The new era., 1860-06-28
For the New Era .
"reminiscences Of Missionery
Life in the Northwest.
By REV. SHERMAN HALL.
No Z.

BY REV. SHERMAN HALL.
: Our last chapter brought US to L;
Pointe. This place is atthe Southwest
ern end Of MagdaIen Island, the larges
one Of the groupe called the Apostle
Islands, and lies equisdistant between
the Ontonagon and the ST. Louis river
which enters Lake Superior at its West
ern extremity. 1t is from twelve tc
fifteen miles in length, and from two to
five miles in breadth, pointing Northeast
and Southwest. Its Southwestern end
lies in bay. and is separated from the
main shore Of the lake by a deep chan
mel from two to six miles wide. We
first resided at the trading postwhich was
then at the most Southern portion of the
island but three years after, the mis-
sion was moved TO the first bay on the
Western side OF the island. a mile and a
half from our first residence; and the
next year the trading establishment was
also removed to that side of the island.
mile beyond US.
FIND the following note of our first
impressions on arriving at La Pointe -
81 believe all of us who had not be-
fore seen the place were agreeabIy dis
appointed. We found it a more pleas
ant place than we had anticipated. AS
we approached it from the the lake, it
appeared like small village. There are
several buildings, and thirty or forty
acres Of land cleared Of the timber and
some of it under cultivation, on which
are growing peas, potatoes, garden
vegetables, end grass. These are suf-
fering much from excessive drougth.-
This gives to the place some appear
ance of civilization, and contrasts pleas
antly with all we have yet seen since
entering Lake Superior"
| The natural scenery about La Pointe
possesses great beauty. Both the is
land and the main land are covered
with a dense forest. The land on the
island rises from the shore, sometimes
by gradual slope, and sometimes by
abrupt banks of rock and clay, to-
wards the center, to the height, per-
haps. of a hundred feet, giving it the
appearance as you approach it from the
lake, of beautifully rounded swell
in its central part. The land on the
opposite shore rises into hills which in
summer are covered with a beautiful
dark green foliage, giving to it the ap-
pearance of being covered with rich
vegetation. The shore is genarally
bold, and much Of the way fortified by
walls of red sandstone rock, which rise
IN some places perpendicularly to the
height of fifty or sixty feet, with an oc-
casional break in the small BAYS. where
Is found sandy beach. The island 1
is divided from the mainland by a deep
channel Of beautiful, pure water, "clear
is crystal" protected from the agita-
tions Of the broad lake by the islands
which cluster here on the one side, and
the curviture of the lake shore at this
point on the other. The eastern side
OF this island is washed by the open
lake. From the high bluffs on this side
of it the view is grand. To the east,
down the lake, you view dark waste
of waters, which to the eye has no Inn
1t From the southeast, as if rising i'm
mediately out of the lake, the Porcu-
pine mountains throw up their crest,
and swinging round in almost the form
of semi-circle towards the southwest,
bound your vision in that direction.
Our first business was, of course, 20
provide for ourselves a shelter from the |
heats, and colds, and rains, and storms,
and winds to which we had been so long
on our voyage, and to COM
mencs housekeeping. We found e |
small log shanty at the place unoccu-
pied, which we procured, and immedi-
ately set about repairing it for occupan-
cy. 1t was made of small logs loosely
laid together, unhewed and unjointed.
The cracks between the logs had been
once filled with mud, which had now
considerably fallen off. The roof was
covered with the bark Of the white ce-
dar, which is pealed from the tree in
pieces about four feet long and from
one to two and half feet vice and
spread over rafters, one piece lap
ping over another as in laping shingles