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  TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE

  The editor and his printer made every effort to reproduce
  Washington's journal precisely and without any corrections, noting
  in the Preface "with that literal exactness as to text which can
  only be assured by the careful efforts of an experienced copyist
  and expert proof reader having access to and comparing in every
  possible case the copies with the originals."

  This etext preserves that intent, and no corrections of spelling or
  punctuation have been made to the journal text (Washington's words
  as found in the printed book). A few corrections have been made to
  the editor's Footnotes and to the Index; more detail of that can be
  found at the end of the book.

  Footnotes have been left in-line whenever possible, following the
  format of the original text. Some that were placed mid-paragraph
  have been moved to the end of the paragraph.

  Footnotes in the original text were identified by a smaller font,
  so to clearly identify where Footnotes begin and end in this etext,
  each Footnote begins with "[Footnote x:" where x is the footnote
  number, and ends with "]" followed by two blank lines.

  Representation of italic markup, of superscripts etc in this etext,
  is described below:--

  Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

  Whitespace within a journal line is indicated by @@whitespace@@.
  Any indentation at the beginning of a text paragraph is not shown.

  A superscript is denoted by ^x or ^{xx}. For example, M^r (Mister)
  or 1^{st} (first).

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  for example 'November 3~7^{th}' indicating 3rd to the 7th.

  A few superscripts had a dot under the superscripted letter(s);
  this has been removed in the etext.

  One unusual symbol is denoted by ɭ (Unicode Hex026d) on page 107,
  in the string '6400 ɭ 400'. Author's meaning is not clear.




  JOURNAL

  OF MY

  Journey Over the Mountains;

  BY

  GEORGE WASHINGTON,

  WHILE SURVEYING FOR LORD THOMAS FAIRFAX, BARON OF CAMERON,
  IN THE

  NORTHERN NECK OF VIRGINIA,

  BEYOND THE BLUE RIDGE,

  IN
  1747-8.


  _Copied from the Original with Literal Exactness and
  Edited with Notes_

  BY

  J. M. TONER, M. D.


  ALBANY, N. Y.
  JOEL MUNSELL'S SONS, PUBLISHERS
  1892




TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


  1. Mount Vernon farms, to face page                iv

  2. Mount Vernon hills--made as early as 1747,
  traced from original, to face page                  9

  3. Plan of Major Lawrence Washington's turnip
  field, traced from original, to face page          14

  4. Plan of survey of land known as "Hell Hole,"
  traced from original, to face page                 24

  5. Mount Vernon river front at mouth of Hunting
  creek, traced from original, to face page          52

  6. Surveying or measuring land, a study traced
  from original, to face page                        56

  7. Lost river, traced from the original, to face
  page                                               73

  8. Plat of Francis Jett's land, traced from the
  original, to face page                             76

  9. Plat of Elizabeth Washington's land, traced
  from the original, to face page                    76

  10. Plat of survey for Richard Barnes, Gent.,
  copied from Sparks, to face page                   79




[Illustration: A Map of Washington's Farms at Mount Vernon]




PREFACE.


Washington's Journal here given to the public, if we except his
version of the "Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company
and Conversation," is the earliest literary effort of this, the
most admirable character in all history. The editor has long
been engaged in collecting accurate copies of all the obtainable
writings of this great man. Wherever it has been found practicable
to examine and critically compare even his generally accepted
writings with the originals, it has been, or will be done to secure
a copy of exact and verified conformity, in every particular, with
the text as it left the hand of the writer.

