MICHI CI' AN TERRITORY The states of Indiana and Ohio, south ; lake Michigan, west and north west ; the Straits of Michilimakinac, north ; lake Huron, north east ; and the river St Clair, lake St. Clair, Detroit ri ver, and lake Erie, east. The southern extremity of Michigan is in N. Lat. 37', and its northern in N. Lat. 41'.
Extent and area. Its greatest length from north to south, is, from Fort IMichilimakinac to the N. NV. an gle of the state of Ohio, 286 miles ; its greatest breadth from east to west, is. from the mouth of St. Clair river, to lake Michigan, 174 miles. Front its irregular form, it is difficult to estimate with precision, the area in square miles of the peninsula of Michigan, but, approx imating by the rhurnbs, 34,600 will not differ more than a very small fraction from its real superficies. This is equal to 22,144,000 English, or U. S. statute acres. This extent exct eds considerably, the estimates former ly made in our common geographical works ; but arises from now placing lake Michigan in its true position, nearly S. NV. and N. E ; this lake, until found other wise by recent and more accurate observation, was con sidered as extending north and south, and was conse quently erroneously delineated on most maps upon which it was placed, and of course the peninsula too much contracted.
The peninsula of Michigan is an eaten ,ive table land, resting upon a vast stratum of secon lary rock, composed of limestone and argillaceous sand stone. This structure imposes a peculiar physiognomy upon the country. The interior towards the sources of the rivers, is generally level and interspersed with lakes and morasses. The rivers, near their sources, are slug gish in their courses ; deep and muddy beds give them a monotonous and disagreeable appearance ; these cha racteristics vanish as the streams advance towards their respective places of deposit, from the following cause. A narrow border, or inclined plane of about 20 miles width, skirts the whole territory, from its south-east angle on lake Erie, to its south-west on lake Michigan. As the rivers approach this declivity, their currents become more rapid, and in most instances fall over pre cipices of secondary rock. and again become sluggish
a few miles before entering their final deposit. Along the entire extent of this plain, the lands are fertile, ge nerally rolling, well wooded, and extremely well adapted to agriculture. Its length being near 700 miles, and breadth averaging 20 miles, yields an area of 14,000 square miles, or nearly 9,000.000 of acres. In the in terior, particularly towards the N. %V. part of the penin sula, prairies, (natural meadows,) are common and ex tensive. Marshes, in many p aces, border the mouths of the rivers, but do not extend far inland. But though lakes, prairies, marshes, and cultivated fields occur, and diversify the aspect of the country, they are col lectively limited in extent ; more than scven-eL;liths of the whole peninsula is yet covered with a dense forest.
Lakes, Bays, Islands, and Rivers. In marking the boundaries, we have noticed the large lakes of Michi gan, Huron, St. Clair, and Erie, which respectively serve as part of the limits of the peninsula of Michigan (which articles see.) In the interior, a very great num ber of small lakes exist, but not individually of suffi cient importance to merit particular notice. Maumee bay. formed by the mouth of Maumee river, is about 8 miles long and 3 wide, with 7 feet water on the bars. A small island in form of a crescent, three-fourths of a mile long and about 100 yards wide, lies in the mouth of this hay, consequently it has two channels of entrance. The N. W. part of lake St. Clair, has received the name of Anchor bay, but possesses no particular fea ture deserving notice.
Saguina bay is the most remarkable of all those which indent Michigan. This is an immense opening from lake Huron, of upwards of 70 miles in length, and gradually narrowing from 35 miles in width, to a small river of the same name, whose sources are on the inte rior table land ; the general range of Saguina bay is from N. E. to S. W. bordered by excellent land.