River to the KaatsKill called 36 Miles from Albany off the Mouth of this Creek we have a View of the large House built by John / Dyer the Person who made the Road from hence to Schoharie at the Expensce of ;£4oo, if common Report may be credited — Two Sloops belong to KaatsKill, a little beyond the Mouth whereof lies the large Island of Vastic — there is a House on the North Side of the Creek and another with several Saw Mills on the South Side but no Town as we expected. Sloops go no fur- ther than Dyer about Half a Mile up the Creek, the Lands on both Sides of KaatsKill belong to Vanberger, Van Vecthe, Salis- bury, Dubois & a Man in York, their Lands, as our Skipper says, extend up the Creek 12 Miles to Barber the English Gentle- man his Settlement, the Creek runs thro the KaatsKill Mounts, said hereabouts to be at the Distance of 12 or 14 Miles from the North River but there are Falls above which obstruct the Navi- gation (these particular Enquiries were made because this was supposed to be the nearest Port to our newly purchased Terri- tory.) We landed in the Evening on the KaatsKill Shore 4 Miles above the Creek but could gain no satisfactory Intelli- gence only that the Dutchess of Gordon and her Husband Col. Staats Long Morris were just gone from Dyer's House for Cherry Valley & Susquehanna with Two Waggons, they went by the Way of Freehold at the Foot of the Mountains on this Side and so over them to Schoharie guessed to be about 32^ Miles as was said before. loth. We passed by Sunday Islands whereof Scutters Island affords a good low Bottom fit for Meadow and some of it is improved. Bear's Island said to be the Beginning of the Manor of Renslaerwic which extends on both Sides of the River, the Lords of Manors are called by the common People Patroons, Bearen Island or Bears Island just mentioned is reputed to be 12 Miles below Albany — Cojemans Houses with Two Grist Mills & Two Saw Mills stand a little above on the West Side and opposite is an Island of about Two Acres covered with young Button Wood Trees which Island, our Skipper says, has arisen there to his Knowledge within 16 years and since he has navi- gated the River — more low, bottom Land is discovered as we pass up, generally covered with Trees being cleared might be Digitized by Microsoft® A Voyage up the Hudson in 1769 353 made good Meadow by Banking an Improvement to which the Inhabitants are altogether Strangers, the upper End of Scotoc's Island is a fine cleared Bottom not in Grass but partly in Wheat & partly in Tilth, however there was one rich Meadow improved, we saw the the first Batteaux a few Miles below Albany, Canoes ^ being the Common Craft. One Staat's House is prettily fixed on a rising Ground in a low Island, the City of Albany being 3 miles a Head we discovered for the first Time a Spot of Meadow Ground, ploughed and sowed with Peas in the Broad Cast Way, the Uplands are now covered with Pitch Pine & are sandy and barren as the Desarts of N. Jersey, as we approach the Town- the Houses multiply on each shore and we observe a person in the Act of Sowing Peas upon a fruitful Meadow on an Island to the right. The Hudson near Albany seems to be about Half a Mile over. Henry Cuyler's Brick House on the East Side about a mile below the Town looks well & we descry the King's stables a long wooden Building on the left & on the same side Philip Schuyler's Grand House with whom at present resides Col. Bradstreet (since deceased & Schuyler is now a Major Gen. in the Service of the United States) Col. John Van Renslaer has a good House on the East Side. At Half after 10 oCloc we arrived at Albany estimated to be 164 Miles by Water from N. York and by Land 157. In the afternoon we viewed the Town which contains according to several Gentlemen residing here, about 500 Dwelling Houses besides Stores and Out Houses. The Streets are irregular and badly laid out, some paved others not, Two or Three are broad the rest narrow & not straight, most of the Buildings are pyramidically shaped like the old Dutch Houses in N. York, we found Cartwright's a good Tavern tho his charges were exorbitant & it is justly remarked by Kahn the Swedish Traveller in America that the Townsmen of Albany in general sustained the character of being close, mercenary and