50 AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



low the h^gh':st point of ship navigation — nor are there 

 any towns on its banks, worthy of notice, below Alex- 

 andria. Its uhole foreign commcMce is, and must con- 

 tinue to be, carried on through the Ports of the District — 

 they can have no rival in this respect — they occupy, not 

 only, the most advantageous scitos, but the only ones on its 

 margin, at all convenient for intercourse with any cowr 

 siderable portion of the country. It is true, the towns in 

 the Distiict have stood too much in the attitude of rivals 

 to each other^-AIthongh, taken together, they have not 

 heretofore, been capable of forming a sufficient centre 

 of attraction, il the expression may be used, and of af- 

 fording sufficient capital, to command all the internal com- 

 merce to which their situation hath given them an incon- 

 testible claim ; yet, instead of uniting in their exertions to 

 open and secure thv' means of intercourse with that vast 

 extent of countiy to the North and W^est, which would 

 have afforded to them the most ample resources for 

 trade and commercial enterprize, they have stood a- 

 aloof from eaeli other — they have indulged unreasonable 

 jea] »u.sies and wasted their powers in unavailing at- 

 tern )ts to draw for each other, that comparativefy, speak- 

 ing, pittarice of commerce and country produce, to which 

 ra ure in her rudest s'ate has given them access — The 

 g-t-at interests of the whole have been too much sacrifi- 

 ct*d to t'le petty q larrels of the parts. When just 

 views of things ought to have dictated the adoption of 

 every measure calculated to draw closer the bonds of 

 imion and thus give trijde efficacy to their exertions, 

 their policy, it would appear, has been to divide the 

 three fold cord — to disclaim connection with each other; 

 and, if possible, to preclude all intercourse by impassi- 

 hie bar;ii'rs. 



lle:» itly.howevcr, they generally b.^gintodiscover the 

 true source of their real and substantial interests; and to 

 see, what a few men of more enlarged and liberal minds 

 a'wavs saw, that to promote those interests most eftVc- 

 tuaJly, tlicy must abandon their idle disputes, and unite 



