Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-09-21
AROUND THE LAKES.

favored by all classes Of men, it at
least is by travellers.
Away up in Maine, where Mt Ka-
tshdin rises among the pines, beyond
MoOsehead Lake, is place Of pleas
ant hills and lakelets; and il all men
could feel like Mr., Thorean in his
Maine Woods, a little life there would
be better than most life is elsewhere.
Above Lake Winipisogee, very con-
veniently for Boston, New Hamp-
shire's granite billows-the White
Mountains-raise their heads.
Not far from Lakes George and
Ghamplain, lakes having grace of
their own, and sacred to the memo
ries of '76 and '12, the Adirondaes
give wild retreat.
A little farther west Nature set her
great lakes, and seemed to think she
had done enough without building
any mountains. And she had.
There is no harm in writing book
Of travel, if one doesn't be too exact
ing. We like to hear Of scenes that
we hever beheld; and it is pleasant
to tread again pleasant paths that we
have trod before.
On the eve of August % we left
Cleveland on one of the fine steamers
that walk in the water to Detroit. A
company of Zouaves, from Cincin-
natl, were on board-a fine looking
lot Of fellows, who had no lack in the
way Of red breeehes and gold lace.
The recent fate of some poor TurcOs
in the service of His Majesty the
Emperor, lends an interest to this
kind of soldier. We doubt whether
the Cineinnatians, with all their
spirit, would sacrifice as much for q
Napoleonic idea"
Early IN the morning we were in
the Detroit, a ribbon of dark water
running through a bright, green land
of very pleasant pattern, and soon
were at the city.
Cleveland and Detroit each has one
rival for beauty, and only one; and
whichever is vanquished, loses moth
ing. If Detroit could afford q few
more buildings like her nearly COM
pleted City Hall, her public archi-
lecture would be all that reason would
justify at least.
While stopping at our hotel band
playing the Marsellaise, etc., came
around, announcing a French war
meeting for the evening. Beside the
driver rode a man who carried green
flag which claimed to belong to the
Thirty-Seeond regiment Of the /. r.
A, I believe. Just what connection
Fenianism has with France, I am not
able TO say. 1t doesn't matter much.
At eve we left the long busy docks
Of Detroit for the dull little town Of
Windsor, on ths Canada side. A lit
tie "ten-by-tEaIve" Clstom House,
belonging to H. R. H, "V. R." was
not very remarkable; but it was the
most striking object we saw. A little
"annexing" would help Windsor.
A person used TO railroad prompt
ness must quickly get unused to it in
steamboat travel The Idaho was ad-
vertised to leave Detroit at nine in
the evening; but the gray mist of
morning came streaming up the river
before her, and eur morning was more
drowsy than even our evening had
been.
Away to the northwest, our propel-
Ter finging a misty spray away from
her prov, on which the morning
sun painted transient rainbovs, we
entered Lake st. Clair; but hardly
seemed in before we began to go
out. The upper part, known as the
a" Flats, /" is not very favorable to navi- !
cation. Tall rushes shot up in exten-
siye shadows; and thousands Of wild |
ducks swan among them, entirely at |
home. Through this part of the lake |
a canal is being dredged just now;
and judging from the long piers filed /
with freshly brought up earth, one
would think it nearly ready for use.
The scenery on the st. Clair river
is not remarkable. We judged that |
most Of the little brown churches
on the Canada side belonged to the |
Church of EngIand-they had an
Episcopal air; and look to the west |
made US cease to wonder that so much |
of Michigan is called swamp land"
Just at eve we left Port Sarnia, the 4
busy far north terminus of the Grand /
Trunk Railway, and our own buster
Port Huron, and Fort Gratiot, pleas
ant town, whose few guns are safely
' protected" with canvass covers, and
steamed boldly into Lake Huron. A
stiff northwest breeze made our over
coats comfortable, and we began to
feel, in truth, in q strange latitude.
Lake Huron is a busy lake. A dozen
or two Of vessels were constantly
within sight Of US. /
One evening, on a sea as smooth as
glass, we sailed up to the wooden
docks Of Maekinac. Going ashore,
we climbed up to the ancient fort,
which is perched on high bluff Just
above the little town. This whole
island is romantic. It rises three
hundred and eighteen feet above the
water; and in most places rises abb
abruptly. The Arched Rock, which
we saw on the southeast face Of
the island, is one hundred and forty
feet high; the Lovers Leap, another
bluff, is one hundred and forty-fve
feet high /; the Sugar Loaf, a bare
rock, near the center Of the island, /
rises one hundred and thirty-four
feet.
Our company was reluctant to hurry
on shipboard; but that still evening,
among the dark, pinned islands of the
Straits, with distant fishing boats our
only companions, was all a good time
could be-only it passed away.
~. -Gg..E-T. E. W.B.