98 
CHAPTER IX. 
Journey from Montreal to New York.-—Isle Jiux Noix .— 
Lake Champlain.—Lake George.—Falls of Hudson.— 
Glenn's Falls.—-Saratoga Springs.——Saratoga Battle¬ 
ground-Shaker Settlement at New Lebanon.—Military 
School at West Point. 
AS the season was so far advanced, I wished to reach New 
York without delay. We therefore concluded to travel soon, and 
visit Lake Champlain to its southern extremity, then to Saratoga, 
Albany, and further down the Hudson to New York, taking the 
Catskill mountains by the way, and inspecting the famous mili¬ 
tary school of West Point. With this view, on Friday, the 9th 
of September, we went on board the steam-boat Montreal, which 
runs between Montreal.and the right bank of the river. Lieuten¬ 
ant-Colonel McGregor and Major Loring escorted us to the boat 
In half an hour we found ourselves on the other side of the river. 
We landed near the village Longueuil, where stage-coaches 
awaited us, which carried us and our baggage to St. John, situated 
on the river Richelieu, about twenty-seven miles from Longueuih 
The road lies several miles along the banks of the river St Law¬ 
rence, till you arrive to the village of La Prairie. In this village 
we took our leave of this noble neighbourhood and majestic 
stream, on whose banks we had tarried so agreeably. The road 
led through a plain, which was very little cultivated, and contain¬ 
ing few trees. We only met with a single village called Lavane. 
Here and there we observed some larch trees. About half past 
one in the afternoon, we reached the village of St John, having 
arrived a mile from the above-named village, at the river Riche¬ 
lieu. Here we went on board the American steam-boat Phoenix, 
in order to sail for Whitehall. This vessel deserves the name, 
because the boat, whose place it supplies, was of the same name, 
and burned some years ago on Lake Champlain. The new Phoe¬ 
nix is commodious and clean, one hundred and twenty feet long, 
having machinery of forty-six horse-power. Both banks of the 
river were thickly timbered. Ten miles above St. John we 
reached an island called Isle Aux Noix, the last English strong 
post on Lake Champlain. The captain had the politeness to tarry 
here a short time, in order that I might survey the island and its 
fortifications. 
Isle Aux Noix contains about ninety acres, and is very flat and 
