Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-18

the whole body cOrporate--not for the alyan-
tage OF any particular section but Tor that OF
the whole Union.
Copy Of letter from Captain T. Sinclair to
Commodore John Rodgers, President Of
the Neey- Soara, da.ed York rirer, lIarch
y, 1916.
SIR,
sailed aud arrived in York river, the
day my last letter left Norfolk for you, and =
grecably to your Instructions OF the 10th ult I
take the earliest opportunity 10 inform you Of
my proceedings here.
have traced the river up and down sevc-
raj times, and find there is not water enongh
for ships OF the largest class 10 ascend higher
than 1--WE or six miles above what is called
the Clay Banks, which lay in Gloucester
county, and above fifteen miles below West
Point.
She report ofthe officers had sent over to
ascertain what distance four tdthomS could be
carried up, aud VITO reported that theN carri-
ed that depth ali me way 70 West Phi {, VAS
extremely erroneous. The confluence of the
pOrtopotank creek With this river has thrown
an extensive Maud flat entirely across the cham
uel, on which there Is not mere tLan twenty
feet water between that and where II COM
mcnces shualing agcin, about four mites be
low West POINT, there IS q quarter i0ur ia
thcmS, and from thence 10 West Point Three
iaJhOnS Is the eNtent of what can be carried
So tlat The want Of :, sufficient depth OF water
places that very eligible scite, IL every otAcr
respect, entirely out of the question, rs 4 navy
yard. Yorktown l1bourS under too many dis
advantages Ia be thought OF as dock Yard
II the IN 81 place, its exposed situation On nOtn
sides 10 the attacl. Ct al cnCmy, VINO NAV nave
the dsccnddnCy IN our waters. Secondly, its
great exposure TO eaStcrly gales, and tGC greet
uihcuitY there will be Ia getting piers 30
stand, OWN. TO the sandy foundation, strour
current and high sen which hoayes III from
the eastward Thirdly, there is no stream by
lli .Tlr
ed, or the docking of ships be aided and
lastly, Il Is one OF the poorest countries III
the world, IN every respect, being totally des-
utute ot timber, even for fuel, except m,sera-
BILE pine.
l snould not have mentioned any spot as not
being Gale Ilated for the above purpose but
Tor the general opinion which prevails among
the intelligent part at the community in this
quarter OF the country, that Yorktown is emf
neutsy calculated for Il nayal establishment,
anu that such an opinion has gained belief a.
broad.
| have fixed on site in Gloucester county.
just nine aud half miles ahoye yorktown.
which holds out many more advantages than
any other on the river indeed there l. not an
other above York, that the distance OF the
channel from the shore do9s not cUun,erba-
lance all other advantages they may possess
and this is infinitely further from decp water
than II ought 10 he, the nearest po.Ct being
four hundred yards. This, however, is the
greatest disadvantage attending it. 1t Gibbs
& Il
fine, firm foundation. and from two feet water
II IS very abrupt into four fathoms at low wa
ter There is an abundance of timber at
hand torpiing, filing i'll, &c; and the land.
from high water, rises gradually in the distance
otI50 yardsto thirty-feet in height, atfordiHg as
much earth as may be required for filing the
channel
This site is bordered on the east by Aber
deem creek, and on the west by Joness creek,
either of which affords an abundance OF wa
ter for all our purposes but the country re
Morally is so low, that am fearful the water
dare not be raised entirely high enough for
docking what il leaves, though, after taking
ship in, may be easily pumped ont by pumps
worked by water. There are several good
mill streams enptyiHg into those creeks,
which Row from source sufficiently high to
answer the purpose OF docking, If the ad-
jacent land would admit OF IFS being dam
med.
The mouths of these two creeks arc two
miles apart, but before they flow haifa mile,
there are tIO branches approaching each o.
ther, within quarter of 4 mile, where after
the creeks are damned below, Il canal might
be cut, which w0Hid insuiate the place, and
add greatly to is security ID therear Indeed
il appears to be very capable OF being de-
Tended By moderately small force. The chan
mel does not exceed "a quarter Of 4 mile in
width, and is overlooked by an emiHence of3O
feet for a mile or two below The country "a
said TO be healthy indeed, judging from its
Inhabitants, should pronounce il s0. The land
is generally fine and well timbered with white
OAK, yellow and pitch pine, and some cedar,
though not in abundance.
The county Of Matthews can supply Dpr,-
Der OF excellent ship-Carp no would
40 doubt, flock to suCh an establishments
The wind from r. to ". ). ". win tale
ship 10 sea- the channel is generally narrow
but very plain, ana quite deep enough Tor the
heaviest ships completely equipped for sea-
1 have made very minute survey Of All the
land laying b ctween those two creeks as far
back as where I purposed Canal should be
cut tor security against an enemy, aud shall
forward plat OF it as soon as lean COPY il un-
large scale IT can be purchased 1thati IS
as much as the government may rOQuigel for
whatever disinterested persons may value il
at, which will not exceed from ten 70 twenty
dollars the acre.
Win the plat shall send you a proper des.
cription of il, with the ADVANTAGES sc at
tending it. l have made as much progress az
the weather has admitted OF, which has been
extremely boisteIOus and Indictment To be
as accurate as ] wish TO be, ought 10 have
an object from a base iIne on shore, tie dis
lance being about three leagues to the end
Of the Spit. 1 lCrret too dat have not some
intelligent yOnng officers, as ] could not pro.
cure q good drdiisnian - Norfolk, and have
10 perform all that work myself The aid OF
officers of some science, whom I could trust
to take angles, sc. would relieve me very
much.
The soil about the above site is well calcula-
ted for making bricks, which may be contract
ed for, for ABOUT dollars the theus-
and. Shells for lime may be had al from 3
ard half TO four dollars tie hundred bushels
wood at three dollars per cord. | shall ne
more minute in my description OF this place,
attending TO the width % the river, width and
depth OF channel, strength Of tide. with lis
perpendicular rise, exposure to- ice. winds enc
my.ac. should you ~ish auy particular iufoi-