Tour to the Northern Lakes, Part II [pp. 733-742]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
shore of the bay. The wind continued high all night,
but we rode safely and snugly in our little haven, with
no other inconvenience than the prospect of having our
voyage extended one day longer. A single hour saved
yesterday, as had been easily practicable, would have
enabled us to reach (Green Bay harbor) Navarino last
night, in which case we might have left it this morning
soon enough to reach Lake Michigan before the north
wind became strong, and after that it would have
proved fair, and not have incommoded us. In one of
these lake voyages, liable as they are to so many interruptions from stopping or from casualty, the loss of an
hour may easily occasion the loss of a day. The numnerous islands about the entrance of Green Bay afford
to the vessels and steamboats ready means of sheltering themselves from the gusts and storms which are
here both frequent and sudden.
Saturday, August 12th. I awoke this morning, and
found the boat still riding at anchor, though the wind
had greatly moderated. It was, indeed, past 7 o'clock
before we were again under way-the waste of time
being attributable either to the captain's want of energy, or to his timidity I know not which. We found
the wind as yesterday from the north, but as we should
soon reach Lake Michigan, when this wind would be
fair for Chicago, we did not complain. When we did
reach the lake the sun shone out in cloudless radiance.
A fresh breeze urged us on by the help of our sails-the
temperature of the air was delightful, and in the pleasure of our speed, and the fine weather, we forgot the
delay of last night, and the vexation it had superinduced. Could one always command such weather, I
know no way in which part of summer could be more
agreeably spent than in a fine steamboat on these lakes
with an agreeable party. The freshness of the air or
something else seems to produce a very invigorating
effect, especially on the appetite. With such fare as
our boat affords, this is fortunate. The western coast
of Michigan Lake, along which we course at the distance of six or eight miles, presents the same low dark
green line of forest that we have hitherto seen; but
occasionally it is slightly varied by a line of sandy beach,
and sometimes of low hills of sand. No sign of human
habitation or of human labor is to be perceived, and
rarely can anything be seen on the surface of the water.
This absence of the signs of human industry gives an
air of desolation and solitude to the whole scene, unin terrupted as it is by any striking natural object. It
will not, however, be thus still and solitary, 100 or
even 50 years hence.
We had not run 50 miles before the wind had veered
round to the south, and of course again become ahead.
This has been our fortune, with a few brief exceptions,
ever since we left Buffalo: nor has there been a single
day, except one, that it has not rained more or less,
especially in the afternoon. It may admit of a question
whether, with this variableness in the weather on the
lakes, and their liability to sudden gusts, the navigation
by steam or sail vessels is to be preferred. If sail ves sels are exempt from some of the dangers to which
steamers are exposed, the latter, on the other hand, can
make off from a lee shore better than the former-nor
could they be overset by a sudden gust, as a schooner
was a week or two since, in a storm in which the Mi clhigan steamer sustained no inconvenince. Our course
up the lake was S. by W. to S. S. W. all day. We
met a brig and saw no other sail-a schooner also in
the evening. We saw rain and wind in distant parts
of the lake on each side of us, but had a mere brush of
one of these squalls.
Sunday, 13th. We reached Milwaukee, about 5
o'clock in the morning. This is one of the new towvns
in which the genius of speculation, profiting by some
obvious local advantages, has anticipated the future
rise of property, and in so doing, has so far outgone the
real value as to occasion great loss to those purchasers
who cannot retain the property, and has even involved
some in ruin. It lies on the west, or Wisconsin side of
Lake Michigan, about 90 miles above Chicago, and is
handsomely situated in the bottom of a bay of a semicircular form, about three and a half miles from one extremity to the other, and near two miles deep. Its
harbor is defended from all winds, except those which
blow from the east; and those vessels which can pass
over the bar, at the mouth of the river, can be effectually defended from the east winds by running into the
river, which suddenly turns to the north, and has a
course parallel to the coast. It thus makes a long narrow point of land, nearly two miles long, and not above
60 or 70 yards wide. At the end of this point on either
side of Menomenee river is the town, consisting I should
think of some 100 or 120 houses, which make a good
show in the distance, as some of them are placed on
heights about the river, which may be denominated
hills. There was one schooner up in the town, and
another in the offing. At present only very small vessels can pass over a bar at the mouth of the river, as the
water there is not more than 5 or 6 feet deep. They
mean to cut through the point of land, which is in fact,
nothing but a sand bank; but the citizens are as usual,
divided according to their several interests; some wishing the present natural embouchure of the river to
remain, the channel to be deepened, and the return of
the bar prevented by a pier-others propose a cut
about the middle of the point, and this work had actually been begun, but had been apparently abandoned.
A third party wish to cut a channel near the town, and
where the point begins. Wherever the river disembogues there will probably be a bar formed by its
deposit, and the opposing sands of the lake, and a pier
or breakwater will be necessary. There are a few
scattered buildings on the heights south of the town and
in front of the bay, built among the woods. By reason
of its harbor which, with the aid of a breakwater, may
be the best perhaps on the vwest side of the lale; this
bids fair to be a place of consequence, but much will
depend on the character of the land aback of it. In the
town, the Milwaukee, running from the north parallel
to the coast, for some miles, unites with the Menomenee. It is a narrow and sluggish stream after the
junction; but aback of the town the Menomenee
has a fall of fifteen feet. It is said that the population
of the country is 4000 at this time; most of whom are
in the town or its vicinity. We saw a schooner which
had been stranded on the beach by some easterly wind
too strong for her to resist. A large piece of swampy
land lies below the town, along the banks of the river.
If a vessel is to be stranded, there never was a place in
which it can occur with so little hazard to life or property, as on most of the lake shores. The vessel is driven
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