North Carolina Newspapers

PROPRIETORS. V BPITORS AND mnnifi! SnH-emrTio, three dollar per Minum-Jone (it)fin advance, y r Persons residing without the State wiM be ! Irequlrwl to pay ....... j.j - tulncription in advance. i RATES OF ADVERTISING. for every 16 Vines (this 'site lype) first insertion vtio do!Kr ; each suwequent insertion, o cenis. Court Orders and Judicial Aaertiaemems;wiH be charged 25 per cent,' 'higher; and a deduction of 33 y per cent, will be made trom toe regular wices,fir advertisers .by the year. i . - . m. . u . (J3 ittebs 10 voe auiiotb musi c wi.-pau.. REPORT of CHARLES B. SHAW, Esq. Engineer of the Literary Board, on the Drainage of the Swamp Lands of North Carolina. ; buhe$, and brambles, mixed occasionally with ieeds. This route is known as that of SpeWer's Ditch. A second line which solicited examination and presented simi lar exemption from the difficulties which usualtyfnttend swamp surveys, was that 6f Wounds Ditclu extending also from the North fiargin of the Lake to Alligator Ri ver, an.il distant from Spencer's Ditch a bout 3 ftiiles at each end.. 1 The third line surveyed. was that of the large Ditch at the side of he Rosebay Turnpike, extending from the West end of the Lake to Rose bay Creek. f ' 1 , .. I . - The fine of the Ysocking Canal wa also survevLand levelled, and soundings were taken" Tits depth, with' the purpose of af iordingto the Commissioners,, should they jrequirelit, the information! necessary to the completion of that work. ! A rawdom survey was also made from a To the rreucUnt and Directors of the Board of -Literature of North Carolina , Gkntlkmf.n A period has arriveij in the operations preparatory to the Drainage uf the Swamp Lands, which makes Unne cessary to submit a! memoir of the Surveys and Examinations, and to suggest for tour consideration the plans ami estimates which lave been deduced from them. On the reception of your instructions to that effect, such instruments were purcna- sed as were necessary lor the commence ment of the work, and as soon thereafter s practicable, a corps of assistants pro cured for the surveys. ' ; Pending the organization of field parties, examination was made in the county arch ives at Hvde Court-house, for evideucfe of title, on the part of the State, to relroced il lands. The onlv deed of that descrip tion was one from Sheriff James Waon to his Excellency Gov. iViltiams, lor ai targe tract of 56000 Acres, lying m the; rear of the front patents on the east side of Pungo River, forming a part of a large tract of 200,000 Acres granted to John Hull in 1795, known as the Hall Patent, andjsub sequeidly the property of John G. Bl$unt, dee'd. to whose heirs '& to Messrs. Small wood and Bonnet, the remainder of itiuw A. connected chain of title exists ip the j Hvde county records, from the State, iihro John Halt j. G Blount and Edward par- to fftfliam Orr, for whose taxe me sold deep pt of Lake Mattaniuskeet, opposite James fyfcCbuU's house, lo East Bluff Bay. nal bank. At the point of commencement soundings were extended in a straight.line into the Lake. Five feet water was found at the distance oFSOO yards, ami that depth is not increased more than one foot at the distance of a mile from the shore. Within a few yards of the Lake the land rises about a foot and a "half. An alternation of very gentle ridges and depressions succeeds lor nearly 2s miles, 1he variation either above or below the Lake level seldom exceeding a few inches the greatest depression being fifteen inches. The declivity towards Ai ligator River, is afterwards more rapid. The first half mile is chiefly cultivated. and if thoroughly reclaimed from water, would be unsurpassed in fertility, produc ing at present with the most careless til lage, in good seasons, 8 or 10 barrels of Corn to the Acre. The two miles succeed ing are heavily timbered, as is generally the unimproved belt oflainl around the Lake for the same width the growth br ing cvpross. black Ltul sweet gum, and ma- j pie. with a laxurimt undergrowtli of vines and flowering shrubs Laurel & bay trees, with an undergrowth of gall-berry and letter-bushes succeedeil.followed bv an exten- survey, there are two Bays of , Pamlico cube feet per day'fs'&e'oimaft'work ofci Sound, one of which, East Bluff Bay; was ditchers v in this country, according to the sounded and exhibited a depth of 5 feet with- , character pf the ground. Taking the mean in a few. yards of the marsh the harbor j of the two, the mere excavation of each capacious and secure,, and having a general ', cube yard would be nearly - three ;ents.