, 1874-09-05

and nttraottvoncsu.
Although it woud soom tlat fow Chicago peo~
pto oven know ut tho existence OF auch chain,
we began to hear Of them na soon as no roao!sod
tho Traverse country, aud, like tho ancient
Athoniann always desiring somo now thing, md
hnying already ulado tho tour Of Grnn1 TravorBo
Day, NO onterod Mt Elk Rapids this Inland chain.
TIE rRsr AND uErTEn KNOWN 1n1r
ia on tho steamer Quaon OF tho Lakes, from Elk
RapidH through Elk Hivor, Elk Lako, No,ind
Lako, Torch River, and Torph Lako, to Browns
town, aituatod 1T tho head Of tho lattor lako,
which hero has curved to Within half milo OF
Lake Michigan. Tho distance Ia 32 miles, The
steamer Is a beautiful, iron, Bido-wheof vessel,
90 tons burden, woil-arrangea, noasly kept, at1d
admirably adapted for tho purposes for which
sho was designed. The navigation Of Torch
River is novelty III it's way, and requires Bkill
fni engineering. Tho current III consilorablc, the
channel harrow md winding, and tho bont built
just aB large aB could possibly brought through
tho stream. At aovoral points ato tur1,H right
anRle,-tho piling In tho bonds provonting hor
from boing damaged BY tho logs aud stumps ut
the edge OF tho channel. At ono point, noar tho
upper ond Of tie river, eho iB compelled to mako
all aouta anglo, and, within adtstanco Of 40 rods,
Hnis nearly ovory point Of tho compass. This Ia
%Lfu IAnet GuHli1AlEat14 IlHEb III tlb tIln. 4uQ
Captain Stands. with tho Pilot, nt tho wheel.
THO Engineer iB a1l activity. Tho wheels must
be carefully, quiokly, mud sld|lfuly manipulated.
Tho Hpring-lino is called into uBo to keep tho
stoatuor rightly headod. The passengers are
wondering how this camol can bc mado to paas
through this oye Of tho noodle. Only a few foot
from tho paddlo-whoolB tho wator ia too shnllow
to float her. For propellor, tho passage would
be impossible. Yot tho Qnuon passos safciy md
quickly, aud, as NO como Oh. into Torch lnke
wo ;reaiizo that ita praises hayo not been too
loudly chan.od.
lies like III untarnishel gem among the forests.
1or water ID perfectly pure aud colorlnBs, dfB-
playing tho bottom ut q groat dopth, whilo tho
boty OF tic }ako il 80 doop na to Eiyo tho lnest
water-areots. There Ia not q reed nor q rush
along itB BhoroB. but tho shelving, marty bottom
il hard and bright, aud 30 plainly visb1o while
ncar the slloreH Tint tho steamer HoemB to bo
constantly climbing stcep yet, continually ro-
eruiDE ascent. 4 party Of skaters orce cMt a
string, could plainly SEQ i on tho bottom, DIS
ta,,ce Of GO foot. 1t Is, II possihle moro trans
pnront than tho waters Of Grand 1'ravorso bay.
Or OF tho lakoa at aIaakinaw lts width, varying
from to miles, IL sufficient for artistic effects,
while at othor ond 1t loats away into uncertainty
nnd obsourity.
Its heavily-wooded shores are for tho most
part as yot ulltonchca by tic woodnan's hand,
and riuo gradually to D height Of from loo to
tior in imposing grandeur. Tho pino-tops arc
admired by many; but thoy aru Bombre, Huln-
tainous, aud cl,eerlesH. 1 much prefer these
hardwood ahoros,--slo boacl, maple, as1,, md
elm, furnishing tho contrast OF their Yarioua
foliage il Almost tropical, and, for the whulo
length Of tho lake. tho timber grolrB clonr to tho
wator's edgo. There ia no low, ilat 1aud, nor 10
much as the intlmatlon Of . swamp. At tho
I1fn
along the shores aro some spruce and pino,-
Just enough for variety aud cOntratt.
From my early boyhool, mingled with dreams
Of s,naots In the Buy Of Nipples, unor those
clear Italian sRieaI always haa q mental rctlre
--how suggested or augmented know not-ofa
gorgeous glowing
SUNSET On IAKE PoNTcuAnT1sA1n.
