20 WESTERN CAXAL. 



\\\W make a good ice road in wlrUer, but I have 

 no faith in this opinion. The use of it for sixh 

 purpose will be but sliort. it will be in use for 

 vessels about ten months in a year; and what is 

 ii3t a little e::tr<:iordinary, it freezes later, and 

 thaws sooner, tlian natural waters. The pliiloso- 

 phy of this fact I will endeavor to devclope on 

 some future occasion, but such you may rely on 

 it is the case. When the Onondaga Lake, wiiici! 

 lies below the canal, was closed up with ice last 

 spring, the latter was open and navigable. By 

 the coDtinual passage of boats In winter, the canal 

 i-an be prevented from freezing; and when frozen, 

 a vessel may open its way by placing stampers 

 for breaking ice at its head, as 1 have seen in the 

 Forth and Cjyde canal, where they are worked 

 l>y tb.e steam engir.e that propels the barge. 



LETTER VL 



^!y Dear Sir, 



Bi:fore leasing London I bouglit ^' An account 

 of the Great Western Canal of New-York, with 

 aii illasirative map,*' wliich was reprinted at that 

 giT;\t liters r\' mart, and when I arrived here, the 

 p-^eat out'ines of the coiihtrv aiKi of the canal 



