factured or in the leaf, to this place. Without a knowledge of the origin of so strange an impression, we say, emphatically, that it is without foundation. The statement, by whomsoever made, must have been put forth either through mistake, or with malicious intent; for it is well known that the climate of this identical location is admirably adapted to the storage of this important article of commerce. The observation and experience of years prove, most conclusively, that any assertion to the contrary, is absolutely fallacious. Facts, which cannot be set aside, and living testimony, which cannot be questioned, confirm and establish the truthfulness of what we have stated.

There are merchants, now residing in this city and elsewhere, who have dealt largely in tobacco here, and their testimony is in direct opposition to the idea that this location is not, in every way, suitable to its preservation in a sound and merchantable state. A number of satisfactory statements could be given, but the following will surely suffice to satisfy every unprejudiced mind:

Josiah Wills, Esq., an extensive merchant, and highly-respected citizen of Norfolk, has a tobacco manufactory in Danville, from which manufactured tobacco is sent to Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, &c., as well as to this city. He has, therefore, every facility of testing the adaptation of our climate to its storage, and of a comparison between this and other locations. He states that tobacco, either in the leaf or manufactured, is preserved in as sound a condition here as in any other city on the coastthat it remains when stored in our warehouses, especially when properly cured and manufactured, without sustaining the least injury.

To illustrate and prove by actual facts, the entire suitableness of our climate to the keeping of manufactured tobacco, Mr. W. says further, that when a portion of large lots put up at his manufactory in March, has been sent in April to Norfolk, and several cities further north, on a careful examination, in the fall, of what remained on hand in each place, the packages of the article stored in this city were found to be in a perfectly sound condition, and fully equal, if not superior, in colour and flavour,

to that sent elsewhere, at the same time, and under like circumstances.

With regard to leaf tobacco, we are authorized, by the same gentleman, to mention, that a hogshead of the article remained, through some mistake or oversight, in the Tobacco Warehouse, on Town Point, for five years; and, on being opened and examined, the contents were found to have sustained not the least injury-being in a fine state of preservation.

There are, in our city, extensive warehouses, built upon land far enough above the level of the waters of our deep and extensive harbour at the highest tides. The Norfolk Tobacco Warehouse, having been built for the purpose, is well adapted to the preservation of the great staple. There will be suitable and competent inspectors appointed; and whenever it shall come, in quantities, however large, there will be found merchants here, able and ready to manage it to the very best advantage for the enterprising planters of the interior.

This climate is also very well suited to the storage of flour, wheat, corn, bacon, &c.

With regard to the means of access, it is, of course, greatly to the advantage of every city, that these should be convenient, agreeable, and cheap. All suitable efforts should be made to increase the number of visiters, as well as by a display of cheap and valuable wares, and merchandise of every description, to offer tempting inducements to purchasers. The northern cities are well aware of this, and their wise policy has long been to keep down the price of passage and fare, from every section of country likely to be tributary to the centre of attraction. Great are the general and special benefits of such a system; and in those cases in which individual capital and enterprise cannot suffice to present cheap and proper conveyances, companies and associations are formed, and the benefits to be derived from a constant ingress of strangers, of every business and from every direction, are secured. The cost of visiting Norfolk, from almost every point, is, comparatively high. There are many rich and populous regions of country, only a short distance from our city, from which our merchants receive a large portion of their trade-but means should be taken to increase a hundred

fold the number of visiters. It would prove highly advantageous to all departments of business-to every interest of the city. It is well enough known, that almost every person who comes to town contributes, in some measure, to its advancement, by an exchange of money for its value. The hotels, the grocery stores, the dry-goods stores, the hardware, book, clothing, and jewelry stores, the fruit, confectionary, and toy stores, &c., are more or less patronised by strangers, who visit the place, whether on business or as a matter of mere pleasure or curiosity, to spend a few days, by way of a change, from the quiet and retirement of country life.

Trade and travel must shortly tend in this direction from the interior of the country. "The great heart of the interior begins now to palpitate and perform its functions in a natural way. It will soon begin to throw off its produce to the great ocean of trade by the shortest arteries of communication." But all suitable efforts should be made to attract visiters from the surrounding country, by water as well as by land, and especially from the shores of the neighbouring rivers and bays accessible by steamers of light draft and light charges; and the result would be pleasing and beneficial, to an extent probably not contemplated even by those who favour the plan.

