2

river. It passes through the city in a direction varying little
from north and south. This fine stream is of incalculable benefit
in affording the city a constant supply of pure and excellent
water, which is raised by machinery, and distributed by pipes
through every street. Nor is this the only advantage for which
the citizens of Baltimore are indebted to Jones's Fails;—it gives
motion to a number of mills and factories, and that portion of the
stream which runs through the City, answers many purposes of
a common sewer. True, the falls, are productive of one evil,
which, at the first glance, appears almost to neutralize the bene-
fits we have just mentioned. The ground through which this
stream flows being of a loose nature, and having a very conside-
rable descent, the consequence is that, (especially after copious
rains,) a large alluvial deposit is carried into the basin, the remo-
val of which deposit is a constant expense to the city. As a remedy
for this evil, it has been proposed to divert the course of the
falls, by means of a canal or tunnel, to Herring Run, which is
four miles distant from the city. The expense of this scheme it
is thought would not exceed a sum the interest oil which is now
expended in temporary removals of the inconvenience. It must
be observed, however," that to this evil, so called, the City is in a
great measure indebted for the vast improvements about the City
Block; where many acres of good ground have been formed of
the aforesaid deposits, raised by the mud-machines and applied
to that purpose. The space thus recovered from the river will, at
some time, (we have reason to think,) be as valuable as any other
ground in Baltimore; besides the health and beauty of that por-
tion of the city have been greatly improved by the process of
its formation.

When it has been stated that there are many streams in the
neighborhood—and that the ground is generally hilly, the reader
will probably suppose that the water power is considerable. This
is truly the case, and in this respect Baltimore is unrivalled by
any other city on the American continent. On this topic we shall
enlarge when speaking of Manufactories, Mills, &,c. See chap. viii.
From those immediate topographical advantages of Baltimore,
we proceed to speak of those which, though more remote, are of
the greatest importance, as being highly conducive to her pros-
perity. Patapsco river empties into that magnificent sheet of
water called Chesapeake Bay, at about the distance of fourteen
miles from the city. This bay also receives the waters of the
Susquehanna, the Potomac, the Choptank and numerous other
streams, and is connected at Capes Charles and Henry with the
Atlantic Ocean. In a commercial point of view, the benefits of
this situation are incalculable. Besides a favorable vicinity to the
ocean which it affords, the tributary streams of the Chesapeake
open a communication, by water, with a vast extent of country,
including distant portions of several different States. On the
waters of the Susquehanna alone, immense quantities of mer-