The river flowed westward

In 1749, a man with a mental illness wandered into the wilderness and came across the Greenbrier River. He was surprised to see that the river flowed westward, and he told people about it when he returned to Winchester. Two men from New England, Sewel and Martin, decided to explore the Greenbrier country after hearing this. They built a cabin and made other improvements, but they eventually had an argument and Sewel moved into a hollow tree. In 1751, John Lewis and his son, Andrew, found them, but they were on friendly terms by then. Sewel soon moved forty miles away.

This passage is from a book about the history of West Virginia. It describes the early days of European settlement in the Greenbrier Valley. The passage is interesting because it shows how the river's unusual direction attracted attention and led to exploration of the area. It also shows how the first settlers in the valley had to deal with the challenges of living in a remote wilderness.