SOCIETY IN AMERICA. SOCIETY IN AMERICA. 
While we were at Detroit, we were most strongly urged toreturn thither by the Lakes, instead of by either of the Michiganroads. From place to place, in my previous travelling, I had beentold of the charms of the Lakes, and especially of the Island ofMackinaw. Every officer's lady who has been in garrison there, iseloquent upon the delights of Mackinaw. As our whole party,however, could not spare time to make so wide a circuit, we hadnot intended to indulge ourselves with a further variation in ourtravels than to take the upper road back to Detroit; having leftit by the lower. On Sunday, June 27th, news arrived at Chicagothat this upper road had been rendered impassable by therains. A sailing vessel, the only one on the Lakes, and now onher first trip, was to leave Chicago for Detroit and Buffalo, thenext day. The case was clear: the party must divide. Those whowere obliged to hasten home must return by the road we came: therest must proceed by water. On Charley's account, the change ofplan was desirable; as the heats were beginning to be sooppressive as to render travelling in open wagons unsafe for achild. It was painful to break up our party at the extreme pointof our journey; but it was clearly right. So Mr. and Mrs. L. tooktheir chance by land; and the rest of us went on board theMilwaukee, at two o'clock on the afternoon of the 28th.
Mrs. F. and I were the only ladies on board; and there was nostewardess. The steward was obliging, and the ladies' cabin wasclean and capacious; and we took possession of it with a feelingof comfort. Our pleasant impressions, however, were not of longduration. The vessel was crowded with persons who had cometo the land sales at Chicago, and were taking their passage backto Milwaukee; a settlement on the western shore of thelake, about eighty miles from Chicago. Till we should reachMilwaukee, we could have the ladies' cabin only during a part ofthe day. I say a part of the day, because some of thegentry did not leave our cabin till near nine in the morning; andothers chose to come down, and go to bed, as early as seven inthe evening, without troubling themselves to give us fiveminutes' notice, or to wait till we could put up our needles, orwipe our pens. This ship was the only place in America where Isaw a prevalence of bad manners. It was the place of all othersto select for the study of such; and no reasonable person wouldlook for anything better among land-speculators, and settlers inregions so new as to be almost without women. None of us had everbefore seen, in America, a disregard of women. The swearing wasincessant; and the spitting such as to amaze my Americancompanions as much as mysel£
Supper was announced presently after we had sailed; and whenwe came to the table, it was full, and no one offered to stir, tomake room for us. The captain, who was very careful of ourcomfort, arranged that we should be better served henceforth; andno difficulty afterwards occurred. At dinner, the next day, wehad a specimen of how such personages as we had on board aremanaged on an emergency. The captain gave notice, from the headof the table, that he did not choose our party to be intruded onin the cabin; and that any one who did not behave with civilityat table should be turned out. He spoke with decision andgood-humour; and the effect was remarkable. Everything on thetable was handed to us; and no more of the gentry came down intoour cabin to smoke, or throw themselves on the cushions to sleep,while we sat at work.
Our fare was what might be expected on Lake Michigan. Saltbeef and pork, and sea-biscuit; tea without milk, bread, andpotatoes. Charley throve upon potatoes and bread; and we all hadthe best results of food,--health and strength.
A little schooner which left Chicago at the same time withourselves, and reached Milwaukee first, was a pretty object. Onthe 29th, we were only twenty-five miles from the settlement; butthe wind was so unfavourable that it was doubtful whether weshould reach it that day. Some of the passengers amusedthemselves by gaming, down in the hold; others by parodying amethodist sermon, and singing a mock hymn. We did not get rid ofthem till noon on the 30th, when we had the pleasure of seeirgour ship disgorge twenty-five into one boat, and two intoanother. The atmosphere was so transparent as to make the wholescene appear as if viewed through an opera-glass; the still,green waters, the dark boats with their busy oars, the movingpassengers, and the struggles of one to recover his hat, whichhad fallen overboard. We were yet five miles from Milwaukee; butwe could see the bright, wooded coast, with a few white dots ofhouses.
