swampy. The fort is called Fort Lenox, in honour of the late 
duke of Richmond; it consists of a regular square, with four bas¬ 
tions and two ravelins, and is built according to the system of 
Vaubans. On account of the swampy ground, the fortification 
which anciently stood here, is almost sunk. The revetement is 
a half one, and formed of wood, as well as the scarp and counter¬ 
scarp, The whole lower wall consists of roots of trees, mostly 
cedar, placed horizontally crosswise, and only those roots which 
constitute the revetement stand upright On the horizontal roots 
earth is thrown and rammed. The engineers believe that this 
costly work will stand thirty years. I however believe it 
would have been better if they had rammed the roots into the 
ground and put a grate upon that, and then a strong stone revete¬ 
ment, or still better if they had arched it en decharge . The two 
ravelins, whose basis is also of wood, lie before the northern and 
southern front. Under the curtain of the eastern front, they have 
built casemates for the garrison. Near the gate in the wall are 
small arsenals, and on the inside of the fort stands the guard-house, 
which also contains the prison. The base of this fortification, as 
well as the few buildings which stand within, are bomb-proof. 
The houses are built of blue limestone which comes from the 
state of Vermont. A road covered with palisades surrounds the 
fort. I observed here palisades which can be knocked down 
backwards, and might be advantageous in case of accident, 
whilst I took a survey of this work, accompanied by Captain 
Reed of the seventieth regiment, who is commandant, and has 
already been in garrison here one year with his company, also by 
the two engineer officers. Northward of the fort stands the navy- 
yard, which is in the same situation as it was at the period of the 
treaty of Ghent. There were about twelve gun-boats under cover, 
and a frigate of thirty-six guns on the stocks, whose keel and ske¬ 
leton has rotted ever since. A naval magazine, and the dwellings 
of the officers, overseers, and workmen of the wharf, stand behind 
the navy-yard. The two branches of the stream separating the 
island from the main land are tolerably small, and the shores are 
covered with trees. 
Eleven miles above Isle Aux Noix we left Canada and again 
reached the territories of the United States. At the point where 
the river Sorel leaves Lake Champlain, and where we entered 
into the latter, the American government has erected a fort call¬ 
ed Rous ? Point, consisting of a defensive tower with casemates, 
which, as well as I could judge in passing, appeared to have been 
located with much judgment and erected at a small expense. This 
tower completely commands the communication between the lake 
and the Sorel, and as the guns are all under cover, the garrison has 
