RAPID PEOGRESS OF UPPER CANADA. 247 



raodate Its traffic, and as this increases with the growth 

 of the North-western States, more and more of it must 

 proceed bj the Canadian canals and waters, and drop Its 

 fertilising contributions as it passes through the country. 

 With the settlement of the interior, also, and the increase 

 of means of Inter-communication, Toronto, as the natural 

 course of the cross country traffic from Lake Huron ; and 

 Kingston, from Its situation at the head of the St Law- 

 rence, will both become seats of commercial wealth, and 

 towns of political importance. I am sure that. If my 

 Canadian fellow-subjects will be content to wait patiently 

 for the natural course of events, which no Government 

 or energy can precipitate, but which domestic disturb- 

 ances will much retard — most seriously, perhaps, by their 

 effect upon European opinion as to the desirableness of 

 the Canadas as a place of settlement — they will soon see 

 every reasonable expectation fulfilled. Even now. In- 

 stead of granting that they are justified in looking either 

 with envy or discontent at the growth of other places, I 

 can only see reason to wonder that, in their geographical 

 position, and with their political fretfulness, they have of 

 late years Increased so wondrously fast. 



The morning was fine as I left Buifalo In the railway, 

 which skirted the foot of the lake, and for a great part 

 of the way ran along the banks of the Niagara River. 

 The waters of Lake Erie, rippled by a light wind, were 

 of a beautiful blue, and the numerous vessels to be seen 

 on it made the view to me very interesting. To see on 

 the far horizon large ships crowded with canvass, loom- 

 ing through the thin haze, and blue misty hills in the 

 distance, such as one observes with eagerness when 

 making the land after a long voyage across the ocean, 

 realised to my eye that this fresh-water lake is, in reality, 

 a great inland sea. 



Before leaving this lake, I may advert to one impor- 

 tant physical circumstance, in regard to the level of its 



