over. place of importance: such has been the success of this settlement, that though only begun two years ago it is now almost one continued village from Geneva to Lyons, sixteen miles. From Lyons to Sodus there is a direct road, but only a few families are, as yet, settled on it. The town of Sodus is however, making considerable improvements; a set of mills are finished, and other considerable improvements are carrying on. This place is situated on a bay of the same name, which is well known as the best harbour on the south side of Lake Ontario. Few or none, even on the sea coast, exceed it for spaciousness and beauty. The extent of the. bay, from north to south, is about six or seven miles, and from east to west, from two to four miles. The grounds around the bay rise considerably high, and the entrance is not above half a mile So completely is it protected from the wind, that when the lake is agitated with a storm, the bay may be passed safely in a canoe. Vessels, may anchor near the town in twenty-five fathom water, on a sandy bottom, and in many places a vessel of fifty tons might lay afloa. near enough the shore to land on a plank. In this bay there are several islands,* covered with timber, which, with the head lands stretching into the bay afford picturesque views from the town, scarcely to be equalled. The town stands on a rising ground, on the west point of the bay, having the lake on the north, to appearance boundless as the ocean, and the bay to the east, romantically intersected with islands, and parts of the main land stretching into it. The first view of this place, after passing through a timbered country twenty-eight miles, strikes the eye of the beholder as one of the most magnificent landscapes. human fancy can picture, and the beauty of the scene is not unfrequently heightened by the appearance of large vessels navigating the lake. At the sight of these immense bodies of water, the mind of a reflecting man must be struck with admiration. With only the interception of the portage of nine miles at Niagara Falls they may be navigated to the westward at least two thousand miles; and at one place the portage between Lake Michigan and the navigable waters of the Illinois, does not exceed half a mile. I was at Sodus some time ago, when a boat, with a number of Some of these islands contain fifty acres, all of very fine soil: they produce vegetables in great abundance, particularly onions. families on board, put into the bay, they appeared to be French. Being questioned as to their business, they said they were bound for the Spanish settlements on the Illinois River, some of them had been there the year before, and stated, that, excepting the Falls of Niagara, they had only a carrying-place of half a mile from Lake Michigan to a branch of the Illinois River. They said they had still one thousand five hundred miles to sail. What an extensive navigation! You will find the Genesee Country abounding with situations both valuable to the farmer and amusing to the gentleman and man of leisure: but amongst the variety it affords, they must all yield to Sodus; for fishing, fowling, sailing or hunting, this latter place stands unrivalled; and perhaps no place in America can equal it. Fish of various kinds, many of them from the ocean, can be had at pleasure; and a species of soft-shelled green turtle* may be procured in plenty, little inferior to the green turtle brought from the West Indies. In the spring and fall, all sorts of waterfowl are innumerable in the bay. In the adjacent woods are abundance of deer; they may be easily drove by dogs into the bay, and the chace is continued by water greatly to the amusement of those who are fond of such sports. Strangers going to Sodus, will now find good accommodation, in a house built for the purpose; and they will find handsome sail-boats, and every apparatus necessary to accommodate the sportsman in pursuit of his amusement. The lands about Sodus are a black sandy loam, very deep: a soil not very common in this country, but of an excellent quality for every species of cultivation: it affords the finest gardens.† In one of the creeks running into the bay there was, some time ago, discovered a fine body of chocolate marble, which has been found to bear a good polish, and the blocks sufficiently large for any sort of building ornament. On this Creek, now called Marble Creek, there are some excellent mill-seats, accessible to boats from the lake, which, as the settlement increases, will come into use. The present mills are on a creek, west of the town, called *This species of turtle weighs above 20 lb. tIt is very common to see onions in gardens at Sodus from fourteen to fifteen inches in circumference, and from the seed not sowen above four months. Salmon Creek, and consist of one grist-mill and two saw mills. The only part of the Genesee country, that seemed, until now to have escaped the general improvement, was that contiguous to the Genesee River, below Hartford or Canawagas: a set of very good mills, however, had been built at the falls, and some settlers were to be found in that neighbourhood, on the fertile plains by the side of the river: but the idea of exposure to Indian depredations on a frontier is always sufficient to prevent the man of industry and property from settling. The luxuriance of the soil will not always tempt him. The moment, however, the western posts were given up to the United States, and this part of the country rendered safe, the industrious settlers turned their attention to the lands west of the river; and they now bid fair to prove one of the best settlements in the western country. I am &c. LETTER III. DEAR SIR, The emigration that took place in the year 1797, into this Western Country, not only exceeded former years, as to numbers, but also as to the respectability of the emigrants; a very great proportion of the settlers were the most substantial farmers from Pennsylvania, Maryland, the Jerseys, and New England. The country had already been so far improved, that the inhabitants lived in comfort, and even luxury; regular weekly markets had been established in Geneva, Canadarqua, and Bath; and were well supplied with meat of all kinds. The flour from our mills was inferior to none on the continent, and the merchants' stores were regularly supplied. The United States had established a weekly post for the carriage of letters: in fact, we found no inconvenience but that the access to the country, for near one hundred miles on each side, was through settlements, in point of improvement, far behind those in the Genesee Country. To improve our communication with the coast seemed to be all that was necessary to render this country equal to any part of America, for comfort and convenience: in many things, particularly the climate, we had much the advantage. To remedy this inconvenience as to roads, the Legislature of the State had, by an act passed in the session of 1797, taken the road from Fort Schuyler to Geneva under their patronage. A lottery had been granted for the opening and improving of certain great roads; among these, this road was included. The inhabitants of the country through which the road passed, made a voluntary offer of their services, to aid the State Commissioner, and subscribed four thousand days work, which they performed with fidelity and cheerfulness. By this generous and uncommon exertion, and by some other contributions, the State Commissioner was enabled to complete this road of near one hundred miles, opening it sixty-four feet wide, and paving with logs and gravel, the moist parts of the low country through which it was carried. Hence the road from Fort Schuyler, on the Mohawk River, to Genesee, from being, in the month of June, 1797, little better than an Indian path, was so far improved, that a stage started from Fort Schuyler on the 30th of September, and arrived at the hotel in Geneva, in the afternoon of the third day, with four passengers. This line of road having been established by law, not less than fifty families settled on it in the space of four months after it was opened. It now bids fair to be, in a few years, one continued settlement from Fort Schuyler to the Genesee River. All last winter two stages, one of them a mail stage, ran from Geneva and Canadarqua to Albany weekly. A wilderness changed, in so few years, to the comfortable residence of a numerous body of industrious people, who enjoy the comforts and conveniences of life in a degree superior to most parts of the United States, affords matter of curiosity to the intelligent traveller, and many respectable characters undertake the journey from no other motive. To them, therefore, it must be highly gratifying to find entertainment and accommodation equal to any thing of the kind in America. Very few places of the size now exceed Geneva, either as to the stile of the buildings, the beauty of the adjoining country, or valuable improvements. The number of sail-boats have greatly increased on the lake, and the sloop finds constant employment: and, in addition to their comforts, a person from Scotland has established, at Geneva, a very respectable brewery, which promises to destroy in the neighbourhood, the baneful use of spirituous liquors. The apple and |