"Two hundred and fifty years ago, bark canoes only dotted the surface of the Lake; this spell of quiet was then broken a few years afterward by the boisterous Canadian _Voyageur_ with his songs, as he rowed or paddled his _bateaux_ and large northwest canoe. Now, the roaring noise of the wheels of steamers, the shrill whistle of the propeller, and the whitening sails of hundreds of vessels have succeeded to the past age of darkness and quiet. Civilization and commerce have broken the charm which beautified Indian scenery in years forever gone by." A work, published under the auspices of the Canadian Government, in three large octavo volumes, French, entitled "Relations of the Jesuits," containing the most remarkable events that transpired in the missions of the Jesuits in New France, furnishes valuable information of the missions in the Mackinaw region. Among the remarkable phenomena which came under the observation of the Jesuit Fathers in Mackinaw, was the appearance of a parhelion on the 21st of January, 1671. This remarkable phenomenon occurred about two hours before sunset. It presented the form of a great crescent with its points turned toward the sun. At the same time two other suns appeared, equidistant from it, partly covered by a cloud having all the colors of the rainbow, very luminous and dazzling to the eye. The Indians said it was a premonition of great cold, which followed soon after. On the 16th March the same parhelion appeared, and was seen from three different places more than fifty leagues apart. The observer at the Mackinaw mission saw three suns distant some half league from each other. They were seen twice the same day, one hour before sunrise and one hour before sunset. In the morning they were on the south side of the true sun, and in the evening on the west side. That on the south side was so accurate that it was difficult to distinguish it from the true sun, excepting that it was partly surrounded by a scarlet band on the side toward the sun. That on the other side had more the appearance of an oval iris than a sun, nevertheless it was an image like those which painters adorn with golden rays, giving it a very magnificent appearance.