The place derives its name from a large rock which they say, being
struck, vibrates like a bell. But I had no opportunity of trying the
experiment, therefore cannot tell how this may be: Henry, however,
mentions this phenomenon; and the Indians regard the spot as sacred and
enchanted. Just after sunset, we reached one of the most enchanting of
these enchanting or enchanted isles. It rose sloping from the shore, in
successive ledges of picturesque rocks, all fringed with trees and
bushes, and clothed in many places with a species of grey lichen, nearly
a foot deep. With a sort of anticipative wisdom (like that of a pig
before a storm) I gathered a quantity of this lichen for our bed, and
spread it under the mats; for in fear of the rattlesnakes and other
creeping things, we had pitched our resting place on the naked rock. The
men had built up the fire in a sheltered place below, and did not
perceive that a stem of a blasted pine, about twenty feet in length, had
fallen across the recess; it caught the flame. This at first delighted
us and the men too; but soon it communicated to another tree against
which it was leaning, and they blazed away together in a column of
flame. We began to fear that it might communicate to the dried moss and
the bushes, and cause a general conflagration; the men prevented this,
however, by clearing a space around them. The waves, the trees and
bushes and fantastic rocks, and the figures and faces of the men, caught
the brilliant light as it flashed upon them with a fitful glare--the
rest being lost in deepest shadow. Wildly magnificent it was! beyond all
expression beautiful, and awful to!--the night, the solitude, the dark
weltering waters, the blaze which put out the mild stars which just
before had looked down upon us in their tender radiance!--I never beheld
such a scene. By the light of this gigantic torch we supped and prepared
our beds. As I lay down to rest, and closed my eyes on the flame which
shone through our tent curtain, I thought that perhaps the wind might
change in the night, and the flakes and sparks be carried over to us,
and to the beds of lichen, dry and inflammable as tinder; but fatigue
had subdued me so utterly, that even this apprehension could not keep me
awake.
The burning trees were still smouldering; daylight was just creeping up
the sky, and some few stars yet out, when we bestirred ourselves, and in
a very few minutes we were again afloat: we were now steering towards
the south-east, where the Great Manitoolin Island was dimly discerned.
There was a deep slumbrous calm all around, as if nature had not yet
awoke from her night's rest: then the atmosphere began to kindle with
gradual light; it grew brighter and brighter: towards the east, the lake
and sky were intermingling in radiance; and _then_, just there, where
they seemed flowing and glowing together like a bath of fire, we saw
what seemed to us the huge black hull of a vessel, with masts and spars
rising against the sky--but we knew not what to think or to believe! As
we kept on rowing in that direction, it grew more distinct, but lessened
in size: it proved to be a great heavy-built schooner, painted black,
which was going up the lake against wind and current. One man was
standing in her bows, with an immense oar, which he slowly pulled,
walking backwards and forwards; but vain seemed all his toil, for still
the vessel lay like a black log, and moved not: we rowed up to the side,
and hailed him--"What news?"