o servants (numbering one hundred and fifty), and a few white
dependants, to the beautiful Valley of the Shenandoah, lying between
the Blue Ridge and the Alleghany Mountains; where he soon cleared a
large plantation, and built thereon a house, to which he gave the name
of Greenway Court.

From that time forward, this became his fixed abode; but, as he had
more land than a thousand men could put to any good use, he was quite
willing to dispose of all, except what lay for a few miles immediately
around Greenway Court, at reasonable rates, to such honest persons as
were willing to buy it and make it their future home. But, in order
that no misunderstanding might arise hereafter between the parties
concerned with respect to the boundary-line and number of acres
bought and sold, it was necessary, in the first place, to have the
land surveyed, and divided into lots of convenient sizes for farms.

Now, you must know that, old Lord Fairfax was a distant relative of
Mrs. Lawrence Washington, and had, as a natural consequence, often met
our George at Mount Vernon; and so struck was he with the manly
bearing, high character, good sense, and mathematical skill, of the
fair-haired, blue-eyed youth, that he offered him, young as he was,
the place of surveyor of all his vast lands. Being the son of a
widowed mother, and earnestly desirous of aiding her all in his power,
and earning for himself an honest independence, George was but too
happy to accept of the offer; and the necessary arrangements were soon
made. Having provided himself with all things needful for the new
enterprise,--such as a horse, a rifle, a blanket, and a steel chain
and compass,--he set out, at the head of a small party of hunters and
backwoodsmen, upon this his first considerable field of labor, early
in the spring of 1748, just one month from the completion of his
sixteenth year.

They were soon, in the depths of the wilderness, miles beyond the most
distant frontier settlements. The snows of winter that still lingered
on the mountains, warmed by the softer airs of early spring, had
melted so rapidly of late as to swell the forest streams to a degree
that rendered their fording often difficult, and even sometimes
dangerous. Now and then, coming to a stream which had overflowed its
banks, the little party would be obliged to construct a raft of logs,
roughly lashed together with grape-vines, upon which they could push
to the opposite side, without getting thei