1888
May 28
Oden, Michigan
Cloudy all day with W. wind. Cool; ther. 50 [degrees].
  Off at 8.30 by boat, rowing directly across the
Lake past the island and into the cove at
the mouth of the Minnehaha River. This cove we
found to be nearly a mile long by perhaps
50 rods wide. Most of it was really flooded meadow
bordering the river which winds through it. Rising
above the water were beds of cat tails most of these
crushed and water-logged. One shore of the cove
was low, swampy land covered sparsely with stunted
larches & arbor vitae; the other rose more abruptly
with a belt of alders fringing the water's edge &
behind and above these a grand old forest of
elms, beeches, and rock maples. The larch swamp
was flooded for some distance back among the
trees. Rising above the water in places were beds
of Cassandra caliculata & Andromeda polyfolica, the
former hung with its white bells, the latter tufted
with purplish blossoms. There were several floating
bogs or islands most of them grassy but one having
a few larches & alders and resembling closely
the floating island in Umbagog.
  Upon first entering this cove we found
it alive with birds. A Cat Bird singing at the
entrance, Red-wings scattered about singing on
the tops of the bushes or walking on beds of
floating vegetation, Swamp Sparrows trilling on
the islands, Bronzed Grackles and Tree Swallows
among the larches and Barn Swallows , Tree
Swallows & Chimney Swifts in a great swarm
hunting insects over the water. A shot fired