Travels through the States of North America, and the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada during the Years 1795, 1796 and 1797 [2, 3 ed.]

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«j;The ftreets in Trois Rivieres are narrow,

and the houfcs

in general fmall and indifferent

miiny of them are built of wood.

two churches lifli

in the

epifcopalian,

There are

town, ths one an Eng-

the other a large

Roman

catholic parifh church, formerly ferved by the

Hccollcts, or Francifean friars, but the order is

now

extindt in Trois

ijipnallery

%>^^-

Rivieres.

The

old

of the order, a large ftone building, il

*

ST.

DA: bntreal, laden

on

)ppofite

at

tIRSULE.

"••^^?/

quite deferted; and

prefent lies

«5

many oi

the houfes in the neighbouiihood, being alfo

town wherein it gloomy afped:. The

uninhabited, that part of the is.

fituated has a very dull

ois Ri-

college or monafiery cf the Jefuits, alfoalargc

French s one of

old building

but

jtJiThe only religious order at prefent? exifting

it is

m tradt, many of in

;

the

fand at is

I

of a

air al lb »f

of the

fione

of

scept in ;s,

were

ime inal,

they

of Itone

in

the fame neighbour-

hood, has been converted into a in the town is hood of which

gaol.:

ij'>wV^

that of St. Urlule, the

iifter-

numerous as the convent will well permit. It was founded by M.dc Vallier, St. bifhop ,of Quebec, in the year is

as

677. It is a fpacious building, lituated near that formerly belonging to the RedoUetS;* ant J

annexed

to it,

under the fame; roofv

an hofpital attended by the nunswi introduced

to the

theate is

'Wd were

chaplain of the order, a

poor French emigrant cure, an intereiling

arid

apparently a moil amiable man, and under his

we convent, M A

guidance

received permiffidn'to vilit the

.^ww- w*»ji*a

we

iiHii ^•yy\-,iiii'i^'

entered wis< the ehdpel,

larrow,

.»i»The

fferent

the doors of which open to the ftrdet under

^

lere are

Eng-

1

Roman by the

firft

a porch. is

fmall.

part

It is very lofty, but the area

The

altar,

which

is

of

it

grahd, and

richly ornamented, (lands nearly oppofite to

the entrance, and on each

fide

of

it is

a lattice,

e order

the one communicating. with an. apaittmest

rhe old

allotted for ficknuDS, the other

uilding.

of the chapel. .d-Adw

with the cceut

Oix ringing a fmall^belly a curtain

14

TRAVELS THROUGH LOWfiR CANADA

curtain at the infide of this

witlidrawn*

fomewhat

and an apartment

was

difcovcred^

larger than the chapel, furrounded

with pews, and

furniflicd

the foot of which

with booki in tions.

laft lattice

:

The

fat

two

with an

altar, at

of the fifterhood,

their hands, at their medita-

fair Urfuline,

who came

to the

feemed to be one of thofe unfortunate females that had at lad begun to feel all the horrors of confinement, and to lament the raihnefs of that vow which had fecloded her lattice,

from the world, and from the participation of thofe innocent pleafures, which,

for ever

for the bcft

and wifeit of purpofes, the bene-

Ruler of the univerfe meant that his creatures fliould enjoy. As fhe withdrew the ficent

momentary glance through imparted more than could be

curtain> fhe cafl a i:

the grating) that

exprefTed by the moft eloquent words H!

retiring in filence, feated herfelf

5

then

on a bench

The melan-

in a diflant part of the cccur.

choly and fbrrow pourtrayed in the features of iill'

her lovely countenance, interefled the heart in

her behalf, and

it

was impoflible

to behold her

without partaking of that dejedtion which

hung over her at

and without deprecating the fame time the cruelty of the cuilom

which

foul,

allows, and the miflaken zeail of a

ligion that encourages, an artlefs

re

fdr the cnfuinjj

I

''

winter proved to be the fcvercft thai had been kno\t» in Non)»

1

1

'

W^

America

iox icvcral yeait.

^{

O 9 WE G AT C HE E R I.V E R^. wc

our tent, upon, one of the party

efpied a barn at a

man

how-

Wei*e fearching about for the dikit

fpot to pitcli

the

^s

/..;!.?

