34 



mnge of mountains that form the Land's Height 

 beyond its northern and western shores, several 

 considerable rivers, and numerous small ones, 

 have their rise, which being increased in their 

 course by many small lakes, finally discharge 

 themselves into Lake Superior. To the south- 

 ward also there is another lofty range dividing 

 the waters that find their way to the gulf of 

 Mexico through the channel of the Mississippi, 

 from those that take a northern course into 

 the great lake ; so that its vastness is increased 

 by the tributary streams of more than thirty 

 rivers. On its north and north-east sides there 

 are several islands, of which one, called Isle 

 Royale, is the largest, being one hundred 

 miles long and forty broad. Out of Lake 

 Superior a very rapid current is interrupted 

 and broken by many small islands, or rather 

 huge masses of rock, through a channel of 

 twenty-seven miles in length, at the end of 

 which it flows into Lake Huron. The Falls of 

 Saint Mar}^ are nearly midway between the. 

 two lakes : this denomination, though generally 

 given, but little accords with the usual appel- 

 lation of Falls, as applied to the descent of 

 large bodies of water precipitated from great 

 heights, that so frequently occur on the rivers 

 of America ; for, in this place, it is only the im- 

 petuous stieam of the enormous discharge 



