While recently visiting Philadelphia, I wandered into an old manuscript and book shop on Market Street. I had been there years ago and the smell of parchment and dust was overwhelming. The leather bound books were stacked high on the shelves and eventually settled on looking through the "Nature" section.
As I pulled one book after another off the shelf, leafing through the pages looking for something to catch my eye, a loose page fell to the floor. I picked it up, unsure of what I had found. It turned out to be an old map which had been tucked into a book about botany.
Along with the map, there was a curious letter folded into one of the pages. I carefully opened it and began to read. It told of a recent account along the Schuylkill River, about a boy and his father searching for something. I was sure letter was an authentic find, so I bought the book and tucked the letter into my jacket.
I am not sure if the tale was true, but I thought it was interesting enough. I decided I would try to see if the places it spoke of were still around, places like Minick's Gap and the Tamagaay Creek. Neither appeared on any modern maps but I figure the place is still there though. It would just take some deciphering to figure out.
