Washington set out with young George Fairfax, a
nephew of the English lord, to make the surveying expedition. Their road
led by Ashley's Gap, a deep pass through the Blue Ridge, that
picturesque line of mountains which had so far marked the boundary of
civilized Virginia.

When they reached the pass they found at its base a rapidly rising
river. The melting snow which still lingered on the hilltops had swollen
the stream and in places had made the road almost impassable. The two
horsemen, by searching for fords, managed to make their way through the
pass, and came out into the wide, smiling valley of Virginia, bounded by
the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Alleghanies. Here flowed that
picturesque river called by the Indian name of Shenandoah, which means
"the Daughter of the Stars."

The first stop the travelers made was at a rough lodge house where one
of Lord Fairfax's bailiffs lived, and here the actual work of surveying
began. Spring was rapidly coming, and young George Washington was by no
means blind to the beauties of the country in that season. He tried,
however, to look about him with a practical eye. He studied the valley
for building sites. He examined the soil. He made carefully measured
maps and drawings, after using his surveyor's rod and chain. When he had
learned all that he wanted of this locality, he followed the valley down
toward the Potomac, he and Fairfax camping out at nights under the
trees, sleeping beside a watch-fire, and keeping ever on the alert for
attack by Indians or wild animals.

When they had reached the river they found it so swollen with spring
floods that there seemed no way of crossing it. Finally, however, they
met an Indian with a birch-bark canoe and bargained with him to take
them across. In this way, swimming their horses, they reached the
Maryland side, and set out again westward.

Shortly after they had left the river they came to a planter's house
where they stayed over night. The next day they were surprised by the
arrival of a war party of thirty Indians carrying scalps won in battle.
The planter knew how to treat the Indians, and soon made friends with
them by offering them whiskey. George had seen little of the red men and
begged them to hold a war-dance.

The white men and the red went out into a meadow and there built a fire,
round which the braves took their seats. The chief made a speech telling
of the tribe's deeds of valor, and calling on the warriors to win n