congenial to his habits, it is curious that the Northern Emigrant has so often neglected the banks of the St. Lawrence to seek those of the Mississippi.” I perfectly agree with Mr. Darby, and recommend any one determined to emigrate (which I by no means advise him to do if he can possibly find subsistence at home), to settle either on the frontier of Canada, or in those parts of the United States that border it. For my own part, if I were to leave England, I would settle in the State of New York.

To an emigrant who has some little capital, the United States afford a better prospect than the Canadas; for he may buy land cheap, may trade if he please to any part of the world, and may even look forward to the possibility of his children's rising to the highest offices in the State, if they have merit or abilities sufficient to advance themselves. Moreover, if one must emigrate, let it be to that Country, where there is more freedom than where else on the face of the earth, th

any

On the other hand, to a poor man, to whom every dollar is an object, and who cannot afford to purchase land, Canada offers decidedly the greatest advantages; for the government will give not only him, but also each grown up member of his family, a moderate sized tract of land, upon the condition of his clearing it, and building a log-house upon it. However, I should consider both New York and Canada far preferable to the Prairies of the West,

not only on account of proximity to markets, but because the climate is incomparably more healthy. So strongly am I persuaded of this, that I would rather possess a farm of 200 acres in the Western part of the State of New York or in Upper Canada, than one of three times the extent in Indiana, Illinois, or Missouri.

་

From Niagara I went in the Steam boat to Sackett's Harbour, touching at the mouth of the Gennessee river. The boat was a very fine one, with excellent accommodations; and as it kept near the southern shore of the Lake, we were within sight of land during the whole distance of 186 miles.

Sackett's Harbour is the depôt for the Ame rican Shipping on Lake Ontario. The vessels that were in the water, appeared to be rotting and going to pieces, as fast as well could be; for many of them were half full of water, and some completely scuttled. There is however an immense line-of-battle ship of 110 guns that has not yet been launched. This has a house built over it, and is in excellent preservation. I was told that at a little distance from the harbour, there was one, nearly as large, on the stocks..

From Sackett's Harbour I crossed over to Kingston in a small packet boat; and as there had been some gales on the upper part of the Lake, there was so much swell, that I experienced the same sickness as if I had been at sea. Indeed in all:

these large fresh water Lakes, the swell is so con siderable during a breeze, that even the steamboats of several hundred tons burden, exhibit the scenes, which, if we may believe Caricatures, very frequently take place on board a Margate Hoy.

In crossing from Sackett's Harbour to Kingston, a distance of thirty-six miles, the lake exhibits a very pleasing scene, from the numerous islands with which it is diversified.

,

Kingston is the British naval depôt, and is a very pretty and flourishing little town. The harbour is an excellent one, and is well defended by some batteries and a large fort. Several vessels were afloat here, which though decaying, were kept in much better order than those on the American side. But there were two large frames upon the stocks, which not being housed, will I think, be in a short time extremely injured by the sun and rain. The barracks, which are tolerably well built and very comfortable, were occupied by a regiment of light infantry and a company of artillery. Kingston is by far the most flourishing town of Upper Canada, though York is nominally the capital of the province.

Some fine Steam-boats ply from this place to Prescot, a distance of seventy-five miles. The broad expanse of the St. Lawrence, from its origin in Lake Ontario, to Brockville, twenty miles above Prescot, is studded with numerous islands, which are covered with the most luxuriant foliage,

wherever their rocky surface affords any place for trees to fix themselves. These, from their number, have been called "the thousand islands," and this part of the St. Lawrence "the Lake of the thouSand islands;" but their exact number was not known, until the Commissioners for determining the boundary between the United States and Canada, ascertained, that there were 1692, reckoning as an island, every rock on which there was a tree. These islands, being of various shapes and sizes, from the simple rock on which grows a solitary pine or cedar, to the largest, eighteen miles in length, afford an infinite diversity of picturesque views. We sometimes glided through a small narrow channel, bounded by perpendicular rocks, which almost touched the sides of the Steam-vessel, At other times we entered a broader expanse, where the islands formed numberless beautiful vistas, which, from the rapid progress of the boat, were continually varying. The pure clear water of the St. Lawrence, so different from the muddy streams of the other American rivers, added considerably to the general effect. I never in my life have beheld a scene of such romantic beauty.

The islands terminate at Brocksville; and from thence to Prescot the channel of the St. Lawrence is open and picturesque, being about a mile and a half wide, with bold rocky banks on each side.

The steam-boats do not proceed beyond Prescot, a small village situated at the head of the rapids.

These continue at intervals to interrupt the naviga tion all the way down to Montréal, except for Batteaux and flat-bottomed boats, in one of which I accordingly determined to embark. Tady se

The bottom of the Channel of the St. Lawrence makes in many places a considerable slope, down which the whole body of water rushes with surprising velocity.

There is generally only a very small part of the channel where the boats can pass; and they must be piloted with a great deal of skill and sang-froid, especially as in the worst part, called "the lost channel," they would be dashed to pieces in an instant. The water, which is very much agitated in every part of the rapids, assumes in the lost channel the appearance of the most terrible surf. The rapids are of different lengths. The longest, called the "Long Sault," continues for nine miles! The worst is the Rapid of the Cedars, where the water curls up, roars, foams, and splashes over one, and where the only safe part of the channel is so narrow, that if the boats are not kept in an accurately straight line, they are inevitably lost. It was curious to see the velocity with which the trees on the banks appeared to run past us; indeed the whole voyage afforded me a great deal of amusement, though when going down some of the worst rapids, I was obliged to hold my breath between fear and admiration.

I stopped for the first night at the top of Lake