lake, not long before we passed through the country, perished, with
several of his party, owing to an inundation of this sort that took
place on a low part of the shore. I must here observe, that when you
navigate the lake in a bateau, it is customary to keep as close as
possible to the land; and whenever there is any danger of a storm, you
run the vessel on shore, which may be done with safety, as the bottom of
it is perfectly flat. I before mentioned the peculiar advantage of a
bateau over a keel boat in this respect. The young gentleman alluded to
was coasting along in this manner, when a violent storm suddenly arose.
The bateau was instantaneously turned towards the shore; unfortunately,
however, in running her upon the beach some mismanagement took place,
and she overset. The waves had already begun to break in on the shore
with prodigious impetuosity; each one of them rolled farther in than the
preceding one; the party took alarm, and instead of making as strenuous
exertions as it was supposed they might have made, to right the bateau,
they took a few necessaries out of her, and attempted to save themselves
by flight; but so rapidly did the water flow after them, in consequence
of the increasing storm, that before they could proceed far enough up
the country to gain a place of safety, they were all overwhelmed by it,
two alone excepted, who had the presence of mind and ability to climb a
lofty tree. To the very great irregularity of the height of the lands on
both sides of it, is attributed the frequency of storms on Lake Erie.
The shores of Lake Ontario are lower and more uniform than those of any
of the other lakes; and that lake is the most tranquil of any, as has
already been noticed.
There is a great deficiency of good harbours along the shores of this
Lake. On its northern side there are but two places which afford shelter
to vessels drawing more than seven feet water, namely, Long Point and
Point Abineau; and these only afford a partial shelter. If the wind
should shift to the southward whilst vessels happen to be lying under
them, they are thereby exposed to all the dangers of a rocky lee shore.
On the southern shore, the first harbour you come to in going from Fort
Erie, is that of Presqu’ Isle. Vessels drawing eight feet water may
there ride in perfect safety; but it is a matter of no small difficulty
to get into the harbour, owing to a long sand bar which extends across
the mouth of it. Presqu’ Isle is situated at the distance of about sixty
miles from Fort Erie. Beyond this, nearly midway between the eastern and
western extremities of the lake, there is another harbour, capable of
containing small vessels, at the mouth of Cayahega River, and another at
the mouth of Sandusky River, which falls into the lake within the
north-western territory of the States. It is very seldom that any of
these harbours are made use of by the British ships; they, indeed, trade
almost solely between Fort Erie and Detroit River; and when in
prosecuting their voyages they chance to meet with contrary winds,
against which they cannot make head, they for the most part return to
Fort Erie, if bound to Detroit River; or to some of the bays amidst the
clusters of islands situated towards the western extremity of the lake,
if bound to Fort Erie. In going up the lake, it very often happens that
vessels, even after they have got close under these islands, the nearest
of which is not less than two hundred and forty miles from Fort Erie,
are driven back by storms the whole way to that fort. Just as we were
preparing to cast anchor under Middle Island, one of the nearest of
them, a squall suddenly arose, and it was not without very great
difficulty that we could keep our station: the captain told us
afterwards, that he really feared at one time, that we should have been
driven back to our old quarters.
[Sidenote: ISLANDS.]
It was about two o’clock on the third day from that of our quitting
Point Abineau, that we reached Middle Island. We lay at anchor until the
next morning, when the wind shifted a few points in our favour, and
enabled us to proceed some miles farther on, to a place of greater
safety, sheltered by islands on all sides; but beyond this the wind did
not permit us to advance for three days. It is very seldom that vessels
bound from Fort Erie to any place on Detroit River accomplish their
voyage without stopping amongst these islands; for the same wind
favourable for carrying them from the eastern to the western extremity
of the lake will not waft them up the river. The river runs nearly in a
south-west direction; its current is very strong; and unless the wind
blows fresh, and nearly in an opposite direction to it, you cannot
proceed. The navigation of Lake Erie, in general, is very uncertain; and
passengers that cross it in any of the King’s, or principal merchant
vessels, are not only called upon to pay double the sum for their
passage, demanded for that across Lake Ontario, but anchorage money
besides, that is, a certain sum per diem as long as the vessel remains
wind bound at anchor in any harbour. The anchorage money is about three
dollars per day for each cabin passenger.
