Account of the Welland Canal. 163 



Henry J. Boulton, Esq. Solicitor General, Vice President. 



The Hon. Col. Wells, J. B. Robinson, Esq. Attorney Gen- 

 eral, D'Arcy Boulton, jun. Esq., George Keefer, Esq., and 

 John Clark, Esq., Directors. . 



The immediate superintendance of the business is under 

 the management of an agent,* and a secretary, who are ap- 

 pointed by the board. Alfred Barrett, of the state of New- 

 York is principal engineer. 



The first idea of all Canals is suggested by the direction of 

 natural water courses, but in no instance have we ever seen 

 the route of any Canal more plainly laid down than through 

 this peninsula. 



It affords geological information respecting this portion of 

 the country, which we have never seen noticed. The low- 

 est point between Lewiston and the Genesee river is at 

 Lockport, where the mountain ridge rises thirty two feet 

 above the level of lake Erie, extending, with a gradual de- 

 scent seven miles to the Tonewanta creek, three miles of 

 which is hard limestone rock, and caused by far the great- 

 est expenditure on any part of the Erie Canal. 



At this place the dividing ridge is situated near the river 

 Welland, from which the water descends both into the Wel- 

 land and lake Ontario — in the ravines formed by those wa- 

 ters is the location for this Canal — this ridge or barrier is 

 only one mile and fifty four chains in length, and appears the 

 only formidable obstacle in the whole line. From this the 

 mountain.takes a dip and at the brow three miles distant, at 

 the falls of the twelve mile creek, it is from forty to fifty feet 

 below the level of lake Erie, the mountain again gradually 

 rising on each side from twenty to thirty feet above the level, 

 as at Lockport — the streams from all the mountain above 

 Burlington bay running eastward, and from the falls and 

 near the Niagara riveV westward, although it contains no 

 rock, neither is any met with until after a descent of eighty 

 feet, in winding round the face of the mountain. 



The Welland River is a large stream peculiarly adapted 

 for an extensive navigation, being from twelve to eighteen 

 feet in depth, and from three to four chains in width. It di- 

 vides the peninsula discharging into the Niagara river two 

 and a half miles above the falls, and extends with almost a 

 dead level from thirty to forty miles into the country. The 



* The gentleman who is named at the head of this article now occupies that 

 situation. — Editor. 