Luckily,

ing us any iccomrnodatiotis. ever, as

I

belonging to

diftance,

little

of the adjoining houfe, of

whom we

was well ftored with ftraw, and having mounted to the top of the procured the key

mow, we

j

it

down

laid ourfelves

foundly there

to reft, and flept

awakened in the morning by fome cock?, that were perched

till

the crowing of

on the beams above our head.

At an

early hour

we

laft

rapid,

about

mouth of Olwewatchee

three miles below the

the moil conliderable of thofe within

the territory of the United States, into the St.

Lawrence.

iiTues

It

which

confifts

fall

of three

together about

branches, that unite

miles above

which

*^'

purfucd our voyage,

and before noon pafTed the River,

w

•

fifteen

mouth, the moil weAern of from a lake twenty miles in length

its

and eight in breadth. Another of the branches iiTues

from a fmall lake or pond, only about

lour miles diitant from the wcilern branch

New York. Both the Hudfon and Ofwegatchce are faid

of Hudfon's River, that flows paft to be capable of being

made navigable for where they

light bateaux^as far as this ipot,

approach within fo

iliort

a diftance of eatli

few

places, fo that th&

other, except only at a

portages will be but very trifling. This

how-

Si

TRAVELS THR6u6H LOWtiR CANADA

i%

ever is

a-

River

f^

country

m€tt

:

for 0^i*egatchc«#

co*r}ei^ci r^^

bat vei^ imperfcdMy' known, die it

thrdugh being qtike unin-

pafl -:/.

'-*-.A^S* ^\:r*f;

*

Fort de la Galette

was

French, and though not built Fort Cataraguis or Frontignac, yet they efleemcd

it

by

far

till

:.->;\"

by

ercifted

the

long after

now Xingfioji,

the moft important

St. Lawrence, in the upper was impofTible for any boat or vellcl to pafs up or down that river without being obferved ; whereas they might eafily tfcapc unfccn behind the many iflands op-

military poft

country, as

on the

it

pofitc to Kingflon.

Since the clofc of the

American war, Fort de difniantled, as

it

Vor,

JI.

Galette has been

was within the territory of nor would any adVf»riWg«

the United Statc«

have arifen from

la

its

:

retccj^^n; for it\>Vfs ney«f '

B

'

-

'

'

of

TRAVEL3 THROUGH LOWER CANADA.

50

of any importance to us

and

poft,

own

our

bat as a trading

as fuch Kingfton,

more

territory, is far

of view

in every point

commodious harbour, and the

down from

is

within

eligibly fituated

has a more fafe and

it

;

which

fur (hips

coming

Niagara, by (lopping there,

faved a voyage of fixty miles up and

are

down

the

Lawrence, which was oftentiaies found to

St.

be more tedious than the voyage from Niagara to Kingfton.

In the

^::_

,,^:k,.

neighbourhood of La

the Ofwcgatchee River,

there

is

Galette,

on

a village of

the Ofwcgatchee Indians, whofe numbers are cllimated at one hundred warriors.

The

current of the

Ofwcgatchee upwards,

St. is

Lawrence, from

much more

gentle

than in any other part between Montreal and ^

Lake

Ontario,

except only where the river

is

confiderably dilated, as at lakes St. Louis and

Fran9ois

1!

St.

5

being

;

fo gentle,

however, notwithftanding

we

did not advance

,itwenty-five miles in

its

more than

the courie of the day,

^ owing to the numerous ftops that we made, more from motives of pleafure than neceflity. flThe evening was uncommonly fine, and to-

wards fun-fet a brifk gale fpringing up, the t>-»i....av. fifteen miles. :ripi^^.

length of time required to afcend the St,

Lawrence, from Montreal to KingF-

3

fton.

)J

i

more ipb*

rfru^edilian

it.i^

that fihc^

river >?a§firftdircp,Ypr€d* feveral

ttie

q,tprefent.

notorious,"

,)[^,]iSf,

iflahas' and ippints have txeen formed near its mouth, and the different channels have under^. gone very matecifll alterations for the worfe, as to their 'courfes and depths. The River St.

no lefs mouth, and it is

Lawcence, however, on the contrary, thao^ninety miles w^ide at

its

is

navigable for fhips of the line as far as Quebec,

a diilance of four hundred miles from the

The

channel

palf^ by time, better

now

covered

;

and there

will improve

found to be coiifiderably

is

when

than

ilill

fea.

of having been imr.

