quantity of cider is annually made in all the northern part of the United States, but it is immediately used, . the quality not being such as to insure its keeping. At Newark, a village in New Jersey, not far from New York, the best cider is said to be made. We tasted it at New York; but it did not seem to us to be at all equal to the best English cider.

From Niagara Falls we proceeded by the stage first to Queenston (seven miles), near which a monument has been erected to the memory of Sir Isaac Brock, from the top of which, about 120 feet high, there is a noble view of Lake Ontario and the adjoining country, and thence to the village of Newark (seven miles), formerly called Fort George, on the Niagara river. This is a very pleasant ride, and the road smooth and good. Fort Niagara is on the American side of the river, opposite to Newark, as Lewiston is to Queenston.

There is a landing-place near Newark on the Niagara, very near its outlet into Lake Ontario, from which we embarked in the steam-boat Queenston, to proceed to Lower Canada, intending to travel entirely in steamvessels, unless at those parts of the St. Lawrence which rapids render impracticable for navigation by steam; and there stages, in communication with the steamvessels, are in waiting to forward passengers to the next open reach of the river. The great basin of the St. Lawrence contains in mass more than one-half of the fresh water on this planet,-the solid contents in cubic feet of the Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario, and St. Lawrence being, according to

Darby, 1,547,011,792,360,000, and the superficial area in square miles being 72,930, a quantity of water which would form a cubic column of nearly twentytwo miles on each side.

We found, immediately on getting into the steamboat on the lake, a great change of manners, the majority of passengers being British. A glass of wine was taken during dinner, and two or three glasses after it, for which, however, an absurdly high price was charged. The travelling, so far as respects the stages, steam-boats, and hotels in Canada, so much resembled that in the United States, with one only difference, its increased expense, that it is unnecessary to go into details, especially as the object of these pages is to communicate information respecting the United States, and my stay in Lower Canada was not of sufficient duration to enable me to see much of the country or of the people. I had frequent opportunities, before revising these notes, of satisfying myself as to the correctness of the details in relation to the State of New York, in which I subsequently made various excursions, and resided for a considerable period.

Lake Ontario is celebrated for its depth, which is, in some places, unfathomable, and for the clearness of its water. Its length is about 170 miles, and its circumference 467; its height above the level of the sea 230 feet. Little York, the capital of Upper Canada, lies on its north-western shore. Kingston, the best harbour on the north-eastern side, belongs to the British. It was to the fleet here that we last war sent out quanti

ties of water-casks, in the belief that Lake Ontario was a salt water lake. From Kingston to Brockville, the lake, which narrows at last to two miles, in a low-lying country on all sides, is studded with multitudes of islands, many of them very picturesque, far exceeding the number of a thousand, generally allotted to it. The passage through them is interesting, though sometimes intricate. They are almost all covered with wood, and the vegetation very luxuriant. Nothing is wanting but the vicinity of mountains and hills to make this the most beautiful scenery in the world. The shores are fine, rising by a gentle and regular acclivity. Vessels of 600 tons reach Montreal, which is above 500 miles from the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The ocean tides penetrate 432 miles in the main channel of the St. Lawrence, to a point between Montreal and Quebec.

From Montreal we crossed the St. Lawrence obliquely to La Prairie, a village at the distance of nine miles, on the south side of the river, in a steam-boat. Although she was not of great power, we had to contend with a rapid of about fifteen feet in three miles, but we did not find much difficulty. At times it looked, to a stranger, doubtful whether we should be able to contend with so powerful an obstacle to our progress; and at one place it retarded us so much, that we did not advance much more than fifty yards in fifty minutes. The road from La Prairie to St. John's, on the Richelieu river, the outlet from Lake Champlain, passes for almost the whole distance of sixteen miles, through a flat, sandy, ill-cultivated country; houses

and fences entirely out of repair; and the inhabitants as indolent-looking a set of beings as I have ever seen. St. John's is a village of about 800 inhabitants, and has a British collector of customs. It is the point of departure for steam-boats to Whitehall, on Wood Creek, at the south end of the lake in the United States, on the direct thoroughfare to New York. The difficulty and danger of the passage up the St. Lawrence have made the route by the New York packets, and from New York by the Hudson and Lake Champlain, very generally used by the British proceeding from England to Canada.

I never observed land more in want of manure than this part of Canada, originally of indifferent soil, and now totally worn out by over-cropping, and in the most wretched state as to agriculture. Yet the manure in a great stable-yard belonging to the hotel where we lodge is thrown into the river, and obviously little use of it is made anywhere. We observed in this neighbourhood women at work in the fields, which is never to be seen in the United States.

CHAPTER IX.

Journey from Canada to Glen's Falls, in the State of New YorkFranklin Steam-Boat on Lake Champlain-Cross the Boundary to the United States-Plattsburg-Naval Action on the Lake-Port Kent-Burlington-Burning of Phoenix Steam-Boat-Crown Point -Ticonderago · Abercrombie's Expedition-Lord Howe killedBurgoyne's Capture of Ticonderago Whitehall - Burgoyne's March from Whitehall - Sandyhill-Indian Barbarities-Employment of Indians in War-Glen's Falls-Lake George-Driver of Barouche-Caldwell-Overcharge for Boat on the Lake-Conver sation with Driver of Barouche-Baron Dieskau's Defeat at Fort William Henry- The Bloody Pond - Montcalm's Attack, followed by Capitulation of Fort William Henry, and Barbarities of Indians -System of Schools in New York State, Connecticut, &c.—Presidential Election-Jefferson's Sentiments respecting the Contest between Jackson and Adams-Settlers in this Country-High Sheriff of the County-Advertisement of a Candidate for the Office.

From 17th to 20th September.

THE Franklin steam-boat, which is large and well managed, conveyed us from St. John's to Whitehall, a distance of 150 miles, over Lake Champlain. The provisions were excellent; and here, as in every place where we have yet been in the United States, places were left for us at the head of the table, on account of our being foreigners. I notice this particularly on this occasion, because there were several persons of