_Lake Superior_ is the largest body of fresh water in the world, being
four hundred miles in length, one hundred at its greatest breadth, and,
according to the most moderate computation, over twelve hundred miles
in circumference. Its shores are rocky and uneven, and it has a rocky
bottom. Its waters are pure and transparent, and it has been remarked,
that, although during the summer, the waters on its surface be warm,
nevertheless, by letting a cup down about a fathom, water may be taken
up nearly as cold as ice. It abounds in fish, particularly sturgeon and
long trout, many of which are from fifty to seventy pounds weight, and
constitute the principal food of the Algonquin Indians on its borders.
This lake has five large islands,[17] one of which, called _Isle Royal_,
is not less than a hundred miles in length, and in some places forty
in breadth. More than forty rivers discharge themselves into it, the
two largest called the Nipegon and the Michipicooton, from the north
and north-east sides. A small river which runs into it, not far from
the Nipegon, falls from the top of a mountain more than six hundred
feet perpendicular; appearing at a distance, to use Mr. Carver’s homely
comparison, like a white garter suspended in the air. On the banks of
one of the rivers which fall into its south side, virgin copper has
been found. The storms which occur on this lake are felt as severely
as on the Atlantic, the waves run equally high, and the navigation
is perhaps more dangerous.[18] When the wind blows from the east, the
waters are driven against the high rocks of the northern and western
shores, where they form a thick vapor resembling rain; and this action
of the wind creates an irregular ebb and flow. This never exceeds ten
or twelve inches; but the strong traces of the water on the rocks of
the shore show, that, at no very remote period, they were elevated six
feet above the present level. Mackenzie states, that some years ago the
waters suddenly withdrew near the Great Portage; then rushed back with
great velocity above the common mark; and, after rising and falling
during several hours, they settled at their usual level.
Notwithstanding its being fed by so many rivers, Lake Superior has
but one outlet by the Straits of St. Mary. At the upper end of these
straits, there is a rapid which cannot be ascended, but has sometimes
been descended, although the descent requires both skill and caution,
and perhaps not a little good fortune. A canal has been cut by the
North-West Company, along the northern banks, for the purpose of
facilitating their commerce, and they have here a considerable
establishment; but their chief fort and storehouses are situated at
Kamenestiquia, on the banks of a river which flows into Lake Superior,
on the north-west side, and affords an easy communication with the
interior. The Strait of St. Mary, it is supposed, does not discharge
one tenth of the waters which the lake receives from its numerous
rivers; part of the remainder escapes by evaporation, but how the
whole is discharged is yet a secret. It does not appear, however, that
an exact calculation has hitherto been made, either of the quantity
discharged or the quantity received. This lake lies between forty-six
and fifty degrees north latitude, and eighty-four and ninety-three
degrees west longitude.
_Lake Huron_, into which you enter by the Straits of St. Mary, is
next in magnitude to Lake Superior. It lies between forty-three and
forty-six degrees north latitude, and between eighty and eighty-five
degrees west longitude; in shape it is nearly triangular, and its
circumference is about a thousand miles. On the Canada side of this
lake is an island one hundred miles in length, and no more than eight
in breadth; it is called Manataulin, signifying a place of spirits,
and is considered as sacred by the native Indians. About the middle of
the south-west side of the lake is Saginaw Bay, about eighty miles in
length, and twenty broad; Thunder Bay, so called from the continual
thunder heard there, lies about half way between Saginaw Bay and the
north-west corner of the lake: it is about nine miles across either
way. The fish are the same as in Lake Superior. The promontory that
separates this lake from Lake Michigan is a vast plain, more than one
hundred miles long, and varying from ten to fifteen miles in breadth.
At the north-east corner, this lake communicates with Lake Michigan by
the Straits of Michilimackinac. It is very remarkable, that although
there is no daily flood or ebb to be perceived in the waters of these
straits, yet from an exact attention to their state, a periodical
alteration in them has been discovered. It has been observed that they
rise by gradual, but almost imperceptible degrees, till in seven years
and a half they had reached the height of about three feet; and in the
same space of time they gradually fell to their former state; so that
in fifteen years they had completed this revolution. This, however, is
not well established.[19]
_Lake Michigan_, formerly called _Lake Illinois_, and _Lake Dauphin_,
extends from the western angle of Lake Huron in a southerly direction,
and is separated from Lake Superior by the tongue of land which is
described above. It lies wholly within the territory of the United
States, between the parallels of forty-two and forty-six degrees.