alfo, inftead

is

the river

was

firft dif-

reafon to imagine that

more

it

of time, as

in procefs

{

the clear water that fluws from Lake Ontario

comes down with fuch impetuolity, during the _l flobiis in

the fpring of the year, as frequently

to l*emove banks of gravel and loofe ftones in

thd^Hver, and thus to deepen

channel on the north leafrtsi^iiiiiriecliately

cofdthg to

thtj

fide

below Quebec, which, ac-

Le

deep

in

fufficiently

admit^a

iiittUbp

p

The

bed.

of the iiland of Or- *

atcouht of

was not

its

i

of a

fniall

time {-of^'ki^h tides, is de&pi'cpough for the

at

P. de Charlevoix, the year

1720 t^

{ize,e^cept at the

prefent found to bq

ki^lefl: Vefl^fs,

and

is

the

'I'he

.oi-io

t

dIUti icn-ni-i'^-^

'id

iv6 auor^lj}^^^

.^ '

,

V/

rMi/K

The

AV

of "the

^

ON.

follbWftig table (heWS for

the St. Lawrence places

ATI

IG

what

navigat)le In

is

veiTels

djner^p^,

and alfo points out the various brei^dth* river from its mouth upvvards : ,. ,,,,,

;

r^ir-jij

Names

,

;^ia.

At

its

a^„^i

of Pla?es.

'*

;•

mouth ,-j,^,.^

^

in miles

t

'•i^r^^

-

-

-

r

.

>

-^^

'"'^^

amending.

.

t

90

*

''^

At Cape Cat - r< :,- ..i~ - ^ At Saguenay River At the lower extremity of

ill

•'

0.

the

Ifle

-

of Orleans -

110

the bafon between the

At

Ille

7;

is) vO

;ii;Jt v/ori

K

of Orleans and Que-

From Quebec Pierre

Lake St. To Lake

Lake -----

* This

to

St.

-

Pierre

-

Valterie

i'^

To Montreal

-

00

-

^/^^

30. -

-

'^Thus

far,

^

fliips

this place,

;

.

r.%h

400 miles

navigable for

,^.

ja

j,.. ^^W^^"; !^"^^ii3 -4^^2 to At,.

m

^

^„' .

f S

. yrbl"^ 'jLij iL*ioa o:l\ ifland is 25' miles Tength

,

»^*.

^^

i^^

miles wide:

ieoIo ^rb -

breadth, the river on eacU fide

J To

iJ.51*^

.^;

;f^

no I'jiiTTlTd.and 6 in;^[

is.

about

:^,y\

Jon

?yv..

vJinoi-imifi

ifrom

its

moutfi,

it is

of the line with fafetyw nn

560

miles,

it

is

navigable

with perfci^ fafety for (hips drawing 14 feet water.

much larger draught many miles above Que-

Vefiels of a

have proceeded

bec, but the channel

is

pi 1)1

V

very intricate and

dangerous.

m

TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

58

Diftances

,

Breadth in

"J^nr-Tf ;„ .^Hgg

,5tirri]sjamcs of Places.

miles.

ad-ending.

«^ni -(mr^Vofi ^.rJtho 'dl'n/

To Lake Lake

St.

Louis

St.

To Lake St. Lake

-

-

-

-

-

12

25

-20

-

4 -

Thoufand Ifles Kingfton, on Lake On-

-

a

;ynOu; jja-'Jl

«

-

'5

ill^vil l>ui>. ,';'.'^:

743

-

tario

I to

2

-

5

I to

i

-

6

of a Thoufand

------

Lake of

To

6

Francis

Francis

St.

To the Lake Ifles

Louis

-

-

-

2f to 6

During the whole of its courfe the St. Lawrence is navigable for bateaux of two tcjns burthen, except merely at the rapids above

Montreal, at the Fall of the Thicket, and at the Long Fall, where, as has been already pointed out, teaux,

if

it is

neceilary to lighten the ba-

heavily laden.

however,

is

it

At each of tbefc

pofiiblc

fo as to pr^ivent the

to conflrudt

places,

canals,

trouble of unlading any

part of the cargoes of the bateaux; and at a future day,

when

fucii canals

no doubt

the country becon^es rich, will be

made.

