210 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA t 
lower parts of Virginia. The climate is good, 
and the people have a healthy and robust ap¬ 
pearance. Several valuable mines of iron and 
copper have been discovered here, for the work¬ 
ing of some of which, works have been esta¬ 
blished ; but till the country becomes more po¬ 
pulous it cannot be expected that they will be 
carried on with much spirit. 
Having crossed the South-west Mountains, 
I passed along through this country to Lynch• 
burgh, a town situated on the south side of 
Fluvanna River, one hundred and fifty miles 
above Richmond. This town contains about 
one hundred houses, and a warehouse for the 
inspection of tobacco, where about two thou¬ 
sand hogsheads are annually inspected. It has 
been built entirely within the last fifteen years, 
and is rapidly increasing, from its advantageous 
situation for carrying on trade with the adja¬ 
cent country. The boats, in which the pro¬ 
duce is conveyed down the river, are from forty- 
eight to fifty-four feet long, but very narrow in 
proportion to their breadth. Three men are 
sufficient to navigate one of these boats ; and 
they can go to Richmond and back again in 
ten days. They fall down with the stream, but 
work their way back again with poles. The 
cargo carried in these boats is always propor¬ 
tionate to the depth of water in the river, which 
varies very much. When I passed it to Lynch- 