How that H,1nsot could bc realizod 1t lad boon
pictured iu my imagination, could not Buy, M
poltolartrAn Bhor0a arc mRrsEy, and itH .satora
aIuggistl and shallow. Yot that Bn,snot-tsaan1
of rontohartrap has become n living, oSppri-
encetl reality, moro beautiful oven thAu l lad
conceived it, and shall over boar in my nomory
Of tho Sualy South that sunmer-oyo!ling wLel!
ttreauy colors, aoanlcd to oonspiro to captiyate
the oya and caat nj Italian beauty Pontchnr-
trim. But, in this Northern 1atitudc, wo have
] q nuro vartod landscape, pRrer air. and folt-
ngo which, eyon though less luxuriant, IL His
| ceptibe Of tho finest contrasts aud Objects.
| Aud l havo seen sunaatB Oil this lake which
would delight any artists oyo. Tho Western
| Hhoro iB set in Btt0aow. and the wa.or-litlo ia
! drawn straight as ray OF sunlight, clear cut,
extended far M tho oye cau reAch, and IL Bf,ed
! off iuto tue tiuted watara Of tito middle laEa.
! Tho eastern shore is still batod in sunlight,
and, as the oyo is filled will, the calm yet ma JOS
tic beauty OF tho acono. ono eau but feel that,
| except in neutrality-suspicious., 6ootlnnd, or oson
| Switzerland, could hardly snrpasB theso shores.
| This III tho cllnin OF largor lakes; another
! cinin, OF somewhat different character lies just
| Mt tue eaHt, tlftcon In number, commencing ut
tho northeast, aud running by devious co,slHe
| with Torch Lake, near ita coutre. This ohain
can bo oasy visited in all It's length in small
| boats. VIC Bpont QUO day at tho head OF
| INTERMEDIATE LAKE,
tho largogt Of this second chain, and lying only 3
| miles to the cast OF Toruh Lake. Tle shores Rro
aomowaat lower, hut equally .veIl-wooded, with
tho additional feature that all along its 12 miles OF
| shore rlus marrow belt OF cednrB,-th bring
| ing tho full green Of tho foliagc down to tho
very edge Of the water. Never havo I soon 4
| plRcos not tho trunk Of a treo can bo seen .thc
| foliago absolutely touches the water. The per-
apectivo also il remarkable, and several points
running out into the lako add to its apparent
aize and tue height Of it's banks. Nor IL there
here any low land,-cverywllcro gradual nH-
cent; while. at numerous points on this nj on
all tho otl,ors in these chains, streama Of cold.
sparkling. pnro water come pouring down. Tho
water III th1a %nol0 6cGE10tl III tic 1l1e6E spring
water, always abundant, cold, and pure.
Two Of our party nwohe at tho oarly. gray ol
tho morning, and wont up in skin to the small
or lake nost above intermediate, to witch the
sunrise efrcots. Thoy returned curaptured. The
lako waB
| ABuoLUTELY IN ITs PRIMITIVE sTArE.
Everywhere was primoval forest. Not touch
of tho human hand, nor d sign OF humau ax-
issonce, WIS to be 8celi. Tho still.eBH WAS un
broken. Tho a,ln roae as it wero for tno irA|
time upon this part Of Garth, and they could vol
imagine themselves RH nlUno In tho u.livorBo.
III hiH excolont work on "1'ho White Hills =
tho most truly enjoyable and approoiativo boob
OF Nature mud Bceuory TINT havo ever seon,-
Starr King Bays that the best time to 500 thoB<
mountains is when tito autumn-frosts haYt
touched tho Forests, when tho lower valleys ".
still wrapped in atllnmor-yortluret tho hitl-ndnt
docked with all the glorioa Of tho turning foliage
ind tho nountain-eunmlta glowing. in tho oloa,
October sky. SO, IN this inlaud ehaiu, I know o.
10 soaaou when they would appear in ful1e
beauty than whom these plnos, spruce, aud coaara
should form dark background to the. glorious
autunnal colorlug Of thu hardwood fososts
Then, it possible, tho skies would seem clcare
aud the lakoa Dluer than to-day.
Tho crowung attraction. however, mud on'