102 
handsome. One of the highest mountains, which rises perpen¬ 
dicularly out of the lake, is called Rodgers’ rock, after an Ame¬ 
rican Captain Rodgers, who being hunted by the Indians, during 
the revolution, fled to the top of this rock, and in extremely cold 
weather, being urged by danger, glided on the smooth surface 
down to the frozen lake. Towns are not seen; but few single 
houses stand along the shore. At the southern extremity, how¬ 
ever, lies the village of Caldwell, founded about twenty years ago, 
which, besides a very good and large inn, where we took lodg¬ 
ings, contains several neat houses. In former times, an English 
fort, William Henry, stood here, which, to judge from its few 
remains, must have been a square redoubt of earth. It was 
built in the year 1755, by order of Sir William Johnstone, who 
commanded the English army in the then colony of New York, af¬ 
terhaving completely routed, on September the 8th, 1755, aFrench 
corps which had come from Ticonderoga to attack him. In this 
rencontre, Baron Dieskau, a French general lost his life. In the 
following year, however, Marquis de Montcalm arrived with a 
stronger force and captured the fort. A capitulation was allowed 
to the English garrison, but they were attacked after leaving the 
fort, by the Indians, in a disgraceful manner, and the greater part 
cut to pieces. After the fort was taken, the Marquis de Mont¬ 
calm ordered it to be destroyed. Not far from this place, in a 
higher station and on a rocky ground, the English erected after¬ 
wards a new fort, called Fort George, which, at the unsuccessful 
expedition of General Burgoyne, in 1777, served his army as a 
depot and magazine, till he moved too far forward and was cut 
off from the fort. Remains of it are still plainly seen. It was a 
strongly-built square redoubt, the entrance being protected by a 
Jleche . It lies in an advantageous situation, commands the whole 
southern shore of the lake, with a large part of the vicinity, stands, 
as was said before, on a strong ground, and is covered on one side 
by a morass. On the eastern side alone, it is commanded by a 
high mountain, which, however, is at some distance. If the Ame¬ 
rican government should resolve to restore Crownpoint and Ti¬ 
conderoga, the latter particularly would be adapted, after fortify¬ 
ing the two mountains, Defiance and Independence, for an arse¬ 
nal of a superior kind; it might contain large depots, serve as a 
fortified camp, and be successfully defended by a small garrison. 
Here fleets might be completed to command Lake Champlain, 
and an expedition against Isle Aux Noix and Canada organized. 
However, a good road would be necessary, leading from Ticon¬ 
deroga to the northern point of Lake George, three miles distant, 
and here it would be necessary to protect the place of embarka¬ 
tion by a fort A new fort on the same spot where Fort George 
was erected, would be necessary. There is a good locality between 
