The peasants, or that class of lake settlers who subsisted by agricultural pursuits, within the narrow circle of their picket fences, were not numerous. Their dress was peculiar, and even wild. They wore surtouts of coarse blue cloth, fastened at the middle with a red sash, a scarlet woolen cap, containing a scalping knife, and moccasins made of deer-skin. Civilization was here strangely mingled. Groups of Indians from the remotest shores of the lakes, wild in their garb, would occasionally make their appearance at the settlements with numerous canoes laden with beaver skins, which they had brought down to these places of deposit. Among them were intermixed the French soldiers of the garrison, with their blue coats turned up with white facings, and the Jesuits, with their long gowns and black bands, from which were suspended by silver chains the rosary and crucifix, who, "with the priests, had their stations round the forts and ministered in the chapels."

Agriculture was not extensively encouraged by the policy of the fur trade or the character of the population. It was confined to a few patches of Indian corn and wheat, which they rudely culti vated. They ground their grain in wind-mills, which were scattered along the banks of the Detroit river and the St. Clair lake. The recreations of the French colonists consisted in attending the religious services held in the rude chapels on the borders of the

zens of Detroit during his day, and his death was mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Desnoyers, the subject of this sketch, was in Detroit attending school when the great fire of 1805 broke out which entirely destroyed the town, leaving the inhabitants houseless, and in a very destitute condition. He commenced business as a merchant in 1821, having just attained his majority, and was eminently successful in this occupation.

He was the first county treasurer of Wayne county elected by the popular vote, which occurred in 1826. At the next election he was reelected to the same office. In 1827 he was chosen one of the aldermen of the city of Detroit, and he also served some time in this position after the division of the city into wards, representing the fourth ward in the council.

In 1831 Mr. Desnoyers was appointed United States Marshal by President Jackson, which position he held until the organization of the

wilderness, in adorning their altars with wild flowers, in dancing to the sound of the violin at each other's houses, in hunting the deer, and in paddling their light canoes across the clear and silent streams. The women employed themselves in making coarse cotton and woollen cloths for the Indian trade. In their cottages were hung rude pictures of saints, the Madonna and child, and the leaden crucifix supplied the place of one of silver. Abundance of game roamed in the woods, and the waters were alive with fish. The Jesuits, who were the most active agents of the government in the exploration of these regions, were, as a class, men of high intelligence. The narratives of their wanderings through the wilderness throw a coloring of romance around the prairies, and forests and lakes, which amounts almost to a classic spirit. Yet they have left upon the lake shores but few monuments either of their enterprise or Christian zeal. Their success in Christianizing the Indians was limited when compared with the extent of their labors. By the savages these Catholic missionaries were regarded as medicine men and jugglers, on whom the destiny of life and death depended; and although they were greatly feared, they succeeded in making but few converts to their religious faith, excepting young children, or Indians just about to die.

The administration of the law in the western outposts was founded, as far as possible, on the contume de Paris, which was

Territory into a State in 1837 He was appointed city treasurer of Detroit in 1838, and promoted to State treasurer in 1839 by Governor Stevens T. Mason. He served in the latter position until the commencement of Governor Woodbridge's term, bringing great credit to himself as a shrewd financier, and guarding the State moneys in an honorable and trustworthy manner. In 1843 he was again elected county treasurer of Wayne county, and again in 1851.

Mr. Desnoyers removed from Detroit to Hamtramck in 1849, and still resides in the latter place.

In 1850 he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention, which met in Lansing during that year and framed our present State Constitution. He was also a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1867, which closed his public career. At present he is living at Hamtramck in a very retired and quiet manner, enjoying the comforts of an active and prosperous life.

the law of all Canada. This code, although received and practiced upon in the older and more populous settlements of the lower province, was not adopted with any degree of uniformity among these distant colonists. The commandants or governors of the posts had the principal cognizance of the population around them, and exercised their authority in an arbitrary manner. There was at this time no system of education like that which prevailed in New England, and all the knowledge acquired by the children of the colonists was obtained from the priests.