--- Supposing the two banks to be 20 feet wide depth of 6, 7 and 8 feet. . West Bluff Bay is divided from East Bluff Bay by Pungo Bluff, and is more remote from Cypress Point. It is also reported to be shoal and less secure as a harbojr. The examinations which have been made of Lake Mattaniuskeet, have satisfied me that it ought to be drained : and, from the information as yet obtained, a Canal from tyard ; but one-fourth must be added to this Cypress Point; to East Bluff Bay, would estimate tor idle days and loss ot time trom best attain that end. Previously, however, j bad weather, whence the price per cube to deciding on the location, I would recom- jyard becomes, 9j cents. to determine "what the truetrectv6n:d?5ithe South boundary ofthelrWtSnuld beTn line was afterwards, in that way, found to hear N. 376 23v E. which - is the ?niost Northerly line that would at ail touchT the? Lake, and consequently gives; the nattiral upper end will be about 42 feet, and 51 at the lower end, averaging 46 feetj in which distance 3 men will easily transport what 2 can excavate. The removal of 2 cube 1' 11. m yards would thus cost lo-eents, or 7? per and triafnsles were throw-o; across East aud West Buff Bays, w hereby the direction ami lenth of Canals between them and the Lake mghl be detenuined with all suflici ent exactness avoiding thus the difficul ties of pjpnetratin"; the denials, which would have rendered it impossible to complete the survey ifefore the reropening of spring, and inin-ht nlstnone the work. should it be found or.ilfir ti limlpi tiikp- itJ t the next vear. i a valuable rantre U cattle and droves of J "BV - j i Survleys and Levels were subsequently j hogs. .The total fall from the surface wa-tt-mi t&fwppti Puntni River and Puniro her of the Lake, to the ordinary water ol ' n : - n I - m sive savanna overgrown with reeds and let-ter-bushes, and intersperseil wiih: dwarf pines. These savannas are frequently de vacated by fire : at other times thvy afford mend an examination of the Harbors of West Bluff and Mount Pleasant Bay. The by the levelling of Ysocking i would be about 34 yards; which would give many natural boundaries; that a eorreefmap feet to mid-tide i this fall, in a as the cost of one mile, at 9 cents per cannot be made from it : some nev surveys miles, will mve 'an inclination yard, $5,682 80-l00ths, and for 7 miles the must be resorted to. I should not, how- Lake, a&d a line of exploration win into the Stafr tract of SS.OijO Acres, to ascer Alliirator River, is 4.818 feet. The reeds on the margin if ihe River indicate an xt- total fall from the as ascertained Canal, is 5 distance of 7 to the bottom of the Canal, of 78 lOOths of a foot, or decimally expressed 0.000156. A Canal 35 feet at bottom, and 50 feet at the water surface, with 5 feet depth, would comprise an area of 212 square feet, the perimeter of the bottom and sides' would be 55 feejt, and the division of the former quan tity by the latter, would give its mean depth, or.what hydrodvnamists term the radius of its section. The velocity generated by that inclination and mean depth, would be about which mul- at tOD. with a sldbe of one and a half to one. I boundary "reauired. with the least nossihlA -J , J ' I J. A ' 'I'.; I "-V the mean distance ot transportation at the invasion of the Hall trap t, East of the ,sup posea une. l ne taie tract was originally . sold, to fm: Orr, and divided " from thb Hall Patent in the deed of. conveyance by the aforesaid liHe, bearing N. 30 E; to Ihe Alligator l"ake. 'Ihe proprietorship at that time was in iudge iJEdwatd 0drri$flfdL no reasonable doubt Banvbe entertained of a right to draw a line which shall rflouch thd Lake. Whether the quahtityjrif, land will exceed or fall short of diat specified in this deed, remains yet to be ascertained. Th6 I driginal deed to John Halt calls for so The area of a section taken midway be4 tween the head and mouth of the Canal, Lake to Pamlico Sound, supposing the average cut to be 5 feet, character and capability ot being j casmnul ne of 2 teet above this point, tho7 jifni-piiil tract of 56,000 Acres was and duly conveyed to tbe Governor, for the benefit or the State, on 1st Sept. 1801; and the same is How on record in the Office uf the Secretary of State. Ainong the d.eed transmitted to meTy the Board, from Raleigh, are also sundry re-conveyances of large tracts in Tyrrel county one in particular for 40.000 Acres, on the West side of Alligator River," and Pj f Alllo-Ator T.nke. and a second for 22,000 Actes of reverted