Its waters are said to be unfathomable. At the southern extremity of
Lake Michigan is _Chicago Creek_, by which, in the rainy season, the
head-waters of the Illinois communicate with the lake; but the bar at
the mouth of the creek does not admit boats drawing above two feet of
water. A number of streams flow into the lake, on both the western and
the eastern sides. It abounds, like the others, with excellent fish.
‘Lake Michigan,’ says Mr. Schoolcraft, ‘from its great depth of water,
its bleak and unguarded shores――and its singular length and direction,
which is about four hundred miles from north to south, appears to be
peculiarly exposed to the influence of the currents of the atmosphere,
to whose agency we may attribute, at least in part, the appearances of
a tide, which are more striking upon the shores of this, than of any of
the other great lakes. The meteorological observations which have been
made, in the _Transalleghanian states_, indicate the winds to prevail,
either north or south, through the valley of the Mississippi; but
seldom across it, so that the surface of this lake would be constantly
exposed to agitation, from the atmosphere. These winds would almost
incessantly operate, to drive the waters through the narrow strait of
Michilimackinac, either into Lake Huron or Lake Michigan, until, by
their natural tendency to an equilibrium, the waters thus pent, would
react, after attaining a certain height, against the current of the
most powerful winds, and thus keep up an alternate flux and reflux,
which would always appear more sensibly in the extremities and bays of
the two lakes; and with something like regularity, as to the periods of
oscillation; the velocity of the water, however, being governed by the
varying degrees of the force of the winds.’
_Lake St. Clair_ lies about half way between Lakes Huron and Erie, and
is about ninety miles in circumference. It receives the waters of the
three great lakes, Superior, Michigan, and Huron, and discharges them
through the river or strait called Detroit, into Lake Erie. It is of
a circular form, and navigable for large vessels, except a bar of sand
toward the middle, which prevents loaded vessels from passing.
_Lake Erie_ is situated between forty-one and forty-three degrees of
north latitude, and between seventy-nine and eighty-three degrees west
longitude. It is two hundred and eighty miles long; opposite Cleveland,
in the state of Ohio, it is about sixty miles broad, to the eastward
it is above seventy. The average breadth is from fifty to sixty miles;
and its medium depth from forty to one hundred and twenty feet. The
water is pure and wholesome, and abounds with fish; such as sturgeon,
white-fish, trout, and perch. The lake does not freeze in the middle,
but is frequently frozen on both sides; and sometimes in winter, when
the wind is variable, the ice exhibits a singular phenomenon; a south
wind blows it all to the Canada shore, and a north wind again dislodges
it, and brings it back to the American side. There are a number of
islands in the west end of the lake, containing from eight hundred to
two thousand acres of land, and the scenery amongst them is charming;
but all these islands are so infested with snakes, that in the height
of summer it is really dangerous to land. This is the more to be
regretted, as the fine timber which grows upon them indicates that
the soil must be uncommonly fertile. But, in defiance of the snakes,
many of the islands are rapidly settling, and are found to be very
healthy and agreeable places of residence. This and the other lakes are
navigated by vessels of from seventy to eighty tons, which carry goods
and provisions as far as the head of Lake Superior, and bring back
furs and peltry. The navigation is good through the whole distance,
except in Lake St. Clair, where the water is shallow, and vessels are
sometimes obliged to lighten.
_Lake Ontario_ is situated between forty-three and forty-four degrees
of north latitude, and between seventy-six and eighty degrees west
longitude. It is about two hundred miles in length and forty in width;
its form nearly oval, and its circumference about six hundred miles.
It abounds with fish of an excellent flavor, among which are the
Oswego bass, weighing three or four pounds. Near the south-east part
it receives the waters of the Oswego river, and on the north-east it
discharges itself into the St. Lawrence. It is never entirely closed by
ice, and is computed from some soundings to be five hundred feet deep.
