The trail in Central Pennsylvania, August 8 1775
Tuesday, August 8th [1775]. Crossing the Seven Mountains.-The first mountain we had to climb by far exceeded all I have yet gone over. It is a long steep. The ascents, however, were trifling, for the road lies alongside of the mountain and winds gradually upwards, but the rocks, vast stones of every size and shape, make it not only troublesome but dangerous to go over them. On the top of this-oh, murther!-another still higher. One who like me has been little used to go over such high hills can have by bare description no conception, not even an idea, of the rough romantic prospect here,-a long view more than forty miles over the tops of pine ridges through the long warm valleys. The highest tops of very tall trees are apparently two hundred or three hundred feet below us, and within gunshot of us. I was afraid [to] miss a step... and blunder, for in such case we should surely have trundled down the hill like Sisyphus’ always receding stone. ... On the summits of these hills is yet a great plenty of large sweet huckleberries. My advice to all who in future pass over these-and I give it as a friend to them, soul and body-is to enter upon the journey armed with an uncommon share of patience and perseverance. Being feeble, fallen sinners, they may, like the Israelites long ago, commit sin in these American high places and swear.
Journal of Rev. Philip Vickers Fithian
