MICHIGAN. 



363 



toward tne end of the 17th century, settlements were formed by the PVench at Kaskaskia and 

 Cahokia, as already related. These establishments, however, did not become politically im- 

 portant. At the treaty of Paris, in 1763, this country came into the possession of Great 

 Britain. This State formed a part of the region which in 17S9 was placed under a territorial 

 government, with the title of the Western Territory. In 1800 that part comprising Indiana 

 and Illinois, was made a distinct Territory. In 1S09, Illinois was made a separate Territory, 

 and in 181 S it was admitted into the Union as an independent State. 



CHAPTER XXXIIT. MICHIGAN 



PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 



1. Boundaries and Extent. Michigan is bounded on the S. by Ohio, Indiana, and Wis- 

 consin ; E. by lakes Erie, Huron, and Superior, and their connecting rivers ; N. by Lake Su- 

 perior ; and W. by Wisconsin. It extends from 41° 20' to 49^ N. lat., and from 82° 20' to 

 91° W. long., having an area of 70,000 square miles. It consists of two great natural divisions, 

 the lower peninsula, between lakes Huron and Michigan, and the upper peninsula, between the 

 latter and Lake Superior. 



2. Face of the Country. The centre of the lower peninsula forms an elevated table-land, 

 300 feet above the surface of the lakes, and divides the waters flowing into Lake Michigan from 

 those running into lakes Erie, St. Clair, and Huron. The face of the country in general is 

 level or gently undulating; the southern part consists of open land, known by the name of the 

 Oak Plains, with a productive soil ; in the southwest, are fertile prairies. The basins of the 

 lakes are deep depressions, sinking far below the level of the ocean, although their surfaces are 

 upwards of 600 feet above it. The upper or northern peninsula is much more hilly and rugged 

 than the southern ; the rivers are much broken by rapids and by falls of great height, and the 

 western part is covered by the lofty ridges of the Wisconsin or Porcupine Mountains, which 

 are estimated to rise to the height of 2,000 feet above Lake Superior. 



3. Rivers. The rivers of the northern peninsula mostly flow north into Lake Superior, and, 

 though large streams, have rapid and broken currents. The JMontreal is the northwestern boun- 

 dary, and it has a fall of about 90 feet, just above its mouth. The Ontonagon and Keweena are also 

 considerable rivers. The Menomonie flows into Green Bay, and forms the southwestern limits 

 of this section. It is navigable about SO miles. Within the lower peninsula, are the St. Joseph''s, 

 with a course of 200 miles, and navigable for steamboats 70 miles ; the Kalamazoo, a smaller 

 and more rapid stream, navigable for boats ; the Grand River, or Washtenaii, which has a 

 winding course of about 300 miles, rising to the northwest of Saginaw Bay ; the J\farqrtctte and 

 the jyionteste, all flowing into Lake Michigan ; the Cheboiegan., a large stream in the north, 

 flowing into Lake Huron ; the Saginaw, composed of 5 or 6 large branches meeting from the 

 south, the east, the west, and the north, and passing into the bay of the same name ; and the 

 Huron and French rivers, smaller streams, running into Lake Erie. 



4. Lakes. Beside the great bounding lakes, that have already been described under the 

 head of North America, there are a great number of smaller lakes in the southern peninsula, 

 contributing not less to the beauty than to the fertility of the country ; no one of ihem is con- 

 siderable for its size, but they are so numerous as to form a striking feature of the country. 



5. Climate. The winters are severe, particularly in the northern part, and snow lies to the 

 depth of from 6 to 18 inches, for several weeks, even in the southern part. The average tem- 

 perature of winter is 20° ; of summer, 80°. The spring is wet and backward ; summer, dry ; 

 autumn, mild ; winter, dry and cold. 



6. Minerals. Salt springs occur in many places ; iron and lead ore, gypsum, and coal are 

 found, and peat is abundant. Copper is thought to exist abundantly in the northwest. On the 

 banks of the Ontonagon have been discovered large masses of native copper, one of which 

 weighed 2,200 pounds. The mineral resources of the country have not yet been turned to 

 much account. 



7. J^atural Curiosities. The southern shore of Lake Superior exhibits a singular phenome- 

 non, called the Pictured Rocks. They are a series of lofty bluff's and precipices, exhibiting 

 the appearance of towering walls, ruins, caverns, waterfalls, &c., in every variety of combina- 

 tion They are generally aboiw^ 300 feet in height, and often overhang the water. The color 



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