360 General Description of Lake Erie. 



augmenting; but with incomparably greater rapidity on the 

 south side of the lake, distributed between the States of New 

 York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Ohio, which occupies the 

 largest portion, in 1800, had 45,000 inhabitants; in 1810, 

 250,760, and, in 1820, 581,434. At present, it cannot have 

 less than 750,000 inhabitants, and there is ample room for 

 more. There are few or no Indians on the north borders 

 of the lake. The Mohawks are placed high up the river 

 Ouse, and the Hurons, from four to ten miles up the river 

 Detroit. 



The winds are generally either up or down the lake, and in 

 summer they are in the former direction for two-thirds of the 

 time. In the middle of this season they are commonly mild, 

 but occasionally in perfect tornadoes, accompanied with tre- 

 mendous lightning and heavy rain. The gales begin in October, 

 and are both violent and dangerous. Many lives are lost 

 annually. The winters are mild and short. The inhabitants 

 do not reckon on the ground being covered by snow more than 

 three or four months. They turn their cattle into the woods 

 in March and April, but the lake remains full of floating ice 

 until May. On the 12th of May, 1821, the steam-boat could 

 not proceed on account of the ice. From an adjacent eminence, 

 the lake was seen to be covered with it in one compact mass, 

 as far as the eye could range. As might be expected, remittent 

 and intermittent fevers are very prevalent in the autumn. The 

 febrile action rises high, and there is usually a topical affection 

 conjoined : to this the stimulating diet and frequent use of 

 spirituous liquors, and exposure to heat, mainly conduce. In 

 the year 1819, these diseases raged with particular violence. 

 The British and American Boundary Commissioners, consisting 

 of thirty-five individuals, were then encamped among the small 

 islands at the west end of the lake. Scarcely one escaped an 

 attack of remittent fever. In three instances it proved fatal, 

 one of which was the British commissioner, Mr. Ogilvy, a man 

 of great worth, activity, and talent. Most of the others reco- 

 vered with difficulty, and remained, during the whole of the 

 following winter, in a sickly state. The disease made its 

 appearance in September. During the years 1820 and 1821, 

 the united commissions pursued their surveys at the west end, 



