As a city, it was incorporated in 1824;
and its present population is estimated to be 235,000. It was the capital
of Michigan from 1837 till 1847, when that honor was transferred to
Lansing.
Having traversed Detroit River, we entered _Lake St. Clair_, a sheet of
water eighteen miles long and twenty-two miles wide. This small lake has
many extensive sand-banks covered with a depth of water varying from six
to ten feet. Previous to 1858, much inconvenience was experienced in
navigating it, owing to the insufficient depth, but the governments of the
United States and Canada have dredged a canal through the bed of the lake,
comprising a width of 300 feet. Since then, this channel has been deepened
so as to enable vessels drawing fifteen feet to pass with safety from lake
to lake in stormy weather.
After the expiration of a few hours we reached _River St. Clair_, whose
luxuriant border exhibited a magnificent panorama.
Afar off westward, the uplands wore a tinge of tenderest blue; and in the
nearer distance, on the low shores of the river, superb summer residences,
tasty villas, and elegant hotels, built in every style of architecture,
lay interspersed between romantic hills and tufted groves.
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