clearing ""Salubrious climate, never freezes, is never very hot "-" Beautiful clear rivers, navigable for the largest steamboats," &c. &c. And in the excitement of the harangue, the pale stupid features belonging to the gold spectacles and the self-esteem development actually flushed. By the oft repetition of these commendatory phrases, he had apparently convinced himself that these lands were a parcel set off from paradise, and himself engaged in the thankless service of ushering the unbelieving thitherward. The Mr. Bubbleham had more attractions in himself than had his lands. "I say, you, aint he a horse?" "A leetle too slick for me, I vum-I reckon I have been out there in them diggins!" "All froth,-wonder if that's why they called him Bubbleham?" Such were some of the undertone comments while the gentleman was talking. Whether any gulls were caught this deponent saith not. If the fact must be told, the hero of this digres sion was nothing more nor less than a veritable land-speculator. He had barely escaped making a dozen fortunes eastward, when he found "his occupation was gone." He traveled west, and succeeded in the same man ner. He went south, and his picture is taken here in full practice upon the very bayous afore-described. He, probably, discovered that he was offering his wares too near home, for on the next morning the gold spectacles were missing. Mr. Bubbleham had gone to try his fortunes on board another boat. Art. IV. COMMERCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS OF THE UNITED STATES. NUMBER XXXIV. THE CITY OF SAVANNAH, GEORGIA. THIS city is situated (as all know) on the southern bank of the river of that name, twenty miles from its mouth, upon a sandy bluff of about sixty feet in hight. The city presents by no means a prepossessing appearance from the water, as the warehouses on the water's edge are the only buildings visible, in consequence of the site being a dead level. But after one ascends the hill, the beauty of the city strikes him. It is laid out on a very liberal scale, and may truly be called a "city of magnificent distances." The streets all intersect each other at right angles, between every two of them there is an alley, and at every other corner is a beautiful square, usually circular or oval in shape. These and the streets are closely shaded by the Pride of India trees, set out by Oglethorpe, which are beautiful in the extreme, and which have procured for Savannah the appelation of the forest city. Two of the principal streets, viz., Broad and "the Bay," have grassy promenades in the center, with carriage ways on each side. The streets are unpaved and quite 'sandy, so much so that most business men ride on horseback instead of driving on chaises or buggies. There are no very handsome buildings, with the exception of the new custom-house, the Second Presbyterian and St. John's (Episcopal) churches, and perhaps the dwelling-house of Joseph S. Fay, Esq. A plain monument to General Green, (erroneously known as the Pulaski monument,) who was prominent in the attack on the city, when held by the British, the corner stone of which was laid by Lafayette, stands in the principal square; and a very imposing one to Count Pulaski, who gallantly fell in the same assault, is in the course of erection. Many of the antiquated "tabby" (plastered) houses strike a stranger agreeably from their appearance of venerable respectability. Šavannah is much resorted to by invalids in the winter, although many of those unfortunates who are far gone with consumption find themselves obliged to go farther South, to St. Augustine, the climate of which is said to be less liable to change, milder, and dryer than that of Savannah. Although the great deficiency of accommodations there is a drawback on its advantages. There are beautiful rides and drives around Savannah-one called the "Thunderbolt road," which leads to the Cemetary of Bonaventure, belies the character implied by the name, by being lovely in the extreme. The river is muddy usually, and quite rapid, and its banks are flat and very uninteresting, so that there are few inducements for marine pleasures, and indeed yachting is almost unknown. The country around the city is level and unpicturesque; the rides are rendered pleasant only by the dense walls of foliage on either side and overhead, almost shutting out any view of the fields behind. A prominent constituent in this foliage is the Southern moss, by the graceful gray covering of which, any tree which it embraces, however ugly it may really be, is rendered beautiful. The fig-tree grows luxuriantly here, but the orange is more unfortunate, as it is cut off sometimes, and perhaps once in twenty years on an average, by frost. About the boundary line of Florida is the Northern natural limit for it apparently. The society of Savannah is not very gay even in winter, as few parties are usually given; and to a stranger the place seems very dull on account of the disinclination which the inhabitants seem to exhibit to walking out, although this may be enhanced by the fact that there is no street corresponding to the Broadway of New York, and one street is about as much of a promenade as another. In summer all who have time and money to spare, go either to the North, to visit the watering places, or, if they heroically resolve to "expend their money in their own State," in compliance with the urgent appeals of the States' rights papers, they visit the Springs in the mild and fertile Cherokee country, where, if they cannot find the elegancies which adorn the fashionable watering places at the North, they can be less under the restraint of fashion, and can find more leisure to admire nature in all her purity. COMMERCE. Few persons after superficially viewing Savannah, could imagine the