as we were to Get Rid of those Accursed Lorals...
Page 30 - Exrremly thick in ye Swamp through which this River Runs that one Cannot have the Least prospect Except they look upwards the Water of the River of Dark Brownish Cooler & its motion So Slow that it can hardly be Said to move its Depth about 4 feet the Bottom muddy & Banks high, which made it Extremly Difficult for us to pass the most of the horses when they attempt'd to asend the farthest Bank tumbling with their loads Back in the River, most of our Bagage that would have been Damaged by the water...
Page 29 - This River was Calld Styx from the Dismal apperance of the place Being Sufficen to Strick terror in any human Creature ye Lorals Ivey & Spruce pine so Extremly thick in ye Swamp through which this River Runs that one Cannot have the Least prospect Except they look upwards The...
Page 30 - So we were Obliged to encamp on the Bank & in Such a place where we Could not find a plain Big enough for one Man to Lye on no fire wood Except green or Roten Spruce pine no place for our horses to feed And to prevent their Eating of Loral tyd them all up least they Should be poisoned In this true account, no avaricious ferryman brings his ramshackle boat to the near bank.
Page 32 - ... a manner as makes their Roots appear like Semie Globs the Loral & Ivey as thick as they can well grow whose Branches growing of an Extraordinary length are So well Woven together that without Cutting away it would be Imposibable to force through them provided they grew on agood Even Surface their Roots together with the pines are Spread over the Rocks & under the moss like archs In what Danger must we be, in Such a place all Dangerous places Being Obscured under a Clock of moss Such thickets...
Page 83 - Tuckahoe as Lewis did going to Essex. and Several other materials were oblidged to Send to Williamsburge to mr parks for them Continued Close at Work till Sunday the 8th of February on wc we all Rode Down to Richmond Church where we heard the Revernd mr Stith preach The Gentlemen of the Town Treated us to a hand Some Diner &c at mr Coules Ordinary We the Returned home & the next Day Began afresh.
Page 32 - Bad place often fell into aworse. frequently we had the Roots to Cut & the Rocks to Break to free our horses of whom four or five might have been Seen Engaged at a time...