6 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VRRMONT. 



Part l. 



MEMPHREMAGOG LAKE. 



BAYS, SWAMPS, ISLANDS, SOIL. 



and Plattsburgh, and many other places, 

 united with the variety and beauty of tlie 

 scenery, the neatness and accommodation 

 of the steamboats, and the unrivalled ex- 

 cellency of their commanders, render a 

 tour through this lake one of the most in- 

 teresting and agreeable to the enlightened 

 traveller. A historical account of the 

 most important transactions upon Lake 

 Champlain, together with some account 

 of the navigation of the lake, and partic- 

 ularly of tiie steamboats which have been 

 built upon it, will be found in part second, 

 and a much more minute description of 

 the lake under its name in part third. 



Memphremagog lake is situated on the 

 north line of the state, and about midway 

 between lake Champlain and Connecticut 

 river. It extends from south to north, 

 ond is nearly parallel with lake Cham- 

 plain. It is 30 miles long, and the aver- 

 age width about two miles. One third 

 part of this lake lies in Vermont; the oth- 

 er two thirds in Canada. The name of 

 this lake in the Abenaqui tongue was 

 Mcm-ploic-honque, signifying a large ex- 

 panse of water. This, together with nu- 

 merous small lakes and ponds, which lie 

 wholly within the state, will be described 

 in part third, either under their names, or 

 in the account of the towns in which they 

 ere situated. There is abundant evidence 

 that most of our lakes and ponds were 

 formerly much more extensive than they 

 are at present, and that they have been 

 diminished, both by the deposit of earthy 

 matter brought in by the streams, and by 

 the deepening of the channels at their 

 outlets ; and there is also sufficient proof 

 of the former existence of many ponds in 

 this state, which have long since become 

 dry land by the operation of the same 

 causes. Several of these will be pointed 

 out in the descriptions of the rivers in 

 part third, particularly in the description 

 of Winooski river, Barton river, iSr.c. 



Bays. — The shores of Lake Cham- 

 plain are indented by numerous bays, 

 most of which are small and of little con- 

 sequence. Missisco bay is the largest of 

 these, and belongs principally to Vermont, 

 lying between the townships of Alburgh 

 and Highgate, and extending some dis- 

 tance into Canada. The other hays of 

 most consequence, lying along the east 

 shore of the lake and belonging to Ver- 

 mont, are M'Quam bay in Swanton, Be- 

 lamaqueen bay lying between St. Albans 

 and Georgia, Mallets bay in Colchester, 

 Burlington bay between Appletree point 

 and Red Rocks point, Shelburne bay be- 

 tween Red Rocks point and Pottier's 

 point, Button bay in Ferrisburgli, and 



hall. Besides these there are several 

 smaller bays lying along the east shore of 

 Lake Champlain, and a considerable bay 

 at the south end of Lake Memphremagog, 

 called South bay. Most of these bays 

 will be more particularly described under 

 their names in part third, and also some 

 of the most important bays lying along 

 the west shore of Lake Champlain, and 

 belonging to New York. 



Swamps. — These are hardly of sufH- 

 cient importance to deserve a separate no- 

 tice. Though considerably numerous, 

 they are, in general, of small extent, and, 

 in many cases, have been, or may be 

 drained and converted into excellent 

 lands. They arc most common in the 

 northern and northeastern parts of the 

 state. In the county of Essex are several 

 unsettled townsliips, which are said to be 

 made up of hills and mountains with 

 swamps lying between them, which ren- 

 der them to a great extent incapable of 

 settlement. There is a considerable tract 

 of swampy land at the south end of Mem- 

 phremagog lake, and another in Highgate 

 about the mouth of Missisco river. When 

 the country was new, there were many 

 stan-nant coves along the margin and 

 among the islands of Lake Champlain, 

 which, during the hotter parts of the sum- 

 mer, generated intermittent and bilious 

 fevers. But, since the clearing of the 

 countr}', these have been, to a considera- 

 ble extent, filled up, and, with the causes 

 which produced them, those disorders 

 have nearly disappeared. 



Islands. — The principal islands be- 

 longing to Vermont, are South Hero, 

 North Hero, and La Motte. South Hero, 

 called also Grand Island, is 13 miles long, 

 and Is divided into two townships, by the 

 name of South Hero and Grand Isle. 

 North Hero is about 11 miles long, but 

 very narrow, and constitutes a township 

 bearing the same name as the island. 

 Isle la Motte lies westward of North 

 Hero, and constitutes a township by the 

 same name. A more particular account 

 of these islands, and also a description of 

 Juniper island and several others lying 

 in Lake Champlain, will be found under 

 their names in part third. 



Soil and Productions. — The soil of 

 Vermont is generally a rich loam, but va- 

 ries considerably according to the nature 

 and compositions of the rocks in the dif- 

 ferent parts of the state. Bordering our 

 lakes, ponds, and rivers, are considerable 

 tracts of rich and beautiful intervale* 



* Intervale. This \vord has not yet found a place 



in our dictionaries, and tlipro has been much carping 



. . about it bv Dr. Dvvight, Mr. Kendall, and other 



East bay between Westhavcn and White- 1 travellers and critics. Hut we u.;e it, notwiihstund- 



