Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-26

ot an Interesting and well-written ar
q ucle published in the Boston Evening
Transcript as a special contribution
from Old Point on August 10th. The
article is republished in the Times to-
day for the benefit of those who feel
an interest in the many historic relics.
colonial homes and rare old paintings
found along the James from Richmond
to the sea.
To person who is at all interested
In American history or even in Ameri-
cnn historical novels-and that latter
class seems TO embrace the whole
4 reading publlo-there is no trip more
replete with interest than that down
the James river from Richmond to the
sea. The distance is less than $50
miles. but the trip occupies one entire
day, for the boat touches at scores of
little wharves, as we'll as at the places
of historic interest. It was at the
mouth of this river that the English
race gained its first foothold in the
New World. 1t was along it's banks
that the planters, rejoicing in great
grants of land. built their stately
houses and lived lives of almost regal
magnificence and ease. These houses
are standing to-day, monuments to the
men who built them. and are filled
with art treasures. 1t was here that
Benedict Arnold thrice landed British
troops during the Revolution and was
thrice driven off. 1t was here, dur
ing the civil war, that the last battles
before Richmond were fought, and
along the bluffs which line the river
s the remains of the old Confederate in
trenchments may be seen.
Early in the morning the boat casts
off from the Richmond wharf and
floats out into the stream. II is prob
ably not until this moment that the
visitor to Richmond begins to appre.
ciate the beauty of the city. To the
I. stranger within her gates she is city
OF hills, where one mans second-story
windows looks into his neighbours base
1nent. He has, perhaps, scrambled up
into the Capitol yard. feeling much as
though he were climbing up the side
of house, and, after inspecting the
multifarious statues with which it is
ornamentcd, has scrambled down again
and wisely returned to his hotel to
wait for train time. But now all that
IS changed. One sees only the build
irgs rising, tier on tier, from the
waters edge to the Capitol. which
crowns the highest eminence. Fortu-
nately, it's most imposing facade is to-
ward the river. and 1t crowns the scene
with a satisfying beauty. But as the
\ and fade, until they are only a bank
against the western sky.
THE RIVER A DEEP RED.
The river itself is the first thing to
demand attention 1t is a deep red, al
most an orange, and gives note or
color to the landscape which American
landscapes do not usually possess. 1t
laincd heavily last night. and the RI
wanna has poured into the James the
essence of the red clay hills of Abe
marie. II reminds one of paintings of
the earth--of the holy lnnd-almost OF
Turner's palpitating canvases OF We
nice. The course for some miles Is
straight away. past Drewry's and
ChafIin's Bluffs, where the Confcd-
crates had heavy batteries mounted TO
prevent bringing gunboats up tie
James few miles farther down we
came to one of the great benefactions
the war marked for Virginia. Here the
river forms a horseshoe over seven
miles in length the neck OF lano at
the narrowest part of the horseshoe pc
. ing only about 100 yards in width. yer
< the people of Virginia never thought or
$ cutting n canal across the neck, Out
Z continued to sail around the seven
mile bend, and probably would be 10
+ no an vet If 1t hadn't been for the
When Ben Butler was endeavoring
to get the Union gunboats up the
James he found the water in this bend
q
nothing of the fact that the Confede-
rates had erected two or three bat
teries along the bend in order to give
-a-auarna-ren eptn ota----sn--a
ahead and cut canal across tne neck
and suddenly, instead OF being thirteen
miles from Richmond, he was oniy siN.
Ever since that time the canal mas
been used. and the government now
considers 1t the channel of the river
and keeps 1t in shape. The plantations
along the land were thus suddenly
drained Of their very life blood, and
have naturally fallen into decay me
place is called Dutch Gap, because at
this spot. in early colonial days, q
Dutchman worked very smooth game
upon the unsuspecting Indian. The
DutchInan wagered the Indian that he
could beat him padding canoe around
the bend. The Indian took him up on
the instant and gave him mile the
start They started just above the
bend: apd when the Dutchman reached
the neck he jumped on shore. grabbed
his canoe out OF the water, ran across
TO the other side with 1t, dropped 1T
3 into the water again and calmly
awaited the arrival of the astonshed
Indian. who had padded frantically
~ Ground the bend in the endeavor to
catch UP with him. What the wager
was is not recorded, but the Dutch
: man doubtless got possession of 100000
or 900 acres of land as Il result of
the trick.
ON HISTORIC GROUND.
The point of land which the bend in
closes is historic ground. for here In
1912 came Sir Thomas Sale and found
ed the city OF Henricus, which he
fondly imagined was to become one OF
the great cities of the Western Hemis-
phere He even built university
s here. and laid out the town on a most
elaborate plan. To-day not trace of
ror oty,a Nd nj,