The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-08-22
American Lakes.


Tie smaller Lakes of America, whose
Wild and solitary shores ss.rac, the tour
est, havcqso.ne singular physical pecuii-
aritles. One Of the early explorers Of
III northeris regions, Sir Alexander Mac
kenzie,- was the first to notice the al
trac,ive power of the mud al the bottom
which Is sometimes 90 great, that boats
can with difficulty proceed along the
surface. l'his extraordinary fact ~ thus
stated: Vt the portage or carrying pla-
ces of alartres, Rose Lake, the water
IL only three or four ieeg deep and the
notspm l. muddy. 1 have often plunged
into it a pole twelve feet long, with as
much case as if merely plunged il in
10 the water. Nevertheless, this mud has
ii magical effect upon the boats, which is
such tdat the paddles can with difficulty
urge them on. This effect is not perez pn-
bic on the south side Of the lake, where
the water Is deep, but is more and more
sensible as you approach the opposite
shore. have been assured that load
ed boats have often been III danger OF
sinking. and could only be cxtricated BY
beiag towed by lighter boats. AS for
myself, | have never been in danger Of
laundering, but have several times had
great difficulty in passing this spot with
SIX stout rowcf>, whose utmost efforts
could scarcely overcome the attrac tion
Of the mud. A similar phenomenon is
observed on Lake Saginaga, whose
bottom attracts the bottom with such
force that 1t is only with the greatest
ditii Guilty that loaded boat can be made
to advance; fortunately this spot is only
four hundred feet over This statement
has received confirmation from the ex-
perience Of Captain Back, during the
recent arctic land expeditions A part
Of Lake Huron, likewise, in the same
district, appears to be the centre Of
remarkable electrical attraction. There
IS bay in the lake, over which the air
is constantly highly charged with cleo
tricity, and il has been affirmed that no
person has ever trayerscd it without
hearing peals Of thunder.
Lakes differ greatly in their color,
ciearness and depth. 1t il difficult to
account IN every case FIR the tinls Of
water. They are reterable to variety
ofcauses The geological character of
the beds of lakes, of the surrounding OBJ
iects from which shadows are cast and of
the soil drained BY them their depth with
the nature and quantity of the suhaque-
ons vegetation, have influence in de-
tcrming the color OF their waters. Those
Of the Great Bear Lake are Il beautiful
Ito In hft.O ccnoDiai.,, thu .,einitx, al
the primitive mountains Of NJ Eavish
Bay where they arc very transparent
a piece of white rag, when sunk here,
did not disa ppear till it had descended
tn the depth OF ninety feet This re-
markabe transparency belongs to tho
waters of Lake Superior, which are So
pellucid that the fish and rocks are dis
tincty visible at most extraordinary
depths. Those OF Lake Huron, are al
so brilliantly crystalline; and to yoy-
agcr on some of the Scandinavian lakes,
the density of the medium or which he
IS floating, appears little greater than
that Of the atmosphere. So completely
are the senses here sometimes deceived,
that the stranger has recoiled in invol-
sed with the idea Of being about to be
precipitatcd amongthc rocks and chasms
disclosed below HIM
Squam Lake, lis situated north Of Lake
Winnipiseogee, in New Hampshire. 1t
is 6 miles long and 3 wide, and lies at
the bottom of a deep and narrow valley,
surrounded by several mountainous ele-
vations, except on the side where it sends
an inlet into Winnipiseogee 1t is ro-
mantle sheet of water, and ebounds in
fine trout.
PFoSAGE IN New MExico--As this
system is much talked about, and little
understood, we copy the following ac-
count Of it from the Savannah Repu BIZ
can:
Peonage is species of slavery re-
sulting from debt, and is based upon con-
tract. 1t mad its origin in the civil war,
and existed FIRST in Rome, then in Spain
and was finally introduced into Mexico