[Garry ] DIARY OF NICHOLAS GARRY 87 
Friday the 25th [May]. At 5 o’clock in the Morning we started— 
breakfasted at the small Village of St. Ann’s. Here again a Relative of 
the Landlord made Breakfast and tho’ not possessing the superior man- 
ners of Margaret Blais, still they were pleasing, unaffected and modest. 
On the Road our Driver gave us the romantic History of the young 
Lady of Sandy Hook. She was not related to the Landlord but had 
been left as an Infant at his Door. A strong Imagination might fancy 
a most romantic Novel. 
Near St. Ann’s our Road ran along the Northern Canal which is to 
connect Lake Champlain with the Hudson. It appeared ill done and 
the numerous Rafts of Timber which are transported by it must soon 
destroy the Sides. From St. Anns the Road continues along the Canal,— 
the Road miserable and full of Ruts—they are called Corduroys in Allu- 
sion to the Stuff of this Name. At 12 o’clock'we arrived at Whitehall 
distant from Albany 70 miles. Here we found Mr. Caldwell the Receiver- 
General of Canada and Captn. Dunn of the Artillery, a very agreeable 
Acquisition to our Party. At One we dined and at two went on Board 
the Steam Boat the “ Congress” which we found crowded with Oxen and 
23 Horses belonging to Mr. West an Equestrian. The Troop consisted 
in 19 Persons. The Hudson at Whitehall runs into Lake Champlain. 
The Length of Lake Champlain is 120 miles but the many Detours we 
made to land Passengers brought our Distance to 170. The first Part 
of our Course was through the most beautiful Scenery—narrow winding 
Passage apparently barred by the most gigantic Mountains—these 
studded with the finest Foliage,—the Passage suddenly opening on new 
Scenery equally bold but varied. 
For the first 30 miles from South River, so called at its Entrance, 
it is nowhere above two miles wide ;—it then narrows till you reach 
Crown Point. At 12 miles from this Point it is 12 miles in Breadth, 
called Broad Lake. Here there are a great many Islands, the largest 
the South Hero. Our Spirits were much damped by the Sight of the 
Gun Boats which were taken at Lake Champlain, the “ Confiance,” &c.1 
About 6 o’clock in the morning we stopped at Plattsburg, the scene of 

1 On Sept. 11, 1814, the British vessel Confiance, 37 or 38 guns; the brig Linnet, 
16 guns, with the cutters Chubb and Finch, under Captain Downie, were taken by 
the Americans, under Captain McDonough, at Plattsburg on Lake Champlain, 
after a most desperate fight. At the same time Sir George Prevost ordered the re- 
treat of the British troops who were attacking the town by land. It may well be 
called an ‘‘ unfortunate action.” 
On this much vexed question see Alison’s History of Europe, chap. Ixxxii. ; J. 
F. Cooper’s History of the Navy of the U. S. A. (London, 1839), vol. ii., 495, 497; 
W. James’s Naval History (1826), vol. vi., p. 494; and ‘‘ Ten Years of Upper Canada 
in Peace and War, 1805-1815, being the Ridout Letters ” (Toronto, 1890) p. 321 et seq. 
