Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-10-24
TCopY.l No 1.
Farp.rcr.au.o, Va, Sept. 20, 1854.

douet that sscky place the 6rst day Of August
doomed to discover that not soon enough for
have had to weather out spells OF sickness all the
Children except "hc boy" have been down with asus
aud fever or other disease the seeds of which grew 10
fore Ne abandoned tho place for the summer. Thos.
marches great drawback. They interfere with ou
cuisines, there They prevent us from doing much
at healthy place. would and they render the Obser-
vatory unit either for residence or an Office. II Is
pity that useful public institution IS this has eruvr
to be, should DO suffered to in such an uuhea
thy situation.
It's too soon for the family return there at preeeu
and while &c holding up here Waiting for Jack Frost
como and drive away the pes.lence for us have deter
mined to write for benefit series OF letters touch
ing affairs Of the Old Dominion. 1t 10 your native State
aud the place where your father and your fathers father
we're born aud in It's green bosom the bones of grand
father and Of his father e buried You arc therefore
FIVE times Virginia; and having few days Of leisure
shall devote portions OF each in conversng With YOU Of
f.ther.nd and its welfare hope by theso letters to e,-
cite 10 young mind stronger interest than that
which know you already feel for the dear old State
So before We proceed farther together you get the
map and follow me in all ssy concerning geographical
position II you have any difficulty In comprehcndins me
in tracing out lines ask Mr. Observation-Disclosures in.
structvc conversation aud elegant hosptstics wish
could enjoy with you.to help you out, school
to him. you know in Tennessee and therefore know how
excellent he Is at explanation. lie |. QUE Of the best
| gcographers ever knew.
Frst, then let US take map Of the United States.
globe will be beter-wthout any internal mproveme
any turnpikes canals railroads. whatever marked out
upon IL for want TO show you FIRST uhat nature has done
TOR virginia then We will take another map, with all the
railways and canals upon it. to what las done
With this and such other information a. shall give
you from authentic sources, sha be able to under
stand the true situation aud present condition Of the Old
Dominion. We shall see how far she has been disapced
in the commercial how far she has beeu let behind
by sister Sstes in the development OF resources and
then We shall be able Understandings, to discus, the
great question which now engaging the attention of her
sons viz: the true policy Of the State with regard
internal Improvements. Perhaps shall DO able to sat.
sfy ourselves how, (f you and were the people and
nj Nrpini NJ fab
| tion OF her lost commercial advantages.
With terrestrial globe before you elevate the
north pole, bring Vera Cruz under the brszeu meridian
and put your finger on Norfok,-you have clear
view Of its geographical relations seward As the
natural advantages Of position, depth of water and
feasibility by land and sea, Norfolk has competitor
among the seaport towns oil the Atlantic.
Midway the Atlantic coast-lne Of the United States
Norfolk Is the most convenient because the central
point where the produce of the interior may be collected
and whence IL be Distributed north and SOUTH right
| and left among the markets Of the seaboard.
Its climate delightful 1t is exactly Of that happy
middle temperature where the fos,s Of the North bite
aud where the pestlence oi the South wakes Is
harbor is commodous and safe safe be- 1t is
never blocked up with ice, and the cgress and
gress bet~ee and the sea- it possesses all he facilities
that the mariner himself could desire Ii has the double
advantage OF outer and tuner hsrbor The inner har
Dor is smoothe any mill pond; In it. vessels lie with
the most perfect security where natural facility i'm
agnahe is afforded for adng and unlading. Being ready
for the outward bound trader dropping down from
this snug moorirg and approaching the sea- finds
raging from outside The outer hsrbor then affords shell
ter until tue fury afer the gale is spent when the white
winged messenger trips her anchor, trims the
and goes forth rejoicing on her to the haven where
| she would be.
folk westerly Winds which fair for coasng and
for going ,ward in any direction little to the south
Of that parallel you find the " E. trades, which fair
| winds for the inward bonnd Norfolk vessel.
Then there is the Gulf stream that mighty river in the
ocean, upon the verge OF which Norfolk stands 1t flows
by With current which, without the help of sweeps, sails
| II,
Norfolk at the rate ofnearly hundred miles day. d.
rectly on her course.
