Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
June 4, 1820: Delayed by Thunderstorms
Editor's Note:
Schoolcraft also noted that storms delayed their progress this day:
"We embarked at six o'clock, but after proceeding about a league were driven ashore by a thunder storm, which suddenly arose, attended with a violent wind and rain. In the course of a few hours the storm abated, and we again took the lake, but a renewal of the storm, on going seven or eight miles, again compelled us to the shore, where we were detained during the remainder of the day. A noted island of Lake Huron, called The Middle Island, now bears from our encampment due north, and is distant six or eight miles from the shore."
Location: eight miles southeast of Presque Isle, Mich.
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We rose at day dawn, breakfasted and embarked… We had not crossed the bay or from our encampment to the point 3 miles distant before a severe thunderstorm burst upon us, and compelled us to land immediately, which we did not effect however until we were all completely drenched with rain.
We landed a few rods above the entrance of a stream heretofore unspoken of, and not to be found on the maps… It being the first swift water I had seen in this country I named it Roaring River — some of the gentlemen called it Beaver creek from some faint appearances of Beaver around it. After the storm had abated we put out again making a point 2 miles distant…
From this our course was N. 8 miles to a Point I called "Portage point." The bay on the south side affords a good harbor; its water is from 4 to 5 feet deep. A river here empties itself in a southerly direction, & runs so near the shore above the point about 2 miles as to leave a carrying place of only 40 paces. When the wind and swells run high on the Lake, this portage is frequently resorted to.
A short distance [up] the point we encamped on the stone, the whole point being a bed of round stone, apparently hove up by the waves. On some parts a little soil has gathered which is entirely covered with cedar and spruce. In some spots the moss was half a leg high. Cold rain, wind & waves high.
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