The islands at the western end of the lake, which are of various sizes,
lie very close to each other, and the scenery amongst them is very
pleasing. The largest of them are not more than fourteen miles in
circumference, and many would scarcely be found to admeasure as many
yards round. They are all covered with wood of some kind or other, even
to the very smallest. The larger islands produce a variety of fine
timber, amongst which are found oaks, hiccory trees, and red cedars; the
latter grow to a much larger size than in any part of the neighbouring
country, and they are sent for even from the British settlements on
Detroit River, forty miles distant. None of these islands are much
elevated above the lake, nor are they diversified with any rising
grounds; most of them, indeed, are as flat as if they had been
overflowed with water, and in the interior parts of some of the largest
of them there are extensive ponds and marshes. The fine timber, which
these islands produce, indicates that the soil must be uncommonly
fertile. Here are found in great numbers, amongst the woods, racoons,
and squirrels; bears are also at times found upon some of the islands
during the winter season, when the lake is frozen between the main land
and the islands; but they do not remain continually, as the other
animals do. All the islands are dreadfully infested with serpents, and
on some of them rattlesnakes are so numerous, that in the height of
summer it is really dangerous to land: it was now late in September; yet
we had not been three minutes on shore on Bass Island, before several of
these noxious reptiles were seen amongst the bushes, and a couple of
them, of a large size, were killed by the seamen.
[Sidenote: RATTLESNAKES.]
Two kinds of rattlesnakes are found in this part of the country; the one
is of a deep brown colour, clouded with yellow, and is seldom met with
more than thirty inches in length. It usually frequents marshes and low
meadows, where it does great mischief amongst cattle, which it bites
mostly in the lips as they are grazing. The other sort is of a greenish
yellow colour, clouded with brown, and attains nearly twice the size of
the other. It is most commonly found between three and four feet in
length, and as thick as the wrist of a large man. The rattlesnake is
much thicker in proportion to its length than any other snake, and it is
thickest in the middle of the body, which approaches somewhat to a
triangular form, the belly being flat, and the back bone rising higher
than any other part of the animal. The rattle, with which this serpent
is provided, is at the end of the tail; it is usually about half an inch
in breadth, one quarter of an inch in thickness, and each joint about
half an inch long. The joint consists of a number of little cases of a
dry horny substance, inclosed one within another, and not only the
outermost of these little cases articulates with the outermost case of
the contiguous joint, but each case, even to the smallest one of all, at
the inside, is connected by a sort of joint with the corresponding case
in the next joint of the rattle. The little cases or shells lie very
loosely within one another, and the noise proceeds from their dry and
hard coats striking one against the other. It is said that the animal
gains a fresh joint to its rattle every year; of this, however, I have
great doubts, for the largest snakes are frequently found to have the
fewest joints to their rattles. A medical gentleman in the neighbourhood
of Newmarket, behind the Blue Mountains, in Virginia, had a rattle in
his possession, which contained no less than thirty-two joints; yet the
snake from which it was taken scarcely admeasured five feet;
rattlesnakes, however, of the same kind, and in the same part of the
country, have been found of a greater length with not more than ten
rattles. One of the snakes, which we saw killed on Bass Island, in Lake
Erie, had no more than four joints in its rattle, and yet it was nearly
four feet long.
The skin of the rattlesnake, when the animal is wounded, or otherwise
enraged, exhibits a variety of beautiful tints, never seen at any other
time. It is not with the teeth which the rattlesnake uses for ordinary
purposes that it strikes its enemy, but with two long crooked fangs in
the upper jaw, which point down the throat. When about to use these
fangs, it rears itself up as much as possible, throws back its head,
drops its under jaw, and springing forward upon its tail, endeavours to
hook itself as it were upon its enemy. In order to raise itself on its
tail it coils itself up previously in a spiral line, with the head in
the middle. It cannot spring farther forward than about half its own
length.
The flesh of the rattlesnake is as white as the most delicate fish, and
is much esteemed by those who are not prevented from tasting it by
prejudice. The soup made from it is said to be delicious, and very
nourishing.
In my rambles about the islands under which we lay at anchor, I found
many specimens of the exuviæ of these snakes, which, in the opinion of
the country people of Upper Canada, are very efficacious in the cure of
the rheumatism, when laid over the part afflicted, and fastened down
with a bandage. The body of the rattlesnake dried to a cinder over the
fire, and then finely pulverised, and infused in a certain portion of
brandy, is also said to be a never failing remedy against that disorder.
I conversed with many people who had made use of this medicine, and they
were firmly persuaded that they were indebted to it for a speedy cure.
The liquor is taken inwardly, in the quantity of a wine glass full at
once, about three times a day. No effect, more than from taking plain
brandy, is perceived from taking this medicine on the first day; but at
the end of the second day the body of the patient becomes suffused with
a cold sweat, every one of his joints grow painful, and his limbs become
feeble, and scarcely able to support him; he grows worse and worse for a
day or two; but persevering in the use of the medicine for a few days,
he gradually loses his pains, and recovers his wonted strength of body.
