ti-sli-vriiy, was the location oC the old Potoiuac Canal on the 

 Virginia side. But this being" upon ground twenty feet higher 

 than the top of falls, and emptying into the river at a point 

 ten feet lovrer than their foot gave thirty feet of extra eleva- 

 tion to be overcome. And the dislance vrhcre the numerous 

 locks were clustered, was so sliort as to preclude the idea of. 

 making- available ar.j of tlie old Avork. 



Our next consideration Avas the erection of wooden lisli-ways, 

 leading from the basin at the foot of the falls Avhere the ishasl 

 congregate in their baffled efforts to ascend higher, and provi- 

 ded with the usual zig-zag or spiral compartments to require 

 the water to tl'averse a sufficient distance to reduce its velocity 

 enough to bs overcome by the lisli. But when Ave saAv on 

 every side, the clean and bare Avails of rock, and the rugged 

 ledges AAdierc nothing liad been allowed to remain, except 

 some immense boulders or some temporary deposits of sand 

 in protected holloAvs, it Avas easy to realize the poAver of the 

 Potomac, Avhen its swollen floods plunged over and tiirougli 

 them, and the grinding effect of the glaciers Avhich are so often 

 driven before the accumulated Avater. We could see no place 

 where such unsubstantial structures could be fixed Avithout 

 being brushed aAvay like straAvs. It seemed that the only 

 practicable and secure passage-Avay for shad Avas, that which 

 could be afforded by cutting out of the rock a cliannel having 

 a rate of descent sufficiently moderate to enable the fish to 

 ascend. 



To ascertain the best mode and probable cost of accomplisli- 

 ing thi."?, the engineers Avho accompanied us traced tAvo lines 

 Avith the transit, and found the elevations of the points Avith 

 the level . Both of these commenced at the dam of the Yv^itcr 

 Works; one loUoAved the edge of Falls Island lo the shad 

 basin and bcA'ond, the other folioAved the course of Little 

 iliver to the point where tlis main volume deflecting to the 

 right, leaves the /great transA'crse iissure. Tliese lines Avith 

 their profiles are laid doAvn upon the mai), whicii has been 

 made to illustrate your report. 



The basin where the shad are arrested, is so close to the 

 ledge from Avhicli tlie Avaters are precipitated, that any practi- 

 cable grade could not be cut out JTOm that point Avithout an 

 inordinate expense; as a grade ascending at the rate of four 



