of Santee, is on Tanner's U. S. laid down at N. Lat. 33° 06′ and Lon. 2° 18′ W. from W.C.

The entire basin of Santee is 250 miles in length, from the mouth of Santee to either the extreme head of Saluda or Catawba; the utmost breadth is 125 miles across the higher branches; but as the basin comes almost to a point at the junction of Saluda and Congaree, and as it is confined to less than 10 miles wide along the main volume of Santee, the mean width may be assumed at 50, and the area at 12,500 square miles.

The Pedee of South Carolina is the Yadkin of North Carolina. Under the latter name this river has its most remote source in the valley between the Blue Ridge and South East Mountain, interlocking sources to the south-westward with those of Catawba; to the north-east with those of Dan river branch of Roanoke; and opposite to those of the Watauga and New River. Similar to the Catawba, the upper Yadkin flows to the north of east; the first 60 miles of its course draining the valley comprising Wilkes and Surry counties, North Carolina, and augmented by numerous confluents from Blue Ridge. Traversing the South East Mountain between Stokes and Surry, the channel bends by more than a right angle, and assumes a course in a very remarkable manner parallel to the Catawba and Santee; a course which it preserves, with partial windings, through 250 miles to its mouth at Georgetown entrance. Winyaw Point on the north side of Georgetown entrance, is at N. Lat. 33° 11', Lon. 2° 14' W. from W.C.

If, as stated in Armroyd's Treatise on the Internal Navigation of the United States, page 416, it is 247 miles along the channel of the Yadkin from Wilkesville, in North Carolina, to Cheraw Hill, 6 miles within South Carolina, and thence to Georgetown 270, in all 514 miles, the actual channel must be double that of the comparative length of the river.

In South Carolina the name of this stream changes from Yadkin to Pedee, and the latter term is used where the whole basin is intended to be expressed. That basin extending from Georgetown Entrance in a direction of N.N.W. 250 miles, with a mean width of 70, embraces an area of 17,500 square miles. Though the main volume receives no tributary from either side, bearing a near proportion in length of volume or surface drained to the whole basin, yet the confluents are numerous, and some of considerable commercial importance. From the right, advancing from source to mouth, enter in order, beside many more of minor extent, Little Yadkin, Rocky river, Lynche Creek, and Black River: and on the opposite side, proceeding in a similar direction, the main volume is augmented by Ararat river, Little Pedee and Waccamaw rivers, and by innumerable creeks.

The western confluents of this basin may be passed over without specific notice; but more attention is due to Little Pedee, and the very remarkable Waccamaw river.

Little Pedee rises in Montgomery and Moore counties, North Carolina, from which under the name of Lumber river, and between and at nearly equal distances from Yadkin and Cape Fear rivers,

it flows 70 miles to the S.S.E., joins with and loses its name in that of Little Pedee. The latter in a general southern course of 40 miles falls into Great Pedee, 25 miles N. from Georgetown.

Waccamaw river rises in Bladen county, North Carolina. It is in reality the drain of an extensive swampy tract between Cape Fear river and Little Pedee river. Leaving Bladen, this curious stream assumes the form of a river, and separating Brunswick from Columbia county, bends from a southern to a south-western course, enters Hony District, S. Carolina, within 8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean at Little River Inlet. In place, however, of flowing onwards to the ocean, the channel inflects with the coast for 10 miles, curves thence inland to 12 miles from the coast at Conwaysboro, and again inclining very gradually towards the ocean for 20 miles, and reaching within 3 miles, once more declines from, but flows very nearly parallel to the coast another stretch of 18 miles, finally falls into Winyaw Bay or the estuary of Pedee. Thus, for upwards of 60 miles, the channel of Waccamaw follows the inflections of the Atlantic coast at a distance of from 3 to 12 miles.

The general bearing of river courses, and the character of the Atlantic coast, so greatly change, as to fully justify engrouping into one physical section the basins of Alatamaha, Ogeechee, Savannah, Edisto, or Charleston, Santee and Pedee.