The _Ridge Road_, or _Alluvial Way_, is a remarkable ridge extending
along the south shore of this lake, from Rochester on the Gennessee
to Lewiston on the river Niagara, eighty-seven miles. It is composed
of common beach sand and gravel stones worn smooth, and these are
intermixed with small shells. Its general width is from four to eight
rods, and it is raised in the middle with a handsome crowning arch,
from six to ten feet. Its general surface preserves a very uniform
level, bring raised to meet the unevenness of the ground which it
covers. At the rivers Gennessee and Niagara, its elevation is about
one hundred and twenty or thirty feet; and this is its elevation above
Lake Ontario, from which it is distant between six and ten miles. There
seems to be no way of accounting for this ridge, without supposing that
the surface of Lake Ontario was one hundred and thirty feet higher at
some former period than it is at present. There is a similar ridge for
one hundred and twenty miles, on the south side of Lake Erie.
_Lake Champlain_ lies between the states of New York and Vermont,
and communicates with Lower Canada by the river Sorelle, which falls
into the St. Lawrence forty-five miles below Montreal. It is about one
hundred and twenty miles in length, and of various breadths: for the
first thirty miles, that is, from South river to Crown Point, it is
nowhere above two miles wide; beyond this, for the distance of twelve
miles, it is five or six miles across, it then narrows, and again
at the end of a few miles expands. That part called the Broad Lake,
commences about twenty-five miles north of Crown Point, and is eighteen
miles across in the widest part. Here the lake is interspersed with a
great number of islands, the largest of which, named _South Hero_, is
fifteen miles in length, and averages four in breadth. The soil of this
island is very fertile, and more than seven hundred people are settled
upon it. The Broad Lake is nearly fifty miles in length, and gradually
narrows till it terminates in the river Sorelle. Lake Champlain, except
at the narrow parts at either end, is in general very deep; in many
places sixty and seventy, and in some even a hundred fathoms. The
scenery along various parts of the lake is extremely beautiful, the
shores being highly ornamented with hanging woods and rocks, and the
mountains on the western side rise up in ranges, one behind the other,
in the most magnificent manner.
Remains of Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, important positions
during the old French wars, are found at two great bends of this lake.
On the 11th of September, 1814, Commodore McDonough, commander of the
American fleet, gained a complete victory over the British fleet in
Cumberland Bay, directly in front of the town of Plattsburg.
This lake opens a ready communication between New York and the country
bordering on the St. Lawrence. Through the town of Whitehall, which
stands at the head of the lake, a considerable trade is carried on
across Champlain with Lower Canada. On the British end of the lake,
one hundred and fifty miles from Whitehall, stands the garrison town
of St. John’s.
_Lake George_, which discharges itself into Lake Champlain, is the most
beautiful sheet of water in the whole country. It is thirty-six miles
long, and from two to four broad. It is situated in the eastern part of
the state of New-York. Its waters are deep and remarkably transparent,
and from their extreme limpidness, the French gave them the name of the
Lake of the Holy Sacrament. The shores consist of abrupt and shelving
points, and are bounded by two long ranges of mountains,[20] sometimes
rising boldly from the water, and at others ascending with a gentle
and graceful sweep, exhibiting naked and weather-beaten cliffs and wild
forests, intermixed with fine cultivated fields, lawns and pastures.
The village of Caldwell stands on the south-eastern side of the lake,
and is much visited by travellers who come to enjoy the fine scenery in
the neighborhood. A steam-boat plies upon the lake in summer.
The islands of the lake are said to be three hundred and sixty-five
in number. They are of every form and size, and contribute greatly
to the romantic beauty of its surface. Some of them are covered with
trees, others are thinly wooded, and others are abrupt and craggy rocks.