^

.,^

Although the lakes arc not immediately conncdlcd with the Atlantic Ocean by any ether iivcr than the St. Lawrence, yet there

tire

feveral ftreams that fall into the Atlantic,

1

fo nearly conned:ed with others flovvin^j into

may

the lakes, that by their means trade carried

The

on between the ocean and the

lakes.

principal channels for trade between the

ocean and the lakes, are four firft,

be

in

number

¥

the

;

along the MiffiiTipni and the Oliio, and

thence up the Wabafh, Miami, Mufliingun, or the Alleghany rivers, from the head of which there are portages of from one to eighteen

Lake Eric; focondly, along the Patowmnc River, which

miles to rivers that

fall

into

from thence along Cheat River, the Monongahela and Alleghany rivers, and French Creek to Prefqu' lile on flows paft Wafhington, and

Lake Erie; which falls

thirdly, along

Wood

York,

Mohawk

River,

Creek, Lake Oneida, and Ofwego Ri-

which lad

falls

fourthly, along the St.

The

New

into the Atlantic at

and afterwards along the ver,

Hudfon's River,

followini>

into

Lake

Ontario; '

Lawrence.

"

"

-

i

a llatement of the entfre

is

length of each of thefe channels or routes, and of the lengths of the portages in each, reckoning from the higheft feapo: t on each river that will receive vefVcls of a fultahle fize lor crofTing

the Atlantic to

Lake

Erie,

which

is

central of the lakes to the four ports '

Mint,!' '//^'J

,ii

»i,t jiii

itJi*/

aub

the mofl '" :

fJiUJiiUlOJ

fiuvi'

Fri»'The importance of the

and the trade to the lakes

is

in fadt the

ja.

,

trade,

back

country trade, has already been demonftrated

;

and it has been .Qiewn, that every fea-port town in the United States has increafed in fize in

proportion to the

of this trade veniently thofe

;

quantum

it

enjoyed

and that thofe towns moft con-

fituated

for

had the

that

carrying

grcateft

it

on, were

fhare of it; as,

therefore, the fhores of the lake increafe in

population,

European

and of courfe

we may

demand

for

amongft the

exped> to fee Montreal,

which of all the fea-ports is

as the

nnanufadliires increafes

inhabitants,

in

North America

the moft conveniently fituated for fupplying

thetn with fuch manufadures, increafe pro-

and as the extent of back conncdted with, by means of

portionably in fize

country water,

is

it

is

as great,

j

and

*»'.*

increafmg with

alfo, the fettlements are

alfo as fertile, as that

with which any of the large towns of the United ^'^H

f

TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA

64.

United States are connected,

it

:

not impro-

is

bable but that Montreal at a future day will

wealth and in

rival in

iiZQ

the greateft of the

on the continent of North America,

cities

'11

I »A

S*.",

7. Ji

-*-

LETTER

*

XXX.

—For^ Fort Cadcvdqua. — —Nature of —/«— Harbours on hake — Lake.--^ of War — Merchant Naval pence of and very up — —No Iron Mines — Copper may more —Found great ^an-^ procured than —£/wBorders of Lake bark a Trading Lake —Defer of Lake. — A Town of

Dtja'iptlon of the

Kingfion.

Fxtcnjive

mcrly called

"Trade carried on here.

it.

habitants "cery hofpitabk.

Ontario.

^blps

on that

Vcjjels.

n

the

keeping

yet opened in

Country.

be

Iron.

titles

Superior.

in the

he obfervable

Two

Phenomena. to

•

—

Septennial

Height rf the Waters faid to alfo a lidc that ebbs andfloijos

Hours.

— Obfirvaticns

— Voyage — Come

a Sea Foyage.

Fort.

Ontario^

Fcffel on

that

iption

Change

eafily

in

on the in

every

VeJ/els

TVhy.

great.

Ex-^

Officers

building

— Land at

acrofs the

on

thefe

Lake fmilar Niagara

in Sight of

Miffifjaguis Foint.

luis bidians^^^Onc of their

—

Chifs

MijHjfakilled in

an

m

G ST o

ACJA//,.;IC.IiN

Ni: -ajvji,na

^^Affr4^*'*^Mow! treated i^ the

65

Go*

Brittjh

ik'verfifUent»^'T^eir revengeful Dijpojitionj-^-^ '^Mijjijfaguis-

good Hunters^

—How Lakes and —Sea Cows. they

kill

Salmon*^Vuriety of Fifi in the Se^i Wolves. Rivers of Canada,

—

— Town of Niagara of Newark.'^'The of Government, —Vn—Scheme of removing Town of Niagara and ad^ of —Navy —Fort ofNia^ —De* gara — of or

the

Defcription

prefent Seat it

elfewhere,

the

heahhinefs

Hats.

jacent Country,

fttrrendtred purfuant to Treaty,

rfcriptionoflt,

—Shewn

-'i'^

•--as

the other Forts

Defcription

People of the United States,

•\\fiirrendered to the

not to he fo advantageous to them

—

was expeBed.