The improvement of this fine physical section, by canals, has not been yet very extensively effected, though much has been planned. In 1818, the Yadkin Navigation Company had that river surveyed from Wilkesville, in North Carolina, to Cheraw Hill, in South Carolina; distance by the windings, 247 miles, and by an estimate based on the survey, it was stated, that at an expense of $250,234, boats of 10 tons could be navigated, exclusive, however, of the rapids of Montgomery.

Below Cheraw to Georgetown, distant along the windings, 270 miles, the state of South Carolina has bestowed considerable attention on clearing the bed of Pedee; and on this part of the stream, so tortuous is the channel, that short canals at the bends, it is determined, would shorten the distance from

180 to 200 miles.

From the very peculiar course of Waccamaw river, its connexion by canal with Cape Fear river was an obvious suggestion on a review of their joint representation on a map. The Waccamaw is in its natural state navigable for about 70 miles of its course, by vessels of 100 tons burthen, and from the head of navigation to a point near Wilmington, distant between 30 and 40 miles, a canal is proposed. If properly executed, this would be a most invaluable addition to the internal navigation of the United States, and become of immensely augmented consequence when viewed in connexion with another chain of canals from Georgetown to Charleston. The latter line will include a short canal already formed from Winyaw Bay, or the estuary of Pedee, into the northern arm of Santee, and thence over Cedar Island, across the southern arm of Santee, and thence parallel to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to Wando river, and down that stream into Cooper river, nearly opposite the north east angle of the city of Charleston. Length from Georgetown to Charleston, 45 miles.

There is perhaps not another range of ocean coast in America, where one line of canal improve ment would more naturally suggest another, than on the region we are reviewing, nor any other where nature has effected more to guide and aid the efforts of man.

It has been suggested to take advantage of the many interlocking streams, and of short cuts by canals, to carry a chain of uninterrupted inland navigation from the harbour of Charleston to Savannah river.

Nature has done more than three-fourths of all the labour necessary to effect the latter route. From Ashley river, directly opposite the west side of the city of Charleston, Wappoo Cut leads into Stono river, which encircling to the northward Johns and Wadmelaw Islands, joins North Edisto, or Dawho river, and by the latter leads into the main Edisto at the head of Edisto Island. Thence down the Edisto into St. Helena Sound, and from that sheet of water, either by Morgan and Port Royal river, or by Coosa and Broad rivers, into Port Royal Entrance. From the latter by the channels on the north side of Hilton Head Island and Calibogue Sound into the mouth of Savannah river.

In Armroyd's Internal Navigation, the navigable distance between the extremes of this line is stated at 100 miles, and the requisite canals to cut at most supposed 40; but the direct distance being 80 miles, it may be doubted whether a practicable line of river and canals could be carried from the port of Charleston into Savannah river, without its exceed ing 100 miles.

The harbour of Charleston has been, since 1802, united to Santee river, by a canal from the head of Cooper river, N.N. W. 22 miles into Santee, opposite Black Oak Island. The canal is 34 feet wide, 4 feet deep, and cost 650,667 dollars.

The Santee, Columbia and Saluda navigation is carried above the Charleston canal, 150 miles, by a combined series of rivers and canals, with 28 locks to overcome 217 feet fall, and opens the com

merce of much of the upper part of South Carolina to Charleston. The foregoing embraced only a part of the basin of Santee; as it did not reach its longest branch, the Wateree and confluents. Extensive side cuts have been completed on the latter in Kershaw district above Camden, at Rocky Mount, in the north-east part of Fairfield district, and at other places on the Wateree and constituent streams. What has been noticed, embraces that part of the navigation of the physical section represented by Table V., and of which a part of the artificial improvements had been actually formed. In addition, however, to the foregoing, it has been suggested to extend canal or sluice improvement to the most mountainous districts watered by the Seneca, and the higher branches of Saluda, Pacolet, Broad, Catawba, and Yadkin rivers.

A

In their plans of inland navigation, the people of South Carolina have not neglected rail roads. Considerable advance has been made in the construction of such a road from the city of Charleston to the Savannah river at Hamburg and Augusta. charter was granted for the purpose to a company styled "The South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company." The distance about 130 miles, in a direction of north-west by west. A branch road is to leave the main line at Orangeburg, and be carried, a little W. of N., about 40 miles to Columbia.

