COMPARED WITH THE ERIE CANALS. 377 



As less cost both in time and money, therefore, attend 

 this route, it appears certain that the traffic will be 

 increased upon it, not only by the surplus which the 

 Erie Canal cannot convey, but by the diversion from 

 that canal of a portion — perhaps a large portion — of 

 the traffic it has hitherto monopolised. In other words, 

 whatever the amount of traffic may be, the river St 

 Lawrence will henceforth be able to compete success- 

 fully with the Erie Canal. 



But this greater cheapness of transport, and the 

 facility of establishing direct communication, and with- 

 out transhipment, between Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, 

 &c.,and Liverpool, will draw also into this eastern channel 

 a large traffic which never sought Lake Erie, but made 

 its long and tedious way down the Ohio and the Missis- 

 sippi. The wheat and other produce of the valley of 

 the Ohio, which was intended for the European markets, 

 has hitherto, for the most part, descended those rivers, 

 and, after a voyage of some thousands of miles, has 

 reached New Orleans, whence it was reshipped to its 

 European destination. But this long water-carriage, in 

 the hot and humid climate of the regions through which 

 tliese rivers flow, is found to affect the quality of the 

 vv^heat ; so that it rarely reaches Europe in so good a 

 condition, or reahses so high a price, as similar wheat 

 does which has been conveyed through the Eastern 

 States to the shores of the Atlantic. 



It is easy now, however, to transport by railway to 

 the harbour of Cleveland (on Lake Erie) the produce 

 of the Ohio Valley ; and as soon as it is generally 

 known that the passage to Europe from that port, by 

 way of the St Lawrence, is not only much shorter in 

 time, but is also cheaper in money-cost, and brings the 

 grain to market in better condition, it is clear that a 

 portion, at least, of the European commerce with the 

 Ohio Valley will be diverted into this channeh 