amount of its Commerce. The city contains but about 25,000 free inhabitants, but it is the chief outlet and inlet of a vast cotton-growing region. Its Commerce rapidly increases, while that of Charleston seems to have reached its climax, and finds difficulty in holding its own. The reason for this is, that Savannah is every day extending lines of communication into those parts of the country whence their produce should naturally and will come, when proper facilities are afforded for the purpose. Charleston early secured a large portion of the trade of Upper Georgia, by building a railroad to Hamburg, opposite Augusta, (the South Carolina Railroad,) because, by means of the Georgia Railroad from Augusta to near Atlanta, where both the Macon and Western Railroads and it join the Atlantic and Western or (as it is usually called, from the fact that the State owns largely in and controls its management,) State Railroad, which runs to Chattanooga-it (Charleston) is placed on an equal footing with Savannah, in regard to the rates on all freight, from or for the region above the junction mentioned. And the natural consequence was, that the downward freight, instead of going directly to Savannah, via the Macon and Western Railroads, was usually sent to Augusta, with instructions, to ship it to Savannah if there was a river, (¿. e., if the water was high enough,) as the freights per boats are lower than per rail, and if there was not, to send it to Charleston by railroad. The loss to Savannah in this way, which was serious, as the river is down about one-half of the time, will soon be obviated by the construction of the Au usta and Waynesborough Railroad, from the former to the latter place, which is a station on the Central Railroad, forming an almost direct line to Savannah; so that planters may send their cotton, &c., at that place, either direct, or to Augusta, and let it have the benefit of cheapness of transportation per river, if it is passable, and if not, per railroad, at probably a cheaper rate, than to Charleston, as the distance will be less. And goods for the up country will possess a like advantage in being sent to Savannah. This road will connect directly with the Georgia road it is hoped, which would be an advantage which the Charleston people have long arduously striven for, but their advances, aided by the stockholders in the Georgia Railroad, to the Augusta people to allow them to cross their bridge and connect, have been sturdily repulsed, not, as one might suppose, simply because they were prejudiced in favor of the seaport of their own State, but because such a junction could make but a mere way station of their city, and the services of factors and forwarding merchants could hardly be required. Last year, however, the S. C. Co. bought land out of the city limits, on both sides of the river, and is vigorously pressing forward their road to join the Georgia Railroad out of the city. Besides the river and the railroad communication (with all its branches and extensions) which I mentioned, large quantities of freight pass to and from Macon and other landings on the Ocmulgee River, per steamboat; while a considerable coasting trade is carried on along the whole Georgia and Florida coast as far as the St. John's, and up that river to Pilatki. A canal is open from the Ogeechee, and a plank road has recently been built to the same river. Steamers run regularly to and from Charleston, and some of the finest steamships in our steam marine, viz., the Florida, Alabama, Augusta, and Atlanta, will when the latter is completed, form a semi-weekly line to New York, while the "State of Georgia" will run semi-monthly to Philadelphia until the line is made a weekly one by the addition of her unbuilt consort, the "Keystone State." The Conway, the first of a line of British mail steamers, runs between the Bermudas, Savannah, and the British West Indies, connecting with the British mail Chagres line. Regular lines of packets run to all our large ports, while vessels clear with cargoes for all parts of the world, with the exception of China and the East Indies. The products of the State are as follows:-from the upper or "Cherokee country" she gets upland cotton, white corn, excellen: wheat, and many mineral substances, among which are gold, iron, marble, building stone, lime, &c, and raises in some parts enough bacon to supply the home demand. In the middle or "wire-grass" region, the chief products are upland cotton and pine timber, (the latter per rivers and canal). In the lower or "Sea Island" district, sea island cotton, rice, and naval stores, (which is a recent but quite successful branch of production here-particularly on the St. Mary's River). Most excellent sugar is also raised in small quantities. Beside the above chief products, the below-named articles are brought into market in small quantities by the "crackers," squatters, and negroes, and are sometimes exported, viz: hides, wool, sweet potatoes, ground-nuts, (peanuts,) tobacco, &c., &c. The principal imports are as follows:-from the Northern ports, miscellaneous cargoes of drygoods, groceries, &c., with the peculiar additions of Irish potatoes, hay, and gunny bagging from Boston, bacon and coal from Philadelphia, and corn and flour from Baltimore. Hay, timber, and lime is brought from Maine. Molasses, sugar, whisky, coil-rope and bacon from New Orleans. Molasses, sugar, and fruits from the West Indies. Railroad iron, hardware, crockery, and salt from England. The division of the chief exports is as follows:-to all the Northern, British, and French ports, cotton, rice, and naval stores; to the Gulf ports rice only; to San Francisco and Cuba lumber and rice. The comparative merits of the harbors of Savannah and Charleston have been much discussed. The