291 



CANADA. 



CANADA. 



282 



That part of Canada to the north of the great lakes and the river 

 St. La\vrence may be divided into three sections. The most western 

 comprehends the country of Lake Superior and the north shores of 

 Lake Huron, and is divided from that farther east by the range of 

 mountains called La Cloche, which commence opposite the eastern 

 extremity of Grand Manitoulin Island, and extend farther north than 

 they have been explored. This part of Canada is very little known, 

 and contains no European settlement except a few establishments for 

 the fur-trade. It seems to be a table-land of considerable elevation, 

 the surface of which is often slightly broken and covered with small 

 hills, but in other parts spreads out in extensive levels. It is full of 

 small lakes, and is traversed by a great number of small rivers ; in 

 some places it is covered with extensive swamps. It is generally well 

 wooded. The middle section extends from the La Cloche Mountains 

 cast to the Ottawa, and comprehends all the countries west of that 

 river, and also the peninsula which lies between the lakes Huron, 

 Ontario, and Krie, and terminates at the rivers St. Clair and Detroit. 

 It embraces consequently the whole settled part of Upper Canada and 

 a very small portion of Lower Canada. The surface of this section 

 comprises a table-land of a somewhat uneven surface, two extensive 

 terraces, and a level plain. The table-land comprehends the northern 

 half of this section; its southern edge is marked on the west by the 

 rise in the country between lakes Siincoe and Muskoka. This accli- 

 vity continues eastward at a distance of about 20 miles S. of 45 N. 

 lat, and may bo considered as terminating a little east of the meridian 

 of 77'. From the shores of the Georgian Bay the country rises 

 raj'Mly to a considerable height; that portion of the table-land east 

 of Lako Huron is 750 feet above the lake, and 1344 feet above the 

 sea. This height may be considered about the average elevation of 

 the table-laud. Its surface is probably not very irregular, except 

 towards the banks of the Ottawa, where it is broken by extensive 

 valleys running parallel to the river, and considerably depressed 

 below the surface of the table-land. About the middle of this ele- 

 vatr-tl country is a depression which contains numerous lakes, united 

 by two rivers, of whicli one called Nesswabic runs north and after- 

 wards east, and j jins the Ottawa ; and the other, called Muskoka, runs 

 first south and then west, and after having traversed the Trading 

 Lake and Lake Muskoka, and formed several rapids, empties itself 

 into the Georgian Bay. Towards the north-western boundary is Lake 

 Nipiasing, which is above 50 miles in diameter, and is 750 feet above the 

 sea. From ita southern extremity issues a river called the Francois, 

 or French River, which forms several rapids before it enters Lake 

 Huron. As far as this table-land has been explored it appears to be 

 generally covered with forests of hard wood, and to have a fertile soil. 

 It is still entirely in possession of the native tribes, among which the 

 Missiaaagua are the most numerous. 



The Ottawa, which bounds this country on the east, issues from 

 Lake Temiscaming, but its remotest branches rise nearly 100 miles 

 beyond that lake. Its upper course is only visited by traders in fur 

 and timber. The first Kurop-an settlement is at Lake Allumettcs, 

 not far from the place where the Nesswabic enters the lake. In this 

 part the Ottawa divides into two channels, inclosing between them 

 Black River Island, which is about 15 miles long, with an average 

 breadth of 4 miles. The upper course of this river consists only of a 

 series of lakes, connected by short channels, which always exhibit 

 rapids or falls. Farther down is the Grand Calumet Island, which is 

 about 20 miles long and 7 miles in its greatest width. Both the 

 channels which inclose it are full of rapids. At the Lake Des Chats 

 the Ottawa is joined by the Madawaoca, which descends from the 

 table-land by a course of about 100 miles. Lake Chaudiere is 18 miles 

 long, with an extreme breadth of 5 miles ; at the lower end of this 

 lake commence the falls called Chaudieres, or Kettles, from theirform, 

 the principal of which is 60 feet high. Below these falls near Hull 

 is the mouth of the Gatineau River, which flows from the north- 

 north-west through an immense valley of rich soil, and is navigable 

 by canoes for more than 300 miles. From this point the Ottawa is 

 navigable for steam-boats to Grenville, a distance of 60 miles : and in 

 this part of its course the banks of the river, which so far are generally 

 high, subside so much that the adjacent country is inundated in 

 spring and autumn for more than a mile. At Grenville is the rapid 

 called Long Sault. At Point Fortune the Ottawa gradually begins 

 to expand into the Lake Two Mountains, which discharges itself by 

 the rapid of St. Anne's into the St. Lawrence where it forms the 

 Lake St. Louis above Montreal To avoid the rapid.) the Grenville 

 Canal has been constructed on the north bank between the town of 

 Grenvillo and the Lake of the Two Mountains. Thus the Ottawa is 

 navigable up to Bytown and the Chaudiere Falls, a distance of above 

 100 miles. The course of the Ottawa from Lake Temiscaming to 

 Lake Two Mountains is about 350 miles. The country bounded by 

 the lower course of the Ottawa and the Cataraqui rises with gentle 

 acclivities in the form of terraces from the banks of both rivers. In 

 the eastern districts the highest land extends at no great distance 

 from the Cataraqui ; but north of the Lake of the Thousand Islands 

 t turns to the west, and continues in that direction till it joins the 

 table-land near 77' W. l.,ng. This ridge is probably not more than 

 700 feet above the sea : it is lowest at its western extremity, where it 

 lea a greater space and incloses a number of lakes, the greatest 

 <>( which are the Rideau and Missibsippi lakes. Some portions of his 



country are marshy, but in general the soil is fertile, aud agriculture 

 is rapidly advancing. The comparatively small elevation of the 

 western districts has suggested the formation of a canal between 

 Lake Ontario and the Ottawa. This grand work is called the Rideau 

 Canal from the lake of that name, which it enters at the south and 

 quits at the northern extremity. The canal is 135 miles long, begin- 

 ning at Kingston on the shores of Lake Ontario, and terminating at 

 the foot of the Chaudiere Falls. Lake Rideau, which is about 

 1 24 miles long aud 6 miles wide on an average, is the summit-level of 

 the canal, from which it descends 283 feet to the Ottawa River, and 

 154 feet to Lake Ontario. On the north side of Rideau Lake are 

 30 locks, and on the south side 17 locks. The locks are 142 feet in 

 length, 33 feet in width, the depth of water being 5 feet, so that 

 vessels under 125 tons can navigate the canal. 



