48 John BacJiman. 



dermined by the rains, by the trickling of water 

 from the springs, and by the winter frosts. Half 

 w^ay up the steeps of these rocks which are a forma- 

 tion principally of sand and limestone, you often 

 see large holes, like the mouths of vast caves. The 

 fish-hawk builds his nest on some half decayed 

 hemlock tree; and where the bank swallows can 

 find earth, they build their nest by hundreds, and 

 their young are everywhere poking out their heads. 



Ogdensburg, on the River St. Lawrence, 



July 28th, 3 827. 



I write in the midst of hurry and bustle to say 

 that we are all well, and that, thus far, with the 

 exception of a little detention, our journey has been 

 a pleasant and an improving one. This is a very 

 boisterous lake — an inland sea. We were driven 

 into Sackett's Harbor by a gale, and detained for 

 the greater part of a day, and I was more sea-sick 

 (if I may use that expression of a freshwater lake) 

 than I ever was at sea. The boat was good, and was 

 made to stand the gales on this lake ; but the ma- 

 chinery is miserable. Every now and then w^e were 

 obliged to stop and tinker the boiler, and if it had 

 not been for a fine breeze that favored us yesterday, 

 I do not know when we should have arrived. Yes- 

 terday, however, we were repaid for all our deten- 

 tions, in the beautiful, romantic views presented by 

 this splendid river — the St. Lawrence. It has a 

 character peculiar to itself, and no one that ever saw 

 it can forget it. The waters of the lake are so clear 

 that you can see thirty or forty feet down, and the 

 shores are, generally, bold and rugged — no weeds — 

 no marshes, and seldom low grounds, consequently 

 it is supposed to be more healthy than some of the 

 other lakes. Cases, however, of fever and asue occur 



