USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 1 > Part 11
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Schuyler's lake is in the same county, four or five miles north- west. It is five miles long, and from one to two broad, and
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. has an elevation not inferior to Otsego. Its issue descends into the Susquehannah. The hills around it are varied and beautiful. Perch, and other fine flavored fish, dwell in its pure waters.
The Agoneaseah called it Con-yagh-di-ra-go. Parties of this people went every year from Nowadaga, &c. to its shores, for the purpose of hunting deer.
Linklaen's lake, in the town of Cazenovia, and county of Madison, is four miles in length, and about one in breadth. The Agoneaseah called it Hawgena. It is a handsome reser- voir of water, environed by a gently waving country. Chitten- ingo creek is its drain. Its surface is nearly 900 feet above that of the ocean.
Green Pond is in the town of Manlius, in the county of On- ondaga. Its circuit is about three miles, and its elevation near- ly or quite as great as that of Linklaen's lake. It is surround- · ed by high rocky and precipitous banks. Its waters have a beautiful sea-green colour, and are 200 feet deep.
Mud Pond is one mile in length, and half a mile in breadth. It is in the western part of the town of Onondaga. Its depth is so inconsiderable that it might be drained at a small expense. :
Otisco lake, lying in the southern part of the county of On- ondaga, is four miles long and one broad. Nine Mile creek, which falls into the west side of Onondaga lake, issues out of it at its north end. Otisco inlet enters its south end. Its surface is about 1000 feet above the tide waters of Hudson's river.
Skaneatelis is situated in the westerly part of the county of Onondaga, about eight or nine miles south of the Erie canal. Its length is fourteen miles, and its breadth from one to two. It stretches from south southeast to north northwest. Its outlet is at its northern extremity, and descends into Seneca river. The · surface of this lake is about 840 feet above the ocean.
Skaneatelis is a handsome expanse of water. Its shores are bordered, in great part, with rich and well cultivated farms. The southerly half of this lake is bounded by hills, which have considerable elevation.
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Owasco lake is in the county of Cayuga, nearly midway be- tween Skaneatelis and Cayuga lakes. It extends from south to north, about eleven miles, inclining some to the northwest. Its breadth is from one to two miles. Owasco outlet, at its north- erly end, is its drain. An inlet of the same name enters its head. The surrounding country is either hilly or moderately uneven. The surface of this lake is nearly 670 feet above tide water at Troy.
Cayuga lake, stretching nearly from south to north, is thirty- six miles long, and from one to four broad .. Its outlet is about twenty-five miles south of lake Ontario. Its shores are often low, but not marshy, except about its issue. The country around its head is hilly, and towards its foot champaign. Its surface contains about eighty square miles. In some parts its waters are so deep that they are seldom closed with ice during the rigours of winter.
Several streams, such as Main inlet, Six Mile creek, Fall creek, and Salmon creek pour their waters into it.
Salmon, bass, pike, pickerel, trout, and other fish, are found iu it in considerable numbers.
This lake, in its primitive state, extended northerly over the Montezuma marshes, and southerly over part of the vale of Ithi- ca, and had an extent of about fifty miles. At present, during high spring floods, it rises and overspreads these marshes.
Seneca lake is thirty-three miles in length from south to north, and from two to four in breadth from east to west. It lies be- tween seven and seventeen miles west of Cayuga lake. Its surface is sixty feet higher than that of Cayuga lake, and about 431 higher than the tide water of Hudson's river at Troy. It is one of the handsomest lakes in the Fredish States, or per- haps in the world. Its waters are deep and pure, and have a sea-green tint. It is open all the year. The outlet of Crooked lake, Cashong creek and Seneca inlet fall into it. Its super- fices do not vary much from ninety square miles.
The country, except around its head, is beautifully variega- ted with gentle rises, plains of moderate extent, woods, lawns, and well cultivated farms. Its shores are mostly composed of
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shistic rocks of a fragile texture. - Its drain is at its northeast corner.
The waters of Seneca lake, like those of Cayuga, have re- ceded in the lapse of time. This is manifested by an inspection of the country at its extremeties.
Crooked lake is situated in the counties of Steuben and Yates, a few miles westwardly of Seneca. It is about eighteen miles in length, and extends northwardly. Near its center it separ- ates into two arms.
Its outlet is at the end of the eastern arm. It is 700 feet above · tide water on Hudson's river, and 269 above Seneca lake. The adjacent country is considerably broken with hills.
