4 



tTNITEB STATED. 



of-the-Woods : were it to follow the principal waters 

 to their source, it ought to keep through lake Superior 

 to the river St. Louis, and follow that river to its 

 source ; close to which is the source of the waters 

 falling into the river of lake La Pluie, or the rainy- 

 lake, which is the common route of the Indians tQ 

 the Lake-of-the- Woods. 



This vast territory, measuring from north to south, 

 comprises more than sixteen degrees of latitude, viz. 

 from 31 deg. north, to about 47 deg. from east to 

 west, includes upwards of five and twenty degrees of 

 longitude, which would seem to produce an immense 

 superficies, but as the coast of the Atlantic runs dia- 

 gonally from north-east to south-west, and the five 

 lakes of Canada encroach upon it, reaching to the 

 latitude of 40 deg. the absolute superficies will be 

 found to be diminished above one-third. 



The late geographer-general of the United States, 

 Thos. Hutchins, * has given a calculation of the 

 number of square miles in the habitable parts of 

 what was once the British dominions in North Ame- 

 rica, and makes them amount to 1,200,000 : but in 

 this Canada was included, although he has been re- 

 peatedly quoted as referring to the territory of the 

 United Stales alone ; and it is clear, from late disco- 

 veries, that the data upon which he founded his cal- 

 culation, must have been exceedingly inaccurate. 

 Indeed, he is known to have declared his belief of 

 having greatly mistaken the truth on this subject, 

 which must at all times be attended with many dif- 



* Historical Narrative and Topographical Description of Louisiana 

 and West Florida, Philad. 1784. 



