RIVERS. 15^ 



The Monongahela* 

 Monongahela is a large river, and at its junction 

 , with the Alleghaney river stands Fort Pitt. It is 

 deep and gentle, and navigable with batteaiix and 

 barges beyond Red Stone Creek, and still farther 

 with lighter craft. At sixteen miles from its mouth 

 is Youghiogeny ; this river is navigable with bat- 

 teanx and barges to the foot of Laurel hill. This 

 river is four hundred yards wide at its mouth. From 

 thence to the mouth of the Youghiogeny, where it is 

 three hundred yards wide. Thence to Red Stone 

 by water is fifty miles, by land thirty. Then to the 

 Moilh of Cheat river, by water forty miles, by land 

 twenty-eight ; the width continmng at three hundred 

 yards, and the navigation good for boats. Thence 

 the width is about two hundred yards to the western 

 fork, fifty miles higher, and the navigation is fre- 

 quentlj' interrupted by rapids ; which, however, 

 wi h a swell of two or three feet, become very pas- 

 sable for boats. It then admits light boats, except 

 in dry seasons, sixty-five miles farther, to the head 

 of Tygart's valley, presenting only som.e small rapids 

 and falls, of one or two feet perpendicular, and les- 

 sening in its width to tvv^enty yards. The western 

 fork is navigable in winter, ten or fifteen miles 

 towards the north of the little Kanhavvay, and will 

 admit of a good waggon road to it. The Youghio- 

 geny is the pi'incipal branch of this river. It passes 

 through the I^aurel mountain, about thirty miles 

 from its mouth ; is so far, from three hundred to one 

 hundred and fi!ty yards wide, and the navigation 

 tnuch obstructed in dry v/eather by rapids and shoals. 



