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Chicora:
A Foggy Voyage - Part 2

Chicora: a Foggy Voyage came to mind one foggy evening, when I was driving along the Georgian Bay shoreline and I noticed the lights of a large vessel making its way towards the harbour. I stopped to get a better view of the vessel. In the mist, I could barely make out its outline, only the lights were visible. The ship seemed to be moving very slowly, perhaps due to the thickness of the fog.

You will recall from "Chicora:Touring the Great Lakes -Part 1" the Chicora had made it to Georgian Bay's north shore in the first leg of its 1871 cruise on the Great Lakes. The second leg continues from that point.

After leaving Bruce Mines, the Chicora headed towards Sault Ste. Marie. During the day, they sailed through the channel separating St. Joseph's Island from the mainland. The captain planned to spend the night at a small harbor known as Wood Dock. The reason for this overnight stay was because the next leg of the trip was through a passage known as the Devil's Gap. This stretch of water was a narrow channel which required skillful maneuvering of the ship around several rocky islands.

However, that evening, a dense fog settled over the area, and the Chicora could not find its way to Wood Dock. Finally, the captain ordered the vessel to stop and a small boat was sent ashore to find the pier. After an hour of searching, the boat returned and the captain cautiously with the aid of making frequent soundings, brought the larger vessel safely to port.

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The Devil's Gap had a reputation which struck fear in the hearts of sailors. Probably because of this reputation, Coyne remembered that "some of the passengers had their imaginations so wrought up by the stories of the beauty and dangers" of the Gap that they arose at 3:00 a.m. the next morning to witness the Chicora's passage through the area. However, Coyne remained snugly in his bed until a more civilized hour. When he arose, his vessel was safely moored at Sault Ste. Marie.

They docked on the American side and the four-hour layover allowed the passengers some time for sight seeing. His comments about the American troops stationed at Fort Brady is illustrative of the British sentiments, or perhaps prejudices, of that era.

Coyne wrote that "A Canadian is at once struck by the slouchy, independent appearance and gait of these "boys in blue." The tunic is the only article of their uniform which looks at all becoming and neat. The shakos and trousers are models of ugliness. The garrison contains some stout, strapping fellows; but the men with exception seem to be awkward and loose-jointed." On the contrary he wrote "our volunteers compare very favourably to them".

After leaving Sault Ste. Marie, the Chicora made its way to an Indigenous village on Batchewanaung Bay for another re-fueling stop. The Chicora sailed the final 160 miles to Marquette, the end point of their voyage.

We are indebted to those early Canadians like Mr. Coyne, who took the time to write down their thoughts and experiences. These sources are not only entertaining, but also informative as they allow us to know more about early life in our part of the country.