Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-12-19
For The Enquirer.


dep,h and length, compared 10 us WIZ, Tho nh.
uer aa. ,hrouob which the tide flows, and Inc ao'
eA'en' IN rock or other natural distractions 70
.s".J honoe, nearly TO the granite falls, and lar
above The head Of tide-wa'er. Inc o'"n nos,lv
usually high, and The lowest sWanip' az no, he
osra,ad with dense forest growth, SO mat 'ne
49, course of the river above the New Kent
M :, "a i NAV be much lower,) is handbook
"a ~ thor which open vessels may navigate a,
NOS, 40 easiIy and safely as an artificial cahai.
Tha ,eculiar character of this river IS NANNY
c.nsed nv The nature of the earth through WINCH
ina channel ha, been made. This IS OIL 'ne
nroa, socens formation Of "grecn sand, p" ano at
sarna,;ng LAYERS of calcareous mari largely III
,eruo;yed with green sand. These beds 'nough
soft and easy enough 10 be dug, resist Inc WASH
no. oneration of water more than any o'her
18th Known Hence the steepness 0, 'he
shorss and the channel being so little ilaoie ~
ohonae The small tributary streams, even "neh
smnIisn nv rains. bring in scarcely any sanu'
80 tbere is but little sediment OF the river ~nicn
is not light enough Tor inc curren' " A''r
obstructing the channel.
The bottom land, forming the valley ,nrousn
which the Panunkey meauders is mostly rom
,brse n FIVE miles wide. generally high, anu very
Iaye This BODY of land is of excellent qAaIi'y,
md easily improved 10 high state oil proouc-
,iveness. by being MANFRED with the mari 80
abundant 10 parts of the river banks. from
what has already been achieved where this niooe
or bereavement was available: and was proper
~ ayaied Of it may be safely anticipated lia' no
nor, If Virginia, of equal extent, and as con-
pec,ed in position, will be more productive OF
more valuable than all the extent OF thc ra-
munkey bottom lands, when they shall have oeen
thus improved &c ..h;.b
We, with all these advantages, some OF nich
an greatly increase the need for good n'!Viga-
,;oo and others which would SO much iacHta.e
the acquisition, the navigation of this RIVER IS
loss omen now than one hundred years ago. ana
the settlement Of the country, and all tne iaoors
of man. have served but TO obstruct ana lpJure
the great natural facilities for navigation.
Sea vessels, drawiug7i feet, now load Al Ne"'
castle landing and pass down safely, though sohe-
what impeded by The fallen trees Win nuch more
d;ficoltv from like distractions, vessels drawing
& feel sill load at and sail from the Manskin
/ odoe landing. which is several miles hIgher,
and The present limit of all avigalion. fet lor-
merly sea vessels went as high as Dabney's Ter
~. fold Hanover TOWN. and il is known 'na',
within 80 years, vessel CARED ana uiscna geo
there a cargo OF | 800 bushels OF oyster smells,
~
from the falls TO the New Kent line are wlalin
distances OF from II 10 % miles from Richmand
nv land. This nearness TO considerable mar
ker town cause! The long waterway 10 be l''tc
used or valued; and the use became sun more
Limited as distractions 10 navigation were causea
by trees falling INTO the river. There was MOI
existing any authority 10 prevent the Occurrences
Of such distractions, or 10 compel their removal
These distractions have completely cioseo 'ne
river tor navigation, above Manskin Lodge land
inc and have served 10 increase the dime ltes De-
low, and, thereby 10 keep up The prices OF feigas
much higher than in other rivers more usea, anu
of which lbe navigation Is more eeneraily hno"a
The charge per hushel Tor grain from Neacas'e
10 Baltimore is S cents, and 10 Richmond o. lin-
GLIDING halt cent for dockage ana, on'ii vely
lately treighls were cent hlsnel man .ness
charges. respectively. The freight 10 Baltimore
would not exceed 81, or, al most, 4 cents, II The
whole navigation were opened and The whole pro-
duce of the neighboring lands sent to market oy
water. The greater demand Tor vessels, as wei
as their improved facilities would increase COM
petiion and thereby lower The prices OF freight.
