The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-29

Cliffs, headlands islands, and hills, which often
appeared ms II within a mile or two OF US, were
found, ON being approached, to be from five to zen
miles off, Hence, in making what 'poyagetns
called "horerses'-that is, passage IN direct line
from one headland 10 another, instead OF curving
with the shore Of the lake-nexperienced voyageurs
are very liable to be deceived, by supposing the
distance 10 be short when IL Is in reality very long
In making which, should strong wind spring up
from shore, small boat would be liable to be blown
sea- and the boat and people run the hazard oil
ing lost We had some brief but painful experience oil
this deception in apparent distance, by attempting
one morning, after having camped at the mouth OF
Dead river 20 sail before what seemed to be fan
wind from Presqu'ise to Granite Point; but we had
not made much over half the distance, when the
wind suddenly changed to the west, and blew a
gale on our beam, and we came very near being
blown out into the open luke-which is just
about equivalent to beng blown into the At
antic, for the storms are just strong, and the
waves roll equally as high Finding we were going
TO eeward, we dropped sail, and took 10 our oars
and, although within half mile of the point we
wished TO make, il took US hard caring for about
an hour 10 reach u.
have never seen a sheet Of water, where the
wind can succeed in so suddenly throwing the
water into turbulent waves, as on Lake Superior
This is owing to its freshness, making It so much
lighter than salt water. One night, Just as we had
mile or two in length, where j, would have been
impossible for us TO make a landing, and had
reached sand beach at the mouth Of small river
where we camped, the surface Of the lake up to
that time being smooth as glass We had no sooner
pitched our tents, than a violent wind sprang
up from the northeast, and blew gale nearly al
night, shifting from point TO another. Ia fifteen
or twenty minutes after the commencement OF the
blow, the water of the lake seemed dashed into q
fury Of sommoton, in which our boat could scarcely
have survived.
The grandest scenery beheld in the whole route was
that presented by the celebrated " Pictured Rocks
They lie stretched out for nine miles IN length,
little east Of Grand island, They are considered
very dangerous to pass by yoyageurs, who gcnernly
select favorable spells Of weather for the trip.
On the morning Of Tuesday, the 9th instant, soor
after leaving our camp, the fog cleared up, sufficient
to give us glimpse Of these stupendous sandson,
cliffs. As the sun rose, the fog became dispersed
and its brilliant beams fell upon and illuminated
every portion OF them.
They rise in perpendicular walls from the water o
the lake shore, TO the height Of from 300 10 300 feet
! They are so precipitous that they in some places
appear TO lean the lake at top, 10 which small
trees are leaning the lake. hanging by the
frail roots to the gddy crags above. AT one point
a small creek tumbles over a portion Of them IN 0
cascade of 100 feet in height. They stretch foi
nine miles in length and in all that distance there
are only two places where boats can land-one cove
being called the Chapel, and the second Miners
| river.
So deep is the water, tina, boat can pass clos,
along shore, almost touching the cliffs. Indeed, Q
seventy four-gun ship can ride with perfect safety
within feet of their base Taken altogether the
solemn grandeur, and the awful subIimity of thel
gigantic forms and elevation, far surpass anything
of the kind probably, the continent, IL not IN the
world. Next to the Falls Of Niagara, they are the
greatest natural curiosity the eyes of man can be
hold. When steamboats, introduced on Lake
E.nt n
| the tourist. They contain vast caves, one Of which
is only 80 feet wide at its mouth, but, entering II
suddenly expands to 200 feet in width, beneath 4
lofty dome of 300 feet high. Different portions o.
the cliffs go by different names-such as the "Por
taiiles," the iDoric Rock" the &c eros Capr the
" Chapel &c, We went into a small bay at the
base of the " Chapel" which consists Of an i'm
mense mass of rude sandstone, with trees growing
on it, expanded in the form Of arch, its extremr
ties resting irregularly shaped columns, to tn,
number of three or four under each end. Beneath
the arch, deep gorge enters the lake, crowded and
choked with luxuriant vegetation. II appeared &c
me like the finest and most natural Dridical ALTA
| to be seen anywhere, not excepting even Stone
hengc. Near the Chapel, brisk little stream falls
rapidly over the rocks into the water below. II |:
| impossible to do justice to the splendid appearance,
Of he Pictured Rocks y So called on acrnan IF nh
iron ORE drippngs from which have stained the sur
| face of the rocks with variety of tns, The
L
minds eye Of these grand cliffs, and they will af
| ford him hundred views, every one Of which will
differ from the other. | will defy anybody to visi
them, as we did, on clear, bright day, when tho
lake is smooth, in open boat close by the side Of
them, without having his expectations of their natu
raj grandeur far surpassed.
| Boats have sometimes been caught in the Chape
by sudden, high and contrary winds, and compelled
to remain there for three or four days. before being
able to proceed. few miles beyond the Pictured
Rocks" we came to Grand Island where, entering
Its harbor, we stopped at Mrs. Williams's place
the only settlement on the island which is very
large This is one of the most splendid and safe
harbors on Lake Superior-perfectly land locked on
every side, and extensive enough to contain large
fleet OF vessels, being easy of ingress egress.
| From Grand Island we continued to persevere in our
voyage, and finally reached Copper Harbor, via the
Anse, in eleven days from the Sault Ste. Marie.
| At the Anse we fell in with Mr.. Ord the United
States Indian agent at the Sault Ste Marie who was
on visit to the Indians at that point to take the
census, and to hold talk with their chiefs in coun-
Gil. We arrived at the Anse few hours before
the council began The chiefs all sat around hall
on wooden benches, while Mr.. Ord, with the inter
prefer, was seated at the head of the circle Many
of the Indians were fne-looking men. They had a
great many petty grievances to relate to the agent,
who listened to- them with patient attention. The
Chppewas about the Anse are said to be much bet
ter off than those who trade to La Pointe ut the up
per end of the lake.
The Methodiss have a missionary station and
school the east side of the bay Of Keweewena, and
near its head; around which there is an Indian viii
lage, consisting of 600 or 700 souls The Catholics
have also a missionary station on the opposite side
of the bay, which is here only about mile or two
wide.
The government employs at this Indian post one
blacksmith, MIR. Brockaway,) one carpenter, (Mr
Johnson,) and one teacher, in the person of the
Methodist minister. We left the Ansc about half
/ a III II. -
reaching the mouth Of the Portage, or Sturgeon
river, where we camped on fiat point of land
severely infested by mosquitoes, with the heat
equal to any in intensity (Which had prevailed du.
ring the day. that | ever experienced. AT Fort
Wilkins, Copper Harbor, on the same day, | have
since learned the mercury to 100 in the shade
This would seem to be tremendous degree of
heat for such high latitude, the fort standing on the
parallel of 47o 3U.
During the night, we could occasionally hear the
plunges of sturgeon foundering in the water,
which abound in this lake river. A thunderstorm,
also, passed near before day, which had the effect to