While Dr. F. went on shore, to see what was to be seen, we hadthe cabin cleaned out, and took, once more, complete possessionof it, for both day and night. As soon as this was done, sevenyoung women came down the companion-way, seated themselvesround the cabin, and began to question us. They were the totalfemale population of Milwaukee; which settlement now containsfour hundred souls. We were glad to see these ladies; for it wasnatural enough that the seven women should wish to behold twomore, when such a chance offered. A gentleman of the place, whocame on board this afternoon, told me that a printing-press hadarrived a few hours before; and that a newspaper would speedilyappear. He was kind enough to forward the first number to me afew weeks afterwards; and I was amused to see how pathetic anappeal to the ladies of more thickly-settled districts itcontained; imploring them to cast a favourable eye on Milwaukee,and its hundreds of bachelors. Milwaukee had been settled sincethe preceding November. It had good stores; (to judge by thenature and quantity of goods sent ashore from our ship ;) it hada printing-press and newspaper, before the settlers had had timeto get wives. I heard these new settlements sometimes called"patriarchal :" but what would the patriarchs have saidto such an order of affairs?
Dr. F. returned from the town, with apple-pies, cheese, andale, wherewith to vary our ship diet. With him arrived such anumber of towns-people, that the steward wanted to turn us out ofour cabin once more: but we were sturdy, appealed to the captain,and were confirmed in possession. From this time, began thedelights of our voyage. The moon, with her long train of glory,was magnificent to-night; the vast body of waters on which sheshone being as calm as if the winds were dead.
The navigation of these lakes is, at present, a mystery. Theyhave not yet been properly surveyed. Our captain had gone to andfro on Lake Huron, but had never before been on Lake Michigan;and this was rather an anxious voyage to him. We had got agroundon the sand-bar before Milwaukee harbour; and on the 1st of July,all hands were busy in unshipping the cargo, to lighten thevessel, instead of carrying her up to the town. An elegant littleschooner was riding at anchor near us; and we were well amused inadmiring her, and in watching the bustle on deck, till some NewEngland youths, and our Milwaukee acquaintance, brought us, fromthe shore, two newspapers, some pebbles, flowers, and a pitcherof fine strawberries.
As soon as we were off the bar, the vessel hove round, and wecast anchor in deeper water. Charley was called to see thesailors work the windlass, and to have a ride thereon. Thesailors were very kind to the boy. They dressed up their dog forhim in sheep-skins and a man's hat; a sight to make older peoplethan Charley laugh. They took him down into the forecastle toshow him prints that were pasted up there. They asked him todrink rum and water with them: to which Charley answered that heshould be happy to drink water with them, but had rather not haveany rum. While we were watching the red sunset over the leadenwaters, betokening a change of weather, the steamer "NewYork" came ploughing the bay, three weeks after her time;such is the uncertainty in the navigation of these stormy lakes.She got aground on the sand-bank, as we had done; and boats weregoing from her to the shore and back, as long as we could see.
The next day there was rain and some wind. The captain andsteward went off to make final purchases: but the fresh meatwhich had been bespoken for us had been bought up by somebodyelse; and no milk was.to be had; only two cows being visible inall the place. Ale was the only luxury we could obtain. When thecaptain returned, he brought with him a stout gentleman, one ofthe proprietors of the vessel, who must have a berth in our cabinas far as Mackinaw; those elsewhere being too small for him.Under the circumstances, we had no right to cormplain; so wehelped the steward to partition off a portion of the cabin with acounterpane, fastened with four forks. This gentleman, Mr. D.,was engaged in the fur trade at Mackinaw, and had a farm there,to which he kindly invited us.
On Sunday, the 3rd, there was much speculation as to whetherwe should be at Mackinaw in time to witness the celebration ofthe great day. All desired it; but I was afraid of missing theManitou Isles in the dark. There was much fog; the wind wasnearly fair; the question was whether it woultl last. Towardsevening, the fog thickened, and the wind freshened. The matewould not believe we were in the middle of the lake, as every oneelse supposed. He said the fog was too warm not to come from nearland. Charley caught something of the spirit of uncertainty, andcame to me in high, joyous excitement, to drag me to the side ofthe ship, that I might see how fast we cut through the waves, andhow steadily we leaned over the water, till Charley almostthought he could touch it. He burst out about the "kind of afeeling" that it was "not to see a bit of land,"and not to know where we were; and to think "if we shouldupset!" and that we never did upset:--it was "a goodand a bad feeling at once;" and he should never be able totell people at home what it was like. The boy had no fear: he wasroused, as the brave man loves to be. Just as the dim light ofthe sunset was fading from the fog, it opened, and disclosed tous, just at hand, the high, sandy shore of Michigan. It was wellthat this happened before dark. The captain hastened up to themast-head, and reported that we were off Cape Sable, forty milesfrom the Manitou Isles.
