114 Advantageous Situation of Lake Erte for Commerce. [March 1, 
years past, was almost exclusively under 
the dominion of savages, and the beasts 
of the forests—a country to which the 
Atlantic States now annually yield 60,000 
(the Doctor might safely have said 
100,000) souls of their population. The 
middle part of this immense country is 
furnished with waiter navigation, for the 
transmission of its products te foreign 
markets; but must always depend for fo- 
reign products and manufactures for its 
consumption, on land-carriage, which is 
extremely expensive, or on water-car- 
riage through the various rivers and 
lakes which exist in the western section 
of territory. That some one of the lakes 
must, in ashort period, become the grand 
emporium for the commerce of a coun- 
try three times as extensive, and three 
times as productive as Maryland, is a 
proposition so clear and certain, that no 
man of reading or reflection can doubt. 
I mean exclusively for the commerce of 
the various countries on the shores and 
numerous rivers of -the different lakes, 
without venturing to hazard a remark 
upon the incalculable advantages which 
must result from some place, becoming 
the great and universal depot or warehouse 
of the south western world. 
“ The lakes are, Ontario, Erie, Huron, 
_ Michigan, and Superior. 
“ First, Ontario, from its natural posi- 
tion, and its water communication with 
the River Hudson, which is now com- 
pleted, with only fifteen miles land-car- 
riage to the city of Albany, any one will 
at once perceive that the adjoinmg coun- 
try will hold its commercial relations with 
Albany, Hudson, and New York; yet the 
waters of this lake will be of immense 
advantage to the western world, by float- 
ing its commerce and its products on her 
bosom, but in no other way. Lake 
Erie, from which alone, either the 
cities of Philadelphia, Baltimere, or 
Washington, can hope to be able, finally, 
to participate in any considerable degree 
with New York in the -western com- 
merce, is navigable for vessels of every 
burthen, and has now twenty-one sloops 
and schooners belonging to her harbours, 
and a complete water communication 
to New York, except twenty-three miles 
land-carriage; and of these twenty-three 
miles, it 1s not believed thatan twelve 
- years a single inch of land carriage will 
remain. But the distance by this com- 
munication is not less than five hundred 
miles ; while a good and practicabie road 
from Ralphoville, or the mouth of Grand 
River, on the south shore of Lake Erie, 
may be made to Baltimore or Washing- 
ton in three hundred and ten miles, or by 
guing three hundred and forty miles, and 
connecting the waters of Grand River 
and those of the Great Beevor, by aturn- 
pike of fourteen miles; and then by con- 
necting the waters of the Alleghany with 
those ef the Potomac, by a turnpike road 
from one navigable stream to the other, a 
distance of forty-two miles land-carriage. 
Here a portion of land-carriage will al- 
ways remain; but as the water commu- 
nication will be in a more temperate cli- 
mate, it will be later in the fall, and ear- 
lier in the spring seasons, when the hus- 
bandman can best devote himself to these 
pursuits. This consideration alone, fur- 
nishes an equivalent, for the increased 
advantages of the water communication 
of New York. The question has there- 
fore become, who shall first command 
the trade of this immense region; for it is 
an indubitable truth, that the advantages 
of the two places (and the Doctor might 
have added thereto Washington city) are 
nearly balanced and equipoised. In this 
situation Baltimore sleeps, whilst New 
York has already laid out a town on this 
lake, has already established three im- 
mense warehouses, suificient for the trade 
of the country, granted fourteen years 
rent on five thousand acres of rich land 
gratis, and yielded to a company incalcu- 
lable advantages for commercial pur- 
poses: whilst at the same time she has 
laid two turnpike roads: one from New- 
burg to the Hudson river, along the south 
line of the state, to the shores of Lake 
Erie, is already completed as far 
west as the head waters of the Susque- 
hanna; the other, from Albany by Uti- 
ca, &c. to Butialo Creek, is already 
completed as far as Conadarque, and 
in two years will be completed to 
Lake Erie. The waters of Lake Erie 
are already connected with the wa- 
ters of the Ohio, in six diiferent places, 
by a land-carriage in no one place ex- 
ceeding fifteen miles. ist. From Lake 
Erie to Chatauque Lake, which is navi- 
gable to the Alleghany River, and from 
thence to Pittsburgh. ‘The portage be- 
tween these lakes is nine miles and a half. 
2d. From Presque island to Le Beoeuf, 
where the waters are navigable to Pitts- 
burgh: hence the portage is fifteen 
miles, Sd. From Mesopotamia on Grand 
River, to Warren on Big River, there 
is a portage of fourteen miles. 4th. 
From the falls of Cayahoga to the navi 
gable waters of the Muskingum, whi 
river discharges itself into the Oh 
Marietta: here the portage is eigh 
5th. From the navigable wate 
