Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/648

ONTARIO and 93,220 (42,589 males and 50,631 females) unable to write; 1,412 deaf and dumb persons, 1,009 blind, and 4,081 of unsound mind. Of the 463,424 persons returned as engaged in oc- cupations, 228,708 belonged to the agricultural class, 29,082 to the commercial, 26,805 to the domestic, 93,871 to the industrial, and 16,759 to the prof essional ; not classified, 68,199. The great body of the inhabitants is settled in the S. and S. W. portions of the province. The region N. of Lakes Huron and Superior is in- habited only by a few Indians, except at some isolated points. Immigration is now directed chiefly to the district between the Ottawa river and Georgian bay, where free grants of land are offered to settlers. The number of immi- grants settling in the province in 1871 was 25,842; 1872, 28,129; 1873, 39,184. The sur- face of the main triangle is for the most part gently undulating. A ridge of high land en- ters the province at Niagara falls, extending N. W. to Hamilton, and thence to and along the peninsula between Lake Huron and Geor- gian bay, and through the Manitoulin islands. The Laurentian hills, crossing the Ottawa from Quebec, about 25 m. above the city of Ottawa, run S. to the St. Lawrence near Kingston, and thence W. to the S. E. extremity of Georgian bay. They then continue along the E. shore of the bay and around Lake Superior, near which they attain a height of 2,100 ft. The Blue mountains S. of Georgian bay attain a height of 1,900 ft. above Lake Huron. N. of Lake Huron the hills occasionally attain an elevation of from 400 to 700 ft. above the lake. The surfaces of these hills are generally round- ed, but occasionally they exhibit rugged escarp- ments with surfaces of naked rock. The slopes are often gentle, and the valleys wide. The strip of country N. of Lake Superior is not well known. The shore of that lake is bold and rugged, the cliffs and eminences varying from 300 to 1,300 ft. in height. The land around Lake Nipigon is undulating and some- times hilly, with some level tracts. The prov- ince has a water front along the great lakes and their connecting waters of some 3,000 m., with many good harbors. By means of canals around the falls and rapids there is continuous navigation from the head of Lake Superior to the gulf of St. Lawrence. The principal bays are the bay of Quinte, shut in from Lake On- tario near its E. end by the peninsula of Prince Edward, and Burlington bay, at the W. ex- tremity of the same lake ; the bay formed by Long point in the E. part of Lake Erie, and Pigeon bay, at its W. end ; Georgian bay, en- closed from Lake Huron by the peninsula of Cabot's head and Grand Manitoulin island on the west, and the North channel, between Grand Manitoulin, Cockburn, and Drummond's islands on the south, and the mainland of the province on the north ; Goulais and Batchewauning bays near the outlet of Lake Superior, Michi- picoten bay further N., and Nipigon, Black, and Thunder bays at the N. W. extremity of that lake. There are a number of inlets in Georgian bay, the most important of which are Owen sound in the southwest, Nottawasaga bay at the S. extremity, Matchedash bay in the southeast, and Parry sound on the E. shore. The most important islands belonging to the province are a part of the Thousand islands in the St. Lawrence, Wolfe and Amherst isl- ands at the E. extremity of Lake Ontario, Long Point in the E. and Point Pelee in the W. part of Lake Erie, Walpole island at the N. E. extremity of Lake St. Clair, Grand Manitoulin and Cockburn islands, with ad- jacent islets, in Lake Huron, St. Joseph's isl- and at the S. entrance of St. Mary's strait, and Caribou, Michipicoten, Pic, Slate, Simp- son's, St. Ignace, and Pie islands, in Lake Superior. The Ottawa river forms the boun- dary of the province (below Lake Temiscamin- gue) for about 400 m., and is navigable by steamers in the lower portion for about 250 m. Its chief tributaries are the Montreal river, which enters Lake Temiscamingue after a S. E. course of 120 m. ; the Matawan, 45 m. long, the outlet of several lakes, the westernmost of which is separated only by a few miles from Lake Nipissing ; the Petawawa, 160 m. long, which enters the Ottawa about 220 m. above its mouth; the Bonnechere, 110 m. long, 50 m. above the city of Ottawa ; the Madawaska, 250 m. long, some miles lower down ; below this the Mississippi, 100 m. long ; the Rideau, which enters the main stream at Ottawa ; and the South Petite Nation, 100 m. long, below that city. The principal river emptying into Lake Ontario is the Trent (called above Rice lake the Otonabee), which after a tortuous course enters the bay of Quinte ; it is navi- gable for a considerable distance by steam- ers. Grand river empties into the E. end of Lake Erie, after a S. E. course of about 130 m., 70 m. of which are navigable by small craft. The Thames (navigable to Chatham, 18 m.) discharges into Lake St. Clair after a S. W. course of 160 m. The principal streams that discharge direct into Lake Huron are the Maitland and Saugeen. The chief af- fluents of Georgian bay are the Nottawasaga river, emptying into the bay of the same name ; the Severn, discharging at the S. E. extremity of Matchedash bay ; the Muskoka, a few miles N. ; the Maganetawan, 100 m. long, N. of this; and French river, at the N. end of the main bay. French river is 50 or 60 m. long, and discharges the waters of Lake Nipissing; it has several mouths, and is little else than a continuous chain of long narrow lakes, con- nected by rapids or falls. N. of French river are successively the Wahnapitae and White Fish rivers, the former the outlet of Wahnapi- taeping lake ; and beyond these, and emptying into the North channel, are Spanish, Serpent, Mississagui, and Thessalon rivers, the last near the entrance of St. Mary's strait. Spanish river is navigable by small craft for 35 m. Lake Superior receives among other streams the