On the Susquehannah
This morning we unmoored at six o'clock from conduit, Nantuckit Township, Luzerne County. The River more straight and the mountains not so prominent as yesterday, yet sufficiently elevated to keep the eye fatigued in search for the top. What appears the summit of one when at a distance, a little advance down the River or a sudden turn of another point is only a stepstone to a more lofty elevation. In many places notwithstanding the extreme elevation and magnitude of these places and seemingly forbidding aspect, you may now and then on a summit which rises some hundreds of feet, see a fence apparently projecting over, just ready to tumble down the steep assent. You can actually see that some hardy and daring son of the forest has ventured to trespass on the privileges granted by Deity to Beasts of Prey and the soaring Eagle, a place which seems a fit resort only for such as are the enemies of civilized man and domesticated animals. It is said that man is the master of created natureand this would indicate such to be the fact, for I should suppose from the appearances, however voracious might be the beasts which could inhabit these places, man would hardly venture in search; there they and they only could sally forth in the shade of night and commit their depredations and return in safety and be secure. On other points not quite so rugged you may see sheep apparently search for some choice food, climbing up the steep declivities with much caution and labour. Many were the jokes and jests of these mountains. One day as we were viewing these scenes the pilot called out, Hiram oh! here is something You have never seen. And what is it? Look! Look yonder is a sheep quarry. Do you not see them? Wonders. Five are produced already.
We now pass an old looking town called Berwick, situated on the west side of the River. The banks of the River in this place have much the resemblance of those near the square in Geneva on the Seneca Lake, N.Y. Could see but little of the village on the east side of the River called Nantucket. As far, however, as it could be observed, it has an old appearance. The town and the surrounding county are inhabited principally by the Dutch. We could observe a few good-looking buildings.