Augmented by the last of its large tributaries, the Susquehanna pierces Kittatinny mountain, inflects to the southeastward, and maintains that course eighty miles, receiving from the right Conedo gwinet, Yellow Breeches, Conewago, Codorus, and Deer creeks; and from the left Swatara, Conestoga, Pequea, and Octoraro, with numerous smaller streams, is finally itself mingled with the water of Chesapeake bay, after falling over the lower primi tive ledge of the Apalachian system; having in the latter courses passed IIarrisburg, Middletown, Columbia, and Havre de Grace.
Including all its higher branches the Susquehanna is peculiar in the structure of its vallies. Wide and often highly productive bottoms of two, and sometimes three stages of relative elevation, spread along the convex side of its bends, whilst hills, or more frequently mountains, of more or less eleva tion, rise along both sides of these spreading vales. Exuberant fertility is, at a single step, followed by rocky and sterile steeps. The natural timber of the bottoms in most species different from that of the hills and mountains. On the former, sugar maple, black walnut, elm, beech, leitcodendron tulipifera, white walnut, and other trees indicative of a fertile soil abound; on the slopes of the mountains pine, oak, and chesnut, and above Wyoming valley in clusive, hemlock, are the prevalent trees. As a navigable stream, or streams, if all the confluents are taken into view, independent of artificial im provement, the Susquehanna is much less inter rupted by rapids, or dangerous shoals, than could be expected from the tortuous channels through an extensive mountain system. It is also perhaps pe culiarly remarkable, that in the reaches where the various branches of this river traverse the respective chains, rapids hut seldom, and direct falls no where exist.
Until recently the advantages of Susquehanna valley,as affording canal improvements, was theory, but the people of Pennsylvania, on their own re sources, and by the authority of the legislature of the state, have commenced and considerably ad vanced in the execution of a system of canal, lock, and rail-road improvement. The Pennsylvania Ca nal has three divisions in whole or in part within the valley of Susquehanna.
Transverse division of the Pennsylvania canal has its commencement at Columbia, on the east bank of the Susquehanna and in Lancaster county. It thence ascends that great river along the east bank, inter sects the Union Canal at Middletown, near the mouth of Swatara, and continuing along the same side to Duncan's Island, at the mouth of Juniata river. There crossing the Susquehanna, and fol lowing the valley of Juniata to the junction of the two main branches below the borough of Hunt ingdon, and thence along Frankstown branch to its termination at Frankstown.
Besides many places of lesser note, this canal passes through Middletown, Harrisburg, Lewis town, and Huntingdon.
Another section of the same system of canals is to ascend the Susquehanna, from Duncan's Island, opposite the mouth of Juniata, to the New-York line above Tioga Point ; length, 204 miles ; rising, 423 feet.
The West Branch section commences at the bo rough of Northumberland, and following the left or northern side of the West Branch river, 70 miles by a rise of 109 feet, to Dunnstown, passing by, or through Milton, Pennsborough, Williamsport and Jersey Shore.
It may be doubted whether the execution of any other line of canal of equal extent in the United States, would produce so great and permanent revo lution on inland trade as would a line of navigable canals from the mineral districts on Susquehanna, into the western part of the state of New-York.
If the valley of the Susquehanna offered no other resource but the vast strata of anthracite coal in the valley of Wyoming, a line of canals in both di rections would be fully sustained; but it may he questioned, whether the value of the strata of iron ore, on the waters of Juniata, do not exceed that of mineral coal, and both combined present a fund to reward enterprize, which seems to have surface without a discoverable base. In brief, whether we regard it as a physical section of the earth, or as a political and commercial link in the chain of con nexion between different portions of the United States, the valley of Susquehanna deserves profound attention from the philosopher, geographer, and statesman. DARBY.