76 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA! 
■my own part I am somewhat tempted to be¬ 
lieve it is merely an imaginary change; never¬ 
theless, when it is considered, that according 
to the belief of the oldest inhabitants of the 
country, such a periodical ebbing and flowing 
of the waters of the lake takes place, and that 
it has never been clearly proved to the con¬ 
trary, we are bound to suspend our opinion 
on the subject. A gentleman, whose habita¬ 
tion was situated close upon the borders of the 
lake, not far from Kingston, and who, from the 
nature of his profession, had more time to at¬ 
tend to such subjects than the generality of the 
people of the country, told me that he had 
observed the state of the lake attentively for 
nearly fourteen years that he had resided on 
the borders of it, and that he w as of opinion 
the waters did not ebb and flow periodically ; 
yet he acknowledged this very remarkable 
fact, that several of the oldest white inhabitants 
in his neighbourhood declared, previously to 
the rising of the lake, that the year 1795 would 
be the high year; and that in the summer of 
that year, the lake actually did rise to a very 
uncommon height. He said, however, that 
he had reason to think the rising of the lake on 
this occasion was wholly owing to fortuitous 
circumstances, and not to any regular esta¬ 
blished law of nature ; and he conceived, that 
if the lake had not risen as it had done, vet ilia 
I 
