Gazette Of The United States

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 5.

Extract of a letter from a gentleman in New-Jersey who has lately returned from an excursion to the Western Country, to his friend in this city, dated November 10th.

The design of this letter is to give a short account of the rising of the waters in Lake Ontario, which, from their continual advances, have alarmed the inhabitants around its borders to a great degree. Several buildings which stood at a convenient distance from its ancient boundaries, now stand seven feet in the water. All the low meadows made round about it, are now part of the lake, and roads where cattle, horses and men travelled 18 months ago, are now only passable for boats. The last information I had, was from a man of integrity, who receives letters from his son at Niagara upon this subject. In his last letter he informed him, that a brew house which stood on the bank of the Lake is now rendered useless, from its second story being under water.

I have supposed that the waters of Lake Erie, (which lie near three hundred feet above those of Ontario) have found a passage among the rocks under ground to the Lake of Ontario. If this should be the case, the waters of Ontario will rise to a level with those of Lake Erie.