Higher than the present head Of navigation
there are not only The accidental DISTINCTIONS o.
fallen trees, but also of numerous hedges, MADE
for catching fish. The latter are IN violation OF
law, and could be easily abaled by executing me
law-and all distractions OF every Rind, coulu
be removed so cheaply that The cos' Wouiu DC
tully balanced in Two or three years by the new
advantages thus obtained. Indeed, the mere saw
ing in The prices Of transportation would pay The
expense OF opening and improving the naVlga.
ton: for The farmer, who now annually pays Sou
of extra price OF carriage, from which ne Wooif
be relieved by the improved navigation, coniu as
we'll afford TO pay $500 al once 10 obtain mat I'M
proyemenl- as $50, paid annually, IS the inleres
OF vested capital of $500.
But there are mucn more important gains
than This. 10 the first place, Richmond Is not Of
len, nor ought il TO be, the best market lor coin'
and never is il The best for wheat. Ii corn from
tho pamnnkpv is nliima felu lobe, c2frif.i-eupe'
first To Richmond is obviously increasing the dis
lance by some 300 miles; and this, OF course, on
the general average, must lessen the Lett returns
10 the farmer much as The cost OF this addition
AL and useless transportation. Norfolk oHgh a.
WAYS TO be better corn market than Rlchmondi
and IS better whenever there is demand ior
shipping 10 Europe. As TO wheat which IS get
ting 10 be the principal selling crop Of The Pa
munkey lands, The nell price in Baltimore, Is
usually al least IL cents the bushe higher than
in misunderstanding all market or selling
charges, value OF interest, guarantee, exchange,
&c, in both cases. The New York prices are
considerably higher than those OF Baltimore =
the neighborng farmers might ship direct TO any
market on our Atlantic coast, or 10 The West To-
dies Nearly all he propfielors OF lands on me
now navigable patti OF the Pamunkey, have al
ready been driven 10 The better northern markets.
But those higher up The obslructed stream, ADD
all who are some miles distant from The open
channel, are still confined 10 land carriage, and
10 the limited and m0nopoly-depressed market
OF Rlchn ond-and suffering a, least, this aver
age loss Of IL GEMS on every bushcl OF wheat sent
there.
Another great and altogether new advantage,
would grow out OF The opening of The Pamunkcy,
in the transportation Of ma RI an article Of trac
This has already become considerable business
on James River though The difficulties there,
(caused by The broad wafer and consequent cx-
posure 10 wind, and the shalloWness Of Inc water
near the snoIe,) are very far greater than would
be on the improved Pamurkey. On The later,
unlocked lighters may be and are safely used
Throughout the year; and may lie alongside The
bank OF mari, and b. loaded by throwing in with
shoves. On James River, decked vessels only
can be used; those d'auing bu, four feet, cannot
approach within several hundred yards Of the
beds OF mari. Yet, even under such difficulties,
10 decked and sailing vessels some years ago,
(and the business has not lessened sincc,) were
regularly engaged IN carving mari from one 10
ca,y on James River The mari there, aud at
other accessible places, is sold at a halt cent The
bushel, 10 the natural bed, and without any faci-
lily being furnished by the proprietors. The
shippers, who thus obtain the mari, dig, load j,
transport and deliver it a, places from III 10 40
mile distant al from 3 TO cents the bushel.-
The best Pamuhkey mari is more valuable, and
could be excayatcd AMI transported So much
cheaper, thai Inc prof. on The wnoie opera'ioi
usually on James River.
Ii tee foregoing statements shall serve Ia i'm
press, on these concerned, the importance Of the
improvement, advocated the next requisite will
BE- 10 point out some mode of procedure for exc
cutting the work. Tne cost wnuld BE- so small
compared 10 the value Of the ohecls in prosper,
that any effective means, and any necessary cost
thereof, ought not TO be objected 10. will mere
ly suggest mode which seems both cheap and
efficient, though there may be others preferable.
The lax in labor Tor repairing the public roads
-.