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Keel for to feet to her Ends her Ends at the Water as sharp as possible
and gradually spreading in a [nice?] twist towards the top of the Stern
(there's a Difficulty in communicating the Idea from an Ignorance of the
Terms of Art) so that she might be lifted as it were by an extraordinary
pressure of water and would consequently push up the lighter in Sharp
Water as well as come down difficult places loaded with more safety. such
a Boat drawing the same water as the Canal Boat would carry abt. 5oo B.
and must be worked by ~ good Hands.
From the Flat water by Sen,ples to the Back water in the lower part
of Catons Gut about So ps show's to j/2 Foot Fall by much the quickest
from and soon after the Entrance into the upper part of the Gut. suppose
an Entrance 2 t/2 feet deep is made into the Gut it takes off something in
the most necessary part. why might not 3 or 4 feet be again taken off
by a low River Lock the sides made of [rough?I Loggs well pinned to-
gether or bolted with Iron Bolts filled in with large Stones of which
there's
such plenty at Hall([ in the same lIatmer as Stone Dams. when there's
any- Danger from Ice or Trees the Water would gen'lly if not always be
over the Lock and Ice and Trees would probably pass over without touch-
ing. if its's feared the\. would not to prevent their banging the T.ock
might in the Fall be filled with Stones and no great Labour to clear it out
in the Spring. two such Locks 4 Feet each would certainly do the Busi-
ness 0r perhaps of 3 feet or perhaps one might do. Tf a Stone Towing
path was built Achich might be done for 3 or 400 f and large Iron pins
with broad Heads fixt in the Rocks at proper Distances, around which
occasionally to take a turn of a long strong pointer by which one Hand
might hold on and gently rase off ht going down or in coming up hold on
what three of the other Hands gained in pulling leaving one Hand in the
Boat to keep her off from the Sides ~Nith a ligbt Setting-pole it seems
likeiN- five Hands would cart- such a Boat through any water in which
site could swim. tile same Method if succe~sful there might be taken at
the Spout except a Lock for which there could be no Occasion. there's
no other place in the Sltann Falls but where the Hands might if the water
was deepen 'd set a Boat up with their poles. An unlucky Objection
was started some years ago against opening a Channel through the Rifts
of Rocks, supposing the Water would he thereby drawn off and make new
Shallows or even expose Rocks above. the Idea was formed without any
consideration of the Vastness of the Body of Water in potowmack or
even perhaps a Knowledge that that there are many spaces in those Rifts
of Rocks through which great Quantities of Water now pass or that the
Water is deeper just above and below those Ledges of Rocks than common
elsewhere in the River, vet after all admit the Objection in its full Force
that cutting a Channel of 30, 40, 5o or 6o Feet wide 2 r/2 feet deep will
too suddenly draw off a Body perhaps j .5o yds wide so amply supplied, the
Evil may be easily remedied by only sinking a few Cutts of Timber to
obstruct the passage of the water in the other Spaces where it now passes
and thus at very small Cost reduce the then to the present Fxpence of
Water by which the River above will undoubtedly continue it's old Depth.
[The next paper, in Johnson's handwriting, is section 27 of chap-
ter 26 of the Maryland Laws of T773, An Act for etvitt%ng Broils of
Credit and applying Part thereof. This section appropriates money
for clearing and keeping in good order a wagon road from Fort
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