28 TRAVELS IN THE CONFEDERATION 



the South Mountain. Thus, on the road to the Potow- 

 mack we had this mountain to the right, and to the left 

 another chain, of lower hills, which ended suddenly 

 near the river in a high, broken-off peak, visible far 

 around and from its shape called the Sugarloaf-Moun- 

 tain. The limestone valley mentioned above continues 

 between these two chains. A few miles before we 

 reached the banks of the Potowmack this valley be- 

 came more declivitous, and everywhere about in the 

 streams there appeared rounded stones and other evi- 

 dences that at one time the bed of the river had ex- 

 tended far beyond its present limits. The banks for 

 more than half a mile from the river consist of rich, fat, 

 black soil which, one year with another, returns many 

 fold what is entrusted to it, and without once being 

 dunged. Nowles-Ferry, where we were set across, is 

 much above the Falls of the Potowmack,* and the river 

 is therefore less rapid ; the tide does not come this far 

 up, and the fish are only of the fresh-water kinds, 



* I have already mentioned in the first part that it had been 

 taken into consideration in Virginia and Maryland how to 

 remove the obstacles this fall presents to navigation inland. 

 According to recent accounts this important enterprise is 

 already begun ; and it is found that the difficulties to be over- 

 come are less serious than had at first been feared. The 

 apparently good progress of this business rejoices the land- 

 owners above the falls of the Potowmack. A private company 

 is carrying on the work, under the sanction of the government 

 and the direction of General Washington. For the additional 

 advancement of inland commerce, a road has been hewn out 

 53 miles long from the farthest navigable branch of the Potow- 

 mack to Morgans-town on the Monongahela. This was done 

 at the cost of the state of Virginia which in this way has 

 opened a very easy and convenient communication between 

 the inhabitants to the west and the east of the mountains. 



