hey prevailed on him to accompany them on a
visit to examine it more minutely, and if found correspondent with his
description to select in it situations for their future residence.

Lewis made choice of, and improved, a spot a few miles below Staunton,
on a creek which bears his name--Mackey on the middle branch of the
Shenandoah near Buffalo-gap; and Salling in the forks of James river,
below the Natural Bridge, where some of his descendants still reside.
Thus was effected the first white settlement ever made on the James
river, west of the Blue ridge.[6]

In the year 1736, Lewis, being in Williamsburg, met with Benjamin
Burden (who had then just come to the country as agent of Lord
Fairfax, proprietor of the Northern Neck,) and on whom he prevailed to
accompany him home. Burden remained at Lewis's the greater part of the
summer, and on his return to Williamsburg, took with him a buffalo
calf, which while hunting with Samuel[7] and Andrew Lewis (elder sons
of John) they had caught and afterwards tamed. He presented this calf
to Gov. Gooch, who thereupon entered on his journal, [44] an order,
authorizing Burden to locate conditionally, any quantity of land not
exceeding 500,000 acres on any of the waters of the Shenandoah, or of
James river west of the Blue ridge. The conditions of this grant were,
that he should interfere with no previous grants--that he should
settle 100 families, in ten years, within its limits; and should have
1000 acres adjoining each cabin which he should cause to be built,
with liberty to purchase any greater quantity adjoining, at the rate
of fifty pounds per thousand acres. In order to effect a compliance
with one of these conditions, Burden visited Great Britain in 1737;
and on his return to Virginia brought with him upwards of one hundred
families of adventurers, to settle on his grant.[8] Amongst these
adventurers were, John Patton, son-in-law to Benjamin Burden, who
settled on Catawba, above Pattonsburg[9]--Ephraim McDowell, who
settled at Phoebe's falls--John, the son of Ephraim,[10] who settled
at Fairfield, where Col. James McDowell now lives--Hugh Telford, who
settled at the Falling spring, in the forks of James river--Paul
Whitley, who settled on Cedar creek, where the Red Mill now
is--Archibald Alexander, who settled on the North river, opposite
Lexington--Andrew Moore, who settled adjoining Alexander--Sampson
Archer, who settled at Gilmore's spring, east of the Bridge tavern,
and