In 1646 Father Isaac Jogues first glimpsed the body of water he called "Lac Du St. Sacrement." The 32 mile long lake was later renamed in honor of King George II of England. Its natural beauty has caused many to term it the "Queen of American Lakes." Lake George played a strategic role in the French and Indian War and later in the American Revolution. Fort William Henry, Fort George and Fort Gage at the south, and Fort Ticonderoga at the north witnessed numerous skirmishes among armies led by generals such as the British Amherst, Johnson, Abercrombie and Burgoyne; the French Montcalm and Dieskau; and the Americans Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold. The lake has over 159 miles of shoreline and is studded with 179 islands. It has a maximum width of 3 miles and reaches a depth of 187 feet.