New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-17
WHY Is NORFOLK sIcKLy.

situa,iOn ON the water; bat that a town so
placed should be siokly does not always follow,
even where hot summers prevail; for little
neck of land msy be a rocky promontory, Ike
Manhattan bland surrounded by other high
lsrds. and free, as are the environs of Ne York,
from all local missms. Directly contrary, hoS-
ever, is the case with Norfolk and Portsmouth,
Virginia. The two towns are situated on an
arm of the sea projecting far inland from Ches-
speake Bay, AID forming what is called Hime-
ton Roads st the mouth Of James River, about
40 miles below Richmond, where we meet the
first highlands. All the lower parts OF Virginia
and North Carolina, all the lands within vie"
from the highest building IN Norfolk, have
emerged from the sea al 80 recent
period that millions of tuns of sea-shelis
are as perfect to-day as at tho time they we're
upbesyed; while the mud and mtlsria- generating
matter have not yet undergone the change neces-
ssry TO make il such earth as Is healthy for the
abode of men. Besides, wherever the surface
ia not sand it ia a mass of cslcare0us eartn,
formed of decayed shells alternating with
swamp, which foe ages have produced great
growth of vegetation. almost tropical IN proiu-
sion and rapidty of growth. So much 80, IN
ceed. that the cutting of the Dismal swamp
canal cost million of dollars, it being mt cesSsry
to remove macs of solid cypress logs Embedded
twenty feet deep in mud. This Dismal swamp,
one of tie largest, deepest and most lmpenetra-
bic in the United States, almost touches the
suburbs of Portsmouth, lying on the south side
of OF of the little arms of the bay; white Norfo
is situated opposite, on the north, surrounded on
three sides with stsgnsnt water; Immediately In
contact with the houses and sll around, for
tv enty miles or more the land is almost fiat and
but slightly elevated above the sea level.
Between Norfolk and the sea on the east Is
TIE County OF Prince-A0n, without single ele-
yations which can be called hill but fall OF
swsmps and lagoons. Norfolk County lies to the
south of the town, and embraces the Dismal
Swan ., which extends into North Carolina; and
beyond that, some forty or fifty miles, lies the
county around Elizabeth City, on the Albemarle
Sound, all low, and cut-up with creeks, l4goons
sGd saltwater marshes. West Of Norfolk County
il tS.t of NaRsemODd, so low and level that
stesn boats run up the Nansemoud river, and by
slight cuts thIoug the land might run all through
tie county. Northwest of this, lsle-of-Wighs
County extends from James RYer to Black
River, q branch OF TIE ChOwan; and that, as
well as Southampton County, the next west, is
composed of the same fiat candy land ant swamps
and sluggish streams. Sonetimesthe surfacels
sandy, and just below is bed OF fetd mud,
afIorciDg we'll water that it is not well to drink.
IT. a. ftll Of m RI
bay north of Norfolk, Elizibeth-City County
oyerlies the point of the peninsula formed by
the waters If the bay, Hampton Roads and
Back Boy, and is almost as level as the water
Ascending the James River, which is in places
several miles wide, the water is very sh sal on
the shores, which are occasionally a little ele-
waited. The timber is mossly pine and oak on
the upland, with maple, asn, elm, cypress, and
other swamp woods on the iowlands, with a
dense growth OF swamp bushes.
The first settlement of Virginia was at james
town, fifty miles above Norfolk; but even that
had to be abandoned on account of its scAiy To-
cation. Yorktown has been olcsely following
the fate Of Jan est0wn; aud some other towns
once in lower Virginia, are not there now. One
on the PamuDky River, some fifteen or twenty
miles east of Richmond, which competed with
mat place for the capital oithc State, has not u
single houee-no, not so much AZ the foundation
Of ono old chimney 10 mark i's former site
Either tho whole OF Lower Virgins /, growing
moro and moro unhealthy. or else soma cause
upacluoslcJe,d and unrrciidcd by the people
of the State hes tended TO depoPulate Il; Tor tho
entire country Ia fall of tho ruius OF gcntiomons
msr.ious-scmc of oem pJla'ial Ia slso-aad
noble old churches, whose solid walls were
huilt Of Imported brioA. but which could Hos
hold tho buiiJos Aud as f1r their descendants.
whore ate they, Tho spl,udor iadeod which
hncd all tho counties of Lower Virginia has DO
parted WY because tho wa'l' country Is
iniasrAsiis. and. sahssvd 81 tenaa 49, " 10 dan'
eet,us to, whites g. spead tho ''oAp 'e"''a
there, spi all. accordingly. whe eAn. aeahd'a
tbsi, ho,nes ia August sni sP'emeeh aud ''oA
ms,e beatty sesle1,
tLis tuias,,atio ,es len ss,eta all the 80 e"a's
sT NItsirla Moth CAtViips N""Fh 'afd'aa,
u4r,sia tl,,iis AlAtama Mlssi.sIrpi AhA leass
Ias4 e,.svt vse.skaAil' a" 'sVlAt5d spot and %
t.ds taia.i Rv,u tsa ~ . kpHdsv,i mgles tia ~
t.a Ia ls gu,ag,, - tha,vssva that u Ia death g.
.i,.,. s,..h sIsts sws Il tho eiU .aa o,pn
,l,s. ..,..s ". ,,Vosei tlst,iss Ia the alsts ea
~. ,-t,,..a -. ,Vssi ell chs Passengers u, yvsis
uAs ~. ssss sv"v-sS ga shirh.'A,d
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