Canals have been projected, at many points, to unite the bay of Fundy with the opposite strait, and would be, if completed, a most useful inland route from the St. Lawrence into the Atlantic ocean.
St. John's is the only river of considerable magnitude which enters the bay of Fundy. This noble stream rises in Maine ; its extreme northern and north-western sources reaching to within 20 miles of the St. Lawrence. Flow. ing first to the north-east, then east, and finally south-east and south, falls into the bay of Fundy, after an entire comparative course of 350 miles, forming the largest stream on the Atlantic coast, between the basin of the Susquehanna and that of the St. Lawrence. The tide flows up this stream upwards of 80 miles : its mouth be tween St. John and Castleton is narrow, and impeded by a ledge of rocks, on which there is only 17 feet water at low tide. The St. John is very difficult of entrance, from the violence and eddying of the tide, and the incum bent mass of fresh water from the river.
The basin of St. John is about 250 miles in length, with a mean width of 100 miles, comprising an area of 25,000 square miles. In its natural state the St. John is one of the most navigable rivers in the Atlantic system, being much less impeded with falls than any other of the streams entering that ocean, between the Hudson and gulf of St. Lawrence. The lands watered by either the inain river or branches are also more fertile than that contained in the river basins north-east of the Connecticut. In point of climate the St. John's basin reaches the 48th degree of North Lat. ancl terminates on the Atlantic coast at North Lat. 45° 10', extending through near three degrees of latitude.
We now proceed to survey one of not only the greatest rivers of North America, but of the world, the St. Lau rence.
As a basin of inland commerce, it may indeed be truly asserted that the St. Laurence stands alone on the globe. The sublime and peculiar features of that unequalled assemblage of fresh water seas demand more than or dinary attention from the geographer and statistical in quirer. This immense basin extends from the mouth of the St. Laurence to the head waters of Lake Superior, 1350 miles, with a mean width of about 400 miles, and containing an area of upwards of 500 000 square miles.
The tide ascends fat cher in that basin than in that of any other of the knom,n world, or upwards of 400 miles, by comparative courses from the gulf, to about half way between Quebec and AIontreal. Above tide water to Ogdensburg, the navigation of the river is much im peded by shoal sand rapids, hut is in no place actually impassable with vessels. either ascending or descending. Ships of the line, of the fit si class, are navigated as high as Qucbec, and ve:sels of 400 tons are taken to Mon treal, upwards of 550 miles from the gulf. St. Lau rence basin is subdivided into three natural sections, or secondary basins. First, that of Lake Superior and tri butary streams ; second, that of Lakes Illano, Michi gan, and Erie ; third, that of Lake Ontario, ancl the re sidue of rivers to tide water. Of these in order.
Lake Superior is an immense reservoir, elevated above the level of the Atlantic tides 641 feet,* and extending over a square of 300 miles each side, or 90.000 square miles. Of this expanse Lake Superior itself occupies a triangle of 350 miles base, with a perpendicular of 160 miles, or embracing an area of near 30,000 square miles. This greatest fresh water lake of the globe extends from the straits of St. Mary to the mouth of St. Louis river, following the windings of the shore, 400 miles, with from 50 to 150 miles in width. Sufficient depth of water is every where found for the largest vessels. So much of the shore of this lake is rock bound, as to ren der its navigation in a high degree dangerous, and with the severity of the climate, and sterility of its adjacent shores in most places, will, in a great degree, deprive mankind of the benefits of such a sheet of water so far inland.
Draining 60,000 square miles of land, it must be ob vious that an immense body of water is poured into Lake Superior ; which, besides innumerable smaller streams, receives, from the south, Bois Brute, La Mauvaise, Montreal, Iron, and Huron rivers ; from the north, Red stone ; from the north-west, Grand Portage river ; and from the west, St. Louis river.