Litchfield enquirer., 1830-08-26
[From the New-YOTk observerl LETTERS FROM THE WEST.
BUFFALO, July l7, 1880.

outlet to the East. It stands in the same re- lation to those extensive island seas, as ciew York to the ocean. Here every thing af1Oat changes it's bottom, whether living or of dead weight. and tor whatever destination.
 AS point for the concOurse of strangers and yovagers, passing to and fro for pleasure or business, Buffalo in the summer season presents singularly busy and active scene. The daily ingress and egress of such persons, by canals, stages and steam-boats, would seem incredible for place of it's size, as much for variety of their origin and destination, as for their numbers. All the world, in variety, seem to be passing here.
 It is a place, too. where the forms Of navI- gation entirely change from those peculiar to its small and artificial channels, from the ca nal-boat into the lofty and proud ship, where steam-boats of the largest class, and most commodious, come and go to and from the distant upper regions, giving an opportunity of passage every day, Il am sorry to say' Sundays not excepted.) There are now sev- en steam boats plying regularly between Buff falo and Detroit, each performing an entire voyage once week, making daily line, be- sides some smaller craft of this description upon the lake. A good trip by steam from Buffalo to Detroit, occupies forty-elght hours To see shipping, and all the other marks of a busy Atlantic port, out in these scoods, is nov el spectacle, a truly romantic scene. An Eastern man, or an European is ready to symoathise with snip upon these waters, as being out of place, away from home. lie feels as if some strange illusion had got pos session of his senses, and before he IS aware, he begins to calculate how these stray things can make their way down the Niagara plunge, and the rapids of the St. Lawrence, out into the bring deep, which seems to him their own and only proper element. But here they are imprisoned forever. And then again let him embark upon the bosom of these lakes, and in hour or two he looks out upon'a shore- less tract of waters, and he will with difficult ty persuade himself that he is not catching the lingering and last view of continent, and launching upon an ocean. And let him cal. culate that he may pass in one of these great bottoms, which at first glance seem so "nbe- fitting such region till he has reached place as distant from his starring point as New York from New Orleans, and then he may easily believe, that his bark is not astray, but familiar with and proud of her home.
 And now for the moral part of this picture The Grand Canal of the State of New-York which is the connecting link between the nat. ural and bolder navigation of the East and West, and which terminates at Buftal0.-has so deteriorated the moral elements in It's own track, as to have left mark as intlelible as the artificial channel upon the rocks and soil through which it has been forced. And all the moral filth, floating along this line from East to West, and from West to East, dis gorges itselfio the one case on the flats or lower town of Buffalo, and in the other, on the atinosphrre. which haDgs suspended Ovel .ss Ao,, ,fyu axf - And the moral atmosphere of Buffalo lower town determines that of the harbor,--and the character of the harbor in time will impar more or less of its own stamp on the region: penetrated by it's business. Does 1t not ther behove the citizens of Buffalo to look well tC their responsibilities It is true they are more or less irresistibly trampied on by q moving and reckless multitude, from Othel quarters of the land and world-by that des plating infiUence--desolating to true religion and to sound mOrality-which is sweeping over our land--which fears not God, nor re gards man-and which is an almost insepara hle accompaniment of rash and unprincplet enterprise. But they can do something-the, can do much.
 DETROIT, July 21, 1880.
 Messrs. Editors--We left Buffalo Monday morning at 9 o'clock, in steam boat Superior with about 150 passengers; parted with some at Ere--some at Ashtabula--sOme at Grant River--a large number at Cleveland--a few at Sandusky--and brought about twenty tt Detroit, where we arrived this morning at o'clock, passage of fnrty- five hours.
 Excepting the side of hill behind tn, shore. about 150 or 200 feet above the lake fer short distance, in the upper counties o New York, the entire southern shore of Lals, Erie seems to be an unbrOken level, withOr one distant prominence to relieve the eye.- And as you approach the western extremity the land sinks lower and lower, till on enter ing the river, or strait of Detroit, not little of the adjoining fields seems to be below tho surface of the water.
 Every one who has bren bred or lived a. mong the hills, will feel the want of them ir the western country. And tO lover of na. ture, it is great deficit But the emigran who is going to bury himself in the western forest, or planth imself upon the west tern prai. ries, must never think of the agreeable sen. satlon excited by standing on one hill and looking on the face of another. by surveying an extended plain lying far below him, or looking up to frOwning and craggy cli1 impending over his head-for, perad venture, ne will never enjoy such a vision again.- Thanks for the versatile and accommodating splrle oC man! Give him health and moral courage. and there are things enough to oc- clpy nun m any region of the globe. A New Englander can live and he happy with our hslls, give him only fruitful soil, and riv- CTS ana lakes to bear away the fruits of his in. dustry-givc him only chance to improve ms condition and secure his independence.