By the census taken in 1790, it appears that there were only nine hundred and sixty souls, including all travellers and surveyors, with their attendants, who happened at that time to be within the bounds of the country. That you may form some idea of the progress of improvements in this country since that period, I shall give you an account of the journey of a gentleman into the Genesee Country in February, 1792, in his own words. --

WESTERN NEW-YORK. 1131

" On the 15th February, 1792, I left Albany, on my route to " the Genesee River ; but the country was thought so remote, and " so very little known, that I could not prevail on the owner of " the sled I had engaged to go further than Whitestown a new " settlement on the head of the Mohawk River, one hundred " miles west from Albany. The road, as far as Whitestown, had " been made passable for waggons ; but from that to the Genesee " River, it was little better than an Indian path, just sufficiently " opened to allow a sled to pass, and the most impassible streams " bridged. At Whitestown I was obliged to change my sled ; the " Albany driver would proceed no 'farther, he found that for the " next one hundred and fifty miles, we were not only obliged to " take piovision for ourselves and our horses, but also blankets as " a substitute for beds. After leaving Whitestown we found only " a few straggling huts scattered along the path at the distance of " from ten to twenty miles, and they affording nothing but the " convenience of fire and a kind of shelter from the snow. On " the evening of the third day's journey from Whitestown we " were very agreeably surprized to find ourselves on the east side " of the Seneca Lake, which we found perfectly open and free " from ice as in the month of June: the evening was pleasant and " agreeable ; and what added to our surprise and admiration, was " to see a boat and canoe plying on the lake.