What to see in America . Mackinac and Its Ancient Fort XXVI Michigan In the narrow sixty-three-mile long river connecting lakesSuperior and Huron is a half mile where the water runs inswift violence over a ledge of rocks, forming the SaultSainte Marie, or, to put it in English, the Rapids of The adjacent banks were a gathering place for theIndians from time immemorial. Here they fished in therapids and portaged their canoes along the shores. It washere, in 1668, that Father jNIarquette founded a mission,which was Michigans first settlement. The great attractionfor the traveler who vis
What to see in America . Mackinac and Its Ancient Fort XXVI Michigan In the narrow sixty-three-mile long river connecting lakesSuperior and Huron is a half mile where the water runs inswift violence over a ledge of rocks, forming the SaultSainte Marie, or, to put it in English, the Rapids of The adjacent banks were a gathering place for theIndians from time immemorial. Here they fished in therapids and portaged their canoes along the shores. It washere, in 1668, that Father jNIarquette founded a mission,which was Michigans first settlement. The great attractionfor the traveler who visits the Soo is the locks. Thefalls were a barrier to the birch-bark canoes of the savages,and likewise to the bateaux, sailing vessels, and steamboatsof the whites, which could move freely on all the lakes belowas far as Niagara. Many wise Americans considered theproject of building the first ship canal and locks at the Soo 247 248 AVhat to See in America. Vessels Passing through theAT Night Soo Canal both extravagantand visionary,but in 1855 thecanal was com-pleted with a lockthree hundredand fifty feetlong, which everyone agreed wouldprovide amplyfor any vesselsthat would evernavigate thosewaters. Fifteenyears later the lock was enlarged, and again in 1896, whenone eight hundred feet long was built, which was the biggestand costliest in the world. Even this proved present lock is one thousand three hundred and fifty feetlong and eighty feet wide. For six months of the year anaverage of a big steamer every fifteen minutes of the dayand night passes through, and their annual tonnage is threetimes as great as that passing through the Suez Canal. Oneof the things to do at the Soo is to shoot the Rapids in acanoe guided by an Indian. It is an exciting, but reasonablysafe, experience. There is good trout fishing above theRapids and in the neighboring streams. The adjacent regionis largely peopled with Indians and half-breeds,
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Keywords: ., bookauthorjohnsonc, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1919