Superior Pojition of the

k

i.n£w BrttifliPoJis pointed out*

Niagara, September^

•irfNGSfdN

IS fituated''at

the moutli of

Xv

a deep bay, at the north eaftern extremity of Lake Ontario. It contains a fort and barracks, an Englifh

epifcopallan church, and

about one hundred hcufes, lafl:

were

fons

built, and are

tlie

now

who emio:rated from

mod of which

inhabited by per-

the United States at

Some few of the houfcs are built of ftone and brick, i)Ut by far the greater part of them are of wood. the clofe of the American war.

The

fort

with four

Vol. an

II.

is

of /lone, and

baflions.

It

confifts

of a fqugre

was ered^ed by

F

M.

le

Comte

TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

66

Comte de Frontinac,

as early as the year

him

and was for a time called after infenfibly

of

ftead

loft his

it

a

into the bay.

falls

common

remained until

name, and received

that of Cadaraqui, the

it

creek which

few

1672, but ;

name of a This name town

to the fort and to the

years ago,

when

it

in-

was changed fixty

to

one

hundred men are ufually quartered

in

the

to

that

of Kingfton.

Frc

barracks.

Kingfton tirade,

and

a place of very

is

it is

confequently increafing moft raAll the goods brought up the

pidly in fize.

Lawrence

St.

confiderable

upper

the fupply of the

for

country are here depofited in

ftores,

prepara-

tory to their being fhipped on board veflels f.utable to

the

navigation of the lake

;

and

the furs from the various pofts on the nearer lakes are here likewife collected together, in

order to be laden on board bateaux, and fent

down in

the St.

Lawrence. Some furs are brought

immediately to the town by the Indians,

x'/ho

hunt

in

the neighbouring country,

along the upper parts of the

but the quantity

is

merchants refident

not large. at

A

ftranger,

fubjeiH:, is fure to

and

and

Lawrence,

The

principal

Kingfton are partners

of old eftabli(hed houfes

Quebec.

St.

at

Montreal and

efpecially if a Britifh

meet with a moft hofpitable from them, as he pafles

friendly reception

through the place. During;

7

;

"

KiriGSTON BAy.

:

"67-

iDurlng the autumn theinhabitants of Kingilon fuffer very

much from

intermittent fevers,

town being fituated on a low of ground contiguous to an extenllve

owing fpot

to the

morafs.

n: r

The

bay adjoining to Kingfton affords good

anchorage, and

commoLake Ontario. The

the fafeft and moft

is

harbour on

dious

i!

all

bay of Great Sodus, on the fouth lide of the

and that of Toronto, fituated on the

lake,

north fide of the lake,

nearly

'in

the fame

meridian with Niagara, are faid to be the next beft

to that of

into

each of them

which

Kingfton

j

but the entrance

obftruded by fand banks,

is

rough weather cannot be croiled

in

without imminent danger in

more than

veilels

On

five or fix feet water.

ders of the bay at Kingfton there

dock yard, and another which perty.

Moft of

is

is

drawing the bora King's

private pro-

the Britifti veflels of burthen

on Lake Ontario have been

built at thefe yards.

Belonging to his Majefty there were on Lake

when we

Ontario,

crofted

it,

three vclfels of

about iwo hundred tons each, carrying from e-ight to

the

twelve guns, befides fcvcral gun boats

laft,

however, were not in commiffion,

but laid up in Niagara Riv'erj and in con-

fpqucnce of the ratiiication of the treaty of

amity and commerce

between the United

States and his Britannic Majefty, orders

F

Z

were

iflued.