Little lake and Mud lake, in the county of Steuben, are a few miles from Crooked lake, but they are too inconsiderabe to demand notice.
Canandaigua lake, lying about thirteen miles westwardly of Seneca lake, is fourteen miles in length from south southwest to north northeast, and from one to two in breadth. It discharges its waters at its northeastern end, by Canandaigua outlet or ri- ver. Its surface is 670 feet higher than the tide water of the Hudson. The lands around this lake are fertile, and the scene- ry varied and beautiful. A small stream enters its head, called its inlet.
Honeyoe lake is about five miles long, and one broad, lying from south to north-its outlet makes its way into Genesee river.
Caneadea is a little west, and is about three miles long, and half a mile broad.
Hemlock, which lies westerly of Caneadea, is about six miles long from south to north, and one or two broad-its issue joins that of Honeyoe.
Canesus, situated westwardly of Hemlock, is about seven miles in extent from south to north, and from one to two in 1 breadth from east to west-its outlet runs into Genesee river.
These lakes are between Canandaigua lake and Genesee river. Their surfaces are lower than Canandaigua-the two first are in the county of Ontario, the others are in the county of Liv -. ingston.
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Little lake, in the town of Perry, county of Genesee, is two miles long and half a mile broad.
Chatauque lake, in the county of the same name, is a fine sheet of water. It is sixteen miles in length, and from one to four in breadth-its extent is nearly from northwest to south- east. The northwest end of this lake is only seven miles from Lake Erie. Its outlet, which has the same name, is boatable into Conewango, and thence down to the Alleghany. May- ville, the shire town of the county, is near the lake's head, and distant from Portland, on Lake Erie, eight miles. The con- tiguous country is rich and beautiful. The lake's surface Is about 1,400 feet above the ocean.
Cosdaga is in the same county, eight or nine miles north of Chautauque lake, and about seven miles southeast of Lake Erie. Its length is three miles and its breadth one-its outlet falls into that of Lake Chautauque. In swells it is navigable for boats. There is a portage, or carrying place, between its head and the boatable part of Canada-way, which discharges itself into Lake Erie-it was used by the Agoneaseah.
Limestone Pond, in the county of Cattaraugus, is about as large as Cosdaga-it is situated very nearly on the height of land between Cattaraugus creek and Alleghany river. Its drain makes its way into the former stream.
.Cross lake is situated in the county of Onondaga, about eleven miles westwardly of Onondaga lake. Its extent, from · north to south, is about five miles, and from east to west, about two. Seneca river, in its way from the Montezuma marshes to Three River Point, passes through its south end. Cross Lake is in the Seneca and Oneida vale-its surface is 370 feet above tide water at Troy. The country around this lake is low, flat and swampy.
Otter and Parker's Ponds are in the county of Cayuga, and in the same vale. They are small, and lie northwest of Cross lake.
Onondaga* lake is in the county of that name. It extends nearly from south southeast to north northwest six miles, and
* Gannentaha is the ancient name of the country around Onondaga lake. VOL. I.
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. has a breadth of one mile. Its shores are low, and in general swampy and marshy. The celebrated Saline Springs are around its head, in the marshy and swampy grounds-its surface is about 366 feet above the ocean. Onondaga and Nine Mile creeks fall into it. The former is about twenty miles long, and opens at its head; the latter, including Otisco inlet, is longer-its entrance is on the west side towards the outlet.
Onondaga lake is environed by a brim or rocky steep of sixty or seventy feet descent. The steep is from. thirty to sixty rods from its shores, and is very abrupt. Between the brim and shore the waters are shoal. The issue of this lake enters Seneca river after a course of about one hundred rods- it is artificial-the old drain was closed in 1823, upon opening the new-the surface of the lake has been depressed by the new drain nearly two feet. The waters of this lake are joined to the Erie canal by the Oswego canal, commencing at Syracuse and ending at Oswego. -
There are some fine views of this lake and the neighbouring parts. That from Onondaga hill, distant five or six miles, is perhaps the best. From this place we see the whole lake and ad- jacent country, together with the villages of Geddysburg, Sy- racuse, Salina and Liverpool, lying as it were beneath our feet.
Oneida lake is twenty-one miles in length, and from three to five in breadth, extending nearly from east to west-its shores are low, wet, swampy and marshy. The surrounding country, on all sides, has a similar character, and presents nearly a dead · level. Chittiningo, Oneida, Fish and other creeks empty their waters into it. Its surface is about 376 feet higher than the ocean. The distance between its head and the Mohawk river, at Rome, in the county of Oneida, is about thirteen miles.
