The island's varied scenery, and its history and traditions, have been
portrayed in vivid word pictures by Marion Harland in a book, bearing the
title "With the Best Intentions," by which she has recently added to her
wide fame.
Having crossed the strait at its narrowest part four miles in width, we
caught sight of the beautiful waters of _Lake Michigan_, the only one in
the group of the North American great lakes which extends entirely within
the territory of the United States, having a maximum breadth of eighty
four miles, and a depth varying from 700 to 1,000 feet. Its length amounts
to 345 miles from the northwestern corner of Indiana and the northern part
of Illinois to the Straits of Mackinaw.
We followed the same route which more than two centuries ago was taken by
Jacques Marquette who, in the spring of 1673, with Joliet for his
chieftain, and five other Frenchmen, embarked at Mackinaw in two frail
bark canoes.
The disposition to pause for an instant, and to reflect upon the character
and circumstance of our luxurious voyage as contrasted with that of these
few adventurers in their fragile birch canoes--a little over 220 years
ago--is almost irresistible.
On that occasion it was a journey of extreme peril--with no friendly
populous havens at which the necessary commodities could be obtained.
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