I hope the gracious intention of these dispensations will be fully answered, by our being safely landed, through the atonement and intercession of our blessed Redeemer, on those happy shores where no clouds nor storms are ever known; and where after millions of ages of happiness shall have passed away, we shall only seem to have begun our felicity-a felicity that will never end." 379 otherwise be entitled to under the first section of this act; and every pension to which said officer is now entitled, shall cease after the passage of this act. SEB. 4.-And be it further enacted, That every surviving non-commissioned officer, musician, or private in said army, who enlisted therein for and during the war, and continued in service until its termination. and thereby became entitled to receive a reward of eighty dollars, under a resolve of Congress, passed May 15th, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight, shall be entitled to receive his full monthly pay, in said service, out of any money in the Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, to begin on the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six, and to continue during his natural life; Provided, That nonon-commissioned officer, musician, or private, in said army, who is now on the pension list of the United States, shall be entitled to the benefits of this act. The following memorandum found in his writing desk, but to which there is no date, evinces that habit of watchfulness and self-examination so necessary to the growth of Christian character: "Preserve me from all vain self-complacency; from seeking the applause of men; and from all solicitude about what they may think or say of me. May I be truly humble, and of a meek and quiet spirit. If I have done any good to my fellow creatures, or in any degree promoted the will of my heavenly Father, may I unfeignedly give him all the glory, attributing nothing to myself, and taking comfort only from the reflection, that an employment in his ser-lowed for this act, shall, under the direction of the Sevice affords an evidence that his mercy is towards me; that I am not forsaken by Him, and that he is training me for an inhabitant of his blessed kingdom; there to glorify and serve my God and Redeemer forever." A few days after entering on his 81st year, he wrote as follows:-"For the mercies and preservation, and the continuance of the many blessings we have had together (alluding to his wife) we have had abundant cause to be thankful to our heavenly Protector and Father. May He be pleased to prepare us for his holy and happy kingdom, where we shall then have to rejoice forever, in rendering continual thanksgivings and praises, and the most devout and zealous services, to our Heavenly Father, Redeemer and Sanctifier, One God, blessed for ever." These memorandums express, we believe, the daily aspirations and acknowledgments of our dear friend's mind: and in this state of preparation, and of humble and comfortable reliance on the mercy of God in Christ Jesus, was he, we doubt not, found, when the messenger of death delivered his hasty summons, and called him from the labours of the church militant on earth, to the joys of the church triumphant in heaven. On the evening of the 13th of the 2d month, 1826, he was suddenly seized with a severe attack of indisposition, and on the morning of the 16th he breathed his last, in great peace and resignation, in the 81st year of his age. His remains were interred in the Friends' burying-ground at York; a large number of Friends and other respectable inhabitants attending his funeral and the subsequent meeting. Signed in our monthly meeting held at York, the 17th of 5th month, and 20th of 6th month, 1826. [By fifty-seven persons.] LAW OF THE UNITED STATES. SEC. 4.-And be it further enacted, That the pay al cretary of the Treasury, be paid to the officer or soldier entitled thereto, or to their authorized Attorney, at such places and days as said Secretary may direct; and that no foreign officer shall be entitled to said pay, nor shall any officer or soldier receive the same, until he furnish to said Secretary, satisfactory evidence that he is enti tled to the same, in conformity to the provisions of this act; and the pay allowed by this act, shall not, in any way, be transferable, or liable to attachment, levy or seizure by any legal process whatever, but shall enure wholly to the personal benefit of the officer or soldier entitled to the same by this act. SEC. 5.-And be it further enacted, That so much of said pay as accrued by the provisions of this act before the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, shall be paid to the officers and soldiers entitled to the same; as soon as may be, in the manner, and under the provisions before mentioned; and the pay which shall accrue after said day, shall be paid semi-annually, in like manner, and under the same provisions. ANDREW STEVENSON, Speaker of the House of Representatives. SAMUEL SMITH, President of the Senate, pro tempore. Approved, 15th May, 1828. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. TIDE IN THE DELAWARE. The ordinary rise of the tide is about five feet: but it is very variable, on many accounts. A strong easterly wind has been known to raise the tide three feet above the ordinary height; while a strong westerly wind has been known to depress it three feet below the ordinary low water. A long drought will sensibly depress the An Act for the relief of certain surviving officers and tide, while heavy rains will not fail to raise it. soldiers of the army of the Revolution. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That each of the surviving officers of the army of the Revolution, in the continental line, who was entitled to half pay by the resolve of October 21st, 1780, be authorised to receive, out of any money in the Treasury, not otherwise appropriated, the amount of his full pay in said line, according to his rank in the line, to begin on the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six, and to continue during his natural life: Provided, that under this act, no officer shall be entitled to receive a larger sum than the full pay of a captain in said line. SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, That whenever any of said officers has received money of the United States as a pensioner, since the third day of March, one thousand eight hundred and twenty-six aforesaid, the sum so received shall be deducted from what said officer would The moon also has her influence on the tides; and the effect produced depends upon a combination of circumstances. The highest elevation, and lowest depres sion, of tides, are produced, when, at the same juncture, there occur the time of the equinox, the moon in conjunction or opposition to the sun, and she near her perigee. A reverse position in the heavens will produce a reverse effect. The tide rises most rapidly on the first of the flood. In the short period of one hour and a half, the tide will be more than one half up. Annexed is a table, exhibiting the rise of the tide for every half hour, to the nearest inch, the fractional parts being rejected: The whole rise The rise for each half hour. hours ft. in. 1 2 ft. in. 1 2 3 1 1 14 It is very remarkable that the tide rises in the ratio of ten inches for the first half hour, nine inches for the se cond, eight inches for the third, and so on, in an arithmetical decrease, to unity. This simple ratio can be easily remembered, and from it the proportional rise of the tide may be readily calculated for any half hour, after the manner illustrated in the next page. The following table exhibits the fall of the tide for every half hour, to the nearest inch: As the whole fall of the tide requires much longer time than the rise, it will necessarily be less rapid in falling than in rising. There appears, however, a considerable analogy in the ratios. The proportional fall of the tide for any half hour required, may be found by assuming 14 for the first, 13 for the second, 12 for the third, and so on, in a decreasing arithmetical progression to unity: for example, let it be required the proportional fall of the tide for one hour and a half, that is for three half hours; 14, 13, and 12, added, will be 39; and the sum of 14, 13, and 12, &c. to unity, is 105; therefore, as 39 is to 105, is the proportion required nearly one-third, which is agreeable to the table. From the above table, it will be apparent, that the tide, in the short period of about two hours and one quarter, will be half down. The above observations were taken at a time when it was calm, and the tide about an ordinary height. A strong wind or freshet will necessarily affect the ratios of the rising and falling of the tide herein exhibited; yet, notwithstanding, the proportions will nearly hold good in all cases. The effect of a freshet on the channel is twofold,that arising from an increased velocity of water, and from an increased quantity of sediment, which it invariably brings down. The effect of ice is most to be dreaded, when there are united with a freshet, a high tide and strong winds. The high water at Cape May is about six hours reaching Philadelphia, a distance of about a hundred and twenty miles. Now, if this tide be the effect of an absolute horizontal motion of the whole mass of water, then the tide must move at the rate of twenty miles per hour, which far exceeds the true velocity. It is near low water at Philadelphia, when it is high water at Cape May; and vice versa. The tide has been very justly compared to a wave, the top of which is at the Cape, and the bottom near Philadelphia. A vessel leaving Cape May in the early flood, and arriving in Philadelphia within eleven hours, will bring the flood tide the whole distance with her.