C S3} 
fcarce any wind.', But it is evident from the 
face of the earth, that the water of the lake 
Ontario is confiderably diminifhed and has loft 
ground a great number of years, for the 
fhores above a mile within land, are abun- 
dantly more low, as well as of a loofer tex- 
ture then the foil beyond, whether this effedl 
is in common to all the waters on the 
earth, according to a conjefture of the 
great Sir Jfaac Newton : Or whether it be 
not at (leaft in parO owing to the removal 
of fome great obftru&ion, which by caufing 
a fall in the river St. Lawrence , might for- 
merly pen the waters up to a greater height 
than now ; or only to the gradual wearing 
away by the perpetual paflage of the water 
over thole falls that ftill fubfift : or to a ca- 
sual ruin of fome part of one of them, I 
lhall leave to the determination of a more 
«ble naturalift than myfelf. 
The water was very clear and as cold as 
our river in May, it is well tailed and fup- 
pofed to he rao miles broad, and near aoo 
long, ftreachipg N. N. W. but thismuft be an 
error, the common maps giving it a bearing 
to the Northward of the lake, but Mr. Beilin 
thews us it lies E. and W. from the obferva- 
tions oOP. Charlevoix, on the exa&nefs of which 
he thinks he cannot too much relie, and Bel- 
lm in his map of thefe lakes has given it this 
bearing 
