Year: 1863

reads or fanciful landscapes. In addition to
the fantasies in shape and color, there were
several waterfalls Of surprising beauty
In short, the whole extent Of the Rocks
was a succession Of delightful surprises, as
each revolution of the wheel brought to
view some new exhibition Of the grandeur
of the scenery.


The cause of the diseOIOraIiOn Of the
rocks is evidently mineral water percOla-
ting through the seams in the rock, and
leaving its sediment as it trickles down.


Many persons are disappointed at the
Rocks not seeing them under favorable cir
cumstances, but the passengers on the Me-
teor can assure their friends that there is
scarce an object in the country Of more
beauty or interest.


Passing Grand Island (the shores of
which ara high and rocky through most Of
their extent) we met the Northern Light,
and extended the usual courtesies Of the
seas.



We were now furnished with sn exhibi-
ton which in sublimity, equaled the grand
eur of the scenes I have alluded to. As
We left the lee Of the islands snd struck
across the lake for Marquette, the wind
freshened and the clouds in the west
and south looked threatening. The wind
was directly off shore and was very warm.
Heavy thunder clouds rolled up dark
masses charged with electricity, which, as
soon as daylight faded, manifested itself
in such brilliant exhibition Of lightning
as I have never seen equalled in any part
of the country. Such, too, was the uni
verssl testimony Of our passengers ssme
Of whom had seen the storms Of the tropics
and the different oceans. Rich CLEANS of
light flashed continuously upon the west
ern morrison, at times illuminating half
the heavens. Interspersed with these were
bolts of living Ere, SO intense as to throw
all the other flashes into shade, darting
across the sky aud down beneath the hor-
izon, as if hurled in wrath from the hands
Of the gods But these, frequent and brill
liant as they were, were but ordinary
lightning hashes, thrown in to fill up the
intervals between the greatest displays of
all, when the "chain lightning appear
ed, not in one single line of gorgeous light,
as usual, but forked and branched in a
hundred ways at once. cannot describe
the magnificent scenes no language could
adequately tell its marvellous splendor.-
The deck and guards of the boat were
crowded with rapt spectators of the won
drOus scene, until as We nesred Marquette,
ne saw still another phase Of beauty. Within
thepleasant bay were gathered fleet of sirty
four vessels, waiting to load with irOn-ore.
1t was half past ten o'clock in the evening
and each of these vessels was lighted up
stem and stern, while among them were
colored lightsfrom steamers. Beyond, we're
the lights of shore, and over all, the full
CLEAN Of the reflector at the beacon, like a
gigantic eye, overlooking all below. The
water was still in the bay, so that every
light glanced back at itself from the water
below. Our engines were stopped and we
glided silently through the illuminated
harbOr to our dock, just before reaching
which half dozen sky-rOckets were sent
of from our deck. We have thus had, to-
day, the grand, the sublime and the beau
tiful, in such perfection and such rapid
succession as few persons can boast of
having seen, and we retire full Of enthu-
siasm for Lake Superior trip upon the
Meteor. S.D.P.