Dr. BiGSBY on the Geography/ and Geology of Lake Huron. 185 



Presquisle^ 9 miles from the island of Michilimackinac. On its north lies Isle 

 Bois-blanc. 



The north side is merely a succession of shingled points and reaches, with 

 a thickly wooded and marshy interior, traversed by several streams. 



The island of Michilimackinac is midway from either main, close to the 

 strait of that name. It is 42 miles west of Drummond. It is a long^ oval about 

 9 miles in circumference. The ends are broken, crumbling' or grassy ridges, 

 while the long sides are lofty precipices dechning at each extremity, separated 

 from the lake by rather broad beaches, and picturesquely clothed with maple, 

 cedar and vines, except where projecting; rocks show their white and craggy 

 peaks above the foliage. 



The view into Lake Michigan from the Indian path which winds among- 

 the coppice on the top of the south-west cliff, is particularly pleasing. The 

 land, at first closing on the water at the pretty hamlet of St. Ignace and its 

 corresponding headland, at once dilates into a spacious sound with curving 

 shores and woody capes, and is interspersed in the extreme distance by clusters 

 of islands. 



The cliffs of this island frequently break into shallow caves, which actually 

 perforate a projecting point near the south-east angle. Its height (150 feet), 

 its whiteness contrasted with the dark shrubs, and the blue light streaming- 

 through the aperture, afford a fine composition for the painter. 



Excepting three small farms, little of the interior is cultivated : the heavy 

 timber has been felled ; and time has replaced it by flourishing underwood. 

 The surface is high and uneven, often marshy. 



The town, consisting of from 100 to 120 decent wooden houses, is at the 

 southern end of the island, on the beach, under a crumbling ridge, on the edge 

 of whose summit is placed a small white fort. 



On the south coast of Lake Huron, at about one third of the distance from 

 Michilimackinac to the Gulf of Saguina, there is an excellent harbour formed 

 chiefly by a peninsula. It is called Presquisle ; and is in lat. 45° 20' 39"; 

 long. 83" 30' 13". 



Little or no information is to be found in the writings of travellers respect- 

 ing the Gulf of Saguina. Batteaux, trading between Detroit and the lakes of 

 the west, pass down every summer as far as Traverse Island to avoid crossing 

 its boisterous mouth, where they would lose sight of land, 



This gulf and Thunder Bay are much larger than they are represented in 

 Smith's or Purdy's map, and also in the one accompanying these notes ; but 

 as I have no documents for laying down this part of the lake with accuracy, I 

 have copied from preceding authors. 



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