VIRGINIA. 



291 



the river, the whole length of the city, where ships of the largest size may lie. Alexandria 

 has a great trade in flour, tobacco, lumber, and fish, b}^ means of communication with the back 

 country, and its situation as a seaport. Population, 10,000.* 



3. Education. Columbian College is situated in Washington. It was founded in 1821, 

 and has 8 professors, and 100 students, with a library of 4,000 volumes. The college edifice 

 stands on a high spot of ground, a little more than a mile north of the President's house. The 

 Georgetown College in Georgetown, was established in 1799, and is under the direction of the 

 incorporated Catholic clergy of Maryland. It has 19 instructers, and 140 students, with a li- 

 brary of 12,000 volumes. 



4. Religion. The Baptists have 5 churches ; the Presbyterians 14 ; the Catholics 6 ; the 

 Episcopalians 8 ; the Unitarians 1. There are also some Methodists and I'riends. 



CHAPTER XIX. VIRGINIA 



^th, and 200 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



1. Boundaries and Extent. Virginia is bounded N. hy Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland ; 

 E. by Maryland and the sea ; S. by South Carolina and Tennessee ; W. by Ohio and Ken- 

 tucky. It lies between 36° 30' and 40° 38' N. latitude, and 75° 10' and 83° 30' W. longi- 

 tude. It is the largest Stale in the Union as to territory, being 370 miles in len 

 in breadth. It comprises 70,000 square miles. 



2. Mountains. The Appalachian chain comes from Pennsylvania, and passes through the 

 State, southwesterly into North Carolina and Tennessee. The most easterly ridge is known 

 by the name of the Blue Ridge. On the west, the Laurel Mountains and Chestnut Ridge 



extend from Pennsylvania, and terminate in this 

 State. The Cumberland ]\Iouniains lie between 

 Virginia and Kentucky. The Alleghany ridge 

 is continued from Pennsylvania, and there are 

 several other ridges, as Greenbriar, North Moun- 

 tain, Broad Mountain, Back Bone, Jackson 

 River Mountain, Iron Mountain, and Great Flat 

 Top. The loftiest summits of the 

 are the Peaks of Otter, which are 4,300 

 above the level of the sea 1 but some moun- 

 tains in the Alleghany ridge, in the southwestern 

 part, reach the height of 6,000 feet. 



The passage of the Potomac, through the 

 Blue Ridge, at Harper's Ferry, presents the ap- 

 pearance of an immense rent, three quarters of a 

 mile wide, through a stupendous wall of rocks. 

 The broken fragments of the mountain which lie 

 scattered around, and its craggy front, torn down 

 to the base, attest the violence of the disruption, 

 and forcibly remind the spectator of the period, 

 when the mountain ridge opposed a barrier to the 

 stream, and when its collected waters swelled to 

 such a mass as to tear away the mountain from its 



Blue Ridge 

 feet 



Jcfftrsons Rode. 



* " Potomac Fisheries. It is an animating and gratifyino- 

 spectacle, to behold bo much life and spirit at the fish 

 wharves in Alexandria, Georgetown, and Washington. 

 At the Long Bridge in this city, one may constantly wit- 

 ness a number of fine teams waiting both by night and 

 day to be filled up with the produce of our majestic river. 

 On tlie margin of the river may be seen the spacious 

 booths and shanties of those who are either directly or 

 indirectly engaged in the shad and herring fisheries. It 

 indeed resembles not only a business but a pleasure fair, 

 as at niglit one does not unfrequently hear the footsteps 

 of the merry dancers keeping time to the tune of the vi- 

 olin, while refreshments of every kind are placed within 

 the reach of the joyful and gratified company who flock 

 in from the boats moored along side, to participate in the 



general hilarity. Passing over the Long Bridge, wliere 

 most probably o)ic meets with a train of fish wagons, we 

 reacli tlie opposite sliore of the Potomac, and repair to the 

 nearest fishing landing, to observe the hardy fishernifri 

 hauling in their seines, and displaying on the sandy bimlia 

 of the river the fruits of their skill and industry. Thou- 

 sands of gratified spectators have visited the proximate 

 shores of Alexandria county during the last week, all of 

 wliom seem to have been delighted with the interesting 

 scene before them. Who indeed can look upon the abun- 

 dant supplies of wholesome and excellent food whicli 

 are brought within their reach, without feelina: grateful to 

 an all-boimtiful Providence for his care and kindness in 

 sending forth these plentiful shoals in their proper sea- 

 son ! " — JVatioval Intelligencer 



