3t SPRINGS, RIVERS, CANALS, LAKES, 



has been considered as the source of the Nile, which flows out of if, a* 

 already mentioned. It contains about twenty-one islands, 1>; nci> <ays 

 eleven, some of which are very fertile, and are covered with groves 

 of orange and citron trees, and in seven or eight of them are old 

 monasteries, which appear to have been elegant structures. Its 

 greatest extent, which is in the direction of north-east and south, 

 west, has been computed to be about ninety miles long and rhirJy- 

 six broad; but Mr. Bruce has reduced its greatest length to thirty- 

 rive miles, although on his general map its extent is not three 

 minutes short of a degree of latitude. 



EUROPE. 



THE principal lakes in the western part of the Russian empire are 

 the following : 



The LAKE of' LADOGA, situated between the gulf of Finland 

 and the lake of Onega, one hundred and fifty miles in length, and 

 ninety in brtadth. It is esteemed the largest hike in Europe; and 

 is supposed to exceed any other for its plenty of fishes, among 

 which are also seals. This lake is full of quicksands, which being 

 moved from place to place by the frequent storms to which it is 

 subject, foini several shelves along its course, which often prove 

 fatal to the flat- bottomed vessels of the Russians. This induced 

 Peter the Great to cause a canal, near seventy English milts in 

 length, seventy feet in breadth, and ten or eleven deep, to be cut, at 

 a vast expense, from the south-west extremity of this lake to the 

 tea. This great work was begun in the year 1?18, and, though vi. 

 gorously prosecuted, was not completed till the year 1732, in the 

 reign of the Empress Anne. The canal has twenty. five sluices or 

 locks, and several rivers run into it. At the distance of every werst 

 along its banks, b a pillnr marked with the number of wersts; and 

 it is the constant employment of a regiment of soldiers to keep the 

 canal in repair; for this purpose they are quartered in different 

 places on its banks. In summer time it is covered with floats and 

 fessels, which pay toll in proportion to the value of their cargo. 



The lake of ONEGA is situated between the lake of Ladoga and 

 the White Sea, and has a communication with the former by means 

 of the river Swir. It is one hundred and eighty wersts in length, 

 and about eighty in breadth ;"aud though its waters are fresh, seals 

 ^are often seen in it. 



The lake of PEIPUS, in Livonia, is nearly seventy miles in fenth a 



