The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-10-23

Oar Montreal Corrsspondenes.
MONTREAL Oct IN ~


The OftoWa and us Tributaries Empty
ing ,~to the St. Laurence in the ricisity of Mon.
trea!-Whsre does al the Fresh Wate conc FROM
Concluding Remarks.
Before describe the Ottawa and it's numsrou,
and immense tributaries, We will take glance at
Bytown, situated one hundred and thirty miles from
the mouth of the left branch of the river where it
discharges below Montreal which has grown W in
consequence of the construction of the Rideau canal
About mile below Bytowp, the Rideau falls
into the Ottawa, where it is precpitated over tho
high bank of the latter river, and forms beautiful
cascade, resi milling that of the Niagara Falls oa
the American side.
Six miles above Bytewn the rapids Of the Ottawa
commence, which terminate on what are called the
Chaudiere Falls, over which suspension bridge has
been thrown. TIE falls are, more properly speak
ing, . succession Of rapids, that obstructsd by
insular masses of rock, over which the accumulated
waters precipitate themselves, or among which
they impetuously rush Their entire height
is forty feet, and when viewed from the
bridge below; to which as they approach
turesque and grand. Before arriving at tho bridge,
however, body Of the descending waters, gre ater
in volume than the Thames at London, called the
Lost Chaudiere, descends though some subterrs-
it emerges, If it again re.appears, has never yet
been discovered.
Bytown is divided into what is called the upper
and lower towns, by the locks tia. form the ter
minus of the Rideau Canal, and by which it is
connected with the river below. The population
approaches seven thousand, a largo proportion OF
whom are engaged in the numbering business, who
are chiefly Irish and French Canadians. Like all
other places whore that pursuit is followed Bytown
has partaken of the fluctuations incident to that
trade, and become eventually impoverished.
But We will away to the Ottawa. This river is
supposed to have its rise in or near the f.ieth de-
gree of latitude and pursuss southwestery course
for nearly eight hundred miles, through q country
much Of which is almost unknown, except to the
native Indian, and the agents, hunters. and traders
Of the HUDSON Bay Company.
After receiving several tributaries from the
height of land which separates its waters from those
of the Hudson Bay, and passing through numerous
lakes, one Of which is eighty miles in length, at
upwards of three hundred miles from its source, the
Ottawa enters Lake Temiscamin, which turning
of at right angle, proceed in . southeastern d.
rection for distance of seventy miles.
From this point downwards, the course of the OF
ia has been surveyed At head of this lake tho
river Blanche falls in, whose is about ninety
miles at the north; through which the line that
divides Upper from Lower Canada extends, and
thence due north till it strike, the Hudson's Bay
territory.
Thirty-four miles further down the Ottawa re.
ceives the Montreal Rvier, which flows one hun
dred and twenty miles from the northwest, and
Hudson's Bay. Six miles below it receives tho
Ceepaws, river of great size, passing through an
unexplored country, and connected with lake
tibet is said to be fifty miles in length. There il a
fail on the keepawa, one hundred and twenty. five
feet in height, The river Dumoine, which enters
the Ottawa hundred miles below where the
keepawa joins it, also has its rise in the same lake
with that river.
At the foot of Lake Temiscamin, two hundred
and thirty miles above Bytown, for ninety miles,
the Ottawa-with the exception Of tho first seven
teen is rapid, and not navigabe, except for
Besides other tributaries, at one hundred and
ninety. seven miles from Bytown, the Ottawa re-
ceives from the westward the Matawa, which is
used by canoes going to Lake Huron by the
NipissiDg.
From this point the Ottawa flows easterly to the
head of Deep River Reach, nine miles above, where
it receives the river Dumoine. The mountains on
the north side of Deep River, upwards Of one thou
sand feet in height, and the many wooded islands
of Allumette lake, render the scenery of this part
Of the Ottawa exceedingly magnificent and pic
turesque-far surprising the celebrated appearan,
in the vicinity Of the thousand islands on the st
Lawrence.
| Below Deep river to the foot of the Allumetts
lake, there are forty-,h miles of navigablo wa
ter, skirted by mountains Of immense height, anC
Astounding with picturesque and magnificent see
merry. The Upper Allumette lake-one hundred
and fifteen miles above Bytown, receives from the
west the Patawawa, which is one hundred and forty
miles in length and at the head of Lake Cologne
seventy seven miles from Bytown, the Ottawa re
celNes from tue uOItn Diack rlNer, one nunureu anu
thirty miles in extent and nine miles lower down.
the Cologne, which is about one hundred miles
| long.
Below this, for a distance of eight miles, there
| are impossible rapids but fifty miles above By
town, the Ottawa receives on the west, the Bon
cherre, one hundred and ten miles in length snd
eleven miles below it receives the Madawaska, ono
of its largest tributaries, the Petewawa, which i
| two hundred and ten miles long and drains fou
thousand one hundred square miles Twenty ST,
| miles above Bytown the Ottawa receives the Mis-
sissippi-one hundred and one miles in length.
AT Bytown, as have already stated, the Ottaws
is joined by the Rideau from the west, whose
course is one hundred and sixteen miles and
mile below lis great tributary, the Gatineau for N
| junction with the Ottawa, whose estimated lengt
is four hundred and twenty miles the farthest twt
| try. II has been surveyed two hundred and seven
teen miles from it, mouth, where It is upwards o
| three hundred yards vide.
An act recently passed the Canadian Legislature
apprepriatDg fifty thousand acres Of Ian for the
use Of the Indians on the Patineau but last yea
tho Roman Catholic Bishop of Bytown, nearly sue
ceeded in obtaining grant TO himself, the guar
dian ofthese Indians; which was prevented passing
by the vigilance Of one Of the members Of the LIE
| gslative council.
Eighteen miles below where the Gatineau inter
sects the Ottawa the latter receives the Riviere d.
Lievre, which enters from the north, and is abou
two hundred and sixty miles In length. Fifteer
miles lower down, the North and South Nation river
how into 1.-THE former ninety, and the latter on,
| hundred miles IN length; and twenty two miles be
low the River Rouge, ninety miles long, connect
with it from the north. Twenty-o miles lower
the River du Nord, one hundred and sixty miles il
length falls in On the same side; and, finally, jus
above its mouth, the Ottawa receives the Rive
Assumption, ono hundred and thirty miles in length
The Ottowa is navigable distance Of ffty-eigh
miles to Grenville, twelve miles of rapids beinI
avoided by canals and twenty miles below, a
one Of the mouths Of the Ottawa, there is q lock
by which slight rapid is avoided, thus afordinl
passage into Lake 81 Louis, above Montreal, Of
the st. Lawrence.
The other branch Of the Ottawa pursues it
course, by passing in two channels behind the islam
Of Montreal and the Isle Jesus distance Of thirty
enc miles. These are interrupted by rapids, bu
the obstraction is not sufficient to prevent timbe
being transported IL is by this route that all tn
Ottawa timber passes to market.
Besides the Ottawa Sand those of its tributare
here briefly described, there are near where it dis
charges, no less than fourteen or fifteen rivers va
teripg the district Of Montreal from the north,
nineteen emp ing into the St. Lawrence from tn