On a section of the earth differing so greatly in its extreme features, no one system of improvement could be effectually adopted. The whole embracing a vast inclined plain with a general north-western direction 250 miles, and rising from tide level to at least a mean of 1500 feet. The interior apex, a chain of mountains from which the streams meander by very tortuous channels, and reach their oceanic recipient over a marshy and in great part flat and diurnally inundated border. Along the ocean coast and for 60 or 70 miles, inland canals are the most practicable, and in many localities the only practicable melioration that art can effect on the face of nature; but receding towards the mountains the same exclusive preference is finally given or perhaps ought to be given to roads. A remark may be made on the rivers included in Table V., which, with some limitation, is due to all the streams issuing from the Atlantic side of the Appalachian system. It is, that their volumes of water are more abundant and more durable at each extreme than in the middle part of their courses. This will be more illustrated in the sequel, and may be dismissed here with the observation, that the causes of the phenomenon are no doubt evaporation and absorption, the former more especially.

The

With Georgetown entrance, or the mouth of Pedee, commences a new character of coast. productive and comparatively small protruding islands which skirt Georgia and South Carolina cease, and from Winyaw Point to Cape Fear, the coast sweeeps inward an elliptical curve bounding Long Bay, by a low sandy line a little exceeding 100 miles. The small islands are mere sandy reefs lying parallel to the coast; and the inlets, so excessively numerous from the mouth of the Alatamaha

to that of the Pedee, now become rare. Long Bay, is followed by two others of nearly equal length, and in a very remarkable manner similar in regard to their inland curves and the features of their shores. Onslow Bay extends a semi-ellipsis from Cape Fear to Cape Lookout, and Raleigh Bay from Cape Lookout to Cape Hatteras. The latter promontory, the terror of mariners, and the great salient angle of the basin of North Carolina, projects into the Atlantic Ocean at N. Lat. 35° 12', and Lon. 1° 36′ E. from W.C. The general bearing of this singular series of curves on the Atlantic coast of the United States, from the mouth of Pedee, or more precisely, from Winyaw Point to Cape Hatteras is, by calculation on Mercator's principles, N. 57° 35′ E. and the reverse, and the distance 291 statute miles.

With Cape Hatteras the coast, maintaining its character of long low sand islands extending parallel to the margin of the ocean, inflects 70 degrees, and stretches in an almost direct line of 130 statute miles to Cape Henry, at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. Combining the two lines of coast on each side of Cape Hatteras, we have, from Winyaw Bay to that of Chesapeake, a sandy coast of 421 statute miles, enclosing a physical section drained by Cape Fear river, Neuse river, Pamtico or Tar river, Roanoke, and Chowan rivers. This section may be with propriety designated the basin of North Carolina, since, though the larger part of the subbasin of its principal stream, the Roanoke, is in Virginia, it is discharged with all its confluents into the ocean on the North Carolina coast.. In their aggregate forms, as regard the range of their individual rivers, the two basins of Georgia and South Carolina, and that of North Carolina, present a marked contrast. In the basin of Georgia and South Carolina, the sources of the rivers spread 350 miles along the Atlantic side of the Blue Ridge, like the branches of a tree; whilst their volumes gradually approach and meet their common recipient within extremes of 200 miles. On the contrary, the basin of North Carolina spreads like a fan along the Atlantic Ocean, with an immense salient curve from Little River inlet to the head of North river, a confluent of Currituck Sound, with a chord of 270 miles, whilst the remote sources of its rivers are restricted to about 90 miles along the Blue Ridge.

Cape Fear river, the largest stream which rises and has its entire basin in North Carolina, has its most remote source in the South East Mountain, between and overheaded by those of Yadkin and Dan.river branch of Roanoke. Cape Fear river is formed by two confluents, Haw river and Deep river. Both rise on the south-eastern border of Stokes county, but Haw river derives the larger share of its higher streams from Guilford, Rock ingham, and Orange counties; from which, flowing to the south-eastward, they unite in the latter, and entering Chatham join Deep river at Haywoodboro'. Deep river, from its highest fountains in Stokes, flows to the south-eastward over Guilford and Randolph into Moore county. Curving from

the latter to N.E. by E. it enters Chatham, and, uniting with Haw river, the combined waters are thence known as Cape Fear river. Below Haywoodboro' the main volume of Cape Fear river, forming two great elliptical curves first to the eastward and secondly westward, and passing Fayetteville, Elizabeth, and Wilmington, falls into the Atlantic Ocean almost exactly on the intersection of N. Lat. 34o and Lon. 1° W. from W.C.

