Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-16
A Healthy swamp.

The Great Dismal swamp is the most unioue formation of it's kind in the world. It's location is on the boundary line, lying partly in Virginia and partly North Caro- lima. It is hard to tell where it begins or where it ends. It may, however, be said to begin at point about eight miles south of Norfolk, Va, ard extends in general south erly direction for distance of nearly 40 miles. It's general width is about 20 miles. It therefore embraces about, ,0G0 square
 miles or 640,0 ,000 acres of territory.
 The soil is of dark color and of peaty nature, so much 50 that when the swamp
 gets unusually dry the fires that are started there burn for we ks in the soil, burning out large holes in the ground several feet in depth It is brought down in the traditions
 of the Indians that Lake Drummond, body
 of water in the middle of the swamp cover
 ing about % quares miles of surface, was burned out making a large depression into which the waters flowed when the rains came again and which has been 8 lake to this day.
 Most swamps are on low ground, lower than the lands adjoining. But the Dismal
 swamp occupies higher ground than the ad' | iacent lands; it is 27 feet higher than mean tide in Norfolk harbor and considerably | higher than the land to the east, north ol south of 1t. Oaly at the westward do we see l hiaher land. Therefore the water is held in | this swamp as 1t is held ir a sponge. Foul | or five good sized streams and several small> | CT ones have their headwsters in this swamp and flow away to the sea to the south, east l and north. If large ditches were dug from ! the outer limit of this swamp to the lake al | the center, the waters of the lake would run | out like the waters of mill race, and the l swamp would soon be drained.
 | Strange as it may appear, there are no un- | healthful influences emanating from this l swamp Most swamps are hotbeds or ols- l ease-breeding musquftos and malaria. Not l so with the Dismal swamp. It's waters are l not only pure and sweet at all seasons of the | year, but have fine medicinal properties.
 This swamp ia covered with juniper. There fore the water is strongly impregnated with the juniper, which gives it color just like l that of cold tea or vinegar, and which deals
 very kindly with the kidneys.
 l This water ia used largely for drinking purposes by those who can get it; and gov ernment vessels leaving Norfolk harbor fol long ocean voyages i'll their tanks with thlf l juniper water from the Great Dismal swamp
 because of its purity, it's medical properties
 and it's fine keeping qualities. It is fao l that-it keeps longer and better than any
 other water that can be obtained by our sea going vessels. We doubt if they are thre' l cities in the union supplied with better wa
 ter for domestic purposes than the wate
 from this swamp. It is fact we'll knowl to the natives hero, that if a man is broker
 down with everwork or almost any chroni 1 disease, he can take his rod and gun ant plunge into the recesses of this swamp
 drink juniper water-sleep on juniper bough -and breathe the juniper air; and come ou in few weeks a new man. The fact Is, thi swamp breeds neither musquitos nor malari
 and has no unhsalthful influence on the SUI
 rounding country.
 | The Dismal swamp canal traverses th
 tract nearly it's entire length-north an
 south. This canal is fed by the waters {