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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Joshua Sharpless diaries, Vol. 1 1798

Page out of 92

ty, & being muddy, we could form no idea of its depth,
but our guide marked our horses nearly up to the top
of their backs to represent it, & shewed evident marks
of fear to cross, absolutely refusing to go in foremost;
in this situation J. Sharpless having provided himself
with a long pole, entered the water, still measuring
its depth before his horse & crossed safe finding it not
so deep as our guide had supposed; which had it been, no
horse could have kept his feet, the rapidity was so great ;
we soon followed, & also landed safe, then proceeded
down the River through a very fat country about
9 Miles to a small village of Muncy Indians, where
we stoped and breakfasted: most of the principal Men
being about home, they soon collected into the house, into
which we had been conducted, & there being a white
Men present who could interpret, we were most easy to
let them know what we had been doing at Allegany,
& the nature of our concern in general amongst the In-
dians, pointing out to them the advantages which must
result from the wish’d for change in their manner of
living. They were in a good degree attentive in general
& expressed their gladness to hear, from our own mouths,
what we had been doing among their brother at Al-
legany, we left this place about 10, proceeded on
through