TRAVELS IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES



  Feb. 6. The Frost still continuing, the Kentucky was
frozen near two feet thick of Ice but the night of the 6th it
turned cloudy rained a little which turned to snow, in the
morning the snow was two inches thick on the old snow the
wind Easterly and continues to snow, the People in general
sickly seized with pains in their head, back and breast
attended with a loosesness in the beginning which continued
with some through the whole course of the disorder voiding
a green or black bilious matter, the blood taken was black
and Vicid or highly imflamed with a tough buff skin, having
no assistance many died in ten twelve or fourteen days
from their being seized. The 7th very dark cold and Cloudy
the 8th and 9th Clear and moderate the night of the 9th it
rained and continued the ioth to rain gently the snow
melted and the thaw continuing the earth began to uncover
the iith i2th and 13th the thaw continued gentle and pain
shifted a little lower in my back to the Joint of the thigh
and down my thigh at times verry violent so that I continued
to have my back supported and bound when doing buisness,
my toe that was frost bit frequently paind me, the blisters
broke and the new skin tender - we found the buisness far
from being overcontrary to our expectations we having
settled Certificates since we came here for 250 Claims. -
The Spring at this place is below the Fort and fed by ponds
above the Fort so that the whole dirt and filth of the Fort,
putrified flesh, dead dogs, horse, cow, hog excrements and
human odour all wash into the spring which with the Ashes
and sweepings of filthy Cabbins, the dirtiness of the people,
steeping skins to dress and washing every sort of dirty rags
and cloths in the spring perfectly poisons the water and
makes the most filthy nauseous potation of the water im-
aginable and will certainly contribute to render the inhabit-
ants of this place sickly.
  Salmon says the Buffalo improperly can rais the Urus or
Lorax [Aurochs I described by Caesar. Till the 23 it froze at
night and thawed in the day, when it rained in the night
and snowed all day the wind N.W. the 24th it froze hard
the 25th Do the z6th more moderate the 27th the Court having
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