75 CHAPTER VI.-LAKES. Lake Superior is the largest body of fresh water in the world, being four hundred miles in length, one hundred at its greatest breadth, and, according to the most moderate computation, over twelve hundred miles in circumference. Its shores are rocky and uneven, and it has a rocky bottom. Its waters are pure and transparent, and it has been remarked, that, although during the summer, the waters on its surface be warm, nevertheless, by letting a cup down about a fathom, water may be taken up nearly as cold as ice. In abounds in fish, particularly sturgeon and long trout, many of which are from fifty to seventy pounds weight, and constitute the principal food of the Algonquin Indians on its borders. This lake has five large islands,* one of which, called Isle Royal, is not less than a hundred miles in length, and in some places forty in breadth. More than forty rivers discharge themselves into it, the two largest called the Nipegon and the Michipicooton, from the north and north-east sides. A small river which runs into it, not far from the Nipegon, falls from the top of a mountain more than six hundred feet perpendicular; appearing at a distance, to use Mr. Carver's homely comparison, like a white garter suspended in the air. On the banks of one of the rivers which fall into its south side, virgin One of these, the Island of Yellow Sands, derives its chief interest from the tradi tons and fanciful tales which the Indians relate concerning its mineral treasures, and their supernatural guardians. They pretend that its shores are covered with a heavy shining yellow sand, which they would persuade us is gold, but that the guardian spirit of the island will not permit any of it to be carried away. To enforce his commands, he has drawn together upon it, myriads of eagles, hawks, and other birds of prey, who by their cries warn him of any intrusions upon the domain, and assist with their claws and beaks to expel the enemy. He has also called from the depths of the lake, large serpents of the most hideous forms, who lie thickly coiled upon the golden sands, and hiss defiance to the steps of the invader. A great many years ago, it is pretended, that some people of their nation were driven, by stress of weather, to take shelter upon the enchanted island, and being struck with the beautiful and glittering appearance of the treasure, they put a large quantity of it into their canoes, and attempted to carry it off, but a gigantic spirit strode into the water, and, in a voice of thunder, commanded them to bring it back. Terrified with his amazing size, and threatening aspect, they obeyed, and were afterwards suffered to depart without molestation, but they have never since attempted to land upon it. 'Listen, white man-go not there, Of the Isle of Yellow Sands.'-Journal of Travels. copper has been found. The storms which occur on this lake are felt as severely as on the Atlantic, the waves run equally high, and the navigation is perhaps more dangerous.* When the wind blows from the east, the waters are driven against the high rocks of the northern and western shores, where they form a thick vapor resembling rain; and this action of the wind creates an irregular ebb and flow. This never exceeds ten or twelve inches; but the strong traces of the water on the rocks of the shore show, that, at no very remote period, they were elevated six feet above the present level. Mackenzie states, that some years ago the waters suddenly withdrew near the Great Portage; then rushed back with great velocity above the common mark; and, after rising and falling during several hours, they settled at their usual level. Notwithstanding its being fed by so many rivers, Lake Superior has but one outlet by the Straits of St. Mary. At the upper end of these straits, there is a rapid which cannot be ascended, but has sometimes been descend ed, although the descent requires both skill and caution, and perhaps not a little good fortune. A canal has been cut by the North-West Company, along the northern banks, for the purpose of facilitating their commerce, and they have here a considerable establishment; but their chief fort and storehouses are situated at Kamenestiquia, on the banks of a river which flows into Lake Superior, on the north-west side, and affords an easy communication with the interior. The Strait of St. Mary, it is supposed, does not discharge one tenth of the waters which the lake receives from its numerous rivers; part of the remainder escapes by evaporation, but how the whole is discharged is yet a secret. It does not appear, however, that an exact calculation has hitherto been made, either of the quantity discharged or the quantity received. This lake lies between forty-six and fifty degrees north latitude, and eighty-four and ninety-three degrees west longitude. Lake Huron, into which you enter by the Straits of St. Mary, is next in magnitude to Lake Superior. It lies between forty-three and forty-six degrees north latitude, and between eighty and eighty-five degrees west longitude; in shape it is nearly triangular, and its circumference is about a thousand miles. On the Canada side of this lake is an island one hundred miles in length, and no more than eight in breadth; it is called Manataulin, signifying a place of spirits, and is considered as sacred by the native Indians. About the middle of the south-west side of the lake is Saginaw Bay, about eighty miles in length, and twenty broad; Thunder Bay, so called Charlevoix observes, 'when a storm is about to rise on Lake Superior, you are ad vertised of it two or three days previous. At first you perceive a gentle murmuring on the surface of the water, which lasts the whole day without increasing in any sensible manner; the day after, the lake is covered with pretty large waves, but without breaking all that day, so that you may proceed without fear, and even make good way, if the wind is favorable; but on the third day, when you are the least thinking of it, the lake becomes all on fire, the ocean in its greatest rage is not more tost, in which case you must take care to be near shelter, to save yourself. This you are always sure to find on the north shore, whereas on the south you are obliged to secure yourself the second day at a considerable distance from the water side.' Although we are not prepared to corroborate this remark, yet something of the kind has this day been witnessed, for notwithstanding the prevalence of a calm during the whole day, with the exception of about two hours in the morning, when the wind was however light, the lake towards evening has been in a perfect rage, and we effected a landing with greater hazard than has yet been encountered. At the same time scarce a breath of air was stirring, and the atmosphere was beautifully clear.