688 1 Assembly 



them to the waters of Lake Champlain One batteau was freight- 

 ed with lumber at Ticonderoga, supplied by saw mills which 

 were erected during the French occupation. Aejain embarking, 

 they arrived on the shores of the Boquet en the 8th day of June, 

 having occupied in their journey thirty days of arduous and in- 

 cessant labor. 



After the interval of two days, devoted to rest and preliminary 

 arrangement, they proceeded up the river to the point of their 

 ultimate destination, and formed their.encampment upon an island 

 at the base of the falls, which, from that circumstance, still bears 

 the name of '^' Camp Island." With promptness and energy ope- 

 rations were at once commenced. A road was opened to the falls, 

 and by the 15th of that month ground had been cleared, timber 

 prepared, and a house, 44 feet by 22, partly erected. This edi- 

 fice was probably the first dwelling built by civilized man, on the 

 western shore of Champlain, between Crown Point and Canada. 

 The cattle had been driven to Crown Point, and there made to 

 swim the narrow passage. Proceeding to a point opposite to 

 Splitrock, they were ferried over, and from thence driven through 

 the woods to Gilliland's settlement. A part of them were con- 

 fined and fed upon the leaves of the trees, but the largest portion 

 were turned loose to the unlimited range of the forest.* 



The first great necessity secured, by the erection of a dwelling, 

 the colonists prepared for general improvement. The forest was 

 opened, the vicinity explored, timber prepared for a saw mill, 

 which was erected in the autumn, at the lower part of the falls, 

 and supplied with power by a wing dam, which was projected 

 into the current, turning the water into a flume that conducted it 

 to the mill. 



Game was abundant in the woods; the most delicious salmon 

 thronged the stream, that almost laved their threshold, and the 

 beaver meadows yielded them sufficient hay for the approach- 

 ing winter. The spontaneous products of a bounteous land were 

 thus within the reach of their industry and energies. Meanwhile, 

 as these efforts were in progress, Mr. Gilliland had visited Quebec, 



• GiUiUniJ's Jonrnal. 



