In the year 1721 the distinguished traveller, Charlevoix, passed through
Lake Erie on his way up the Lakes and thence down the Mississippi to
New Orleans. The north shore of Lake Erie, and chiefly that part now
embraced within the limits of the County of Elgin, is singled out by him
as the most beautiful country he met with in his passage. Many
travellers since Charlevoix have admired the charming scenery at the
mouths of Otter, Catfish, Kettle and Talbot Creeks, but few if any have
described it so well. As Colonel Talbot was influenced mainly by
Charlevoix's description of the country to establish his settlement at
the outlet of Talbot Creek in 1803, the present writer makes no apology
for reproducing the following extended passage from the celebrated and
gifted traveller:
"The 28th May, 1721, I went eighteen leagues and found myself over
against the _great river_ which comes from the East in forty-two
degrees fifteen minutes. Nevertheless the great trees were not yet
green. This country appeared to me to be very fine. We made very little
way the 29th and none at all the 30th. We embarked the next day about
sun rise, and went forward apace. The first of June being Whitsunday,
after going up a pretty river almost an hour which comes a great way,
and runs between two fine meadows, we made a portage about sixty paces
to escape going round a point which advances fifteen leagues into the
lake: they call it the _Long Point_. It is very sandy and produces
naturally many vines."[13]
[13] This river is what is now known as "Big Creek" and, answers
this description at the present day. It enters the lake a little
above Fort Rowan.
"The following days I saw nothing remarkable, but I coasted a charming
country that was hid from time to time by some disagreeable skreens, but
of little depth. In every place where I landed I was enchanted with the
beauty and variety of landscape bounded by the finest forest in the
world; besides this water fowl swarmed everywhere. I cannot say there is
such plenty of game in the woods: but I know that on the south side
there are vast herds of wild cattle."[14]
[14] This charming country is evidently, the greater part of it,
the County of Elgin, as the portage is not more than thirteen
miles from the boundary line of Bayham. In passing up the lake
one would meet with a great variety of landscape as the
sand-hills in Houghton and the mouths of the Otter, Catfish and
other creeks would be passed. The lofty pines and chestnuts and
oaks along this coast, in their original state no doubt appeared
like the "finest forest in the world."
"If one always travelled as I did then, with a clear sky and charming
climate on water as bright as the finest fountain, and were to meet
everywhere with safe and pleasant encampings, where one might find all
manner of game at little cost, breathing at one's ease a pure air, and
enjoying the sight of the finest countries, one would be tempted to
travel all one's life."
"It put me in mind of those ancient patriarchs who had no fixed abode,
dwelt under tents, were in some manner master of all the countries they
travelled over, and peaceably enjoyed all their productions without
having the trouble which is inavoidable in the possession of a real
domain. How many oaks represented to me that of _Mamre_? How many
fountains made me remember that of Jacob? Every day a situation of my
own choosing, a neat and convenient house set up and furnished with
necessaries in a quarter of an hour, spread with flowers always fresh,
on a fine green carpet, and on every side plain and natural beauties
which art had not altered and which it can not imitate. If the pleasures
suffer some interruption either by bad weather or some unforseen
accident, they are the more relished when they reappear."
"If I had a mind to moralize, I should add, these alternations of
pleasure and disappointment which I have so often experienced since I
have been travelling, are very proper to make us sensible that there is
no kind of life more capable of representing to us continually that we
are only on the earth like pilgrims, and that we can only use, as in
passing, the goods of this world; that a man wants but a few things; and
that we ought to take with patience the misfortunes that happen in our
journey, since they pass away equally, and with the same celerity. In
short how many things in travelling make us sensible of the dependence
in which we live upon Divine providence, which does not make use of, for
this mixture of good and evil, men's passions, but the vicissitudes of
the seasons which we may foresee, and of the caprice of the elements,
which we may expect of course. Of consequence, how easy is it, and how
many opportunities have we to merit by our dependence on and resignation
to the will of God?"
"They say commonly that long voyages do not make people religious, but
nothing one would think should be more capable of making them so, than
the scenes they go through."