The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-23
GIRlAIIp nc DESCR!P TION OF THE JAMES
AND MANY HISTORIC HOMES ON IT
Relics Of Early Settlements The Beautiful Colonial
Homes and Rare Old Paintings of Early
Virginia Families-Where First North
American Legislature Assembled.
American LEGISLATURE Assembled.

published in the Boston g-euiag Trans
cr1pt as a SPECIAL contribut on from Old
Point on August l0th. The article is re-
published in The Times to-day for the
benefit of those who feel an interest in
the many historic relics, colonial homes
and rare Old X nilngs found along the
James from Richmond 20 the sea
10 person Who IS at All interested in
American history. o. evenzn American his
toI~cal noye.s-and that latter class seems
10 embrace The whole reading pubiic-thcre
IS no tip more repcte with interest than
that doTn ihr James R.ver from Rica-
mona To the sca. The distance IS less than
400 mics but The trip occupies enc entire
day, for the hoat ionches at scores of little
WhaINes as wei as at the many pieces OF
nistoT.c interest. 1t WIS at The mouth Of
IN river that the English race gained lis
tirst foothold in the New World. 1t MAS
along its banks that the planters. rejoicing
IN great grants Of land bull their stately
houses and l,Yed lives. of almost REAL mag
nlhceGce ana ease. TIL Sc h uses are s.nnd-
ing to-day, monuments TO The men VINO
Quilt thei.l. and are flied with art treas
ares. 1t was here that Benedict Arnold
three landed British troops during the
revolution and was thrice driven off. II
was here, during the civI WIZ. that the
last battles before Richmond were fought,
and along the bluffs which line the river
the remains of the old Confederate in
trenchments may Yet be seen
Early in the morning the boat casts off
from the L chmond wharf and floats out
into the stream. Il IS probably not until
this moment that the visitor to Richmond
begins 10 appreciate The beauty Of the
city. To the stranger within her gates
She is 4 city of b lis. where one mans sec
ond-story windows looks into his neigh
bor's basement. He has. perhaps
scrambled up into the Capitol yard, feeling
much US though he were climbing up the
side Of a house, and, after inspecting the
malt farious statues with which it IS or
nameated has scrambled down again and
wisely returned TO his hotel to wait for
train time. But now al! that is changed.
One sees only the buildings rising. tier on
tier, from the waters edge 10 the Capt.
toll, which crowns The highest eminence.
Fortuna ieiy, its most imposing facade is
toward the river. and ii crowns the scene
with . satisfying beauty But as the boat
gathers speed the buildings fade and fade,
uIltil they are only a bank against the
western sky.
THE RIVER A DEEP RED.
The river Itself is the first thing to de-
nland attention. II is a deep red, almost
an orange, and gives a note of color TO
she landscape which American landscapes
do not usually possess. 1t raincd heavily
last night. and the R;vanna has poured
into the James the essence of the red clay
hills of Albemarle. Il reminds one of
paint ngs Of the earth-of the holy land
almost of Turner's palpitaGns canvases of
Venice. The course for some miles is
straight away, past Drewry's and Chat
fms bluffs. where the Confederates hud
heavy batteries mounted TO prevent bring
ting gunboats up the james. A few miles
farther down we came to one of the great
benefactions the war marked for Virgin a.
Here the river forms a horseshoe over
seven miles IL length, the neck OF land ut
the narrowest part Of the horseshoe be-
ing only about 100 yards in width Yet
the people of Virginia never thought OF
cutting canal across the neck, but con-
tinued to sal around the seven-rIle bend,
and probably would be doing So yet if it
hndn't been for the war.
When Ben Butler was endeavorng to
get the Union gunboats up the James he
found the water N this bend TOO shallow
TO let them pass, TO say nothing Of the
fact that the ConfeGerates had erected
two or three batteries along the bend IN
order TO give him a warm reception. So
he went ahead and cut a canal across the
sASS'A <~-iNh W JSlS
teen miles from Richmond. he was only
six. Ever since that time the canal mas
been used, and the Government now con-
siders II the channel of The river and keeps
1t IN shape. The plantations along the
land We're thus suddenly drained of their
very life blood, and have naturally fallen
into decay. The place is called Dutch
GAP, because at this spot. in early colonial
days. Dutchman worked a very smooth
game upon the UnsuSpecting Indian The
Dutchman wagered the Indian thai he
could beat nm pudding a canoe around
the bend. fhe Indian took HIN up on the
instant ana gave him u mile the start.
They started Just above the bend. the
Indian n e behind; ana when the Dutch
man reached the neck he jumped on shore.
grabbed his canoe out of the water, ran
across 10 the other side with Il, Grcrped
II into the water again and calmly waited
the arrival OF the astonished Indian, wlsc
mad padded franticaIly around the bend in
The enceavor 10 catch up W tn him. WIar
tAe wager was is not recorded, but the
i1utchnan doubtless got possession OF elrl,-
e,S or 100000 acres OF land as a result of
the trick
ON HISTORIC GROUND.
The poin; of land which the bend in
c-oses is historic ground, for here in 1912
came Sir Thomas Sale and founded the
city Of Henricus, which ne fondiy imagined
was to become one of the great cities OF
the Western Hemisphere. He even built
a university here. ard laid out the town
on most elaborate plan. To-day not
trace of it remains, and since the d:gglng
OF the canal the place has been named
Farre-'s Island
And here before US is colonial Virginia,
for ali the word just as IL was three nun
dred years ago, except for the fact that
mos of the fields are growing rank where
once The dgrk-green tobacco stretched
away as far as the eye could reach me
boat touches at old Bermuda Hundred. and
there, right across the river, is Shirley, the
famous famiiy-seat Of the Carriers 1t IS a
typical Colonial mansion-a great, square
brick house, Two stories and half IN
height with steep roofs from which pro
tects innumeraSle dor.ner windows Il IS
built Of bricks. alternately glazed and dun.
and q wide periico. with the great White
pillars, characteristic of all these houses
shades The main entrance and the great
hallway. Lucky you if the boat has 10
stop here for half an hour TO load or IN
aoad cargo, for the house IS We'll wor'h
visit
These old houses were built TO endure
The foundation walls are four feet tiick,