Virginia 



James river, which was formerly called Pow- 

 hatan, from its having been the seat of that emperor,) 

 is seven miles broad at the mouth, navigable to the' 

 falls (above 150 miles) for vessels of large burden j 

 and thence to the mountains for small craft andj 

 canoes. i 



The falls are in length about six or seven miles;', 

 they consist of innumerable breaks of water, owing! 

 to the obstruction of the current by an infinite num- 

 ber of rocks, which are scattered over the bed of the 

 river; and form a most picturesque and beautiful 

 cascade. 



The Honourable Colonel Byrd,* has a small place 

 called Belvedere, upon a hill at the lower end of 

 these falls, as romantic and elegant as any thing I 

 have ever seen. It is situated very high, and com- 

 mands a fine prospect of the river, which is half a 

 mile broad, forming cataracts in the manner above | 

 described; there are several little islands scattered 

 carelessly about, very rocky, and covered with trees; 

 and two or three villagesf in view at a small dis- 

 tance. Over all these you discover a prodigious 

 extent of wilderness, and the river winding majesti- 

 cally along through the midst of it. 



York river, for about forty miles, to a place called 

 West Point, is confined in one channel about two 

 miles broad: it flows in a very direct course, making 



*See Note III. 



t Amongst the rest, Richmond, the present seat of government. 



[39] 



