of these countries are astonishingly easy.  Canoes can go from Quebec to Rocky Mountains, to the Arctic Circle, or to the Mexican Gulf, without a portage longer than four miles; and the traveller shall arrive at his journey’s end as fresh and as safely as from an English tour of pleasure.  It is common for the Erie steam-boat to take goods and passengers from Buffaloe, to Green Bay and Chicago, in Lake Michigan, a distance of nearly 900 miles, touching, at the same time, at many intermediate ports.  In about three years, in addition to the canal connecting Lake Erie with tide-water in the Hudson, another will be excavated across the southern dividing ridge, to communicate with the Ohio.  Near its place of junction with this river, a canal from the Atlantic, across the Alleghanies, will enter the Ohio.  Lake Erie will then also have a steady line of water transport to Baltimore, on the Chesapeake, and New Orleans, on the Mississippi.  The surveys, preparatory to these projects, have been in execution for two years; there is no doubt of their practicability.

We cannot even hazard a conjecture as to the number of inhabitants around Lake Erie.  They are numerous, and daily augmenting; but with incomparably greater rapidity on the south side of the lake, distributed between the States of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.  Ohio, which occupies the largest portion, in 1800, had 45,000 inhabitants; in 1810, 250,760, and, in 1820, 581,434.  At present, it cannot have less than 750,000 inhabitants, and there is ample room for more.  There are few or no Indians on the north borders of the lake.  The Mohawks are placed high up the river Ouse, and the Hurons, from four to ten miles up the river Detroit.

The winds are generally either up or down the lake, and in summer they are in the former direction for two-thirds of the time.  In the middle of this season they are commonly mild, but occasionally in perfect tornadoes, accompanied with tremendous lightning and heavy rain.  The gales begin in October, and are both violent and dangerous.  Many lives are lost annually.  The winters are mild and short.  The inhabitants do not reckon on the ground being covered by snow more than three or four months.  They turn their cattle into the woods in March and April, but the lake remains full of floating ice until May.  On the 12th of May, 1821, the steam-boat could not proceed on account of the ice.  From an adjacent eminence, the lake was seen to be covered with it in one compact mass, as far as the eye could range.  As might be expected, remittent and intermittent fevers are very prevalent in the autumn.  The febrile action rises high, and there is usually a topical affection conjoined; to this the stimulating diet and frequent use of spirituous liquors, and exposure to heat, mainly conduce.

Brande’s Quarterly Journal.

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SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY.

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