states, great inconvenience and litigation, have been the result of it. The unsettled situation of the country, the unbounded rage for speculation, and the immense quantity of land warrants afloat, and the little value attached by Virginia to her lands, all combined to make land titles hazardous in the extreme, and was the cause of much innocent suffering. In this district, although much litigation has resulted from this system, yet the surprise is, when we consider the unsettled state of the country at the time entries and surveys were made, that it has not been greater. This may, in a great measure, be attributed to the minute attention, the uniformity, and ability of Col. Anderson in the discharge of his duties, and the experience of his deputies, and their great confidence in each other. Yet, under all circumstances, this may be called a defective system, especially when we compare it with the simple, the regular, and admirable system adopted by the United States, in their surveys of public lands.

The plan adopted by Massie, in his various surveying excursions at that time, was such as to secure safety to the party. Three assistant surveyors, with himself making the fourth, were generally engaged at the same time in making surveys. To each surveyor was attached six men, which made a mess of seven. Every man had his prescribed duty to perform. Their operations were conducted in this manner :-In front went the hunter, who kept in advance of the surveyor two or three hundred yards, looking for game, and prepared to give notice should any danger from Indians threaten. Then followed, after the surveyor, the two chain-men, marker, and pack-horse men with the baggage, who always kept near each other, to be prepared for defence in case of an attack. Lastly, two or three hundred yards in the rear, came a man, called the spy, whose duty it was to keep on the back trail, and look out lest the party in advance might be pursued and attacked by surprise. Each man

(the surveyor not excepted) carried his rifle, his blanket, and such other articles as he might stand in need of. On the pack-horse was carried the cooking utensils, and such provisions as could be conveniently taken. Nothing like bread was thought of. Some salt was taken, to be used sparingly. For subsistence, they depended alone on the game which the woods afforded, procured by their unerring rifles. In this manner was the largest number of surveys made in the district. But to return.

In the fall of the year 1793, Massie determined to attempt a surveying tour on the Scioto river. This, at that time, was a very dangerous undertaking; yet no danger, unless very imminent, could deter him from making the attempt. For that purpose, he employed about thirty men, of whom he choose three as assistant surveyors. These were John Beasley, Nathaniel Beasley, and Peter Lee. It was in this expedition, Massie employed, for the first time, a young man by the name of Duncan McArthur as a chain-man or marker. This man had distinguished himself remarkably on several occasions, and particularly in Harmer's unfortunate expedition. He was one of the best woodsmen of his age. He was a large, strong, and muscular man, capable of enduring fatigue and privations, equal to the best trained Indians. His courage was unquestioned, to which was added an energetic mind, which soon displayed its powers. He afterwards became a surveyor, and was one of the most acute land speculators in the western country. Such a man Massie desired to have on an expedition of this char

acter.

In the month of October, some canoes were procured, and Massie and his party set off by water. They proceeded up the Ohio to the mouth of the Scioto, thence up the Scioto to the mouth of Paint creek. While meandering the Scioto, they made some surveys on the bottoms. After reaching the mouth of Paint creek, the sur

veyors went to work.

Many surveys were made on the Scioto, as far up as Westfall. Some were made on Main, and others on the North Fork of Paint creek, and the greatest parts of Ross and Pickaway counties in the district were well explored and partly surveyed. Massie finished his intended work without meeting with any disturbance from the Indians. But one Indian was seen during the excursion, and to him they gave a hard chase. He, however, escaped. The party returned home delighted with the rich country of the Scioto valley, which they had explored.

During the winter of 1793-4, Massie, in the midst. of the most appalling dangers, explored the different branches to their sources, which run into the Little Miami river, and thence passed in a northeastern direction to the heads of Paint and Clear creeks, and the branches that form those streams. By these expeditions he had formed from personal observation, a correct knowledge of the geographical situation of the country composing the Virginia military district.

During the winter of 1794-5, Massie prepared a party to enter largely into the surveying business. Nathaniel Beasley, John Beasley, and Peter Lee were again employed as the assistant surveyors. The party set off from Manchester well equipped to prosecute their business, or should occasion offer give battle to the Indians. They took the route of Logan's trace, and proceeded to a place called the deserted camp, on Tod's fork of the Little Miami. At this point, they commenced surveying, and surveyed large portions of land on Tod's fork, and up the Miami to the Chillicothe town, (now in Clark county) thence up Massie's creek and Cæsar's creek nearly to their heads. By the time the party had progressed thus far, winter had set in. The ground was covered with a sheet of snow, from six to ten inches deep. During the tour, which continued upwards of thirty days,