510 Chronicles of the Cape Fear River

upon the price. Crops of former years, about 3,000 tierces.
Of the last season’s, the quantity exported and shipped coast-
wise, only about 9 to 1,500 casks. There is no other market in
the Southern States where it is purchased to any extent. No
inspection.

Lumber: Many kinds and of a superior quality are rafted
plentifully to market during winter and spring from water
mills; say, sawed boards, plank and scantling, of fine grained
pitch and yellow pine, promiscuously sawed, however, unless
previously contracted for, and thus sold by the raft, at a rate

to be agreed on, turn out as it may; refuse at half-price, and is
commonly so shipped altogether. Expenses of rafting or land-
ing and inspection paid by the purchaser. Pine timber and
spars of any size may be had upon previous notice by contract
with the country people; and at a time when the waters are
sufficiently up for rafting. Five well-constructed steam saw-
mills are erected in the vicinity of the town and now in opera-
tion, where lumber of any lengths or sizes may be furnished,
and delivered to vessels bright from the saws. The quality is
excellent—sawed from square logs of good timber. The in-
creasing demand for our lumber, coastwise and steady calls for
it throughout the West Indies, has vastly increased the trade
and employment of vessels. Half the inspection is charged at
those mills, and their prices are uniform. The lumber trade is
also benefited by the establishment at Orton, fifteen miles below
Wilmington, of two excellent sawmills, carried by a never-
failing water power from a pond seven miles in extent, supply-
ing lumber from square timber equal to that of the steam mills
and at the same rates. In a contract with those mills, vessels
meet as good dispatch as at any other.

An extensive planing mill is also erected at this place, where
flooring and all other descriptions of boards are supplied for
domestic use as well as foreign demand.

Shingles of cypress, 22 inches in length, are plentiful and
often good, and may be contracted for to be brought of better
quality and larger size. Demand the past season was good. De-
mand this summer has been less, and a corresponding falling off
in supply—ruled from $1.50 to $4 per thousand. Shingles of
juniper, 18 inches, may be had on timely notice during the
winter.

Pipe staves are never made here. All our staves are gener-
ally very good. In the further progress of railroads and open-

Peace Restored 511

ing to the country, we shall expect to find our stave supply
revived.
Main Bar of Cape Fear, high water at 7 o'clock, at full and

change of the moon; depth formerly 18 feet, but pilots now say
only 13% to 15 feet.

Tides on each bar, perpendicular, 5 to 6 feet.
Flatts, five or six miles below Wilmington, 10 to 1114 feet.

Pilots generally attend in time to conduct vessels in safety ;

= there are now two decked boats in use, besides many open
oats.

The course in, over Main Bar, is much more direct and less

difficult than formerly: a lighthouse on Bald Head Island, as
also a lighted beacon at New Inlet.

Lighterage comes on all vessels above 10 to 121% feet at pres-

ent, 1n consequence of some operations on the river below town,
which were commenced with a view to improvement.

Also, between Flatts and Smithville, at high water, are shoals
14 feet; consequently, vessels that load deeper than 14 feet,
must go down to Smithville to complete their cargoes. Thirteen

and a half to 15 feet water may be carried out over Main Bar;
10 to 11 feet, New Inlet.

Tue Traps or Witmrnerton, 1872.

(Extracts from a commercial statement made by the Chamber of Commerce.)

Taking the harbor as it was, and as it is confidently expected
by those who have studied the matter it will be again, by a
judicious management of the government works now going on,
and completed, we have a capacious harbor, easy of access, with
winds from almost any quarter, perfectly land-locked, and the
approaches to the bar well protected from the principal storms
on our coast, with good anchorage outside. Lying to the south-
ward of all the dangerous capes on the coast which would inter-

fere with navigation or voyages to and from all Southern, West
Indian, and South American ports, as well as to Europe, a con-

siderable saving in the single item of marine insurance is made.

By reference to the report of exports hence, it will be seen
that we furnish cargoes of everything required in the markets
of the West Indies and South America, with perhaps the single
exception of flour, which will soon be within our grasp. Hence