Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

New-York. Were thefe and the propofed canal between Afhley and Cooper rivers in South Carolina, the canals in the northern parts of the ftate of New York, and those of Maffachusetts and New Hampshire all opened, North America would thereby be converted into a cluster of large and fertile islands, communicating with each other with ease and little expence, and in many inftances without the uncertainty or danger of the feas.

There is nothing in other parts of the globe which resembles the prodigious chain of lakes in this part of the World. They may properly be termed inland feas of fresh water; and even those of the second or third clafs in magnitude, are of larger circuit than the greatest lake in the eaftern continent. Some of the most northern lakes belonging to the United States, have never been furveyed, or even vifited by the white people; of courfe we have no defcription of them which can be relied on as accurate. Others have been partially furveyed, and their relative fituation determined.-The best account of them which we have been able to procure is as follows:

THE LAKE OF THE WOODS, the most northern in the United States, is fo called from the large quantities of wood growing on its banks; fuch as oaks, pines, firs, fpruce, &c. This lake lies nearly east of the fouth end of Lake Winnepeck, and is fuppofed to be the fource or conductor of one branch of the river Bourbon, if there be fuch a river. Its length from east to weft is faid to be about seventy miles, and in fome places it is forty miles wide. The Killiftinoe Indians encamp on its borders to fish and hunt. This lake is the communication between the Lakes Winnepeck and Bourbon, and Lake Superior.

RAINY OR LONG LAKE lies eaft of the Lake of the Woods, and is faid to be nearly an hundred miles long, and in no part more than twenty miles wide.

Eastward of this lake, lie feveral fmall ones, which extend in a string to the great carrying place, and from thence into Lake Superior. Between thefe little lakes are feveral carrying places, which render the trade to the north-weft difficult, and exceedingly tedious, as it takes two years to make one voyage from Michillimakkinak to these parts.

LAXE SUPERIOR, formerly termed the Upper Lake, from its northern fituation, is so called from its magnitude, it being the largest on the continent. It may justly be termed the Cafpian of America, and is fuppofed to be the largest body of fresh water on the globe. According to the French charts it is fifteen hundred miles in circumference. A great part of the coaft is bounded by rocks and uneven ground. The water is pure and tranfparent, and appears, generally, throughout the lake, to lie upon a bed of huge rocks. It has been remarked, in

[blocks in formation]

regard to the waters of this lake, with how much truth I pretend not to say, that although their surface, during the heat of fummer, is impreg nated with no fmall degree of warmth, yet on letting down a cup to the depth of about a fathom, the water drawn from thence is cool and refreshing.

The fituation of this lake, from the most accurate observations which have yet been made, lies between forty fix and fifty degrees of north lati tude, and between nine and eighteen degrees of weft longitude, from the meridian of Philadelphia.

There are many iflands in this lake, two of them have each land enough if proper for cultivation, to form a confiderable province; efpecially Ifle Royal, which is not less than an hundred miles long, and in many places forty broad. The natives fuppofe thefe iflands are the refidence of the Great Spirit.

Two very large rivers empty themselves into this lake, on the north and north-east fide; one is called the Nipegon, which leads to a tribe of the Chipeways, who inhabit theborders of a lake of the fame name, and the other is the Michipicooton river, the fource of which is towards James's Bay, from whence there is but a fhort portage to another river, which empties itfelf into that bay.

Not far from the Nipegon is a fmall river, that juft before it enters the lake, has a perpendicular fall from the top of a mountain, of more than one hundred feet. It is very narrow, and appears at a distance like a white garter fufpended in the air. There are upwards of thirty other rivers, which empty themselves into this lake, fome of which are of a confiderable fize. On the fouth fide of it is a remarkable point or cape of about fixty miles in length, called Point Chegomegan. About a hundred miles weft of this cape, a confiderable river falls into the lake, the head of which is compofed of a great affemblage of small freams. This river is remarkable for the abundance of virgin copper that is found on and near its banks. Many fmall iflands, particularly on the eaftern fhores, abound with copper ore, lying in beds, with the appearance of topperas. This metal might be eafily made a very advantageous article of commerce. This lake abounds with fish, particularly trout and fturgeon; the former weigh from twelve to fifty pounds, and are caught almoft any feafon in the year in great plenty. Storms affect this lake as much as they do the Atlantic Ocean; the waves run as high, and the navigation is equally dangerous. It difcharges its waters from the foutheaft corner through the Straits of St. Marie, which are about forty miles long. Near the upper end of these straits is a rapid, which though it is impoffible for canoes to afcend, yet, when conducted by careful pilots, may be defcended without danger.