Three bats and several butterflies were seen today, clingingto the mainsail,--blown over from the shore. The sailors settheir dog at a bat, of which it was evidently afraid. A flock ofpretty pigeons flew round and over the ship; of which six wereshot. Four fell into the water; and the other two were reservedfor the mate's breakfast; he being an invalid.
We were up before five, on the morning of the 4th of July, tosee the Manitou Isles, which were then just coming in sight. Theyare the Sacred Isles of the Indians, to whom they belong. Manitouis the name of their Great Spirit, and of everything sacred. Itis said that they believe these islands to be the resort of thespirits of the departed. They are two: sandy and precipitous atthe south end; and clothed with wood, from the crest of thecliffs to the north extremity, which slopes down gradually to thewater. It was a cool, sunny morning, and these dark islands laystill, and apparently deserted, on the bright green waters. Farbehind, to the south, were two glittering white sails, on thehorizon. They remained in sight all day, and lessened the feelingof loneliness which the navigators of these vast lakes cannot buthave, while careering among the solemn islands and shores. On ourright lay the Michigan shore, high and sandy, with the darkeminence, called the Sleeping Bear, conspicuous on the ridge. Noland speculators have set foot here yet. A few Indian dwellings,with evergreen woods and sandy cliffs, are all. Just here, Mr. D.pointed out to us a schooner of his which was wrecked, in asnow-storm, the preceding November. She looked pretty andforlorn, lying on her side in that desolate place, seeming a mereplaything thrown in among the cliffs. "Ah!" said herowner, with a sigh, "she was a lovely creature, and as stiffas a church." Two lives were lost. Two young Germans, stoutlads, could not comprehend the orders given them to put on alltheir clothing, and keep themselves warm. They only half-dressedthemselves: "the cold took them," and they died. Therest tried to make fire by friction of wood; but got only smoke.Some one found traces of a dog in the snow. These were followedfor three miles, and ended at an Indian lodge, where the sailorswere warmed, and kindly treated.
During the bright morning of this day we passed the Fox andBeaver Islands. The captain was in fine spirits, though there wasno longer any prospect of reaching Mackinaw in time for thefestivities of the day. This island is chiefly known as aprincipal station of the great north-western fur trade. Othersknow it as the seat of an Indian mission. Others, again, as afrontier garrison. It is known to me as the wildest and tenderestlittle piece of beauty that I have yet seen on God's earth. It isa small island, nine miles in circumference, being in the straitbetween the Lakes Michigan and Huron, and between the coasts ofMichigan and Wisconsin.
Towards evening the Wisconsin coast came into view, the straitsuddenly narrowed, and we were about to bid farewell to the greatLake whose total length we had traversed, after sweeping roundits southern extremity. The ugly light-ship, which looked heavyenough, came into view about six o'clock; the first token of ourapproach to Mackinaw. The office of the light-ship is to towvessels in the dark through the strait. We were too early forthis; but perhaps it performed that office for the two schoonerswhose white specks of sails had been on our southern horizon allday. Next we saw a white speck before us; it was the barracks ofMackinaw, stretching along the side of its green hills, andclearly visible before the town came into view.
The island looked enchanting as we approached, as I think italways must, though we had the advantage of seeing it firststeeped in the most golden sunshine that ever hallowed lake orshore The colours were up on all the little vessels in theharbour. The national flag streamed from the garrison. Thesoldiers thronged the walls of the barracks; half-breed boys werepaddling about in their little canoes, in the transparent waters;the half-French, half-Indian population of the place were allabroad in their best. An Indian lodge was on the shore, and apicturesque dark group stood beside it. The cows were coming downthe steep green slopes to the milking. Nothing could be morebright and joyous.
The houses of the old French village are shabby-looking,dusky, and roofed with bark. There are some neat yellow houses,with red shutters, which have a foreign air, with their porchesand flights of steps. The better houses stand on the first of thethree terraces which are distinctly marked. Behind them areswelling green knolls; before them gardens sloping down to thenarrow slip of white beach, so that the grass seems to growalmost into the clear rippling waves. The gardens were rich withmountain ash, roses, stocks, currant bushes, springing corn, anda great variety of kitchen vegetables. There were two small pierswith little barks alongside, and piles of wood for thesteam-boats. Some way to the right stood the quadrangle ofmissionary buildings, and the white mission church. Still furtherto the right was a shrubby precipice down to the lake; andbeyond, the blue waters. While we were gazing at all this, apretty schooner sailed into the harbour after us, in fine style,sweeping round our bows so suddenly as nearly to swamp a littlefleet of canoes, each with its pair of half-breed boys.
