ISLANDS. 161 
lake, if bound to Fort Erie. In going up the 
lake, it very often happens that vessels, even 
after they have got close under these islands, 
the nearest of which is not less than two hun¬ 
dred and forty miles from Fort Erie, are driven 
back by storms the whole way to that fort. 
Just as we were preparing to cast anchor under 
Middle Island, one of the nearest of them, a 
squall suddenly arose, and it was not without 
very great difficulty that we could keep our 
station; the captain told us afterwards, that he 
really feared at one time, that we should have 
been driven back to our old quarters. 
It was about two o’clock on the third day 
from that of our quitting Point Abineau, that 
we reached Middle Island. We lay at anchor 
until the next morning, when the wind shifted 
a few points in our favour, and enabled us to 
proceed some miles farther on, to a place of 
greater safety, sheltered by islands on all sides; 
but beyond this, the wind did not permit us to 
advance for three days. It is very seldom that 
vessels bound from Fort Erie to any place on 
Detroit River accomplish their voyage without 
stopping amongst these islands; for the same 
wind favourable for carrying them from the 
eastern to the western extremity of [’the lake, 
will not waft them up the river. The river 
runs nearly in a south-west direction; its cur¬ 
rent is very strong; and unless the wind blows 
VOL. II. M 