land, lying : near Pungo Lake; known a3 Jones 4 Davie's Patent. This latter tract lies North of the 56,000 Acre tract in Hyde. There is- al so good reason to believe that 40,000 Acres of land, never granted to any individual or company, will, upon examination, be found South of Alligator Lake, Wmiing in part the North boundary of the HaU Pa tent. ' It thus appears that no less than 158,000 Acres of land, belonging to the State, lie contiguous to, and are more or less injured by the redundant waters of Pungo ami Al ligator Lakes. The drainage of these Lakes, or a reduction of their waters, ap peared therefore to be an important preli minary to any attempt at reclaiming the State lands, and examinations for that pur pose became necessary. r The special appropriations by the legis lature, of SS.000 to the purpose of grain ing Lake Mattainuskeel, had been expend ed, just, previous to my arrival in that dis trict, in the enlarging of a Canal before existing from Lake Landing to Ysocking Creek. The Canal had already been open- " ed, and the water of the Lake was slowly subsiding ; but an extensive shoal at the head of ;the Canal, upon which the-jdepth of water did not exceed a foot, made it e vident that, below that depth, the jCanal could have no effect, except byt. exten sion through the shoal to the deep water of the Lake. The undoubted property ihe Literary Board in the Lake flats when re claimed, the probability of their re-imburs- injany expense incurred in their improve-i meritand the certainty that the Ysocking Canal could not effect that purp(se occa sioned the institution of surveys, to deter mine how it could best be accomplished. These examinations were the first un dertaken, and in obedience to your subse quent instructions, were made with; much care. ? ' Avnring several modes which suggested themselves for drawing off the Lake wa ters, was that by a Canal from the .North side to a remarkable bend of Alligator Ri Ver, where an enlargement and an increas-. depth of the stream would permit the reception of the diluvial matter deposited by the Canal without interruption, at leaM formally years, of its discharge, and with out impediment to the navigation: of the Kiver. A small Canal, constructed, at pri-1 aie expense, extended nearly the - whole distance, and afforded great facilities in the executiori of a survey which must otherwise have progressed very slowly, from the tie; cessity of penetrating an all -pervasive antl yJ dense underwood of gall berry, fetter- tain its drained ,and Ihe proper plans lor that pur pose; life results of" which will be! commu nicated in another place, r Before! describing in their proper order the detail? of these several operations, a few remarks Irill be offered; explanatory of the position f these Lakes arid their effect up on the immense wastes i which surround them. ? hey invariably occupy the highest ground, their sites having in all probability, once beerf firm ground, and their basins ex cavated Hy the action of fire; successive "TAiwths of aquatic and other plants have by degrefS still lurmer eievaicu uieir mar iin. 5n mat'.e thein the receptacles of -W ' ' ' pluvial water from the adjoining swamps in rainy seasons. To these swamps, in the drv weailler which may succeed, their wa ters are r4turnen, the loose spungy charac: ter and great capacity for moisture of a purely vegetable soil, attracting ihe Lake waters toa distance thai would be incredi ble to illume unacquainted with such locali ties. Free evaporation from tbe general sur face of tlnlse vast solitudes, is almost im possible frfrm their umbrageous character ; it i probably not more than nan wiai wiucn excess be two and a fifth feet per second, tiplied into the area 212, and afterwards divided by 27, to f educe it to cubic yards, i i. .i .. I, - during the flood of August last, the rise was I ffives 17? as the quantity per second arawn sum of $39,776 60-100ths. The quantity I ever, expect the quantity tof vary much of good land, which will be reclaimed from s from that specified judging fronl appear the L.ate, will oe iu,uuu Acres,, and me va- ances on tne otate iviap. lue cannot but exceed the expenditures,eyen The North Western ' corner, and thenc after deduction of interest upon the capital j nearly to the centre dfrthis tract, is flooded. expenueu Deivveen tne construction ints i oy me waters. 