The improvement of this fine physical section, by canals, has not been yet very extensively effected, though much has been planned. In 1818, the Yad kin 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 S250,234, boats of 10 tons could he 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 tor tuous 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 \Vaccamaw river, its connexion by canal with Cape Fear river was an obvious suggestion on a review of their joint representation on a map. The \Vaccamaw 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 pro posed. If properly executed, this would be a most invaluable addition to the internal navigation of the United States, and become of immensely augment ed consequence when viewed in connexion with an other chain of canals from Georgetown to Charles ton. 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, ri here 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 Sa vannah 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 Cali bogue 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, op posite 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 AVateree and confluents. Ex tensive 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 im provements 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.