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latitude 36° 30' north; and on the fouth, by the line of latitude laftmentioned. By admeasurement through nearly the whole of this laft line, and fupplying the unmeasured parts from good data, the Altantic and Miffifippi are found in this latitude to be 758 miles diftant, equal to 13° 38′ of longitude, reckoning 55 miles and 3144 feet to the degree. This being our comprehenfion of longitude, that of our latitude, taken between this and Mafon and Dixon's line, is 3° 13′ 42.4′′, equal to 223.3 miles, fuppofing a degree of a great circle to be 69m. 864 f. as computed by Caffini. These boundaries include an area fomewhat triangular, of 121,525 miles, whereof 79,650 lie weftward of the Allegany mountains, and 57,034 weftward of the meridian of the mouth of the Great Kanhaway. This ftate is therefore one-third larger than the ́iflands of Great-Britain and Ireland, which are reckoned at 88,357 square miles.

These limits refult from, 1. The ancient charters from the crown of England. 2. The grant of Maryland to the Lord Baltimore, and the fubfequent determinations of the British court as to the extent of that grant. 3. The grant of Pennfylvania to William Penn, and a compact between the general affemblies of the commonwealths of Virginia and Pennfylvania as to the extent of that grant. 4. The grant of Carolina, and actual location of its northern boundary, by confent of both parties. 5. The treaty of Paris, of 1763. 6. The confirmation of the charters of the neighbouring states by the convention of Virginia at the time of conftituting their commonwealth. 7. The ceffion made by Virginia to Congrefs of all the lands to which they had title on the north fide of the Ohio.'

Rivers.] An inspection of a map of Virginia, will give a better idea of the geography of its rivers, than any defcription in writing. Their navigation may be imperfectly noted.

• Roanoke, fo far as it lies within this ftate, is no where navigable, but for canoes, or light batteaux; and, even for these, in such detached parcels as to have prevented the inhabitants from availing themselves of it all. James River, and its waters, afford navigation as follows:

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The whole of Elizabeth River, the lowest of those which run into James River, is a harbour, and would contain upwards of 300 fhips. The channel is from 150 to 200 fathom wide, and at common flood tide, affords 18 feet water to Norfolk. The Strafford, a 60 gun fhip, went there, lightening herself to crofs the bar at Sowell's point. The Fier Rodrigue, pierced for 64 guns, and carrying 50, went there without lightening. Craney ifland, at the mouth of this river, commands its channel tolerably well.

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Nanfemond River is navigable to Sleepy Hole, for veffels of 250 tons; to Suffolk, for thofe of 100 tons; and to Milner's, for those of 25. Pagan Creek affords 8 or 10 feet water to Smithfield, which admits veffels of 20 tons.

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Chickahominy has at its mouth a bar, on which is only 12 feet water at common flood tide. Veffels paffing that, may go 8 miles up the river; thofe of ten feet draught may go four miles further, and those of fix tons burthen, 20 miles further.

• Appamattox

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Appamattox may be navigated as far as Broadways, by any veffel which has croffed Harrison's bar in James River; it keeps 8 or 9 feet water a mile or two higher up to Fisher's bar, and 4 feet on that and upwards to Petersburg, where all navigation ceases.

James River itfelf affords harbour for vessels of any fize in Hampton Road, but not in fafety through the whole winter; and there is navigable water for them as far as Mulberry island. A 40 gun fhip goes to James-town, and, lightening herfelf, may pafs to Harrifon's bar, on which there is only 15 feet water. Veffels of 250 tons may go to Warwick; thofe of 125 go to Rocket's, a mile below Richmond; from thence is about 7 feet water to Richmond; and about the center of the town, four feet and a half, where the navigation is interrupted by falls, which in a course of fix miles defcend about 80 feet perpendicular; above these it is refumed in canoes and batteaux, and is profecuted fafely and advantageoufly to within 10 miles of the Blue Ridge; and even through the Blue Ridge a ton weight has been brought; and the expence would not be great, when compared with its object, to open a tolerable navigation up Jackson's river and Carpenter's creek, to within 25 miles of Howard's creek of Green Briar, both of which have then water enough to float veffels into the Great Kanhaway. In fome future state of population, I think it poffible, that its navigation may also be made to interlock with that of the Patomak, and through that to communicate by a fhort portage with the Ohio. It is to be noted, that this river is called in the maps James River, only to its confluence with the Rivanna ; thence to the Blue Ridge it is called the Fluvanna; and thence to its fource, Jackson's river. But in common fpeech it is called James river to

its fource.

The Rivanna, a branch of James river, is navigable for canoes and batteaux to its interfection with the fouth-weft mountains, which is about 22 miles, and may eafily be opened to navigation through thofe mountains to its fork about Charlottefville.

