Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-08-17
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

he THOUSAND lsLEs-tlsHING AMONG THEM
The OLD FoRr on CARLTON IsLAND-BILL
JOHNSON AND HIS DAUGHTER-BRockvILLEA AND
IFS acknowledgements WISDNmL
AND THE SYMPATHIzERs. ~ NJ I
Editorial Correspondence Of 7He Starsl Il
Ok THE STEAMER NEw YoRx, ,tw)NI
No@ ST. Laurence Rirer, AUGUSTA
At daybreak this morning we reached Cape
vincent, ION the American side) where Lake On
ario empties into the ST. Lawrence. We have |
low coursed the lake for 200 miles; near its whole
ength. The head of the Thousand Isles is here. |
w hat had read and heard Of their fantastic |
beauties ofrock, figure, current location, &C. gave
me but a faint idea of the impression they make.
Our channel lays close TO the American shore for
the most part, and affords me an opportunity to
perceive that 1t Is very rugged and barren one,
and that poor progress has been made by the in
dustrious people inhabitng this region in the
work of reducing it to mans subsection. The
American shore is low and the improvements
upon II within sight Of the lake are of the most
unTr stending order. We stopped for an instant
at the small village Of Clayton few miles east
OF Cape Vincent, noted only as place much re-
Sorted to by amateur fishermen, who make it
their headquarters when catching muscalonge and
pickerel among the thousand isles-a favorite
sport here. gentleman came on board there
with us pounds of these fish caught in six hours
trolling yesterday. They taken with artificial
bait-a plated spoon under which is attached a
bunch of three or four hooks so arranged as that
when the voracious fish snaps at the glittering
spoon being dragged along, If he misses one hook
another will be apt to hook him in the gills or
belly. The muscalonge frequently taken
weighing forty or fifty pounds. They struggle
desperately when hooked, nearly always jumping
clean out of water ere giving up. No more vora-
cious fish except the shark swims. Summon and
white fish are also taken in abundance here in
nets. The white fish differs little indeed from
shad. 1t is little thicker and its head some
what smaller, while its color is lighter. II is a
great delcacy, tasting very much like our shad at
this season.
We have passed Carlton Island, a noted one
among the thousand In view of the steamer deck
stand the ruins of an old French fortifcation on
it. exceedingly picturesque. The entertainments
sundry barrack chimneys and other stone work
show that it was once formidable point to the
commerce Of the Lake. The French sank two of
their own men-of-war there in 1859, to prevent
the English from taking them, and even then the
fertilization was venerable one Its site is now
American. Many of the thousand islands are
cultivated, thong b rock crops out upon most of
them so generally as to preclude the belief that
they can ever be of much avail agriculturally
Nevertheless, a trip among them is delightful
indeed, new varieties of scenery showing them
selves at each succeeding turn of the channel.
We have just passed the Upper Narrows Light
house, kept by the famous Bill Johnson Of Cana
dian revolutionary fame. When the last war with
Britain broke out, the English government con-
hscated his property on some account other,
and he entered the American service a spy for
HAT ,x- ne
he has lowered among these islands, his ruling
passion being emnity to England Hence the
readiness with which he took part in the at
tempted Canadian revolution. Johnson Is now
quite an old man, and his daughter, whose es-
PLOTS In his behalf during that abortion of a revo-
luton made her heroine in public estimation,
Is now the quiet mother Of family at Clayton
Kingston stands on the Canada shore opposite
Clayton, though not in sight from the steamers
deck; which regretted, as il is a point NOW a
town of some Is 900 inhab tants) Of great interes
in connection with the his DRY of our last English
war. Indeed, from the head of Lake Erie down
u Montreal nearly every mile of the way is replete
with legends of that struggle; as here its really
hand TO hand contests took place
The bottom Of the river among the thousa nd
islands is singularly irregular in depth 1t is all
rock, and its shoals are altogether of rock Strony
currents course through them. rendering the navi-
-. IN 9ssio dangerous. S--.eTuus
petite lighthouses scattered on the islands here
and there b. both Governments form agreeabI.
features of the scene. So far | notice very little
commerce upon the 1t. Lawrenee-the captain OF
the boat tells me- on account fast years general
failure Of the crops of the Northwest
we are now stopping for a moment at Brock
VilIe, a town of some thousands Of inhabitants ON
the canada side-one of the oldest English settle
ihehts IN canada The country immed lately sur
rounding II was settled first by our tories of the
Revolution, and Is now principally in the hands
OF their descendants. hear that il is perhaps the
best-imProved territory in the Canadas. which
tells of its owners Yankee origin Rockville as
seen from the water is very picturesque and com.
handing All is solid about it. The buildings.
for the most part of stone, contrast favorablv with
those OF Morristown, on the American side. oDpo.
size The foliage about Brockville is beautiful.
much more attention being paid to that means of
rendering residences agreeable on the Canada sid
"l the river than on OURS. Many fine villas skirt
the river in the vicinity of Rockville, built like
those on the North river, evidently TO show to best
advantage, thong b more substantially constructed
Stone is apparently the general building material
here; so, while architectural taste is by no means
neglected, nearly all their edihces seem Hkefvto
last Tor centuries. Opposite Rockville we pass
the last Of the Thousand Isles and hid them
farewell with no little regret, hoping In due time
10 he able to spend month or SO around and
among them, as what have seen of them and the
surrounding region serves merely TO whet nv ap-
Petl'e Tor knowing more Of the locality.
Inc steamer is now rapidly approaching o.
densourg, the northern terminus of the Boston
railroad, now much travelled by tourists. There
we are 10 be transferred TO a smaller steamer
which carries us to Montreal before niyhtflI
passing twenty miles below, through the r,rias
On our left is Prescott, with victorias Fort wei
hng'on Standing out conspicuously, so as TO com
inana The entire river and to destroy the consid-
eraoie American town (Ogdensburg) on the other
SIDE, II need be. Ogdensburg in appearance
compares very favorably with Prescott dc.
cining burg, indeed, though Handsomely located.
whereas, ogdensburg is by long odds the hest
improved and thriftiest American TOWN on mt
great line OF travel between Niagara and Quebec
Tue renowned windmill is in sight. ION the Can
ada side,) where band of American meddla,.
were soundly thrashed In 1897, by the EnpIiSh
Ihese sympathizers with the Canadian radicals
many OF them, Were severely punished, II will he
fnr fhafr