The country beyond the Cumberland mountain, still appeared to the dusky view of the generality of the people of Virginia, almost as obscure, and doubtful, as America itself, to the people of Europe, before the voyage of Columbus. A country there was—of this, none could doubt, who thought at all: but whether land, or water, mountain, or plain, fertility, or barrenness, preponderated; whether, inhabited by men, or beasts, or both, or neither, they knew not. If inhabited by men, they were supposed to be Indians; for such had always infested the frontiers. And this had been a powerful reason for not exploring the regions west of the great mountain, which concealed Kentucky, from their sight.

The tradition of McBride's having cut his name on a beech tree at the mouth of the Kentucky river, with the figures 1754, had not then reached Virginia. Nor, if it had, would it have thrown any light on the interior of the country; of which, the same ignorance would have remained, as after the canoe. Voyages of the Indians, or Frenchmen, up and down the Ohio. The prevailing rumors were derived from Indian intelligence, as to the existence, extent, fertility, and what little else was known. But this narrative, besides, that it came from heathen, and enemies, who were then thought unworthy of belief, was confused, deficient, and unsatisfactory.

The great body of the people in the colony, knew nothing about the real situation of the country, now called Kentucky. And they heard it spoken of, as though its existence were doubtful, or as a tale told in romance, to amuse the fancy; rather than to inform the judgment, or stimulate the mind to enterprize. Even the bold, and hardy hunter, of the wild beasts of the forest, had not yet ventured to explore it for game, his favourite pursuit.

[1769.] Two years after the return of Finley, to North Carolina, some of the first adventurers again visited the country, with Daniel Boone; who will be made known in the progress of this history. Of John Finley, except that he was the pilot of Boone, and it is a subject of regret-nothing more is known. Were it permitted to indulge the imagination, in

drawing a portrait for this man-the first to penetrate and explore, a remote and savage country-strength of body, and vigour of intellect, the necessary basis, of bold conceptions, and successful enterprize, would form the prominent features of its foreground. But to the historian destitúte of facts, silence supersedes commentary.

The party with Daniel Boone, remained a longer time in the country, than Finley's party had done; and they traversed its different sections more generally. They discovered its variety of soil, and surface-they ranged through its forests-and they found its different rivers-and by pursuing the trodden paths, and roads, made by the wild beasts, particularly the buffaloe, which lay in their way, they were led to many of the salt springs; at which salt has been since made for the consumption of its present inhabitants; and to which the animals generally resorted for the use of the salt; so necessary to health and vigour: this was obtained by drinking the water, or licking the earth, saturated with that precious mineral.

Nor did the party with Boone, who was its leader, remain touch longer ignorant of another fact, of equal importance to any before discovered. It was, that notwithstanding there were no human habitations, in the country, for the hospitable reception of the stranger, yet it was the hunting ground, and often the field of battle, for the different neighbouring tribes of Indians, from the north, the west, and the south. Possessed, by none of these, for residence, or cultivation; the country was claimed as the property of some, which however, was disputed by others; while all considered it the hunting ground, or common park, where each were to kill what game they pleased.

Here, these savage, but dexterous hunters, often met—and here, they often fought each other, for the skins of the beasts, which they had killed; to them, their greatest riches: or else, to prevent, and drive each other, from killing such as remained, and were to remain to the conquerors.

In consequence of which, and because these combats were frequent, the country being thickly wooded, and deeply sha

ed-was called in their expressive language, THE DARK, AND

BLOODY GROUND.

[1770.] In the year 1770, a rumour of the recently discovered region of Kentucky, having reached the western settlements of Virginia; a spirit of enterprize was excited in the people on New river, Holsten, and Clinch-whence originated an association of about forty stout hunters, for the purpose of trapping, and shooting, game, west of the Cumberland mountain. Equipped, with their rifles, traps, dogs, blankets—and dressed in the hunting shirt, leggings, and moccasons, first having taken leave of their friends-they commenced their arduous enterprize, in the real spirit of hazardous adventure, through the rough forest, and rugged hills, which lie in the neighbourhood of this mountain; which they crossed at the known gap, and thence saw, and entered, a new region to the westward--not doubting, they were to be encountered by Indians, and to subsist on game.

