the Country on both sides of the River from the City is hilly. The Manor of Philipsburg according to our Information, extends about Miles on the River and about 6 Miles back and is joined above by the Manor of Cortland, this Morng. the Sloop passed by Col. Philips's Mansion House and Gardens situate in a pleasant Val- ley between Highlands, the country hereabout excels ours by far in fine Prospects and the Trees & Vegetables appear to be as forward almost as those at Burlington when we left it, but I conceive that our countrymen excel the People here in cultiva- tion— hardly any Houses appear on the Bergen Side from Paulus Hook to the Line of Orange County. The Tenant for Life here tells me he pays to Col. Philips only £>], per Annum for about 200 acres of Land & thinks it an extravagant Rent because on his demise or Sale his Son or Vendee is obliged to pay to the Landlord one Third of the Value of the Farm for a Renewal of the Lease. The Skipper gave here 5 coppers for a Quart of Milk & Mr. Wells bought Ten small Rock Fish for 12 coppers. The Freight of a Bushel of Wheat from Albany to N.-/^ York according to our Skipper is Four Pence, of a Barrel of Flour one ShilUng and of a Hogshead of Flour 7/6 and he thinks they have the same rates from Kaatskill. In the Night we ran ground among the Highlands about 50 Miles from N. York be- tween Orange and Duchess Counties. The Highlands here are not so lofty as I expected and the River at this place appears to be about Half a Mile wide. 7th Our Company went on Shore up the Rocks to a miserable Digitized by Microsoft® 346 The Hudson River Farm and House in Orange & left with the Farmer a Direction for Otego (the Name of a Creek of the River Susquehannah whereon & in the Vicinity we afterwards formed a Settlement) as he and a few of his Neighbours seemed desirous to seek new Habitations, he pays Seven Pounds a Year Rent for about loo acres including Rocks and Mountains — Hudson's River is strait to the Highlands, but thro them very crooked, many Straw- berries are to be seen about the Banks & stony Fields. Mar- tiler's Rock stands in a part of the River which is exceeding deep with a bold Shore encircled on either Hand by aspiring Mountains & thro them there is a View of a fine Country above, here it is chiefly that the sudden Flaws sometimes take the River Vessels for which Reason they have upright Masts for the more expeditious lowering of the Sails on any sudden Occasion — beyond the above Rock lies PoUaples Island — but a few Wheat and Rye Fields appear along the East Side of the River from N. York hither and a very few Fields are ploughed as if intended for Indian Corn, the Lands seem proper for Sheep or perhaps (if the severity of our Winters will admit) for Vineyards. -On the West Side among the Highlands are only a few Houses seated in. the small Vallies between the Mountains. From the streights between Butter Hill and Broken Neck Hill & below them there is a distant Prospect of the Kaatskill Mounts, to the N. W. Murderers Creek which runs by the Butter Hill divides the Counties of Orange and Ulster, there are a few Houses at the Mouth of the Creek. The soil in these Parts is broken, stony and few places proper for the Plow. What grain we saw growing was but indifferent. About one ocloc we passed by the Town of New Windsor on the Left, seeming at a Distance to consist of about 50 Houses Stores and Out houses placed with- out any regular Order, here end the Highlands. This Town has some Trade and probably hereafter may be a place of Conse- quence as the fine Country of Goshen is said to lie back about 1 2 or more Miles. On the East Side of the River a little above Windsor is the Fish Kill & Landing whence the Sloops carry the Produce of that Side for Market. The North River is here thought to be near Two Miles wide and the General Range of the Highlands by the Compass as taken on the N. Side by our Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® A Voyage up the Hudson in 1769 349 Surveyors is W. S. W. & E. N. E. We took a Turn on Shore at Denton's Mill called 60 Miles from N. York and walked above ^ Two Miles down the River to Newbury a