ons upon."

It was really from Germanna that the Great Expedition to the Mountains
began. Of course we know that Williamsburg was the scene of great
excitement when the Governor and some of his staff gathered for the
first start. The party consisted of the Governor, Fontaine, whose diary
gives us accounts of the journey, Beverley, the historian of Virginia in
1703, Colonel Robertson, Austin Smith, Dr. Robinson, Messrs. Talor,
Brooke and Mason and Captains Smith and Clouder. Others were gentlemen,
servants and guides. All were delayed when an old trapper told them that
their horses' feet would be ruined if not shod. In the sandy soil of
eastern Virginia it was not necessary to shoe one's horse, but the
rocks, as one travelled inland, would ruin the horse's feet. The party
made the best of the long wait by drinking the health of the King,
toasts to the maids left behind and in other farewells.

The party, after five days, reached Germanna and it is from Fontaine's
journal that we are told of the details of the trip. He relates the
hardships; some, including the writer, had fevers and chills and drank
Jesuits' bark tea. Their beds, made of boughs, were not soft enough and
the men slept badly and were sore the next day after camping out in the
wilderness. They made about six miles a day. Their food was bear's meat,
venison, and wild game, which they roasted on long wooden forks over
glowing coals. And each time they ate, they also drank the King's
health, not forgetting any of his children in their toasts. Fontaine
writes--

"We saw when we were over the mountain the footing of elks and
buffaloes, and their beds. We saw a vine which bore a sort of
wild cucumber and a shrub with fruit like unto a currant. We
ate very good wild grapes.... We crossed a river which we
called the Euphrates. It is very deep, the main course of the
water is north, it is four score yards wide in the narrowest
part.... I got some grasshoppers and fished ... we catched a
dish of fish, some perch and a fish called Chub. The others
went ahunting and killed deer and turkeys.... I engraved my
name on a tree by the river's side and the Governor buried a
bottle with a paper inside, on which he writ that he took
possession of this place in the name of King George the First
of England....

"We had a good dinner, and after it we got the men together and
loaded all their arms and w