96

OHIO.

The mornings were cool, with fog on the low grounds, butdaring the day the sky was without a cloud. The heat wasconsiderable in the afternoons, the thermometer rising to66°. An almost complete stillness prevailed during the day,indeed there was scarcely as much air stirring as to rustle therapidly fading leaves in the oak grove where the show washeld.

Left Springfield on the forenoon of the 27th for Sandusky,on Lake Erie, a distance of 134 miles. A level but slightlyundulating country all the way, part of which was croppedwith wheat and Indian corn alternately; though near Sandusky,wheat and clover, as in Canada West, is the common rotation.Two thirds of the country through which we passed wasforest, consisting principally of oak and beech, which stillretained their leaves ; but the colours were fading fast. Theimmediate vicinity of Sandusky is flat and marshy; but tothe south of the town, the limestone gravels and sands affordproductive wheat soils.

The population of Sandusky is about 12,000, of whom one-half are of German extraction. The formation here is lime-stone, belonging to the Upper Silurian. It is covered in theneighbourhood of the lake with several feet of a peaty material,which, on being removed, exposes a surface beautifully smoothedand polished by the action of those agents that have trans-ported southwards the vast accumulations of sand and gravelwhich lie scattered over certain regions of Ohio. This finelypolished surface makes good floors to the cellars of the housesin Sandusky. A travelling companion sought out a friendin town, by whom we were treated to quail, woodcock,black bass, and white fish for supper, which were all particu-larly excellent. These kinds of fish swarm in the lake, andare caught in great numbers.

Took the steamer at night for Detroit, a distance of seventymiles, and at daylight found ourselves along the wharf of thisgreat depot of western produce. On the opposite or Canadianside is the town of Windsor, the terminus of the GreatWestern Railway, that traverses Upper Canada from Niagaraby Hamilton. The Michigan Central Railway connects Detroitwith Chicago. Hundreds of emigrants pass Detroit every day