The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-24
A VIRGINIA TOUR.
n,om o,tr O,On Correspondent.

Company" have just reached this point the seat
OF their recently purchased tracts. The day Is
cloudy, promising rain. The night past has
been one of storm aud unpleasantness, the bay
rough, the clouds heavy, aud overcast with
gloom; but within the good steamer Kennebec
all was pleasant and cheerful. The tract of land
purchased by the Company comprises FIVE thou.
sand acres directly at West Point five hundred
acres of which are to be laid out In TO VII and
garden lots, the remainder in farms to suit the
purchaser, from one hundred TO FIVE hundred
acres.
Besides these vast areas, however, the company
bave purchased all the land lying between White
House and West Point for half TO mile and a
half on either side OF the Pamunky river, down
to point seven miles below West Point. And
now for a description of these lands. West Point
Is situated at the head OF the York river a dis.
tance of twenty-five miles from its mouth. 1t is
the principal place on the York river, and
divides by its position that river now famed in
history, into two separate branches, the Pamun
Ky and the Mattapony. Take the city of New
York, then the Mattapony will answer for the
East river and the Pamunky for the North
river In po.itiou it is perhaps the
only counterpart of the great metropolis of the
United States. The North western Carolinas
acting as Northern New Jersey, Tennessee and
West Virginia as Central New York, while tie
New England States are comparable by South.
eastern Virginia. West Point is the only natural
seaport of the State of Virginia. Norfolk is
reached only after very tedious boat or rail
ride, rendering it impossible to freight goods or
products without loss TO the consumer or pro-
ducer. Besides, the harbor of Norfolk is more
difficult of access on account of the bars putting
of from Sewelrs Point. The latter alone must
IN the future, as in the past be the greatest bar.
rier to the growth of Norfolk as seaport
town. West Point is the Only outlet for
all OF Central and Western Virginia. and the
entiIe central and medal Southern States The
American Agricultural and Mineral Land Com
pany, which purchased these tracts, first
examined the lands lying contiguous to the
Piankatank river; but after thorough explora.
tion of the waters about the mouth of that river
1t was found that there were two transverse
bars putting of from the shores, running dis.
tance into the bay, rendering the entrance to
the harbor one of great and almost iusurmount.
able difficulty. Still, they have purchased on
the Plank atank the only available landing-place
on that river, upon which they propose to raise
wharves and docks for shipping purposes On
the Kappahannock river 1t is impossible
TO erect or build any wharves, unless
the Government shoIld first build i'm
mense breakwaters, rendering 1t utterly
impossible for any thought of that river to be
entertained for moment. West Point is there.
fore the only available spot that can be found
on the eastern slope of Virginia. OF the agri-
cultural and mineral wealth of the place. it
would have to be seen to be appreciated. saw
corn twelve feet four inches high which had
been grown from land on which no manure
whatever had been thrown. In fact, the rich
chocolate color, permeated as 1t Is with over
lying mari, will take years upon years to ex-
haust After the steamer landed at West Point,
in company with Mir. Alden 1 walked about
three miles up the White House road to the
entrenchments thrown up by the Union troops
in 1862. They are still standing, covered with a
thick growth of grass, which from year to year
grows up, topples over, dies, and decays, the
next year to increase its quantity, furnishing in
this way its own manure.
The fields in front of these earth works,
where the soldiers of our army had cut away
every vestige of vegetation, are now grown
up with stout trees, behind which many
Rebel in new war could hide his thin long
body. These earthworks extend from the Mat
tapony TO the Pamunky river, distance of a
mile, perhaps more. One would think that
the soil OF which these works are made would
be hard, c1ispy, and baked. They have been
exposed to all sorts of weather. the hot sun, the
sharp cold, and this, too, for six long years;
and yet the ground is soft and friable, rich and
full Of wealth. Why it is that these sections of
Virginia have never before received attention, it
is absolutely impossible to tell. We walked
down small path towards the Pamunky river
and at its banks we found ourselves on high
plateau, sixteen to thirty feet above the tide
water. Vessels of the greatest tonnage can lay
directly against the shore or banks while their
keels at the lowest possible tide cannot touch
the bottom of the river AS proof of this the
steamer Kennebec sailed directly along the
shore, so near as in many cases to touch the
branches of the trees skTrting the banks, and
this too against a powerful ebb-tide; still there
was no fear of grounding This is one of the
most remarkable OF the many natural features
of the place. "The Great Eastern" said Cap
tain Freeman, Of our steamer, "can come up
This river and turn anywhere, for there is not a
bar putting off from either shore, a distance OF
sixty miles from the southwest of Mob
Jack bay"
Owing to the tremendous heavy rains of the
preceding week, the water of the river main
tains yellow, muddy appearance on the
southern side of the river, but where the river
meets, little to the north of the centre the rain
washing from the West Point side, it has cho-
colate appearance. Fancy an old man with
long white locks, dye one part of his hair a
yellow hue, and the remaining hat q chocolate