REVIEWS. 267 



is 248 miles, and it seems to me this extent of railway distance is the bar to the 

 route as a whole ; and that were the route to Boston via the Saint Lawrence and 

 Burlington one advantageous to adopt, the transhipment from the propeller to the 

 rail being a cost and necessity under any circumstances, it would be as profitable 

 to take the rail at Ogdensburg as at Burlington. The presumption is at once re- 

 jected, on the ground that a comparison between Ogdensburg and Albany has a 

 totally different relationship, to the comparison of transhipment at Albany with 

 transhipment at Buvlirjgton. But is not the fact clearly stated, when we take into 

 account the railway distance between the three points and Boston. 



MILES. 



1. " From Ogdensburg to Boston 406 



2. "From Burlington " 248 



3. " From Albany " 200 



" Side by side of which must be considered the peculiar water navigation o 

 each route. Both at Ogdensburgh and at Burlington a break of bulk will be 

 avoided, one transfer of the cargo from the propeller to the railway being incident 

 to each. Both at Buffalo and at Oswego the cargo is divided among smaller craft 

 again to be re-handled in order to be put on the railway. It is contended that the 

 less distance of railway carriage (158 miles) gives Burlington an immense ad- 

 vantage over Ogdensburgh, and the one transhipment an equal preeminence over 

 Buffalo and Oswego. 



" I am aware that there is a great difference of opinion with regard to this 

 matter : accordingly I have endeavored to present both sides of the argument. 

 Many public men to whose opinions I attach great weight have implicit faith in 

 the project, and consider it the first necessity of the many improvements. Such 

 as these also affirm that even with the present dimensions of the Whitehall Canal, 

 the New York trade would pass by the Lake Champlain route. The reasoning is 

 parallel with that urged in regard to the New England States. That Is to say, the 

 greater bulk of cargo will admit of the longer distance. "VVe must bear in mind 

 that from Oswego there is ITO miles of Canal to Albany, and that before the GT 

 miles of the Whitehall Canal be reached 300 additional miles of navigation have to 

 be passed over, of which 60 miles would be canal navigation, and that equally the 

 bulk of the propeller's cargo must be broken at the end of both routes, 



" I must say that to my mind the advantage lies on the side of Oswego to such 

 an extent that every little trade would seek Lake Champlain, 



If this reasoning be correct it follows ; 



1. " That until the Whitehall Canal is enlarged, the preferable channel from 

 the upper Lakes to Albany is, in ordinary circumstances, by Oswego. 



2. " That there is no ground to hope that the Whitehall Canal will be improved, 

 and that in such a case competition with the Erie Canal is an impossibility.* 



• " I advance this opinion on the ground of the great cost of the work, and the influence which 

 western New York would bring against the project. I do not say that the vote of the State 

 Legislature to carry this improvement would be the death warrant to the prosperity of Buffalo 

 and Oswego, but it would most certainly injure them materially by changing the direction of the 

 lake grain trade. On the other hand the cities on the line of the Erie canal, Rochester, Rome, 

 &c,, would perhaps be favourable to the scheme, as it would remove the pressure from the nayi- 



