) 
284 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA * 
than live hours in travelling the last twelve 
miles.. 
Sken.esboro.ugh stands just above the junc¬ 
tion of Wood Creek with South River, as it 
is called in the best maps, but which, by the 
people in the neighbourhood, is considered as 
a part of Lake Champlain. At present there 
are only about twelve houses in the place ; 
but if the navigation of Wood Creek is ever 
opened, so as to connect Lake Champlain 
with the North River, a scheme which has 
already been seriously thought of, it will, 
doubtless, soon become a trading town of con¬ 
siderable importance, as all the various pro¬ 
ductions of the shores of the lake will then 
be collected there for the New York and Al¬ 
bany markets. Notwithstanding all the dis¬ 
advantages of a land carriage of forty miles 
to the North River, a small portion of hour 
and pot-ash, the staple commodities of the 
state of New York, is already sent to Skenes- 
borough from different parts of the lake, to 
be forwarded to Albany. A considerable trade 
also is carried on through, this place, and over 
Lake Champlain, between New York and Ca¬ 
nada. Furs and horses principally are sent 
from Canada, and in return they get East In¬ 
dian goods and various manufactures. Lake 
Champlain opens a very ready community- 
a 
