Departure from Fort William.--Navigation on Lake
Superior.--Michipicoton Bay.--Meeting a Canoe.--Batchawainon
Bay.--Arrival at Saut Ste Marie.--Occurrences
there.--Departure.--Lake Huron.--French River.--Lake
Nipissing.--Ottawa River.--Kettle Falls.--Rideau
River.--Long-Saut.--Arrival in Montreal--Conclusion.
On the 20th of July, in the evening, Mr. D. Stuart notified me that he
should start the next morning for Montreal, in a light canoe. I
immediately wrote to my relatives: but the next morning Mr. Stuart told
me that I was to be myself the bearer of my letters, by embarking with
him. I got ready my effects, and toward evening we quitted Fort William,
with fourteen stout _voyageurs_ to man our large canoe, and were soon
floating on the bosom of the largest body of fresh water on the surface
of the globe. We counted six passengers, namely, Messrs. D. Stuart, D.
M'Kenzie, J. M'Donald, J. Clarke, myself, and a little girl of eight or
nine years, who came from Kildonan, on Red river. We passed the first
night on one of the islands in _Thunder bay_, so named on account of the
frequent storms, accompanied with lightning and thunder, which burst
over it at certain seasons of the year. On the 22d and 23d, we continued
to range the southern coast of Lake Superior. The navigation of this
superb lake would be extremely agreeable but for the thick fogs which
reign during a part of the day, and do not permit a rapid progress. On
the 24th, we dined at a small trading establishment called _Le Pic_,
where we had excellent fish.
On the 26th, we crossed _Michipicoton bay_, which, at its entrance, may
be nine miles wide, and twenty fathoms deep. As we were nearing the
eastern point, we met a small canoe, having on board Captain M'Cargo,
and the crew of one of the schooners owned by the company. Mr. M'Cargo
informed us that he had just escaped from _Saut Ste. Marie_, whither the
Americans had sent a detachment of one hundred and fifty men; and that
having been obliged to abandon his schooner, he had set fire to her. In
consequence of this news it was resolved that the canoe on which we were
proceeding, should return to Fort William. I embarked, with Mr. Stuart
and two men, in Captain M'Cargo's canoe, while he and his crew took our
places. In the haste and confusion of this exchange, which was made on
the lake, they gave us a ham, a little tea and sugar, and a bag
containing about twenty-five pounds of flour, but forgot entirely a
kettle, knives, forks, and so on, all articles which Mr. M'Cargo had not
time to take when he left _Saut Ste. Marie_. We subsisted miserably in
consequence for two days and a half that we continued to coast the lake
before reaching any post. We moistened in the bag a little flour, and
having kneaded it, made cakes, which we baked on flat stones by our camp
fire.
On the 29th, we reached Batchawainon, where we found some women, who
prepared us food and received us well. It is a poor little post,
situated at the bottom of a sandy cove, which offers nothing agreeable
to the eye. Mr. Frederic Goedike, who resided here, was gone to see what
had taken place at Saut Ste. Marie. He returned the next day, and told
us that the Americans had come, with a force of one hundred and fifty
men, under the command of Major Holmes; and that after having pillaged
that they all considered worth taking, of the property of the N.W.
Company and that of a Mr. Johnston, they had set fire to the houses,
warehouses, &c., belonging to the company and to that gentleman, and
retired, without molesting any other person.[AK] Our canoe arrived from
Fort William in the evening, with that of Mr. M'Gillivray; and on the
morrow we all repaired to Saut Ste. Marie, where we saw the ruins which
the enemy had left. The houses, stores, and saw-mills of the company
were still smoking.
[Footnote AK: The N.W. Company having raised a regiment composed of
their own servants, and known as the _voyageur corps_, and having also
instigated to war, and armed, the Indian tribes, over which they had
influence, had brought on themselves this act of retaliation. Mr.
Johnston also had engaged actively in the war against the United
States.]
The schooner was at the foot of the rapids; the Americans had run her
down, but she grounded on a ledge of rocks, whence they could not
dislodge her, and so they had burnt her to the water's edge.
_Le Saut de Ste. Marie_, or as it is shortly called, _Saut Ste. Marie_,
is a rapid at the outlet of Lake Superior, and may be five hundred or
six hundred yards wide; its length may be estimated at three quarters of
a mile, and the descent of the water at about twenty feet. At the lower
extremity the river widens to about a mile, and here there are a certain
number of houses. The north bank belongs to Great Britain; the southern
to the United States. It was on the American side that Mr. Johnston
lived. Before the war he was collector of the port for the American
government. On the same side resided a Mr. Nolin, with his family,
consisting of three half-breed boys and as many girls, one of whom was
passably pretty. He was an old Indian trader, and his house and
furniture showed signs of his former prosperity. On the British side we
found Mr. Charles Ermatinger, who had a pretty establishment: he dwelt
temporarily in a house that belonged to Nolin, but he was building
another of stone, very elegant, and had just finished a grist mill. He
thought that the last would lead the inhabitants to sow more grain than
they did. These inhabitants are principally old Canadian boatmen,
married to half-breed or Indian women. The fish afford them subsistence
during the greater part of the year, and provided they secure potatoes
enough to carry them through the remainder, they are content. It is to
be regretted that these people are not more industrious, for the land is
very fertile.
