No country in the world contains such immense depositories of fresh water as Canada. Its lakes are not only numerous, but they are unequalled in mag nitude by those of any other country in the world. Lake Superior, which is of a triangular form, is 381 miles in length, and 161 broad. Its circumference is above 1100 miles, and it is equally remarkable for the transparency of its waters and for their extra ordinary depth. Lake Huron yields but little, in point of extent, to Lake Superior. Its greatest length from west to east is 218 miles ; at its western extremity it is less than 100 miles, and at about 100 miles from its eastern shore it is scarcely 60 miles broad ; but near the centre it extends southward to the breadth of 180 miles. Its circumference, mea suring all the bendings of the coast, is about 812 miles. At the western angle of Lake Huron is Lake Michigan, which is 262 miles in length by 55 in breadth, and whose circumference is 731 miles. Lake Erie, which is connected with Lake Huron by the river Detroit, extends from south-west to north east 231 miles. It is 631 miles in breadth where it it is broadest, and is 658 miles in circumference. From the north-east extremity of Lake Erie, the communication to Lake Ontario is by the Niagara river, and is 36 miles in length. This lake is 171 in length; its greatest breadth is 591, and its circumference is 467 miles. In the interior, the country is covered with numerous smaller lakes, which are so connected, that, by the help of short pontages, and other expedients, a navigable commu nication, by means of canoes, is carried to the Lake of the Woods, Lake Winnipeg, and onwards to the distance of several thousand miles in the remote re gions of the north-west country.
In Canada, the opposite extremes of heat and cold are felt in all their exeess. The greatest heat experienced during the summer is from 96 to 102 degrees of Fahrenheit in the. shade ; but the usual summer heat varies from 75 to 80. In the winter, the mercury sometimes sinks to 31° and it has even been known to fall so low as 36° below O.• It never continues, however, above one or two days at these extremes, and it is not above once or twice in a sea son' that this excessive cold is *felt. The medima temperature of winter may be estimated, in to be from 20 to 25 degrees below 0. The pure air and c ;:udless sky, which always ac. company this intense frost, make it both pleasant and healthy, and render its effects on the humeri body much less severe than when the atmosphere is loaded with vapours. In the vicinity of the sea, to. wards the eastern coast of Lower Canada, fogs are frequently brought from the gulf of Lawrence, by the easterly wind. But to the westward they sel. dem prevail, and even at Quebec they are almost unknown. In Canada, the spring, summer, and au tumn are comprehended in five months, from May to September. The rest of the year may be said to consist wholly of winter. The summer commences in May, and ends with September. In October, frost begins to be felt, although during the day, the rays of the sun still keep the weather tolerably warm. In the succeeding month of November, the frost in creases in rigour, and one mow storm succeeds another, until the whole face of the country is cover. ed, and the eye looks in vain for one solitary spot of verdure whereon to rest. These storms are gene. rally accompanied by a violent tempest of wind, which, driving along the snow with immense veloci.
ty, renders them tenfold more gloomy and terrific. The most severe snow storms occur in November. They generally come from the north-east, from the frozen regions of Hudson's Bay and Labrador. This gloomy and disagreeable weather frequently con tinues to the middle or latter end of December, when the atmosphere clears; an intense frost sac ceeds—the sky becomes serene, pure, and frosty, and of a bright azure hue, and this cold and clear weather generally lasts till the month of May. The snow covers the ground to the depth of several feet, so that wheel-carriages can no longer be used. Their place is supplied by carioles, a sort of sledges, which, being placed on iron-runners, resembling in their form the irons of a pair of skaits, pass over the hardened snow without sinking deep. Those car riages are generally light open vehicles, drawn by one horse, to which the snow, after it is trodden for some time, and hardened by the frost, offers eery little resistance. In these vehicles, the Canadians travel in the most agreeable manner, and with incon ceivable rapidity. So light is the draught, that the same horse will go in one day 80, and sometimes 90 miles, and the inhabitants of this cold climate al ways take advantage of the winter season, when they can travel so easily and expeditiously, to visit their friends who live at a distance. Covered carioles are sometimes used to protect the travellers from dm wea ther. But, in general, open carriages are preferred.
About the beginning of December, all the small rivers are completely frozen over and covered with snow. Even the great river St Lawrence is arrest ed in its course, and from the beginning of Decem ber till the middle of April, the navigable communi cation is interrupted by the frost. During this pe riod, the river -from Quebec to Kingston, and be tween the great lakes, except the Niagara and the rapids, is wholly frozen over. The great hakes are never entirely covered with ice ; but it usually shuts ' up all the bays and inlets, and extends many miles towards the Centre of those inland seas. In Lake Superior, which is furthest to the north, the ice ex tends 70 miles from the shore. It is seldom that the river is frozen over below Quebec. But the force of the tides is continually detaching the ice from its shores, and thoiie immense masses are kept in such constant agitation that navigation is ren dered quite impracticable. In some seasons, though rarely, the river is frozen completely over below Quebet ; and this happens when large masses of ice come in contact, and fill the whole space between one side of the river and the other, in consequence of which the whole becomes stationary. if this takes place at neap tides, and in calm weather, the intense frost gives it solidity before it can be de ranged by the rising tides ; and when it has stood some days, it remains firm and immoveable, till it is dissolved and broken up by the warmth of ;he April sun. When the river is frozen over, it is of great advantage, both to the inhabitants of Quebec, and to those ef the adjacent country, as it affords an easy mode of transporting into the town all sorts of bulky commodities, such as fire-wood, and other produce. It thus reduces the price of those necessary articles in Quebec, while by diminishing the price of car , riage, it opens to the produce of the most distant parts of the country, a quick and easy access to all the most eligible markets.