The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1844-06-24
Vol. 7. No. 4S. Whole No. 800. } y
From the BROOKLYN Star.

In Is4I the writer's Of Lake Erie receded to such
extent that the Erie Canal for several miles,
left without water, and great fears were entertained
IN that vicinity that this ebbing Of the Lake would
continue so long and to such an extent that this
portion of the Canal would for time be rendered
useless
During the prevalence OF strong easerly winds, this
end Of the Lake greatly affected during this gem
erul subsistence of its waters.
I had roquontly hvurd IL remarked by persons re
siding in the country bordering upon the Lakos, that
these waters rise and fall every years. have
watched the of the Use and fall of the Lakes
for 80 years, and have ascertained during that
period that the rise is not periodical but occasional
Chicago, on Lake Michigan, during the land spec
ulalons in viage lots, extended its borders so far
toward the Lake during a period of the subsiding
of the waters that the occasion of the great rise Of
the Lakes, the outside village lots FIVE feet
der water.
The rise ofthe River Nile, in Egypt, the inhabi-
tants watch with much e;& they have the means Of
determining the st,ge ofwater each successive year
by means of called Nileometer, the no.
tngs of which are recorded.
The inundations Of this River are generally annual
and happen at the period of the Summer Solstice;
but have known two years during my recollection
that there not the usual annual inundation, and
much suffering produced in Egypt by the conse-
quent failure Of the crops
\ large pond in the town of Concord Mass has its
rising and falling during interval Of several years.
and these appear TO be disconnected with years that
wet and those which dry. The inhabitants
in the vicinity have, in noticing tho rise and fall of
The waters what is equal in respects the'Nile
ometer In the beach Of the pond, which is of
white sand, when the pond is low, a wagon and hor-
can be driven on the beach the whole circuit Of
the Pond between the water and the bushes, which
border the beach; but, in years of high water, the
pond extends distance into the bushes covering
the beach. The oldes. nhah tanis who have noticed
this rising and falling of the pond for half century
more, unable to account for these changes
The pond has visible inlet outlet and covers an
area Of about ono hundred acres.
The Great Lakes not influenced in any notice.
able extent by seasons of wet or dry weather. .
The Of surface drained by the Great Lakes,
including the St. Lawrence, is computed at SIC, 900
square miles The of surface drained by the
waters Of the Mississippi Missouri, Ohio, &c Is
about loo, 900 square miles. The length OF course
OF the waters Of the Lakes and the ST. Lawrence may
be estimated at 200 miles, and the width of tho
basin at about 425 miles. That OF the Mississippi
may be estimated at 2 900 miles length of course,
with n width OF $50 miles Of basin. f".s
The of surface drained by the Nile is estima-
tedat about 42O, 900 square miles, with q length Of
course of $50 miles, and breadth of basin
Of about $50 miles.
The waters Of tho Lakes spread out a
great surface while the waters of the Mississippi have
a narrow channel. The rise of the former is conse-
quenty Slow while that OF the latter is comparatively
rapid. s
The waters of the Great Lakes and those of the
tributaries of the Mississippi mngle together at very
high spring floods, when the Lakes ut the great
est height The waters of the Great Lakes which
flow into the Gulf Ofthe st. Lawrence pass that
portion orthe surface of our Continent which forms
the curve Of the sphere. .....a
The head waters of the Mississippi come from
altitude which, when added to its Northern lnti-
tude would give climate Of the temperature o: Ice
land.
The cause of the rise ofthe Lakes may be placed
among those winch cause the flow of arctic ice at
greater extent years than others.
If we should find that the rise and fall Of the Great
Lakes are periodical and at long intervals oftime then
in that case, must look for the influence of some
solar or terrestrial body belonging to system
the cause Of these changes
Some sections Of The Continent Rave long periods
of drought Here is an atmospheric phenomenon
which is beyond the reach Of human Science to de-
termine. .....r.r -.r..r
Whatever disorders may find in the order OF
things parts Of the great system and help to make
up the harmonies of Nature The thunder and it's
electric fire are, in view, the commissions OF Inc
air but Nature has placed these among its harmoncs
So of the earthquake, the tornado and the frost.
The Great Lakes occupy the successive terraces
of the EARTH in the great slope to the st Lawrence;
and could we view them from elevated position,
with telescope eye, should see beauties Of high
order H
The waters Of the Great Lakes yet Of that fer
tzng quality that possessed by the waters Of the
Nile and the Mississippi. Yet one Of these is as
much the King of Lakes, Of the others is the
King Of Rivers f. NJ
MELANcrHoN AND LUTHER. When meIaHc-
thon to preach some occasion he took this
a. ,.t.