No. 112.] 829 



bearing upon the industrial occupations and progress of the 

 Champlain vallej. 



The prominent idea in the first of these schemes^ originally 

 contemplated an artificial communication between Port Kent, on 

 Lake Champlain, and Boonville, on the Black River canal. The 

 system of lakes, in the interior, which are united by a series of 

 rivers, indicate the course, and ^Yere designed to form the route 

 of this improvement. This conception has been partially realis- 

 ed by the construction of a plank road from Lake Champlain to 

 Franklin Falls, on the Saranac river, which approaches the point 

 on that stream, where it was proposed to commence the projected 

 navigation, and obviates the most difficult and expensive part of 

 the plan. 



The remarkable arrangement of these waters, for this purpose, 

 is fully delineated by Prof. F. N. Benedict in his elaborate and 

 able report on the subject-^* His report is based on scientific sur- 

 veys aaid careful recognizances, and has been corroborated by 

 various subsequent explorations. 



It appears from these authorities that nature has formed a prac- 

 ticable route for this improvement, in the direct line from Pur- 

 mort's Rapids, a point in the Saranac river, on the line between 

 Essex and Clinton counties to the Moose river, twenty-one 

 miles from Boonville, with which the contemplated navigation 

 must be connected by a canal or railroad. This route, starting 

 from Purmort's Rapids passes through the county of Essex, by 

 the Saranac 3 along the lower and upper Saranac lakes ; the Ra- 

 quette river, Lon^, Forked and Raquette lakes, and the interven- 

 ing streams, to the series of Moose river lakes, and thence down 

 that stream to the western termination. This track may readily 

 be traced on the very accurate map that accompanies this re])ort, 

 "which has been arranged for it with great care.f 



The following impressive facts are established by these inves- 

 tigations. There exists, Prof. Benedict states, in tliis direct 

 course, a navigation competent to steamers, of fifty-six miles, and 

 by small boats of fifty-five miles further. A distance only of 



• Scnato Document, No. 73, 18i6. f By Col. C. M. Watson. 



