50 NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 



dry encampment, till within two hours of midnight. This brought 

 us to the upper end of Lawson's Island, where we arrived, wet, 

 weary, and cold. We had advanced about twenty-five miles, having 

 been ten hours, in a cramped posture, in our canoes. This initial 

 day's journey was calculated to take away the poetry of travel 

 from the amateurs of our party, and to let us all know, that there 

 were toils in our way that required to be conquered. 



We slept little this night, and waited for daylight and sunrise, 

 as if the blessed luminary would have an animating effect upon 

 our actual condition. We again embarked at seven o'clock in 

 the morning. We now stowed away things with more handiness 

 than at the first embarkation, and we began, ourselves, to feel a 

 little more at home in this species of voyaging. 



We had three canoes in our little squadron provided with 

 masts and sails, and a small United States pennant to each, so 

 that the brigade, when in motion, and led, as it usually was, by 

 the chanting canoe-men, had a formidable and animated appear- 

 ance. 



The Eiver St. Clair is a broad and noble stream, and impressed 

 us as justifying the highest encomiums bestowed on it by Charle- 

 voix, La Hontan, and otlier early French travellers. We ascended 

 it thirty miles, which brought us to Fort Gratiot, at the foot of 

 the rapid which marks the outlet of Lake Huron. In this dis- 

 tance, we passed, at separate places, nine vessels at anchor, being 

 detained by head winds, and encountered several Chippewa and 

 Ottowa canoes, each of which were generally occupied by a single 

 family, with their females, blankets, guns, fishing apparatus, and 

 dogs. They evinced the most friendly disposition. 



In lanaing at Oak Point,* I observed a green snake (coluber 

 aestivus) in the act of swallowing a frog, which he had succeeded 

 in taking down, except the extremity of its hind legs. A blow 

 was sufficient to relieve the frog, which still had sufficient anima- 

 tion to hop towards the river. The snake I made to pay the for- 

 feit of his life. 



At Fort Gratiot, we were received by Major Cummins, U. S. A., 

 who occupied the post with sixty men. The expedition was re- 

 ceived with a salute, which is due to the Governor of a Territory. 



* Now the site of Algonac. 



