Andrew Ellicott reported in favor of either Rock Creek or the Great Falls of the Potomac, giving his preference to the latter. More complete surveys were made in 1851 and 1855 by Lieut. Col. Hughes and Lieut. (now General) Meigs, and they concurred in the opinions expressed by Ellicott. He reported in favor of the Great Falls, distant some eighteen miles, in preference to either Rock creek or Little Falls, both much nearer, but not furnishing as great and reliable a supply, and the latter requiring machinery to raise the water.

The Great Falls are one hundred and eight feet higher than tide water.* They will furnish a constant and everlasting daily supply of over thirty-six millions of gallons,—which is nine millions more than the Croton aqueduct supplies to New York, twenty-one millions more than Philadelphia receives from the Schuylkill, and twenty-six millions more than Boston obtains from the Cochituate. The water from the Great Falls was admitted in Dec. 1863, but

* The following are given by Col. Hughes as the levels of some of the more prominent points within the city, above ordinary low tide:

Foundation of St. John's Church,

65.50

the city was supplied for a year or two previous with three millions a day, from a small stream called the Powder Mill Branch. The work has frequently been suspended by the irregular appropriations, which have increased the cost thus far to something like a million more than the estimate of Gen. Meigs, which was about $2,000,000, based however upon the proviso that it should be steadily and vigorously prosecuted, of which, from past experience of Congressional action, he might well have enter tained doubts. The advantages are summed up as follows:

Simplicity and durability; perfect security and inexhaustible and unfailing source; lavish use, which can be indulged in in consequence of abundant supply; power of street washing, cooling the air, and embellishing the city by great fountains; use for driving small machines, lathes, printing presses, and the like; great space for settling and purifying in reservoirs, and great quantity in store for emergencies: small expense of keeping up the works when once established, and consequent low price of water delivered in houses or factories.

Any one familiar with the immense area of the city streets, adapted more to national pride than to the means of any tax payers of any place, and the large proportion of the water re

quired for the public buildings and grounds, will see a reason why this had to become a Government work. The income from the water will no doubt in time repay to the Government such part of the cost as is properly chargeable to the city.

There are eleven tunnels, some of them many hundred feet long, and six bridges, one of which, crossing the Cabin John creek, is constructed of a single arch two hundred and twenty feet in span (as long as Bunker Hill monument is high) and one hundred feet high. A Distributing Reservoir, for Georgetown, was passed as we drove along the Heights.

In returning from this drive, or rather series of drives, you pass through the principal street of Georgetown, laid out in 1751, now a city, with a population of about eight thousand. It is, in fact, a part of Washington, as Brooklyn is of New York, being only separated by Rock creek, which is crossed on a bridge, the arches of which are formed by the aqueduct pipes. A little above is another bridge, on the site where one was formerly constructed of refuse materials from public buildings. The names of the original thirteen States were engraved upon the arch, that of Pennsylvania was on the keystone. Hence the name, "Keystone State."

We are now back in Washington, and the first thing we encounter is Mills's statue of its founder, in "The Circle," as the inclosure is called. Pity, for its effect on approach, that the statue had not been so placed as to present a side view.

On this spot, in 1860, President Buchanan, with Vice-President Breckinridge, Senator Hammond of South Carolina, and other distinguished Southerners around him, as the statue was about to be unveiled, expressed the hope that this Union might ever continue, with this city for its capital; and all gave a shout of concurrence. Probably the Southerners were sincere,-with the proviso understood that they were to be the rulers.

This statue, and that of Jackson, opposite the President's, have been severely criticised. They may not compare well with works in Europe, but are very creditable to a self-taught artist,much more than is the Webster statue by the celebrated Powers, in Boston.

Of course you will wish at some time to visit the Observatory, where a fine view of the surrounding country, and an opportunity to inspect many beautiful instruments, is to be had in the day time, and a look through the telescope sometimes at night. Here, too, at this time, "the Corral" is to be seen by those interested in the ex

tempore management of large numbers of army horses. When this is removed, the Observatory square will probably be laid out as a more ornamental inclosure.

XXXIII.

ODDS AND ENDS.

PRESENTS.

EVERY visitor to the Patent Office has his attention called to the various treaties with foreign nations, the original declaration of independence, the commission of Washington, his camp chest, and other relics. There is also a variety of trinkets, swords, guns, &c., presented at different times to the President, to our ministers abroad, and to other officials, who are not allowed by law to receive gifts, and have consequently deposited them in the "Department of State," but which have been placed in the Patent Hall for the convenience of the public. Every nation has what is called its crown jewels, and these are the nearest approach of "Uncle Sam" to such a collection; though of late years Congress has so often given permission to officers to retain particular presents, that it is probable the collection will not be greatly