HISTORY OF

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promoting their commerce and trade, it may he reasonably expectedthat both these communications will be opened and improved.

There is still another communication, equally practicable with eitherof the others, and which has not escaped notice : this is between thesouthern branch of the Tyoga and a branch of the Allegany ; the headwaters of which are but a short distance from each other. The SenecaIndians have informed the Pennsylvanians that they can walk four timesa day from the boatable waters of the Ohio to those of the Tyoga, at theplace now mentioned ; and between the Susquehanna,’ just before itcrosses into Pennsylvania the first time, and the Delaware, is a portage ofonly twelve miles.

Several improvements are carrying on in the state of Virginia ; togive an account of which it will be necessary to survey those riversthat will be the objects of operation ; and first, Patomak river. Thisriver is seven miles and a half wide at its mouth, four and a half at No-mony Bay, three at Aquio, one and a half at Hallooing-point, one and aquarter at Alexandria, opposite to which, in the state of Maryland, thecongress have resolved to build their new city ; and every state is assessedits respective quota for that purpose. During the time of building it, thecongress have resolved to sit in the city of Philadelphia till the year 1800,when the new city is to be named, and the congress will remove to it asthe feat of government; the centrical situation of which, and the nobleriver it is upon, must command a vast trade. Its soundings are sevenfathoms at the mouth, five at St. George’s Island, four and a half atLower Matchodic, three at Swan’s Point and up to Alexandria; whencethere is ten feet water to the falls, which are thirteen miles above Alex-andria.

The distance from the Capes of Virginia to the termination of thetide-way in this river Patomak, is above three hundred miles ; and theriver is navigable for strips of the greatest burthen nearly to that place :

from