A Book of the United States. Various
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several miles through that passage with ranges of rounded mountain summits appearing at a great distance between them. The lake contains abundance of the finest perch, bass, and other fish; trout are found in a stream flowing into the southern part. Near the southern shore, are the ruins of Fort William Henry and Fort George, celebrated in the early wars of the French.
The state of New-York contains a vast number of small lakes. There is scarcely a stream in the northern part of this state, but that has its source in one of these, or runs through several in its progress, whether to the great lakes or to Hudson’s river. Seneca Lake, in the western part of the state, is about thirty-five miles in length, from two to four in breadth, and of great depth. The water of this lake has a gradual periodical rise and fall, once in several years, the cause of which has never been ascertained. The view from the height of land between Seneca and the adjacent lakes is extensive and agreeable. Cayuga Lake is thirty-eight miles long from north to south, and from one to four miles wide; in some places the shore of this lake is precipitous, but in general it is a gentle declivity from the surrounding country to the water. The waters are somewhat shallow, but sufficient for navigation. Several steam-boats ply upon them, and are often crowded by water parties in the fine season. A bridge of a mile in length crosses the north end of the lake.
Oneida Lake is a beautiful sheet of water, twenty miles long and four broad. It is famous for the abundance and excellence of its fish. ‘I made a small excursion along the border of this lake,’ says Mr. Schultz, ‘and although the shore was low, yet I found a firm, dry, white, sandy beach to walk upon; some other parts of it, however, I was informed, were low and swampy. I was much amused in the evening by a singular illumination upon the lake, which I was at first wholly unable to account for. The water at this part of the lake, it seems, is very shallow for nearly half a mile from the shore, and being perfectly transparent, and the bottom a white sand, the smallest object may be readily distinguished. The Indians have a method of taking salmon and other fish by means of an iron frame fixed in the bow of the canoe, projecting forward three or four feet, and elevated about five; upon this they kindle a bright fire of pine knots, and while one person sits in the stern with a paddle to impel the boat forward, another stands in the bow with a sharp spear ready to strike the fish who play about the light. Ten or twelve of these canoes moving about irregularly on the lake, on a fine calm evening, with the reflection of their lights, like so many lines of fire, extending from each object to a centre on which you stand, afford a most pleasing prospect, and far exceeds in my opinion the most brilliant display of artificial fireworks.’
Among the smaller lakes of New York are Onondago, Skeneatiles, Owasco, Canandaigua, Otsego, Caniadebago, Oswegatchie, Cross, Hemlock, Hanyaga, Canesus, Crooked, and Chatauque. The latter is the most western of all these lakes, near the north-east extremity of Lake Erie; it is only eight miles distant from its shore, and the descent to Lake Erie is by an easy slope. From this small lake issues one of the branches of the Alleghany river, called Conewango, which is navigable for small craft in all its extent.
New Hampshire contains several fine lakes, the largest of which is Winnipiseogee, situated east of the centre of the state, and towards the west side of Strafford county. It is a picturesque sheet of water, of irregular form, twenty-two miles in length, and varying in breadth from one to ten miles. Several long capes stretch into it from both sides, almost dividing it into several parts. From the southern extremity of this lake to the north-west corner, there is good navigation in the summer, and generally a good road in the winter; the lake is frozen about three months in the year, and many sleighs and teams, from the surrounding towns, cross it on the ice.
Dr. Dwight has described this lake, as it appears from the top of Red Mountain, with his usual felicity. ‘Immediately at the foot of the height on which we stood, and in the bottom of the immense valley below, spread south-eastward the waters of the Winnipiseogee in complete view; except that one or two of its arms were partially concealed by intervening peninsulas. A finer object of the same nature was perhaps never seen. The lakes, which I had visited in my northern and western excursions, were all of them undivided masses, bordered by shores comparatively straight. This was, centrally, a vast column, if I may be allowed the term, twenty-three miles in length, and from six to eight in breadth, shooting out with inimitable beauty a succession of arms, some of them not inferior in length to the whole breadth of the lake. These were fashioned with every elegance of figure, bordered with the most beautiful winding shores, and studded with a multitude of islands. Their relative positions, also, could scarcely be more happy.
Winnipiseogee Lake
‘Many of the islands are large, exquisitely fashioned, and arranged in a manner not less singular than pleasing. As they met the eye, when surveyed from this summit, they were set in groups on both sides the great channel, and left this vast field of water unoccupied between them. Their length was universally at right angles to that of the lake; and they appeared as if several chains of hills originally crossing the country in that direction, had, by some convulsion, been merged in the water so low, that no part of them was left visible, except the oblong segments of their summits. Of those, which, by their size and situation, were most conspicuous, I counted forty-five, without attempting to enumerate the smaller ones, or such as were obscured. The points, which intrude into this lake, are widely different from those of Lake George; bold, masculine bluffs, impinging directly upon the water. These, in several instances, were spacious peninsulas, fitted to become rich and delightful residences of man, often elevated into handsome hills, and sloping gracefully into the lake.’
Umbagog Lake is situated partly in the north-east corner of the state, and is next in size to Winnipiseogee; it lies chiefly in Maine. The others of New Hampshire are Ossipee, Sanapee, Squam, and Newfound.
There are several large, and a vast number of small lakes in the state of Maine. Moosehead Lake, the largest in New England, is the source of the east branch of the Kennebeck, and is fifty miles in length by ten or fifteen in breadth. Sebago Lake, in Cumberland county, is twelve miles long. Chesuncook Lake is twenty miles long and three broad. In Vermont, besides Lake Champlain, which separates this state from New York on the west, there are other lakes of minor importance, deserving of notice. Lake Memphremagog, thirty-five miles in length and three wide, lies chiefly in Canada, and communicates with the St. Lawrence by the river St. Francis. Willoughby Lake, six miles long and one wide, discharges its waters into Memphremagog by the river Barton. This lake furnishes fish resembling bass, of an excellent flavor, weighing from ten to thirty pounds.
A number of small lakes occur towards the sources of the Mississippi. Lake Pepin is an expansion of this mighty river, about one hundred miles below the Falls of St. Anthony. It has been very fully and beautifully described by Mr. Schoolcraft.
‘It is twenty-four miles in length, with a width of from two to four miles, and is indented with several bays, and prominent points, which serve to enhance the beauty of the prospect. On the east shore, there is a lofty range of limestone bluffs, which are much broken and crumbled, sometimes run into pyramidal peaks, and often present a character of the utmost sublimity. On the west, there is a high level prairie, covered with the most luxuriant growth of grass, and nearly destitute of forest trees. From this plain several conical hills ascend, which, at a distance, present the appearance of vast artificial mounds or pyramids, and it is difficult to reconcile their appearance with the general order of nature, by any other hypothesis. This lake is beautifully circumscribed by a broad beach of clean washed gravel, which often extends from the foot of the surrounding highlands, three or four hundred yards into the lake, forming gravelly points, upon which there is a delightful walk, and scalloping out the margin of the lake with the most pleasing irregularity. In walking along these, the eye is attracted by the various colors of the mineral gems, which are promiscuously scattered among the water-worn debris of granitic and other rocks, and the cornelian, agate, and chalcedony, are met with at every step. The size of these gems is often as large as the egg of the partridge, and the transparency and beauty of color is only excelled by the choicest oriental specimens. There is no perceptible current in the lake, during calm weather, and the water partakes so little of the turbid character of the lower Mississippi, that objects can be distinctly seen