the river, a quarter of a mile, then laden on board of canoes, and carried acrofs the river, which is there about 200 yards wide, and then again taken into waggons and carried to the furnace. This mode [ 49 1 was originally adopted, that they might avail themfelves of a good fituation on a creek, for a poinding mill: but it would be eafy to have the furnace and pounding mill on the fame fide of the river, whicn would yield water, without any dam, by a canal of about half a mile in length. From the furnace the lead is tranfported 130 miles along a good road, leading through the peaks of Otter to Lynch's ferry, or Winfton's, on James' river, from whence it is carried by water about the fame diflance to Weftham. This land carriage may be greatly fhortened, by de- livering the lead on James' river, above the Blue ridge, from whence a ton weight has been brought on two canoes. The great Kanhaway has confiderable falls in the neighbourhood of the mines. About feven miles below are three falls, of three or four feet perpendicular each; and three miles above is a rapid of three miles con- tinuance, which has been compared in its defcent to the great falls of James' river. Yet it is the opinion, that they may be laid open for ufeful navigation, fo as to H [ 50 1 reduce very much the portage between the Kanhaway and James' river.
A valuable lead mine is faid to have been lately difcovered in Cumberland, be- low the mouth of Red river. The great- eft, however, known in the w^eftern country, are on the Miffifipi, extending from the mouth of Rock river 150 miles upwards. Thefe are not wrought, the lead ufed in that country being from the banks on the Spanifh fide of the Miffifipi, oppofite to Kafkafkia.
A mine of copper was once opened in the county of Amherft, on the north fide of James' river, and another in the op- pofite country, on the fouth fide. How- ever, either from bad management or the poverty of the veins, they were difcon- tinued. We are told of a rich mine of native copper on the Ouabache, below the upper Wiuw.