The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-22
INTERESTING SUMMER
TRAVEL ON INLAND SEA

of invigorating and health-giving vaca-
ton experiences. Consultation of literary
indexes shows that many more English
writer's have seen fit to describe their
travels. especially on lakes Huron and
Superior. than have Americans For many
years Englishmen travelling in the Do
minion of Canada have as a regular part
of their trip taken some one of the little
British steamers that ply from Georgian
Bay among the islands of the northern
short of Huron through the 500" and
along the northern coast of Superior
stopping at little trading villages. once
the posts of the Hudson Bay company.
Now an increasing army OF Americans is
following this advance guard of English
men
Lake Superior never fails to POSSESS the
inauguration of those who make the trip
across il. The traveller who has boarded
n steamer at Buffalo. Cleveland or Detroit
leaves pretty-almoSt pastorial-scenrY
behind as he passes out of Lake ST.
CTair and Detroits famous American
Venice. the Flats, where summer homes
in thousands have been built on law
tangled islands Lake Huron serves as
an intermediate approach. 1t is large
and stormy but its waters are bright
green as are those of all the lakes ex-
cept Superior
As the tourist leaves the canals at the
the worlds bodies of fresh water. From
its outlet to Duluth. where the ST. Louis
river tumbles into the waters at the
head of the lake, It is 400 miles long
160 miles broad. with coast line Of
1900 miles and an erea of $1,000 square
mlles-more than equal to that of New
Hampshire. Vermont, Massachusetts
Rhode Island and Connecticut The great
passenger steamers which now ply upon
It's surface. ruffle waters which are so
deep that the bottom of the lake is about
400 feet below the level of New York
harbor. Seamen will tell YOU that there
are places where the dark blue water
is unfathomable; 1.-THE bottom as fell
out. Sir. said an English sailor. when
the plummet failed to tri1e anything
The authorities say, however. that the
lake is nowhere more than 1000 feet
deep. which. as Its surface Is 627 feet
above the sea level means that If the
inland sea there would still be a lake
nearly 400 feet deep In the center.
Travel on the lakes has much of the
charm to the lover Of the sea which Is
afforded by a voyage upon the ocean.
Vessels run far from land There is
life in the breeze and at times the waves
roll high enough to show what the lake
can be when its anger is aroused. But
during the summer season severe storms
are rare occurrence and fears of seasick-
While voyaging on these summer seas
the sightseer finds abundant evidence
that the captains of industry long ago
discovered the value OF the lakes Great
ore and grain carriers are constantly
passing and most OF these craft fly Uncle
Sans flag. condition In marked con-
trast to that which exists In the ocean,
Only about ten per cent. of the vessels on
the lakes are British.
With the discovery of the lakes them
selves has come the discovery of nearby
localities. Many tourists take a side
trip TO the Pictured Rocks In Schooleraft
county. Michigan. about 100 miles east
from the 500" where the winter north
west winds lashing the waves have
wrought the sandstone cliffs into strange
and fanstastc forms. These always ex-
cite the wonderment of the stranger al
though to the native they are of little
consequence. Sure, they are high and
rough and stained and rather curious"
said a man who had lived near them
most of his life to a traveller not long
ago; still they amt nothing but rock
after all. Strange why folks come all
the way from New York to see Them
Then, too, there are opportunities for
the sportsman to the north of Lake Su-
perior in one of the widest hill coun-
tries of the continet. with reaches of
mountain and valley thiclxy ove,frown
with spruce trees. with lakes and trout
streams innumerahle. and with every &C.
casionally little hamlet or even single
farmstead in some exceptionally fertile
spot. A recent traveller In the region
10 the north Of Lake Superior speaks Of
finding so miles from a habitation a lit
erary Englishman who occasionally gets
to the nearest railroad station and gath
ers in a bunch OF the London Times to