York River, at York-town, affords the best harbour in the state for veffels of the largest fize. The river there narrows to the width of a mile, and is contained within very high banks, clofe under which the veffels may ride. It holds 4 fathom water at high tide for 25 miles above York, to the mouth of Poropotank, where the river is a mile and a half wide, and the channel 75 fathom, and paffing under a high bank. At the confluence of Pamunkey and Mattapony, it is reduced to 3 fathom depth, which continues up Pamunkey to Cumberland, where the width is 100 yards, and up Mattapony to within two miles of Frazer's ferry, where it becomes 2 fathom deep, and holds that about five miles. Pamunkey is then capable of navigation for loaded flats to Brockman's bride, 50 miles above Hanover town, and Mattaponey to Downer's bridge, 70 miles above its mouth.

• Piankatank, the little rivers making out of Mobjack bay, and those of the eastern shore, receive only very finall veffels, and these can but enter them.

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Rappahannok affords 4 fathom water to Hobb's Hole's and two fathom from thence to Fredericksburg.

< Patomak

• Patomak is 71⁄2 miles wide at the mouth; 4 at Nomony Bay; 3 at Aquia; 1 at Hallooing Point; 4 at Alexandria. Its foundings are, 7 fathom at the mouth; 5 at St. George's ifland; 4 at Lower Matchodic; 3 at Swan's Point, and thence up to Alexandria; thence 10 feet water to the falls, which are 13 miles above Alexandria.'

The diftance from the Capes of Virginia to the termination of the tidewater in this river is above 300 miles; and navigable for fhips of the greatest burthen nearly to that place. From thence this river, obftructed by four confiderable falls, extends through a vast tract of inhabited country towards its fource. These falls are, ift, The Little Falls, three miles above tide water, in which distance there is a fall of 36 feet: 2d, The Great Falls, fix miles higher, where is a fall of 76 feet in one mile and a quarter 3d, The Seneca Falls, fix miles above the former, which form fhort, irregular rapids, with a fall of about 10 feet; and 4th, the Shenandoah Falls, 60 miles from the Seneca, where is a fall of about 30 feet in three miles; from which laft, Fort Cumberland is about 120 miles diftant. The obftructions, which are opposed to the navigation above and between thefe falls, are of little confequence.

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Early in the year 1785, the Legislatures of Virginia and Maryland paffed acts to encourage opening the navigation of this river. It was eftimated that the expence of the works would amount to £50,000 fterling, and ten years were allowed for their completion. At prefent the prefident and directors of the incorporated company fuppofe that -45,000 will be adequate to the operation, and that it will be accomplished in a shorter period than was ftipulated. Their calulations are founded on the progrefs already made, and the fummary mode lately established for enforcing the collection of the dividends, as the money may become neceffary. On each fhare of £.100, the payment of only £40 has yet been demanded.

According to the opinion of the prefident and directors, locks will be neceffary at no more than two places-the Great and the Little Falls: fix at the former, and three at the latter. At the latter nothing has yet been attempted. At the Great Falls, where the difficulties were judged by many to be infurmountable, the work is nearly completed, except finking the lock-feats, and inferting the frames. At the Seneca Falls the laborious part of the bufinefs is entirely accomplished, by removing the obftacles and graduating the defcent; fo that nothing remains but to finish the channel for this gentle current in a workmanlike manner. At the Shenandoah, where the river breaks through the Blue Ridge, though a prodigious quantity of labour has been bestowed, yet much is ftill to be done before the paffage will be perfected. Such proficiency has been made, however, that it was expected, if the fummer had not proved uncommonly rainy, and the river uncommonly high, an avenue for a partial navigation would have been opened by the first of January, 1789, from Fort Cumberland to the Great Falls, which are within nine miles of a fhipping port. As it has happened, it may require a confiderable part of this year for its accomplishment.

As foon as the proprietors fhall begin to receive toll, they will doubtlefs find an ample compenfation for their pecuniary advances, By an estimate made many years ago, it was calculated that the amount, in the com

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mencement, would be at the rate of £.11,875, Virginia currency, per annum. The tol! muft every year become more productive, as the quantity of articles for exportation will be augmented in a rapid ratio, with the increase of population and the extention of fettlements. In the mean time the effect will be immediately feen in the agriculture of the interior country: for the multitude of horfes now employed in carrying produce to market, will then be used altogether for the purpofe of tillage. But, in order to form juft conceptions of the utility of this inland navigation, it would be requifite to notice the long rivers which empty into the Patomak, and even to take a furvey of the geographical pofition of the western

waters.

