14 



or in light batteaux. There will therefore be a com- 

 petition between the Hudson and Patowinac rivers 

 for the residue of the conitnerce of all the country west- 

 ward of Lake Erie, on the waters of the lakes, of the 

 Ohio, and upper parts of the Mississippi. To go to 

 New-York, that part of the trade which comes from 

 the lakes or their waters must first be brought into 

 Lake Erie. Between Lake Superior and its waters 

 and Huron are the rapids of St Mary, which will per- 

 mit boats to pass, but not larger vessels. Lakes Huron 

 and Michigan afford communication with Lake Eri6 

 by vessels of 8 feet drauglit. That part of the trade 

 which comes from the waters of the Mississippi must 

 pass from them through some portage into the waters 

 of the lakes. The portage from the Illinois river into 

 a water of Michigan is of one mile only. From the 

 Wabash, Miami, Muskingum, or Alleghaney, are por- 

 tages into the waters of Lake Erie, of from one to 15 

 miles. When the commodities are brought into, and 

 have passed through Lake Erie, there is between that 

 and Ontario an interruption by the falls of Niagara, - 

 where the portage is of eight miles ; and between On- 

 tario and the Hudson's river are portages at the falls 

 of Onondago, a little above Oswego, of a quarter of a 

 mile ; from Wood creek to the Mohawks river two 

 miles ; at the little falls of the Mohawks river half a 

 mile, and from Schenectady to Albany 16 miles. Be- 

 sides the increase of expense occasioned by frequent 

 change of carriage, there is an increased risk of pillage 

 produced by committing mercliandise to a greater num- 

 ber of hands successively. Tiic Patowmac offers itself 

 under the following circumstances. For the trade of 

 the lakes and their waters westward of Lake Eri6, 

 when it shall have entered that lake, it must coast 

 along its southern shore, on account of the number and 

 excellence of its liarbours ; the northern, though short- 

 est, having few harbours, and these unsafe. Having 

 reached Cayahoga, to ])roceed on to New-York it will 

 have 825 miles and five portages ; whereas it is but 

 425 miles to Alexandria, its emporium on the Patow- 

 mac, if it turns into the Cayahoga, and passes through 



