| l'Vashiugton and the Potomac SIS
Nature ought not to be undertaken till after the most mature Considera-
tion, and I believe that their are very few situations on potomack where
the River and the Ground together will admit of the Water to be taken
out with anv Degree of safety. Where Undertakings of this Nature have
been attempted in 1?ngland, Experience has Demonstrated how Difficult
and uncertain it is to make and to Keep a River Navegable in its origional
Bed. where the Fall is Considerable; when this is the Case Locks are
found to be Requisite to Cotnpleat the Navigation and they seldom can be
placed in such a Situation as not to be Exposed to the Danger of Floods,
and Even when they can be Erected Either from their Strength or Situ-
ation as to stand the Shock, yet their is a Certain Inconvenience which
Constantly attends works of this sort, where they are Erected in the bed
of Rivers which is that the Strength and Rapidity of the Water in time of
Floods encreased by the fall over the Locks will Constantly Raise the
stones and gravle at some Distance below, Where of Consequence it forms
a shallow and a Rapid: from these and some other Reasons it is, that
wherever the nature of the Ground is such as to admit of a Cannall it is
Demised preferable, ftho at first, perhaps the most Expensive), as the
Safest and certainest navigation. It is probable However that many of
the Triconvenices to iiluch these kind of Works Erected in the bed of
Rivers are Subject, May be owing to the badness of the Bottoms, and I
am apt to believe that this may be the Case, with most of the Rivers in
England, at Least in those where they have failed in attempting to emprove
their navigation. Thev chiefly are found to run over Clay or Marl cov-
ered with Stories and Gravel; a Bottom of this Nature will perpetually
shift, upon every little alteration of the Course. or addition of the Fall.
It may he oriiei-wise with the bed of potomack, which for the most part 1
C4~iijecrure w ruil oicr ;t rock, at Least it will be found so in such
places
inhere it niav be Necessarv to Erect any work, and was it found to be
Requisite I flatter my self that a lock might be constructed upon the shan-
andore Falls in such a manner as to .stand the shock of the Flood but I
ain of opinion, that even here a safe Passage may be Accomplished for
Vessells of the Burthen mentioned without the Necessity of Erecting any
work of that Nature. But it is time to Leave this subject till a more
Certain Knowledge of the River is obtained when it call be more properly
Canvassed. The Conveniences attending water Carriage are so obvious,
that I have thought it unnecessary to enumerate them as arguments in
favour of this scheme. However there are some peculiar Circumstances
attending the success of this Undertaking, which ought in my opinion to
Render it an object of publick attention. The Vast Country that Lies on
the waters of that Extensive River in Virginia and Even some parts of
Penselvania. by means of Monocasy, Shanandore Conegocheague and the
South Branch would have an Easy Communication into potomack, for I
apprehend them to be such Considerable Rivers as to admit of being made
Navegable a great way up them, but when we consider Potomack as the
principal Chanell of ('ommunication with the Extensive Countryes on tile
Western Waters it becomes an object of still more Genreal Concern, and
if found practicable will I make no Doubt, meet not only with the Con-
tinuance but the assistance of the Legislature of both Colonies.
[Endorscincnt:j Anonvulous Remarks of the Polo. Navign.-1774
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