New-York daily tribune., 1861-08-16

the narrow strip Of sandbank which shuts IN 'iic
AlbemarIe and Pamlico Sounds, is fifty mlies 'o"s
by from two TO ten vide. West of this ana iua'
ming inland, is Albcmarle Sound, siA'y n"''
length and from FIVE to fifteen III wia.n' -
Sound, south of these, is ninety iuiies y
ton 10 twenty in extent with genera deP'h oi
twenty feet. II opens to the ocean py ocfacoche
Inlet. which is the only pass naVisaole az al
times north of Cape Lookout; although there are g
ourr lnIeIs which anOId an chIance " fiii'ii
vessels but are not considered safe. Beaufort or
Old Topsa Inlet has twenty feet OF WAFER and
is the best pass on the North Carolina coast, as
Beaufort is the best harbCr.
These waters afford facilities for large coast
ing and internal trade. OF the inland ports, l
may mention Newbern on the Neuse River.
with population of 5000; Edenton, 1900;
Plymouth, 1000, beside Elizabeth City, Wash.
ington, and Winton. BY the ship canal of the
Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal Company Mar
shall Parks, esq, President, an ample and very
valuable channel of communication has been es-
tablish,d between these waters and Norfolk City;
and the rgors of the blockade of that harbor
are thereby almost entirely overcome. This ca
nal, in which the State Of North Carolina is
atoms to aid in its construction, furnishes line
of navigation of Go miles. This line of naviga.
ton extends from Albemarle Sound, at the
mouth of the North River, up that river TO the
North Carolina section of the canal, five aud
tNo-thirjs miles in length; thence through to
(,u Il fhrnu
Sound ard up NOrh-Landing River to tho Vir-
gina section of the Canal, a miles long; thence
westerly to the Southwest branch OF the Efza-
beth River, near Norfolk. The lock, at the
junction of the canal with the Elizabeth River,
is one of the finest on the continent. Ii is of
solid granite masonry, 900 feet by 40 feet in d.
mensioDs, and with capacity for steam pro-
peler of 500 tuns. The length of both sections
of this canal together is but little more than
II miles-the residue Of the COmpanys line OF
navigation being natural water-courses, which
have been improved so as TO furnish uniform
depth of not less than eight feet Of water from
the AlbemaIle TO the Chesapeake. The canal is
principally owned by citizens OF New-York City.
Marshall Parks, PRECEDENT Of the a. and. c.
Canal Company, has been appointed Navy Agent
for North Carolina. lie resides at Norfolk,
where tie Office of the Company is. Through
this ge tlemnn the State las lately given the
Coniederacy eight war steamers. There are also
several gunboats which have been fitted out by
private enterprise. SkHd shipbuilders abound
in this vicinity, aud there is plenty of suitable
lumber. Tie steamship Southern Star, which, it
will be remembered was purchased Of Capt.
Badger for the u. S. Navy, for a large sum,
some two years ago. was built at Murlreesboro,
near here. Stealing, however, seems TO be the
principal method Iesorted to to augment the
Confederate marine.
l Will now relate the substance Of a statement
made 10 fne as was about leaving Weldon by
sailor named Henry Ross, Of Liverpool, Eng.
lie sccOsted me win tue inquiry if l was not
British subject, saying that be lad All important
matter 70 communicate to come trusiy person
who. could lag it before British Consul. Having
satisfied hiu of ny ability to do so, he went On
to say that be WAS impressed, on The 25th Of
July, by Capt. Lewis OF the pirate Speed, mount
log 32.pouB4er and two smaller guns and with
crew Of twenty-tbree men, wen armed. He
July 81, being off the coast near Nogs Head,
the captain observed vessel, and giving chase
soon oyeTbauled her, and fred shot across her
bow, upon which she Immediately ran up the
British flag, her men crowding the decks. appa-
r,nuy in great surprise. The captain Of the
Speed, who was intoxicated, burst out into
torrent Of frighfiul oaths, and Ewore Tat hoist
ing that Aqg was only Yankee trick" that
be knew fhe was a Boston ship, aud he was not
to be fooled By thet dodge any more. lie Or
dered Ross to load tie gun with grape, and
a. send the id Yankees 10 hell'--wlich Ross
refused to do, declaring that he would not FIRE
upon lis cOuDtry's flag. At this the captain be-
cane violently enraged, and drawing a revolver
discharged it at him, one shot taking effect and
vOundmg bim, but not seriously. He was then
iroued and taken below. The gun, loaded heavily
with grapeshOt, was fred upon the slip with
murderOu5 effect, killing, as it seems, the captain
and four of his crew. Upon boarding, which
was done after a bloody resistance, Capt. Lewis
discovered he Lad made an ir.etrieyabe mistake
and that his prize was really British vessel
with cargo Of coffee. After basty consuta-
ton, it was resolved to carry the thing through
with high hand, and destroy all proofs Of the
transaction by dspatehing the remainder of the
crew. The slip was then r,lieved Of her cargo
and burned. Mr.. Ross, who, it appears, was to
be shot next morning, was released that night By
one Henry Sullivan Of New-Yo;k (who was also
impressed at the same time with hm), and made
his escape. This story was related TO me in