Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-23

as tho Cedars. These being always green
and loaded with very large Tons, are much
EXPOSED 20 the Winds and easily blown
down IN this boggy place. whore the sol! "a
soft. and consequently affords but Slender
hold for the Roots that shoot into IL. by
those the passage IS Ia most places inter.
rupted, they lying piled in heaps and
| horslng On one another. Nor II this all.
for the Sna2gs left upon them point every
way, and require the utmost canton to
Chamber over them. IT'S remarkable that
towards the Heart Of this horrible Desert
no Beast or Bird approaches, nor so much
a. on Insect or Reptile. This must hap
pen, not so much from the moisture OF the
Soil, as from the Everlasting Shade occa-
stoned by the thick Shrubs ~ Bushes 50
that the friendly Beams of the sun can
never penetrate them TO warm the Earth.
Nor indeed DO any Birds care 20 Nv
over It, any more than they are said
70 do over the lake. Avernus.f for fear
OF the noisome fXhaiatiCns that rise
from this vast Body of Dirt aud nasti-
ness. These nOx,ous VapouTs infect
the air round about, giving Agues and
other DIstempcrs 90 tho NelEhboTing In
babitauts. On the western border OF tho
Dismal Is Pine Swamp above q mile in
breadth, a great part OF which Is covered
with water knee deep. However, the Bot
| tom - firm, aud though the Pines growing
q
easily blown down by the wind SO that
tho people waded through this part of 1t
without any other hinderance but what
the depth OF the water gave them. With
all these disadvantages the Dismal IA Ia
many places pleasant TO the Eye. though
disAgreeb!e TO the other Sences, because Of
the perpetual verdure winch makes every
! season look like the Spring and every
month like May This dreadful swamp
! WAS ever Judged impossible, till the line
| dividing Virginia from North Carolina was
| carried through II III the year 1928 by the
order Of His late Majesty. Nor would 1t
| have been practicable then, but by the
| benefit of an exceeding dry season. as well
rs by the invincible NIgOur and Industry OF
/ those that undertook II. Some OF the
neighbors have lost themselves here for
some days, but never bad either the cour-
| age or curiosity to advance very far Nor
| can the Difficulties of passing this lnhCs-
/ pltable place be better conceived than by
| the long time that was spent in doing IL,
| even by men who were not altogether with
out apprehensions of being starved. they
| being no less than Ten whole DAYS III push
| ing on the Line fifteen miles, though they
proceeded with all possible diligence and
Resolution, and besides had no disaster to
retard them.
| ADVANTAGES OF DRAINING TIE DISMAL.
The foregoing being y true and faithful
account of the present condition OF the Dis
nal If any way could be found TO drain II,
| the benefits both 20 his Majesty and
| these Colonys would be considerable.
/. First that vast Extent of Bogg which
| is now of no value TO the Crown, nor ever
| can be III the condition 1t Ives at present,
will come in time to pay the same quit
rent that other Lands pay in this Colony.
| and employ great number Of People.
2. BY draining the Dismal It Will make
oil tho adjacept country much more
wholesome. and consequently preserve the
| Lives of many of the Kings Subjects; this
will happen by correcting and purifying
| the AR, which is now infested by the ma
| lignaut vapours rising continually from
| the large Tract Of mire and tllthlness.
3. After the Dismal comes to be drained
| il will be tho fitteSt soil III the world COR
| producing Of Hemp+ the propagatlng OF
1 which Is with so much reason desired and
encouraged IN has Majesty's Plantations.
/ Besides the Hemp made in this Place Will
| have the advantage of being nearer TO
/ Navigation than 1t can commonly be III
| this colony.
4. As the Dismal must be drained by the
! help Of canals 70 he cut from the Northern
| TO the Southern Rivers there will be safe
aud easy Communication by water betwl1t
/ Virginia and North CarOhua. TO the mani
/ fest advantage Of both. Virginia Will have
the Benefit of being the Port and Publlck
/ Mart to which the Inhabitants OF North
| Carolina must bring their COmmodltys;
and these. again, Will have the Conve-
nience OF Shipping the Effects of their
! Industry and receiyeing then. Returns
! from Great Britain IN good Ships, there
/ being no lniets into the hlther part OF that
Province but what are dangerous even 10
Small vessels that can Enter them.
CONDITIONS OF DRAINING TIE DISMAL
The Dismal then being so utterly useless
TO the Crown, and Such a Nuisance 10 the
neighbouring country, and the advantages
Of draining 1t being so many, there re-
naming no Difficulty not to find out a
method Of doing 1t without leading his
Majesty INTO an Expense, or laying
| Burthen on the People, and humbly con-
ceiyc that neither OF these objections can
/ be raised against the following scheme;
II is therefore proposed that HIS Majesty
| be graciously pleased to grant tue Dismal,
and all its land not yet taken up lying
within half a mile Of any part OF II. to the
/ Petitioners hereafter named, And tho
| bother 10 encourage them TO undergo the
| heavy charge of draining II It's further
J proposed. that the said Petitioners may
/ have such Grant from Rights, and be also
| exempted from paving anv quit-rent Tor
/ the Space of 90 years, except one round
/ of Hemp yearly on st. Georges dav.
| 1t IS also proposed that all the Persons
| employ'd IN draining the sd Dismal shall
/ be excused from paying any Levys for the
| space OF ten years after the date Of the
said Grant.
Nor can 1t fairly be objected that such
/ Exemption from Rights ana quit rents
! will be anv loss TO the Crown because no
/ body will over take up any Land In the
! Dismall but with intent to dram II, and
| the expeuce OF that will be too great to
| undertake it without the Encouragement
/ at least. Wherefore Since the King can
| get nothing for II as II now Is, II would be
/ more for His MaJesty's Interest TO grant 1t
| on the prospect OF q future advantage
| than to let IL lye vast, and continue
| Nuisance to perpetUIty.
Nor would the Country be Looser by
! INDUCING the Cndertakers of tins great
/ work with a freedome rom lIeyys because
/ of the advantages that woud happen TO 1t
/ from their Industry, and because most OF
/ the Hands employed therein Will be I'M
ported on purpose to carry on TINS laud-
/ able des en- and consequently woud never
/ pay any Levys without II.
! And to remove all Suspl clon of Fraud II
| IL likewise proposed that q Condition be
/ inserted IN the Royal Grant that IN case
/ the Petitioners shalt not drain the SAID
| Dismal in the Space of Ten Years they
I shall then be obliged TO nay all the arrears
( of Ouit-rents from the Date OF the SAID
Grant, together Win tho III" N"iu0 VI wv
| Rights which ought otherwise 10 nave
| been payd down in the Beginning, pro-
porTionately to tho quantity OF. Land so
( granted. The Petitioners humbly relying
/ on HIS Majesty's goodness TO indulge them
| a longer time III case unforeseen Dlfhcultys
| should require 1t.
PROPOSALS FOR DRAINING TIE DISMAL.
! If this Great Undertaking be Managed
/ Prudentlv II may be Completed IN the fore
/ mentioned time of Ten years tor the SUNNI
! OF Fen Thousand Pounds Sterling, and
! perhaps for a great deal less.
fl Is therefore hoped that this SUNNI be
/ divided into 20 Shares, and they be sub
scribed by few Persons as possible That
+ the Earl OF Orkney. Sr. Charles Wager. ST.
jacob Acworth, and Colo; B.sdeni DO M
yIted 10 Encourage THIS Subscription, be-
/ ING wellwishers to the Colony. as
! well as TO the propagatIng OF Hemp IN his
-.