SOUTHERN SHORES OF LAKE SUPERIOR 331 



inhabited the peninsula, and there are traditions of 

 thousands having been massacred on the coasts near it. 

 These things are never forgotten among the Red Men, 

 and the account of them is handed down by tradition 

 from generation to generation. The medicine men 

 are the particular custodians of tribal tradition, and 

 their traditions, I have proved, are quite as reliable as 

 the white man's histories ; perhaps a little more so 

 sometimes. 



Portage Lake is not the only body of water on 

 Keweenaw Point. There are several other lakes and 

 ponds, notwithstanding that the land is hilly and drained 

 by a great number of brooks and runnels. Several of 

 them are enchantingly beautiful : so much so that one 

 has actually been named by the voyageurs the Beautiful 

 Lake. Unfortunately I could not spare sufficient time 

 to thoroughly explore either lakes or peninsula, and so 

 cannot give that minute description of either that I 

 should like to : neither was my visit paid at a time of 

 the year favourable to a sight of the full enchantment 

 of the spot. Most of these small lakes are embosomed 

 amidst grandly wooded hills, and are very irregular in 

 shape, having many winding arms, which adds greatly to 

 their picturesqueness. 



The coastline of Keweenaw is, generally, rocky, 

 rising into abrupt hills several hundred feet high, enclos- 

 ing fairy-like coves, many of which afforded safe hiding- 

 places to Indian canoes in former perilous times. In 

 some places the rocks are pierced with caves, but none 

 of these, though some were rugged and picturesque, were 

 of great size, or otherwise remarkable. As there was ice 

 on the water at the time of my visit, I could walk into 

 some of the caves on it, and so explore them. There 

 were also arches, or perforated rocks, but only on a small 

 scale, and these were not at all to be compared to some 

 of those on the sea- coast of America. 



Moving westward the cliffs were not so remarkable, and 



