MISCELLANIES. 



611 



Topography. — This district is 

 10 miles square, and includes 

 within its limits the city of Wash- 

 ington, Alexandria, and George- 

 town ; its diagonal lines are north 

 and south, east and west. The 

 southern angle is at Fort Colum- 

 bus, at the mouth of Hunting 

 Creek, on the left bank of the 

 Potomac. From tliis the lines 

 run at an angle of 45 degrees to 

 the distance of 10 miles. 



The district is composed of por- 

 tions of Virginia and Maryland 

 on the east and west side of the 

 Potomac, a grand and beautiful 

 river, which rises in the Allegany 

 Mountains, and after a meander- 

 ing course of near 400 miles, 

 empties itself into the Chesapeake 

 Bay. The Potomac is navigable 

 to vessels of considerable burden 

 as high as George-town ; and by 

 means of locks which have been 

 erected at the great and little 

 falls, u navigation is afforded 

 to boats of no inferior mag- 

 nitude, for 100 miles nearer its 

 source. 



There are several fisheiies on 

 the Potomac very productive and 

 valuable, not only to the proprie- 

 tors, but to the inhabitants, who 

 are thus easily and cheaply fur- 

 nished with the means of sabsi^t- 

 ence dui'ing the remainder of the 

 year. Shad are sold at the dif- 

 ferent landings for three dollars 

 per hundred, and herrings at fifty 

 cents per thousand. The follow- 

 ing is a list of the principal fish 

 caught at these fisheries : — viz. 

 shad, herrings, sturgeon, rock, 

 gar, carp, pike, six varieties of 

 the perch, muUett, and cat-Hsh. 



The soil is various — on the 

 banks of the Eastern l>ranch and 

 Potomac there is a deep and rich 



alluvium, which contains ''frag- 

 ments of primitive mountains, 

 pyrites, gravel and sand, shells, 

 and the remains of vegetable sub- 

 stances." Mr. Goden says, that 

 Rock Creek, which divides George- 

 town from the city, separates the 

 primitive from the alluvian soil. 



Though the soil in parts of the 

 district is steril, it is capable of 

 being highly improved by the ap- 

 plication of plaster or any other 

 species of compost, and might, 

 from its convenience to an excel- 

 lent market, be made, by enter- 

 prising and industrious agricultu- 

 ralists, eminently productive and 

 fertUe. Its natural productions 

 are such as are common to the 

 adjacent states. There is, con- 

 venient to it, an extensive quarry 

 of free-stone on the Acquia Creek, 

 and another of beautiful marl^le 

 on the Seneca, which has recently 

 been discovered. 



Climate, &c. — The climate of 

 the district is liable to frequent 

 and sudden changes — in summer 

 excessively hot, and in winter 

 very cold ; but it does not appear 

 to be more pregnantwith disease." 

 than other portions of the United 

 States. The healthy appearance 

 and longevity of the inhabitants 

 indicate its salubrity ; and, in- 

 deed, when we consider the flow- 

 ing nature of its surface, the.fiee 

 admission of pure and wholesome 

 ail', and the excellence of its wa- 

 ter, in which it stands unrivalled 

 in the United States, we cannot 

 but believe it nnist be healthy. — 

 Mr. Blodgct estimated the annual 

 deaths in Washington atone of 

 48 to .50 : at New York, one of 

 44 to 50 J Baltimore, one of 42 

 to 49 ; and in Charleston, one of 

 35 to 40, wliich establishes the 

 2 R 2 superior 



