Account of the Welland Canal. 165 



The extent of waters or countries which it will connect, 

 can be realized only by looking at a map or chart of North 

 America. Lake Erie is the natural outlet of St. Clair, 

 Michigan, Huron and Superior, bordering on a country 

 containing two hundred and six thousand square miles, be- 

 sides the state and valley of Ohio, a part of which may fair- 

 ly be included, as it will be connected with lake Erie by the 

 Ohio canal, extending to the mouth of the Scioto river three 

 hundred and fifty miles, which is two thousand miles from 

 New Orleans and only nine hundred and eighty from New 

 York by the Ohio and Erie canals, the produce from which 

 will cost only one dollar per cwt. 



The next question to be determined is, when property is 

 once afloat on lake Erie, where will be its destination, as it 

 must pass either through the Welland or Erie canal. For 

 ourselves we consider all reasoning on this subject superflu- 

 ous, for any person who fairly comprehends the extent of 

 country lying on and above lake Erie, must be morally 

 certain, that it will afford ample business for at least two 

 channels. 



The projectors of this canal maintain, that property can 

 be conveyed to New York market, cheaper through the 

 Welland, than the western part of the Erie canal, which 

 opinion is supported by the following numerical calculation, 



Distance from Buffalo to Syracuse, where the Oswego ca- 

 nal intersects the Erie, two hundred miles, which at 1 \ cent 

 per ton per mile for toll is - - $3 



200 miles transportation 1 f cent per mile 3 $6 



add l\ cent per mile for additional toll up - - 3 



Distance from river Welland to Ontario 161 miles, 

 Oswego to Syracuse - - 32 



$9 



481— $1 45 

 Same price as the Erie, 



add 25 miles for Grand River, - - 75 



From Welland canal harbour to Oswego 1 — 3 20 



Add additional 1| cent for 73 miles up - - 110 



which gives a gain in descending of $2 80 per $4 30 



ton, and ascending - - 4 70 



Besides which the following reasons are assigned. First, 



the principal expense in transportation by vessels, consists 



of port charges, loading and discharging— and as vessels 



