HIVERS. 



at the mouth of the river ; this bar lying too far off 

 in the sound to be affected by them.* 



The Hudson. ^ 

 Hudson's river is one of the largest and finest ri- 

 vers in the United States. It rises in the mountain- 

 ous country between the lakes Ontario and Cham- 

 plaine. In its course south-easterly it approaches 

 within six or eight miles of Lake George ; then 

 after a short course east, turns southerly, and re- 

 ceives the Socondaga from the south-west, which 

 heads in the neighbourhood of Mohawk river. The 

 course of the river from Fort Edward to New York, 

 where it empties into Yoi^k bay, is very uniformly a 

 little west of south. Its whole length is about 250 

 miles. From Albany to Fort Edward is fifty miles. 

 This distance, the river is navigable at present only 

 for batteaux, and has two portages, occasioned by 

 falls, of half a mile each. 



The banks of Hudson's river, especially on th@ 

 western side, as far as the high lands extendj 

 are chiefly rocky cliffs. The passage through the 

 highlands, which is sixteen miles, affords a v/ild ro- 

 mantic scene. In this narrow pass, on each side of 

 which the mountains tower to a great height, the 

 wind, if there be any, is collected and compressed, 

 and blows continually as throi^gh a bellows. Vessels 

 in passing through it are often obliged to lower their 

 sails. The bed of this river, which is deep and 

 smooth to an astonishing distance, tlirough a hlll^'' 

 j'ocky country, and even through rid?^"es of some 



* Morse* 

 2 



