LAKE OF THE WOODS, is nearly circular, and its diameter is about 75 miles. Winnipec river flows into it, 120 miles below Rainy lake; and runs, after leaving the lake of the Woods, 250 miles, before it empties into lake Winnipec.

LAKE WINNIPEC stretches from W. N. W. to S. S. E. Its S. E. end is in lat. 50 37 N. In 51 45 it contracts to a mere strait, and is only 2 miles wide. Its N. W. end is in 54 30. Its length is at least 280 miles, and its surface larger than that of any of the American lakes, except lake Superior. At a small distance W. of lake Winnipec, and parallel with it, lie two long and narrow lakes, Red Deer lake, and lake Manitoba; whose united length, on McKenzie's map, is not much less than that of lake Winnipec. The Saskatchawine enters lake Winnipec, in lat. 53 15, on the W. side. Red river, which is said to rise near the Missouri, falls into its southern extremity. In the S. W. in lat. 50 37, it receives Winnipec river. Its waters are discharged through Nelson's river into Hudson bay.

3. Lakes, which empty into the gulf of St. Lawrence.- The most distant source of these waters is the river St. Louis, which rises near the head of the Missisippi, and empties into the southwest extremity of

LAKE SUPERIOR. This is the largest body of fresh water on the globe. It lies between lat. 46 31, and 48 40 N. and between lon, 84° and 92 10 W. Its length is 400 miles, and its circumference, including its various bays, is 1600. On its south side is a remark able promontory, 60 miles in length, called point Shagoimago. Along its north shore is the safest navigation, as it is a continued embankment of rock from 300 to 1500 feet in height. Here are numerous coves and sandy bays, convenient for landing, frequently sheltered by islands from the swell of the lake, which is often no very faint imitation of the swell of the occan. The soil on the eastern shore is rocky and barren, yielding only stinted trees, brambles, and fruits of humble growth. The south side of the lake, east of point Shagoimago, is almost a continual straight line of sandy beech, interspersed with rocky precipices of limestone, sometimes rising to an hundred feet in height. There is not a bay or a creek in this whole distance. The embankments, from that point westward, are in general of strong clay, mixed with stones, which renders the navigation irksome and dangerous. Lake Superior receives from the N. E. the waters of Michipicoten river, which rises near the source of Moose river, a stream falling into James bay at Moose fort; and, from the N. W. the waters of lake St. Ann, through Nipegon river, which rises near a branch of the Albany, a river, which falls into James bay, at fort Albany.

About 100 miles west of cape Shagoimago, a considerable river falls into the lake, the head of which is composed of a great assem blage of small streams. This river is remarkable for the abundance of virgin copper that is found on and near its banks.

LAKE HURON. The length of this lake is 250 miles, and its circumference, including the coasts of the bays, 1100. It lies between lat. 43 30 and 46 30 N. and between lon. 80° and 84 30 W.

The entrance is crowded with numerous islands. The principal of these is St. Joseph, on which there has been since the surrender of the upper posts, in 1794, a military establis ment, the westernmost which the British have erected. About 200 miles E. of the straits of St. Mary, in lat. 45 53, it receives, from the N. the waters of lake Nepisingui, through French river. This lake is 36 miles long, and 15 broad; and its distance from lake Huron is 75 miles French river has many islands in its course, and its banks consist of hills of entire rock. The northern coast of lake Huron is the same, but lower, backed at some distance by high lands. The waters of lake Simcoe, about equal in size to lake Nepisingui, fall into lake Huron from the east.

LAKE MICHIGAN. The situation of this lake is between lat. 42 10 and 46 30 N. and between lon. 85° and 87° W. It is 300 miles long and 945 in circumference. A large bay, on the N. W. side of it, is called Green bay Michigan is separated by a barren tongue of land, 90 miles long and 24 broad, from lake Superior. The S. E. extremity of this promontory is called the Detour. About 40 miles to the S. W. of this point is the island of Michilimackinac, just without the straits of the same name, through which the waters of the Michigan fall into the Huron. Fort Michilimackinac is on the south side of the strait. It stands so near the water's edge, that, in a west wind, the waves break against the stockade.f

The waters of lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron are all discharged, through Huron river, into lake St. Clair. The length of this river is about 40 miles, and the circumference of lake St. Clair, 90. It discharges its waters through the river or strait called Detroit (or the strait) into lake Erie. This lake is of an oval form, and navigable for large vessels. The fort of Detroit is situated on the western bank of the river of the same name, about 9 miles below lake St. Clair. The settlements are extended on both sides of the strait or river for many miles towards lake Erie, and some few above the fort.