01 rungo iiaKe. a uuc oi Canal and the sale, of the land. levels was therefore tun from Clark's. Mill probably not more than half i hat is in cultivated districts. The iuiii must con up fo supply by! slow filtr occu of moisiurfe taken escape by stream whose dull i must conseouentiy either vegetable growth, or ation to the nearest lneauderins are at va riance with all the purposes of artificial drainage. umhr the After long continued rains, or influence of high winds, the Lakes overflow, and their contents are sud denly poured upon the already half submer ged swamtfs ; a continued motion, -or press as it is tinned, of the water, then takes place in die direction of the greatest de clivity, uittil it reaches thevicinity of cul livation, vjhere, the soil being of a less per meable nature, and sometimes moredepres sed, water accumulates to the depth of se- veral leet notwiinsianuiug- me gieaiei ia cilities- thre afforded for its discharge and evaporation. The duration of this evil is increased .though its intensity is no doubt abated, bjf the slow arrival of these redun dant watep, which, having few vents in the shape f natural streams, are compelled to seek lo v and soft places whereby they may find jexit. From these two causes, slow evapdration, and almost imperceptible drainage, tesult an autumnal and winter climate of I uncommon humidity with the concomitartts ut rheumatism and pleurisy, in summer the conjoint effects of heat and moUture ar felt in malaria and the atten dant diseases. The evident remedy f 4he evils is, the removal etitlrelyl, or in part, of the contents of these grelit elevated basins, by Canals or artificial rivers, which shall at the same time receive the surface water of the coun try. Their treater inclination, resulting from their directness, their regular lorm aud the secondary Canals, to be construct ed as the sales of public lands progress, will reduce thV lands contiguous lo a suffi cient drvness tor alt the purposes of agri culture. Thelclearing and cultivation of the lands will remove in part, if not entire ly, the. sources?of disease j and their un: exampied fertifity, when reclaimed, will afford ample means of subsistence at home, to those who areitiow compelled to seek it in new and remoe territories. I have gi purpose to ocbupfe your time with descrip tionsi of the skvaHp region, alreau v well known front tlje Memoir of Judge Murphy , and the Reports ol Jesrs. Fulton ind Nush taking for granted tliat what has been -so often describe'll is now well untlerstood I will proceed at once to a brief detail f the results i)f the several surtes before allud ed to. 1 f' Spencers Cftlal was constructed for the fimprorement of private property, and com mences halt a AHle.troin ihe ix tUx maigiu of the Lake iW-width is 10 feet its length 5 mile's, and its! depth varies from l to 2 feet. The suryWf was made upon the Ca probably 4 feet. The soil is easy of exca vation, but difficulties exist in regard to the removal of the timber, and the inter ruption of water during the process f re moving the earth. Upon Blount's Ditch, appearances were similar to those allready described the dis tance from the Lake to the river but 8 miles. and the fall 4.329 feet. Alligator River was j surveyed between the mouths of these two ditches, and found to be extremely crooked, and of a very variable depth and width, al together unsuited to the rapid conveyance of water. Spencer s Canal is the most sui table location on the North side ; the River at its termination being 15 feet deep, and 15 feet wide, its width augmenting very fast as it is descended. The tides as they are called, are mere accumulations of water under the effects of Northerly winds; in calm weather the River has probably very little tall belore Spen cer's Canal, the termination of which may be considered the termination of AlbemarLe Sound. It will be seen hereafter, that Pam lico Sound is about 5s feet below Mattanius keet, whence the difference of level of the iwn Sounds is ascertained to be 7 tenths of ft nnt 3 feet as heretofore suppos ed. This result was to have been expect ed, as a fall of two feet from Albemarle to Pamlico Sound would create a constant and unstable current through Croatan Sound ; instead whereof, it is at all times scarcely perceptible. The Rosebay Turnpike Canal was next surveyed. This is at the West end of the Lake, the distance nearly 4 miles, and the fall 4.78 to a stake which is about 8 or 4 tenths above the ordinary water of Rosebay Creek; 5.20 may be assumed as the fall, the greater part of which occurs in the last mile, for which reason the depth of cut WOUIU De greater on me avciagc iiiu.ii uu other lines of greater declivity. Between the Lake and Rosebay there has been an extensive