The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

THOMPSON'S COAST PILOT. 9 some of its surplus waters into the Illinois River, and thence into the Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico--so low is the divide at the southern terminus. When we consider the magnitude of these Great Lakes, the largest body of fresh water on the globe, being connected by navi- gable straits, or canals, we may quote with emphasis the words of an English writer: ' How little are they aware, in Europe, of tie ex- tent of commerce upon these 'Inland Seas,' whose coasts are now lined with flourishing towns and cities; whose waters are plowed with magnificent steamers, and hundreds of vessels crowded with merchandise! Even the Americans themselves are not fully aware, of the rising importance of these great lakes, as connected with the Far West." TRIBUTARIES OF THE GREAT LAKES AND ST. LAW- RENCE RIVER. Unlike the tributaries of the Mississippi, the streams falling into the Great Lakes or the St. Lawrence River are mostly rapid, and navigable only for a short distance from their mouths. The following are the principal rivers that are navigable for any considerable length: AMERICAN SIDE. Miles. St, Lodie Hiver, Mitn., Stpertor to Pon it Cae. ic. ce sc cc neve ceases as 20 Fox, or Neenah, Wis., Green Bay to Lake Winnebago*,............ss0see00- 36 pt. dosepn, Bich ., St. Jdseph to HOS oT. es fats ese ses cases rece ee 26 Grand River, Mich., Grand Haven to Grand Rapids,....... beast ddes ae elles 40 Muskegon, Mich., Muskegon to Newaygo,.........seceeeeeees be deh ws geeeeia 40 Saginaw, Mich., Saginaw Bay to Upper Saginaw,.....2..sssceeccscceeceecess 26 Maumee, Ohio, Maumee Bay to Perfysdureny. .. «0. sces esses seas <chus ceseant 18 crendsee, > X .; Chartotte fo Hodhester:... .. oc. ve ica Ss CANADIAN SIDE. ; Miles. Thames, Lake St. Clair to Chatham, : reyes cede is iE. eg cdseos wade 24. Otiawa, La Chine to Carillon... o5 vv cies > bine ccuao oh epee sce eee oe 40 '© (By means of locks to Ottawa City. fap ischial %0 Richelieu or Sorel, Sorel to Lake Champlain, (by locks,)...... Vive ObSb bv esa 5 Bagucnay, Tadtisac.to Chi¢outinil,.: 6 oii. ea a eis series Jey %0 (Thence to Lake St. John, 50 m.) * By means of seventeen locks, overcoming an elevation of 170 feet. + The navigation for steamers extends 150 miles above Ottawa City, by means of portages -- locks.