Between the Hudson at Waterford, and Lake Champlain at Whitehall, or the New-York Northern Canal, communicating with the St. Lawrence river, Distance,
Miles
The Great Western Canal of New York, connecting the Hudson with
Lake Erie. Length, between Albany and Buffalo; via Schenec-
tady, Little falls, Utica, Rome, Montezuma, Lyons, Rochester,
Lockport, Blackrock,
Miles
Between the Chicago, a water of Lake Michigan, and the Plein, a wa-
ter of the Illinois river, communicating with the Mississippi.
this, no regular survey has as yet been made, but the distance to
cut, will be short, suppose,
Between the city of Albany, and eight or ten miles below the same, to
overcome an impediment in the Hudson, at that place, as to ship-
navigation,
The above to No. 8, completed, there will be formed in addition to the inland navigation on our Atlantic border, a thorough navigable communication between the same, and the great lakes, of the North, and the great rivers of the West.
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Along the rapids of the Ohio at Louisville, to connect the upper and
lower navigation of the river.-Length of falls,
Miles
From Lake Erie to the river Ohio; commencing from some point be-
tween Cleveland and Harpersfield on the S. shore of the lake,
and striking upon some point of the Ohio, either Pittsburg, or be-
tween that and Steubenville. From Painsville on the lake at the
mouth of Grand river, across the dividing ground between the wa-
ters of that and the Mahoning river, to Pittsburg; this route, it is
suggested, may have the preference. This ground, which is all in
the Ohio State, except from Beaver river to Pittsburg, has lately
been examined with attention, and ably reported upon by profes-
sional characters; who bring into view several variations of route,
as thus:-By the sources of the Cayahoga river and the Tuscara-
was branch of the Muskingum river.
By the sources of Black river and the Killbuck branch
of the Muskingum.
By the sources of the Maumee and the Great Miami rivers.
By the sources of the Sandusky and the Scioto rivers.
Besides which, it is understood, that commissioners of the
State of Pennsylvania, now engaged in making surveys, have ascertained a favourable route, between the town of Erie on Lake Erie, and the city of Pittsburg. The distance between the navigable waters of Lake Erie and the river Ohio, at the points of approximation, in one or two of the routes suggested, does not exceed ninety miles; and the expense of a canal has been estimated, by an engineer of experience, at the sum of seven hundred thousand dollars. Say, length of canal-work,
These works to No. 10, accomplished, there will be formed, by way of the river Ohio in its whole course, a second channel of communication between the Atlantic, the Northern, and the Western waters. And it may reasonably be conjectured, that different points of contact, for canals between the Lakes and the Ohio, will be decided on, and the works executed, at some time more or less distant; by which the intermediate route, still comprehending a part, greater or less, of this highly interesting stream, will have varieties accordingly.
To connect, by a continued lock-construction, the tide-navigation of the
Potomac at Washington, with the same river at Cumberland, and
thence to proceed and form a junction with the Ohio.
This proposed grand work is now before congress, at the spe-
cial recommendation of the President himself, and we may expect
in consequence, that the most minute examination will be made. ad-
ditionally to what has been done. Already, however, through
what may be deemed accurate surveys of the ground, the important
information of its perfect feasibility is obtained. The great obsta-
cle that seemed to oppose was, to pass a canal over the dividing
ridge of mountains. Previous to a discovery that has very recently
been made, any idea of raising a boat, by a series of locks,to an ele-
vation of two thousand four hundred feet and more, above tide
water, and lowering it again* one thousand seven hundred feet, to
gain the level of the Ohio river, would have been justly enough
thought chimerical; but the information now acquired, gives to the
thing a different aspect. The locks over some part of the distance,
will be numerous, and the work consequently expensive, but fully
justified, it is supposed, by the immense advantages to result from
this tramontaneous navigation. The discovery, it seems, of glades,
or natural meadows of considerable extent, dispersed over the
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