It is called 7 miles from the City to the Mouth of the Mohawk's River & from thence to the Cahoes 5 Miles, from the Cahoes to Schenectady 1 6 Miles from Albany to Schenectady in a Direct Line along the usual Road 1 7 Miles (there are now Mile Stones set up) The Patroons House at the North End of Albany is a large handsome Mansion with a good Garden & Wheat Field that reaches down to the North River, the Road leads along the Bank for about 6 or 7 miles from Albany and the rich Bottom on each side of the River is near Half a Mile broad consisting of a black Mould very level & low, proper for the best Sort of Meadow, but here sown with Wheat and Peas both which look well, some of the Peas are up and some are now sow-

A Voyage up the Hudson in 1769 355 ing, very little Indian corn is raised in these Parts & that not planted in Furrows & Rows but at random, one Field excepted, they plant three or 4 Feet apart in the Hills & the same Ground every year, the Land back of this fertile Space is covered with the Pitch and White Pine chiefly and yet not bad Land, and along the Alohawks River also this rich flat Ground extends from a Quarter to Half a Mile wide, but somewhat narrower on the upper parts of that River. This Stream at the Cahocs is reckoned to be about a Quarter of a Mile in Breadth & the Falls extend quite across, the Heighth of the Fall is conjectured by Mr. Wells & the Two Surveyors to be 60 Feet or upwards but I have seen a Copper plate that calls it 75, tho' upon ocular view it appears less, the Fall is almost perpendicular, the whole Body of the River brawling over a Slate Rock, the Banks of the River consist of this Rock intermixed with a crumbling stone and are perhaps 30 feet higher than the Bed of the River, the whole looks as white as cream except in the middle where the black Rock projects a little and the w\ater breaks into many small Rills, We descended down to the Shore by a dangerous passage and ascended by the same after examining every Thing below particularlv some heavy Stones and other Indications of a Copper Mine being not far off, upon quitting this Spot we directed our Course for Schenectady & passed some excellent Farms and likewise some poor barren Pine Land yet we saw choice Ground bearing the Jersey or Pitch Pine a Thing to me heretofore unknown, the Course from the Cahoes to Schenectady was nearly West, about six Miles below that Town we are told that the rich Bottoms sell at £t,s or ^^40 p Acre while the Upland will only fetch £t, or thereabouts, they hardly ever plow their Upland the Indian Corn in the Rich Lands is said to produce from 40 to 60 Bushels an Acre altho every Year planted in the same Earth.