Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER I THE FIRST VIEW The sight which upon the 25th day of May, 1835, greeted the few families that had taken passage at Buffalo on the brig Illinois, was not one to encourage the speculator who might be in search of real estate bargains, or the pater-familias seeking an inviting place in which to establish a prosperous business and a happy home. In fact, as Captain Jack Wagstaff lowered sails that beautiful Monday morning, and cast anchor about half a mile from the western shore of Lake Michigan, there seemed to be no special reason for his selecting that particular spot for terminating his long and monotonous voyage. A shallow, little stream, formed by the junction of two branches half a mile inland, moved in graceful curves to the eastward and added its modest contribution to the great chain of marvelous fresh water seas, between two short unfinished piers, just south of where the brig was lying at anchor. Within sight of those on the vessel were countless numbers of Indian wigwams, and their dusky occupants, while dark-skinned braves were paddling in the lake. Along the shore was to be seen a succession of low sand hills, partly covered with a scrubby growth of cedars, junipers and pines. Beyond were detachedgroves, mostly of small black oaks. A little farther west, reaching to the north branch of the river, were a few noble elms, while further up the stream a fine belt of hickory, maple, beech, and a variety of oaks spread gradually wider and wider towards the east until, joining the lake shore timber, they formed the southern outpost of that immense forest stretching to the north, covering the trackless regions of the "terbitory Claimed By His Catholic Majesty And Great Britain." About opposite where the brig lay, not far from the north bank of the river, ... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.