CANADA. 





..!.!. iii height, and is 60 completely clothed with wood, 



V^ 0>y_J to thr very summit of the precipice, as to nroduce a 



very deep and solemn gloom; of the CkotuUtfe, 



about four miles from the mouth of the river, about 



' yards broad, descending from a height or 



distinct cataracts, surrounded with 

 i.l, and abounding in the wildest and most pictu- 

 resque scenes ; of Mnnlnioreiicy, exactly at the con- 

 fluence of that river with the St Lawrence, about 

 200 feet in breadth, falls in one undivided mass from 

 a perpendicular height of 24-6 feet, and having few 

 s on its st(vp and lofty banks, is more remarkable 

 for grandeur than for beauty ; and of Niagara, be- 

 tween lakes Erie and Ontario, 600 yards wide, divid- 

 ed by two islands into three distinct cataracts, one of 

 which is 1-1 "2 and another 160 feet high, the noise of 

 which is heard to the. extent of 15 miles, and the 

 cloud of vapour, which they throw up, is said to be 

 frequently observable at a distance of 90 miles. 

 Those who have witnessed this stupendous cataract, 

 declare that no power of words can convey an ade- 

 quate idea of its sublimity. " The lofty banks and 

 immense woods," says Mr Heriot, " which environ 

 this stupendous scene, the irresistible force, the ra- 

 pidity of motion displayed by the rolling clouds of 

 foam, the uncommon brilliancy and variety of colours 

 and of shades, the ceaseless intumescence and swift 

 agitation of the dashing waves below, the solemn and 

 tremendous noise, with the volumes of vapour darting 

 upwards into the air, which the simultaneous report 

 and smoke of a thousand cannon could scarcely equal, 

 irresistibly tend to impress the imagination with such 

 a train of sublime sensations, as few other combina- 

 tions of natural objects are capable of producing." 

 See also NIAGARA, and Weld's Travels in Canada, 

 vol. ii. p. 123. 



Lakes. The lakes of Canada are astonishingly numerous, 



and the waters still cover so large a portion of its 

 surface, as almost to afford a proof of its being more 

 recently deserted by the ocean, than the rest of the 

 American continent. Those in the direction of the 

 St Lawrence, are by far the largest ; and the first of 

 these, that meets the navigator, as he ascends the 

 stream, is that of St Peter, which is, properly speak- 

 ing, nothing more than an expansion of the waters of 

 the St Lawrence, over a level country, which is about 

 20 miles long, and 15 broad, receives a number of 

 considerable rivers into its bed, and yet is so extreme- 

 ly shallow, that the ship-channel, at some seasons, is 

 not more in many places than 11 or 12 feet deep. 

 Lake Ontario, or Cataraguy, the smallest of the five 

 great lakes, is of an oval figure, 160 miles in length, 

 and about 450 in circumference. Its depth, in many 

 places, is not ascertained ; and it has frequently keen 

 sounded with a line of 350 fathoms, without finding 

 the bottom. Tt contains an immense number of 

 jqlanJs, and is very liable to be agitated by stormy 

 winds. The soil around its borders is very much in- 

 termixed with rocks, and yields several valuable quar- 

 ries of a durable white stone. Various volcanic pro- 

 ductions are found on its banks ; and this circum- 

 stance, in conjunction with its immeasurable depth, 

 has given rise to a conjecture, that its basin was once the 

 crater of a volcano. See Volney's Vierv of the United 

 States, p. 120. Lake Erie, or Ostvego, is 300 miles 

 VOL. v. PART i. 



in length, 40 at its utmost breadth, 710 in circum- 

 ference, apd about 50 fathoms at its greatest depth. 

 At its northern extremity, it is much exposed to vio- 

 lent gales, arid its navigation is both tedious and 

 dangerous. It contains, towards the west, a number 

 of beautiful islands, in which are many remarkable 

 caverns abounding in curious stalactites. These 

 islands are also full of reptiles, especially rattlesnakes ; 

 and the margin of the lake is in many places com. 

 pletely covered, for many acres, with the large leaves 

 of the pond lily, upon which, in the summer season, 

 myriads of water snakes are seen basking in the sun. 

 The bottom is a blucish limestone rock, and its banks 

 are clothed with wood, abounding in game and wild 

 animals. Lake Huron, the second in point of magni- 

 tude, is of a triangular form, 250 miles in length, and 

 1100 in circumference. It contains a number of 

 islands, among which, one called Manataulin, signifying 

 the place of spirits, and held sacred by the Indians, 

 is nearly 100 miles long, and 8 in breadth. It has 

 also numerous and extensive bays, one of which, Sa- 

 guina, or Saganaum, is 15 miles long, and 18 wide ; 

 and another about 9 miles broad, called Thunder Bay, 

 because it is scarcely ever free from tremendous thun- 

 der storms. The storms on this lake are extremely 

 dangerous, and its waves both rise higher, and break 

 quicker than those of the ocean. It contains abun- 

 dance of large white fish, and particularly a rich 

 and delicate trout, some of which are four or five 

 feet in length, and frequently 70 lb. in weight. 

 Lake Mi/ilgan is situated entirely within the Ame- 

 rican territories, but as, together with lakes Huron 

 and Superior, it forms what has been called the Sea 

 of Canada, it seems entitled to a short notice in this 

 sketch of the principal lakes of that country. It is 

 about 280 miles long, 70 at its greatest breadth, and 

 945 in circumference. On its eastern coast it re- 

 ceives a number of rivers, the banks of which abound 

 in ginseng. On its northern coast is the Green bay, 

 or bay des Puans, 120 miles long and 30 wide, the 

 waters of which have a considerable flux and reflux ; 

 and the quantity of mud which they leave behind 

 causing an unpleasant vapour, when exposed to the 

 sun, has occasioned its French name Puante. From 

 this bay there is a short and easy communication with 

 the Mississippi. It communicates also with Lake Hu- 

 ron, by the straitsof Michillimackinac ; and though no 

 diurnal ebb or flow is perceptible in the waters of this 

 passage, yet it is affirmed, that a periodical alteration 

 takes place in their height ; that in the course of se- 

 ven years and a half, they gradually rise about three 

 feet, while, in the same space of time, they as imper- 

 ceptibly fall away to their former state. Lake Su~ 

 perior, or Tracey, or Conde, is the largest body of 

 fresh water on the face of the earth, being 400 miles 

 in length, 100 at its greatest breadth, and nearly 1600 

 in circumference. It receives the waters of nearly 

 40 rivers, some of which are of considerable magni- 

 tude ; and contains a number of islands, one of whch, 

 Isle Rot/ale, is about 100 miles long and 40 broad. 

 Its bed is covered with large uneven rocks, and is in 

 many places beyond the reach of soundings. Its 

 northern banks are very high and rugged, and abound 

 in virgin copper ; but its eastern shore is low and 

 shallow, covered with stunted trees and brambles, and 

 2x 



Canada. 



