156 



UNITED STATES 



water for barges, carrying from 100 to 200 tons 

 burthen, from 100 to 120 feet in the keel, sixteen to 

 eighteen feet in breadth, and four feet in depth, andl 

 when loaded, drawing about three feet water. 



The rapids, in a dry season , are difficult to de-. 

 scend with loaded boats or barges, without a good 

 pilot ; it would be adviseable therefore for the 

 bargemen, in such season, rather than run any risk 

 in passing them, to unload part of their cargoes, and 

 reship it when the barges have got through the ra- 

 pids. It may, however, be proper to observe, that 

 loaded boats in freshes, have been easily rowed 

 against the stream, up the rapids, and that others 

 by means only of a large sail have ascended them. 



In a dry season the descent of the rapids, in the 

 distance of a mile, is about 12 or 15 feet, and the 

 passage down would not be difficult, except, perhaps, 

 for the following reasons. Two miles above them 

 the river is deep, and three quarters of a mile broad ; 

 but the channel is much contracted, and does not ex- 

 ceed 250 yards in breadth ; near three-fourths of the 

 bed of the river, on the south-eastern side of it being 

 filled with a fiat limestone rock, so that in a dry, 

 season there is seldom more than six or eight inches 

 water, it is upon the northern side of the river; ancl 

 being confined, as above-mentioned, the descending 

 waters tumble over the rapids with a considerable 

 degree of celerity and force. The channel is of dif- 

 ferent depths, but no where less than five feet ; it 

 is clear, and upon each side of it are large brokeii 

 rocks, a few inches under the water. 



