270 



DELAWARE. 



2. Rivers. Brandyioine Creek passes through this State from Pennsylvania ; it is 40 nr:iles 

 long, and is no more than a fine mill-stream. A battle was fought in its neighborhood, in 1777, 

 between the Americans, under Washington, and the British, under Lord Howe. Christiana 

 Creek receives the Brandywine, and runs into the .Delaware. It is navigable for small vessels 

 15 miles. The other streams are too unimportant for notice. 



S. Bay. Delaware Bay forms a great part of the eastern boundary of this State, but affords 

 naturally no good harbor for ships. To remedy this dedciency, the United States government 

 are now constructing a breakwater and dike at the entrance of the bay, just within Cape Henlo- 

 pen. The breakwater is two thirds of a mile in length, and is a wall of stone, 22 feet wide at 

 the top, and sloping outwardl}^ on both sides. The dike is about half the length of the break- 

 water ; it is placed further within the bay, and is chiefly designed as a defence against the ice 

 which floats down the stream. Both of these are built of immense blocks of stone, sometimes 

 3 tons in weight, and are a little more tlian 5 feet above the highest tides. When completed, 

 these works will form a secure harbor with two entrances, and from 4 to 6 fathoms depth of 

 water. 



4. Climate. It will be perceived, that the climate of Delaware cannot differ much from that 

 of the southern part of New Jersey, and the small extent of this State assures us, that it must 

 be uniform throughout. 



5. (SoiZ, The northern part, and most of the land lying along the Delaware, is clayey, 

 but rich, and fine for tillage. Timber of the largest growth is found here. On the seacoast, 

 the soil becomes sandy. An elevation of swampy land, which divides the streams of the Dela- 

 ware from those of the Chesapeake, passes north and south through this State, at a nearly equal 

 distance from the two shores. At the southern limit, is the Cypress Swamp, where this eleva- 

 tion terminates. In the extreme north, the soil is stony. Nearly the whole territory is alluvial, 

 with little variation of surface. There are very few mineral productions in this State. The 

 southern part affords much bog-iron ore, but little use is made of it. 



POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



1. Divisions. Delaware is divided into three counties ; Newcastle, in the north ; Kent, in 

 the middle ; and Sussex, in the south. These are subdivided into 24 Hundreds. The popu- 

 lation is 76,739, of whom 3,305 are slaves. 



2. Canal and Railroads. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal crosses the northern part 

 of this State, uniting the two bays. It is 14 m.iles long, 60 feet wide, and 10 feet deep, with 

 locks 100 feet in length, and 22 feet wide. It begins at Delaware city, 46 miles below Phila- 

 delphia, and passes westerly to Back Creek, a navigable branch of Elk River. The Deep Cut 



is the name given to the passage of this 

 canal, for 4 miles, through a hill 90 feet in 

 height, being the deepest cut upon any ca- 

 nal in the world. The Summit Bridge^ 

 which crosses the canal at the cut, is a 

 single arch, 255 feet in length. Here the 

 sides of the canal are secu) ed by walls of 

 stone, and the high banks are in some places 

 thatched with straw, to prevent their wash 

 ing into the canal. East of this spot, the 

 canal is carried through deep marshes ; the 

 foundation and embankments were executed 

 at great expense. At every half mile are 

 recesses for the passing of vessels, where the 

 width of the canal is increased to 110 feet. 

 At its junction with the Delaware, is an 

 artificial harbor, or large basin, of a semicir- 

 cular shape. This canal was begun m 

 1823, and completed in 6 years, at the cost of more than 2,000,000 of dollars. The Jfewcastle 

 and Frenchtown Railroad also extends across the peninsula between the Delaware and the 

 Chesapeake, 16:} miles ; steamboats connect the eastern terminus with Philadelphia, and the 



Deep Cat, Delaioare Canal. 



