408 



FARMERS' REGISTER, 



[No. 7 



ble material to diminish friction, not only in car- 

 riaire-vvheel hoxes, but in ail mac-iiinery whatever. 

 The composition, we believe, was first used in the 

 iron-works on the Bosion mill-(]am, and consists 

 of soapstone, finely pulverised, and mixed with 

 jrrease or soft tallow. It is an excellent applica- 

 tion — a real anti-frictionist. — Maine Farmer. 



From tlie Nevvberu Spectator. 

 mTTEIl PROm THE SECRETARY OF WAR 



In relation to the survey from the Southern De- 

 bouche of the Dismal Swamp Canal to Winyaw 

 Bay. 



May 28, 1S3S. Referred to the Committee on 

 Roads and Canals. June 27, 1S3S.— Ordered 

 to be printed. 



Department of War, May 26, 1838. 

 Sir : With the accompanyino; report of the of- 

 ficer in charge of the topofrrapiiical en<:ineers, is 

 respectfully submitted the report of the survey 

 from the southern debouche of the Dismal Swamp 

 canal to Winyaw Bay, in South Carolina, called 

 \'oT by a resolution ol' the House of Representives 

 of the 9lh ultimo. 



Very respectfijlly, 



Your most obedient servant, 



J. R. Poinsett. 

 Hon. James K. Poi.k, 



Speaker of the House of Representatives. 



Bureau of Topographical Engineers, } 

 Washington, May 2ith, 1838. 5 



Sir : I have the honor to submit a copy of the 

 report of "the engineer charged with making the 

 survey from the southern debouche of the Dis- 

 mal Swamp canal to Winyaw Bay, in South Ca- 

 rolina, with a view to determine the practicability 

 of opening an inland communication tor steam na- 

 vigation from the Chesapeake bay to Charleston," 

 called for by a resolution of the House of Repre- 

 senialives of the 9th of April. 

 Very respectfully, sir, 



Your obedient servant, 

 J. J. Abert, Lt. Col. Top. Eng. 

 S. Cooper, Esq. Acting Secretary of War. 



Washington City, May. 21, 1838. 



Sir: I have the honor to report that, on the re- 

 ceipt of your orders of the 28ih March, 1837, as- 

 signing me to the surveys near the coast of North 

 Carohna, i proceeded to organize the requisite 

 means lor carrying them into execution. Some 

 delay was necessarily occasioned hy the scarcity 

 of competent assistant engineers, and the neces- 

 sity I was under of seeking them amongst such 

 of the civil engineers not in the employment ol 

 the Government, as chanced at the time to be 

 disengaged from other service. I succeeded, how- 

 ever, in forming two parlies. 



The act of Congress passed the 3d of March, 

 1837, required the survey to be made from the 

 southern debouche of the JDismal Swamp canal, 

 down the Pasquotank river to Elizabeth, thence 

 to Croatan sound, Pamlico, and other sounds, 

 near the coast of North Carolina, and thence by 

 the most practicable route to Winyaw bay, in 



South Carolma, with a view to determine the prac- 

 ticability of opening an inland communication for 

 steam navigation from the Chesapeake bay to 

 Charleston, South Carolina. The reconnoissance 

 of part of the line had been reserved by my origi- 

 nal orders for another officer. Subsequently, how- 

 ever, the reconnoissance, as well as the survey of 

 the whole of it, was assigned to me. No exami- 

 nation of the ground, however, was required be- 

 fore the parties began to operate in the field. The 

 frequent proli'ssional tours of duty which I had 

 fijrmerly occasion to make near the coast of North 

 Carolina, with the surveys already executed there 

 lor military purposes b}' officers of the corps of to- 

 pographical engineers, viz : by JMajors Abert and 

 Kearney, and by Captain Bache, enabled me at 

 once to draw up the requisite instructions to the 

 chiefs of parties, and to assign to them the limits 

 of their operations for the surveys requiring the 

 earliest attention; and the time usually consumed 

 in the preliminary examinations was whereby 

 saved. One of the parties was directed to survey 

 Joyce's creek and Pasquotank river, from the ca- 

 nal to Albemarle sound, very carefully, wherever 

 especially there should be found a less depth than 

 eight feet of water, and wherever any obstruction 

 to the fi'ee navigation of the creek or river should 

 present itself. A genera! examination of Albe- 

 marle sound was likewise required in the direc-. 

 tion of Croatan sound, for the purpose of verify- 

 ing the existence of a sufficient (le|)th of water for 

 the passage of steam vessels. This work having 

 been completed, Core sound and the passage 

 through the marshes were carefiilly surveyed, to 

 ascertain whether any change affecting the navi- 

 gation had taken place since the period of the 

 surveys made there by Captain Bache. It was 

 intended, also, that the same party should connect, 

 at least by a chain of triangles, the work of Pas- 

 quotank river with that of Croatan sound, and the 

 Roanoke marshes with Harbor Island bar — the 

 limit of the surveys entrusted to the other party of 

 engineers employed upon the sounds ; and it was 

 intended, also, to have taken soundings upon 

 Long shoal. Bluff' shoal, and other parts of Pam- 

 lico sound; but the advanced season, and a de- 

 sire to preserve the health oi' the party for the 

 prosecution of the surveys to be undertaken du- 

 ring the autumn of that year, joined to other cir- 

 cumstances, not necessary to be here stated, made 

 it expedient, in my opinion, to postpone this part 

 of the work to a suitable occasion. In conse- 

 quence of this, the party was enabled to make 

 the survey of that part of the line from Beaufort 

 harbor to Swansborough and Bogue inlet before 

 the sickly season had begun. 



The other party of engineers surveyed with 

 great care, and very skilfully, under the immedi- 

 ate direction of the intelligent and experienced as- 

 sistant who had it in charge, the whole of Core 

 sound; so that nothing further remains to be done 

 there, to enable us to form the project and esti- 

 mate the cost of its improvement in the greatest 

 detail, unless it be at some suitable season during^ 

 the prevalence of the storms which characterize 

 the spring and autumn; for example, to make 

 such observations as will enable us to ascertain 

 the direction, velocity, and effect of the currents, 

 which may possibly prevail there when the winds 

 blow lor a long time from the same quarter. On 

 the termination ol' the survey of Core sound, I in- 