Diamond Island abounds in crystals of quartz. Long Island contains
one hundred acres, and is under cultivation. At a place called the
Narrows, the lake is contracted, and its surface is covered with a most
beautiful cluster of islands which extends for several miles. Some of
them are covered with trees, some show little lawns or spots of grass,
heaps of barren rocks, or gently sloping shores; and most of them are
ornamented with pines, hemlocks, and other tall trees, solitary or
in groups, and disposed with the most charming variety. Sometimes an
island will be found just large enough to support a few fine trees,
or perhaps a single one, while the next may appear like a solid mass
of bushes and wild flowers; near at hand, perhaps, is a third, with a
dark grove of pines, and a decaying old trunk in front of it; and thus,
through every interval between the islands, as you pass along, another
and another labyrinth is opened to view, among little isolated spots
of ground, divided by narrow channels, from which it seems impossible
for a man who has entered them ever to find his way out. Some of the
islands look almost like ships with their masts; and many have an air
of lightness, as if they were sailing upon the lake.
After passing the Narrows, the lake widens again, and the retrospect is
for several miles through that passage with ranges of rounded mountain
summits appearing at a great distance between them. The lake contains
abundance of the finest perch, bass, and other fish; trout are found
in a stream flowing into the southern part. Near the southern shore,
are the ruins of Fort William Henry and Fort George, celebrated in the
early wars of the French.
The state of New-York contains a vast number of small lakes. There
is scarcely a stream in the northern part of this state, but that has
its source in one of these, or runs through several in its progress,
whether to the great lakes or to Hudson’s river. _Seneca Lake_, in
the western part of the state, is about thirty-five miles in length,
from two to four in breadth, and of great depth. The water of this
lake has a gradual periodical rise and fall, once in several years, the
cause of which has never been ascertained. The view from the height of
land between Seneca and the adjacent lakes is extensive and agreeable.
_Cayuga Lake_ is thirty-eight miles long from north to south, and
from one to four miles wide; in some places the shore of this lake
is precipitous, but in general it is a gentle declivity from the
surrounding country to the water. The waters are somewhat shallow, but
sufficient for navigation. Several steam-boats ply upon them, and are
often crowded by water parties in the fine season. A bridge of a mile
in length crosses the north end of the lake.
_Oneida Lake_ is a beautiful sheet of water, twenty miles long and
four broad. It is famous for the abundance and excellence of its
fish. ‘I made a small excursion along the border of this lake,’ says
Mr. Schultz, ‘and although the shore was low, yet I found a firm, dry,
white, sandy beach to walk upon; some other parts of it, however, I
was informed, were low and swampy. I was much amused in the evening
by a singular illumination upon the lake, which I was at first wholly
unable to account for. The water at this part of the lake, it seems, is
very shallow for nearly half a mile from the shore, and being perfectly
transparent, and the bottom a white sand, the smallest object may be
readily distinguished. The Indians have a method of taking salmon and
other fish by means of an iron frame fixed in the bow of the canoe,
projecting forward three or four feet, and elevated about five; upon
this they kindle a bright fire of pine knots, and while one person sits
in the stern with a paddle to impel the boat forward, another stands
in the bow with a sharp spear ready to strike the fish who play about
the light. Ten or twelve of these canoes moving about irregularly on
the lake, on a fine calm evening, with the reflection of their lights,
like so many lines of fire, extending from each object to a centre on
which you stand, afford a most pleasing prospect, and far exceeds in my
opinion the most brilliant display of artificial fireworks.’
Among the smaller lakes of New York are _Onondago, Skeneatiles, Owasco,
Canandaigua, Otsego, Caniadebago, Oswegatchie, Cross, Hemlock, Hanyaga,
Canesus, Crooked, and Chatauque_. The latter is the most western of
all these lakes, near the north-east extremity of Lake Erie; it is only
eight miles distant from its shore, and the descent to Lake Erie is by
an easy slope. From this small lake issues one of the branches of the
Alleghany river, called Conewango, which is navigable for small craft
in all its extent.
New Hampshire contains several fine lakes, the largest of which
is Winnipiseogee, situated east of the centre of the state, and
towards the west side of Strafford county. It is a picturesque sheet
of water, of irregular form, twenty-two miles in length, and varying
in breadth from one to ten miles. Several long capes stretch into
it from both sides, almost dividing it into several parts. From the
southern extremity of this lake to the north-west corner, there is good
navigation in the summer, and generally a good road in the winter; the
lake is frozen about three months in the year, and many sleighs and
teams, from the surrounding towns, cross it on the ice.