It is a well-known fact that editors have taken great liberties
with Washington's writings, not for the purpose of falsifying
history, or aspersing his character, but from a variety of reasons,
often to suppress caustic expressions, or to substitute a more
euphonious word to give to his sentences a fine, rhetorical finish.
Such editorial dressing, even where the motive is well intended,
is vicious in principle and liable to abuse; and, in the case of
Washington's writings, is neither justifiable nor desirable. The
time has come when the people want to know intimately and without
glamour or false coloring, the father of his country as he actually
lived and labored, and to possess his writings, just as he left
them, on every subject which engaged his attention. It is the
purpose of the editor to prepare a complete collection of all the
writings of George Washington, from his youth to the close of his
eventful life, with that literal exactness as to text which can
only be assured by the careful efforts of an experienced copyist
and expert proof reader having access to and comparing in every
possible case the copies with the originals. This initial Diary of
Washington opens with his sixteenth year, and plainly shows the
energy and the maturity of his judgment, and his capability to
discharge even then important trusts with efficiency.

Forthcoming volumes will give, in chronological order, his
co-operation in the march of events on this continent, and his life
and opinions as seen through the writings he left. This volume must
be viewed as the work of a youth, making a few, brief and hurried
memoranda while in the depths of the forest and intended for no
eye but his own. The time is not far distant when an edition of
Washington's more important papers will be called for in facsimile
by some one of the photogravure processes now available for such
purposes, because of the unquestionable fidelity to the original it
secures and which is approximately arrived at in this publication.

This is the first systematic attempt to produce the writings of
Washington with literal exactness as to abbreviations, the use of
capitals, punctuation, spelling, etc. It is possible that the plan
pursued may not, at first, meet with an unqualified commendation
from the public. But if the editor does not much mistake the
desire of students, the admirers of Washington and the demand of
historians, this method, if faithfully executed, must produce the
preferred edition of his writings.

A few miscellaneous pieces in Washington's youthful handwriting
are preserved in this Journal, and are here printed with the same
effort for literal accuracy which has been bestowed upon the
Journal itself, and upon his field notes of land surveys.

[Illustration: Mount Vernon Hills]




INTRODUCTION.


This journal of George Washington, now for the first time printed
entire and with literal exactness, was begun, as shown by the
date in the opening lines, when he was but one month over sixteen
years of age. It is his own daily record of observations during
his first remunerated employment. His proficiency as a surveyor,
and his fortitude in encountering the hardships of the forest in
this expedition were, considering his age, truly remarkable. With
him the beginning determined the end. Biographers have made us
acquainted with the character of his worthy parents, and with the
sturdy stock from which they were descended. It does seem as though
Providence called our Washington into being, and educated him in
the western world just at the time when a great leader was wanted
to direct a revolution, and to found on this continent a new and a
free, English-speaking nation. Every factor, whether of lineage or
culture, in the admirably balanced character of Washington, as well
as every aspiration of his heart, from his cradle to his grave,
is of high interest to the world. Although deprived of a father's
care at the age of eleven years, he was, however, especially
blessed in having such a mother as the noble Mary Washington,
who conscientiously discharged her sacred duty as his guardian,
counselor and friend. Hence filial reverence grew with his growth
and strengthened with his maturing years into fixed principles,
making him throughout all his eventful life loyal to every virtue
and heroic in every trust.

When George Washington set out on the enterprise herein narrated,
he was just out of school, where he had received the best education
the neighborhood could supply, supplemented with good private
instruction. We may well believe that his mother and his brothers
then supposed that George had attained an age and proficiency when
he should either go to college to acquire a higher education, or
embark speedily in some respectable calling; and we may further
conclude that this precocious youth was eager to take part in the
affairs of life, and deferentially announced his preference for the
latter course. Possibly he was influenced in this selection by his
great admiration for his half-brother, Major Lawrence Washington,
who was actively and prosperously engaged in various business
enterprises, who made much of George, and had him visit Mount
Vernon whenever it was practicable.

George Washington's aptitude for mathematics early attracted the
attention of his teachers, and his beautifully kept copy-books,
which are still preserved, attest his unusual ability in
mathematical demonstration and diagrams. Mr. Williams, the
principal of the Academy in Westmoreland county, Va., where young
Washington was, to give a practical value to this mathematical
talent, had added surveying and navigation to his other studies;
and these were soon mastered by this bright pupil. Land surveying
was then