—Schoolcraft. from the continual thunder heard there, lies about half way between Saginaw Bay and the north-west corner of the lake: it is about nine miles across either way. The fish are the same as in Lake Superior. The promontory that separates this lake from Lake Michigan is a vast plain, more than one hundred miles long, and varying from ten to fifteen miles in breadth. At the north-east corner, this lake communicates with Lake Michigan by the Straits of Michilimackinac. It is very remarkable, that although there is no daily flood or ebb to be perceived in the waters of these straits, yet from an exact attention to their state, a periodical alteration in them has been discovered. It has been observed that they rise by gradual, but almost imperceptible degrees, till in seven years and a half they had reached the height of about three feet; and in the same space of time they gradually fell to their former state; so that in fifteen years they had com pleted this revolution. This, however, is not well established.* Lake Michigan, formerly called Lake Illinois, and Lake Dauphin, extends from the western angle of Lake Huron in a southerly direction, and is separated from Lake Superior by the tongue of land which is described above. It lies wholly within the territory of the United States, between the parallels of forty-two and forty-six degrees. Its waters are said to be unfathomable. At the southern extremity of Lake Michigan is Chicago Creek, by which, in the rainy season, the head-waters of the Illinois communicate with the lake; but the bar at the mouth of the creek does not admit boats drawing above two feet of water. A number of streams flow into the lake, on both the western and the eastern sides. It abounds, like the others, with excellent fish. 'Lake Michigan,' says Mr. Schoolcraft, 'from its great depth of water, its bleak and unguarded shores-and its singular length and direction, which is about four hundred miles from north to south, appears to be peculiarly exposed to the influence of the currents of the atmosphere, to whose agency we may attribute, at least in part, the appearances of a tide, which are more striking upon the shores of this, than of any of the other great lakes, The meteorological observations which have been made, in the Transalle ghanian states, indicate the winds to prevail, either north or south, through the valley of the Mississippi; but seldom across it, so that the surface of this lake would be constantly exposed to agitation, from the atmosphere. These winds would almost incessantly operate, to drive the waters through the narrow strait of Michilimackinac, either into Lake Huron or Lake Michigan, until, by their natural tendency to an equilibrium, the waters thus pent, would react, after attaining a certain height, against the current of the most powerful winds, and thus keep up an alternate flux and reflux, which would always appear more sensibly in the extremities and bays of the two lakes; and with something like regularity, as to the periods of oscillation; the velocity of the water, however, being governed by the vary. ing degrees of the force of the winds.' * There is reason to conclude, that a well conducted series of experiments will prove that there are no regular tides in the lakes, at least that they do not ebb and flow twice in twenty-four hours like those of the ocean; that the oscillary motion of the waters is not attributable to planetary attraction; that it is very variable as to the periods of its flux and reflux, depending upon the levels of the several lakes, their length, depth, direction and conformation-upon the prevalent winds and temperatures, and upon othe extraneous causes, which are in some measure variable in their nature, and unsteady in their operations.-Schoolcraft. Lake St. Clair lies about half way between Lakes Huron and Erie, and is about ninety miles in circumference. It receives the waters of the three great lakes, Superior, Michigan, and Huron, and discharges them through the river or strait called Detroit, into Lake Erie. It is of a circular form, and navigable for large vessels, except a bar of sand toward the middle, which prevents loaded vessels from passing. Lake Erie is situated between forty-one and forty-three degrees of north latitude, and between seventy-nine and eighty-three degrees west longitude. It is two hundred and eighty miles long; opposite Cleveland, in the state of Ohio, it is about sixty miles broad, to the eastward it is above seventy. The average breadth is from fifty to sixty miles; and its medium depth from forty to one hundred and twenty feet. The water is pure and wholesome, and abounds with fish; such as sturgeon, white-fish, trout, and perch. The lake does not freeze in the middle, but is frequently frozen on both sides; and sometimes in winter, when the wind is variable, the ice exhibits a singular phenomenon; a south wind blows it all to the Canada shore, and a north wind again dislodges it, and brings it back to the American side. There are a number of islands in the west end of the lake, containing from eight hundred to two thousand acres of land, and the scenery amongst them is charming; but all these islands are so infested with snakes, that in the height