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 small scattered Village & to Denton's Ferry, we found excellent Cyder at both. The New England men cross here & hereabouts almost daily for Susquehannah, their Rout is from hence to the Minisink's ac- counted only 40 Miles distant, & we are told that 700 of their Men are to be in that Country by the first of June next, A sen- sible Woman informed Us that Two Men of her Neighbourhood have been several Times across to those Parts of Susquehannah which lie in York Government & here the people say our Rout by Albany is above 100 Miles out of the Way, this is since found to be true, yet that Rout is used because it is the only Waggon Road to Lake Otsego. The Lands near Hudsons River now appear less Hilly tho not level, & a few Settlements are visible here and there, the Houses & Improvements not extraordinary. Denton's Mill above mentioned has a remarkable large Fall of Water forming a beautiful Cascade, we saw several other Cas- cades and Rills — divers LimeKills and much Lime Stone on each Shore hereaway & some Appearance of Meadow Land of which we have hitherto seen very little. Lime Stone, it is said, may be found on either Side of the River from the Highlands to Sopus. We have the pleasure of seeing sundry Sloops & Shallops passing • back and forwards with the Produce of the Country and Returns, in the Evening we sailed thro' a remarkable Undulation of the Water for a Mile or Two which tossed the Sloop about much and made several passengers sick, the more observable as the Pas- sage before and and after was quite smooth & little Wind stirring at the Time, We anchored between Two high Shores bespread with Spruce, Chestnut Oaks and other Trees, very like the tower- ing Banks of Bergen. 8th. There is a high Road from New York to Albany on ^ both sides of the River, but that on the East side is most fre- quented ; both Roads have a View now and then of the River. Poughkeepsing the County Town of Duchess stands above the FishKill a little beyond the rough Water already noted. We passed the Town in the Night. Slate Stone Rocks on the West Shore at and below Little Sopus from whence N. York has of Digitized by Microsoft® 350 The Hudson River late been supplied : they reckon Little Sopus Island to be Half- Way between N. York and Albany, the Weather yesterday and to day very warm but the Mornings and Evenings are cool. Our Skipper says there are at Albany 31 Sloops all larger than this, which carry from 400 to 500 Barrels of Flour each, trading constantly from thence to York & that they make Eleven or 12 Trips a year each. The general Course of Hudson's River as taken by compass is N. & by E. and S. and by W. in some Places North North and South. Between the Highlands and Kaats- kill both these Mountains are in view at the same Time. At Two ocloc we arrived off the Walkill, there are 2 or 3 Houses at the Mouth of the Creek & a Trade carried on in Six or Seven sloops. Kingston the County Town of Ulster stands about Two Miles distant but not visible from the Water (this Town has been since burnt by the British Gen. Vaughan) The Kaatskill Mountains to the N. W. appear to be very near tho they are at a considerable Distance. The Country on both Sides continues still hilly and rugged and what Wheat is growing, looks much thrown out and gullied — more Houses & Improvements shew themselves along the Sopus Shore and Opposite being an old settled Country — our Vessel came to Anchor a little above the Walkill about 60 Miles from Albany. We went on shore to Two stone Farm Houses on Beekman Manor in the County of Duch- ess, the Men were absent & the Women and children could speak no other Language than Low Dutch, our Skipper was Interpreter. One of these Tenants for Life or a very