We had been alarmed by a declaration from the captain that heshould stay only three hours at the island. He seemed to have nointention of taking us ashore this evening. The dreadful ideaoccurred to us that we might be carried away from this paradise,without having set foot in it. We looked at each other in dismay.Mr. D. stood our friend. He had some furs on board which were tobe landed. He said this should not be done till the morning; andhe would take care that his people did it with the utmostpossible slowness. He thought he could gain us an additional hourin this way. Meantime, thunder-clouds were coming up rapidly fromthe west, and the sun was near its setting. After muchconsultation, and an assurance having been obtained from thecaptain that we might command the boat at any hour in themorning, we decided that Dr. F. and Charley should go ashore, anddeliver our letters, and accept any arrangements that might beoffered for our seeing the best of the scenery in the morning.
Scarcely any one was left in the ship but Mrs. F. and myself.We sat on deck, and gazed as if this were to be the last use wewere ever to have of our eyes. There was growling thunder now,and the church bell, and Charley's clear voice from afar: thewaters were so still. The Indians lighted a fire before theirlodge; and we saw their shining red forms as they bent over theblaze. We watched Dr. F. and Charley mounting to the garrison; wesaw them descend again with the commanding officer, and go to thehouse of the Indian agent. Then we traced them along the shore,and into the Indian lodge; then to the church; then the partingwith the commandant on the shore, and lastly, the passage of thedark boat to our ship's side. They brought news that thecommandant and his family would be on the watch for us beforefive in the morning, and be our guides to as much of the islandas the captain would allow us time to see.
Some pretty purchases of Indian manufactures were brought onboard this evening; light matting of various colours, and smallbaskets of birch-bark, embroidered with porcupine-quills, andfilled with maple sugar.
The next morning all was bright. At five o'clock we descendedthe ship's side, and from the boat could see the commandant andhis dog hastening down from the garrison to the landing-place. Wereturned with him up the hill, through the barrack-yard; and werejoined by three members of his family on the velvet green slopebehind the garrison. No words can give an idea of the charms ofthis morning walk. We wound about in a vast shrubbery, with ripestrawberries under foot, wild flowers all around, and scatteredknolls and opening vistas tempting curiosity in every direction."Now run up," said the commandant, as we arrived at thefoot of one of these knolls. I did so, and was almost struckbackwards by what I saw. Below me was the Natural Bridge ofMackinaw, of which I had heard frequent mention. It is alimestone arch, about one hundred and fifty feet high in thecentre, with a span of fifty feet; one pillar resting on a rockyprojection in the lake, the other on the hill. We viewed it fromabove, so that the horizon line of the lake fell behind thebridge, and the blue expanse of waters filled the entire arch.Birch and ash grew around the bases of the pillars, and shrubberytufted the sides, and dangled from the bridge. The soft rich huesin which the whole was dressed seemed borrowed from the autumnsky.
But even this scene was nothing to one we saw from the fort,on the crown of the island; old Fort Holmes, called Fort Georgewhen in the possession of the British. I can compare it tonothing but to what Noah might have seen, the first brightmorning after the deluge. Such a cluster of little paradisesrising out of such a congregation of waters, I can hardly fancyto have been seen elsewhere. The capacity of the human eye seemshere suddenly enlarged, as if it could see to the verge of thewatery creation. Blue, level waters appear to expand forthousands of miles in every direction; wholly unlike any aspectof the sea. Cloud shadows, and specks of white vessels, at rareintervals, alone diversify it. Bowery islands rise out of it;bowery promontories stretch down into it; while at one's feetlies the melting beauty which one almost fears will vanish in itssoftness before one's eyes; the beauty of the shadowy dells andsunny mounds, with browsing cattle, and springing fruit andflowers. Thus, and no otherwise, would I fain think did the worldemerge from the flood. I was never before so unwilling to haveobjects named. The essential unity of the scene seemed to bemarred by any distinction of its parts. But this feeling, to menew, did not alter the state of the case; that it was Lake Huronthat we saw stretching to the eastward; Lake Michigan opening tothe west; the island of Bois Blanc, green to the brink in front;and Round Island and others interspersed. I stood now at theconfluence of those great northern lakes, the very names of whichawed my childhood; calling up, as they did, images of the fearfulred man of the deep pine-forest, and the music of the moaningwinds, imprisoned beneath the ice of winter. How different fromthe scene, as actually beheld, dressed in verdure, flowers, andthe sunshine of a summer's morning!
