The Weldon locks and canal unite the lower and higher navigation of this fine stream, the extent of which will be seen at a glance on the subjoined summary.
Roanoke sloop navigation below Weldon to the head of Albemarle Sound, 90 miles.
From head of Albemarle Sound to the Atlantic Ocean at South inlet, 80 do.
Upper Roanoke, by the main channel, to Salem in Botetourt county, Virginia, 244 do. Danville navigation, 180 do.
Amount, 594The canal line, designated " The Plymouth and Beaufort Canal," recommended by the Engineer Department of the United States, the 9th March 1826, has been already noticed, and deviations and enlargement recommended, under the present head. As an adjunct to these interlocking chains, another line was designed, called the Murfreesboro' Canal. This latter, as planned, is to leave the Weldon canal basin, or some other point near and above the basin, and be extended thence by a route, a lit tle north of east, to Murfreesboro' on Meheren ri ver; down the Meheren and Chowan to Bennett creek; and thence along the channel of the latter, and from it, by the most eligible route, into the Dis mal Swamp Canal. The length necessary for the Murfreesboro' chain of canal and river navigation has been estimated at 80 miles; and the requisite sum to carry it into effect 761,522 dollars, as re ported in 1818, by a joint Board of Commissioners of the states of North Carolina and Virginia.
The connexions of the Roanoke basin will be more developed under the succeeding head.
The Basin of Chesapeake. This most extensive river physical section of the Atlantic Slope of the United States, has the united basins of Chowan and Roanoke south; the north-eastern part of the basin of Mississippi, or the valley of Ohio west; the basin of Ontario, and the north-western part of that of Hudson north; valley of Schoharie north-east; Ba sin of Delaware, and the narrow Atlantic slope of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia cast. The longest line that can be drawn within it ex tends in a direction very nearly from south-west to north-east, and from the extreme western sources of James river, in the Alleghany chain of moun tains to those of the Unadilla branch of Susquehan nab, within a small fraction of 500 miles. It is about 260 miles where widest, from east to west, and from the Eastern Shore of Virginia to the western sources of James river. The entire area being about 69,000 square miles, the mean breadth will be 138 miles nearly.
In latitude, this fine natural section of the earth extends from 36° 40' to 42° 55', and in Lon. from
2° 20' E. to 3° 40' W. from W. C.: consequently, it embraces 64 degrees of latitude and 6 degrees of longitude. Central latitude, 39° 471'. If the Peaks of Otter are taken into view, the relative height is from the level of the ocean to 4200 feet elevation; but rejecting the mountain height and regarding only the declination of the rivers, the dif ference of height will be about 1500 feet.
Taken in its utmost extent, this basin sweeps en tirely across the Appalachian system, and embraces at the fountains of Susquehannah, a part of the in terior secondary formation, traverses obliquely over the transition and the primitive, and reaches the ocean by a border of recent sea-sand alluvion. The great features will appear more distinct by a survey of the sub-basins, to which we proceed, ad vancing from south to north.
James river is the southernmost confluent of Chesapeake Bay, deriving its most remote sources from the Alleghany chain opposite to those of Green Brier branch of Great Kenhawa; south from those of Shenandoah and other branches of Poto mac; and north from some of the small confluents of New river, and from the higher sources of Roan oke. It is remarkable that the extreme source of Potts Creek, the most south-western constituent of James river, rises only seven or eight miles from the main channel of New river, upwards of 100 miles comparative course below the higher fountains of the latter.
It has been observed under the present head, but may be more distinctly seen by inspection of a gen eral map of the United States, that the river chan nels from the Great Pedee, or Yadkin, to the north eastward were gradually assuming general courses more to the eastward. This change has reached its utmost term in the channel of James river, be yond which, the rivers again curve more and more towards a southern course, and from the Susque hannah to Penobscot inclusive, all the main streams have a general course something west of due south. It may be also observed, as a general character of the Atlantic rivers of the United States, but most prominent in the basins of Chesapeake and Dela ware, that, though uninfluenced as to their respect ive recipients, their intermediate courses are de termined by the mountain chains. This mountain influence extends so far, that the main volumes of the Chesapeake and Delaware confluents are almost uniformly along the mountain vallies, or at right angles to the mountain chains and vallies.