original thirteen states, and by the treaty of peace, transferred to the federal government, and are pledged as a fund for finking the debt of the United States. Of this territory the Indians now poffefs a very large proportion. Mr. Jefferfon, in his report to Congrefs, Nov. 8, 1791, defcribes the boundary line between us and the Indians, as follows: Beginning at the mouth of the Cayahogana, which falls into the fouthernmoft part of Lake Erie, and running up the river to the portage, between that and the Tufcaroro or N. E, branch of Muskingum; then down the faid branch to the forks, at the croffing place above Fort Lawrence; then weftwardly, towards the portage of the Great Miami, to the main branch of that river, then down the Miami, to the fork of that river, next below the old fort, which was taken by the French in 1752; thence due west to the river De la Panse, a branch of the Wabash, and down that river to the Wabash. So far the line is precifely determined, and cleared of the claims of the Indians. The tract comprehending the whole country within the above defcribed line, the Wabash, the Ohio, and the western limits of Pennsylvania, contains about 55,000 fquare miles. How far on the western fide of the Wabash, the fouthern boundary of the Indians has been defined, we know not. It is only understood, in general, that their title to the lower country, between that river and the Illinois, was formerly extinguished by the French, while in their poffeffion.

Estimate of the number of acres of water, north and westward of the river Ohio, within the territory of the United States.

Eftimate of the number of acres of water within the Thirteen United States

It

LAKES AND RIVERS.

may in, truth be faid, that no part of the world is fo well watered with fprings, rivulets, rivers, and lakes, as the territory of the United States. By means of these various ftreams and collections of water, the whole country is chequered into islands and peninfulas. The United States, and indeed all parts of North America, feem to have been formed by nature for the most intimate union. The facilities of navigation render the communication between the ports of Georgia and New-Hampshire, far more expeditious and practicable, than between thofe of Provence and Picardy in France; Cornwall and Caithness, in Great-Britain; or Gallicia and Catalonia, in Spain. The canals propofed between Sufquehannah, and Delaware, between Pafquetank and Elizabeth rivers, in Virginia, and between the Schuylkill and Sufquehannah, will open a communication from the Carolinas to the western countries of Pennsylvania and New-York. The improvements of the, Potomak, will give a passage from the fouthern States, to the weftern parts of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and even to the lakes. From Detroit, to Alexandria, on the Patomak, fix hundred and feven miles, are but two carrying places, which together do not exceed the diftance of forty miles. The canals of Delaware and Chefapcek will open the communication from South-Carolina to New-Jerfey, Delaware, the moft populous parts of Pennfylvania, and the midland counties of

New

New-York. Were thefe and the propofed canal between Ashley and Cooper rivers in South Carolina, the canals in the northern parts of the ftate of New York, and thofe of Massachusetts and New Hampshire all opened, North America would thereby be converted into a cluster of large and fertile islands, communicating with each other with ease and little expence, and in many inftances without the uncertainty or danger of the feas.

There is nothing in other parts of the globe which refembles the prodigious chain of lakes in this part of the World. They may properly be termed inland feas of fresh water; and even thofe of the fecond or third clafs in magnitude, are of larger circuit than the greatest lake in the eastern continent. Some of the most northern lakes belonging to the United States, have never been furveyed, or even visited by the white people; of courfe we have no defcription of them which can be relied. on as accurate. Others have been partially furveyed, and their relative fituation determined.-The best account of them which we have been able to procure is as follows:

THE LAKE OF THE WOODS, the most northern in the United States, is fo called from the large quantities of wood growing on its banks; fuch as oaks, pines, firs, fpruce, &c. This lake lies nearly east of the fouth end of Lake Winnepeck, and is fuppofed to be the fource or conductor of one branch of the river Bourbon, if there be such a river. Its length from eaft to weft is faid to be about seventy miles, and in fome places it is forty miles wide. The Killiftinoe Indians encamp on its borders to fish and hunt. This lake is the communication between the Lakes Winnepeck and Bourbon, and Lake Superior.

RAINY OR LONG LAKE lies eaft of the Lake of the Woods, and is faid to be nearly an hundred miles long, and in no part more than twenty miles wide.

Eastward of this lake, lie feveral fmall ones, which extend in a string to the great carrying place, and from thence into Lake Superior. Between these little lakes are feveral carrying places, which render the trade to the north-weft difficult, and exceedingly tedious, as it takes two years to make one voyage from Michillimakkinak to these parts.

LAKE SUPERIOR, formerly termed the Upper Lake, from its northera fituation, is fo called from its magnitude, it being the largest on the continent. It may juftly be termed the Cafpian of America, and is fuppofed to be the largest body of fresh water on the globe. According to the French charts it is fifteen hundred miles in circumference. A great part of the coaft is bounded by rocks and uneven ground. The water is pure and tranfparent, and appears, generally, throughout the lake, to lie upon a bed of huge rocks. It has been remarked, in

regard to the waters of this lake, with how much truth I pretend not to fay, that although their surface, during the heat of fummer, is impreg nated with no fmall degree of warmth, yet on letting down a cup to the depth of about a fathom, the water drawn from thence is cool and refreshing.

