Filson's expedition began on May 23, 1785, when he and his party set out from Pittsburgh in a keelboat. The keelboat was a flat-bottomed boat that was commonly used for transporting goods and people on rivers. Filson's party traveled down the Ohio River, stopping at various points along the way to make observations and collect specimens.
One of the most important stops on Filson's expedition was at the Falls of the Ohio, a series of rapids near present-day Louisville, Kentucky. The Falls of the Ohio were a major obstacle to navigation on the river, and Filson's party had to portage their boat around the rapids.
After passing the Falls of the Ohio, Filson's party continued down the river. They stopped at a number of Native American villages along the way, and they also encountered a number of wildlife, including buffalo, elk, and bears.
Filson's expedition reached the Mississippi River on July 4, 1785. The party then traveled down the Mississippi River to Natchez, Mississippi, where they disbanded.
Filson's expedition was a success. He and his party were able to travel the length of the Ohio River and make valuable observations about the region's natural history and native inhabitants. Filson's journal of the expedition was published in 1784, and it became a widely-read account of the Ohio River Valley.