AREA AND DRAINAGE BASIN OF LAKE SUPERIOR ]]?, 



Of the islands the largest and most remarkable is the one to 

 which the early Jesuit visitors gave the name of Isle Royah', or 

 Regal island. As seen from the north shore, it appeared to the 

 natives like a sleeping Manitoii lying prone, hut for some reason 

 unknown they chose to consider it an evil spirit and called it 

 Wimligo. The natives never ventured on the island, and I was 

 told in the summer of 1894 that they are still very loth to do so. 

 Judging by the amount of money which has been expended on 

 it within the last half century, witli no adequate return, it has 

 proved a " hoodoo " island to the whites also. Copper indica- 

 tions abound, and so, also, do the deserted shafts and drifts where 

 somebody has tried following a vein or reaching it from one side. 

 Probably a million and a half or two million dollars have been 

 expended in mining on Isle Royal with inapprecial)le return. 

 The chlorastrolites or greenstones of Isle Royal have probably 

 given and may continue to give more income than the copj)er. 

 The island consists of a series of ridges running parallel to its 

 length, reaching at times a height of 400 or 500 feet above the 

 lake, generally smoothed and rounded on top, terminating to the 

 northeast in the most interesting illustration of fiord structures 

 to be found on the continent. Finger-shaped alternations of 

 slender bays and equally slender peninsulas, the latter extend- 

 ing or breaking up into parallel lines of islands, afford a eomj)lex 

 of land and water, the former steep and rocky, but generally cov- 

 ered with a dense growth of dark green si)ruce and Hr trees, the 

 latter very deep, very blue, and very clear, the whole very pictur- 

 esque in bright weather, but extremely confusing when the 

 weather is smoky or foggy. The poi)ulation of the island is gi-n- 

 erally small and never permanent. It belongs to Michigan ami 

 brings the western point of this state only 12 miles from the 

 eastern point of Minnesota. It was at one time a county by 

 itself, but there were not enough permanent residents to fill the 

 offices, and it was attached to Hcmghton county of the mainland. 

 It has no post-office. There is abundant water, the soil is excel- 

 lent, though small in quantity, and the usual vegetables and 

 cereals can be raised. The native animals on the island included 

 nothing larger than the lynx or wild-cat until a few years ago, 

 when a small drove of caribou came over on the ice from the 

 north siiore. The passage between Isle Royal and the north 

 shore, though only 12 to 18 miles broad, has so deep water and 

 so strong currents that it does not long remain fro/en, and the 

 caribou still remain on the island, where, not being hunted, they 



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