Its waters are stored with salmon, bass, pike, cat-fish (weigh- ing from four to fifty pounds,) dace, suckers, perch, eels, &c.
Oneida lake contains between seventy and eighty square miles.
Cayuga, Cross, Onondaga and Oneida lakes are detached portions of a lake which once overspread the vale of Oneida
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and Seneca. . The latter was severed from Lake Ontario when its barrier on the St Lawrence, sunk below the level of the ridge or spine, between the Oneida and Seneca vale and that lake. Two mounds, the one over the valley of Oswego river, and the other between Little Sodus bay and the Montezuma marshes, of sixty feet elevation, would, at this day, connect all these lakes, and diffuse the waters over most of the vale. The difference in the surfaces of these lakes is very inconsiderable. We shall set them down for the satisfaction of the reader. Oneida lake is 130 feet above the level of Lake Ontario, Onondaga lake is 124, and Cayuga 150. The greatest difference is 26 feet. The Erie canal is not 60 feet above Oneida lake. Almost the whole country from Oriskinny to the western side of the Mon- tezuma marshes, is very nearly a level. Every thing announces the former existence of a lake, such as levels, swamps, marshes, morasses, &c.
Mary's lake, in the county of Oswego, is three miles in cir- cuit. It is midway between Oneida lake and Lake Ontario, being about ten miles distant from both. Its position is on the height of land.
Fish Pond, also in the same county, is about two miles and a-half long, and nearly two broad. It is westwardly of Oswego falls. Its outlet enters the river two miles below.
Oswegatchie, or Black lake, is situated in the county of St. Lawrence, four or five miles southeasterly of the St. Lawrence. It extends nearly twenty miles from southwest to northeast, and has a breadth of from half a mile to two miles. Indian river enters at its head, and issues at its foot. The bordering coun- try is champaign.
In the vicinity of Oswegatchie lake, there is a group of ponds and small lakes, exceeding twenty in number. They commu- nicate with St. Lawrence, Oswegatchie and Indian rivers, and Oswegatchie lake.
Having described the principal lakes and ponds which lie within the State, we shall proceed to a description of such as adjoin it :-
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Lake Ontario,* the lowest of the five great lakes, is about one hundred and eighty miles in length, and from twenty to fifty-five miles in breadth. It extends nearly from west to east, and is partly in this State, and partly in the Province of Upper Canada. The boundary line passes through it from the mouth of Niagara river, to its outlet at the head of the 'Thousand Is- lands. It is a beautiful inland sea, of pure fresh water. Its shores are low, but not marshy or swampy. ' The contiguous country is either flat or very gently rolling. Its brim comes up almost to its shores. The water within the brim, in many places, is 500 feet deep. The navigation is good, and not at- tended with those dangers incidental to the other great lakes.
Niagara, Genesee, Oswego, Big Salmon and Black rivers enter on its south and east sides. Trent river falls into the head of the bay of Quinty.
The Niagara, owing to its enormous volume of water, and its rapidity, forms a current for many miles after its entrance. This is very obvious when it discharges the ice of Lake Erie, particularly in calms. The discharge continues from one to two months, and is usually in April and May. Partial dis- charges occur in the early part of winter, and in February and March. In May the discharge is so great. that the coast east- wardly from the river for thirty miles, is literally covered with · loose buoyant ice.
Lake Ontario has several spacious bays and fine harbours. We shall enumerate them.
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Chaumont bay is at the east end of the lake, in the county of Jefferson. Strictly speaking, it consists of three branches. Henderson's bay, Hungry bay and Chaumont bay. Sackett's Harbour is formed by Hungry bay, lying to the north and northeast of the village, and Henderson's bay, lying to the southwest .. The former ends in the mouth of Black river, and is five miles long, and from one to two broad. The latter is almost as large. Both unite westwardly of the village, and these again with Chaumont bay, and constitute a grand basin, covered by the Galoes and Stony islands, seven or eight miles
* The Agoneaseah called this lake Oswego. See 1 rol. U. S. lors, p. 307.
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distant. Two passages, the west and north, lead out of the harbour into the lake. Ships of the largest dimensions anchor at the village, within a few rods of the shore, and are perfectly secure from winds.
