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Show ~68 EMIGRANT'S GUIDE. accounts have given a more favourable picture; all concur in describ-ing the climate as severe in winter. ·. · AIJ the vast body of water from Superior, Michigan, and l-IUl'on, are carried down St. Clair river, into the small lake, of the same name, and from thence by Detroit river into Lake E~ie.. . The peninsula, now known by the name of the M1ch1gan ~erntory, is, except to the south, cnc.losed by tbe la~{e~ we have .notice~, and by the so'uthwestern extremity of Lake Ene. The entire outlme of Michigan territory is 650 miles, 500 of which is wat~r. Erie is, to tl e United States, hy far the most Important of the lakes on their northem border. I is at tPis time the point of contact between the British dominions in Canada, and the vitals of the western states. Should the canal from tbe Hudson t this lake be completed, its commercial importance will ue gr~atly ~nhan~ed. W~en the approaches to Lake Erie are fully exammed, Jt excJtes admiration to behold ho"i\r far its natural position is calculated to form an extensive chain of connexion between different and very distant mem· bers of the Unit~ States. Very short canals will unite Lake Erie in two places with the Ale· ghany ; another of not much greater length will bring together Cayahaga and Muskingum rivers. A similar facility exists .to open a comm~nication by Sandusky with Sciota, and St. Mary's w1th the Wabash. The town of Erie stands upon a good, though rather exposed barbour. The general depth of water in this lake is sufficie~t for ships 0f any tonnage. M:uine warfare has already on its surface exhibited all the bold and prominent features of naval combat. One of the most verdant of American laurels was gained on the face of Erie. After what has been done within the lap:,e of the last twenty years, it cannot be dangerous to predict that thirty more years will not elapse before a water interior communication will extend from New-York to New-Orleans. Upon tl e· formation of the canal from Alhany to Lake Erie, o~e opinion is entertained by disinterested men ; and one source of fatl· ure only dreaded. Opposition to improvement too often crea!es the obstacles which it pretends to point out ; and by exciting dJstrus~, prepares the way for the fulfilment of its own predictions. I_f tb~s great design is completed, it will do honour to the age in which It Wa5 projected, anu to the nation by whom it wHl be perforn~ed. ~O douut but to that, as to Fulton's application of steam to the tm.pulst.on of vessels in water, the most insurmountable impediments will anse from that distrust that seems the natural offspring of the burna~ heart, against all undertakings out. of the common track of daily hau1t. The surface of Lake Erie is by actual measurement 565 feet above the level of tide water in the Hudson ; the surface of the J,\fon?ng~hela at Brownsville, as stated by the secretary of the treasu.ry, m lus reports on roads and canaJs, is 850 fcQt above the level of t1d.e ~ater in the Chesapeake ; thus it appears, the surface of Lake Ene. 15 de1~ 1lressed 285 feet below the river Monongahela at Browysvllle, 0 about 240 below the Ohio at Pittsburg. Ontario, the least and most eastern of the five great Jakes of Canada, forms part of the boundary of New-York on the north· • EMIGRANT'S GUIDE. 269 wes~ ; it is a~out 200 miles in length, by 40 in width. The country mcluded m the angle between the eastern extremity of lake Erie and tl~e south border of New-York is composed of table land, cut by two nvers,. Genesee and. Os~~go; .and chequered by numerous lakes. ~h1s table land lS dJvJded mto two unequal plains. The lo~~er pla1~ extends along the entire south border of the lake, with a lVJdth of trom ten to twe~\'e miles, bearing evident marks of having ?een, at no very remote tune, covered with water. The second plain IS of equal l~ngtb ~vith the former ; but of much greater extent, being n_ear 100 miles w1de. Upon this higher plain are the sources of the nvers Genesee and Oswego, and upon it Jie that singular group of lakes, composed of Oneida, Ononuago, Otsego, Skeneateles, Owasco, Cayuga, Seneca, Crooked lake, Canandaigua, Honeoye Long Hem-lock, and Canesus. ' ' Except the four latter, which are al1 $mall, and which compose in ~art, the waters of Genesee, the others are branches of the Osw;g~ nver. T~w Ge~esee river rises in Potter county, in Pennsylvania, interJockmg With the sources of the Aleghany river, and fiows northeast by north ove~ the state of N el'~-York one hundred and twenty miles ia length, falls mto Lake Ontano at very nearly mid distance from its eastern and western extremities. This river is interrupted by a fall of seventy-five feet perpendicular, about twelve miles from its mouth. Oswego river is one of the most singular streams on earth · its weste·rn branc~, Seneca. river, is formed by the group of lakes 'that hav~ been not!ced! wluch ~]) extend in a nearly north and south di· rectwn. 'fh~1r discharge IS to the north, into Seneca riv&r. The eourse of the Seneca is from west to east, receivit1g also a number of creeks from the south bec;;iJe the discharge of the before mentioned lakes. f!neida river r.ises near Rome, by a stream calJed Wood creek lV~1ch latter flo~m~ west ten or twelve miles, joins Fish creek ; th~ umted. stream ~v1thm a very short distance below their junction, dilates mt~ Onet?a Jake. The latter Jake, contrary to those on the ~eneca n~er, l1es east and west thirty miles in Jength, and ten or tw~lve w 1de. At t.he ~estern extremity flows out the Onei~a river, ~~Hen by a very cJrcmtous channel of twenty or twenty-five miles JOms with. t~e Seneca, and forms the Oswego river. The Jatte; Lslream assN~mg a course northwest by north thirty miles, fal1s into ake. OntariO at Fort Oswego. Os~ I! along th.e ~1i~ber plai~, already noticed, that the waters of the I eoo flow ; It JS mdeed smgular, that the courses of a1l tbe chan· ra~ s of ~he l.akes south of Seneca river had not continued north intCI t. e Ene, IIk.e the lower plain : the one more elevated, bears evident la~;s of.:avmg ?ee? also once ~he bottom of a Jake. th he h•5her plam JS not an umform level; its surface bein(J' cut by 1t~merous cl~annels of the rivers and creeks. 0 th 15 over this great table land that the projected canal to unite Hs~ ;aters of the Hudson. to those of lake Erie, is to run. In the f roads anpexed to th1s chapter, can be seen the distancei and |
