150 ELEMENTS OF GENERAL SCIENCE 



entered the Chicago River and ascended this stream and its 

 south branch to a point near the western limits of the present 

 city. A short carry, or portage, brought him to the Des Plaines 

 River. Indeed, in times of flood it was often possible to travel 

 the entire distance by canoe. When once in the Des Plaines 

 River, he might easily pass with the current down to the Illi- 

 nois River, to the Mississippi, and even to the Gulf of Mexico. 

 The easy portage at Chicago and the importance of the French 

 posts on the Illinois River made this a favorite route. When 

 sailing ships began to be used on the lakes, it was natural 

 that the traveler should wish to go as far as possible on the 

 ship and as short a distance as possible on the canoe. Ships 

 brought travelers and goods to the south end of the lake, and 

 the mouth of the river afforded a safe harbor for the vessels and 

 a landing place for the goods. The French lost possession of the 

 country, but the routes of travel and commerce did not change. 



When travel and commerce had increased, people began to 

 settle at the point where the ships came to unload. A fort was 

 built to protect the settlement and to defend the route of travel. 

 This was known as Fort Dearborn, and its location was in the 

 center of the present city of Chicago. 



166. Extension and improvement of waterways. As popu- 

 lation increased, the need for good transportation facilities 

 increased also. Steamboats abounded on the larger rivers, 

 and sailing vessels on the Great Lakes, but there was no 

 route by which freight vessels could pass between the lakes 

 and the greater river systems. To meet these needs a number 

 of canals were dug. Erie Canal is the most widely known, 

 but there are others in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, 

 Ohio, Illinois, and other states. 



One of the canals connects Lake Michigan with the rivers 

 of the Mississippi system. It was completed in 1848. The 

 conditions which made it easy for the French and Indians 

 to get their canoes from Lake Michigan to the Illinois River 

 by way of the Chicago and Des Plaines rivers also made it 



