31 6 Countff ani Climate near tin Jmencan Laiei. 



it about tlirce miles in circumference, and lies at the upper or fonth-wcft end of Dc Bols 

 Blanc. The ifland of Michilimackinac is circular, and lies between the upper end of Dc 

 Bois Blanc and the north- weftern coaft of the ftreight; having a chanhel of about one mile 

 and a half between it and De Bois Blanc, and a channel of nine miles between it and the 

 north-weftern coaft of the ftreight. It meafures feven miles and tliree quarters in circum- 

 ference, and is nearly circular. On the fouth-fide of this ifland there is a fmall bafon of a 

 fegment of a circle, ferving as an excellent harbour for veflcls of any burthen, and for canoes. 

 Around this bafon the village is built, having two ftireets of nearly a quarter of a mile in 

 length, a Roman chapel, and containing eighty-nlhe houfes and ftores ; fomc of them 

 fpacious and handfome, with white lime plaftering in front, which fliews to great advan- 

 tage from the fea. At one end, and in the rear of the town, is an elegant government- houfc 

 of immenfc fize, and finiftied in great tafte. It is in the form of |1^ |1 ; one ftory high, the 

 rooms fifteen feet and a half in the clear. It has a fpacious garden in front, laid out with tafte, 

 and extending from the houfe on a gentle declivity to the water's edge. There are two na- 

 tural limpid fprings in the rear of the houfe, and a very lively grove of fugar-trees called the 



' Park. Suitable out-houfes, fl;ablcs and offices are added ; and it is enriched on three fides 

 with beautiful diflant profpefls. Twenty rods from the rear there is a fudden and almolt 

 perpendicular afcent of about a hundred feet of rock, upon the top of which ftands the fort, 

 built of ftone and lime, with towers, baftions, &c. occupied by our troops, and command- 

 ed by Major Burbeck. About half a mile from the fort, in the rear, there is an eminence 

 which I eftimate to be about two hundred and fifty feet from the furface of the water. This 

 fpot commands an extenfive and fublime view of the adjacent country. The fort, the vil- 

 lage, the neighbouring iflands and channels feem proftrated at your feet ; while to the 

 fouth-weft; you look into the immenfity of Lake Michigan, which lofes itfelf in the 

 fouthern hemifphere ; and to the north-weft the great Lake Huron lies expanded to the 

 bounds of the horizon. It was a beautiful morning when I had this view. 



" This celebrated ftreight is the only key to the immenfe lucrative fkin trade now folelj 

 carried on by Britifli fubjeds from Montreal, with the nations of Indians, called th« 

 Sauteurs or Chipewas, Sioux, Reynards, &c. who inhabit the water-courfes that fall into 

 the Mifliffippi between the Illinois and the falls of St. Anthony. Canoes are loaded and 

 fitted out by thefe traders every year from Michilimackinac. They commonly fet out in 

 July, and return in June, July or Auguft the year following, to Michilimackinac, from 

 whence they ftarted. Here they are again met by the Montreal canoes with frefh goods, 

 exchange loading, and each return from whence they came. The Montreal canoes pene- 

 trate to Michilimackinac by way of Grand River ; which, with the exception of a fmall 

 portage, conveys them to the northern point of Lake Huron ; and return by the fame route. 

 Thofc from Michilimackinac penetrate the interior or Indian country by way of Green 

 Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan, thence through Fox River into the Miffiflippi and its* 

 tributary ftreams j and return alfo to Michilimackinac by the fame route. 



** On the 22d of Auguft we left Michilimackinac, and on the 23d anchored in the 

 "ftreight of St. Jofeph, which leads to Lake Superior. At this place nature has dilplayed 

 ▼ery handfomely again. The mouth of the ftreight is about thirty miles wide, but fo 

 ftrewcd over with innumerable fmall circular Iflands that it is difficult to obtain a view in 



. any dire^ion of more than fix or eight miles. Indians have forqetimes been ioft among 

 9 theft 