It was breakfast-time when we descended to the barracks; andwe despatched a messenger to the captain to know whether we mightbreakfast with the commandant. We sat in the piazza, andoverlooked the village, the harbour, the straits, and the whitebeach, where there were now four Indian lodges. The island is sohealthy that, according to the commandant, people who want to diemust go somewhere else. I saw only three tombstones in thecemetery. The commandant has lost but one man since he has beenstationed at Mackinaw; and that was by drowning. I asked aboutthe climate; the answer was, "We have nine months winter,and three months cold weather."
It would have been a pity to have missed the breakfast at thegarrison, which afforded a strong contrast with any we had seenfor a week. We concealed, as well as we could, our glee at theappearance of the rich cream, the new bread and butter, freshlake trout, and pile of snowwhite eggs.
There is reason to think that the mission is the leastsatisfactory part of the establishment on this island. A greatlatitude of imagination or representation is usually admitted onthe subject of missions to the heathen. The reporters of this oneappear to be peculiarly imaginative. I fear that the commonprocess has here been gone through of attempting to take from thesavage the venerable and the true which he possessed, and toforce upon him something else which is to him neither venerablenor true.
The Indians have been proved, by the success of the Frenchamong them, to be capable of civilisation. Near Little Traverse,in the north-west part of Michigan, within easy reach ofMackinaw, there is an Indian village, full of orderly andindustrious inhabitants, employed chiefly in agriculture. TheEnglish and Americans have never succeeded with the aborigines sowell as the French; and it may be doubted whether the clergy havebeen a much greater blessing to them than the traders.
It was with great regret that we parted with the commandantand his large young family, and stepped into the boat to returnto the ship. The captain looked a little grave upon the delaywhich all his passengers had helped to achieve. We sailed aboutnine. We were in great delight at having seen Mackinaw, at havingthe possession of its singular imagery for life: but this delightwas at present dashed with the sorrow of leaving it. I could nothave believed how deeply it is possible to regret a place, afterso brief an acquaintance with it. We watched the island as werapidly receded, trying to catch the aspect of it which had givenit its name--the Great Turtle. Its flag first vanished: then itsgreen terraces and slopes, its white barracks, and darkpromontories faded, till the whole disappeared behind a headlandand lighthouse of the Michigan shore.
Lake Huron was squally, as usual. Little remarkable happenedwhile we traversed it. We enjoyed the lake trout. We occasionallysaw the faint outline of the Manitouline Islands and Canada. Wesaw a sunset which looked very like the general conflagrationhaving begun: the whole western sky and water being as if of redflame and molten lead. This was succeeded by paler fires. Ayellow planet sank into the heaving waters to the south; and thenorthern lights opened like a silver wheat-sheaf, and spreadthemselves half over the sky. It is luxury to sail on Lake Huron,and watch the northern lights.
On the 7th we were only twenty miles from the river St. Clair:but the wind was "right ahead," and we did not reachthe mouth of the river till the evening of the 8th. The approachand entrance kept us all in a state of high excitement, from thecaptain down to Charley. On the afternoon of the 8th, FortGratiot and the narrow mouth of the St. Clair, became visible.Our scope for tacking grew narrower, every turn. The captain didnot come to dinner; he kept the lead going incessantly. Twovessels were trying with us for the mouth of the river. TheAmerican schooner got in first, from being the smallest. TheBritish vessel and ours contested the point stoutly for a longwhile, sweeping round and crossing each other, much as if theywere dancing a minuet. A squall came, and broke one of ourchains, and our rival beat us. In the midst of the struggle, wecould not but observe that the sky was black as night towindward; and that the captain cast momentary glances thither, asif calculating how soon he must make all tight for the storm. TheBritish vessel was seen to have come to an anchor. Our sails wereall taken in, our anchor dropped, and a grim silence prevailed.The waters were flat as ice about the ship. The next moment, thesky-organ began to blow in our rigging. Fort Gratiot was blottedout; then the woods; then the other ship; then came theorderly march of the rain over the myrtle-green waters; then thestorm seized us. We could scarcely see each others'faces, exceptfor the lightning; the ship groaned, and dragged her anchor, sothat a second was dropped.