- But, in descending the river, the tide will be anticipated one hour in about the distance of every twenty miles. If Philadelphia be supposed to be a hundred feet above the level of Cape May, the angle of ascent will in that case not exceed half a minute of a degree, which very gradual declivity the tide would not require much force to surmount. We can scarcely suppose that the high water mark at Philadelphia, so many miles from is not above the level of the high water mark at Cape May. Were fifteen or twenty miles faithfully levelled, it would fully establish the truth. the ocean, The more irregular the river is, and the more shoals and islands in it, the greater will be the friction, and consequently the less will be the force of the water to ascend above the level. If a trough be made, and placed in a position a little elevated, with the one end in water, it will be found, on producing a wave, that the water will ascend in the trough, and rise considerably above its level, especially if the sides of the trough be converging to each other from the water. It is probable that a declivity of the river is an additional cause to that already stated, for the inequality in the times of the ebbing and flowing of the tides. A log, set afloat in the middle of the current, on the first of the ebb, will never return on the flood to the same place, unless it descend twenty miles, and have a current equally strong on the flood. If the log descend twenty miles, it will anticipate the flood one hour, and consequently will only have six hours in descending; and if the current be equally strong on the flood, the log in returning will gain one hour, which will make its whole time on the flood six hours, equal to the time on the ebb, and therefore it will be brought precisely back to the place whence it started. If the log descend more than twenty miles, it will on the flood, return and pass above the place left. For example, if we suppose it to descend forty miles below Philadelphia, it will anticipate the flood two hours, and therefore will only be five hours in descending; and the flood, having the same velocity, will bring it back in five hours, and gain on the flood two hours; in which time, at the same rate, it will ascend sixteen miles above Philadelphia, from which place it was supposed to start on the first of the ebb. It seems a paradox to say, that the farther down the river the log descends on the ebb, the farther up the river it will ascend on the flood: but the fact has been made very obvious." We cannot, however, reverse the proposition, and say, that the least distance the log will descend on the ebb, the farther it will be below the place on the close of the flood. There must therefore be a point, to which, if the log descend, it will, on the close of the flood. be the farthest distance possible below the place left, supposing, as before, the strength of the ebb and flood tides to be equal. The tide falls considerably towards the close of the flood, and before the current begins to run down in the middle of the river. It was found, on repeated trials to vary from six to twelve inches in its fall, and to be from thirty minutes to one hour and a half in falling. The wind from the southward prolongs the time of its falling, and produces the greatest fall; but the wind from the northward produces the contrary effect. This circumstance induced a suspicion, that the water towards the bottom of the river descended, while it was running up on the top. Not that the sinking must necessarily depend on the water descending the river; for the tide, like a wave, may continue to run up, and rise, until its apex has passed, and then produce a consequent sinking, without a particle of water descending the river. However, to ascertain the truth, a long cylindrical piece of wood was procured, and loaded at one end, by putting lead into a cavity formed for the purpose, until it was made to sink in a perpendicular position, so as to leave only about three feet out of water. Now it is evident, that if this pole be placed in the current, it will show, by its inclination, whether the top or bottom of the river has the greater velocity; for, if the rod incline forward, according to the direction of the current, it is an evidence that the water towards the surface has the greatest velocity; but if it incline backward, it shows that the swiftest current is towards the bottom: if it retain a perpendicular position, the current in that case must either have an equal velocity from the top to the bottom, or have the least one near the middle, while towards the surface and bottom the velocities must either be equal, or so adjusted by different celerities, as to keep the pole in that position. In this way, several trials were made; and it was found, that both on the ebb and flood tide, the pole inclined at the top up the river, indicating thereby that the bottom had the greater velocity on the ebb, and the top the greater on the flood. On the ebb, the pole, as an evidence of this, moved faster than the boat which was left to float down after it, but on the flood it was found to move slower. 