St. Mary's River

“ Mary's, northern men can obtain winter homes in this attractive town at a very low cost. This city is a port of entry. Mr. Joseph Shepard, a most faithful government officer, has filled the position of collector of customs for several years.
As vessels of considerable tonnage can ascend the St. Mary's River from the sea on a full tide to the wharves of the city, its citizens prophesy a future growth and development for the place when a river and canal route across the peninsula between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico shall have been completed. ”

“ Arriving just as the sun is setting behind the mountain south of Mary's Peak, his departing rays strike in brilliant red and yellow light along the surface of the pools, filling the valley with quivering, purple haze. We post ourselves at long intervals along the marsh, crouching while the light lasts, among the reeds. Just as the red light fades away, a group of black specks is seen against the sky, rising from the fir-timber that bounds the distant river. They grow quickly larger, and presently the rapid beat of wings is heard, as they whistle through the air overhead. ”

“ Among the boulders, I picked up a fine specimen of graphic granite, most perfectly characterized. About two o'clock, we entered this great inland sea. How feeble and inadequate are all geographical attempts to describe this vast body of water, with its imposing headlands, shores, and islands. The St. Mary's River passes out between two prominent capes, called Gros Cape and Point Iroquois. The former rises up in elevated barren peaks of sienite and hornblende rock; the latter consists of nearly equally elevated masses of horizontal red sandstone, covered with a dense forest. ”

“ It stands remote from any habitation, with three or four Indian graves near it, and we found it filled with hay. The view from its door is uncommonly beautiful; the broad St. Mary lying below, with its bordering villages and woody valley, its white rapids and its rocky islands, picturesque with the pointed summits of the fir-tree. To the northwest the sight followed the river to the horizon, where it issued from Lake Superior, and I was told that in clear weather one might discover, from the spot on which I stood, the promontory of Gros Cap, which guards the outlet of that mighty lake. ”

“ Superior, Lake, largest fresh-water lake on the globe, lies between the United States and Canada, the boundary line passing through the centre; area, 31,200 sq. m., almost the size of Ireland; maximum depth, 1008 ft.; St. Mary's River, the only outlet, a short rapid stream, carries the overflow to Lake Huron; receives upwards of 200 rivers, but none of first-class importance, largest is the St. Louis; is dotted with numerous islands; water is singularly clear and pure, and abounds with fish; navigation is hindered in winter by shore-ice, but the lake never freezes over. ”

“ Mary’s river, and is perhaps the only waterway along which bear and moose peer from their covert at great steamers going by. No other stream carries so great a tonnage through so wild a country. Iron comes down, and coal goes up, and there are points where a lump of either can be tossed ashore as the great steam barge slips past.
From Mackinac they took a smaller steamer to Sault Sainte Marie, and then retraced their course till they reached a small pier known as Upper Encampment. Here they expected to see Horatio, but saw instead their old Scotch friend, George Gillies, keeper of the lights. ”

“ AN ACADIAN SAWMILL
and farm wagons 5 miles across the long straight Bay of St. Mary adjusts its schedule according to the tide. Little River is the first landing made on Digby Neck. At this point Fundy is about a mile to the west across North Mountain. The steamer proceeds to Mink Cove and Sandy Cove further up the peninsula. The latter town is at the head of a small round basin. On the natural terrace of its embankment are contented white houses with pointed gables and, in their midst, square-steepled churches brooding their clustering grave-yards. ”

“ Of the two nephews of the doughty old trader of Sault Ste. Marie, Charles and Francis Ermatinger, who were prominent in the fur trade, more anon.
The dashing rapids of the St. Mary River are the natural feature which has made the place celebrated. The exciting feat of "running the rapids" is accomplished by all distinguished visitors to the place. John Busheau, or some other dusky canoe-man, with unerring paddle, conducts the shrinking tourist to within a yard of the boiling cauldron, and sweeps down through the spray and splash, as his passenger heaves a sigh of relief. ”

“ Never shall we forget that sit on the stone by the river. We had been talking of the illustrious dead and noble living, and remembered fragments of thought and song had come home to our open spirits, and as we looked up and down the river and on its galleried sides, crowded with the lofty heads of the noblest trees, and these all flushed into a thousand changing lines by the descending sun, we felt the full intensity of Natures's holy hallowing power—felt that God has wealth for all; that noble heart wealth of gladness in beauty, in Nature, and in art. ”

“ The island of St. Mary is a mere sandbank, barely raised above the level of the river, (in fact a considerable portion of it is below high-water mark,) and is separated from the mainland by a narrow mangrove swamp, dignified by the name of Oyster Creek, which is fordable at low water. The centre of the isle can boast of a little solidity, as a ridge of rock, covering about twenty square yards, there crops up through the sand, and is pointed out to strangers by the inhabitants with much pride, as a proof that their demesne has a stable foundation. ”

“ Again in the Walks, we followed on by winding paths to the caves on that side, whose surrounding beauty we should almost profane by attempting to describe. But the caves—the matchless masonry of Nature, hollows in the solid perpendicular rock, and opening on the river—how they silence all trivial thought, and make one forget flesh and blood. “Thoughts that wander through eternity” start here, and we think of the sublime silences of unpeopled centuries which these sunken, lidless eyes in this ponderous rocky brow of nature must have seen the secrets of. ”

“ Now the Jackal was rather afraid of going near the river, for he thought, 'Perhaps this Alligator will catch me to-day.' But yet, being hungry, he did not wish to go without his dinner; so to make all as safe as he could, he cried, 'Where are all the little crabs gone? There is not one here, and I am so hungry; and generally, even when they are under water, one can see them going bubble, bubble, bubble, and all the little bubbles go pop! ”

