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Large pieces of copper are found in fome pla- 

 ces on its banks and round fome of the iflands, 

 which are ft i 11 the object of a fuperftitious worfhip 

 amongft the Indians they look upon them with 

 veneration, as if they were the prefents of thofe 

 gods who dwell under the waters; they collect 

 their fmalleft fragments which they carefully pre- 

 ferve without however making any ufe of them. 

 They fay that formerly a huge rock of this me- 

 tal was to be feen elevated to a confiderable height 

 above the furface of the water, and as it has now 

 difappeared they pretend that the gods have car- 

 ried it elfewhere but there is great reafon to be- 

 lieve that in procefs of time, the waves of the 

 lake have covered it entirely with fand and flime ; 

 and it is certain that in feveral pJaces pretty large 

 quantities of this metal have been difcovered, 

 without even being obliged to dig very deep. Du- 

 ring the courfe of my fir ft voyage to this country, 

 I was acquainted with one of our order, who had 

 been formerly a goldfmith, and who, while he 

 was at the miflion of the Fall of St. Mary, ufed 

 to fearch for this metal, and made candlefticks, 

 crofTes, and cenfers of it, for this copper is often to 

 be met with almoft intirely pure. 



When Michabou, add the Indians, formed lake 

 Superior he dwelt at Michillimakinac the place of 

 his birth •, this name properly belongs to an ifland 

 almoft round and very high, fituated at the ex- 

 tremity of lake Huron, though cuftom has ex- 

 tended it to all the country round about. This 

 ifland may be about three or four miles in cir- 

 cumference, and is feen at the diiiance of twelve 

 leagues. There are two other iflands to the fouth ; 

 the mo ft diftant of which is five or fix leagues 

 long ; the other is very fmall and quite round ; 



both 