381 'Sunday last arrived here the schooner Argo, captain Charles Swaine, who sailed from this port last spring on the discovery of a north west passage. She fell in with the ice off (cape) Farewell: left the eastern ice and fell in with the western ice in lat. 58, and cruised to the northward to lat. 63 to clear it, but could not, it then extending to the eastward. On her return to the southward, she met two Danish ships, bound to Ball River and Disco up Davis's straits, who had been in the ice 14 days off (cape) Farewell, and had then stood to westward, and assured the commander that the ice was fast to the shore all above Hudson's straits to the distance of forty leagues out, and that there had not been such a severe winter as the last these 24 years that they had used that trade; they had been nine weeks from Copenhagen. The Argo, finding she could not get round the ice, pressed through it, and got into the strait's mouth the 26th of June and made the island Resolution, but was forced out by vast quantities of driving ice, and got into a clear sea, the first of July. On the 14th, cruising the ice for an opening to get in again, she met 4 sail of Hudson's Bay ships endeavoring to get in again, and continued with them till the 19th, when they parted in thick weather, which continued to the 7th of August in lat. 62, the Hudson's Bay men supposed themselves 40 leagues from the western land. The Argo ran down the ice from 63 to 57° 30', and after repeated attempts to enter the straits in vain, as the season for discovery on the western side of the Bay was over, she went on It is probable that the tide begins to run down at the the Labrador Coast, and discovered it plainly from 56 to bottom at least half an hour before the top. At 7 o'clock, 65, finding no less than six inlets, to the heads of all at the depth of fifty feet, the board was drawn down which they went, and of which we hear they have made the river, when at the same time the top had the velo- a very good chart, and have a better account of the city of three quarters of a mile per hour up the river: country, its soil, produce, &c. than has hitherto been from which it will be evident, that the current towards published. The captain says 'tis much like Norway, the bottom, at that time, must have had a considerable and that there is no communication with Hudson's Bay velocity, such as to communicate to the ball and cross-through Labrador where one has been heretofore imasquare a sufficient force to overcome the resistance gined, a high ridge of mountains running north and near the surface. south about 50 leagues within the coast. In one of the It is possible, that the freshet of one day may be pro-harbors, they found a deserted wooden house with a ducing and carrying on certain effects, which a strong wind, or body of ice, may, in a few days afterward, avert, and produce a contrary impression. It was truly remarkable, that, near the close of the flood tide, the pole first became stationary, and shortly afterwards began to descend the river, while on the surface every thing was drifting up. These facts fully established the point which first induced the experiment to be made. Taking into consideration, therefore, the constant changes of the winds, of the rise of tides, of the uncertainty of freshets, of ice, and of local obstructions which are sometimes thrown in the channel, it would be impossible to foretel precisely what changes may take place. It is well known that variations have occurred, very contrary to the expectations of judicious persons. [M'Clure's Survey. July 4, 1820. NORTH WEST PASSAGE. The last number of the American Quarterly Review contains the following notice of an attempt made by a vessel from this city in 1753-to discover a N. W. pas sage. brick chimney which had been built by some English, as appeared by sundry things they left behind; and afterwards in another harbor they met captain Goff in a Snow from London, who informed that the same Snow had been there last year, and landed some of the Moravian brethren, who had built that house, but the natives having decoyed the then captain of the Snow and five or six hands, under pretence of trade, and carried them all off (they having gone imprudently without arms,) the Snow after waiting 16 days without hearing of them went home, and was obliged to take away the Moravians to help work the vessel. Part of her business this year was to inquire after these men. Captain Swaine discovered a fine fishing bank, which lies but six leagues off the coast, and extends from lat. 57 to 54, supposed to be the same hinted at in captain Davis's second voyage. No bad accident happened to the vessel, and the men kept in perfect health during the whole voyage and returned all well.' "In 1753, an expedition was fitted out from Philadel- "Not satisfied with the results of this attempt, captain phia, then the Capital of the province of Pennsylvania, Swaine, again sailed in the Argo in the following spring. and justly known for its commercial enterprise. This After much search, we are enabled to find only the folattempt was made at the expense of a number of gen-lowing notice of this voyage. The Pennsylvania Jourtlemen, who were desirous of seeing the north west passage accomplished. The schooner Argo was prepared for this service, and the command given to a captain Swaine, who set sail on the 4th March for Hudson's Bay. Having touched at the Hiannas, near Cape Cod, and at Portsmouth, in New England to take in her compliment of hands,' &c. she took her