HAjriLTON COUNTY. . 415 



Another range, running parallel with the preceding, traverses the county nearly centrally. 

 It has less regularity in the arrangement of its ridges, and is more divided into insulated 

 mountains than the preceding. It is distant from the preceding range about six miles ; it 

 runs through the northwest corner of Newcomb in Essex, and the southeast corner of Franklin ; 

 and as it passes onward in this direction, it forms the range of mountains between Clinton and 

 Franklin counties, and finally terniiiialcs in the hills of Ellenburgh and Chatoaugay. It is 

 possible, however, that it may rcallj' terminate farther cast in the range of hills in the west 

 part of Champlain and Mooers. The country not being traversed by distinct ranges, but by 

 broken mountains and hills, farther observation and comparison will be necessary in order to 

 determine the termination of their range satisfactorily. 



The surface of Hamilton county is therefore broken into mountains and hills. The slopes, 

 however, are rarely steep, especially those of the lower class ; and hence they form good 

 fields for pasturage. 



The lakes of Hamilton form perhaps the most distinctive feature of its surface. Situated 

 as it regards height, at that elevation from which there is a drainage towards all points of the 

 compass, its surface necessarily becomes the platform upon which the large lakes are spread, 

 yrhich give origin to many of the noble streams that water the State both towards the north 

 and south. In fact, it contains a great number of the large reservoirs of waters, which sup- 

 ply the Hudson, Black, Racket, and other northern rivers with their inexhaustible currents ; 

 and those deep pure fountains which, while they are spread out to adorn and beautify its own 

 surface, varied with hill and dale, forest and meadow, mountain and plain, are still the never- 

 failing sources of the noble rivers which water the south and the north, conveying in their 

 channels, not the pestilent miasma of dead marshes, but pure water, the emblem of life. 



The lakes of Hamilton may be separated into two regions : the southern, including Lake 

 Pleasant, Round and Piseco lakes, with many others upon the same level, together making 

 up the amount of water which forms the Sacandaga branch of the Hudson ; and the northern, 

 in which are included Racket lake and the Fulton chain of lakes, together with Long lake, 

 which form the waters of the Racket and other northwestern rivers. The Racket and Long 

 lakes are the largest and most important of any upon the northern table land. The former, 

 though only fourteen miles in its greatest length, still, from the extent of several bays, and 

 its greatly indented shore, forms upon the whole a large extent of surface, covering the whole 

 area of township No. 40. Long lake is eighteen miles long, but varies in width from half a 

 mile to three ; it is shallow in some places, but is any where of sufficient depth to float a 

 vessel of one hundred tons burthen. These lakes, together with their bays, inlets and outlets, 

 and other waters which may be connected with them, are capable of forming an extended 

 line of water communication, by which a large portion of this section of country may be tra- 

 versed ; and probably the time may not be far distant, when it will be thought expedient to 

 form and perfect some of the natural channels of communication which intersect this part of 

 the State. 



