37 



the eastern extremity of the lake is the Matche- 

 dash river, which, through another succession 

 of lakes, separated only by one short portage, 

 establishes a communication by Lake Simcoe, 

 Holland river, and Yonge-street, with the town 

 of York, now called the capital of Upper 

 Canada ; this route would most materially 

 shorten the distance between the upper and 

 lower lakes, and is capable of such improve- 

 ment, as would render it highly beneficial to 

 Upper Canada, a subject that will be hereafter 

 adverted to. From the extremity of Lake 

 Huron to the southward, the course of the 

 waters is contracted into a river (called St. 

 Clair's) that flows between moderately high 

 banks, adorned by many natural beauties, for 

 a distance of sixty miles, nearly due south, 

 when it again expands into the small Lake St. 

 Clair, almost circular in form, its diameter about 

 30 miles, and about 90 in circuit, too diminutive 

 when compared with the preceding ones, (and 

 not being otherwise remarkable) to demand a 

 further description. Out of this lake the waters 

 again assume the form of a river (called Detroit) 

 continuing the same southerly course for 40 

 miles into Lake Erie; its stream is divided 

 into two channels from space to space by islands 

 of various sizes, the largest being about ten 

 miles long* On the east side of this river th^ 



