The actual elevation of the Blue Ridge, where it discharges the extreme fountains of Savannah river, has never been well determined, but the most ele vated arable soil must exceed 1500 feet, or an equi valent to three degrees of latitude in regard to mean temperature. With this allowance, the climate of the section under review has extremes of tempera ture equal to 6i degrees of latitude. The surface is variegated from a monotonous alluvial ocean bor der to mountain vallies, presenting scenery bold, grand, and even sublime. The contrast of vegetable production is the greatest to be found in any equal geographical extent in the United States. On the islands and alluvial banks of the streams of the southern and lowest part, the orange and lemon tree, the sugar cane, and other tender plants flour ish. Rising from this tropical flat to the steeps of the Appalachian chains, the region of cotton is passed, and that of the apple and cereal gramina reached.
The Savannah basin is the connecting link which unites the Atlantic slope with the valley of Ohio, and with the Gulf of Mexico direct, by the channel of Chatahooche river. It is not probably one mile from the extreme sources of Chatahoochce, Hi wassee, and Savannah rivers. Vet such is the bold ness of design conspicuous in the United States, that over this very elevated region, canals of inter communication have been projected. Steam boats ascend the Tennessee to Port Depositc, at the lower side of the passage of that river through Cumber land Mountain, and canals or sluice navigation have been proposed thence up Tennessee and Hiwassee, to connect the latter with the Coosa and Savannah rivers: and again it has been proposed to join the latter and Chatahooche river by a canal. These projects are in great part not even so far realised as to have the routes surveyed. The upper channel of Savannah itself has, however, been much im proved as a navigable channel, by the application of sluices and dams, an improvement aided by a prudent attention to the most practicable work in the first instance.
Another line of canals, of more immediate utility, and of greatly more facility of execution, than any line passing over the Appalachian chains, is one from Savannah river, above the city of Savannah, to the Alatamaha. In the month of December 1825, acts passed the legislature of Georgia for the con struction of two canals; one the Savannah and Ogee chee canal, and the other the Ogeechee and Alma inaha canal. The former is to extend from the upper part of the city of Savannah, in a S.W. by
W. direction 16 miles, to the Great Ogeechee ri ver; and the latter, in a direction a little S. of W., 50 miles from the Great Ogeechee, to strike the Alatamaha at or near the influx ol' Ohoopee river.
The board of public works for Georgia was cre. ated 29th December 1825, by an act of the legis lature of that state, with the express design of unit ing the Atlantic part of the state with its western rivers, by means of canals and rail-roads; and in extension, by future works of a similar nature, con nect the Georgia navigation with the waters of Mississippi and Tennessee. It is also made the special duty of the board of public works, to meli orate the channel navigation of the Ocmulgee, Oco nee, and Alatamaha, and to examine, with a view to remove obstructicuis from, or erect useful im provements in, the outlets of the rivers debouching into the Atlantic.
Amongst the peculiarities which distinguish the Savannah river, may he noticed that by the channels of Chatuga and Tugaloo, and again Savannah proper; it is in all its length from N.
Eat. 35° to the ocean, a boundary between Georgia and South Carolina.
If we extend our view into the interior as far as the Blue Ridge, the basin of Santee follows that of Savannah, but along the Atlantic coast, and as high as the lower falls of the larger rivers, there spreads a series of minor basins, the higher sources of which originate on the ocean alluvion. From the peculiar direction of Savannah and Santee rivers in the lower part of their courses, the intermediate space is nearly in form of a triangle, the side along the Atlantic Ocean about 100 miles, and the two ether sides 130 miles inland to the sources of Edisto river, and respectively nearly parallel to the gen eral courses of Savannah and Santee rivers. 'Phis alluvial basin extends over an area of 6500 square miles, extending in Lat. from 05' to 33° 55', and in Lon. from 2° 26' to 33' NV. from W.C. Beside many of lesser note it is drained by Coosa, Combahee, Edisto, and Ashley and Cooper rivers. The ocean border is excessively broken by islands, sounds, and interlocking water courses. The prin cipal islands are, advancing from the Savannah out let to that of Santee, Hilton, St. Helena, Hunting, Port Royal, Ladies, Reynold, Edisto, Wadmelaw, Johns, Kiawaw, James and Coffin. S.W. from Chatleston harbour. and Sullivan, Dewces, Bull and Murphey, between Charleston harbour and the mouth of Santee river.