Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-03-10

-, thesc lanis, and titpI u LOT We
$50 f.seos.os,. corr aud rice, thousands
go c a.,sa 81 rich Land thai would now DC
!. Md nseicss Blu, fer the client t' tim .
her gi;h which i. abouads. My sufysy
strike. the fiver 4, q haudsoms bsvh !. o g
+, hank. !. The Clio porf, 2 shors Distance
h s.l he inrcture of the Lunecis!o ana
Tom creek; here hnd high land 9 open
svood on both sides the river WINS .' . fena-
-. hi, ! mos, eligible crossing, place for OF 9
road as well IS a suitable place 'or 2 com.
| me rcisl seat. The river IS ssx.y TWO yaros
wide and eight totwelys feet deep, current
$, tho rate Of TWO miles per hour, and nee
ofso5slruction.
| The road FROM Natchez to the state OF
I It Tennessee, might be much improved py
passing from the head waters OF the rs
Black, at the Pigeon Roost, north-eastwaraiy'
direct to tas place, and hence along my new
survey 10 the head of the Muscle Shoals or
after crossing Bear Creek to the foot os the
shoals. This road would be OF greatensillty
TO. those who travel to East Tennessee, or
north-eastwardly thereof, and more parllcu-
| larly for the conveyance OF the mails OF the
United States from the seat OF government TO
Natchez, as by this means the distance iron.
Is. w. Point to Natchez, would be shortened
Inearly 100 miles; and a much drler and bet
! ter road be made than the oae now IN use, 1or.
between this place and Tennessee there Is not
water course, but may at all times be cross
ed without danger or difficulty, even IN times
of the highest freshes, BY the help OF foot
logs, ard none of them bordercdeby swamps
that will require causeEay, save Small.
branch of Sipsey, which may for 60 or 70
perch require it. In dry weather, or when.
the rains are not immolerate, these creeks.
will not, any of them, take horse above the.
knee Il have reconnoitred a considerable
part Of the cou2try, Sbetwixt the Gin port ana
| the head waters of the Big Black, aud am OF
opinion that it will admit fan excellent road.
{ found no inhabitants on the route from en-
! ness or within ten miles Of the Gin port,
but was assured by several Cherokee and
| Ch;ckasaw Indians, that so soon as we sheuia
, commence opening the road they would mn
| 1nediately settle at convenient places tor RAILS
! ing corn and other ncccssarieS Tor travellers.
| Several CheroSees have designated different
| places. where they promise to settle IN the
course Of the prescntyeas, along the way' as
far rs Bear Creek ridge which trey cal ii'fif
| was unable to purchase a: the Gin port
suitable canoes for descending the river, and
was obliged to construct two for the purpose,
which my recruits effected in three days. ]
then eonlnenceda survey Of the river dowa
to Oak Noxaby, to which place from the
mouth Of Suita Bogue, was sometime ago
surveyed by Silas Dinsmoor, Esq. a rise
in the riyercf about 4 feet above low water,
prevented complete examination, and puts
it out of my power to give an exact account
of the ordinary depth and velocity Of the Wa-
ter; fori continued to rise as I descended. to
ST. Stephens, where it is near 10 feet deeper
than usual in dry weather. The inconyei-
ences which attend the navigation OF this river
appear. to BIO confined to the two following.
viz. first, the trees which grow near tie edge
of the water and lean obliqueiy over it.
These trees at short turns and where the II
yer is divided by islands, lean over the strong
est part OF. the current, and many Of tscm
bending ap the river, receive small boats be.
twixt them and the water, whore the side
next the tree is pressed SO far under it, as to
receive water aid overset or sink. But these
trees may easily be removed, or may always
be avoided. The next obstacle, and all that
seemssMorth notice, Isl small islands which IL
several places divide the river into 3 TO
channels. At these channels the velocltT7 Ct
the current is near, 8 miles per hour, and at
some of them ! found the :,Vater no more
thans5I foot deep; by whsch it appears that
iii low water, these Places are less than two
feet deep. q Except at these islands the river
is from. 5 taeao feet deep, and widened as. we
descend from 60 to 40 yards The bottom
sof gravel, sand or clay. Near the Bluffs We
sometimes found the bottoms composed Of
the soft chalky. oreyish rock. which forms