294 Dr Clinton 07i certain phenomena of 



feet, and othei-s differ as to the exact altitude ; but there can 

 be no doubt of the general certainty of the fact. Lake Eric 

 began to rise in 1811, and continued to increase until 1815, 

 when it was two feet higher than was ever known. The over- 

 flowing of the waters destroyed trees on the low lands more 

 than two hundred years old, and the inhabitants of Detroit, 

 which is an ancient settlement, had never seen or heard of 

 such a rise before. It fell a little in 1816, rose again in 1817, 

 and decreased until 1822. It was in June last on the rise, 

 and one and a half feet higher than usual. In 1810 I walked 

 on Bird Island ; an island situate at the outlet of Lake Erie. 

 In 1816 it was almost covered with water, and was scarcely 

 visible. I am informed by an intelligent shipmaster on the 

 lakes, " that when he visited Detroit in 1797, the waters were 

 at their height. He went to the south the following year, and 

 did not return to that place until 1802, when he found the 

 waters considerably lower. Having understood that there was 

 a rise and fall every seven years, he determined to ascertain 

 how great it was ; for which purpose he caused marks to be 

 made on a solid wharf that had been built more than twenty 

 years before, and was perfectly firm and immoveable ; and he 

 found that the water declined on an average about an inch a 

 year for nine years. What the fall was for five years during 

 his absence- he did not know, bat it may be fairly stated at 

 three times as much yearly ; that is, fifteen inches, if compared 

 with subsequent occurrences of a similar character. The lake 

 began to rise again in 1811, in tlie spring of which it rose six 

 inches, but during the summer it fell two inches. In 1812 it 

 rose fourteen inches, and subsided three inches, leaving a nett 

 gain of fifteen inches in two years. The surrender of Detroit 

 to the British, in October 1812, compelled him to leave the 

 country; but in October 1813 he returned with the fleet, and 

 the water was then at its greatest altitude, having in that year 

 gained twelve inches — in all twenty-seven inches. In 1814 

 and 1815 it was stationary. In 1816 and 1817 it fell at least 

 eighteen inches. And he further supposes, from appearances 

 at Michillimackinack, that the whole town of that island was 

 formerly under water, and that one of the ancient outlets of 

 the lakes was by Chicago, which he states at only thirteen 



