Home › S › Superior (LAKE Huron up the river St)

Superior (LAKE Huron up the river St)

LAKE Huron up the river St. Mary, the outlet its acid equivalents is saturated with of Lake Superior, through the center of the lower half of this lake, to the mouth of Pigeon river on the N. shore, between Isle Royal and the Canadian coast. The S. coast of the lake from the outlet to Montreal river belongs to the upper peninsula of Michigan. From this river to the St. Louis river at Fond du Lac the coast belongs to Wisconsin, and thence around to Pigeon river to Minnesota. Toward each extremity the lake contracts in width, and at the lower end terminates in a bay which falls into the outlet, the St. Mary's river, at the two opposite headlands of Gros Cape on the N. and Point Iroquois on the S. Thence to the mouth of the St. Mary's at Lake Huron is about 60 miles. The navigation of this river is interrupted 20 miles below its source at the Falls of St. Mary, or, as the place is commonly called, Sault Ste. Marie. Here the river descends in a succession of rapids extending 3/4 of a mile, from 18 to 21 feet, the fall varying with the stage of the water in Lake Superior.

A ship canal has been constructed past the falls by the United States Government, so that now the lake is accessible to vessels from the Atlantic Ocean. The rocks around the lake are very ancient, belonging principally to the Laurentian and Huronian systems of the Azoic series, overlaid in some places, especially on the S. side, with patches of the Lower Silurian. The prevalent Laurentian rock is orthoclase gneiss. Among the Huronian rocks are greenstones, slates, conglomerates, quartzites, and limestones. The Lower Silurian rocks are soft sandstones. There is everywhere much evidence of glacial action. The Huronian rocks are well stored with useful minerals. The copper and iron mines of the S. side are celebrated for their extent and richness. The richest copper mines are situated near Kee-wee-naw Point.

The metal occurs principally native, and sometimes in single masses of great size.

Native silver is found associated with the native copper, and sometimes intimately mixed with it. Gold has been found in small specks at Namainse on the British side. Lead ore occurs in some places.

The beds of hæmatite, or red iron ore, at Marquette, on the American side, are of wonderful extent. The water of Lake Superior, remarkable for its coldness, purity, and transparency, is inhabited by many kinds of fish, among which are the delicious white fish and the gray trout.