Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-07-08
NOVICE or EXPERIMENr.

We are flrOred for publication, 'cith tie follo,
ang Letter, addressed 10 DR.. Granriue Grad.
dock, 4d!9ar county, Pirginia =:
NorfoM, 18Th lime, 1917.
DEAR SIR-fIaving complicated nv
Voyage of Experiment, and arrived safe
at this Borough with my tobacco, sup
pose an account of my descent ofthe Ro-
anoke, will not be unacceptable 10 YOU.
With tins view, | send you the following
Narration -
On the 9TH of May last, set ont
from Marseilles with thirty hogsl,aads of
tobacco, on board of five batteaux on
the 10Th OF tue same month, arrived i'm
perfect safety at Rock Landing formerly
called the BuzZard Rock, with boats and
cargo; there sufficient number of war
CONS and carts were readily employed for
It's transportation round the Great Falls,
along a good road, 10 smooth water be-
low, which was effected in few DAYS.
The present situation of the rivers Dan &
Roanoke, for navigation, exceeded my
most saDgulne expectations. Although
not one OF the boaimo ever saw the riy-
or before, we passed without scarcely
yer touching a rock. Capt. Johnson. an
experienced waterman, who has naviga-
tel James RIVER a number of wears, and
who had charge of my boats, is o. onini-
on, that this river has natural advantages
for navigation, that James river does not
possess: and that a few months labour
with convenient number Of halds, I'M
der proper management, will make II far
better. From the foot OF the Great Falls
iranshipped my tobacco through Ocro-
cock Inlet to this place. On It's arrival
here, considerable interest and feeling
were manifested by theg ntlemen of Nor
folk, and every aid given by them to pro
cure a liberal price, which was effected
10 my entire satisfaction. During nv
stay here, took trip through the Dis
NAL swamp, for the purpose of viewing
that Canal.--lis water is AZ This fine
drawn off, with view of widening and
deepening it; and on IFS banks { found a.
bout three hundred hands at work in pre-
pairing this desirable communication from
this To our section of The country and
Should the season prove dry and favOra-
bic to their views, ! have no doubt hut
that il will he complicated this fall. The
Directory intend making the Canal 30
feet vide, and to contain from 5 TO 7 feet
water: which will be amply sufficient for
the safe and easy passage Of vessels nf
forty iIbds. tobacco burthen and. much
to my surprise, instead Of finding the
banks of the Canal Of quick sand, as has
been represented, and continually falling
in as it is deepcned they are either of
sound, firm earth, that has no appear
ance OF giving way, or are lined on both
sides with mass of Juniper or Cyprus
stumps and roots, which is the thick and
spontaneous growth of the swamp. The
country through which 1iis Canal is con
Quoted, is perhaps better calculated for
the purpose than any other that can be
found Of the same extent. IL is % miles
in length; crosses no wafer courses or
ravines, that require either dams or arch
es, but IS one continual and gradual de-
scent from lis centre 10 each extremity,
of about feet, and is supplied with wa
ter from the Dismal Swamp-In case Of
failure of wafer from that source, occasi
0ned by excessive drought, recourse is
had to Drummond's Lake, bv canal
connecting the two waters which canal