[Sidenote: VARIOUS SERPENTS.]
Many different kinds of serpents besides rattlesnakes are found on these
islands in Lake Erie. I killed several totally different from any that I
had ever met with in any other part of the country; amongst the number
was one which I was informed was venomous in the highest degree: it was
somewhat more than three feet in length; its back was perfectly black;
its belly a vivid orange. I found it amongst the rocks on Middle Island,
and on being wounded in the tail, it turned about to defend itself with
inconceivable fury. Mr. Carver tells of a serpent that is peculiar to
these islands, called the hissing snake: “It is,” says he, “of the small
speckled kind, and about eighteen inches long. When any thing approaches
it, it flattens itself in a moment, and its spots, which are of various
dyes, become visibly brighter through rage; at the same time it blows
from its mouth with great force a subtile wind that is reported to be of
a nauseous smell, and if drawn in with the breath of the unwary
traveller will infallibly bring on a decline, that in a few months must
prove mortal, there being no remedy yet discovered which can counteract
its baneful influence.” Mr. Carver does not inform us of his having
himself seen this snake; I am tempted, therefore, to imagine, that he
has been imposed upon, and that the whole account he has given of it is
fabulous. I made very particular enquiries respecting the existence of
such a snake, from those persons who were in the habit of touching at
these islands, and neither they nor any other person I met with in the
country had ever seen or heard of such a snake, except in Mr. Carver’s
Travels. Were a traveller to believe all the stories respecting snakes
that are current in the country, he must believe that there is such a
snake as the whip snake, which, as it is said, pursues cattle through
the woods and meadows, lashing them with its tail, till overcome with
the fatigue of running they drop breathless to the ground, when it preys
upon their flesh; he must also believe that there is such a snake as the
hoop snake, which has the power of fixing its tail firmly in a certain
cavity inside of its mouth, and then of rolling itself forward like a
hoop or wheel with such wonderful velocity that neither man nor beast
can possibly escape from its devouring jaws.
The ponds and marshes in the interior parts of these islands abound with
ducks and other wild fowl, and the shores swarm with gulls. A few small
birds are found in the woods; but I saw none amongst them that were
remarkable either for their song or plumage.
[Sidenote: DETROIT RIVER.]
At sun-set, on the last day of September, we left the islands, and the
next morning entered Detroit River. The river, at its mouth, is about
five miles wide, and continues nearly the same breadth for a
considerable distance. The shores are of a moderate height, and thickly
wooded; but there was nothing particularly interesting in the prospect
till we arrived within four or five miles of the new British post. Here
the banks appeared diversified with Indian encampments and villages, and
beyond them the British settlements were seen to great advantage. The
river was crowded with Indian canoes and bateaux, and several pleasure
boats belonging to the officers of the garrison, and to the traders,
that had come out in expectation of meeting us, were seen cruizing about
backwards and forwards. The two other vessels of war, which we had left
behind us at Fort Erie, as well as the trading vessels, had overtaken us
just as we entered the river, and we all sailed up together with every
bit of canvass, that we could muster, full spread. The day was
uncommonly clear, and the scene altogether was pleasing and interesting.
The other vessels proceeded up the river to the British post; but ours,
which was laden with presents for the Indians, cast anchor opposite to
the habitation of the gentleman in the Indian department, whom I before
mentioned, which was situated in the district of Malden. He gave us a
most cordial invitation to stay at his house whilst we should remain in
this part of the country; we gladly accepted of it, and accordingly went
with him on shore.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
_LETTER _ XXXIII.
_Description of the District of Malden.—Establishment of a new British
Post there.—Island of Bois Blanc.—Difference between the British and
Americans respecting the Right of Possession.—Block Houses, how
constructed.—Captain E—’s Farm.—Indians.—Description of Detroit River,
and the Country bordering upon it.—Town of Detroit.—Head Quarters of
the American Army.—Officers of the Western Army.—Unsuccessful Attempt
of the Americans to impress upon the Minds of the Indians an Idea of
their Consequence.—Of the Country round Detroit.—Doubts concerning our
Route back to Philadelphia.—Determine to go by Presqu’ Isle.—Departure
from Detroit._
Malden, October.
MALDEN is a district of considerable extent, situated on the eastern
side of Detroit River, about eighteen miles below the town of Detroit.
At the lower end of the district there are but few houses, and these
stand very widely asunder; but at the upper end, bordering upon the
river, and adjoining to the new British post that has been established
since the evacuation of Detroit, a little town has been laid out, which
already contains more than twenty houses, and is rapidly increasing.
