THE STEAMER " COLLINGWOOD" STRIKES A ROCK. 11 



about 9 a.m., and disappear generally at 10 or 11 p.m., 

 .but sometimes they last for a week. They are low, and 

 from the mountain on Michipicoten Island, at an eleva- 

 tion of 800 feet above the lake, they may be seen resting 

 on its waters as far as the eye can reach. 



In consequence of the variation of the compass being re- 

 ported to be much affected by local attractions in this part 

 of Lake Superior, two of our Indians were placed in the 

 bow to look out for land at the approach of night, and in 

 addition to the usual watch, the captain, mate, and some 

 of the passengers were walking the deck until past 11 

 o'clock. An evident feeling of anxiety was common to 

 both passengers and crew ; several of the former went -to 

 their berths without taking off their clothes. The night 

 was extremely foggy ; it was impossible to see more than 

 a few yards beyond the bow of the vessel. The lead was 

 cast several times, with no bottom at 288 feet. At a 

 quarter to 12 p.m. no soundings were obtained with 

 twenty fathoms ; a few minutes afterwards the lead 

 showed forty-five feet of water ; the signal was given to 

 stop her, and then to " back water," but it was too late, 

 a harsh grating noise, a sudden uplifting of the bow of 

 the steamer, and a very decided shock quivering through 

 the vessel, told that she had struck. The alarm and 

 anxiety inseparable from such an incident followed, and 

 it was several minutes before a rapid inspection by torch 

 light of the ledge of rock on which we had struck showed 

 that there was no immediate danger to be apprehended. 

 Anchors, chains, and fuel were moved aft, but all efforts 

 to get the vessel off were without the least effect. Her 

 bow was five feet out of the water, her stern in thirty- 

 six feet water ; the ledge on which she struck dipped 

 gradually to the south-east, while on either hand, and not 

 removed from the vessel more than fifteen or twenty feet, 



