528 
_fited a fulphureous fpring, about 10 miles 
diftant from’-Canadarquai, with which 
the air is impregnated at a confiderable 
diftance. It depofits a great quantity of 
pure brimftone, and forms many cu- 
rious fialaétites on the earthy. bed from 
whence it ifiues. 
The ground of which I am now fpeak- 
ing, and which, in a circumference of 
fome thoufand miles, comprehends an in- 
finite number of great and minor Jakes, is 
the higheft on the continent of North-_ 
America. To this, as a common centre, 
may be traced the fources of the St. Law- 
yence, Hudfon, and Mififippi, and. of the 
rivers which flow inte Hudfon’s Bay, and 
through the North-weftern continent, *ra- 
diating in almoft oppofite direétions. 
Whatever may be the caufe of a fuper- 
abundance of water in this elevated coun- 
try; it certainly, I think, has diminithed, 
and probably will continue to diminifh, in 
quantity. It is fufficiently, I believe, 
proved, that in Europe and Afia, the wa- 
ters have in many places gradually left the 
furface of the globe: ftrong appearances 
alfo ferve to juftify an opinion, that 
many parts of this ftate have been origi- 
nally covered with water. The Mohawk 
River, which defcends above a hundred 
_ miles to its confluence with the Hudifon, 
robably derived its origin from the defic- 
cation: of fome confiderable lakes. It runs 
in its whole extent between two renges of 
mecuntains, which leave an intermediate 
vale of level rich lands, except where the 
Highlands. unite at a place called the 
tittle Falls. Were the water defcends 
twenty feet ina cataraét. ‘The rocks on 
_ both fides of the river are perfectly com- 
pofed, andin horizontal layers: but at the 
Little Falls, or Straits of the moun- 
tains, the mafles of granite incline to- 
wards the bed of the river, and exhibit 
manifeft evidences of having funk from 
fome external preffure, or from the removal 
of their original fubftratum. At a confi- 
derable height on the fhore, above the 
Falls, the rocks appear much worn, and: 
fretted into holes by the aétion of water ; 
and in digging the canal which has been 
lately mace there, large bodies+ of trees 
“werd dug up at thedepth of 20 feet below 
the furface of the earth. Similar appear- 
ances alfo lead to a conelufion that the 
waters of the Genefee River, which iffue 

* According to Mr. M‘Kenzie, who has 
traced therm to the Ocean. "*~ ~ 
+ Ido-not mention this as afingular phe- 
womenon ; for it has oceutred in various 
places. ee 
7 
Patvatch on the Itch, 
[ Auguft, 
in cataraGs into Lake Ontario, were once 
alfo embanked on the South fhere, and 
that the extenfive flats on each fide of the 
river conftituted the bottom of a lake. 
From Canadar quai we proceeded through 
a cultivated country, fettled principally by 
natives of Conneéticut, to the Genefee or 
Chenefco River, and arrived there at the 
limits of the inhabited country. The te- 
gion extending Weft, inclofed betweenthe 
great weftern lakes Erie and Ontario, the 
Genefee River onthe Eaft, and the fources 
of the Allegany on the South, bears yet 
all the wild and primeval features of 
nature. ChB. tele een 
[Zo be concluded in our next. | 
— 

To. the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, j 
ETRARCH, the lover of Laura of 
Avignon, the author of thofe enchant-. 
ing fonnets, which firft exalted Italian” 
poetry to claffic fame,—the great reftorer, 
by whofe cares, the remains of Greek and 
Roman li erature were refcued from among 
the ruins of time,—-PETRARCH,-as if he 
had been a Scotchman, has not difdained to 
write upon the Ircu. 
It is in his excellent ethical work, De 
Remediis utriusgue Fortune, that he treats 
upon this ftrange topic. That work con- 
fifts of two books written in the form of 
dialogue. - Of thefe books, the firft is dix 
re€ted to temper and moderate the info- 
lence of joy, by means of confiderations 
drawn from reafon and philofophy. In 
the fecond book, he endeavours to mufter 
the whole hoft of human woes, and to 
prefent fuch coniolations as may firengthen 
and bear up the weaknefs of humanity un} 
der every one of them..- 
The Ircu is one of the ills for which 
he offers confolation. Some of his topics 
are here fufficiently diverting —“ Rather 
than painiul, the Ircu,” fays he, *‘ is by 
many perfons accounted exceedingly pleaf- 
ing. It will ferve to awaken you in the 
night, better than either clock or watch- 
man. If the difeafe be dirty and fhame- 
ful; fo are not the remedies by which it is 
to be cured; for, what can be preferable 
to exercife, the bath, temperance in fleep 
and ‘diet? Hands bearing the marks of 
this diforder may appear difgraceful ; 
but that patience which endures it witht 
out fretfulnefs, is highly honourable. It 
may be vexatious to have the whole body 
covered over with this cutaneous diftem= 
per: but, alas! how little do we concern 
ourfelves for the cure of thofe more griev- 
ous diitempers of out minds, luft, ava. 
rice, ambition, the thirft tor revenge; en 
é a. 
