lous parts of Pennsylvania, and the midland countries of NewYork. Were thele and the proposed canal between Ashley and Coopers river in South Carolina, the canals in the northern parts of the fate of New-York, and thofe of Maffachusetts and New Hampshire all opened, North America would thereby be converted into a cluster of large and fertile iflands, communicating with each other with cafe and little expence, and in many inftances without the uncertainty or danger of the fees.

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 thole of the fecond or third clafs in magnitude, are of larger circuit than the greatest lake in the caftern continent. Some of the most northern lakes belonging to the United States, have never been furveyed, or even vifited by the white people; of course 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 it banks; fuch as oaks, pines, firs, fpruce, &c. This lake lies nearly caft of the fouth end of Lake Winnepeck, and is supposed to be the fource or conductor of one branch of the river Bourbon, if there be such a river. Its length from caft to weft is feid to be about feventy miles, and in fome places it is forty miles wide. The Killiftinoe Indians encamp on its borders to filh and hunt. This lake is the communication between the Lakes Winnepeck and Bourbon, and Lake Soperior.

RAINY OR LONG LAKE His caft of the Lake of the Woods, and is taid 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 ftring to the great carrying place, and from thence into Lake Supenor. 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 Michi!limakkinak to thefe parts.

LAKE SUPERIOR, formerly termed the Upper Lake, from its northern fituation, is fo called from its magnitude, it being the Largeit on the continent. It may juftly be termed the Cafpian of America, and is fuppofed to be the largest body of fresh water the globe. According to the French charts it is fifteen h miles in circumference. A great part of the coaft is bou

rocks and uneven ground. and appears, generally, throughout the lake, to lie upon a bed of huge rocks. It has been remarked, in regard to the waters of this lake, with how much truth I pretend not to fay, that although their surface, during the heat of fummer, is impregnated 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 water is pure and transparent,

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

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

Two very large rivers empty themselves into this lake, on the north and north-eaft fide; one is called the Nipegon, which leads to a tribe of the Chipeways, who inhabit the borders 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 itself into that bay.

Not far from the Nipegon is a final 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 themfelves into this lake, fome of which are of a confiderable fize. On the south 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 ftreams. This river is remarkable for the abundance of virgin copper that is found on and near its banks. Many fmall islands, particularly on the eastern fhores, abound with copper ore, lying in beds, with the appearance of copperas. This metal might be eafily made a very advantageous article of commerce, This lake abounds with fifh, 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 fouth-eaft corner through the Straits of St. Maric, which arc

about forty miles long. Near the upper end of thefe ftraits is a rapid, which though it is impoffible for canoes to afcend, yet, when conducted by careful pilots, may be defcended without danger.

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 thele rivers, is dilcharged by the above-mentioned ftrait. Such a fuperabundance of water can be difpofed of only by evaporation. The entrance into this lake from the traits of St. Maric, 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 secure from those tempeftuous winds, by which the adjoining lake is frequently troubled.

LAKE HURON, into which you enter through the ftraits of St. Maric 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 thoufand miles. On the north fide of this lake is an ifland one hundred miles in length, and no more than eight miles broad. It is called Monataulin, fignifying a place of fpirits, and is confidered as facred by the Indians. On the fouthweft part of this lake is Saganaum Bay, about eighty miles in length, and about eighteen or

That fuch a fuperabundance of water should be difpofed 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 wafte by evaporation. Of this the Cafpian Sea, in Afia, affords an inftance; which, though it receives feveral large rivers, has no outlet. There are others, to fpeak in borrowed language, whofe expence exceeds their income; and thefe 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 Seas; 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. Thefe give rife to large rivers. Of this kind are the Dambea in Africa, the Winipifeogee in New-Hampshire, Lake Superior, and other waters in North America; and the quantity they difcharge, 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 doubtlefs 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 fhould be any water at of dif charged from them, as that the quantity should bear fo fmall a propos they receive.

twenty miles broad. Thunder Bay fo called from the thunder that is frequently heard there, lies about half way between Siganaum Bay and the north-weft corner of the lake. It is about nine miles across either way. The fish are the fame as in Lake Superior. At the north-west corner, this lake communicates with Lake Michigan by the ftraits of Michillimakkinak.

Many of the Chipeway Indians live fcattered around this lake; particularly near Saganaum Bay. On its banks are found amazing quantities of land 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 leventy 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 funds fort Michillimakkinak, which is the name of the strait. In this lake are feveral kinds of fifh, particularly trout of an excellent quality, weighing from twenty to fixty pounds, and fome have been taken in the Straits of Michillimakkinak, of ninety pounds. Weftward of this lake are large meadows, 1+id to extend to the Miffiffippi. It receives a number of rivers from the weft and caft, among which is the river St. Jofeph, very rapid and full of Ilands; it springs from a number of fmall lakes, a little to the north-weft of the Miami village, and runs north-west into the fouth-eaf part of the lake. On the north fide of this river is fort St. Jofeph, from which there is a road, bearing north of caft to Detroit. The Powtewatamie Indians, who have about two hundred fighting men, inhabit this river oppofite fort St. Joieph.

Between Lake Michigan on the west, and Lakes Huron, St. Clair, and the weft end of Erie on the eaft, is a fine tract of country, peniniilated, 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. CLAIR, 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 firait, 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.