Chaumont bay is north of Hungry bay. It is very capa- cious, embracing a circuit of twenty miles and upwards, and admits all kinds of vessels.
Kingston harbour, in Upper Canada, is on the north branch of the issue of Lake Ontario. The Main is on the north, and Grand Island on the south. It is very secure, and allows an ingress and egress to large ships.
The bay of Quinty, in the same Province, is fifty-five miles long, and from two to five broad. Point Peninsula lies between it and the lake. The entrance is near Kingston. There are several harbours in this bay.
Little York harbour, or Teoronto, on the north side of the lake, nearly opposite to the embouchure of the Niagara, is six miles long, and , extends from southwest to northeast. A low strip of land, projecting into the lake, forms the southeast side of the bay. The water is shoal towards and around its head. It is not a very good harbour. :
Burlington bay, at the head of the lake, is seven miles long, and five broad. Its form is somewhat triangular. It is joined to the lake by a small strait. ii
Niagara river affords a convenient harbour. It has three fathoms of water over the bar at its disemboguement.
Genesee and Oswego rivers have eight or nine feet of water at their mouths, and admit ordinary lake vessels.
Teorouto, or Irondequot bay, four miles and a-half east of Genesee river, has seven or eight feet of water over its bar.
Great Sodus bay, in Wayne county, twenty-seven miles east of the preceding, has about eight feet of water at its mouth.
Fish, Braddock's, and Little Sodus bays have each six or seven feet of water.
Lake Ontario contains several islands which are situated mostly around its outlet and along its east end-we shall do 110- thing more than name them. . They are, Simco, Tonte, Quinty.
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Grenadier and Stony islands, the Galoes, Fox islands and Duck islands.
The superfices of this lake, we have estimated at 6,400 square miles.
The surface of Lake Ontario is not near so large or high as it was in its primitive state. This is demonstrated by certain remains of its ancient shores which have withstood the levelling hand of time. Of these remains the ridge road, or beach, is the most entire. It commences on the borders of the Niagara river, at the village of Lewistown, and extends eastwardly of Big Sodus bay, a distance of one hundred and fifteen, or twenty miles, by its windings .. It is distant from four to seven miles from the lake's present shore. Its course is parallel with the lake coast. It is from five to twenty-five feet high, and from four to one hundred rods broad, and even more in some places ; it is about one bun- dred and thirty feet higher than the surface of the lake. The intervening space is a plain, with a gradual slope down to the shore. Portions of the same beach have been traced eastward- ly to Oswego river.
These remains or beaches, arc composed of loam, sand, gra- vel and pebbles, and some rounded stones, (water worn stones) evidently heaped by the waves. In some places there are two declivities, while in others there is only one. : The declivity to- wards the lake is the longest, the most abrupt, and the best de- fined. On the opposite side, where the declivity is wanting, we generally find swamps and marshes. The surface of this beach is decomposed-within pebbles and stones are found. . Its ele- vation appears very uniform. Its components differ from those of the soil on which it rests. At every stream it is interrupted, ending on the brink of the ravine on one side, and beginning on the brink on the other side. The beds of the streams, from the ridge, down to the lake, have been formed since the retreat, of the waters. When Lake Ontario came up to the foot of the beach, and when its waves rolled in and dashed against it, it must have stretched across the ravines at times, very much in the same manner that the small beaches do now at the mouths of those streams, on the prevalence of certain winds.
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The retrocession of the waters of the primitive lake corres- ponded with the lowering of the issue or drain above Ogdens- burg. As this sunk the surface subsided. The sinking and subsidance in all probability were gradual.
Lake Erie,* the second of the great lakes, is two hundred and seventy five miles long and forty broad, and is situated between · forty-one and forty-three degrees of north latitude. It lies in the States of New-York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, the Territory of Michigan and the Province of Upper Canada. Its form is oval. It extends from southwest to northeast. Niagara river connects it with Lake Ontario, and Detroit river with Lake St. Clair. The country around this lake is either plain or cham- paign, except on the southeast, where the Chautauque hills rise at a little distance. Its shores are low, a few places excepted, and often wet and swampy.
Note .- In giving the length, breadth, and superfices of this lake, the reader will find that these fall greatly under those heretofore given by authors, &c. This course, how. ever, we deemed necessary in order to correct errors which have been copied for ages.