The general course of Haw river is continued in the main volume, and the range of the basin is very nearly from N. W. to S.E.; length 200 miles. Where broadest, the width falls short of 70, and is fully estimated by a mean of 40 miles; or the area is about 8000 square miles. This basin extends in Lat. from 34° to 36° 22′, and in Lon. from 0° 40′ to 3° 08′ W. from W.C.

From the right, below the junction of Haw and Deep rivers, the main volume of Cape Fear river receives no tributary above the size of a large creek, and on the left also, the confluents are few and limited in length, until a short distance above Wilmington, enter in rapid succession, South river and North Branch of Cape Fear river. either volume or length of course, those two minor branches would not deserve specific notice, but from their relative position they derive great importance amongst the natural channels which may be made subservient to canal improvement.

In

South river, or Black river, as it is called in the higher part of its course, rises in Cumberland and Johnson counties, within 10 or 12 miles from the main volume of Neuse river, and flowing thence S.S.E. almost parallel to Cape Fear river, and receiving large accessions of water from Sampson county, it falls into Cape Fear river, between Brunswick and New Hanover counties, and in a direct line 28 miles above the mouth of the main stream.

North Branch of Cape Fear river has the extreme source in Wayne county, within three miles from the right bank of Neuse river, from whence it pursues very nearly a southern comparative course of about 70 miles, to where it falls into Cape Fear river at Wilmington, having traversed Duplin and New Hanover counties. .

Pamtico, the first advancing from the south and the most extensive of the two great sounds of North Carolina, is the estuary or common recipient of two rivers, Neuse to the south-west, and Tar river to the north-east. Both Neuse and Tar rivers derive their sources below the South East Mountain, and in Person county, North Carolina. Neuse river, leaving Person and traversing Orange, Wake, and Johnson, and passing Raleigh the capital of the State, pursues a comparative southeastern course of 100 miles to Waynesboro, in Wayne county. About twenty miles above the latter place, the main volumes of Neuse and Cape Fear rivers approach within 25 miles of each other, approaching by counter curves, and then rapidly receding. Below Waynesboro, with a southern curve, the course of the Neuse is nearly east 40 miles, to where it receives a large tributary branch,

Contentney creek, on the border between Craven and Pitt counties; bending thence to south-east 40 miles, it widens into a bay, which, inflecting to north-east another 40 miles, is lost in the wider expanse of Pamtico Sound. The entire valley of Neuse lies in a direction of S. E. by E. and the reverse. Length 180, mean breadth 40, and area 7200 square miles.

Tar river rises in Person, but flowing thence traverses Granville and Franklin, and to the central part of Nash county, 65 miles, by a comparative course. Inflecting to a little north of east 30 miles receives a large augmentation of volume from the influx of Sandy and Fishing creeks in Edgecomb county. Fishing and Sandy creeks drain the space between Tar river and the Roanoke, and the sources of the former approach very near the actual margin of the Roanoke. Immediately below the union of its main branches, the volume of Tar river passes Tarboro, and sweeping a large southern curve, but by a general, south-eastern course of 40 miles, reaches Washington in Pitt county, below which latter place, widening into a bay of 40 miles in a south-eastern direction, the water is lost in Pamtico Sound.

The basin of Tar river is 160 miles in length by 25 mean width, area 4000 square miles. Extending in Lat. from 35° 15' to 36° 25', and in Lon. from 0° to 30' E. to 1° 50′ W. from W.C.

If taken into one view, and including in it the narrow slope of Onslow, between Cape Fear and Neuse rivers, and Pamtico Sound, the basin of Pamtico will reach from Cape Hatteras to the source of Neuse river, 230 miles; mean breadth about 60, and area 13,800 square miles. Of this space, however, Pamtico Sound and its minor bays Occupy 1800 square miles, leaving to the land surface 12,000 square miles.

