close to each other, and perhaps shoot
by each other, although they are not navigable so far; but are
navigable for eight miles, that is two Dutch miles of fifteen to a
degree. When the Dutch governed the country the distance was less,
namely, six miles. The digging a canal through was then talked of, the
land being so low; which would have afforded great convenience for
trade on the South River, seeing that they would have come from
Maryland to buy all they had need of, and would have been able to
transport their tobacco more easily to that river, than to the great
bay of Virginia, as they now have to do, for a large part of Maryland.
Besides, the cheap market of the Hollanders in the South [River] would
have drawn more trade; and if the people of Maryland had goods to ship
on their own account, they could do it sooner and more readily, as
well as more conveniently in the South [River] than in the Great Bay,
and therefore, would have chosen this route, the more so because as
many of their goods, perhaps, would for various reasons be shipped to
Holland, as to England. But as this is a subject of greater importance
than it seems upon the first view, it is well to consider whether it
should not be brought to the attention of higher authorities than
particular governors. What is now done by land in carts, might then be
done by water, for a distance of more than six hundred miles.[248]

[Footnote 248: This suggestion was finally realized by the cutting of
the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, completed in 1829.]

We had, then, come on this road with our horses to the carrying-place
into Maryland and more than three miles from where we supposed we
were. To go there we would have had to pass through woods and over
small morassy creeks. The sun was nearly down, and we therefore
advised with the persons before mentioned. One of them was a Quaker
who was building a small house for a tavern, or rather an ale-house,
for the purpose of entertaining travellers, and the other was the
carpenter who was assisting him on the house, and could speak good
Dutch, having resided a long time at the Manathans. We were most
concerned for the young man and the horses. The Quaker, who had put up
a temporary shed, made of the bark of trees, after the manner of the
Indians, with both ends open, and little larger than a dog's kennel,
and where at the best we three might possibly have been able to lie,
especially when a fire was made, which would have