The country between the table-land and Lake Ontario forms two 

 distinct terraces, which extend from east to west. They are divided 

 from each other by a ridge of hills, which begin between 77 and 78 

 W. long., near the west end of the Bay of Quintd, about 8 or 9 miles 

 from the shores of Lake Ontario, and run west nearly in a straight 

 line, under the parallel of 44 N. As they proceed farther west 

 they are farther from the lake, so that opposite the town of Toronto 

 the plain along the shores of the lake is 24 miles wide, and where the 

 ridge terminates, near 80 W. long., it is still wider. Between this 

 ridge and the south edge of the table-land is the upper terrace, which 

 is much larger. At the eastern extremity it extends to the shores 

 of the Bay of Quinte', and farther west the southern range remains 

 always about 50 miles distant from the south edge of the table-land ; 

 its length is about 150 miles. Both terraces are divided from the low 

 plain, which extends farther west between the lakes of Huron and 

 Erie by a ridge of hills which begins on the north on the shores of 

 Natawasauga Bay, and runs south to the west end of Lake Ontario, 

 where it forms the Burlington Heights, and continues along the shores 

 of Burlington Bay and the south side of Lake Ontario, at a distance 

 not exceeding from 4 to 8 miles. Near Queenstown it reaches the 

 Niagara River, where it forms the Great Falls. It continues in an 

 easterly direction through the state of New York to Lockport, where 

 it is about 12 miles from Lake Erie. It afterwards crosses the Great 

 Erie Canal, runs parallel to it, and subsides at Rochester, on the 

 Gen essee River. 



The northern and larger of the terraces seems to rise gradually from 

 east to west. In its western district is Lake Simcoe, whose surface 

 covers 300 square miles, and is at least 100 feet above Lake Huron and 

 468 feet above Lake Ontario. From its north shore issues a considerable 

 river called the Severn, which empties itself into an inlet of Lake Huron, 

 called Gloucester Bay. Barrie, the thriving chief town of the Simcoe 

 district, stands at the head of Kempcnfeldt Bay, a large inlet of Lake 

 Siincoe, on its north-west side. Balsam Lake, farther to the east, may 

 be considered as the source of the river Trent, which running east 

 unites the lakes Sturgeon, Pigeon, Shemong, Shibauticon, and Trout, 

 all of which lie on the northern border of the terrace, and extend 

 several miles from south to north. Issuing from Trout Lake tho 

 river nms with many windings south, and reaches Rice Lake by a 

 bold bend to the east. This lake, which is 25 miles long, and from 

 4 to 5 miles wide, lies south-west and north-east, and only 15 miles 

 from Lake Ontario. The Trent leaves the lake at its north-eastern 

 extremity and continues in that direction for about 30 miles, when it 

 turns east, soon afterwards south-west, then east, and afterwards 

 south, till it falls into the Bay of Quiiitd. The Bay of Quint<5 is only 

 a long, irregular, and winding lake, divided from Ontario by the 

 peninsula of Prince Edward. Its length measured along its windings 

 is near 50 miles, and its breadth varies from 6 to 12 miles. The 

 isthmus which connects the peninsula of Prince Edward with the 

 continent is, at its western extremity, only three furlongs wide. The 

 peninsula is indented on every side by small bays and coves, offering 

 anchorage and shelter for such vessels as navigate the lakes. 



Of the upper terrace the soil, so far as it is known, is fertile, and 

 it contains few sterile tracts except swamps. It is covered with 

 valuable timber. Iron ore is abundant. European settlements are 

 fast increasing. The southern terrace, which terminates in rather a 

 high shore on Lake Ontario, and extends between the peninsula of 

 Prince Edward and Darlington, is generally level aud very fertile, 

 with the exception of a sandy plain between Ontario and Rice Lake ; 

 west of Darlington the soil along the lake is of an inferior quality. 



The plain of Upper Canada comprehends the peninsula which 

 extends between the lakes Erie and Huron, nearly in the form of an 

 equilateral triangle, whose base is formed by a line drawn from Fort 

 Erie, on the inlet of the river Niagara, to Cape Hurd, the north 

 extremity of Cabot's Head, a distance of 216 miles. Another line, 

 cutting it at a right angle and striking Detroit River at Amherstburg, 

 is about 195 miles long. All this tract, which contains about 20,000 

 square miles, is level, or slightly undulating, except on its east side, 

 where it borders on the hills which separate it from the terraces. 

 About the sources of the Thames indeed it appears to contain some 

 rising ground, the upper plain of which is a kind of swamp or moor. 

 The whole tract is an alluvial soil of great fertility, containing neither 

 stones nor gravel. Most of it is covered with large forests of maple, 

 beech, oak, basswood, ash, elm, hickory, walnut, butternut, chestnut, 

 cherry, birch, cedar, and pine. lu the midst of these woods, and some- 