On the 1st of August, an express was sent to _Michilimackinac_
(Mackinaw) to inform the commandant thereof what had happened at _Saut
Ste. Marie_. While expecting the return of the messenger, we put
ourselves in a state of defence, in case that by chance the Americans
should make another irruption. The thing was not improbable, for
according to some expressions which fell from one of their number who
spoke French, their objects was to capture the furs of the Northwest
Company, which were expected to arrive shortly from the interior. We
invited some Indians, who were camped on _Pine Point_, at some distance
from the _Saut_, to help us in case of need; which they promised to do.
Meanwhile we had no provisions, as everything had been carried off by
the American forces, and were obliged to subsist on such brook trout as
we could take with hook and line, and on wild raspberries.
On the 4th, the express returned, without having been able to accomplish
his mission: he had found the island of Mackinaw so completely blockaded
by the enemy, that it was impossible to reach it, without running the
greatest risk of being made prisoner.
On the 12th, we heard distinctly the discharges of artillery which our
people were firing off at Michilimackinac, although the distance was
nearly sixty miles. We thought it was an attempt of the enemy to retake
that post, but we afterward learned that it was only a royal salute in
honor of the birthday of the prince regent. We learned, however, during
our stay at Saut Ste. Marie, that the Americans had really made a
descent upon the island, but were compelled to retire with a
considerable loss.
On the 19th, some of the partners arrived from Fort William, preceding
the flotilla which was coming down richly laden with furs. They sent on
Mr. Decoigne in a light canoe, with letters to Montreal, to order
provisions to meet this brigade.
On the 21st, the canoe on which I was a passenger, was sent to the mouth
of _French_ river, to observe the motions of the enemy. The route lay
between a range of low islands, and a shelvy beach, very monotonous and
dreary. We remained at the entrance of the aforesaid river till the
25th, when the fleet of loaded canoes, forty-seven in number, arrived
there. The value of the furs which they carried could not be estimated
at less than a million of dollars: an important prize for the Americans,
if they could have laid their hands upon it. We were three hundred and
thirty-five men, all well armed; a large camp was formed, with a
breast-work of fur-packs, and we kept watch all night. The next morning
we began to ascend French river, and were soon out of reach of the
dreaded foe. French river flows from the N.E. and empties into Lake
Huron, about one hundred and twenty miles from Saut Ste. Marie. We
reached Lake Nipissing, of which it is the outlet, the same evening, and
encamped. We crossed that lake on the 27th, made a number of portages,
and encamped again, not far from _Mattawan_.
On the 28th we entered, at an early hour, the river _Ottawa_, and
encamped, in the evening, at the _Portage des deux Joachims_. This is a
grand river, but obstructed by many falls and rapids on its way to join
the St. Lawrence; which caused us to make many portages, and so we
arrived on the 31st at _Kettle falls_.
The rock which here arrests the course of the _Ottawa_, extends from
shore to shore, and so completely cuts off the waters, that at the time
we passed none was seen falling over, but sinking by subterranean
channels, or fissures in the rock, it boiled up below, from seven or
eight different openings, not unlike water in a huge caldron, whence the
first explorers of the country gave it the name of _Chaudière_ or
Caldron falls. Mr. P. Wright resided in this place, where he had a fine
establishment and a great number of men employed in cultivating the
land, and getting out lumber.
We left the _Chaudières_ a little before sunset, and passed very soon
the confluence of the _Rideau_ or _Curtain river_. This river, which
casts itself into the Ottawa over a rock twenty-five by thirty feet
high, is divided in the middle of the fall by a little island, which
parts the waters into two white sheets, resembling a double curtain open
in the middle and spreading out below. The _coup d'oeil_ is really
picturesque; the rays of the setting sun, which struck the waters
obliquely as we passed, heightened exceedingly their beauty, and
rendered it worthy of a pencil more skilful than mine.
We voyaged till midnight, when we stopped to let our men take a little
repose. This rest was only for two hours. At sunrise on the 1st
September, we reached _Long-Saut_, where, having procured guides, we
passed that dangerous rapid, and set foot on shore near the
dwelling-house of a Mr. M'Donell, who sent us milk and fruits for our
breakfast. Toward noon we passed the lake of the Two Mountains, where I
began to see the mountain of my native isle. About two o'clock, we
passed the rapids of St. Ann.[AL] Soon after we came opposite _Saut St.
Louis_ and the village of _Caughnawago_, passed that last rapid of so
many, and landed at Montreal, a little before sunset.
[Footnote AL: "Far-famed and so well described," adds Mr. Franchere, in
his own translation, but I prefer to leave the expression in its
original striking simplicity, as he wrote it before he had heard of
MOORE. Every reader remembers:--
"Soon as the woods on shore grow dim,
We'll sing at St. Ann's our parting hymn."
_Canadian Boatman's Song_.]
I hastened to the paternal roof, where the family were not less
surprised than overjoyed at beholding me. Not having heard of me, since
I had sailed from New York, they had believed, in accordance with the
common report, that I had been murdered by the savages, with Mr. M'Kay
and the crew of the Tonquin: and certainly, it was by the goodness of
Providence that I found myself thus safe and sound, in the midst of my
relations and friends, at the end of a voyage accompanied by so many
perils, and in which so many of my companions had met with an untimely
death.