RICHMOND COUNTY. 503 



Bridge. — There is an excellent bridge over the Savannah 

 river, owned by the city, purchased of G. B. Lamar, Esq., for 

 the sum of $100,000. It is 1,100 feet long, and 31 feet high. 

 The revenue accruing to the city from the bridge in 1848, 

 was $23,678 50. 



River, Freshets. — Augusta is at the head of steamboat 

 navigation. Opposite Centre-street the river is 350 yards 

 wide, and below Mill-street it is 191 yards wide. It is navi- 

 gable for steamboats generally for eight months in the year, 

 and sometimes for nearly the whole year ; and it is thought 

 could be made navigable at all times for steamboats of a light 

 draft, by the judicious expenditure of a small sum in deepen- 

 ing the shallow bars. The distance from Augusta to Savan- 

 nah by the river, as has been ascertained by Mr. Hillhouse, is 

 231 miles. In 1796 there was a bridge over the river oppo- 

 site Centre-street, built by the late Col. Wade Hampton, of 

 South Carolina, which was carried away by the great freshet 

 of that year, known as the Yazoo freshet. On the 28th of 

 May, 1840, the river rose 37 feet above low water mark, by 

 which a large portion of the city was inundated, and much 

 injury done to property. In March, 1841, there was another 

 freshet, the river rising 33 feet. 



Value of Real Estate. — The value of all the real estate 

 in Augusta, exclusive of the churches, academy, college, and 

 buildings owned by the city, which pay no tax, has varied for 

 the last ten years from $1,700,000 to $2,000,000. 



Augusta Canal. — This is a splendid monument of the 

 enterprise of the citizens of Augusta. William Phillips, Esq., 

 Engineer of the canal, has furnished us with the following 

 information. 



" In September, 1844, at the request of Col. Henry H. 

 Cumming, an examination of the falls in the neighbourhood 

 of Augusta was commenced, with a view of ascertaining the 

 practicability of rendering them available for manufacturing 

 and other purposes. The report of the Engineer, indicating a 

 favourable route for a canal, and showing considerable fall, 

 was considered at a meeting of the friends of the enterprise 

 on the 9th of January, 1845. Another survey was made, 

 several other preliminary meetings were held, and finally a 



