The labours of that state, however, both in and out of its legislature, have had more direct and ef fective success when expended upon the rivers within, than when employed to form channels through the sounds. No one river of North Caro lina has nevertheless yet been rendered as naviga ble, even along its channel, as the volume of water and moderate requisite expense would admit.
Cape Fear river channel, so important to some of the best cultivated counties of the state, has been partially improved. The Board of Internal Improvement, on the 22d of January 1827, report ed to the legislature, that the improvement or the channel of Cape Fear river, from Wilmington to Fayetteville, had been prosecuted the preceding year to considerable extent, but that much then re mained to do in clearing the channel even as high as Black or South river. The sluicing system was recommended, and also a dam and locks at Smiley's Falls; and by combining the different kinds of im provement, obtain a steam-boat navigation from Wilmington to Fayetteville, during ten months of the year; and a batteaux navigation thence to lIay woodsboro, in Chatham county, at the junction of Haw and Deep rivers: entire distance by the chan nel from Wilmington to Haywoodsboro, 180 miles.
The preceding improvements would be connect ed with those of the Yadkin, if another projected route was carried into effect. The lower part of the channel of Deep river, the western constituent of Cape Fear river, extends about 30 miles, or nearly half the intermediate distance, directly towards the Yadkin, below the Narrows in Montgomery county. A design of a canal has been conceived to leave Haywoodsboro, pursue the valley of Deep river as far as necessary, and thence by the most practica ble route to the Yadkin, at or near Blakeley in the lower part of Montgomery county. This route has received the title of " Cape Fear and Pedee Canal," and would most certainly be, if actually and efficiently formed, a great link in the net work of internal improvement, but it is yet a project.
We have already noticed the works already exe cuted and projected in the comparatively large ba sin of Pedee, but may here, in order to preserve connexion, turn our attention to the Upper Pedee or Yadkin.
The distance from Wilkes Court House to the point where the Cape Fear and Pedee Canal is in tended to debouch into the Yadkin, is estimated at 200 miles. This distance it is designed to render
navigable along the channel to the Narrows in Montgomery county, where a canal and locks are stated to be necessary, and where the side canal would connect with the Cape Fear and Pedee Ca nal. See our notice of Pedee basin, whilst we re turn to a review of the important basin of Roanoke.
The lower falls in Roanoke, between Northamp ton and Halifax counties, North Carolina, must at a future time form a separation between two spe cies of navigation on that stream. These falls are formed by the passage of the river over the great outer ledge of the Appalachian system, and in a distance of 12 miles above Weldon, the water falls 100 feet. This descent is overcome by the Weldon canal.
Weldon is a village, port, and post town of Halifax county, North Carolina, situated at the foot of the Great Falls, very nearly mid-way be tween Raleigh and Norfolk in Virginia, and, by the road, 85 miles from each. Below Weldon the Roanoke is very tortuous in its course, the channel heing estimated at 90 miles, though the comparative length is only about 70. This distance is navigat ed by sloops. Above Weldon the two states of North Carolina and Virginia have, by canals and other improvements, made the channel of Roanoke navigable for boats 244 miles to Salem in Botetourt county, Virginia. In the upper navigation, the sluicing system has been extensively employed.
The Dan river navigation, though in reality a branch of that of upper Roanoke, is given under a separate head in Armroyd's Internal Navigation of the United States. That author informs us, under head of Danville and Dan River Canals, that beside the important canal at Danville, the sluicing im provements extended, when the account was writ ten, 152 miles above Rock Landing, and reached Leakesville in Rockingham county, North Carolina.
The expenditure of capital, up to November 1326, on all branches of the Roanoke navigation, made by the Roanoke Navigation Company, includ ing, however, real estate and slaves held by the company, amounted to S341,283; and by similar estimates, up to the 5th Nov. 1828, the amount of expenditure and property held by the Company was S365,991.