Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-04-16
THE GREAT LAKES.

covering as they do an area almost as
large as the continent Of Europe. Pro-
fessor Drake, of Louisville, visited them
last summer, and has made public the re.
suit Of his observations. The chain of
lakes extend over nearly eight and half
degrees of latitude In breadth, and six
teen degrees of longitude in length. The
extent of their surfaces is estimated at
$4,000 square miles; and the area of
country drained by them, is computed at
400, 900 square miles. Their relative sizes
are as follows :--Ontario, $500 square
miles; Erie, 6,600; St. Clair, $50; Huron,
20,400; Michigan, $4,000; Superior
$4,000.
The average depth of water in the DIFF
ferent Lakes, is question upon which
there is no certain information Author.
ties differ. DR.. Drake gives it as follows;
St. Clair 90 feet, Erie 81, Ontario 500,
Superior 900, Huron and Michigan 1000.
In our standard works, Lake Eric is
usually stated to have depth Of 1913 feet.
The deepest soundings have been taken
in Lake Huron. OF Saginaw Bay, 1900
feet of line have been sent down without
finding bottom.
The altitude of the Lakes varies step by
step from Ontario TO Superior. Luke On
tarlo is 232 feet above the tide water Of
the ST. Lawrence. Eric is 1893 feet above
Ontario, and sos feet above the tide water
at Albany. St. Clair is six feet higher
than Erie; Huron and Michigan are
thirteen feet above st. Clair, and Superi.
or lies forty-four feet above them. This
shows the curious fact. that while the sur
lace of Huron is 654 feet above the level
of the ocean, its bottom, at Saginaw Bay,
is more than 1000 feet below the same
level.
Tho waters of these Lakes, with the
exception of Erie and St, Clair, are re.
markable for their transparent and deli
cious flavor. OF Lake Huron, Professor
Drake ascertained that the water at the
surface, and two hundred feet below at the
same place, indicated precisely the same
temperature, to-wit: ifly-six degrees. His
explanation of this fact is this; The waters
are SO pure that the rays Of the sun meet
with no solid matter in suspension to ar
rest and retain heat.
There is great curiosity connected
with these Lakes about 80 miles from
Kingston, near the outlet of the bay Of
Quinte, in Canada. The writer of this,
visited it few days ago, in company with
Professor Lyell Of London, who pronounc-
ed it one Of the greatest curiosilies Of the
kind he ever saw. Ii is what is called in
Scotland ga Tarn" or mountain Lake. 1t
is situated upon a conical hill about $50
feet high. 1t is circular--about half a
mile in diameter. and occupies nearly the
whole surface of the hill
The Lake is consequently entirely mith-
out an inlet; yet small stream constant
| ly escapes from one edge of it, down the
side of the hill, turning the wheel Of a
Touring mill, which has been erected near
the summit. The level OF the water in
the Lake is supposed TO be about $50 feet
above that Of the bay below. AS there
are no highlands within fifty or sixty miles,
or perhaps greater distance, the curious
question arises, from whence comes The
supply for this mountain Lake?
Professor Lyell, supposes il 10 occupy
the crater of an extinct volcano, and TO
receive its waters through hidden syphons
from great distance; but did not coincide
with the popular belief in the neighbor-
hood, that the fountain head was Lake
Erie, although it is supposed that they oc-
cupy the same level - Gin. alias.
LENGTH OF LIFE IN AN1MALs,--A ne
geological table Of statistics relative to
the length of life Of the animals at the
Jardin des Plantes, contains the following:
-"The average length Of life Of the pan.