latter name may seem, are among the most interesting objects in the whole group. Even at the North end, the landscape is of a superiour cast; and in most other regions would present uncommon attractions.

The whole scenery of this lake is greatly enhanced in beauty and splendor by the progressive change, which the traveller, sailing on its bosom, perpetually finds in his position, and by the unceasing variegations of light and shade, which attend his progress. The gradual, and the sudden, openings of scoops and basins, of islands and points, of promontories and summits; the continual change of their forms; and their equally gradual, or sudden, disappearance; impart to every object a brilliancy, life, and motion, scarcely inferiour to that, which is seen in the images, formed by the camera obscura, and in strength and distinctness greatly superiour. Light and shade are here not only far more diversified, but are much more obvious, intense, and glowing, than in smooth, open countries. Every thing, whether on the land or water, was here affected by the changes of the day: and the eye, without forecast, found itself, however, disposed on ordinary occasions to inattention, instinctively engaged, and fastened, with emotions approximating to rapture. The shadows of the mountains, particularly on the West, floating slowly over the bosom of the lake, and then softly ascending that of the mountains on the East, presented to us, in a wide expanse, the uncommon, and

York to make them perpetual memorials of the shape and size of this prominence on the face of the Saint.

Some years before our excursion, a fisherman was pursuing his business near the foot of this mountain; when a huge rock fell from the precipice, and plunging into the lake at a little distance from his canoe, came very near sinking him by the surge which it produced.

On a rock opposite to Anthony's Nose, our guide, who had seen them, informed us, that there were about a dozen mortars, wrought in the solid stone by the Indians, for the purpose of pounding their corn; some of them are capable of containing half a barrel; and others of inferiour capacities down to half a peck. They are very smooth, and exactly circular.

Such a mortar exists on a summit of a high rock in the parish of Greenfield, Connecticut. If I remember right, it would contain about three gallons. The rock is hard granite, and by Indians must have been formed with great difficulty.

most pleasing, image of one vast range of mountains, slowly moving up the ascent of another.

As a specimen of the peculiar variegation of light in this region, you may take the following. On Thursday the 30th of September, a little before the setting of the sun, I saw one of the mountains on the East, arrayed in the most brilliant purple, which can be imagined. Nothing could surpass the lustre, which overspread this magnificent object, and which was varied through innumerable tints, and softenings, of that gorgeous colour.

The dim lights, frequently seen in the night upon the shore, sometimes of candles, feebly starring the midnight gloom of the forest, and sometimes of fires, glimmering from fields and mountains, presented a strong contrast to the cheerful splendour of the day.

On the evening of Friday, the 1st of October, while we were returning from Ticonderoga, we were presented with a prospect, superiour to any which I ever beheld. An opening lay before us between the mountains on the West, and those on the East, gilded by the departing sunbeams. The lake, alternately glassy and gently rippled, of a light and exquisite sapphire, gay and brilliant with the tremulous lustre, already mentioned, floating upon its surface, stretched in prospect to a vast distance, through a great variety of larger and smaller apertures. In the chasm, formed by the mountains, lay a multitude of islands, differing in size, shape, and umbrage, and clothed in deeply shaded green. Beyond them, and often partly hidden behind the tall and variously figured trees, with which they were tufted, rose, in the West and South-West, a long range of distant mountains, tinged with a deep misty azure, and crowned with an immense succession of lofty pines. Above the mountains, and above each other, were extended in great numbers, long, streaming clouds, of the happiest forms, and painted with red and orange light, in all their diversities of tincture. Between them the sky was illumined with a vivid, yellow lustre. The tall trees on the Western mountains lifted their heads in the crimson glory; and on this back-ground displayed their diversified forms with a distinctness, and beauty,

never surpassed. On a high, and exactly semi-circular, summit, the trees, ascending far without limbs, united their crowns above; and thus formed a majestic, and extensive, arch in the sky; dark, exactly defined, and exactly corresponding with the arch of the summit below. Between this crown, and the mountain, the vivid orange light, shining through the grove, formed a third arch, equally extended, and elegantly striped with black by the stems of the trees.

Directly over the gap, which I have mentioned, and through which this combination of beauty was presented to us; the moon, far Southward, in her handsomest crescent, sat on the Eastern, and the evening star, on the Western, side of the opening, at exactly equal distances from the bordering mountains; and, shining from a sky, perfectly pure and serene, finished the prospect.

