374 CANADIAN canals: 



of the canal. The great traffic, and already immense 

 population of the Western States, and the mineral and 

 other produce of the upper lakes, now demand other 

 ways of access to the Atlantic and to Europe. 



Meanwhile the Canadian authorities, those of Upper 

 Canada especially, have not been idle. Indeed, I helleve 

 they have done more to promote internal water-commu- 

 nication than any State of the Union — I may safely say, 

 than any country in Europe — considering the Infancy 

 of their country, the extent to which its material 

 I'esources have been developed, and the actual amount 

 of Its revenue and population. 



First, the Welland Canal has been constructed, by 

 which a direct communication for large vessels is 

 established between the lakes Erie and Ontario. Thus 

 the borders of the upper lakes were connected by a 

 single freightage with the ports of western New York 

 and with those of Upper Canada, along the borders of 

 the Ontario, and down the St Lawrence, as far as 

 Prescott on the Canadian, and Ogdensburg on the 

 New York side, below which places the first rapids on 

 that river occur. Upon this great work about 

 d^'l, 400,000 currency have been expended ; and, though 

 still incomplete, it is already yielding a revenue of 

 c^30,000 a-year. 



Next, the numerous rapids on the river, between 

 Prescott and Montreal, have been flanked by canals, 

 shorter or longer according to circumstances, by which 

 the transit for large and loaded vessels, either upwards 

 or downwards, has been rendered easy and secure. 



Of these canals, the most important are : — 