.»'u,

6a

TRAVELS THRpUGH LO^^ER CAN^ADA

JfTued,^ (hortly after

we

left Kingflpji, for lay-

ing up the other yeffels of war,,, pne, alone ex-

cepted*. For one King's, ihip there would be

ample employment on the lajccy in. conveying to the upper country the prefents for the Indians and the ftores for the troops, and in

tranfporting the troops

they changed q^uarters.

acr-ofs

the

kke when

Every military

at the outpofts enjoys the privilege

officer

of having

a certain bulk, according to his rank,, carried for

himin theKjng'^s vefTels, free ofal|

The naval officers,

if their veffels

charges*

be not other-

wife engaged, are allowed to carry

a cargo of merchandize when they faU from one port ta

another, the freight af wliich

is

their per-

and are

^ui{ite;.they likewife have the liberty,

cpnibantly in the practice, of carrying paflen-

gers across the lake at an eftahliftied pric^.

The commodore of the jOntario

is

a

King's veffels on

French Canadian, and

Lake

fo likewife

mofl of the oncers under him. Their uniform is blue and white, with large yellow butare

'

tons, (lamped with the figure of a beaver^ over which i^-infcribed the word, "Canada." The l^ayalpffecers are i'

under the controulof the mi*-

^^r]^ ojfice^coi|im,a«4ant, at every poft where '.

^* Subreqtient

orders,

it

was

faid,

were

iffiied,

during the

Yammer of 1797^ W have one or mor« of thefe veffels in commiffion,

„. */-J i

,

,.

>'. Ilk »v

pot again

M E R CHANT VESSEL

^'•'

'

'

thcr veflys happen to tduch leave their veflels to go

anytime

up

;

S.

69

into the country at

merchant

and Hoops, of from

'

and they cannot

without his permitfion.

^' Several decked

"

fifty to

'

'

•

;

veflcls, fchooncrs,

two hundred

tons

each, and alfo numberlelsjarge faiHng bateaux,

employed on Lake Ont^irio. No are deemed proper lur the navigation of

are kept veffels

thefe lakes but complete fea boats, or elfe

bottomed

flat

veffels,

fuch

as

canoes and ba-

teaux, that can fafely run afhofe On an emer-

At

gency. States

prefent the people of the United

have no other

veffels

than bateaux on

the lake, and whether they will

deem

it

proper

to have larger veffels, as their harbours are all fo indifferent, remains yet to be determined.

The

large

Britifh veffels ply moftly

i

I

between ft

Kingfton and Niagara, and but very rarely

touch

at

The expence of veffels

and as

building,

and equipping

on Lake Ontario, is very confiderabic is ftill greater on the more diflant lakes,

I

s

1

the larger part of the iron implements,

and are

it

i

any other place.

all

the cordage wanted for that purpofe,

imported from Great Britain, through the

medium

of the lower province. There can be no doubt, however, but that when the country is become more populous, an ample fupply of thefe neceffary articles will be readily procured

en

the foot

j

for the foil of the upper province

F

3

is

i

70

TRAVELS THROUGH LOV "r C^^iADA:

is ;well

adapted to the growth of hemp, and

iron ore has been dilcovered in

Hemp

the country. in

cultivated

many

parts of

already begins

fmall quantities;

but

to it

be has

hitherto been the policy of government to direct the attention of the people to agriculture, rather than to any other purfuit, lb that

none of the iron mines, which, together with all other mines that are, or that may hereafter be difcovered, are the exclufive property of the crown, have yet been opened. The people of the United States, however, alive to

every profpecft of gain, have already fent perfons to look for iron ore in that part pf their territory fituated

conveniently to the lakes.

Thefe perfons have been very fuccefsful in their fearchcs

edly be

j

and

as

works will undoubtby them in this

eftablin:ied fpeedily

quarter for the manufadVure of iron, and as

they will be able to afford it on much better terms than that which is brought all the way

from Lower Canada, it is probable that government will encourage the opening of mines in our

own

dominions, rather than fuffer the

people of the States to enjoy fuch a very lucrative branch of trade as they mud necelTarily have,

.

'

if

the fame policy

is

perfifled in

which

has hltiierto been purfued. Copper, in the more remote parts of Upper

Canada,

is

found in

much

greater abundance

^

ORES. "

COPPER

-"f If X/i

fi

than iron, and as

it

may he

earth with confiderahly

lefs

•

'

71

•

cxtradted from the trouble than any of

the iron ore that has yet been difcovered, there reafon to iniai>ine, that at a future dav

is

much more

will be

purpofe to which

it

than iron

wif^d

well

for every

On

can be apphcd.

borders of a river, whicii

talis

the

into the fouth-

of Lake Superior, virgin copper

tide

j

fide

un the eailern

is

and on moll

found in the greatefl abundance

of the

iflands

it

it

is

alfo

found.