Though

Though Lake Superior is fupplied by near forty rivers, many of which are large, yet it does not appear that one tenth part of the waters which are conveyed into it by thefe rivers, is difcharged by the abovementioned ftrait. Such a fuperabundance of water can be difpofed of only by evaporation*. The entrance into this lake from the traits of St. Marie, affords one of the most pleafing profpects in the world. On the left may be feen many beautiful little islands, that extend a confiderable way before you; and on the right, an agreeable fucceffion of fmall points of land, that project a little way into the water, and contribute, with the islands, to render this delightful bafon calm, and fecure from thofe tempeftucus winds, by which the adjoining lake is frequently troubled.

LAKE HURON, into which you enter through the ftraits of St. Marie is next in magnitude to Lake Superior. It lies between 43° 30 and 46° 30′ of north latitude, and between fix and eight degrees weft longitude. Its circumference is about one thousand miles. On the north fide of this lake is an island one hundred miles in length, and no more than eight miles broard. It is called Manataulin, fignifying a place of fpirits, and is confidered as facred by the Indians. On the fouth west part of this lake is Saganaum Bay, about eighty miles in length, and about eighteen or twenty miles broad. Thunder Bay fo called from the thunder that is frequently heard there, lies about half

That fuch a fuperabundance of water should be disposed of by evaporation is no fingular circumftance. There are fome feas in which there is a pretty just balance between the waters received from rivers, brooks, &c. and the waste by evaporation. Of this the Caspian Sea, in Afia, affords an instance; which, though it receives several large rivers, has no outlet. There are others, to speak in borrowed language, whofe expence exceeds their income; and these would foon become bankrupt, were it not for the fupplies which they conftantly receive from larger collections of water, with which they are connected; fuch are the Black and Mediterranean feas; into the former of which there is a conftant current from the Mediterranean, through the Bofphorus of Thrace; and into the latter, from the Atlantic, through the Straits of Gibraltar. Others again derive more from their tributary ftreams than they lofe by evaporation. These give rife to large rivers. Of this kind are the Dambea in Africa, the Winipifeogee in New Hampfhire, Lake Superior, and other waters in North America; and the quantity they dif charge, is only the difference between the influx and the evaporation. It is obfervable, that on the fhores the evaporation is much greater than at a distance from them on the ocean. The remarkable cluster of lakes in the middle of North America, of which Lake Superior is one, was doubtless defigned, by a divine Providence, to furnish the interior parts of the country with that fupply of vapours, without which, like the interior parts of Africa, they must have been a mere defert. It may be thought equally furprizing that there should be any water at all discharged from them, as that the quantity fhould bear fo fmall a proportion to what they receive.

BRA
ог т.е

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

way

way between Saganaum Bay and the north-west corner of the lake. It is about nine miles acrofs either way. The fish are the fame as in Lake Superior. At the north-west corner, this lake communicates with Lake Michigan by the Straits of Michillimakkinak.

Many of the Chipeway Indians live fcattered around this lake; particularly near Saganaum Bay. On its banks are found amazing quantities of fand cherries.

