St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1857-01-15


! but remain among the archives Of the Topo-
/ graphlca! Bureau and. now that they are
important IN Calculating maLy facts connect
ed with the commercial interests of the coun-
! Iry il IS TO be hoped that their publication
wall be ordered by the proper authorities. For
want of accurate knowledge upon the suhjec,
| it has generally been supposed that nowhere
within or on the borders IF the great agricul-
| tnral and producing region of the Southern
States could safe harbors or ports OF sufficient
depths Of water be found; but when there
! surveys are examined il will be seen that har-
! bors where ports may be established in the
! very heart OF the finest agricultural country
| in the world, which vessels can safely reach
! and where they may anchor with cargo of
$1,000 tens. secure from storms and danger
OF every kind.
| Having carefully examined the surveys in
question. find that the Patnxent rlver emp
ties into the Chesapeake BAY, about twenty
mes north of the mouth Of tie Potomac riv-
or. above Point or Cape Lookout. where the
Government have lighthouse The ST
Mary's river einptieS into the Potomac river
Some ten miles above its junction with the
Chesapeake Bay. On the bar at the mouth
OF The Patuxent there is 81 iathoIuS or 81
feet Of water a. lowest tide, aud inward up
.
far as Fish Point; so that from the
mouth of the riv,r for many miles up there
is more than 80 feet OF water at low tide At
the mouth of the 81. Mary's river there is 90
feet oFwater at low tide and as far up the
river as Fort PUNT there is g feet In Point
Lookout Harbor, or as il is oitenes cailsd.
Cornhell Harbor, al no very great distance
from the margin OF the shore, there is SO ieet
AZ low tide. The tide rises about three feet
in these waters.
viii here remark that, By = diagram which
have of the depths Of water around Cape
Lookout, taken from the coast survey made
in lS49, n appears that the Soundings did not
generally extend the measurement beyond "a
FEET because doubtless at that day % was
deemed that deeper water would never be re-
quired in navigation ; but experience IS every
where showing that the requirements of cum
merce advance berHnd the speed of the pre-
else sciences, and hope that these remarks
upon the facts alluded To may lie Suggestive
TO the present enlightened bead of the Coast
Survey. In the Autographed survey of
Major kearuey ind that he extended his
periphery of examination 10 the depth OF 81
Ieet. and hence in a commercial point OF view
hiS survey is very important; but a careful
examination aud COMPARISON OF those sur
veVPS snow 3not3er lmpOftant iaCts uat3etE,
the fixedneSs OF the bottom Of these waters,
as no change seems 10 have taken place
which could he detected IN intervals of near
a quarter Of century.
Thus. as have said. IL VIII be seen by the
examination Of these surveys shat there are
seversI places in the vicinity of Cape Lookout
where vessels &c snv conceivable iralsht of
water may trade anu set low almost wholly
unknown is The fact Thar such harbors can be
found 50 lar inland! Who can eSlumate the
advantages OF such g locality, when it is seen
that several haFbors may here be found where
a vessel Of sc. 900 tons can safely enter and
moor itself in the centre of the most produc
tive country and most genial climate in the
world i--hy the side of tobacco fields the bess
in The United SIXTIES, for several nations Of
Europe have loag charged N extra duty On
lAasrgsand aseseao from iT supeEias qualify