Roanoke or Albemarle basin follows and bounds on the Yadkin, Cape Fear, and both sub-basins of Pamtico. The Roanoke is the first Atlantic river which, advancing from the south-westward, derives its remote sources from the interior of the Blue Ridge. This stream has its most distant fountains in Montgomery county, Virginia, at an elevation of about 2200 feet above the Atlantic tides, and within eight miles from the main channel of New river, with the Kittatinny chain intervening. From this comparatively elevated origin, and deriving confluent water from numerous creeks from the valley between the Blue Ridge and Kittatinny, and between the sources of Little river branch of New river and those of James river, Roanoke flows north-eastward 20 miles to Salem in Botetourt county, having already fallen upwards of 1200 feet. The water level at Salem is by actual admeasurement 1002 feet above the level of the Atlantic Ocean. Below Salem, the main stream bends to eastward 20 miles to its passage through Blue Ridge. Below Blue Ridge the Roanoke flows to the south-eastward 25 miles, receiving the entire drain of that part of the valley between Blue Ridge and South East Mountain which is occupied by Franklin county. Passing South East Mountain, between Bedford and VOL. XVIII. PART I.

Pittsylvania counties, the now considerable volume sweeps by an elongated elliptical curve to the north, and round to S. E., but by a general course of south-east by east 50 miles to the influx of Dan river from the west.

Dan river, very little inferior in volume or length of course to the Roanoke, rises in the valley between the Blue Ridge and South East Mountain, interlocking sources on the south with the Yadkin, and on the north with the Franklin county branches of Roanoke, and opposite to the eastern confluents of New river. Pursuing a general comparative course of 110 miles, and draining the northern parts of Stokes, Rockingham, Caswell, Person, and Granville counties, North Carolina, with all Patrick and Henry, and great part of Pittsylvania and Halifax counties, in Virginia, Dan river joins the Roanoke in the western side of Mecklenburg county. Below their junction, the united waters pursue a direction a little south of east, sixty miles, to the lower falls and head of tide water, at Weldon, having, at about midway between the mouth of Dan and Weldon, passed from Virginia into North Carolina. Having met the tides, the Roanoke, by a very tortuous channel, assumes a south-eastern comparative course of 50 miles, and thence eastward 25 miles, to its junction with Chowan river, at the head of Albemarle Sound.

The entire valley of Roanoke, by either the main stream or Dan river, is about 250 miles comparative course, but the channel is a greater length. By comparative courses, it is only 155 miles from Salem to the falls at Weldon, whilst, by authority of a report made to the Roanoke Company, the intermediate actual channel is 244 miles. From the preceding proportions, the real windings of this river amount to near four hundred miles.

That part of the basin of Roanoke comprising the valleys of that stream and Dan river, above their junction, is 110 miles from east to west, with a mean width of 60, or 6600 square miles. The lower part of the basin is very narrow, as, in a direct distance of 125 miles from the mouth of Dan river to the head of Albemarle Sound, the mean width can hardly be stated at 15 miles, area 1875 square miles. Taking the whole surface into one view, the area amounts to 8475 square miles, mean breadth 37, very nearly.

Chowan river enters the head of Albemarle Sound to the north of the mouth of Roanoke, and is itself formed by two branches, the Meheren and Nottaway. The Meheren, or south-western branch, rises in Mecklenburg, Charlotte, and Lunenburg counties, Virginia, interlocking sources with those of Nottaway, Appamattox, and some small confluents of Roanoke. The comparative length is about 100 miles in a direction of south-east by east; 18 or 20 miles of the lowest part of its channel in North Carolina.

The united waters of Nottaway Proper and Blackwater form a considerably larger stream than the Meheren. The extreme sources of Nottaway are in Prince Edward county, Virginia, between those of Meheren and Appamattox. Flowing thence, by com.

2 T

parative distance, seventy miles, in a direction very little S. of E. and draining, on the left, a part of Nottaway, Dinwiddie, Prince George, and Sussex counties, and, from the right, part of Lunenburg, Brunswick, Greeneville, and Sussex. At very near the centre of the latter county, the Nottaway inflects to south-east, and continues that direction 40 miles, to its junction with Blackwater, almost exactly on the line between Virginia and North Carolina.

