the Revolutionary war, General Washington was so impressed with the importance of a water line across the Alleghanies, that during the year 1784, he made a personal exploration of the country, trav eling for that purpose, many hundreds of miles. The result of that exploration and subsequent action of the Governor and Legislature is thus given in the report above referred.

"He kept a journal, in which were minutely recorded his conversations with every intelligent person whom he met, respecting the facilities for internal navigation afforded by the rivers which have their sources among the Alleghany Mountains, and flow thence either to the east or the west, He returned to Mount Vernon on the 4th day of October, and on the 10th of the same month communicated the results of his observations to the Governor of Virginia, Benjamin Harrison, a warm personal friend of Washington, and the father of William Henry Harrison, ninth President of the United States. In his letter intro fucing the subject, Gen. Washington says: 'I shall take the liberty now, my dear sir, to suggest a matter, which would (if I am not too short sighted a politician) mark your administration as an important era in the annals of this country, if it should be recommended by you and adopted by the Assembly.' And then proceeds: 'It has long been my decided opinion that the shortest, easiest and least expensive communication with the invaluable and extensive country back of us would be by one or both of the rivers of this State, which have their sources in the Apalachian Mountains." Governor Harrrison communicated the subject to the Legislature, with a Message, as follows:

"IN COUNCIL, October 18, 1784.

"To the Honorable Speaker of the House of Delegates:

"The opening of the navigation of our western waters is of such immense consequence to the State that it has engaged the attention of our late commander-in-chief, and induced him to favor me with his opinion on the subject, which I enclose and request the favor of you to lay it before the Assembly. His reasoning is so conclusive that I have not a doubt of the utility of the measure remaining with me, and shall feel myself extremely happy if the Assembly should

coincide with me in opinion, and should set on foot the surveys recommended as a necessary preparatory step to the undertaking."

He then presents various considerations in its support.

On the fifteenth of November General Washington arrived in Richmond, where the General Assembly was then sitting. The House of Delegates being informed of his arrival, adopted unanimously a resolution expressive of their reverence for his character and affection for his person, and appointing a committee of five members, of whom Patrick Henry was chairman, to wait upon him with the respectful regards of the House. The object of his visit was not only to meet the Marquis de Lafayette, who arrived in the city on the seventeenth, but also to promote in the legislature his views of a plan of internal improvement.

On the 15th of December it was ordered in the House that leave be given to bring in a bill for opening and extending the navigation of James river, and Mr. Madison, afterward President of the United States, was made the chairman of the committee, who were instructed to prepare and bring in the same. This bill became a law on the 5th of January, 1785, on which day the Speaker, John Tyler (the father of John Tyler the tenth President of the United States) signed the following enrolled bills, viz: "An act for clearing and improving the navigation of the James river." "An act for opening and extending the navigation of the Potomac river." "An act for vesting in George Washington, esq., a certain interest in the companies established for opening and extending the navigation of the Potomac and James rivers."

The company was organized August 20th, 1785, and on the next day Gen. Washington was elected its first President.

Edward Randolph (afterward Attorney General, and Secretary of State of the United States, under General Washington's administration,) in communicating these facts to the general, wrote:

"I endeavored to deliver you from the appointment to the office of President, but the universal suffrage called you the the post without an expectation, however, that you would undergo more of the business than your own convenience may reconcile to you."

This company continued its organization until the 20th of February, 1820, and until 1835 this enterprise was prosecuted, for a short time under the control of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and then again, by the "James River Company." It is to be noted that although the title of this company related only to the James river, yet the act of incorporation defined the object to be "An act for clearing and improving the navigation of James river, and for uniting the eastern and western waters of the James and Kanawha rivers."

Under an act of incorporation passed March 16th, 1832, the "James River and Kanawha Company" was organized May 25th, 1835. All the works and property of the former company were then turned over to this last named company, under whom the work has been prosecuted since.

Before proceeding to state what progress has been made, it would perhaps conduce to a better understanding of the whole enterprise, to give a general outline of the purpose and character of this improve

ment.

