in length, and 2 or 3 miles wide. It lies mostly
in Canada, only 7 or 8 miles of the S. end ex-
tending into Vt. It is situated about half way
between Connecticut River and Lake Champlain,
and the part within Vt. lies between the towns of
Derby and Newport. A bay extends S. into Or-
leans. These waters cover about 15 square miles
in Vt., and receive from this state Clyde, Barton,
and Black Rivers. The waters of the lake arc
discharged to the N. by Magog Outlet into the
River St. Erancis, and through that into St. Pe-
ter's Lake, about 15 miles below the mouth of
the River Richelieu.

Menan Islands. Grand Menan, belonging to the
British, lies off the mouth of the St. Croix River,
and Passamaquoddy Bay. On its S. side are a
number of small islands and harbors. The
inhabitants are principally fishermen. Little or
Petit Menan, Washington co., Me., lies about 3
miles S. S. E. from Goldsboro' harbor. On it is
a light-house, with a tower 25 feet in height.

Menee Creek, Wn., rises in the S. part of Mani-
towoc co., flows S. E. into Sheboygan co., and
empties into Lake Michigan, a little above She-
boygan River.

Menomonee River, Mn., has its source in a small
lake, and running E. by S. about 100 miles, enters
Green Bay. It forms part of the boundary be-
tween Mn. and Wn. Ter.

Mequacumecum River, Mn., drains the W. inte-
rior of Marquette co., flowing S. into the Wesa-
cota, or Brule River.

Mequon River, Washington co., Wn. A small
stream rising in Musquenoc Lake, and flowing
S. E. into Milwaukee River.

Mermentau River, La. This river drains the ex-
tensive prairies of the S. W. part of the state for
a distance of 200 miles. After passing through
a lake of the same name, it falls into the Gulf of
Mexico, 200 miles W. of Mississippi River. It has
but 3 feet of water on the bar at its mouth. The
country through which it flows is covered with
grass, with the exception of a narrow strip of
woodland, partly live oak, which skirts its borders.

Merritt's Island, Orange CO., Pa. This island
lies in Indian River, and occupies nearly the
entire length of it.

Merrimac River. See Franklin, N. H.

Merrymeeting Bay, Me., is about 5 miles above
Bath, at the junction of the Androscoggin and
Kennebec Rivers. It is 10 or 12 miles in length,
and contains Swan and other islands.

Merrymeeting Bay, N. H. See Alton.

Merrymeeting Pond, N. H. See New Durham.

Meshoppen Creek, Pa., flows S. W., and enters
the Susquehanna, about 17 miles above Tunk-
hannock Creek.

Metargamook Lake, Me., lies in the W. part of
Penobscot co. The E. branch of Penobscot
River passes through it.

Mexico Bay, Oswego co., N. Y., lies in the E.
part of Lake Ontario, opposite the mouth of
Salmon River.

Mexico, Gulf of. This great gulf, situated S.
of the U. S., is 1000 miles long and 600 broad,
containing 660,000 square miles. It washes the
W. coast of Pa. and the S. coast of Aa., Mi., La.,
and Ts.

Miami River, O., rises in Hardin co., and, after
a S. W. course of 100 miles, affording extensive
water power, falls into the Ohio in the S. W.
corner of the state. It receives many large
branches, and is 200 yards wide at the mouth.

It is connected with the Anglaize, a S. branch
of the Maumee, by a portage of 5 miles, and, al-
though its course is rapid, it is navigable to a
limited extent for 75 miles.

Michel/'s Cave, N. Y. See Klip's Hill.

Michemanetue Lake, Lenawee co., Mn. A small
sheet of water supplying the head branch of
Tiffins River.

Michiconi Lake, Portage co., Wn. Situated
S. E. from Plambeau Lake, with which its outlet
connects.

Michigamme Lake, Mn., lies in the N. interior
of Marquette co., and is the source of Peshakeme
River.

Michigan, Lake. One of the five great lakes,
lying wholly in the United States, and the larg-
est body of water within its boundaries. It lies
chiefi}¹- between the states of Mn. proper and
Wn., touching also la. and Is. in its S. part.
Its length is great in proportion to its breadth,
being 330 miles long, and, on an average, 60
miles broad. It covers an area of 16,981 square
miles, or 10,868,000 acres, being inferior in size
only to Lake Superior and Lake Huron. It
is between 41° 38' 58" and 46° N. lat., and be-
tween 84° 40' and 87° 8' W. Ion. Its surface is
elevated about 600 feet above tide water; but its
bottom is estimated to be, on an average, 900
feet deep, so that, if there were a free channel
sufficient to drain this lake into the ocean, there
would still remain a sea, in this position, nearly
as large as the lake now is. Its waters are dis-
charged N. into Lake Huron through the Straits
of Michilimackinac, or Mackinac, from 4 to 8
miles wide, and 40 miles long. It has Green Bay
on the N. W., which by itself is a large sheet of
water, 120 miles in length by 25 in width, con-
nected with the lake by a strait at its N. part.
Into this bay are received also, through Pox
River, the waters of the small lake Winnebago.
The principal rivers which flow into Lake Mich-
igan, beginning at the S. or upper end, are the
two Calamicks and Riviere du Chemin, from la,,
and, from the peninsula of Mn. proper, the St.
Joseph, Kalamazoo, Grand River, Maskegon,
White River, Pent Water, Pere Marquette, Sandy,
Monistic,Platt, Carp, Grand Traverse or Ottawa,
and some others of less note. Grand Traverse
is the name applied to that part of the Ottawa
River which widens to a bay for a distance of 30
miles before it enters the lake. On the W. shore
the confluents of Lake Michigan are mere creeks,
among which Manawakee, about 70 miles long,
is the most important. Several rivers of consid-
erable importance, however, come in from the
W. through Green Bay, among which are Pox
River and the Menomonee. The waters of Lake
Michigan are pure and clear, and abound in
excellent fish. There are many good harbors
upon its shores, upon which commercial towns
are rapidly growing up. On the W. are Chica-
go, Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee, Washington,
Sheboygan, and Manitoowoc, and Grand Haven,
Richmond, St. Joseph, and Michigan city on the
E. The relative position of this lake is most
advantageous for becoming the medium of an
extensive commerce. Its longest diameter lies
in the direct line of communication between the
valley of the Mississippi and that of the other
great lakes and of the St. Lawrence. It is navi-
gable for the largest vessels and steamboats,
which ply between Buffalo and Chicago, touch-
ing at the several ports on the way. A grand