LAKE ERIE is situated between 41° and 43° of N. lat. It is 200 miles long, from E. N. E. to W. S. W. and 710 miles in circumference. A point of land projects from the N. side into this lake, several miles, towards the S. E. called Long Point.

Presque Isle is on the S. E. shore of this lake, about lat. 42 10. From this to fort Le Beuf, on French creek, is a portage of 15% miles. About 20 miles N. E. of this is another portage of 91 miles, between Chataughque creek, emptying into lake Erie, and Chataughque lake, a water of Allegany river.

Fort Erie stands on the northern shore of lake Erie, and the west bank of Niagara river, in Upper Canada. This lake at its N. E. end, communicates with lake Ontario, by the river Niagara, which runs from S. to N. about 30 miles, including its windings, embrac

• Pronounced Misbilimackinaw.

+ For further information concerning this lake and its environs, see Michigan Territory.

Erie, Erige, or Erike, or the lake of the Cat. Hennepin.

ing in its course Grand island, and receiving Tonewanto creek, from the E. About the middle of this river, are the celebrated Falls of Niagara, which are reckoned one of the greatest natural curiosities in the world. The waters which supply the river Niagara rise near 2000 miles to the N. W. and passing through the lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie, receiving in their course constant accumulations, at length, with astonishing grandeur, rush down a stupendous precipice of 137 feet perpendicular; and in a strong rapid, that extends to the distance of 8 or 9 miles below, fall near as much more; the river then loses itself in lake Ontario. The water falls 57 feet in the distance of one mile, before it falls perpendicularly. A spectator standing on the bank of the river opposite these falls, would not imagine them to be more than 40 or 50 feet perpendicular height. The noise of these falls, in a clear day and fair wind, may be heard between 40 and 50 miles. When the water strikes the bottom, its spray rises to a great height in the air, occasioning a thick cloud of vapours, in which, when the sun shines, may be seen, morning and evening, a beautiful rainbow. Fort Niagara, built by the French about the year 1725, is situated on the east side of Niagara river, at its entrance into lake Ontario, about 43 20 north latitude.

Lake Ontario is situated between 43° and 45° north latitude, and between 76° and 80° west longitude. Its form is nearly oval. Its greatest length is from southwest to northeast, 160 miles according to Heriot, and its circumference 450 miles. On the northeast, this lake discharges itself through the river Cataraqui (which at Montreal, takes the name of St. Lawrence) into the Atlantic ocean.

The waters of lake Ontario are discharged at its northeast end, into the river St Lawrence, which runs a northeast course of 690 miles, and empties into the gulf of St. Lawrence. It meets the tide upwards of 400 miles from the sca, and is so far navigable for large vessels. This noble river, if considered as rising at the source of the Lt. Louis, is at least 2000 miles in length; and, in its quantity of water, is surpassed by no river on the globe, except the Amazon and La Plata. It meets the tide upwards of 400 miles from the sea, and is so far navigable for large vessels. Its size may be estimated from the following fact. In Niagara river, 3 miles from lake Erie, in the fall of the year, its width is 7 furlongs, or of a mile, its average depth 21 feet, and its rapidity 6 miles an hour. The commercial advantage of this river will be great in proportion to the population of its banks. The Indian trade, in a great measure, takes its current down the St. Lawrence, particularly since vessels of a considerable size are constantly building for the navigation of the lakes.†

Nicaragua Lake. This is a large lake in the isthmus of Darien,

It is believed by the inhabitants in the neighborhood of these falls, that formerly they were 6 miles lower down than they now are, and that the change has been produced by the constant operation of the water But on a careful examination of the banks of the river, there appears to be no good foundation for this opinion. Gen. Lincoln.

+ Smyth,

communicating with the gulf of Mexico by Nicaragua river. It is said by Crutwell, to be 300 miles in circumference. At its west end, it is connected, by a narrow strait, with a small lake, called lake Leon.

Xarayes Lake. This is the largest lake in South-America. It lies in the province of Paraguay, and the river Paraguay, the principal source of the La Plata, passes through it. It is said to be very extensive, but we are not informed of its exact dimensions.

