23

Grace. The Western division of this section is in the gen-
eral form of a triangle, whose base is the Baltimore and
Washington Railroad, forty miles broad, and its apex, Point
Lookout; the distance between these points is b onit
seventy miles in a direct line; the two sides of the triangle
are formed by the Patapsco river and the Chesapeane Bay on
the East, and the Potomac river on the West.

The Potomac River is about 125 miles in length; it is a-
bout 7/2 miles wide at its mouth; seventy miles above, 3 miles
wide, and at Alexandria, 1 mile wide. The depth between
its mouth and Washington, is from 18 to 120 f«ot and the
tide flows to Georgetown, 128 miles from its moutt The
distance, by air line, from Washington to the mouth of the
Potomac, is about 72 miles.

This river is navigable along its entire border of this sec-
tion, for vessels of the largest class. One of the navy yards
of the United States is at Washington., the extreme western
limit of navigation, where the largest frigates are built.
This river varies in breadth from about 7^ miles at its
mouth to about 1 mile at Washington, the head of tide-
water, and, anywhere else, would be regarded as an une-
qualled convenience to commerce and navigation. On the
north-eastern border is the Chesapeake Bay, where all the
navies of the world could sail up and down without danger
of collision. Numerous creeks, inlets and small bays branch
out from these two great water expanses, affording safe har-
bors and convenient landings within a few miles of every
farm on this Peninsula. But, in addition to this, there is
the Washington Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
one of the best, if not the very best, judging by its perform-
ances for the last four years, in the United States. Midway
between Washington and Baltimore, the Annapolis and Elk-
ridge Railroad, admirably managed and constructed, goes to
Annapolis, the Capital of the State, and is twenty miles in
length. On the northern part of this west division, from
Baltimore to Jthe Susquehanna, is the Philadelphia, Wil-
mington and Baltimore Railroad, only a jfew miles distant
from and parallel to the Bay.

These are the commercial facilities already existing, and
ought to be sufEcicient to satisfy the most exacting require-
ments. But, in addition, the Baltimore and Potomac Rail-
road, extending from Baltimore through Anne Arundel
county, crossing the Annapolis and Elkridge Railroad about
ten miles from Annapolis and the Patuxent riverj bust below
where its two main branches unite thence to a point about
four miles south-west in Prmce George's county, on the Col-
lington Branch, where it divides; one branch thence runs
to Washington city, by the nearest route, and the other
through the eastern and middle portions of Prince George's
county, passing near Upper Marlboro', the county town, to