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James Whitelaw was the Commissioner for the Scotch
American Company of Farmers. For several months he
traveled through the colonies looking for a place to
recommend for a large settlement of Scottish immigrants.
The following were the comments he wrote after visiting the
plantation of Alexander Thomson.
On Thursday, the 5th, we set out on our way to
Alexander Thomson’s, and on our way lodged with
Allan Scrogg, a farmer from Scotland, to whom we
had been recommended.
From this we came to Shippensburgh which is a small
town containing 50 or 60 houses,—here we got
directions for finding Alexander Thomson’s which is
about seven miles from this place, and we arrived at
his house in the afternoon, where we was kindly
entertained, as he had been looking for us a long
time. Here we stayed ten days to refresh our horses,
which was in very much need of it by this time. He
has got an excellent plantation of 400 acres of land
for which he paid 500£ currency, which is nigh 300£
ster: It lies about 150 miles from Philadelphia, but
their nighest landing is Baltimore in Maryland, which
is only 90 miles from him, though they have to cross
the blue ridge in going to it. This is a fertile soil and
all lying upon limestone and this valley continues
through all the Provinces of Pennsylvania, Maryland
and Virginia and lies between the Blue ridge and
North Mountain, and as it goes southward grows
wider till it is so broad that one can scarce see over it.