state of New York. This island
extends from Montauk PoiDt, off
Stonington, to the harbor of New
York., Its length is 120 miles.
The widest part, 20 miles, is off
New Haven;- the narrowest parts,
on the border of New England, are
off the mouth of Connecticut river,
about 8 miles, and off Greenwich,
or Saw Pits, 7 miles.

This Sound, as far as Hurl Gate,
is navigable for vessels of any bur-
then, and the passage to and from
the sea round Montauk, is remark-
ably easy at any time of tide, and
in all weather. See Judith Point.

Hurl Gate, sometimes called Hell
Gate, but properly Horll Gatt,
a Dutch term, signifying a whirl-
pool, is a narrow strait of difficult
passage between Long and New
York Islands. At half tide the
current runs 7 or 8 miles an hour.
It contains numerous whirlpools, is
rocky and bears a threatening as-
pect; but good pilots navigate it
with ease when the tide is favora-
ble. Steam-boats press through at
all times of tide. Through this
passage a vast amount of the pro-
ductions of Connecticut and Rhode
Island pass to New York market.

A survey for a ship canal, uniting
these waters and Narraganset hay
with Boston harbor, was commenc-
ed by the government of the Uni-
ted States in 1827. From a tide
lock at Braintree, in Boston harbor,
to a tide lock at Somerset, Mass.,
on Taunton river, the distance is 36
miles. The summit level is at
Randolph, Mass., 134 feet above
high water mark at Boston. A ship
canal in this direction, or one across
Cape Cod, at Sandwich, would save
many lives, and a vast amount of
property.

Some of the distances from Prov-
idence, and along the northern coast
of this Sound-, to the city of New
York, are here given.

From Providence to Newport, 30
miles:—to Judith Point, 11—41:—
to the mouth of StoniDgton har-
bor, 27—68 :—to the mouth of New
Lendon harbor, 8—76:—to the mouth
of Connecticut river, 13—89:—to
the mouth of New Haven harbor,
27—116:—to Stratford Point, 10—
126to the mouth of Fairfield har-
bor, 6—132 -to Norwalk, 8—140 :
—to Greenwich, or Saw Pits, 15—
155:—toThrog’s Point, 14—169:—
to Hurl Gate, 6—175:—to New
York, 8 miles, making the distance
from Providence to New York, by
water, 183 miles.

As the rail-road from Boston to
Albany, although in good progress,
is not completed; and as many of
‘ our friends at the. north visiting the
interior of the state of New York
find it more agreeable to pass
through the city of New York and
up the Hudson river, rather than
cross the country, we think it may
be useful to give some of the dis-
tances on that noble river, from the
city , of New York to the city of
Troy.

Note.—w. denotes west side, e.
east side..

From New York to Hoboken, w.
2 miles:—toManhattanville, e. 6—
8 :—to Fort Lee, w. 2—10 :—to
King’sBridge,3—13:—(The Palis-
adoes, perpendicular cliffs of great
elevation, on the west bank of the
river, commence at Hoboken, and
extend 20 miles to Tappan bay) to
Fort Independence, e. 2—15:—to
Tarrytown, e. 12—27 :—to Sing
Sing, e. 5—32 :—to Stony Point
light-house, w. 8—40 :—to Fort
Fayette, Verplanck’s Point, e. 1—
41:—to Dunderburgh Mountain,
w. and Peekskill, e. 2—43 :—(Here
we enter the justly celebrated
Highlands, pronounced by every
honest Yankee to be equal if not
superior to any scenery of the kind
in his own country) to St. Antho-
ny’s Nose, e. and Forts Montgome-
ry and Clinton, w. 3—46:—to But-
termilk Falls, w. 4—50:—to West
Point—Fort Putnam, w. 2—52:—
to* West Mountain, w. and Cold