Hither several of the traders have removed who formerly resided at
Detroit. This little town has as yet received no particular name,
neither has the new post, but they merely go under the name of the new
British post and town near the island of Bois Blanc, an island in the
river near two miles in length, and half a mile in breadth, that lies
opposite to Malden.
[Sidenote: DETROIT.]
When the evacuation of Detroit was first talked of, the island was
looked to as an eligible situation for the new post, and orders were
sent to purchase it from the Indians, and to take possession of it in
the name of his Britannic Majesty. Accordingly a party of troops went
down for that purpose from Detroit; they erected a small block house on
the northern extremity of it, and left a serjeant’s guard there for its
defence. Preparations were afterwards making for building a fort on it;
but in the mean time a warm remonstrance against such proceedings came
from the government of the United States[14], who insisted upon it that
the island was not within the limits of the British dominions. The
point, it was found, would admit of some dispute, and as it could not be
determined immediately, the plan of building the fort was relinquished
for the time. The block house on the island, however, still remains
guarded, and possession will be kept of it until the matter in dispute
be adjudged by the commissioners appointed, pursuant to the late treaty,
for the purpose of determining the exact boundaries of the British
dominions in this part of the continent, which were by no means clearly
ascertained by the definitive treaty of peace between the States and
Great Britain.
Footnote 14:
Notwithstanding that the government of the United States has thought
it incumbent upon itself to remonstrate against our taking possession
of this island, and thus to dispute every inch of ground respecting
the right to which there could be the smallest doubt, yet the
generality of the people of the States affect to talk of every such
step as idle and unnecessary, inasmuch as they are fully persuaded, in
their own minds, that all the British dominions in North America must,
sooner or later, become a part of their empire. Thus Mr. Imlay, in his
account of the north-western territory: “It is certain, that as the
country has been more opened in America, and thereby the rays of the
sun have acted more powerfully upon the earth, these benefits have
tended greatly to soften the winter season; so that peopling Canada,
for which we are much obliged to you, is a double advantage to us.
First, it is settling and populating a country that must, sooner or
later, from the natural order of things, become a part of our empire;
and secondly, it is immediately meliorating the climate of the
northern states,” &c.
The greatest empires that have ever appeared on the face of the globe
have dissolved in the course of time, and no one acquainted with
history will, I take it for granted, presume to say that the extended
empire of Britain, all powerful as it is at present, is so much more
closely knit together than any other empire ever was before it, that
it can never fall asunder; Canada, I therefore suppose, may, with
revolving years, be disjointed from the mother country, as well as her
other colonies; but whenever that period shall arrive, which I trust
is far distant, I am humbly of opinion that it will not form an
additional knot in that extensive union of states which at present
subsist on the continent of North America; indeed, were the British
dominions in North America to be dissevered from the other members of
the empire the ensuing year, I am still tempted to imagine that they
would not become linked with the present federal American states, and
for the following reasons:
First, because the constitution of the federal states, which is the
bond that holds them together, is not calculated for such a large
territory as that which the present states, together with such an
addition, would constitute.
The constitution of the states is that of the people, who, through
their respective representatives assembled together at some one place,
must decide upon every measure that is to be taken for the public
weal. This place, it is evident, ought in justice to be as central as
possible to every state; the necessity, indeed, of having the place so
situated has been manifested in the building of the new federal city.
Were it not for this step, many of the most enlightened characters in
the states have given it as their opinion, that the union could not
have remained many years entire, for the states so far removed from
the seat of the legislature, before the new city was founded, had
complained grievously of the distance which their delegates had to
travel to meet congress, and had begun to talk of the necessity of a
separation of the states: and now, on the other hand, that a central
spot has been fixed upon, those states to the northward, conveniently
situated to Philadelphia, the present seat of the federal government,
say that the new city will be so far removed from them, that the
sending of delegates thither will be highly inconvenient to them, and
so much so, as to call for a separation of the union on their part. In
a former letter I stated the various opinions that were entertained by
the people of the United States on this subject, and I endeavoured to
shew that the seat of congress would be removed to the new federal
city without endangering a partition of the states; but I am fully
persuaded, that were Canada to become an independent state, and a
place were to be fixed on central to all the states, supposing her to
be one, that neither she, nor the state at the remote opposite end,
would long continue, if they ever did submit, to send their delegates
to a place so far removed, that it would require more than a fourth
part of the year for them (the delegates) to travel, even with the
utmost possible expedition, backward and forward, between the district
which they represented and the seat of congress.
Secondly, I think the two Canadas will never become connected with the
present states, because the people of these provinces, and those of
the adjoining states, are not formed for a close intimacy with each
other.