Nine of this party, led on, by the present, Colonel James Inox, reached Kentucky; and from the time they were absent from home, obtained the name of THE LONG hunters. The rest of the party, either killed by the Indians, or fearing to encounter the increasing danger and fatigue of the tour, saw not the interior of the country; and are no more to be noticed. But the party with Knox, pursuing a direction north of west, penetrated the country south of the Kentucky river; and making an irregular, yet extensive range through its different parts, became acquainted with Cumberland, and Green, rivers: and thence returned to their former habitations, with the expe rience of many hardships, and difficulties; in addition to a goodly stock of knowledge of the southern regions of Kentucky, to compensate them for other privations.

The return of this party, contributed to diffuse a knowledge of the objects they had seen, and was the cause of rousing others, to engage in a like enterprize. Which, it may be remarked, was attended with vastly more difficulty, than it would be at present to explore an adjacent country. When the whole continent seems to be known; and congress is debating

about the permanent occupation of the mouth of the Colum bia river, on its opposite coasts. Not an unapt illustration of the expansion of mind, as well as of the growth, which takes place among colonies, converted into free states.

There is no tradition of Boone, and Knox, ever meeting in these early excursions-or of their ever knowing that each other were in the country, at the time. The latter, judiciously profited of the knowledge he had acquired—became an early settler-and engrossed a competent share of the rich soil, to render him independent. The former, possessing a different disposition, and taking another view of things, has participated a different fate. Knox acquired affluence, and ease--while Boone, remained, a hunter, and poor.

In the mean time, FAME, who like Envy, never ceases to busy herself with the affairs of men, had flown through the colonies, with the name and description of Kentucky; which she embellished, by her invention; and blazoned from her wide mouthed trumpet, "of various note." Thus was curiosity excited in Virginia, and elsewhere; and the minds of the people more familiarized to the dangers, of exploring those unknown regions beyond the habitations of the western settlers; and the great Cumberland mountain.

In more northern latitudes, some of these objects were better known; the last war in Canada, between Great Britain and France, had led many of the colonists, to the upper waters of the Ohio; and by an association of ideas, to contemplate, the country below. But of that knowledge of Kentucky, which proceeds from visual observation, even those were not possessed --nor is it known that any adventurers down the Ohio, had returned so early as 1707, the time that Finley, visited the country, with any intelligence from Kentucky. But causes were in operation, which unavoidably led to a full discovery; and the consequent settlement, of the country.

The peace of 1763, secured to Great Britain, the right of territorial sovereignty, to the country on the east of the Missis sippi, comprehending Kentucky, to which France, had previously asserted the paramount right of territory, and domi

nion. The change of this right of dominion, whether real, or imaginary, necessarily facilitated the transmigration of British colonists from their Atlantic settlements, to the newly acquired territory, on the western waters.

Another circumstance of direct influence upon the fuller dise covery, and future settlement of the country on the Ohio, was the bounty given in the western lands, to the officers, and soldiers, of the Virginia troops, who had served in the British army, in the war of Canada.

These lands, were to be surveyed, on the waters of the Ohio, by the claimants; whose business it was to select them. The great Kenhawa, a large branch of the Ohio, having its sources in North Carolina, and bearing a northward direction, flowed through Virginia, at the western foot of the Allegheny mountain, where it was called NEW RIVER, had been explored, and previously settled, by Virginians. On this river, whose banks were both fertile and commodious for cultivation, some of these bounty lands had been surveyed, as early as 1772. The next step was to the Ohio-nor was that long suspended. In 1773,

[1773.] several surveyors were deputed, to lay out bounty lands on that river. They descended the Ohio from fort Pitt, to the rapids, or falls, of that river, in 38 degrees, 8 minutes of north latitude. Thence they explored the adjacent lands on the Kentucky side, for some distance in various directions-executed surveys, on several salt licks, and other choice placesand returned home, delighted with the country.

About the same time, General Thompson, of Pennsylvania, also descended the Ohio, to the mouth of Cabin creek; and thence made an extensive connection of surveys; covering the rich lands on the north fork of Licking river.

[1774.] In 1774, other surveyors were sent to the Ohio on the like business-and pursuing the same route, as those of the preceding year, they landed at the Rapids, and thence travelled up the country, on both sides of the Kentucky river, as high as Elkhorn, on the north, and Dick's river, on the south; making surveys occasionally as they progressed, up each river and creek,