Of the latter, proceeding from west to east, the first which demands attention is Fox river, flowing into G reen Bay, or the north-western arm of lake Michigan. The entire length of thistiver is 260 miles, 50 of which con sist of lakes. It is foimed by two branches, the Va• seux, and Portage rivers, which unite 15 miles from Port age from thc latter to the Ouisconsin branch of Missis sippi. The Vaseux flows in from the north-west, and from its junction with the Portage river to Winnebago lake is 190 miles, following the windings of the stream. In this distance, Fox river in most places resembles a canal or strait more than a river, its current is gentle, and often expanded into lakes of considerable extent. The river here appears to wind across a valley, which is terminated by a ridge of hills crossing between Green Bay and 'Winnebago lake. 'Inc latter opens above the ridge we have noticed, and extends with a width of 5 or 6 miles about 24 in length. The adjacent country has been described as in a peculiar degree fertile and agreea ble to the eye.
At the bottom of the Winnebago lake, the river chang es its character : the shores become rocky, and preci pitous, and the bottom of the strcam much embarrassed with falls, rapids, and shoals. By a very circuitous chan nel of 40 miles, through this mountain pass, the naviga tion of the river is obstructed by the Winnebago, Little Kakalin, Grand Kakalin, ancl the Rock rapids. From the foot of the latter to the head ol Green Bay is about 6 miles of smooth water. At low water, late in the sum mer and early in autumn, the navigation of the moun tain pass of Fox river is extremely dangerous, difficult, and fatiguing, but during the spring floods may be as cended and descended with ease and safety.
een Bay extends 120 miles in length, in a direction of north north-east, nearly parallel to lake Michigan, with which it communicates by a wide strait, about 75 miles west from the straits of Michilimakinac. It was through this channel that the first discovery was made of the Mississippi river from Canada, and it has long continued and still remains the principal route from the Canadian sea to the upper waters of the Mississippi. The distance by comparative courses, from the mouth of Green Bay to the Portage, from the Fox to Ouiscon sin rivers, is 250 miles, and down the latter stream to its junction with the Mississippi 150 miles : but the dis tance following the windings of the stream is probably one-third more than by comparative courses, or from lake Michigan to the Mississippi about 530 miles.
The Ouisconsin, though a rapid stream, is unimpeded by either falls, shoals or rapids. . The Portage, from the Fox to the Ouisconsin river is one of those singular situations which the interior of America affords, where nature seems to have made preparation fur the opera tions of human intercourse. Both rivers originate about 100 miles to the north of the Portage, but at the latter place they approach to within 11 mile. The interven ing ground, level prairie, over which at high floods load ed canoes ate navigated from one stream to the other. This circumstance establishes the fact, of the facility of completing the connection by a short canal, perhaps with out locks.* The next point of contact between the navigable waters of the Canadian sea and Mississippi river, is ncar the south-west extremity of Lake Michigan. Here the small river Chicago, entering Lake Michigan, heads with the Theakiki branch of Illinois, and, from the nature of the intermediate country, opens at high water a natural, un interrupted route between those two great sections of the United States.
The following observations and facts were published, two years past, in a common newspaper, but we deem it necessary to republish the whole, as illustrating the sub ject we are now engaged to discuss.
Whilst engaged in collecting facts to show the di rect and remote connections which would be formed by the New-York canals, the subject of a natural communi cation between the Canadian sea and the waters of the 3,1ississippi, was often canvassed with more or less ac curacy, as the means of topographical information was more or less ample, and well authenticated. It has long been reported that a channel did exist at high watcr, be tween the south-west bay of Lake Michigan and the sources of the river Plein, (Theakiki,) a branch of the Illinois. Local knowledge upon that section of country has been, and continues to be, very limited ; but the fact of an intercommunication between the waters of Michi gan and Illinois, is now rendered certain, as far as the mere fact is concerned, though we yet possess no maps whose correctness of delineation can enable us to trace distinctly the interlocking streams. The following com munication, however, serves to throw light upon this truly interesting subject, and places the fact of a com munication of the nattire we have been reviewing beyond dispute.
" Passage by waterfrom Lake Alichigan into the Illinois River.—During the discussions respecting the feasibility and expediency of the New-York Grand Canal, it was asserted, that connecting the lakes with the Hudson, would, in fact, be opening a communication into the waters of the Mississippi, and effecting a route of inter nal navigation or boating from New-York to New-Or leans. It was asserted, that in the wet season, or during the high stage of the western waters, there was a pass age of boats from Lake Alichigan into the Illinois river. Most people, we believe, did not doubt the assertion— they supposed that, during some extraordinary season, a canoe of wood, but more probably of bark, had, partly by making its way through swamp, grass, and reeds, and partly by heing dragged through the mud, actually ef fected this wonderful passage ; and it proved, that canal connecting Lake AIichigan with the Illinois was not very difficult, and some hundred or hundred and fifty years hence might be deemed expedient. The writer of the present paragraph was not long since speaking on the subject to a gentleman residing in New-Otleans, and expressing an opinion similar to the foregoing, when the gentleman said, that in October 1805, he was one of a party who performed this passage, of which he related from memory the following particulars: ' Fort Dearborn, erected in 1804, is situated on the western bank of Lake Michigan, in lat. 42°, at the mouth of a smaller river or bayou, called Chicago, in width from 30 to 40 yards, and at its mouth perhaps 100. Passing through low meadows, it has little current, con siderable depth, and is navigable to its mouth. From this fort a detachment of 3 officers (of whom I was one) and 15 soldiers, with an experienced pilot, embarked in a large pirogue, on the 20th Oct. 1805, our destination St. Louis. We ascended the Chicago, without difficulty, from 35 to 40 miles, when, suddtnly, this small stream expanded into a lake, its length and breadth, judging solely by the eye, about 3 by 5 miles, without current or wave, the banks flat, and destitute of timber ; and we left it on the second day of our voyage, at the western end, through a stream or bayou resembling the Chicago, with a gentle current, but directly opposite course. In the dry season, say three months of the year, the waters of the lake disappear, and there is a portage of from 2 to 3 miles between the great lakes and the waters of the Mis sissippi. The stream on which we now entered, was called Theakiki, winds its course slowly west, through extensive meadows, and receiving on either side, at every 8 or 10 miles, small auxiliary streams, soon becomes sufficiently enlarged for heavy boat navigation.