Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
June 7, 1820: Doty, on Mackinac's Geography
Editor's Note:
The expedition was glad to arrive at Mackinac, where they spent the next five days. Schoolcraft remarked, "A compact town stretches along the narrow plain below the hills, and a beautiful harbour checquered with American vessels at anchor, and Indian canoes rapidly shooting across the water in every direction… Independent of its imposing features, and its pleasing novelty, we feel an inexpressible degree of delight, after traversing an Indian wilderness of nearly four hundred miles in extent, to find ourselves once more approaching the seat of a civilized population, with all its concomitant blessings. It can only know to those who have traversed savage regions--who have subsisted long without the most common conveniences of life--with what feelings the traveller approaches scenes, where, even for a few days, he is to renew former modes of living, and to partake of the advantages of a refined society."
Location: Mackinac Island, Mich.
View Doty's handwritten manuscript of this page
View page in the 1895 printed edition
Mackinac is situated nine miles from point St. Ignace on the N.W. and twelve miles from the shore on the S.E. From the Island the entrance into Lake Michigan is plainly seen at about 15 miles distant. The summit of the Island is 265 feet above the water, as measured by Capt. Douglass, and on it is situated Fort Holmes, now abandoned by our troops. Fort Holmes commands the entrance into the harbor, town, & the post now occupied. It was erected by the British when they conquered Mackinac during the late war.
The whole Island appears to be a composite of broke[n] limestone. The stone is whiter than any I ever saw. Organic remains are found in it. Many of the rocks are crusted over with calcareous spar, particularly at Robinson's Folly. One & a half miles above the Town is the Arch Rock. Between Fort Holmes and the Town is Skull Rock. At the mouth of this cave, and in it, human bones are still found. Beyond the Port on the N. E. side of the Island is Sugar Loaf Rock. The Rock is in the shape of a Sugar Loaf, and is about 100 ft. high.
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