The plan of distributing the land was calculated to prevent the settlement of the country. A law was passed requiring the houses of the inhabitants to be placed upon ground with a front of only one acre and a half, and running forty acres back. This kept the settlements in a close line along the banks of the streams. A feudal and aristocratic spirit also controlled the grants of land. The commandants of the forts had the power to convey lands, with the permission of the Governor-General of Canada, subject to the confirmation of the King of France, special rights being reserved to the grantor.

As early as 1749, the post of Detroit and the others upon the northwestern lakes, Michilimackinac, Ste. Marie, and St. Joseph, received an accession of immigrants. The last two were called after the saints of those names in the Catholic calendar. Michilimackinac derives its name from the Indian words Michi-mackinac, meaning a great turtle, from its supposed resemblance to that animal, or from the Chippewa words Michine-maukinonk, signifying the place of giant fairies, who were supposed by Indian superstition to hover over the waters around that beautiful island. The origin of the word Detroit is the French word Detroit, signifying a strait, because the post was situated on the strait connecting Lake Erie with Lake St. Clair.

During the whole period of the French domination, extending from the first settlement of the country down to the year 1760, the traffic of Michigan was confined principally to the trade in furs. This interesting traffic upon the great lakes was carried on by the French under peculiar circumstances. As the forests of the lake region abounded with furs which were of great value in

the mother country, it became an important object with the Canadian government to prosecute that trade with all the energy in its power. The rich furs of the beaver and otter were particularly valuable, from the great demand for them in Europe. Large

CAPT. JOHN CLARKE.

JOHN CLARKE, of St. Clair, one of the pioneers of Michigan, was born at Bath, Maine, July 29, 1797. In 1812 he went to Augusta, Maine, and accepted a situation in the mercantile establishment of T. Sargent, Esq., but he, through ill health, was soon compelled to give up this position and return to his home. Peace being declared between Great Britain and the United States, his physicians advised him to make a trip to Europe, and in April, 1815, he sailed for Bremen. After traveling through Germany, England and Scotland, and witnessing the great

canoes made of bark, and strongly constructed, were despatched annually to the lakes laden with packs of European merchandise, consisting of blankets, printed calicoes, ribbons, cutlery, and trinkets of various kinds, which the Indians used; and Detroit, Michilimackinac and Ste. Marie, were their principal places of deposit.

To secure the interests of the large companies, licenses for this trade were granted by the Governor-General of Canada to the merchants, who sometimes sold them to the coureurs des bois. The possessor of one of these licenses was entitled to load two large canoes, each of which was manned by six men. The cargo of one of these canoes was valued at about a thousand crowns. merchandise was sold to the traders on credit, and at about fifteen per cent advance on the price it would command in ready money. But the voyages were very profitable, and there was generally a gain of about one hundred per cent on the sum invested in the

This

rejoicings in those countries over the defeat and capture of Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo, he embarked from Liverpool with his uncle, Capt. F Clarke, in the ship Ellington,' for Boston. When about in mid-ocean, and during a severe gale, the vessel foundered, and the passengers and crew were obliged to take to the small boats. After remaining in these for three days, they were picked up by a dismasted brig from Scotland. At the expiration of three more days, the "James Madison," from Philadelphia, came to their relief, and putting them on a short allowance of food, in order to make it last, brought them in safety to Philadelphia, after a lapse of thirty-two days. Upon arriving in the latter city, Mr. Clarke was unable to find his uncle (who, to gain time, had taken a steamer as soon as they entered the river), and having no money, wandered around for three days without food. His condition becoming known, he was assisted by the kind hearted citizens, and his uncle, who had preceded him by steamer, finding him, gave him money with which to reach his home.

Arriving there, he received a clerkship in a store, and after serving in this position for a short time, he accepted of a similar one in the wholesale house of Page & Gitchell, in Hallowell, in 1817, receiving the highest salary paid for similar labors, which was only seventy-five dollars

per year.

Mr. Clarke, here united with the Baptist Church, of which he is still a member, and at once took a deep interest in Sabbath schools. He still