Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-12-06

sian Fly. Therefore, l canrot be biassed nor
paitla. IN giving Iny opi,'iVn on the great and
important qneetion Oi the defence OF the Che
sapCake. which concerns every body IN AmCri
ca. rs % Commodore Decatars option on
the subject. tlial there cen he hut lutte add
ed and nothing silminlSned. Bnt viii ,em.
turc 70 say, th,t 10 q, - 1ssse of land caa be
nli,e Oh stc 'ip end OF tbs s,csse shoe, With
ie,S eNPeuce ,han ihe asiount Of the dann@e
doi,e al les dsdria b, The Hs,iish dasrinc tins
,2,t 'vari; and this battery Viii secure the ia.
ward uayigaiior up Ia tie head OF the BAY. as
snill, craft can pass bstNcen the battery and
OH point Comfort. up ilamp;on ,Sosdsio N.ov-
fn&. As "a ihe i'fic ShNUrs The channel in the
hay, where "a iIrilS ever Gibbs and tiOws more
tnnn feet, IL Is no, 20 &c dreaded. lfitwero,
in the north 0! EarOp= II Ni,.ht De dreaded as
tie tide GIBBS and uovs FROM 81 10 40 feet. aud
the current running as strong as u fresh water
river, in 4 strong fresh. = t. making land in.
shoai water, IN a cOgntry Where stone and tia-
Der is plenty, il cannot be any great eN-
pence AS to Hampton Roads nature
has already formeA it for great works
From Old Point t0mtnrs 70 Newport News.
- ~ The shaoe of Il halt moon; Hampton Greek
mouth makes out IN the middle, and several
flats make on; tn the channel OF Hampton
HoadS, where land may be easily made ont to
tie largest Siiipl in-, and tie small craft can
get into HamptOn Greek IN bad weather -
Hampton Crct~ WIS always The watering place
Ter thr Navy, when the British owned IT,. As
~ i-lsstbfAh lsNti. HIS tslnSSl 9Otineu
ii in q large dOCk already il wants nothing bnt
the sides walled UP, and il viii be- what il WAS
i"tended To be. Fill up the fats and the tide
wili Keep the channel as deep as Won want it,
| Hampton Roads is tue key OF America aud If
yOH let an euemy get hold OF Norfolk, he has
got foot hold in the heart OF the country, and il
Will be hard matter to get min out again. If
| >on lose Hampton Roads, you lose all the hay ;
you lose all James River, up TO the Blue Ridge
and tuther. The facts which occurred in the
Revolution, when old Dninorc was in Norfolk
ought to teach good lesson. II YOU think this
| w,li cast any light the subject you will
! please to stow il away i'll some corner of your
/ paper, aud oblige AN OLD SAILOR. a freud
10 ms country, and SUBSCRIBER TO YOUR PA
PER. INaI. Inc.
/ NORFOLK. December 3.-'rl,e novel and in,e-
resting spectacle of Steam Boat towiY- a
| large trigate was. on Monday exhibited in our
! river To The admiration Of those who were in
/ The way to witness il. The Congress frigatc
had dropped down from her moorings oifrown
FONT few days ago, and anchored about a
| nile below Fort Norfolk, where she waited
! the arrival of the Commissioners to South A.
| merica, to proceed to sea. Those gentlemen
| having arrived, the frigate was ready 10 drop
| down to Hampton Roads on Monday morning.
out owing TO perfect calm which prevailed
| TINS movement could not he effected, particu-
| larry as the flood tide was about To commence
| he Steam Beat Virginia, Captain Ferguson
! IN passing down the river. undertook 10 tow
| her dowh and performed the tHsk with perfect
| ease ana comparative ceieFtY.-GAe irigate
| having passed yer the bar, ltiihoM 0pce tii,.n.
hs up t6e RUd 50 - diScOiOWr the IrstcY came
| 10 anchor III the Roads abreast of Sewelps
1 Point.
Now although it shonld bv no means excite
| aStonishIpent 10 see 4 steam boat towing fri
| cate, yet there is a fact connected with The &C.
/ 0urreGce we have Just stated, of no small i'm
( poItance, aud demands The attention OF the
! public. An objection has been raised against
/ norfolk "A Naval tlPnoT m ~ Ell,
shoainesS OF the water on the bar at the en-
! trance OF Elizabeth river. Among the host of
! writers who have urged this disaualitic alton.
/ none, we believe, have mad candor enough to
| allow that there was more than p feet on this
| mar, at the highest tides aud only from i6 to
| iJat low wafer; Though at the very time they
! were trumpeting forth their calumnies 10 pre-
JUDGE the Sublic mind against Norfolk Mr.. Il
dd'nS who was employed by government to sur
yey Hampton Roads, found that there was y
J feet al low water.---Mr. AdamS's statement
OF the depth ON the bar 0f Eliza beth river is fun
| ycorrobcratod by tho passage OF the Congress
Over Il, Inc uratt OF the Congress is, we are
! assured from the best authority, not less than
! y feet. When she crossed the bar on Mon
day, with all her armament, aud provisions foI
a 'onE voyage on board, the flood tide had
made nnt a short time, so ihat II was very little
| more than low water. Yet she passed over i
! withoui even stirring the mud up at the bot
- ~, ai'hough the Keel of vessel runn,n.
within lZncheS !tbe bottom would, we Shouic
suppose, have produced that effect
We have ever maintained that this harbor,
could be approached aid cnt,red at all season
by the largest vessels in Cur Nav; this e..
proves our position, and we make it known
with The greater pleasure, as /, not ONLY con
| futes tile assertion of these who have 3rte,,et
asainstu us, but viii disabu.e the public minr
aud convince 1t, that, fine yovc rnment shout,
select this place for the establishment OF a Ma
val Depot, (0i wAich we have rot the shadow
OF 4 dOubU theTe will remain not the siigbtes
| TO H.. ,fi
Herald.
To the Editor Of die Charleston Courier, ia
| ted " 81 Mayy's, Nor. -.