departure from the latter place on the 15th April. Satisfied that the particulars of this voyage will prove interesting to all American readers, we extract the description of it published in the Pennsylvania Gazette, Nov. 15, 1753. nal and Weekly Advertiser of Thursday, October 24th, 1754, published in Philadelphia, says: On Thursday last arrived here the schooner Argo, captain Swaine, who was fitted out in the spring, on a discovery of a north-west passage, but having three of his men killed by the Indians on the Labrador coast, returned without success." In addition to the foregoing, we have found the following paragraphs respecting the above voyages: "Several of the principal merchants and gentlemen of this city, who with other merchants and gentlemen of Alluding to the instrument used, and which is de- North America, subscribed to fitting out capt. Swaine, scribed in the report. in the schooner Argo in the discovery of the north west i passage, met at the Bull's Head in this city, on the 23d Pennsylvania Gazette, Nov. 14, 1754. They are not now in possession of the Library, and probably have been lost or destroyed. As they were presented soon after captain Swaine's return from the second voyage, they were probably collected during that voyage.-Ed. PENNSYLVANIA CANAL. Report of Engineer on the Kiskeminetas division of the no place, less than eight feet above the water line of dam or 14 feet above the bottom of canal. Considering the magnitude of this work, its great utility, and the perseverance of the contractors to complete their work in a permanent manner, I have no hesitation in saying, that no public work of the kind can, to any extent, be found in the United States, which may be compared to this section of the Pennsylvania canal. It is further premised, that had the dam above mentioned, been located as far up the river as to enable the engineer to reduce the height to 12 feet, the total expense of constructing canal would stand as follows, agreeably to my estimates: The principal reason why a canal would have been so expensive, had it been adopted in the present instance, To Abner Lacock, Esquire, acting commissioner on the is owing to the necessity of having to continue the level western division of the Pennsylvania canal. without locking. You, sir, will readily perceive that a SIR,-In obedience to an act of the general assembly continued level, which in one situation might afford a of Pennsylvania, and agreeably to a requisition of the proper cutting for a canal, would if extended and adoptcanal board, I have the honor to submit to you a fulled as the ground rises with the river, cause an increase and detailed statement of the costs for the construction in the depth to be excavated, and by consequence augof the canal from the termination of the Kiskeminetas ment the amount of labor, costs, &c. The construction river, into the Allegheny, to the end of section No. 123, of a canal under such circumstances would not only be as located and under contract. The items of each con- extremely difficult, but attended with incalculable extract are enumerated; the aggregate amount the work pense; when if locks could be adopted, should afford will have cost when completed, and the contractors canal navigation comparatively cheap. In a word, the names are given. It will also be perceived, that all situation of the ground along the bottom lands, throughworks, not as yet under contract on this division, I have out the foregoing distance, is generally from 12 to 18 set down the probable amount for their complete con- feet above the bottom of the feeder line. struction. For the purpose of comparing the final cost with former estimates, I have, in the present communication, divided the line committed to my superintendance, into two sections or parts. The first of which I commenced locating at the mouth of the Kiskeminetas, on the 21st day of May last, assisted by William B. Foster, jr. and Theophilus Williams. This location extends no further than the 78th section, and was ready to be put under contract by the 28th of June last. The whole of the first division is 12 miles and 48 chains; and consists of what was originally called the feeder line." It was surveyed by judge Roberts, in 1826, but as no estimates made by him, were published in any of the canal reports, I have no data wherewith to compare the contemplated cost herein submitted. The line commences upon a level with the aqueduct across the Allegheny river, and is about 40 feet above low water mark. The height of this level above the river being considerably too much of an elevation for the situation of the ground proceeding a distance of five miles up the river, has in a great measure, enhanced the expense of canal navigation along this distance. The second division embraces a line of 31 miles and 55 chains, and commences at the end of 64th mile as located by Mr. Olmstead, being the end of section No. 48, and terminates at the end of section No. 123, or the 31st mile of Mr. Olmstead's location. This division embraces in the whole distance, four dams; one of 16 feet, two of 17 feet, and one of 11 