In twenty minutes, the sun gilded the fort, the woods, and thegreen, prairie-like, Canada shore. On the verge of this prairie,under the shelter of the forest, an immense herd of wild horseswere seen scampering, and whisking their long tails. A cloud ofpigeons, in countless thousands, was shadowing alternately theforests, the lake, and the prairie; and an extensive encampmentof wild Indians was revealed on the Michigan shore. It was a darkcurtain lifted up on a scene of wild and singular beauty.
Then we went to the anxious work of tacking again. We seemedto be running aground on either shore, as we approached each. Ourmotions were watched by several gazers. On the Canada side, therewere men on the sands, and in a canoe, with a sail which lookedtwice as big as the bark. The keepers of the Gratiot light-houselooked out from the lantern. A party of squaws, in the Indianencampment, seated on the sands, stopped their work of cleaningfish, to see how we got through the rapids. A majestic personage,his arms folded in his blanket, stood on an eminence in the midstof the camp; and behind him, on the brow of the hill, were groupsof unclothed boys and men, looking so demon-like, as even in thatscene to remind me of the great staircase in the ballet of Faust.Our ship twisted round and round in the eddies, as helplessly asa log, and stuck, at last, with her stern within a stone's throwof the Indians. Nothing more could be done that night. We droppedanchor, and hoped the sailors would have good repose after twodays of tacking to achieve a progress of twenty miles. Two orthree of them went ashore, to try to get milk. While they weregone, a party of settlers stood on the high bank, to gaze at us;and we were sorry to see them, even down to the little children,whisking boughs without ceasing. This was a threat of mosquitoeswhich was not to be mistaken. When the sailors returned, theysaid we were sure to have a good watch kept, for the mosquitoeswould let no one sleep. We tried to shut up our cabin from them;but they were already there; and I, for one, was answerable formany murders before I closed my eyes. In the twilight, I observedsomething stirring on the high bank; and on looking closely, sawa party of Indians, stepping along, in single file, under theshadow of the wood. Their simplest acts are characteristic; and,in their wild state, I never saw them without thinking of ghostsor demons.
In the morning, I found we were floating down the current,stern foremost, frequently swinging round in the eddies, so as totouch the one shore or the other. There seemed to be nointermission of settlers' houses; all at regular distances alongthe bank. The reason of this appearance is a good old Frencharrangement, by which the land is divided into long, narrowstrips, that each lot may have a water frontage. We wereevidently returning to a well-settled country. The morecomfortable houses on the Canada side were surrounded by spaciousand thriving fields: the poorer by dreary enclosures of swamp. Wesaw a good garden, with a white paling. Cows were being milked.Cow-bells, and the merry voices of singing children, were heardfrom under the clumps; and piles of wood for the steam-boats, andlarge stocks of shingles for roofing were laid up on either hand.The Gratiot steamer puffed away under the Michigan bank. Canoesshot across in a streak of light; and a schooner came down theclear river, as if on the wing between the sky and the water. Iwatched two horsemen on the shore, for many miles, tracing thebay pony and the white horse through the woody screen, and overthe brooks, and along the rickety bridges. I could see that theywere constantly chatting, and that they stopped to exchangesalutations with every one they met or overtook. These, to besure, were few enough. I was quite sorry when the twilight drewon, and hid them from me. I saw a little boy on a log, with apaddle, pushing himself off from a bank of wild roses, and makinghis way in the sunshine, up the river. It looked very pretty, andvery unsafe; but I dare say he knew best. The captain and matewere both ill to-day. The boat was sent ashore for what could behad. The men made haste, and rowed bravely; but we were carrieddown four miles before we could "heave to," for them toovertake us. They brought brandy for the captain; and for us,butter just out of the churn. The mosquitoes again drove us fromthe deck, soon after dark.
The next morning, the 10th, the deck was in great confusion.The captain was worse: the mate was too ill to command; and thesecond mate seemed to be more efficient in swearing, and gettingthe men to swear, than at anything else. After breakfast, therewas a search made after a pilferer, who had abstracted certainsmall articles from our cabin; among `which was Charley'smaple-sugar basket, which had been seen in the wheel-house, witha tea-spoon in it. This seemed to point out one of the juniors inthe forecastle as the offender; the steward, however, offered toclear himself by taking an oath, "on a bible as big as theship," that he knew nothing of the matter. As we did nothappen to have such a bible on board, we could not availourselves of his offer. A comb and toothbrush, which had beenmissing, were found, restored to their proper places: butCharley's pretty basket was seen no more.