Then the sides Of this and counter to IL are eddes
which favor the vessel on her return TO Norfolk
These hGre her along and shorten her voyage by
4 long mile.
Next, complete the survey seward, cast your eve
down TO the great Amszouisn waersheet South Amer
ca. That river drains district OF country twice as
large as the whole Mississippi valley. The volume of
ter discharged by the Amazou into the sea- exceeds nv
fold that which the Mississippi emptes into the Gu
and II opens high way for commerce and navigation
from the to the foot Of the sno~.cspped mountains
ha rise the rim OF this great BASIN and touch the
clouds under tie Equator This counr, is to be the
eornneopid OF the world. It's climate is that of eer.
nal Spring; its coil the prolific on the lace of the
earth, aud its minerals the richest and the rsre. and the
most abundant that sdorned person. or mipsercd
to the convrncpceo of man.
But YOU have read your uncle Lewis Herndons Explo.
raiions OF the Amslonyou have studied with me the
physical geography of the country drained by it, and you
understand how and why the winds constant and fair
both ways, for vessels trading between that river and
Norfolk.
Now take string and with your finger hold Of one
end Of in the mouth of the Amazon then with the dis
lance thence to Norfolk radas sweep on the Globe
Of circle from Florida Newfoundland and you
will be surprised to find that the Atlantic coast very
nearly perfect of q circle OF which the mouth of
the Amazon is the centre, and Norfolk the middle
Such the natural advantages of Norfolk seward
Let us look ashore aud consider them landward You
will better appreciate these by studying them in
trast. Therefore, will compare them with the natural
inland advantages OF New York.
bay harbor which is conveniently accessible to the
sea, is supposed to offer natural advantages for COM
merca city in proportion TO the fertility and extent of
the back country that is tributary 20 IT, Thus saw
that when the valley Of the Amazon is fully pcopled up
the largest city the world will be at its mouth
Social Affairs political relations. the requirements of
trade modify this calculation and place the CONNER
cia emporium Of Amazonia at other point and no,
AZ that indicated by nature But you will recoect we
considering at only the natural advantages Of
New York and Norfolk their artificial advantages we
will consider at another time.
The back country that is naturally tributary to the civ
Of New York. is confined to the counties are
by the Hudson washed by the Of the Sound
And il there such things rs internal improve
mens in the interior by which produce and mer.
ehandze could be transported from shed to an
other, the people for whom New York would export and
import would be those who live in the valley of the Iud-
son, or who nhab the shores OF Long Island Sound
These would be all.
Now contrast the fertility and OF this country
with the back country that ia tributary 10 Norfolk Both
TO and this
magnificent sheet Of water is the natural receptacle also
Of the drainage and surplus produce OF the valley Of the
James River, the York. the Rappahannock, the Potomac
and the Susquehanna, aud with perfect net work OF
creeks aud coves that ndent their shores. The back
country, therefore, which, without portage il Naturally
tributary TO Norfolk not only surpasses that which is r
utay 10 New York, In mincss Of climate in fertility of
SOIL and variety prod icou but also in geographical
extent by square esgue; the proportion being as
three TO one in favor Of the Virginia port.
Bu, there such things natural portsges by which
commerce. even in rude state, may pass from one river
valley to another its way the Now let us see
What portion OF country to New York. what 10
Norfolk, assuming that " these natural porges equal
improved, all that country which they will bring arcr
to Norfolk will be tributary TO Norfolk, aud all that they
may bring nearer to New York, will, 10 like mann,r be
tributary TO New York.
Therefore, TO divide and lay off this back country turn
TO the globe once more; stretch string upon Il from
Norfolk to New York, aud make dot half way between
them. Now seek point the South shore of Lake
Erie that is equ.distant from New York and Norfolk
draw line from the dot this point, and thus you will
have dividing line Of distance between the two places
every point along which will be just far from the one
place as tho other. Transfer this line the msp-to
which you will presently be beforehand you will end
that II runs through Delaware and cuts Lake Erie near
Cleveland, Ohio.