Original - North Central Michigan College Library

CljaptcrTHE ISLAND OF YELLOW SANDSthe spring of 1769 as soon as the lake wascleared of ice I embarked with two IndiansINto visit the Island of Michipicoten, orlie de Maurepas, distant ten leagues. As weapproached it, it appeared large and mountainous.The Indians had informed me that itcontained shining rocks and stones of raredescription. I found it one solid rock, thinlycovered with soil except in the valleys, butgenerally well wooded. Its circumference istwelve leagues. On examining the surface Isaw nothing remarkable, except large veins oftransparent spar, and a mass of rock at thesouth end of the island which appeared to becomposed of iron ore.Disappointed in my expectations here, mycuriosity was raised anew by the account givenme by my companions of another island almostas large as that on which I was, and lying alittle farther to the southward. This theydescribed as covered with a heavy yellow sandwhich I was credulous enough to fancy must begold. All they knew, however, of the islandand its heavy yellow sand was from the reportof some of their ancestors, concerning whom atradition had come down to them that being215