Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
May 26, 1820: Under Way at Last
Editor's Note:
Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River form the border between the U.S. and Canada, and had been hotly contested during the recent War of 1812. Whoever possessed the narrow stretch upriver from Detroit controlled all commerce in the western Great Lakes. The expedition was usually cautious about staying on the American side of the border to avoid provoking an international incident.
Location: Harsen's Island, Mich.
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Mercury at day light at 51 in the tent — at 7, 56 in the shade. Wind ahead. At 12 O'clock the Governor arrived, and the wind having ceased, we embarked, steering N. N. E.
At 1/2 past 1 passed Milk River point — 6 m[iles]. Landed at 4 o'clock below Huron point. Dined, re-embarked for the river St. Clair.
The point is about 1 & 1/2 miles long, immediately above which the river empties itself. Crossed the Lake — wind high and ahead. The waves broke over the canoes very fast and one man was kept continually baling and we were all considerably excited by the danger. The most of us were unused to canoes, and the traverse was very unpleasant. Our course was about north.
We arrived at Lauson's [Harsen's] Island at 1/2 past 9 in the evening, where we found the Governor, from whom we had parted, on the Lake, and who had taken a different channel of the river, encamped. Both channels were east of the ship channel. We were shivering with cold when we landed. Distance from Detroit 60 miles. This Island is supposed to belong to the English.
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