“ Before the one furnished with pictures, seats, and table, there is a pallisading parallel with the river, and over this, when the sun is descending, if he can, let the visitor of Corby give himself time to hang and muse till he hears nothing, sees nothing, not even the faces and voices of his friends, but this everlasting pageant of natural harmony and vision. From the steps also of the other cave, in the perpetual twilight of depending branches, there is a magnificent view. But our friends have nearly all left us to our tranced speechless musings, and we, though loath, must on. ”

“ Mary, almost a flat surface, intersected and interlaced by numberless streams, and studded with small lakes, whilst its littorale is a river unparalleled in the world, expanding into enormous fresh water seas, abounding with fish.
If the tropical luxuries are absent, if its winters are long and excessively severe, yet it yields all the European fruits abundantly, and even some of the tropical ones, owing to the richness of its soil and the great heat of the summer. Maize, or Indian corn, flourishes, and is more wholesome and better than that produced in the warm South. ”

“ THERE once lived a Camel and a Jackal who were great friends. One day the Jackal said to the Camel, 'I know that there is a fine field of sugar-cane on the other side of the river. If you will take me across I'll show you the place. This plan will suit me as well as you. You will enjoy eating the sugar-cane, and I am sure to find many crabs, bones, and bits of fish by the river-side, on which to make a good dinner.'
The Camel consented, and swam across the river, taking the Jackal, who could not swim, on his back. ”

“ The spacious nave, with side aisles and clerestory in the Early Decorated style, is a modern addition. Among the animated busts are those of Joseph Butler, of “Analogy” fame—one of Bristol’s famous line of bishops, two of whom were of the “glorious company” of seven—Robert Southey, and the “Dorcas” of the city, Miss Mary Carpenter.
In 1809 our river became a fellow-sufferer with the Frome. The course of the Avon lay through the city, but now a new channel was dug for it on the south side, leaving the river to fall into its original bed at Rownham Ferry. ”

“ Mary, Bathurst, of old a graveyard, now start up to starboard. The site was chosen apparently for its superior development of mud and mangrove, miasma and malaria. It is an island within an island. St. Mary the Greater is the northernmost of that mass of riverine holms and continental islands which, formed by the Cachéo and other great drains, extends south to the Rio Grande. Measuring some twenty miles from north to south, by six from east to west, it is embraced by the two arms of the Gambia delta, and is marked in old maps as the Combo, Forni, and Felúp country. ”

“ Up, up in the air, like a bird, jumped the good war-horse, right across the river and into the very centre courtyard of the Glass Palace of the Princess Bargaruttee: and as if ashamed of so poor an exploit, this feat he accomplished three times. ”

“ It is a very picturesque sight to watch this river road on a busy morning, when one can see a procession of red or blue box sleighs, each one being driven by a Habitant farmer, who sits on his bags of potatoes and onions and pork, and jogs along very comfortably toward the great city. ”

“ In wintertime it is so very cold that the great St. Lawrence river is frozen solid, and all day long traffic is driven over this ice from shore to shore. From the top of Mount Royal one can distinctly see the road which leads from the city of Montreal to a good-sized town on the south shore known as Longueil. ”

“ The course of the Rhine below Mainz becomes much more picturesque. The river descends rapidly and winds between hills, not high, but steep, and of beautiful forms. We saw many ruined castles standing on the edges of precipices, surrounded by black woods, high and inaccessible. This part of the Rhine, indeed, presents a singularly variegated landscape. In one spot you view rugged hills, ruined castles overlooking tremendous precipices, with the dark Rhine rushing beneath; ”

“ How the brave voyageurs had come to a land filled with hostile tribes of Indians. First these adventurous Frenchmen settled in Quebec, the city of Quebec was founded, and then Paul de Comedy, Sire de Maisonneuve, being anxious to follow up this great river St. Lawrence, coaxed his men to row with him the one hundred and sixty miles right against a swift current until they came to Mount Royal and beheld the swift rapids in the river; these are now called Lachine Rapids. So they decided to land and build another village. ”

“ Often they are either designs of bright flowers or gold stars. The pictures on the walls are always of interest. First and foremost there is always a picture of the Pope. Then a picture of the Christ, and very often indeed one finds a picture of Madame Albani in all her diamonds and tiara as she appeared [79] when she sung for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle.
Albani, indeed, was a little Quebec cousin who became world famous. She was born at Chambly, near Montreal, in 1852, within sound of the roaring rapids of the River Richelieu, and in sight of the old historical fort. ”

“ A magnificent view of the Corby side of the river may be had from one of the top windows of this building, or from the caves, which are immediately below, on the same side. These are excavations in the solid mass of rock which rises almost perpendicularly on this side of the river. St. Constantine's cell is the most notable one. A Prince of this name, the son of some ancient Scottish king, is said to have resigned his regal inheritance and here retired from the world for the remainder of his life ”

“ That Congress did not act arbitrarily in determining that 'for the purposes of navigation of said waters and the waters connected therewith,' the whole flow of the stream should be devoted exclusively to that end, is most evident when we consider the character of this stream and its relation to the whole problem of lake navigation. The river St. Marys is the only outlet for the waters of Lake Superior. The stretch of water called the falls and rapids of the river is about 3,000 feet long, and from bank to bank has a width of about 4,000 feet. ”

“ Anthony's Falls, its Indian name, 151 St. Mary's Canal, 82 St. Paul's, Minnesota, 159 State of geological knowledge in 1819, 381 Stationary distances on Lake Superior, 92 Statistics of maple sugar made by the Indians, 71 Statistics of the fur trade, 68 Staurotide; native silver, 53 Steamboat Walk-in-the-Water, 43 Straits of St. Mary, 315 Stratification, 81 Stratum of quartzite rock, 141 Sub-exploring party, 94 Sub-formative pronouns in the Algonquin language, 509 ”