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point of the intervening ,s;roun(l is 33] ^eet above low water in Bariir 
stalilc bay, and '335 above lii.^li tide. Thus, natine has left little to 
do to unite the two bays. We, shall trace, in a general manner, the 
route which the canal might follow. 
, Departing from Back river harbor at tlie mouth of Back river, in 
Buzzard's bay, it might run through t!ie most favorable ground to 
Monument i-iver, and enter its valley about I of a mile above its 
mouth. Tiien following that valley to the mouth of Herring pond 
brook, it might cross the ground wfiich divides the heads of the 
Monument from those of the Scusset, to descend the valley of the lat- 
t(>r to Swift's mill From thence, it might cither follow the left shore 
of the Scusset I'iver, a»id enter Barnstable bay by prolonging, in a 
rinrlhern direction, the foot of a bank which lies to the west of tba 
Salt marshes, tlirough which the Scusset winds, before it falls into 
the bay. Or it might follow the right shore of the Scusset river and 
cross* the Plymoath neck at its lowest point, and, turning to the east, 
round it, enter the bay in a N. N. E. direction. This secottd route 
would be shortest, but the other would be susceptible of better de- 
fence in time of war; be more protected at its south against the N. W, 
winds, and lead to a part of the bay of a more convenient and ade- 
quate depth for siiipping. 
The ground, tin ough w hich runs this route, offers, on its surface, a 
sandy soil, embedding rocks, loose stones, and gravel; it is probable 
that, in digging it to the depth required for the bottom of the canal, 
we would meet with no great diliiculties, but this point can only be 
decided with certainty by sinking shafts in it. 
As to the harbors where the canal would end in both bays, its 
western extremities would join Back river harbor. Sea vessels, 
diawingno more than 8 feet, can enter this port. Crossing, at low 
tide, between Bird's island and Wing's neck, they might run to the 
east of this neck into a channel from 20 to 22 feet deep, then, dii-ect- 
ing themselves ?ipon Back river, they would pass a shoal which offers 
above 8 feet of water, and as they aj)proacli Back river, deepens from 
i 3 to 20 feet. Back river harbor might be easily defended in time of 
war, by batteries raised in Hog's and Marshner's islands, which are 
near enough for this purpose, to one another and to the main. At low 
water, the pass between Hog's island andtlie main, is 3 fathoms deep, 
that between Hog's and Marshner's islands is fordable, and that be- 
tween Marshner's island and the main, has about 8 t^atijoms in depth. 
These islands form, with the main, a road exposed to the N. W. 
winds, as the coast to its west is too low and distant to siielter it. 
Besides the outer harbor of Back river, an inner harbor might easily 
be formed in the river itself, in laying out and constructing the workv«? 
of the canal. 
At the eastern extremity of the canal, the harbor of Barnstable 
hay offers 3 fathoms of water at a short distance from the shore. 
i lu' bank to its west, of which we iiave spoken above, shields it from 
N. W, winds, but it remains much exposed to those from north to 
east round by the west: for the isthmus of Cape Cod is too low &x\d 