feet perpendicular rise above the bed of the river; affording in all 93 miles of slack water navigation. These four dams, including the cost of constructing a substantial towing path along the bank of the river, will have saved the state, agreeably to my calculations, at least $30,000. But when it is taken into view, that the valuable salt works in operation on the banks of the Kiskeminetas are neither damaged nor removed (which must have been the case had a canal been constructed) then indeed, with all moderation, it can be asserted, that not less than $50,000 more are saved by the line now under contract; making an aggregate sum of actual saving when compared with former estimates predicated upon canal navigation, equal to $80,000. The total extent of slack water navigation is 16 miles. With respect to that part of the line situate between the 78th section, and terminating at or near Blairsville,' I commenced the location on the 12th of September, assisted by D. K. Bishop and Michael Kennedy. Our labors were performed and the division ready to be put under contract by the 23d day of October last. At the end of section No. 23, I located a dam 27 feet perpendicular from the bed of the river; the top of which will be two feet above high water line of canal, and is expressly designed to retain the surplus water of the spring freshets as a reserve for any deficiency that might occur in dry seasons, or result from unforeseen No material variation has been made in the course providences. The water thus accumulated in the river and detained for contingencies by the two extra feet of pursued by Mr. Olmstead, until the end of the 43 mile elevation in the dam, amounts to 33 millions of cubic or the 104th section of our present location. From feet, or 3300 locks full. This dam furnishes a slack this point, the north side of the river presents but a water navigation of six and a half miles, the remaining continued series of difficulties to canal navigation. The distance of the feeder line. A substantial towing path lofty mountains on either side of the river, are literally will be constructed along the shore: a considerable part walls of solid rock. The river winds its way as if at a of which is now completed, and all in a certain pros-loss which course to pursue, being interrupted in its pect of being speedily done to my entire satisfaction. meandering by those stupendous, and almost impassible I may here state, that the top of the towing path is in barriers. For some time I was at a loss to conceive what should be done, and after having examined every ravine and valley in the neighbourhood, Lavailed myself of the local information of the oldest settlers in the vicinity; who, to their credit and patriotism be it spoken, afforded me every possible aid in my examinations. I apprehend it would be doing the citizens of this section of country injustice, not to make this public expression of my acknowledgments, and to say that without reference to sectional or local interests, each appeared willing to sacrifice sordid views on the altar of public good.Happily, however, I discovered a passage, where by crossing the river to the south side and making a tunnel of 750 feet in length, through a hill of about 300 feet elevation, I could cut off in distance 24 miles of the most unfavourable obstacles to canal navigation; and by keeping the south side of the river, to a point "at or near Blairsville," should save the state to the actual amount of $83,000 on this particular location, according to the contract prices agreed on at the sales in October last. This saving, it is evident, is the difference between the survey of Mr. Olmstead, and my estimate, that gentleman having continued his exploring line around the bend of the river. I may further remark that the distance to Blairsville from the mouth of the Kiskeminetas on the north side is 46 miles; and that the present location by the tunnel route to the same place is but 433 miles. A few contracts have as yet to be entered into, but in all such cases I have made a liberal estimate. A sum of $10,000 is added to cover incidental expenses of superintendance, &c. It remains to take a general view of the whole line under my care and to submit some remarks in relation thereto. Respecting the actual amount of work done, you have a detailed statement in my last estimates; a correct schedule is annexed, showing the whole amount of each contract, with the contractors names, &c. ed from a steady communication between all parts of the state would be superfluous on the present occasion. However, even the completion of the line between Johnstown and Pittsburg, is of itself sufficient to convince every friend to the interests of this state, that Pennsylvania is destined to be the key stone, in the arch of our agricultural and manufacturing confederacy. The majestic forests upon the Chesnut ridge, and Laurel hill, which at present exhibit but an unimproved soil, must by the extension of our canal line, in all probabili ty be the market of supply for timber, staves, &c. to many foreign nations. An erroneous idea is somewhat prevalent