The Shenandoah, which difembogues juft above the Blue Mountains, may, according to report, be made navigable, at a trifling expence, more than 150 miles from its confluence with the Patomak; and will receive and bear the produce of the richest part of the state. The South Branch, ftill higher, is navigable in its actual condition nearly or quite 100 miles, through exceedingly fertile lands. Between thefe, on the Virginia fide, are feveral smaller rivers, that may, with facility, be improved, fo as to afford a paffage for boats. On the Maryland fide are the Monocafy, Antietam, and Conegocheague, fome of which pafs through the ftate of Maryland, and have their fources in Pennfylvania.

From Fort Cumberland (or Wills' Creek) one or two good waggon roads may be had (where the distance is faid by fome to be 35, and by others 40 miles) to the Yohogany, a large and navigable branch of the Monongahela; which laft forms a junction with the Allegany at Fort Pitt: from whence the river takes the name of the Ohio, until it lofes its current and name in the MISSISSIPI.

But, by pafling farther up the Patomak than Fort Cumberland, which may very eafily be done, a portage by a good waggon road to the Cheat River, another large branch of the Monongahela, can be obtained through a space which fome fay is 20, others 22, others 25, and none more than 30 miles.

When we have arrived at either of these weftern waters, the navigation through that immenfe region is opened in a thousand directions, and to the lakes in feveral places by portages of lefs than 10 miles; and by one portage, it is afferted, of not more than a fingle mile.

Notwithstanding it was fneeringly faid by fome foreigners, at the beginning of this undertaking, that the Americans were fond of engaging in fplendid projects which they could never accomplish; yet it is hoped the fuccefs of this first effay towards improving their inland navigation, will, in fome degree, refcue them from the reproach intended to have been fixed upon their national character, by the unmerited imputation.

The Great Kanhaway is a river of confiderable note for the fertility of its lands, and still more, as leading towards the head waters of James river. Nevertheless, it is doubtful whether its great and numerous rapids will admit a navigation, but at an expence to which it will require ages to render its inhabitants equal. The great obftacles begin at what are called the Great Falls, 90 miles above the mouth, below which are only five or fix rapids, and these paffable, with fome difficulty, even at low water.

From

From the falls to the mouth of Green Briar is 100 miles, and thence to the lead mines 120. It is 280 yards wide at its mouth.

The Little Kanhaway is 150 yards wide at the mouth. It yields a navigation of 10 miles only. Perhaps its northern branch, called Junius' Creek, which interlocks with the western waters of Monongahela, may one day admit a fhorter paffage from the latter into the Ohio.'

Mountains.] For the particular geography of our mountains, I muft refer to Fry and Jefferfon's map of Virginia; and to Evans's analyfis of his map of America for a more philofophical view of them than is to be found in any other work. It is worthy notice, that our mountains are not folitary, and scattered confufedly over the face of the country; but that they commence at about 150 miles from the fea coaft, are difpofed in ridges one behind another, running nearly parallel with the fea coast, though rather approaching it as they advance north-eaftwardly. To the fouth-west, as the tract of country between the fea coaft and the Miffifippi becomes narrower, the mountains converge into a fingle ridge, which, as it approaches the Gulph of Mexico, fubfides into plain country, and gives rife to fome of the waters of that Gulph, and particularly to a river called the Apalachicola, probably from the Apalachies, an India nation formerly refiding on it. Hence the mountains giving rife to that river, and feen from its various parts, were called the Apalachian Mountains, being in fact the end or termination only of the great ridges paffing through the continent. European geographers however extended the name northwardly as far as the mountains extended; some giving it, after their feparation into different ridges, to the Blue Ridge, others to the North Mountains, others to the Allegany, others to the Laurel Ridge, as may be seen in their different maps. But the fact I believe is, that none of thefe ridges were ever known by that name to the inhabitants, either native or emigrant, but as they faw them fo called in European maps. the fame direction generally are the veins of lime-ftone, coal and other minerals hitherto difcovered; and fo range the falls of our great rivers. But the courfes of the great rivers are at right angles with these. James and Patomak penetrate through all the ridges of mountains eastward of the Allegany, that is broken by no water course. It is in fact the fpine of the country between the Atlantic on one fide, and the Miffifippi and St. Lawrence on the other. The paffage of the Patomak through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the moft ftupendous fcenes in nature. You ftand on a very high point of land. On your right comes up the Shenandoah, having ranged alone the foot of the mountain an hundred miles to feek a vent. On your left approaches the Patomak, in queft of a pafiage alfo. In the moment of their junction they rush together against the mountain, rend it afunder, and pafs off to the fea. The first glance of this fcene hurries our fenfes into the opinion, that this earth has been created in time, that the mountains were formed firft, that the rivers began to flow afterwards, that in this place particularly they have been dammed up by the Blue Ridge of mountains, and have formed an ocean which filled the whole valley; that continuing to rife they have at length broken over at this fpot, and have torn the mountain down from its fummit to its base. The piles of rock on each hand, but particularly on the Shenandoah, the evident marks of their difruption and avulfion from their beds by the most

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