72 
Lake Ontario, and is at length lost in the neighbourhood of the 
Hudson, It has only been within the last year that this part of 
the canal has been passable; its course is through dense sombre 
forests, in which are but few settlements, such as Spencer’s Ba¬ 
sin, Bates, and Brickport. The bridges are better and higher 
than those we have mentioned in the preceding pages. Amongst 
our passengers, was a Mr. Bosch, a Dutch clergyman from Cu- 
ragao, and the Rev. Messrs. Sluiter and Wykoff, from New 
York. These gentlemen, being of Dutch descent, the conversa¬ 
tion was generally carried on, in their native tongue. Captain 
Storch also, who is a native of Amsterdam, and a Jew by birth, 
who has travelled extensively, made the time pass very pleasant¬ 
ly, by his lively disposition, and his agreeable conversation. Both 
before and after dinner, as well as at tea, the two clergymen 
from New York, asked a blessing; and before we retired to bed, 
one of them read several chapters in the Bible, and then made a 
long prayer. 
We reached Lockport on the 20th of August, about 7 o’clock 
in the morning. At this place the canal is carried over the ridge 
by five large locks, through which the water is raised to the height 
of seventy-six, feet. The locks are ten in number, being arranged 
in two parallel rows, so that while the boats ascend in one row, 
they may descend at the same time in the other. Through this 
arrangement the navigation is greatly facilitated, and the whole 
work, hewn through and surrounded by large rocks, presents an 
imposing aspect. 
Lockport, to which we repaired, while the boat was left in the 
basin at the foot of the locks, is an extremely interesting place, 
and is situated just above the locks. In May, 1821, it consisted 
of two log-houses; at present it contains not less than six hundred, 
some of which are stone houses: it contains a post-office, one 
printing-office, which issues a weekly paper, and two churches. 
Though at present Lockport appears perfectly wild, yet this ap¬ 
pearance will no doubt vanish in the course of four or five years, 
so that it will present as splendid an appearance as Canandaigua 
and Rochester. On our arrival, the canal was still unfinished 
for about five miles; but it was supposed that the whole would be 
completed before the close of the year. They were obliged to cut 
it through solid rock, generally about thirty feet deep, for a dis¬ 
tance of more than three miles. This was mostly effected by 
blasting. Several hundred Irishmen were at work. They reside 
in log huts, built along the canal. They make much money; but 
they suffer also severely in consequence of the unhealthy climate, 
especially from fevers, which not unfrequently prove fatal. The 
stone, which is quarried, is employed in building houses, and in 
making turnpikes. In breaking the rocks they often find beau- 
