Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 13).djvu/40

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36
THE GREAT AMERICAN CANALS

Kanhawa—and to take measures for rescuing them from the hands of Land Jobbers & Speculators—who I had been informed regardless of my legal & equitable rights, Patents, &ca; had enclosed them within other Surveys & were offering them for Sale at Philadelphia and in Europe.—I say notwithstanding this disappointment I am well pleased with my journey, as it has been the means of my obtaining a knowledge of facts—coming at the temper & disposition of the Western Inhabitants—and making reflections thereon, which, otherwise, must have been as wild, incohert, or perhaps as foreign from the truth, as the inconsistency, of the reports which I had received even from those to whom most credit seemed due, generally were

"These reflections remain to be summed up.

"The more then the Navigation of Potomack is investigated, & duely considered, the greater the advantages arising from them appear.—

"The South or principal branch of Shannondoah at Mr Lewis's is, to traverse the river, at least 150 Miles from its Mouth;