my daughters recital of their situation and mine with them is enteirly correct hope all friends will sempathise for us. we injoi good helth this season we have fine water tho not generally so. my fealings has not as Yet discovered any deferenc in the climate here & Virg. except cooler nights both winter & summer. You would be delited with the rivers in this Countra par[   ] the Ohio I am all life when vewing it quite the reverse on leaving [   ]tured Viewing it You would be astonish at the number size and deferent kinds of fish1 in the Western waters have seen a fish since coming here that I never herd of till geting to this place they are Very large which is called the shovell they have a shovel that projects from the Nose several feet2 in length which is composed of a hard guset enteirly strate immoveable but with the hole body they are not a fish of pray they have a very larg mouth in shape of that of shad they are from six to Eight feet in length including the Snout or shovel have no scales the skin and Colour nearly the same of a cat have no bones instead of a bone in the back it is a hard guset not any appearance of a3 rib they are very fine fish I am told her they feed on there back with the mouth wide open runing the shovel in thick moddy bottoms or bancks the buffalow and Carp can be caught in any season in abundence the weight from Six to thirty pounds with the double hook I have caught 200lb in the day there can be no doubt the Western contra the fineest in the world.