The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1839-09-12

} PhsIosOpLy.l n 10 wtll knoHn ilaI
There ID . constant current passing irnm
!. ls.e Atlantic inl0 de MsdIsTr3nfan - thf
, ssraa or 6ihrallar. uhieh d0ubiless sup
plies The de6cieEcy oeessionti BY ne
excess of evaporation oEer lae supply
Irum The FiseEs. AlbsmaTle. CurEilurk
ard Pamplico SQUADS. may be eslimsisd
10 contain 1000 square miles. They lay
IN about The sane laliIuds with The
/. MedIleusnesn. and if governed BY The
sane inaseaees. may Be eslimsled %
lose daily b. evaporation 10 Ass. 900 tons.
Whether or not the rivers which empty
into them afford an equal supply eshn0l
readily Be determined. but ] think that a
periods nf ordinary loo watrr Ihey do
not. The Roanoke 10 fsr the most
important Of these rivers. and 10 the only
one Ihal rises in the mountains, and those
who have had opportunities Of observing
iI IS | hare, know that ils stream 10
exceedingly feeble a. some seasons 81 The
year. The. olher rivers rise in the in
IeImediaie country bsIaeen the sea and
tie aountaias, aud their currents are Al.
most dried up during The sumner srsson.
u is stated BY late writer IN one Of The
northern papers, that Lake Superior does
not discharge by iis issues one Ienlh Of
the waters which how into IT,; u this
excess Is taken of by evaporation. the
amounG Of evaporation from our Sounds
is greatly beyond any thing We haze
supposed. aud il may and Us ia accounting
Tor The closing up Of our inleIs.'
Hassser This may be. one thing
appears 10 me reIy clear, VIZ: that those
rivers which carry tie strongest currents
10 the Ocean. DO not usually afford The
bes. navigation 81 their mouths. The
Mississippi. averaging . ME in width
AMI probably so IeeI in depth for 1000
miles. and running with . velocity On.
known 10 our Atlantic rivers. slToIds al
lis mouth l2 ieet wster Only. The
Mobile. which drains Alabama. and
part Of Mississippi (Slalsl aud IL the
second river on The gull ia point Of
magnitude. has at IT'S entrance into lie
Ocean Is Il. and APpslachieulI tie third.
has only q Il. al its mouth. On the other
hand. The entrance 10 Pensaeols hay.
which receives The Escambis. short aud
very inennsilarshle stream. affords 81
lessl 81 feet; and The entrance into 81.
JnssPh's Day. which has no stream 81
all falling INFO il, Is 4.
The best harbour on the coast Of Ge0r.
gia Is Brunswick. which has To r,er
rmp'ying into il, aud the best IL MOTH
Carolina, is Beaufort. which has but
snail one.
The differences from tie foregoing
are.
lsi. That currents from tho land are 81
feeble. compared with those sci in motion
BY the hides OF the Ocean. as To have but
linls effect. generally, in keeping inIels
open. snG IN the case ol or inlsIs, iley
are altogether ineificseious.
2rd. That The tides. 90 Gar % regards
aur inle,s. lose their usual beneficial in.
iluence from the comparatively great ex.
pause into which they are poured.
3td. That the tides, ~here they have
ngrrss aud egress Of nearly equal vslnci.
y, 10 the surest agent for keeping inlels
in an uniform condition; aud that to pro-
luce this equality. there must be such a
brtseen The size Of the inlet
md the bay as will sdnii VI CulI rise Of
lie ndc IN tie BAY. /,
The plan which 1 propose. therefore.
~ Roanoke inlet, con,emplsIes such
conformity. How is i, 10 be produced.
Ether the inlet must be adapted to the
resent sizs Of The bay. or tie bay cir.
umscribed 10 suit such capacity as il is
Ia give the inlet. The futis
'eyond any means likely TO be applied 10
!: The last is within tie compsss Of a
essoHable expenditure.
] propose Than channel. or basin, 600
ards wide aud mile in length and ten
ee, deep al low tide. should be made in I
Roanoke Sound. adjacent to The posiIion
i the old inlei; that IL should be inrlossd
y iwo dams extending lIom the banks on I
'ach eide Of the said position 10 Roanoke
sland; tina, IL should be connected with
he Ocean BY az inlet 200 yards vide. ,
laving depth Of al least ten fee. q, low
water, aud with Croaian Sound a, point
Immediately opposite the inlet. by Canal
Trough Roanoke Island. and q shiplock
bout The middle Of IL, furnished with two
cts III gates. The one 10 exclude The sea I
raiers al high tide. and The other The
sound waters at low tide. which NAV be
Ised al any time tn keep Up The navIeable
We should then have
10 artificial harbour. A vessel coming in
rom sea may enter such an harbour and
nchor il the weather should make il ne
essary, may proceed TO the Lock By tow
ng or varying. pass through and proceed
p The Sound. Outward bound vessels,
asy anchor near the Lock on the Sound
lde, and be passed on, IN the same way;
UGH ss seek an harbour from stress ol !.
weather.. may find il here. since they will
e able 10 come i'm with any IN shore