The Blackwater is one of those rivers of the Atlantic slope of the United States, which appears to have been formed by nature to facilitate the construction of an inland line of canal navigation. This stream rises in Prince George county, and very near the junction of Appamattox with James river. Flowing thence southeastward 40 miles, by comparative courses, between Surry and Sussex, and between Southampton and Isle of Wight, it thence bends to nearly due south, 30 miles, to its union with Nottaway. The latter, below the influx of Blackwater, flows about eight miles a little west of south, to its junction with the Meheren, to form Chowan river. The course of the Meheren is preserved by the united waters for twenty miles, between Hertford and Gates counties, and thence gradually opening into a bay which extends a little east of south, 25 miles, to the mouth of Roanoke.

The entire sub-basin of Chowan is about 125 miles in length, and where widest 60 miles; but the mean breadth about 30 miles; area 3750 square miles.

Included in the great basin of Albemarle, and drained directly into Albemarle Sound, are two slopes, with very slight descent; the one to the southward from the sound is drained by the outlet of Lake Phelps and Alligator river; and the opposite by Perquimans, Pasquotank, North river, and some other smaller inlets. The southern slope embraces the northern and larger section of that flat and inundated peninsula between Pamtico and Albemarle Sounds; and the opposing plain of similar natural features, comprises the southern part of the peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James, Blackwater, and Chowan rivers and Albemarle Sound. This lower section of Albemarle Basin, including the intermediate sound and bays, is 80 miles long from north to south, with a mean breadth of 60; area 4800 square miles.

From the eastern extremity of Albemarle Sound to the head branch of Roanoke is 290 miles, in a direction from S. E. by E. to N. W. by W. The mean breadth of the basin is within a small fraction of 58 miles; aggregate area 17,000 square miles very nearly. Extending in Lat. from 35° 30' to 37° 25' North, and in Lon. from 1° 30' E. to 3o 24′ W. from W.C.

Embracing the entire basin of Albemarle, it presents at once a physical section and a physical limit. If we reject the elevated valley from which the remote sources of Roanoke are derived, the difference of level is about 1000 feet, or an equivalent for 2 degrees of latitude in mean temperature.

TABLE VI.

Summary of the North Carolina Basin.

Sub-Basins.

Cape Fear R.
Neuse,
Tar River,
Albemarle,
Sub-Basin,

Aggregate,

To which add Basin of Geo.&

S. Carolina, 380 170 64,600 31 15 36 35 2 10 7 20 W. Aggregate, 510 200 100,800 31 15 37 25 1 30 E. 7 20 W. Exclusive of the peninsula of Florida, which forms another and very distinct natural section, we have, from the Alatamaha to the Roanoke and Chowan inclusive, a great physical section exceeding one hundred thousand square miles, and embracing within its extremes a small fraction above six degrees of latitude, and rising from the level of the ocean to upwards of two thousand feet. If the effect of relative height is therefore taken into the estimate, this region comprises fully the extremes of ten degrees of latitude on its mean and extreme temperature. The winter climate on the high vallies drained by the sources of New river, Yadkin, Roanoke, and James river, assimilates to that on the Atlantic coast at latitude 41° or 42° north. This subject will be more particularly and more appropriately noticed under the head of Climate. proceed to review the commercial connexion of the North Carolina basin, with those on each land side.

We

Without possessing a previous knowledge of the depth of water, a glance on a map of North Carolina would suggest the idea, that the Atlantic section was from nature peculiarly fitted for inland navigation; but a survey of the sounds and small bays discloses the fact, that a depth of seven feet is the utmost that can be calculated on; and further, that the sub-basins of Albemarle and Pamtico, so far from offering greater facilities, oppose very formidable physical difficulties against connecting the Chesapeake and Cape Fear basins by a line of mixed river and canal navigation.

The basins of Albemarle and Chesapeake are separated by an almost dead level and marshy peninsula of sixty miles width, and bisected into two very nearly equal sections by the line of demarcation between North Carolina and Virginia. The geographical position of this peninsula may be particularly remembered by the facts, that north latitude 36° passes nearly along the middle of Albemarle Sound, and 37° enters centrically into the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The character of this tract is given by the name imposed on its central