It is proposed by it, to connect the Ohio river at the mouth of the Kanawha, with the Atlantic ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, a distance of six hundred and thirty-six miles by a water line, of capacity sufficient for boats of three hundred to four hundred and fifty tons burthen, capable of conveying from ten thousand to fifteen thousand bushels of wheat, to pass the whole distance without breakage of bulk. Of this, the first one hundred and fifty-one miles from the Ocean to Richmond will also be navigable for sail vessels and steamboats. From the Ocean to the mouth of the James at the head of Hampton Roads, is about twenty five miles, of this last named distance. And this will probably be the point of departure for oceanbound vessels; Hampton Roads furnishing the most capacious, and in every respect the best harbor on the Atlantic coast; thus making the connecting line only about five hundred and eleven miles.

From Richmond the canal extends westward two hundred and seventy-eight miles, passing through the ranges of the Blue ridge and Alleghany mountains to the Green Brier river, a tributary of the Kanawha. From the intersection of the canal with the Green

Brier river, there is to be a slack water navigation, by means of locks and dams, down through New river and the Kanawha, one hundred and nineteen miles; thence, the channel of the Kanawha is to be deepened to its mouth, a further distance of eighty-nine miles.

THE WORK DONE.

1. The first division of this improvement commencing at Richmond, is called: "The Richmond dock and tide water connection," and is one mile in length. This division is thus described in said report:

"FIRST

THE RICHMOND DOCK AND TIDE WATER CONNECTION." By means of this improvement, vessels ascend from the river into the dock, where they are met by canal - boats, which descend from the basin at the terminus of the canal, and lay alongside the vessels for the purpose of exchanging cargoes; or, the canal - boats can descend to the river, and without breaking bulk, be towed to City Point or Norfolk.

"Vessels enter the dock by means of a ship lock, which is founded upon solid rock, and built of the most substantial cut granite. It is one hundred and eighty feet long between the gates; thirty-five feet wide; has a lift of fifteen feet, and has sixteen feet water on the mitre sill. It will pass vessels of five hundred tons."

"The dock is 4,100 feet long from the shipment to Seventeenth street, and has a continuous wharf, protected by a granite wall, for its whole length on the north side, and for about 1,000 feet on the south side. The depth is from eleven to fifteen feet, and the average width one hundred feet. Above Seventeenth street is a continuation, called "The Upper Dock," which is also surrounded by a substantial granite wall, and is now only used by canal boats, but whenever the trade shall demand it, it can be made accessible to vessels, by means of a pivot bridge, thrown across in the line of Seventeenth street extended. This upper portion is eight hundred feet long and two hundred feet wide.

The dock is connected with the basin by means of five locks, having an aggregate lift of sixty-nine feet. These locks are built of hewn granite, and, with the ship lock, will in their style and finish compare favorably with any similar works in this country.

The total cost of the dock and tide water connection has been

$851,312. It was completed in the year 1854."

Having, by means of this dock and tide water connection, reached the basin at the head of the falls, the eastern terminus of the canal is reached.

2. The first division of the canal extends from the basin to the city of Lynchburg, comprising one hundred and thirty-seven and three-fourth miles of canal proper and eight and three fourths of slack - water navigation; making one hundred and forty-six and onehalf miles.

The trunk of the canal is thirty feet wide at the bottom, and fifty feet at the water line, and was originally cut to the depth of five feet -locks one hundred feet long between the gates, and fifteen feet wide.

The second division of the canal is from Lynchburg to Buchanan, fifty miles further, which has also been completed upon the same. plan.

Of the next division to Covington, forty-seven miles further, only about fifteen miles has been completed, making a completed canal and slack-water navigation from Richmond westward, of two hundred and twelve miles; and leaving sixty-six miles more of canal to be completed to the head of the proposed slack-water navigation on the Green Briar river. On this distance of sixty-six miles, a very large amount of money has been expended. Besides this, connected with the second division of the canal to Buchanan, is a lateral improvement, know as the "North River Improvement" making a navigation of slack - water and canal of 29 miles.

All this was done up to the beginning of the year 1860, and there had been expended $11,785,455, besides the large sum of $3,034.845 paid annuities and interests on loans from the net earnings of the

company.

In the meantime the great West and Northwest, had grown up into a mighty empire, with population, wealth and productions, far exceeding the most sanguine expectations of those who projected the enterprise when all this vast region was a wilderness. In that year seventeen millions of tons of the products of this great valley had