juniper swamp, indicating a san dy bottom, and I have heard that quicksand was encountered in digging the Canal. The Canal is about 20 feet wide and very shal low, its banks having in many places col lapsed. The water is very shoal at its head, and for a variety ot other reasons, not ne from the Lake. This Canal would pass through the lands of Blount Donnel, and Smnfhcood and others, now quite unim proved, and its capacity would require in crease, with a view to pass off the accumu lated quantity of water between the Lake and the Bay. A proportion of the expense would have to be . defrayed by the owners of the land under the existing law, altho' the land reclaimed by the operation from the Lake would alone authorise it. About one cube yard per Second must be the increased capacity of;discharge for each additional square, milepf improved land ; and to pro vide for improvement on each side of the Canal to a distance of 2 miles, that the mar ginal lands raiffht be drained without di- minishins the flow of water from the Lake, thr (lispharorp at the mouth of the Canal must be 311 cube yards per second. This would be nearly accomplished, by making the Canal 60 feet wide at bottom and 75 at the water surface, at its embouchure. Such dimensions would give a discharge of 29 cube yards. An enquiry will now arise, whether some eeonomy might not result from making the process of draining the Lake more gradual, thus giving the Canal only such dimensions as will drain off the Swampy waters, and preserve the reduced level of the lake, after it shall have been attained. Supposing tne T.aVe waters to be lowered nearly to the Canal bottom, upon the occurrence of rain ,as soon as the Canal was filled, there would be a heavy press of water back into the Lake, which would continue until the Ca nal water subsided below the Lake level. The quantity of water so discharged into the Lake, would but slightly affect the level, and upon the discontinuance of rain, the flow from the Lake would recommence. The Lake has been found, by my recent survey, to contain 36 square miles. One inch epth upon a square mile, requires a drain capable of venting one cube yard per second, for 24 hours. A Canal which would drain 17 cube yards per second, would re duce its waters one-fifth of an inch in 24 hours, and could the same head be maintain ed, would discharge 60 inches in 300 days: the time would be nearly doubled, however, in consequence of the continued reduction To ascertain how much eroodland would ! on Pungo River, to Pungo Lake, using for be laid dry by the operation of draining its great convenience fthe banks of Mr;k down 3aft. below the present level, a survey . Clark's head-race, by which? hia Mill i after j supplied with water from the -Swamps m that direction. Front the head ot the race the levels were continued untibthey teach ed the flood waters of Pungo LakeY wTii at that time, -covered the country , for twd ; miles from its margin ,being 17 222-lOOOthi feet above Pungo Riveri whence the;caii be but little fall to Pamlico Sound. . The Southern, end of the tract is, in fact , heavily timbered, and ir elevated in sonde ! noints 13 feet above tide! proDablyvin a. I - was hrst made ol the .LaKe margin ; which, souudings were taken at the depth of 3j feet which were surveyed by trian gulation ; and the quantity included be tween the present and lower margin, deter- mmea oy tne dinerence oi. tne two areas. J he .Lake bottom was also bored with a and auger to the depth of several feet at every sounding statioti. Jn some instances a few inches of sand were found overlying deep vegetable soil, but in most instances sand was absent. Sand would be more j few places, less than 9 or 10 teeti At ttte trenenlly fonnd at the surface of the soil, ! greatest elevation, a forest of Ca1iei12 or that being mo -e exposed to the attrition oij io teet in neignt, give me oesi eviueuuo ecfiorv to enumerate. I consider this the I of the head, unless a more rapid discharge j ------ - . . , , . I -j.u u be anorded oy an increaseu wwui mc lower end of the Canal, whereby an unin terrupted efflux may be afforded to the Lake waters, j " If Wei suppose that by the expenditure of j a small bum upon the Ysocking Canal, it can be rhade to discharge half the' quantity of that tio East Bluff Bay , their joint effect would accomplish the reduction of the Lake 4 ft! in about 300 day; and supposing that a warm summer should evaporate one foot, more of water than fell in the same time up on the Lake,"Us waters might be reduced 4i ft. in eight months, and 