In the polleffion of a -gentleman at

Niagara

I

faw a himp of virgin copper of

fe-

veral ounces weight, apparently as pure as if

which I was informed had be^n ftruck off with a chilTel from a piece equally pure, growing on one of thefe it

had pafled through

fire,

which muil at lead have weighed forty Rich veins of copper are vifible in pounds. iflands,

almoft

the rocks on thefe iflands towards

all

the {hore

and copper ore, refembling cop-

j

peras, is like wife

found in deep beds near the

few hours bateaux might here be filled with ore, and in lefs than three days conveyed to the Straits of St. Mary, after water

:

pafling

in a

which the ore might be laden on board

large vefTels,

and conveyed by water without

any farther

interruption as far

The Mary may be

portage

River.

»

fair

;fe3

'

wind .

as

Niagara 1:

pafTed in a

large

the

at

vefl'cls

Straits

of

;

St.

few hours, and with proper for traverling

F 4

Lakes

t''

7i

TRAVELS THRaU:u

it.

very confidently alfe tal, not only by

numbers of the the fliorcs of Lake

Indians, bu': alio by great

white people

who

live o

i

Ontario, that the waters of this lake fall

v/erc

your head fwim, and your eyes no

faded, and

It is

Si

alternately every fcvcnlh year

the contrary, deny that

take place; and indeed fron^

fuel*, it

in cither parts

olliers,

on

a fluctuation docs

differs fo n^atcrially

any that has been ohlVrved

pf water

;

rife antl

in larg" bo.iits

of the globr^ that for

n

TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA

76

my own lieve

am fomewhat

part I

it is

merely an imaginary change; never

when

thelefs,

tempted to be-

confidered, that according

it is

to the belief of the oldeft inhabitants of the

country, fiich 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

bound

are

on the fubjed. tion was firiiated lake, not

f^ir

A

to fiifpend

our opinions

gentleman, whofc habita-

clofe

upon the borders

of!

the

from Kingfton, and who, from the

nature of his profeflion, had more time to at-

tend to fuch fubjefts than the generality of the

me

people of the country, told

that

he had

obfervcd the ftate of the lake attentively for nearly fourteen years that be had refided on

the borders of

it,

and that he was of opinion

the waters did not ebb and flow periodically

f

m

yet he

acknowledged

very remarkable

this

fad, that fevcralof the oldefl white inhabitants in his

neighbourhood declared, previoufly to

therifmgof thelake, that the year 1795 would be the high year; and that in the fummer of that year,

the lake actually did

juncommon height. he had rcafbn

to

He

faid,

rife to a

very

however, that

think the rifing of the lake on

this occafion was wholly

circumlhmces, and n

l

owing

to

to

foi

niitous

any regular clla»

blKhed law of nature; and he conceived, that if

the lake had not rilcn as

it

had done, yet the people

r"

RISING OF THE WATER. people would have it

was

in reality

fancied,

higher than ufual, as

pofed they had fancied

i>e

fup-

on former oc-

to be

it

77

neverthelfifs, that

He

was induced to form this opinion, he faid, from the following circumftance When the lake had rifen to fuch an unufual height in the year 1795, he examined feveral

cafions.

of the oldeft people on the tioned

them

fubjcL^t,

and quef-

particularly as to the comparative

height of the waters on this and former occa-

They

fions.

declared that the waters

all

were

'I

not higher than they ufually were at the time

of their periodical riling; and they affirmed, that they

had themfelves feen them equally

Now

high before.

a

grove of

which

trees,

ftood adjoining to this gentleman's garden, and

mufl at

leaft

have been of thirty years growth,

by the waters of the lake, that flowed amongfl the trees

was

entirely deftroyed this year

had the lake, therefore, ever rifen fo high before, this grove would have been then deftroyed.

This circumftance

certainly mili-

H I'M

which the

tated ftrongly againft the evidence

people gave but

on

it

as to

the height of the waters

j

only proved that the waters had rifen

this occafion

thirty years

higher than they had done fur

preceding

;

it

did not prove that

they had not, during that term, rifen cally

1

above their ordinary IcveU .

:.,.

...

./

...

pei;iod.i-

... >-

..

,

?

r

'

What

\i

TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA:

7