THE ST. LAWRENCE. 59 
are several streams that fall into the Atlantic, 
so nearly connected with others flowing into 
the lakes, that by their means trade may be 
carried on between the ocean and the lakes. 
The principal channels for trade between the 
ocean and the lakes, are four in number ; the 
first, along the Mississippi and tliQ Ohio, and 
thence up the Wabash, Miami, Musliingun, or 
the Alleghany rivers, from the head of which 
there are portages of from one to eighteen 
miles to rivers that fall into Lake Erie ; se¬ 
condly, along the Patowmac River, which 
flows past Washington, and from thence along 
Cheat River, the Monongahela and Alleghany 
rivers, and French Creek to Presqu’Isle on 
Lake Erie; thirdly, along Hudson’s River, 
which falfls into the Atlantic at New York, 
and afterwards along the Mohawk River, 
Wood Creek, Lake Oneida, and Oswego River, 
which last falls into Lake Ontario ; fourthly, 
along the St. Lawrence. 
The following is a statement of the entire 
length of each of these channels or routes, and 
of the lengths of the portages in each, reckon¬ 
ing from the highest seaport on each river that 
w ill receive vessels of a suitable size for crossing 
the Atlantic to Lake Erie, which is the most 
central of the lakes to the four ports : 
From 
i 
