LAKES-* 



185 



perpendicular descent ; at the bottom of which the 

 cavern begins. The first opening is large enough 

 for three men conveniently to walk abreast. It con- 

 tinues of this bigness for 70 yards, in a horizontal 

 direction. Then it f^dls almost perpendicularly 50 

 yards, which may be descended by irregular steps ' 

 from one to four feet distant from each other. It 

 then continues 40 yards horizontally, at the end of 

 which is another perpendicular descent, down which 

 there are no steps. The cold here is intense. In 

 spring and autumn, there are, once in about a week, 

 explosions from this cavern, which shake the ground 

 for sixteen miles round.* 



Lake Ghamplain is the largest collection of waters 

 in the northern States. Reckoning its length from 

 Fairhaven to St. John's, a course nearly north, it 

 will amount to about two hundred miles. Its width 

 is from one to eighteen miles, being very different irt 

 different places ; the mean width may be estimated 

 at five miles. This will give one thousand square 

 miles, or six hundred and forty thousand acres, as 

 the area of its surface. Its depth is sufficient for the 

 navigation of the largest vessels. It contains several 

 islands; one of them, the Grand Isle, is twenty-four 



iniles long, and from two to four miles wide. 



The waters which form this lake, are collected 

 from a large tract of country. All the streams, 

 which arise in more than one half of Vermont, flow 

 into it. There are several, which also fall into its 

 pastern side, from the province of Canada. It 



Lake Champlainm 



♦ Morsel 



