American fiction -- 19th century; Historical fiction; Indians of North America -- Fiction
The Kalamazoo and its mouth were soon far behind, and le Bourdon no
longer felt the least apprehension of the savages left in it. The
Indians are not bold navigators, and he felt certain that the lake was
too rough for the savages to venture out, while his own course gradually
carried him off the land, and out of the track of anything that kept
near the shore. A short time produced a sense of security, and the
wind appearing to fall, instead of increasing in violence, it was soon
arranged that one of the men should sleep, while the other looked to the
safety of the canoes.
It was about nine o'clock when the fugitives made sail, off the mouth of
the Kalamazoo; and, at the return of light, seven hours later, they were
more than forty miles from the place of starting. The wind still stood,
with symptoms of growing fresher again as the sun rose, and the land
could just be seen in the eastern board, the coast in that direction
having made a considerable curvature inland. This had brought the canoes
farther from the land than le Bourdon wished to be, but he could not
materially change his course without taking in one of his sails. As much
variation was made, however, as was prudent, and by nine o'clock, or
twelve hours after entering the lake, the canoes again drew near to the
shore, which met them ahead. By the bee hunter's calculations, they were
now about seventy miles from the mouth of the Kalamazoo, having passed
the outlets of two or three of the largest streams of those regions.
The fugitives selected a favorable spot, and landed behind a headland
that gave them a sufficient lee for the canoes. They had now reached a
point where the coast trends a little to the eastward, which brought the
wind in a slight degree off the land. This change produced no very
great effect on the seas, but it enabled the canoes to keep close to
the shore, making something of a lee for them. This they did about noon,
after having lighted a fire, caught some fish in a small stream, killed
a deer and dressed it, and cooked enough provisions to last for two
or three days. The canoes were now separated again; it being easier to
manage them in that state than when lashed together, besides enabling
them to carry both sails. The farther north they got the more of a lee
was found, though it was in no place sufficient to bring smooth water.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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