of summer it is really dangerous to land. This is the more to be regretted, as the fine timber which grows upon them indicates that the soil must be uncommonly fertile. But, in defiance of the snakes, many of the islands are rapidly settling, and are found to be very healthy and agreeable places of residence. This and the other lakes are navigated by vessels of from seventy to eighty tons, which carry goods and provisions as far as the head of Lake Superior, and bring back furs and peltry. The navigation is good through the whole distance, except in Lake St. Clair, where the water is shallow, and vessels are sometimes obliged to lighten. Lake Ontario is situated between forty-three and forty-four degrees of north latitude, and between seventy-six and eighty degrees west longitude. It is about two hundred miles in length and forty in width; its form nearly oval, and its circumference about six hundred miles. It abounds with fish of an excellent flavor, among which are the Oswego bass, weighing three or four pounds. Near the south-east part it receives the waters of the Oswego river, and on the north-east it discharges itself into the St. Lawrence. It is never entirely closed by ice, and is computed from some soundings to be five hundred feet deep. The Ridge Road, or Alluvial Way, is a remarkable ridge extending along the south shore of this lake, from Rochester on the Gennessee to Lewiston on the river Niagara, eighty-seven miles. It is composed of common beach sand and gravel stones worn smooth, and these are intermixed with small shells. Its general width is from four to eight rods, and it is raised in the middle with a handsome crowning arch, from six to ten feet. Its general surface preserves a very uniform level, being raised to meet the unevenness of the ground which it covers. At the rivers Gennessee and Niagara, its elevation is about one hundred and twenty or thirty feet; and this is its elevation above Lake Ontario, from which it is distant between six and ten miles. There seems to be no way of accounting for this ridge, without supposing that the surface of Lake Ontario was one hundred and thirty feet higher at some former period than It is at present. There is a similar ridge for one hundred and twenty miles, on the south side of Lake Erie. Lake Champlain lies between the states of New York and Vermont, and communicates with Lower Canada by the river Sorelle, which falls into the St. Lawrence forty-five miles below Montreal. It is about one hundred and twenty miles in length, and of various breadths: for the first thirty miles, that is, from South river to Crown Point, it is nowhere above two miles wide; beyond this, for the distance of twelve miles, it is five or six miles across, it then narrows, and again at the end of a few miles expands.. That part called the Broad Lake, commences about twenty-five miles north of Crown Point, and is eighteen miles across in the widest part. Here the lake is interspersed with a great number of islands, the largest of which, named South Hero, is fifteen miles in length, and averages four in breadth. The soil of this island is very fertile, and more than seven hundred people are settled upon it. The Broad Lake is nearly fifty miles in length, and gradually narrows till it terminates in the river Šorelle. Lake Champlain, except at the narrow parts at either end, is in general very deep; in many places sixty and seventy, and in some even a hundred fathoms. The scenery along various parts of the lake is extremely beautiful, the shores being highly ornamented with hanging woods and rocks, and the mountains on the western side rise up in ranges, one behind the other, in the most magnificent manner. Remains of Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, important positions during the old French wars, are found at two great bends of this lake. On the 11th of September, 1814, Commodore McDonough, commander of the American fleet, gained a complete victory over the British fleet in Cumberland Bay, directly in front of the town of Plattsburg. This lake opens a ready communication between New York and the country bordering on the St. Lawrence. Through the town of Whitehall, which stands at the head of the lake, a considerable trade is carried on across Champlain with Lower Canada. On the British end of the lake, one hundred and fifty miles from Whitehall, stands the garrison town of St. John's. Lake George, which discharges itself into Lake Champlain, is the most beautiful sheet of water in the whole country. It is thirty-six miles long, and from two to four broad. It is situated in the eastern part of the state of New-York. Its waters are deep and remarkably transparent, and from their extreme limpidness, the French gave them the name of the Lake of the Holy Sacrament. The shores consist of abrupt and shelving points, and are bounded by two long ranges of mountains,* sometimes rising boldly The mountains are all primitive: they form a double barrier, between which the lake, scarcely a mile wide, but occasionally expanded into a large bay, winds its way. They are steep and precipitous to the very water's edge. They are still clothed with grand trees, and possessed by wild animals-deer, rattlesnakes and bears. They give, in some places, the most distinct and astonishing echoes, returning every flexion of the voice with the most faithful response. We saw them hung with the solemn drapery of thunder clouds, dashed by squalls of wind and rain, and soon after decorated with rainbows, whose arches did not surpass the mountain ridges, while they terminated in the lake, and attended our little skiff for many miles. The setting sun also gilded the moun. tains and the clouds that hovered over them, and the little islands, which in great num. bers rise out of the lake, and present green patches of shrubbery and trees apparently springing from the water, and often resembling, by their minuteness and delicacy, the clumps of a park, or even the artificial groups of a green-house. Fine as is the scenery |