The fituation of this lake, from the most accurate obfervations which have yet been made, lies between forty fix and fifty degrees of north lati tude, and between nine and eighteen degrees of weft longitude, from the meridian of Philadelphia.

There are many islands in this lake, two of them have each land enough if proper for cultivation, to form a confiderable province; efpecially Ifle Royal, which is not lefs than an hundred miles long, and in many places forty broad. The natives fuppofe thefe islands are the refidence of the Great Spirit.

Two very large rivers empty themselves into this lake, on the north and north-eaft fide; one is called the Nipegon, which leads to a tribe of the Chipeways, who inhabit theborders of a lake of the fame name, and the other is the Michipicooton river, the fource of which is towards James's Bay, from whence there is but a short portage to another river, which empties itself into that bay.

Not far from the Nipegon is a small river, that juft before it enters the lake, has a perpendicular fall from the top of a mountain, of more than one hundred feet. It is very narrow, and appears at a distance like a white garter fufpended in the air. There are upwards of thirty other rivers, which empty themselves into this lake, fome of which are of a confiderable fize. On the fouth fide of it is a remarkable point or cape of about fixty miles in length, called Point Chegonegan. About a hundred miles weft of this cape, a confiderable river falls into the lake, the head of which is compofed of a great affemblage of fmall ftreams. This river is remarkable for the abundance of virgin copper that is found on and near its banks. Many fmall islands, particularly on the eaftern fhores, abound with copper ore, lying in beds, with the appearance of copperas. This metal might be eafily made a very advantageous article of commerce. This lake abounds with fith, particularly trout and fturgeon; the former weigh from twelve to fifty pounds, and are caught almoft any feafon in the year in great plenty. Storms affect this lake as much as they do the Atlantic Ocean; the waves run as high, and the navigation is equally dangerous. It discharges its waters from the foutheaft corner through the Straits of St. Marie, which are about forty miles long. Near the upper end of these straits is a rapid, which though it is impoffible for canoes to afcend, yet, when conducted by careful pilots, may be defcended without danger.

Though

Though Lake Superior is fupplied by near forty rivers, many of which are large, yet it does not appear that one tenth part of the waters which are conveyed into it by thefe rivers, is difcharged by the abovementioned ftrait. Such a fuperabundance of water can be difpofed of only by evaporation. The entrance into this lake from the ftraits of St. Marie, affords one of the most pleasing profpects in the world. On the left may be feen many beautiful little iflands, that extend a confiderable way before you; and on the right, an agreeable fucceffion of fmall points of land, that project a little way into the water, and contribute, with the islands, to render this delightful bafon calm, and secure from those tempeftucus winds, by which the adjoining lake is frequently troubled.

LAKE HURON, into which you enter through the ftraits of St. Marie is next in magnitude to Lake Superior. It lies between 43o 30 and 46° 30′ of north latitude, and between fix and eight degrees weft longitude. Its circumference is about one thousand miles. On the north fide of this lake is an island one hundred miles in length, and no more than eight miles broard. It is called Manataulin, fignifying a place of fpirits, and is confidered as facred by the Indians. On the fouth weft part of this lake is Saganaum Bay, about eighty miles in length, and about eighteen or twenty miles broad. Thunder Bay fo called from the thunder that is frequently heard there, lies about half

*That fuch a fuperabundance of water fhould be difpofed of by evaporation is no fingular circumstance. There are fome feas in which there is a pretty just balance between the waters received from rivers, brooks, &c. and the wafte by evaporation. Of this the Cafpian Sea, in Afia, affords an instance; which, though it receives feveral large rivers, has no outlet. There are others, to fpeak in borrowed langusge, whofe expence exceeds their income; and these would soon become bankrupt, were it not for the fupplies which they conftantly receive from larger collections of water, with which they are connected; fuch are the Black and Mediterranean feas; into the former of which there is a conftant current from the Mediterranean, through the Bofphorus of Thrace; and into the latter, from the Atlantic, through the Straits of Gibraltar. Others again derive more from their tributary ftreams than they lofe by evaporation. large rivers. Of this kind are the Dambea in Africa, the Winipifecgee in New Hampfhire, Lake Superior, and other waters in North America; and the quantity they difcharge, is only the difference between the influx and the evaporation. It is obfervable, that on the fhores the evaporation is much greater than at a distance from them on the The remarkable cluster of lakes in the middle of North America, of which Lake Superior is one, was doubtless defigned, by a divine Providence, to furnish the in terior parts of the country with that fupply of vapours, without which, like the interior parts of Africa, they must have been a mere desert. It may be thought equally furprizing that there fhould be any water at all discharged from them, as that the quantity fhould bear fo fmall a proportion to what they receive.

ocean.

These give rife to

way