Dr. Dwight has described this lake, as it appears from the top of
Red Mountain, with his usual felicity. ‘Immediately at the foot of
the height on which we stood, and in the bottom of the immense valley
below, spread south-eastward the waters of the Winnipiseogee in
complete view; except that one or two of its arms were partially
concealed by intervening peninsulas. A finer object of the same nature
was perhaps never seen. The lakes, which I had visited in my northern
and western excursions, were all of them undivided masses, bordered by
shores comparatively straight. This was, centrally, a vast column, if
I may be allowed the term, twenty-three miles in length, and from six
to eight in breadth, shooting out with inimitable beauty a succession
of arms, some of them not inferior in length to the whole breadth of
the lake. These were fashioned with every elegance of figure, bordered
with the most beautiful winding shores, and studded with a multitude of
islands. Their relative positions, also, could scarcely be more happy.
Illustration: Winnipiseogee Lake
‘Many of the islands are large, exquisitely fashioned, and arranged
in a manner not less singular than pleasing. As they met the eye, when
surveyed from this summit, they were set in groups on both sides the
great channel, and left this vast field of water unoccupied between
them. Their length was universally at right angles to that of the lake;
and they appeared as if several chains of hills originally crossing the
country in that direction, had, by some convulsion, been merged in the
water so low, that no part of them was left visible, except the oblong
segments of their summits. Of those, which, by their size and situation,
were most conspicuous, I counted forty-five, without attempting to
enumerate the smaller ones, or such as were obscured. The points, which
intrude into this lake, are widely different from those of Lake George;
bold, masculine bluffs, impinging directly upon the water. These, in
several instances, were spacious peninsulas, fitted to become rich and
delightful residences of man, often elevated into handsome hills, and
sloping gracefully into the lake.’
_Umbagog Lake_ is situated partly in the north-east corner of the
state, and is next in size to Winnipiseogee; it lies chiefly in Maine.
The others of New Hampshire are _Ossipee_, _Sanapee_, _Squam_, and
_Newfound_.
There are several large, and a vast number of small lakes in the state
of Maine. _Moosehead Lake_, the largest in New England, is the source
of the east branch of the Kennebeck, and is fifty miles in length by
ten or fifteen in breadth. _Sebago Lake_, in Cumberland county, is
twelve miles long. _Chesuncook Lake_ is twenty miles long and three
broad. In Vermont, besides Lake Champlain, which separates this state
from New York on the west, there are other lakes of minor importance,
deserving of notice. _Lake Memphremagog_, thirty-five miles in length
and three wide, lies chiefly in Canada, and communicates with the
St. Lawrence by the river St. Francis. _Willoughby Lake_, six miles
long and one wide, discharges its waters into Memphremagog by the
river Barton. This lake furnishes fish resembling bass, of an excellent
flavor, weighing from ten to thirty pounds.
A number of small lakes occur towards the sources of the Mississippi.
_Lake Pepin_ is an expansion of this mighty river, about one hundred
miles below the Falls of St. Anthony. It has been very fully and
beautifully described by Mr. Schoolcraft.
‘It is twenty-four miles in length, with a width of from two to
four miles, and is indented with several bays, and prominent points,
which serve to enhance the beauty of the prospect. On the east shore,
there is a lofty range of limestone bluffs, which are much broken
and crumbled, sometimes run into pyramidal peaks, and often present a
character of the utmost sublimity. On the west, there is a high level
prairie, covered with the most luxuriant growth of grass, and nearly
destitute of forest trees. From this plain several conical hills
ascend, which, at a distance, present the appearance of vast artificial
mounds or pyramids, and it is difficult to reconcile their appearance
with the general order of nature, by any other hypothesis. This lake
is beautifully circumscribed by a broad beach of clean washed gravel,
which often extends from the foot of the surrounding highlands, three
or four hundred yards into the lake, forming gravelly points, upon
which there is a delightful walk, and scalloping out the margin of the
lake with the most pleasing irregularity. In walking along these, the
eye is attracted by the various colors of the mineral gems, which are
promiscuously scattered among the water-worn debris of granitic and
other rocks, and the cornelian, agate, and chalcedony, are met with at
every step. The size of these gems is often as large as the egg of the
partridge, and the transparency and beauty of color is only excelled
by the choicest oriental specimens. There is no perceptible current
in the lake, during calm weather, and the water partakes so little
of the turbid character of the lower Mississippi, that objects can be
distinctly seen through it, at the depth of eight or ten feet.