The crimson lustre, however, soon faded. The mountains lost their gilding; and the clouds, changing their fine glow into a dull, leaden-coloured hue, speedily vanished. The lake, though still brilliant, became misty and dim. The splendour of the moon, and of Hesper, increased, and trembled on its surface, until they both retired behind the Western mountains, and just as we reached the shore, left the world to the darkness of night.

To complete the scenery of this lake, the efforts of cultivation are obviously wanting. The hand of the husbandman has already begun to clear these grounds: and will, at no great distance of time, adorn them with all the smiling scenes of agriculture. It does not demand the gift of prophecy to foresee, that the villas of opulence and refinement will, within half a century, add, here, all the elegances of art to the beauty and majesty of nature.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

LETTER III.

Battle of Lake George-General Johnson wounded-General Lyman takes the command of the English army, and defeats the French-Vindication of General Lyman's character--Hendrick, chief of the Mohawks-Baron Dieskau.

Dear Sir,

WHEN I began this journey, I had two principal objects in view. One was to examine the scenery of Lake George; the beauty of which had always been mentioned to me in strong terms of admiration: the other, to explore the grounds, on which the military events of former times had taken place, at its two extremities. The first of these events was the battle, fought at the head of Lake George, September 8th, 1755, between the Provincial troops under the command of Major-General, afterwards Sir William, Johnson, aided by a body of Indians, led by the celebrated Hendrick; and a body of French, Canadians, and Indians, commanded by Monsieur le Baron de Dieskau. This nobleman arrived from France, in company with Monsieur de Vaudreuil, Governour General of Canada, and brought with him from Brest, 3,000 regular troops, destined to act under his command against the British Colonies. Of these six hundred were taken, with the Lys and Alcide men of War, by Admiral Boscawen. A thousand were left at Louisburgh. The remainder were landed at Quebec. The Baron was instructed to reduce Oswego; a fortification on the South side of Lake Ontario, and on the Eastern side of the river Oswego, or Onondaga. This fortress was of considerable importance, from its position in the country of the Iroquois ; and enabled the English in a great measure to exclude the French from any very dangerous communication with that people. In obedience to these instructions he proceeded directly to Montreal; and having despatched seven hundred men up the river St. Lawrence, made preparations to follow them. Before his departure, however, intelligence reached that city, that a considerable army was assembling at the head of Lake St. Sacrament, now Lake George, with an intention to reduce fort Frederic, since called Crown

Point, and perhaps to invade Canada. At a council, convened upon this news, Baron Dieskau was vehemently solicited, and with no small difficulty prevailed upon, to direct his course up Lake Champlain. At Fort Frederic he waited some time for the arrival of the English army; but finding no prospect of their approach, determined to go, and seek them. Accordingly, he embarked with 2,000 men in batteaux, and landed at the head of South-bay, in the township of Skeensborough, now Whitehall; about sixteen or eighteen miles from Sandy-hill, and in the route which he took, about twenty-eight or thirty from the head of Lake George. An English prisoner, taken by his scouts, informed him, that Fort Edward, then called Fort Lyman, (from MajorGeneral Lyman, under whose direction this fortress had been erected the preceding summer,) was defenceless; and that the army of General Johnson was in the same state; being without fortifications, and without cannon. Upon this information Dieskau determined immediately to attack the fort. As soon as he formed his determination, he explained to his troops the advantages of the proposed measure, which was certainly worthy of his military character. Had the design succeeded; and in the infant state of the works, it would in all probability have been successful; the army under Johnson would have been cut off from all supplies; and must either have marched immediately back, and fought the enemy, then formidable by success, as well as numbers, and skill, furnished with cannon and other supplies from the fort, and choosing his own ground for action; or they must have surrendered at discretion. The great body of his troops, however, consisting of Canadians and Indians, were ill-fitted to comprehend a measure of this magnitude; and as little disposed to venture upon its execution. Either they had been informed, or they suspected, that the fort was defended by cannon: objects of peculiar dread to both these classes of men. In spite of the exhortations of their commander, they absolutely refused to advance against the fort; but professed their readiness, at the same time, to attack the army under Johnson, entirely destitute, as the Baron had told them, and as he himself believed, of both