Rivers. The rivers of America, also, in their length, their rapidity, and their quantity of water, will bear a comparison with any of the rivers of the old world. They reach from one side of the continent to the other; and are not, like most of the rivers of Europe and Asia, confined within the limits of a single country.

AMAZON. This is the largest and longest river on the globe. It is sometimes called the Orellana, more frequently the Maranoný but usually the Amazon. Its source is the lake of Lauricocha, near the city of Guanuco, in lat. 11° south. It passes by Jaen, in lat. 9 21 south. Thence in a direction a little north of east, it falls into the ocean; where its mouth is of such an enormous breadth, that its southern bank lies under the equator, and its northern nearly 2o north. The distance from its source to Jaen, according to Ulloa, is 730 English miles; and the distance from Jaen to the ocean, following the windings of the river, 3300 miles. Its whole length, therefore, is 4030 miles, and its breadth at the mouth is 150 miles. The Amazon is navigable as far as Jaen ; and the tide flows up 600 miles from its mouth. Its principal southern branches are the Yucayale, which joins the Amazon in lat. 4 15 south; where its width is so great, as to leave it doubtful, which is the principal stream: the Cuchibara, which runs a course of 1200 or 1300 miles; and the Madera, which is navigable as far south as Santa Cruz, in lat. 17 30; its whole course being 1700 or 1800 miles. The chief branches, from the north, are the Napo,. the Putuamayo, and the Caqueta.

MISSOURI. We are not acquainted with any attempt to explore this river, except that made by order of the government of the United States in 1804, 5, and 6. According to their account, the Missouri, near its source, is formed of three branches, which unite at one place. These branches, by the map annexed to their ac count, rise among the Rocky mountains, the northern one near lat. 48° north; the southern near lat. 42° north; and all near lon. 122 west. The northern branch, the only one our travellers explored, was navigable 248 miles. The distance from the confluence of these streams to the Great Rapids, is 283 miles; thence to the confluence with Plate river, 1945 miles, and thence to the confluence with the Missisippi, 630 miles, making a total of 3106 miles, the distance which the Missouri is navigable above its confluence with the Missisippi. This is 1395 miles from the gulf of Mexico. We ourselves believe, that the length of the Missouri, before it meets the Missisippi, is, probably, about 2400 miles.

MISSISIPPI This river rises in lat. 47 38 north, and lon. 95 €

west. Its course is southeasterly to the Falls of St. Anthony, about. 600 miles.

From these falls this river is boatable to its junction with the Missouri, a distance of 1030 miles,* in which its course is nearly south. It is not so long, deep, or rapid as the Missouri branch.t

The Missisippi receives the waters of the Missouri in lat. 38 27 north, lon. 89 36 west. Its course thence to the mouth of Red river, a distance of 1068 miles, is nearly S. by W. and from Red river to the gulf of Mexico, a distance of 327 miles, about S. E. the whole distance being 1395 miles. Its mouth is nearly in the same longitude with the mouth of the Missouri. Or the point where it mingles its waters with the Missisippi.

The following table of the distances of various places on this river is obtained from Schultz's Travels. We believe they are generally accurate..

The Louisiana bank, from the Missouri to cape Girardeau, 157 miles, continues generally high, except the interval land on the margin of the river; yet it forms throughout all this distance, only a moderately elevated ridge, from one to four miles from the river. At cape Girardean it begins to assume the appearance of a rough and mountainous country. This continues 15 miles to the Grand Towers, where the ridge is a perpendicular rocky precipice, 200 feet high. From the Grand Towers to the Grand chain of rocks, 6 miles, the land gradually descends to its general level, which it afterwards continues, without interruption. The Indiana or eastern side, on the contrary, from the great bend to the mouth of the Ohio, is a plain, level country, except a ridge of hills, which commences at the American bottom, 62 miles south of the bend, and terminates near the Kaskaskias, preserving a distance of from 3 to 12 miles from the river.

From the grand chain of rocks to fort Placquemine, 43 miles below New-Orleans, a distance by the river of 1173 miles, the Louis

* Schultz.

†The Missouri being much larger than the Missisippi branch, some modern geographers are beginning to give the whole river the name of Missouri, which probably its proper name.

Schultz,