‘In passing though Lake Pepin, our interpreter pointed out to us a
high precipice, on the east shore of the lake, from which an Indian
girl, of the Sioux nation, had, many years ago, precipitated herself
in a fit of disappointed love. She had given her heart, it appears, to
a young chief of her own tribe, who was very much attached to her, but
the alliance was opposed by her parents, who wished her to marry an
old chief, renowned for his wisdom and his influence in the nation. As
the union was insisted upon, and no other way appearing to avoid it,
she determined to sacrifice her life in preference to a violation of
a former vow, and while the preparations for the marriage feast were
going forward, left her father’s cabin, without exciting suspicion, and
before she could be overtaken threw herself from an awful precipice,
and was instantly dashed to a thousand pieces. Such an instance of
sentiment is rarely to be met with among barbarians, and should redeem
the name of this noble-minded girl from oblivion. It was Oola-Ita.’
_Cassina_ or _Red Cedar Lake_ derives some importance from having been
designated as the true source of the Mississippi river. It is about
eight miles long and six in breadth, and presents a beautiful sheet of
transparent water. On its banks are elm, maple, and pine trees, fields
of Indian rice, rushes and reeds; in other places there is an open
beach of clean pebbles. Pike, carp, trout and cat-fish are caught in
its waters. Towards its western extremity is an island covered with
trees, from which it derives its name, though no red cedar is found
around its shores.
_Turtle Lake_, _Little Winnepeg Lake_, _Leech Lake_, _Swan Lake_,
_Sandy Lake_, _Muddy Lake_, _Lake Peckagama_, and _White Fish Lake_,
are all near the source of the Mississippi. A narrow belt of high land
separates Turtle Lake, the most northern source of the Mississippi,
from _Red River Lake_, one of the sources of the Red river which runs
into Hudson’s Bay. _Otter Tail Lake_ is the most southern source of Red
river; and from thence is a portage of only half a mile to a branch of
Raven river, which falls into the Mississippi. The whole tract of high
country, at the sources of the Mississippi and Red river, is full of
marshes, morasses, and small lakes, whose waters afford never failing
supplies to these streams.
The _Lake of the Woods_ is of a circular figure, with a cluster of
islands in the centre. The navigating course through the lake, is
seventy-five miles; but, in direct distance, it is not above two-thirds
of that extent in diameter. Its scenery is wild and romantic in a
high degree. Its surface is covered with islands. From this lake there
is a long succession of small lakes, and numerous portages, to the
north-west end of Lake Superior, the chief of which is _Rainy Lake_.
Two small lakes, _Lake Biddle_, which gives rise to the Big Horn river,
and _Lake Eustis_, which is the source of the Jaune, or Yellow Stone
river, are situated amongst the Rocky Mountains, in west longitude one
hundred and twelve degrees, and north latitude forty-two degrees.
In the state of Louisiana are the lakes of _Maurepas_ and
_Pontchartrain_. The first of these is of a circular figure, twelve
feet deep, and fourteen miles in diameter. In the time of high floods,
it has a communication with the Mississippi, by means of the river
Amité, or Ibberville; and this inundation, which lasts only four
months annually, occasions what is erroneously called the island of
New Orleans, to be then an island in fact, for at no other time is
it environed with water, the city of New Orleans being situated on a
peninsula.[21] Lake Maurepas communicates with Lake Pontchartrain, by
a stream seven miles long, and three hundred yards wide, and divided
by an island extending from the lake to within a mile of Pontchartrain,
into two branches, of which the southern is the safest and deepest.
Lake Pontchartrain is nearly of a circular form, forty miles in its
greatest length, and thirty miles in its greatest breadth, and eighteen
feet deep. From this lake to the sea is ten miles, by a passage called
the _Regolets_, four hundred yards wide, and lined with marshes on each
side.
