Nomony bay; 3 at Aqiiia; 1 1-2 at HalloAving point; 

 1 1-4 at Alexandria. Its soundings are, 7 fathom at 

 the mouth ; 5 at St George's island ; 4 1-2 at Lower 

 Mathodic ; 3 at Swan's point, and thence up to Alex- 

 andria ; thence ten feet water to the falls, which are 13 

 miles above Alexandria. These falls are 15 miles in 

 length, and of very great descent, and the navigation 

 above them for batteaux and canoes, is so much inter- 

 rupted as to be little used. It is, however, used in a 

 small degree up the Cohongoronta branch as far as fort 

 Cumberland, which was at'the mouth of Willis's creek ; 

 and is capable, at no great expense, of being rendered 

 very practicable. The Shenandoah branch interlocks 

 with James river about the Blue Ridge, and may per- 

 haps in future be opened. 



The Mississippi will be one of the principal channels 

 of future commerce for the country westward of the 

 AUeghaney. From the mouth of this river to where it 

 receives the Ohio, is 1000 miles by water, but only 500 

 by land passing through the Chickasaw country. From 

 the mouth of the Ohio to that of the Missouri, is 230 

 miles by water, and 140 by land, from thence to the 

 mouth of Illinois river, is about 25 miles. The Missis- 

 sippi, below the mouth of the Missouri, is always mud- 

 dy, and abounding with sand bars, which frequently 

 change their places. However, it carries 15 feet water 

 to the mouth of the Ohio, to which place it is from 

 one and a half to two miles wide, and thence to 

 Kaskaskia, from one mile to a mile and a quarter wide. 

 Its current is so rapid, that it never can be stemmed by 

 the force of the wind alone, acting on sails. Any ves- 

 sel, however, navigated with oars, may come up at any 

 time, and receive much aid from the wind. A batteaux 

 passes from the mouth of Ohio, to the mouth of Mis- 

 sissippi in three weeks, and is two to three months get- 

 ting up again. During its floods, which are periodical 

 as those of the Nile, the largest vessels may pass down 

 it, if their steerage can be ensured. These floods begin 

 in April, and the river returns into its banks early in 

 August. The inundation extends further on tho west 

 1* 



