40 Botany. — Ravenna. 



shrubs found in the northern and eastern states ; such as the Sarra- 

 cenia or side-saddle plant, Andromeda meniantha or buck-bean, Dro- 

 sera or dew plant, Coptis trifolia or golden thread ; with the white 

 birch or Betula populifolia, and Betula lutea, in the more elevated 

 swamps ; and with many others peculiar to these localities, and not 

 found in the southern portion of Ohio. The blueberry, or Vacci- 

 nium frondosum, is also a native here ; with an abundance of cran- 

 berries, Oxycoccus macrocarpus. This whole region is rich in bo- 

 tanical specimens, and appears to be one in which the plants of va- 

 rious and remote portions of the United States are assembled ; the 

 great variety of local circumstances and soil, affording congenial habi- 

 tats to a larger number of species, than any other portion of the val- 

 ley. It is a fertile field for the labors of the botanist. 



Ravenna. — After visiting two or three ponds that lie near our 

 route, in search of Lymnaeae and Planorbi, at 1 P. M. we reached 

 Ravenna, the county town for Portage. This beautiful town lies on 

 a broad and moderately elevated tract, commanding an extensive 

 view of the surrounding country. The court house is a large brick 

 building, painted of a straw color, and constructed with much neat- 

 ness and good taste. Its interior arrangement is very convenient, 

 more so than that of any one I have seen in Ohio. The streets are 

 wide, and the private dwellings are generally substantial and neat in 

 their external appearance. The present number of inhabitants is about 

 eight hundred. The location is directly on the dividing line between 

 the waters which run into the Ohio, and those which run into Lake 

 Erie. The old court house was so situated, that the rain which fell 

 on the north side of the roof passed into the Cuyahoga, and was dis- 

 charged into the Gulf of St. Lavi'rence ; while that which fell on the 

 south side passed into the Mahoning, and was finally poured into the 

 Gulf of Mexico. The summit level of the new, or Pennsylvania 

 and Ohio Canal, lies about half a mile to the south east of the vil- 

 lage. The whole distance of deep cutting will be sixty six chains, 

 and averaging in depth about eighteen feet below the natural surface. 



Ohio and Pennsylvania Canal. — The length of the line of this 

 canal, as reported by Col. Kearney of the U. S. Topographical En- 

 gineers, is as follows : 



From Akron, Portage summit of the Ohio Canal, to the Ravenna 

 summit, - - - - - 25 miles. 



From Ravenna summit to Chenango River, - 67 " 



Total length of canal, - - - 92 " 