On the west side of the Mississippi are the lakes of _Great_ and
_Little Barataria_. The _Catahoola Lake_, sixteen miles long, and four
broad, is the source of a stream of the same name, which, uniting with
the Washita and Bayou Tenza rivers, form the Black river. This lake,
during the dry months, is covered with the most luxuriant herbage;
and is then the residence of immense herds of deer, and water-fowl,
which feed on the grass and grain. The other lakes of Louisiana are
_Calcasin_, _Borgne_, and _Bistineau_.
GENERAL REMARKS ON LAKES.
Extensive accumulations of water, surrounded on all sides by the
land, and having no direct communication with the ocean, or with
any sea, are called lakes. Lakes are of four distinct kinds. The
first class comprehends those which have no issue, and which do
not receive any running water. These are generally very small,
and do not merit much attention. The second class comprises those
lakes which have an outlet, but which do not receive any running
water. These lakes are fed by a multitude of springs; they are
naturally on great elevations, and are sometimes the sources
of great rivers. The third class of lakes is very numerous,
consisting of all such as receive and discharge streams of water.
Each of the lakes of this class may be looked upon as forming a
basin for receiving the neighboring waters; they have in general
only one opening, which almost always takes its name from the
principal river which flows into it. These lakes have often
sources of their own, either near the borders, or in their bottom.
The great lakes of North America are of this class, which in point
of extent resemble seas, but which, by the flow of a continual
stream of fresh river water, preserve their clearness and
sweetness. The fourth class of lakes present phenomena much more
difficult to explain. We mean those lakes which receive streams of
water and often great rivers, without having any visible outlet.
The most celebrated of these is the Caspian Sea; Asia contains
a great many others besides. South America contains the Lake
Titicaca, which has no efflux, though it is the receiver of
another lake. These collections of water appear to belong to the
interior of great continents; they are placed on elevated plains,
which have no sensible declivity towards the sea, and thus afford
no outlet. With respect to those situated in a hot climate,
evaporation is sufficient to carry off their excess of water.
The physical phenomena which certain lakes present, have
always excited the astonishment of the multitude. Those of
the _periodical lakes_ are the most common. In Europe these are
nothing but pools, but between the tropics these pools sometimes
cover spaces of several hundred leagues in length and breadth.
Such are the famous lakes of Xarages and Paria, inscribed on maps
of America, and expunged from them by turns; it is probable that
Africa contains a great many of this description. The depth of
lakes varies infinitely, and cannot form a subject of general
physical geography. The popular opinion, however, that there
are lakes without a bottom, is erroneous. Those which have been
considered as such, owe this character solely to the existence
of currents which carry along with them the lead attached to the
sounding line. The waters of lakes, being derived from springs and
rivers, partake of their different qualities. There are some lakes,
whose waters are extremely limpid, such as the lake of Geneva,
and that of Wetter in Sweden; in the latter, a farthing may be
perceived at the bottom of the lake, at one hundred and twenty
feet depth; but the lakes whose waters are motionless, saline, or
bituminous, may be looked upon as equally unwholesome with those
of marshes.
COMPARATIVE VIEW OF THE MOST CELEBRATED LAKES.
WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
_Square
_Surface._ miles._
Lake Superior 22,400
Lake Michigan 12,600
Lake Huron 15,800
Lake Erie 4,800
Lake Ontario 4,450
Great Slave Lake 12,000
Great Bear Lake 4,000
Winnepeg Lake 7,200
Lake Maracaibo 6,000
Athabasca Lake 3,200
Lake Titicaca 5,400
Lake St. George 340
Lake Champlain 350
Lake of the Woods 1,600
EASTERN HEMISPHERE.
Lake Tchad, Africa 11,600
Lake Ladoga, Russia 5,200
Lake Onega, Russia 3,300
Wetter Lake, Sweden 945
Lake of Constance, Switzerland 456
Geneva Lake, Switzerland 400
Loch Lomond, Scotland 27
Windermere Lake, England 11
Killarney Lake, Ireland 14
Loch Leven, Scotland 6