HURON, LAKE. One of the five Great Lakes on the northern frontier of the United States, lying between Lake Superior on the northwest and Lake Erie on the southeast, connected with Lake Michigan on the west, and bounded on the southwest by Michigan and on the north, east, and south by the Province of Ontario (Map: United States, J 2). It is the third in size of the Great Lakes, having a total area of 22,322 square miles, and being about 250 mile: lone and 190 miles wide. A large arm of the lake in the east. extending far into Ontario, is known as Georgian Bay. Lake Huron receive: the waters of Lake Superior through the Saint Mary's River, and those of Lake Michigan through Mackinaw Straits. Its outlet is the Saint Clair River, flow ing into Lake Saint Clair, which is connected by Detroit River with Lake Erie. The general direc tion of the lake lengthwise is from north-north west to south-southeast. The surface is 9 feet above the level of Lake Erie, 335 feet above Lake Ontario, and 582 feet above the sea, with occasional fluctuations as in the other lakes. Its depth varies from 200 to 700 feet. The waters are very clear and cold, especially in the northern part, and abound in fish, of which the whitefish is the most important. There are few harbors on
the west side, but vessels find shelter in Saginaw Bay, about 70 miles north of the outlet, and also in Thunder Bay, as much farther north. Presque Isle is also a fair harbor, and there is good shel ter under the south side of the island of Mack inaw. The lake is subject to violent storms, but navigation is safe from May let to December 1st. Mackinaw has long been an important post for fur trade with the Indians. Bay City, at the head of Saginaw Bay, is an important lumber depot, and copper-mines have been opened in the upper portions of Manitoulin Bay. Excellent grindstones are cut from the sandstone near Thunder Bay. The•main body of water is un broken by islands, but there is a group of is lands in the north, most of them belonging to Canada. the largest of which is Grand Manitou lin. There is much geological evidence to the effect that Lake Huron was formerly deeper and more extensive than at present. See GREAT