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a vaft large River Nine Miles over in many places. I 
have been told it was Navigable nigh Two Hundred 
Miles, much higher than any of the other Rivers : 
Whence I conclude in future times, it will be the moft 
considerable for Trade when the Country comes to be 
inhabited further up into the main Land. The other 
Rivers are much about Three Miles over apiece. And 
fames River is Navigable at lead Eighty Miles. Within 
Four or Five Miles of James Town, James River and fork 
River are not paft Four or Five Miles afunder. Yea, 
Sloops of confiderable Carriage may Sail up the Bran- 
ches of the two Rivers, till they come within a Mile the 
one of the other ; for I take it to be no more from CoL 
Bollard's to Major Troop's Landing ; and I believe they 
may come much what as near again as Col. Coles, and 
feveral other places. Tcrk River is diftant from Rapaha- 
nack in fome places not paft Ten or Twelve Miles, Ra« 
panack from Potomack not paft Seven Miles in one place, 
the' it may be Sixty in others. The Heads of the Branches 
of the Rivers interfere and lock one within another, 
which I think is beft exprefied after the manner that an 
Indian explained himfelf once to me, when I enquired 
how nigh the Rivers of Carolina, Virginia and Maryland 
arofe out of the Mountains, from thoie that ran Wefter- 
ly on the other fide of the Mountains, he clapt the Fin- 
gers of one Hand 'twixt thofe of the other, crying, they 
meet thus; the Branches of different Rivers rifing not 
paft a hundred Paces diftant one from another : So that 
no Country in the World can be more curioufiy water- 
ed. But this Convenieney, that in future times may 
make her like the Netherlands, the richeft place in all 
America, at the prdent 1 look on the greateft Impedi- 
ment to the Advance of the Country, as it is the greats 
eft Obftacle to Trade and Commerce. For the great 
number of Rivers and the thinners of the Inhabitants di~ 
ftra&and difperle a Trade. So that ail Ships in general 
Kk 2 gather 