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Erie, in general, is not deep. Two hundred feet is the great- est depth yet found. The water along its coasts, and in certain places, some way out, are so shoal that the bottom may be seen. During severe winters it shuts entirely up. In general it is not wholly freed of ice before the middle of May. Its navigation is commonly suspended from the fifteenth of November, to the latter end of April, or the middle of May, every year.
In the southwestern part of the lake there are several small islands.
The first are called the Bass islands,'and are seven in number. The three largest lie nearly north and south of each other, and are severally two miles and an half long, and half a mile wide. On the northside of the southernmost is the commodious har- bour of Put-in-bay.
The Hen and Chickens are four very small islands, lying near each other, six or seven miles northwest of the Bass islands. They serve as land marks.
" The Agoneaseah anciently called this lake Kau-ha-gwa-rah-ka, i. c. a Cap : and latterly Frie, Erige or Erike, which, according to Hennepin signifies Cat's eve.
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Long Point, a low narrow strip of land, projects from the Canada side, easterly into the lake, about twenty-three miles. It is opposite to the Pennsylvania triangle, and sixty miles southwesterly of Buffalo. A narrow isthmus joins it to the main.
Point au Plait, on the same side, nearly over against San- dusky bay, extends southeasterly into the lake twelve or thir- teen miles.
Lake Erie has few or no good harbours. Buffalo, at its out- let, has seven or eight feet of water over the bar.
Cattaraugus creek has about four feet of water on the bar at its mouth.
Dunkirk, in the county of Chatauque, forty-five miles south- westerly of Buffalo, admits vessels drawing six or. seven feet. Its entrance is crossed by a rocky bar.
Presque Isle, now called Erie, in the northwest corner of Pennsylvania, is eight or nine miles long, and from one to three broad, stretching from north to south. It has two openings into the lake. The one has been formed within a few years, by the encroachment of the lake. Vessels enter it by the south- ern opening. There are eight or nine feet of water over the bar. It is ninety-six miles southwest of Buffalo.
The mouths of Cayahoga and Rocky rivers admit vessels at times. They are in the State of Ohio.
Sandusky bay is entirely within the same State. It is twenty miles in length, and from three to four in breadth. It stretches in a west and east direction, and communicates with the lake by a narrow strait at its easterly extremity. A low strip of land of a peninsular form, lies between it and the lake. , There are seven or eight feet of water over the bars at its mouth.
Maumee bay, at the southwestern extremity of the lake, form- ed in part by the dilatation of Maumee river, is about eight miles long and three broad, with seven feet of water over the bars. At the mouth of this bay there is an island, three-fourths of a mile long, in the form of a crescent. Maumee bay is in the Territory of Michigan.
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Detroit river, at its embouchure, makes a pretty good harbour. ' Grand river, or the Ouse, on the northwest side of the lake, about twenty-five miles above its issue, has eight feet of water over the bars at its mouth. The Welland canal, now construct- ing, commences here.
Niagara river affords a harbour in storms.' The rapidity of its current prevented its being used till lately, except in cases of necessity. Vessels now descending the rapids are passed up through the lock at the lower end of the harbour of Black Rock.
All the bays and rivers belonging to this lake have bars at their entrences. Most are subject to temporary obstructions.
The following rivers fall into Lake Erie, exclusive of De- troit river, and Cattaraugus and Buffalo creeks : to wit, the Rais- in and Maumee, from Michigan ; Carrying, Sandusky, Huron, Vermillion, Black, Rocky, Cuyahoga, Chagrine, Grand, Ash -- tabula and Conneaught, from Ohio; and Ouse from Upper Canada.
Lake Erie occupies a commanding position. Its extremities communicate with the Erie canal and Lakes Huron and Michi- gan, while its extended sides open avenues to the fertile regions situated around it. In a century from now, when those regions will be well peopled and cultivated, its waters will be whitened with canvass, wafting the products to Buffalo, and other places, around its outlet.
Lake Erie contains about 8,500 square miles.
Lake St. Clair is nearly midway between Lakes Erie and Huron, and forms the link between Detroit and Huron rivers. It is about twenty-five miles long and eighteen or twenty broad. Huron river opens into it by several mouths, and Detroit river issues out of it.
Huron, from Michigan, and De Trench, from Upper Cana- da, fall into Lake St. Clair.
Lake Huron is almost nine hundred miles in circumference. Its shape is nearly triangular. Huron river, its issue, leaves it at its southeastern angle. St. Mary's river, the issue of Lake Supe- rior, enters at its western angle. According to recent estimates VOL. I. 16
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