SUSQUEHANNA, river of' New York, Penn sylvania, and Maryland, having the basin of the Delaware E.; the valley of Potomac SW.; the val ley of Ohio W.; the valley of Lake Ontario NW. and N.; and that of the Mohawk branch of Hud son NE.
If the correct principles of physical geography had been pursued in the nomenclature of the rivers of the United States, the name of Susquehanna would have been continued to the Atlantic Ocean, but custom has restricted the name to that part of the river above tide water, and confirmed the name of Chesapeake Bay to the common recipient of Patapsco, Patuxant, Potomac, Rappahannoc, York, and James rivers on the west; and Pocomoke, Nan tikoke, Choptank, Chester, and other smaller streams on the cast.
The great physical se tion, however, comprised in the real valley of Susquehanna, as the name is restricted, extends in lat. from 39° 33' to 42° 55' N.; and in long. from 2' 25' E. to 1° 50' W. from W. C., and embraces an area of 28,600 square miles. A small fraction of the extreme lower part of the val ley, 350 square miles, is in Maryland; above N. lat. 42° the state of New York comprises of this valley 7600 square miles, drained by the two northern branches and their numerous confluents. But the main part of the valley, 20,650 square miles, lies within, and forms the central and upwards of four tenths of the whole state of Pennsylvania.
The Susquehanna is formed by two main branches, called with some inconsistency the northern and western branches. The northern and principal branch rises in Otsego county of New York, by two confluents, the Unadilla and Chenango. As deli neated on Tanner's United States, the creek which falls into the head of Otsego Lake has its remote source within five direct miles from the Mohawk, at the Little Falls, and is the highest northern fountain of Susquehanna. Other sources pour their tribute into the Unadilla or Susquehanna from the Catsbergs. Westward from the sources of Unadilla rise those of Chenango in Madison county. Both streams assume a southwestern course, and flow nearly parallel about 50 miles, where the Unadilla, now known as the Susquehanna, sweeps an exten sive curve to the southward into and again out of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania. Returned into
Broome county, New York, this already navigable river is augmented by the reception of the Chenango at Binghampton. Thence first pursuing a western course of 20 miles to Oswego, inflects to SW. sepa rating Broome from Tioga, re-enters Pennsylvania, and at the-town of Athens on Tioga Point, receives another considerable branch of the Chemung or Tioga from the NW.
Before receiving the Tioga, the eastern branch of Susquehanna has drained an elliptic valley of 110 miles in its greatest length; 65 miles where widest, but having a mean width of 45 miles, or, area 4950 square miles, embracing in New York all the coun ties of Otsego and Chenango, with a large part of Delaware, Broome, Tioga, Courtlandt, and Madi son; and in Pennsylvania the northern part of Schuylkill, and the northeastern of Bradford counties.
The Tioga or Chemung, the northwestern con fluent of the north branch of Susquehanna, is com posed of three minor branches, Tioga proper, Canisteo, and Conhocton.
The Tioga rises by numerous creeks in Tioga county, Pennsylvania, draining the northeastern half of that county, and after a general course north eastward unite on the boundary between Pennsyl vania and New York. Entering Steuben county New York, and flowing N. about 10 miles. The Tioga joins the Canisteo from the west.
The Canisteo has its remote sources in Alle ghany, but assumes the magnitude of a river in Steuben, near the village of Canisteo. Flowing over Steuben 35 miles to the SE. and uniting with Tioga as already stated, the united water turns to a little N. of E. and receives the Conhocton at Painted Post.
The Conhocton rises in the northeastern part of Livingston county, and affords the extreme north western fountains of Susquehanna. Similar to most other branches of that great river, the Conhocton becomes navigable within a few miles from its source, and at Arkport in Steuben turns to SE., and continuing in that direction 35 miles unites with Tioga, and known by the latter name continues on nearly the course of Conhocton 35 miles, to its final exit into the Susquehanna at Tioga Point.