The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-11-05

daily
per square Special charged
crowded with passengers Along the shore there in
places sandstone cliffs escpments and these of
the passengers would have the HCthred Books,
though in fact, they sa-picturcd amy rock
could be II was amusing TO hear their conncslts and
to notice how their active imagnaons clothed ec
ked walls with fantastic shapes aud colors At last after
circuitous voyage OF hour so abreast OF
the Pictured Rocks The range Of cliffs 70 which this
has been given rise in most places vertically om
the water TO height varying from sixty TO hundred
and fifty feet and extend along the shore for about ve
miles The rays Of the declining fell full upon them
and gave the best possible view ut the distance wo
were sailing To sec them well, however one should
pass along slowly in small boat near their base We
several hundred yards away The swell Of the lake
at the eastern msuth of tho bay where the Psssrsd
Rocks seen, rolls up, In calm weather. e tho
swell of the ocean, showing deep water. When gale
blows the shore the must dash with terrible
fury aguinst these bold cliffs There two features
that give this remarkable scenery unique character
the curious manner in which the cliffs have been
waited by the haering of the lake, and the sngu
lar manner in which much OF the surface has boen
colored with many hues
1t would appear that the French poyagags were most
struck with the first feature for they applied the
'sLes Portlis TO these cliffs and ii to that Is
the most striking popularity The most remarkable of
these excavations lie Grand Portal and La CAapols
of the uoyageurs Of the Grand Portal Foster and Whit
in their geological report say The main body Of
the structure consists of vast mass OF recnear shape.
presenting front of three four hundred feet and
rising to height of about two hundred feet An en-
trance has been excavaed from side to the other
opening into large yaued passages which communi-
cate with the great dome three hundred feet from
the front of the cliff The Grand Portail which opens
the lake. is of magnificent dimensions being about
one hundred feet in height and hundred and sixty
eight feet broad at the water level The distance from
the verge Of the Cliff the arch to the water is
hundred and thirty three feet leaving thirty three feet
for the thickness of the rock above the arch itself The
| hale xf x,l.A
making in all one hundred and eighty three feet
La Chaple is not SO grand, but grotesque. lis
piece of natural architecture. 1t is In act vaulted
apartment with arched roof resting upon four ggan-
tic columns The apartment Is about forty feet in diam
eter and about the same in height.
The bands of colos the cliffs did not appear 10 me
SO bright have been described by travellers This
be accounted for from the drynes Of the season.
it is evident the coorng matter which forms the spc-
lures exudes from the rocks and the moisture or
wet weather there may be the distinct are the
colors, The metallic oxides permeating through tho
porous rocks and trickling down the face OF the cliffs
leaving sediment behind of yellow, gray, blue green
and oher coors probably formed fantastic shapes
in part by the dashng of the spray the the
lake The rays. of light falling the angles fractures
and excavations Of the bluffs add to the optical Illusion
The effect of the remarkable natural phenomena was
heightened however very much by the imagination Of
the beholders.
We called at the Marquette Portage Entry Kewecnaw
Point, Copper Harbor Eagle Harbor Eagle River Har-
bor and Ontonagon all places contiguous to- and con-
neced with the rich copper mines in that part of Lake
Superior. At Eagle River Harbor the famous Cliff
and North American copper mines, and in the vicn-
ity of Oconagon the Minnesota, the Norwich the
National, the Rockland and other productive copper
mines. The Minnesota raises about 1000 tons year.
and the Cliff but little less The value of the copper
raised in the Lake Superior region is about two and q
half million dollars year.
The shipment of iron and iron ore from Marquette Is
not less than 90, 900 tons year To show the import
and value of this business may mention that one
company alone, the Sharon Iron Company, expended
800 900 dollars in the construction OF a substantial
breakwater and wharf twelve hundred feet long.
The north shore of the lake. in Minnesota that al
most terra acgna is was told by the best authority
full of the richest copper and iron and that agates aud
other valuable stones can be picked up pebbles
We arrived mt Bayfield, In Pointe county, Wisconsin
the morning Of the 18th. Never shall forget that
charming morning, when little before SUNRISE left my
cabin and went on deck, to find the North Star sur
rounded in every direction by beautiful islands, and steer
ing for the main shore on which stands bayfield,. We
40 miles from Saut St Marie and 83 miles from
Superior City The islands called the Trelue fpos
aes, the "Aposles Islands, There are about twenty
of them, grouped together quite large, many
miles in circumference, with bold shores and a sI,arply
defined outline and channels deep between all Of them
that the largest vessels pass through ride in safely
i'll the most violent storm There several entrances
to bayfield, each of them magnificent harlor la it.
self and perfectly secure Bayfield, the main land
and Is the point from which railroad Is to be built to
the St Cioix river. grant of land made by Con-
gress for this purpose and believe contract has been
the shore and load and discharge cargo with the greatest
facility The country around Bayfield, is finely timbsred
and has rich soil and abundance OF fish and game
1t took about five hours to from Bayfield, to Su
peror city, at the head Of the lake The approach to
Superior is very difficult through narrow, shallow
channel into shallow bay formed by long neck Of land
or sand bank There must be $500 inhabitants at SUI
peror, and there some very good stores and dwell
ngs. 1t has evidently acquired growth beyond It's
years strength, and unless harbor be made il
cannot become great city. It's geographical position Is
admirable but the question Is, the channel and bay
be dredged 10 make good harbor and to keep it sof
Here reached the western terminus of voyage
aud after remaining few hours at SUPERIOR and riding
out dark, wet, and stormy night the lake, we ar
rived the next morning again at Bayfield, to take board
of passenger friends whom left the day be-
fore, and thence sailed on return to Cleveland.
Thus, in about the space Of eight days. we
had travelled by land and water mountains prai-
res, and lakes where nature in its widest and
most majestic FORMS and through the heart of the most
beautifully cultivated and progressive part of coun-
try We had left tropical degree of summer heat and
found cool climate, and had travelled sixteen hun
dred miles, almost to tho centre of the North American
continent with the mind crowded and stimulated con
tnualy by greater variety Of scenery and more objects
of interest than be found in any other part of the
world Such is journey to the lakes and voyage by
them to the head of Lake Superior In the month Of Au-
gust. flAg 3t
All our party delighted with the voyage. II was
proposed by Senator Wade, of Ohio, and several others
to arrange for grand excursion party next year. bring
ing in many of the executive government officers at
doft az