CHAPTER XL.

Lieutenant Maury-Natural Advantages of Norfolk-Back Country-Supineness of the State-The South-Trade of the Amazon Valley-Line of Steamers from Norfolk, &c.-Para-Clipper Ships-The Wharves of Norfolk-Advantages of the Port-Trade of the West Indies and South America-A. W. Thompson's Scheme-Line of Steamers from Norfolk to Antwerp, &c.-Mr. Thompson's Propositions - Prospective Benefits - Advantages offered by Belgium-Opinions respecting the enterprise-Statements of Mr. Wheeler.

THE following remarks are from a pamphlet, attributed to the pen of Lieutenant Maury, U. S. N., of the National Observa

tory, at Washington, who has acquired "by his widely useful labours, a transatlantic fame not inferior to the enviable reputation which he enjoys at home."

"Norfolk is in a position to have commanded the business of the Atlantic Seaboard. It is midway the coast. It has a back country of great fertility and resources, and as to the approaches from the ocean, there is no harbour from the St. Johns to the Rio Grande, which has the same facility of ingress and egress, at all times and in all weathers. The waters flowing by it into the sea separate the producing from the consuming-the agricul tural from the manufacturing States of the Atlantic slope; and they there unite the channels that lead from the famous regions in the country for corn, wheat, and tobacco to the marts of com

merce.

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"The natural advantages of the position will be obvious to any one who will compare the back country of Norfolk with that of New York. The country drained by the Hudson is all the back country which naturally belongs to New York. But the back country of Norfolk is all that which is drained by the Chesapeake Bay-embraced by a line drawn along the ridge between the Delaware and Chesapeake; thence northwardly, including all of Pennsylvania that is in the valley of the Susquehanna-all of Maryland this side of the mountains the valleys of the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James Rivers-with the valley of the Roanoke and a great part of the State of North Carolina, whose only outlet to the sea is by way of Norfolk.

"Virginia saw those advantages and slept upon them. Nature had placed them there, and she did not dream that man could take them away. But the enterprise of New York has taken them away. The South now wants to regain her direct trade. We do not wish to discourage the effort, great as the odds against Norfolk now are, for we know that there are men in the South who have energy, enterprise, and capacity enough for anything that energy, enterprise and capacity can effect."

After showing how the South lost the direct trade, and the North secured it, and the immense and boundless productions of the Great Amazon valley, the sugar, coffee, tobacco, rice, indigo, cocoa, cotton, barks, spices, gums, and sheep; and some masterly

remarks upon "the great king of rivers," the Gulf Stream, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River, the Carribean Sea, &c. Lieutenant Maury thus proceeds :

"The proposition therefore is, to establish a line of steamers from Norfolk, Charleston, or Savannah, to the mouth of the Amazon.

"Para is the city at its mouth. It has now a population of 15 or 20,000. There is a line of steamers already in operation from Rio to Para.

distance is about 2500 miles; Baltic,' would perform the States, or from the United

"From Savannah to Para, the from Para, to Rio 2100. The passage from Rio to the United States to Rio, in thirteen days. The time occupied now in going and coming by sailing vessels is ninety days.

"The effect of such a communication would be to turn the whole current of correspondence and travel of the Atlantic Coast of South America, through Norfolk or the North American terminus of the line. No European nation could compete with us for it, for their distance from Para is doubly ours.

"Our present commerce with Brazil and Rio de la Plata is more valuable than our commerce with any of the countries of Europe, except Britain and France. Para, at this time, affords foreign commerce enough to give freight to a fleet of fifty sail. But this is nothing to what it will do when stimulated by civilization, agriculture, and commerce. Of more than twice the area. of the Mississippi Valley, that of the Amazon is more bountiful. There the labour of one day in seven, is enough to crown the board of the husbandman with plenty. And yet the resources of the vegetable, mineral, and animal kingdoms there, and of man and civilization, still lie almost undeveloped. Commerce, with the ocean for its pathway, the winds for its wings, enterprise for its herald, and wealth, civilization, and Christianity for its attendants and followers, has not visited its shores. Were it but once to spread its wings over the valley of the Amazon, the shadow of it would be like the touch of the magician's wand; its immense resources would spring into life and activity.

"Therefore, let the South look to the South for trade and com