332 
two chains, until having reached, and in 
a westwardly course turned the southern 
extremity of the great western chain, it 
assumes a northwardly direction, and 
joins its waters with those of the Ohio, a 
few miles above the confluence of that 
river with the Mississippi. 
The western chain, niuch broader, and 
generally more elevated, is known under 
the names of Cumberland and Gauley 
mountains, from its southern extremity, 
near the great bend of the Tennessee 
river, until it becomes in Virginia the 
principal or dividing mountain. Thence 
in its northerly course, towards the state 
of New York, it discharges westwardly 
the Green Briar river, which, by its junc- 
tion with the New river, forms the Kan- 
hawa, and the rivers Monongahela and 
Allegheny, which, from their confluence 
at Pittsburgh, assume the name of Ohio. 
Eastwardly it pours into the Atlantic 
Ocean, James river, the Potomac, and the 
Susquehannah, From the northernmost 
and less elevated spurs of the chain, the 
Genesee flows into the lake Ontario; and 
in that quarter the northerly branches of 
the Susquehanna seem to take their 
source, from amongst inferior ridges, and 
in their course to the Chesapeake, to 
break through all the mountains. From 
the Susquehannah, the principal chain 
assumes a more eastwardly direction, and 
washed on the north by the lateral valley 
of the river Mowhawk, whilst it gives rise 
southwardly to the Delaware, it termi- 
nates under the name of Catskill moun- 
tain, in view of the tide-water of the 
Hudson, 
This description has been introduced 
for the double purpose of pointing out all 
the rivers which can afford the means of 
communication, and of shewing the im- 
practicability, in the present state of 
science, of effecting a naval navigation 
across the mountains. 
The most elevated lock+canal of which 
& correct description has been given, is 
that of Languedoc.and the highest ground 
over which it is carried, is only six hun- 
dred feet above the sea. It is not be- 
Nieved that any canal has been under- 
taken, or at least completed in England, 
of an elevation exceeding 450 feet above 
the waters united by it. The Allegheny 
mountain is generally, and from observa- 
tions made in several places, about 3,000 
feet above the level of the sea. The 
precise height of the dividing ridge was 
ascertained hy the commissioners, who 
laid out the United States road from 
Cuimberland on the Potomac to Browns- 
Public Roads and Canals in the United States. _ [Nov. 1, 
ville on the Monongahela, at 2260 above 
the first, and at 2150 feet-above the last 
river, Cumberland, from the levels taken 
by the Potomac company, is itself 735 
feet above tide-water. Although some 
more advantageous and less elevated pla- 
ces may be fonnd, particularly amongst 
the ridges which divide some of the up~ 
per branches of the Susquehannah from 
the corresponding streams emptying into 
the river Allegheny, there is none which 
is not of an elevation much beyond what 
has ever been overcome by canals in any 
other country. The impracticability 
arises from the principle of lock naviga- 
tion, which in order to effect the ascent, 
requires a greater supply of water in pro- 
portion to the height to be ascended, 
whilst the supply of water becomes less 
in the same proportion. Nor does the 
chain of mountains through the whole 
extent, where it divides the Atlantic from 
the western rivers, afford a single pond, 
lake, or natural reservoir. It may be ad- 
ded, as a general feature of American ge- 
ography, that except in the swamps along 
the southern sea coast, no lake is to be 
found in the United States, south of 41 
degrees north Jatitude; and that almost 
every river, north of 42 degrees, issues 
from a lake or pond. 
The works necessary in order to faci- 
litate the communications from the sea- 
ports across the mountains to the Western 
Waters, must therefore consist either of 
artificial roads extending the whole way 
from tide-water, to the nearest and most 
convenient navigable Western Waters ; or 
of improvements in the navigation of the 
leading Atlantic rivers, to the highest 
practicable points, connected by artifi- 
cial roads across the mountains, with the 
nearest points from which a permanent 
navigation can be relied on, down the 
western rivers. 
Communications between the Atlantic Ri- 
vers, and the River St. Laurence and 
Great Lukes. 
Vessels ascend the river St. Laurence 
from the sea to Montreal. The river 
Sorel discharges at some distance below 
that town the waters of lake George and 
lake Champlain, which penetrate south- 
wardly within the United States. From 
Montreal to lake Ontario, the ascent of 
the river St. Laurence is estimated at 
about 200 feet. From the eastern extre- 
mity of lake Ontario, an inland naviga- 
tion for vessels of more than 100 tons 
burthen, is continued more than one 
thousand miles, through lakes Erie, St. 
Clair, and Huron, to the western and 
southern 