MICHIGAN LAKE, lies between latitude 42° 10′ and 46° 30′ north; and between 11° and 13° weft long. from Philadelphia. Its computed length is 280 miles from north to fouth; its breadth from fixty to fe venty miles. It is navigable for fhipping of any burthen; and at the north-eastern part communicates with Lake Huron, by a ftrait fix miles broad, on the fouth fide of which ftands fort Michillimakkinak, which is the name of the ftrait. In this lake are feveral kinds of fish, particularly trout of an excellent quality, weighing from twenty to fixty pounds, and fome have been taken in the Straits of Michillimakkinak, of minety pounds. Weftward of this lake are large meadows, faid to extend to the Miffiffippi. It receives a number of rivers from the weft and eaft, among which is the river St. Jofeph, very rapid and full of Iflands; it fprings from a number of fmall lakes, a little to the north-west of the Miami village, and runs north-weft into the fouth-east part of the lake. On the north fide of this river is fort St. Jofeph, from which there is a road, bearing north of eaft, to Detroit. The Powtewatamie Indians, who have about two hundred fighting men, inhabit this river oppofite fort St. Jofeph.

Between Lake Michigan on the weft, and Lakes Huron, St. Clair, and the west end of Erie on the east, is a fine tract of country, peninfulated, more than two hundred and fifty miles in length, and from one hundred and fifty to two hundred in breadth. The banks of the lakes, for a few miles inland, are fandy and barren, producing a few pines, fhrub oaks, and cedars. Back of this, from either lake, the timber is heavy and good, and the foil luxuriant.

LAKE ST. CLARE, lies about half way between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, and is about ninety miles in circumference. It receives the waters of the three great lakes, Superior, Michigan and Huron, and difcharges them through the river or ftrait, called Detroit, into Lake Erie. This lake is of an oval form, and navigable for large veffels. The fort of Detroit is fituated on the western bank of the river of the fame name, about nine miles below lake St. Clair. The fettlements are extended on both fides of the ftrait or river for many miles towards Lake Erie, and fome few above the fort.

LAKE

LAKE ERIE, is fituated between forty-one and forty-three degrees of north latitude, and between 3° 40' and 8° degrees weft longitude. It is nearly three hundred miles long, from eaft to weft, and about forty in its broadeft part. A point of land projects from the north fide into this lake, feveral miles, towards the fouth-east, called Long Point. The islands and banks towards the weft end of the lake are fo infefted with rattlefnakes, as to render it dangerous to land on them. The lake is covered near the banks of the islands with the large pond-lily; the leaves of which lie on the furface of the water fo thick, as to cover it entirely for many acres together; on thefe, in the fummer feafon, lie myriads of water-fnakes basking in the fun. Of the venomous ferpents which infeft this lake, the hiffing fnake is the most remarkable. It is about eighteen inches long, fmall and fpeckled. When you approach it, it flattens itfelf in a moment, and its spots, which are of various colours, become visibly brighter through rage; at the fame time it blows from its mouth, with great force, a fubtil wind, faid to be of a naufeous fmell; and if drawn in with the breath of the unwary traveller, will infallibly bring on a decline, that in a few months must prove mortal. No remedy has yet been found to counteract its baneful influence. This lake is of a more dangerous navigation than any of the others, on account of the craggy rocks which project into the water, in a perpendicular direction, many miles together from the northern fhore, affording no fhelter from forms. Prefque Ifle is on the fouth-eaft fhore of this lake, about lat. 42° 10. From this to Fort Le Beuf, on French Creek, is a portage of fifty-one miles and a half. About twenty miles north-eaft of this another portage of nine miles and a quarter, between Chatoughque Creek, emptying into Lake Erie, and Chatoughque Lake, a water of Allegany river.

Fort Erie ftands on the northern fhore of Lake Erie, and the west bank of Niagara river, in Upper Canada. This lake at its north-eaft end, communicates with Lake Ontario by the river Niagara, which runs from fouth to north, about thirty miles, including its windings, embracing in its courfe Grand Island and receiving Tonewanto Creek, from the eaft. About the middle of this river are the celebrated falls of Niagara, which are reckoned one of the greatest natural curiofities in the world. The waters which fapply the river Niagara rife near two thofand miles to the north-weft, and paffing through the lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie, receiving in their courfe, conftant accumulations; at length, with aftonishing grandeur, rush down a ftupendous precipice of one hundred and fifty feet perpendicular; and in a strong rapid, that extends to the distance of eight or nine miles below, fall near as much more: the river then lofes itself in Lake Ontario. The

2

noife

« AnteriorContinuar »