3 fu below their presentlevel in less than two-thirds of that timei or about 160 days ; the precise period would vary according to that of the rapid evaporation, and whether it take place at the commencement or latterpart of the. pe riod ot discharge. . If the dimensions of the Canal be restricted to a width ot bo teet, a slight diminution of the discharge front the Lake1 wonld occur during the heavy rains, which would, however, be more than com pensated at other, times, by the increased rapidity which would result from the more ampje dimensions below, and consequently greater fall from the Lake when the lower sections of the Canal were not filled. If these Canals be executed.they will probably be undertaken by the slave owners in,. the neighborhood, where the yearly value of a slave's labor varies from 80 to 00 dollars. Tfclothinff and subsistence he rated at 60 per annum, and ene-fifth be added for contract- stave win least eligible of the several proposed loca tions. Ysocking Canal is that recently construe ted for draining the Lake. The fund ap propriated was evidently insufficient to ac complish a work of that magnitude ; a part of it was necessary to purchase the right of way and the previously existing smaller Canal. As regards the actual labor perfor med there, I should suppose, from a very rough estimate, that it could not be less than 76,000 cube feet yards of excavation, of which the cost was something less than $5,006 No complaint can be made on the score of economy, but it is much to be' re gretted that the appropriation had not been larger, thus affoiding more latitude to the Commissioners in the selection of a suita able line. It does not become ,me to anti cipate their report, but I believe it isaiow conceded bv them, that with an extensive shoa existing, at either end of this Canal, nd heir exhausted means, they cannot ac complish their objecti 1 Would recommend thef expenditure of abodt $2,500 in removing the Mud Shoal, as it is called, in Ysocking Creek,, and ex tend Jig that Canal to the deep waters of the Lakf? but! consider it too devious, even after those improvements, arid of too irre gular an inclination and section t to drain the !Lake. - . At Cvorftss Point, four miles West of Lake Landing, is the boldest -part of the r oUwQ Th rle'oth of 5 feet mav be ua&c oiiui " 1 . , i A r. At the nrs oroht. me aany iaour ui a. Z-A uv n.ir .nt about on half dollar. From 500 to OOU distance oi 7 runes, a Mteiwiwu " attrition the water, whereby the vegetable matter would be removed, and the sand, from its greater weight, be left behind. The quan" tity of that matter must rather add to, than detract from the value of the soil. Some clay and red ashes are also found at the Lake bottom, intermixed with vegetable matter. All the soundings are properly registered, and, with the other field books, preserved for your inspection. A general Chart is in preparation, exhibiting all me. operations of the season ; it will be trans mitted bv the first opportunity after its completion. A survey was also made from the head of Alligator River to Alligator or New Lake, to ascertain its level and position. This survey passed though the tract of 40,000 Acres supposed to be State property. This Lake is 4 1 miles from Alligator River, near the mouth of Blount's IJitch, and is elevated above it 8 281-1000ths ft. It is consequently 4 feet above Lake Matta niuskeet. and 9k feet above mid-tide of Pamlico Sound. It was surveyed by tri- angulation, and iound to contain very nearly 5,000 Acres, but little of which would be reclaimed by a reduction of the Lake waters 5 feet as is contemplated. The benefits proposed to be attained from that operation would be general, however, in regard to the: large tracts of public land on the South, the North-East and South West of the. Lake, A belt, of land from two to three miles in width, would also be rendered susceptible of cultivation. But the conclusive argument in favor of this drainage is its being indispensible as re gards the valuable tract of 56,000 Acres on Punffo Kiver, ot which I snail next speaR The dismal between the River and Lake contains some valuable juniper timber, and, after the reduction of the waters of Alligator and Mattamuskeet Lake, the pmey savan nas near Alligator River may be cultivated in Rice, there being no doubt that the head of the River must be reduced some inches below the present level, when the press of via water from those two .Lakes shall have ceased. The Southern boundary of the 56,000 Acre tract, as defined in the Sheriffs