It was a comfortless day. We seemed within easy reach ofDetroit; but the little wind we had was dead ahead; the sun washot; the mosquitoes abounded; the captain was downcast, and thepassengers cross. There was some amusement, however. Dr. F. wentashore, and brought us milk, of which we each had a draughtbefore it turned sour. He saw on shore a sight which is but toocommon. An hotel-keeper let an Indian get drunk; and then made aquarrel between him and another, for selfish purposes. The whitesseem to have neither honour nor mercy towards the red men.
A canoe full of Indians,--two men and four children,--camealongside, this afternoon, to offer to traffic. They had noclothing but a coarse shirt each. The smallest child had enormousear-ornaments of blue and white beads. They were closely packedin their canoe, which rocked with every motion. They sold twolarge baskets for a quarter dollar and two loaves of bread. Theirfaces were intelligent, and far from solemn. The children lookmerry, as children should. I saw others fishing afar off, tilllong after dark. A dusky figure stood, in a splendid attitude, atthe bow of a canoe, and now paddled with one end of his longlance, now struck at a fish with the other. He speared his preydirectly through the middle; and succeeded but seldom. At dark, apine torch was held over the water; and by its blaze, I couldstill see something of his operations.
The groaning of our ship's timbers told us, before we rose,that we were in rapid motion. The wind was fair; and we werelikely to reach Detroit, forty miles, to dinner. Lake St. Clair,with its placid waters and low shores, presents nothing to lookat. The captain was very ill, and unable to leave his berth. Noone on board knew the channel of the Detroit river but himself;and, from the time we entered it, the lead was kept going. Whenwe were within four miles of Detroit, hungry, hot, tired of thedisordered ship, and thinking of friends, breezes, and a gooddinner at the city, we went aground,--grinding, grinding, tillthe ship trembled in every timber. The water was so shallow thatone might have touched the gravel on either side with awalking-stick. There was no hope of our being got off speedily.The cook applied himself to chopping wood, in order to lighting afire, in order to baking some bread, in order to give ussomething to eat; for not a scrap of meat, or an ounce ofbiscuit, was left on board.
It occurred to me that our party might reach the city, eitherby paying high for one of the ship's boats, or by getting themate to hail one of the schooners that were in the river. Theboats could not be spared. The mate hoisted a signal for aschooner; and one came alongside, very fully laden with shingles.Fifteen of us, passengers, with our luggage, were piled on thetop of the cargo, and sailed gently up to the city. The captainwas too ill, and the mate too full of vexation, to bid usfarewell; and thus we left our poor ship. We were glad, however,to pass her in the river, the next day, and to find that she hadbeen got off the shoal before night.
As we drew near, Charley, in all good faith, hung out hislittle handkerchief to show the people of Detroit that we werecome back. They did not seem to know us, however."What!" cried some men on a raft, to the master of ourschooner, "have you been robbing a steam-boat?""No," replied the master, gravely; "it is a boatthat has gone to the bottom in the lakes." We expected thatsome stupendous alarm would arise out of this. When we reachedNew York, a fortnight after, we found that our friends there hadbeen made uneasy by the news that a steam-boat had sunk on theLakes, and that eight hundred passengers were drowned.Catastrophes grow as fast as other things in America.
Though our friends did not happen to see Charley'spocket-handkerchief from the river, they were soon about us,congratulating us on having made the circuit of the Lakes. It wasindeed matter of congratulation.
I have now given sketches of some of the most remarkable partsof the country, hoping that a pretty distinct idea might thus beafforded of their primary resources, and of the modes of life oftheir inhahitants. I have said nothing of the towns, in thisconnexion; town-life in America having nothing very peculiarabout it, viewed in the way of general survey. The severaldepartments of industry will now be particularly considered.
From Harriet Martineau, Society in America, VolumeII, Part II, - Economy, (Section VIII)- "The NorthernLakes." London: Saunders and Otley, 1837, pp. 1-28.
Forward to Society in America, Vol II, -Chapter I - "Agriculture."
Back to Society in America, Part II, -Economy, (Section VII) - "Picture of Michigan."
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