15 



that. Big-beaver, Ohio, Yohoganey, (or Monongahela 

 and Cheat) and Patovvmac, and there are but two por- 

 tages ; the first of which between Cayahoga and Bea- 

 ver may be removed by uniting the sources of these 

 w^aters, which are lakes in the neighbourhood of each 

 other, and in a champaign country ; the other from the 

 waters of Ohio to Patowmac will be from 15 to 40 

 miles, according to the trouble which shall be taken to 

 approach the two navigations. For the trade of the 

 Ohio, or that which shall come into it from its own 

 waters or the Mississippi, it is nearer through the Pa- 

 towmac to Alexandria than to New-York by 580 miles, 

 and it is interrupted by one portage only. There is 

 another circumstance of difference too. The lakes 

 themselves never freeze, but the communications be- 

 tween them freeze, and the Hudson's river is itself shut 

 up by the ice three months in the year ; whereas the 

 channel to the Chesapeake leads directly into a warmer 

 climate. The southern parts of it very rarely freeze 

 at all, and whenever the northern do, it is so near the 

 sources of the rivers, that the frequent floods to which 

 they are there liable, break up the ice immediately, so 

 that vessels may pass through the whole winter, sub- 

 ject only to accidental and short delays. Add to all 

 this, that in case of a war with our neighbours, the 

 Anglo-Americans or the Indians, the route to New- 

 York becomes a frontier through almost its whole 

 length, and all commerce through it ceases from that 

 moment. But the channel to New-York is already 

 known to practice ; whereas the upper waters of the 

 Ohio and the Patowmac, and the great falls of the 

 latter, are yet to be cleared of their fixed obstruc- 

 tions. (A.) 



aUERY III. 



A NOTICE of the best Sea-ports of the state, and how 

 big are the vessels they can receive ? 