advantage of Savannah lies in possessing a good bar, one over which large vessels can come at any stage of tide, while that off Charleston harbor is impassable, excepting at high water. The advantage of Charleston lies in the fact, that it is only one-third as far from the sea as Savannah, and that after the bar is passed no further obstruction is met with, whereas in Savannah, at a point about a mile below the city, some wrecks, sunk, it is said, by the British, to keep out the French fleet, have made a bar, which obliges most vessels to wait for high tide, and sometimes to lighten their cargoes. These disadvantages of both places will doubtless be remedied in course of time by science, although Savannah bids fair to be the first benefited. The business of the planters is transacted by factors, who sell their cotton and buy or forward their bagging, rope, &c., on commission. The commission merchants buy and sell for foreign parties, and act as agents for vessels. The country merchants are usually dealers in produce, selling their goods before harvest, on the security of the expected crop. Factors and commission merchants are usually pledged not to speculate in produce; and the speculators form a distinct class of business men. As the Brunswick scheme redivus seems to be now attracting some interest, perhaps it may be interesting to speculate upon the prospects of its success, which is a matter deeply concerning those interested in Savannah. That the harbor of Brunswick is an excellent one no one denies, but that it can ever draw away much of the trade which now flows to Savannah is very doubtful. The trade of Brunswick will, it is anticipated, come via the canal, (partly completed during the former "Brunswick bubble,") connecting the Altamaha with its harbor, and the proposed railroad from the city to strike the Flint River, (thus forming a connection with Apalachicola per steamers,) having a branch from Troupville to Albany in Baker County, with the ultimate design of extending the main road to Pensacola; having in view, in either case, the procural of the through passage from California via the Isthmus and New Orleans, and from the Gulf cities, beside the freight and travel of the country itself. Now, Savannah having the same objects precisely in view, and being hastened by the rise of the Brunswick scheme, last year subscribed $600,000 in the name of the Corporation, provided that the same amount should be subscribed individually, for building an air line railroad to Albany, with the avowed intention of pushing it forward to Pensacola in case the Brunswick Company threatens to do the same with their line. Also, if the old filled up canal of Brunswick should be redug, I have no doubt that in less than a week there could be commenced a canal which it was long since proposed, (probably during the brighter days of the Brunswick Canal,) to make, in order to connect the Altamaha (in Tattnall Co.) with the Ogeechee River, where the existing canal leaves it. Thus, Savannah will ever be equal to Brunswick in its facilities for obtaining the trade of this section of country; while its vastly superior capital, its enterprise, and its public spirit, will ever keep it ahead. From the wonderful richness of the agricultural and the mineral portions of Georgia, and the geographical position of Savannah, together with the enterprising character of the people, it is impossible not to foresee for the former a prosperity which will eminently entitle it to its title of the "Empire State of the South;" while the "manifest destiny" of the latter seems to be that it will rapidly increase in importance, and permanently occupy a position among southern commercial cities, next to Mobile if not to New Orleans. G. In connection with the statements of our correspondent, relative to the Commerce, etc., of Savannah, we add a few particulars as to the railroads which converge to that city, together with some statistics of the cotton, and a few other branches of trade. The railways which converge to the city of Savannah, with the great extensions that are now being made, and others in contemplation, will soon connect her with a large part of the best cotton-growing region of the south, and increase very largely the shipments from the port. The railways which transport cotton and other products intended for the Savannah markets, are the following, viz:— Miles 1st. The Central Railroad of Georgia, connecting Macon and Savannah, length.. 192 2d. Waynesboro' and Augusta road, connecting Augusta with the Central road and Savannah 53 3d. The Milledgeville and Eaton road, connecting these towns with the Central road and Savannah... 4th. The Southwestern road of Georgia, connecting the southwestern counties of the State with the Central road and Savannah..... 5th. The Columbus and Fort Valley roads, connecting the city of Columbus and the rich valleys of the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers with Savannah, via Macon and the Central road ...... 6th. The Macon and Western Railroad, connecting Atlanta and the middle counties with the Central road and Savannah.. 7th. The Western and Atlantic Railroad, connecting Chattanooga, and a considerable portion of Alabama, Tennessee, and northern Georgia with Savannah, via Macon or Augusta... 140 8th. The Georgia Railroad, connecting Atlanta and the middle counties of Georgiả with Savannah, via Augusta, Waynesboro', and the Central Railroad, or via the Savannah river... 171 12th. The Rome branch of the Western and Atlantic road... 17 13th. The East Tennessee Railroad, connecting Eastern Tennessee with Savannah 82 Total length... .1,053 With the exceptions of Nos. 2, 5, 10, 11, and 13, the railroads enumerated above have been completed and are now in operation. The five under |