in this section of country, respecting the interruption of the river trade, in consequence of the erection of the dams, above mentioned. Were such the fact, no liberal mind would cavil on reflecting upon the vast importance of the canal to every part of the state, but particularly to this highly favoured manufacturing district. Partial and momentary inconveniences ought at all times to give place to general and permanent benefits. Indeed, I must acknowledge, I know of no intelligent citizen, with whom I have conversed on this subject, but has unhesitatingly declared in favour of submitting, all natural advantages towards the completion of the Pennsylvania canal. In the mean time I would respectfully suggest that where persons trading on the river might be anxious to avail themselves of an uninterrupted navigation at the seasons of high water, (should the legislative wisdom of the state deem it advisable,) locks might be constructed at a moderate expense, adjoining the dams, to communicate immediately with the channel of the river. But if any part of the state is eventually to be benefitted by the canal, I say without fear of reasonable contradiction, there is none can be more advantaged by its completion than the numerous enterprising manufacturers in this vicinity. When the canal shall be in successful operation, the Kiskeminctas salt merchants will no longer complain of an uncertain facility to a good market, nor will the transient passenger witness thousands of barrels of salt under roof for miles along the the river, owing to an uncertain river navigation; besides the innumerable coal pits in this neighbourhood must then become a source of profitable trade to a hardy and honest portion of our citizens. Markets will also be equalized to our farmers and manufacturers to an incalculable extent. And in addition, the surplus water retained by the dams can be converted into a productive revenue to the state, by the superabundance of WATER POWER which may be rented to industrious capital Respecting the two dams first put under contract, they were until the middle of October, under a rapid advancement, toward completion; no doubt could be entertained, at that period, but the work of both would be completed, by the stipulated time. But the latter part of October, the whole month of November, and up to the present date, the weather has been unusually unfavourable. The heavy rains, and consequently freshets in the river, have not only retarded the work generally, but the flood that happened upon the 7th of November, raising the river nearly 10 feet perpendicularly, in a short space of time, did considerable injury, to each of these works, but more especially to dam No. 1.-This flood took off near 200 feet of the north end, that was raised to a considerable height. The actual damage to the contractors, could not be less than $3000. The part of the dam thus injured, would have been in five or six days more of good weather, secured from danger. How far the contractors should be relieved in this case it is not for me to say, but in justice to them, I am free to state that they prosecuted their work with diligence, activity and great energy. Nor did they relax their exertions, in consequence of this disaster, but prosecuted the work with increased vigour, and in two weeks by great exertions and expense, had once more a prospect, of repairing the injury and completing their contract.At this critical period, a second flood succeeded, as sudden, and of greater magnitude, frustrated their hopes, and swept away what was placed in the former breach, Under these circumstances, and especially, as the rain continues, at this time, and the flood is still increasing, I should recommend a suspension, of the work upon the dams, until a more favourable season;—The other, contracts, might have been completed by the proper time, but as one part of the line is of no consequence without the whole, it will probably be better to let the contractors do as they think proper in regard to the prosccution of their contracts, during the unfavourable season. The contractors upon the last letting, have mostly commenced operations, a great proportion of the grubThe bing has been done, on the different contracts, contractors of the tunnel, have commenced work; they have excavated to the solid rock, upon each end. Their present prospects are highly favourable. It can almost be calculated to a certainty, that the canal will be completed to Blairsville, by November, 1828, for this season, in the space of four months, although the weather has proved uncommonly unfavoura ble for canal operations, considerable more than one half the work has been done upon the line first put under contract. All of which is respectfully submitted, ALONZO LIVERMORE, Engineer! December 10, 1827. LONGEVITY.-1810. Died on the third of last month, after a few days illness, GEORGE WARNER, in the ninety-ninth year of his age. He was a native of Great Britain, and came to this country in the year 1726, when it was a mere wilderness in comparison to what it now is. About eighty passengers came with him, chiefly from |