deed to Gov. Williams, is a line running N. 30 V. a miles tn Allio-ator Lake, which line commences at a stake which wasat that time of the first survey AN. 30 E, 4 miles from a certain gurn tree at the head of Rut- man's Creek. This Gum was one ot James Wilkinson's corners, and easily pointed mif Kv nersons in the neighborhood. A random survey from the deep water at the confluence of the Creek and rungo tuvers; Was made to this tree, whence the required line was run without deviation for 3 miles but was abandoned in consequence of un favorable weather, and the great difficulty of progress, on account of the thickness of the undergrowth, . wnicn, lor-me purpose of levelling, was necessarily removed to a greater extent than a mere land survey would 9 .it-; :J j i.r..i have required, it was cousiucrcu uouuuui ; t the commencement tf Ibis survey, whether this line would strike the Lake, the gene ral opinion beinff that it would prove to be too much to the North i It was neverthe less thought expedient to run the line a 1 . 1 i AVnm!na noruon oi me way, wiiaa view w cAaiimn, the general character and level of the tract and afterwards, by a .survey of Ihe road from Rutman's Creek to the head pfvMatta- muskeet Lake, connecting thereby with the aurvev before made to Alligator Lake, which could be , desired of fertility. The' timber is of the description most indicative of fertile soil, ajid the luxuriance of tho undergrowth unequalled, even in this region, of redundant vegetation. ;The North end of the tract hetweet Pungb Lake and .the front patents, is one iextensive bed of maideri reeds, and its general elevation is from IZ to 17 feet above tide; fire has irppeatedly swept over its forests, and the" Jlake water have subsequently so often anaastaniiy' overflowed it, that reeds alone have .sue ceeded them. Draining alone is necessary to make the land "valuable ( the whole of this tract is thought to promise consider able fertility when reclaimed : it possesses a vegetable soil some feet iri depth, with x clay bottom. Irt regard to the presenkcon- ditionofthis and other Swamp regionslt . may be remarked, that there is no want of a general declivity to carry off thej-ain water; but of channels into which it may now ; artificial rivers must be formed Where nature has not provided them. Qne Jnch of water falling upon a retentive soil,, upon one square mile, is equal to 86t044 cubic yards ; a day contains 86,400 seconds : consequently, for the complete discharge of a rain 1 inch deep, upon a tevel the" canals, both principal and secondary, must have a capacity of discharge equal to I cube yard per second, for every square mild which they are intended to drain For a fall of 2 inches, their capacity must be doubled, for 3 inches tripled, &c. This calculation applies to lands under a complete system of drainage, where, by means Of secondary drains and water furrows, and the removal of roots; rriorasses and other 6bsb6les, the water "may be discharged as fast as t may fall. I n ordinary rams,, the velocity with which water is discharged front the surface of swampy districts must be many times less than in a country under cultivation both from the retarding causes above men tioned, and the general inequality of the surface, all concavities having of necessity to be filled up to the general level; before a discharge of their waters dan commence, except by slow filtration, through a spongy soil. The retardation of the effluent water is not so great in heavy as in - moderate rain's, but is even then very Considerable.' An example will afford a better idea than general explanation. In the extraordiftary flood, of August last, preceded, as may oe remembered, by a prolonged drought, the waters of Lake Ivtattamiiskeet, jas was. ascer tained by careful measurement at fhetime, rose 7 inches during tne ram, wnicir icu without intermission 36 hours ; and auer the cessation of rain, the rise was augmen ted 2 inches by the influx of water from surrounding Swamps. f7becmcludednefioeek.J fact, that South Carolina is the only State that has, through its Legislature, expressed, an opinion in favor of this bill. The States ' of New York, Pennsylvania Rhode Island, New Jersey, Ohio, Tehiui end Kentucky"; having 121 ReptesentativeshWMtrTicte their members; to vote snst iW Mary land, Indiana, Massachusetis TefttiontaBd Delaware, are beyond-all question as firmljr opposed ta it. Add these1 to the instrnctin States:, and it makes 154 Representaiitet vrio.bvght to vote against the bill, being majority of C6. . Feyttt&ttteObnTvtt ;