They dine in the season 1000 and 1100 a-day, and lodge regularly between
600 and 700. I cannot speak too highly of this house. Mr. Murvin
accompanied us next morning by stage to White Hall, along with Mr.
Blanchard, the proprietor of all the stages on this line--a fine fellow.
We went along the Champlain Canal, which connects the Hudson River and
Lake Champlain, past Glen's Falls. We passed through the region of
Burgoyne's operations, near the place of his surrender; Fort Miller, and
Fort Edward, where Miss M'Crea was murdered; and the tree to which
General Putnam was bound in 1757. This fifty miles was the most
frightful travelling I ever had. Great black bears prowl here. Trees and
planks were frequently laid across the road to fill up holes; and
frequently there would be openings in bridges that a horse could have
gone slap into. After many, as I supposed, hairbreadth escapes, going
two or three feet into holes, &c., we arrived at White Hall--at the
junction of the canal and lake navigation--a place of business before
the revolution. Major Skeen lived here. We took the steam-boat
_Saranac_, Capt. Lathorp, who politely gave my companion and I a
state-cabin. This lake, for beauty of scenery and historical incident,
is one of the most interesting in America. It is close to Lake George,
which lake, I regret to say, the boats were taken off for the winter.
Lake Champlain was discovered by Samuel Champlain in 1609, and extends
to St. John's, Canada, 120 miles. We passed Ticonderoga, which was an
important military post during the colonial wars. General Abercrombie
was defeated here, with the loss of 1941 men, in 1758. Burgoyne was
here. We then passed Crown Point, where the British Government expended
two millions sterling. We met the Burlington steamer, the most neat and
beautiful boat in the United States: were introduced to Captain R.W.
Sharman, the beloved commander. This is halfway--an important town of
3000 people. It is the seat of the University of Vermont, as we are now
in that state. We then passed Port Kent, Valcour Island, and
Plattsburgh, which is situated at both sides of the Saranac River. It is
a military post. Here there was a great battle both by land and water:
the British land-force was commanded by Sir George Prevost, and the
naval by Commodore Downie; the Americans by land General Macomb, and
water Commodore M'Donough. They fought two hours and twenty minutes, and
the British surrendered. We passed Cu