dollars only, and which he brought into Detroit and delivered, as requested, and took Mr. Godard's receipt, a copy of which is hereto annexed, marked A. By reference to the receipt, written with a pencil, however, it appeared that it was given for the sum of ten thousand dollars, and which is the same money for which deponent's receipt is now in bank. The whole package so brought in was in the old notes of the bank. And deponent further says, that he never took one dollar of the new notes out of the bank. Deponent further says that the board directed the old notes of the bank on hand to be destroyed, and appointed Mr. Rawson to superintend such destruction; but he has no knowledge that any were actually burned, except what was derived from Mr. Rawson, who informed him he had burned some twenty-five thousand dollars. After the board had decided that the old notes should be burned, it was resolved that some new notes should be executed, and there was accordingly signed new notes to the amount of forty or fifty thousand dollars, deponent as president, and R. Lockwood cashier. The new notes so signed, were done expressly upon condition that they should be used out of the state, in Ohio or some distant place, where they would not soon return. On the eighth or ninth day of January, deponent was present when Lewis Godard presented some notes for about thirty thousand dollars for discount. Mr. Rawson stated that the notes were good, and deponent consented that they should be discounted, which was accordingly done, and the money, being all new notes, delivered to Mr. Rawson or Mr. Godard, with the express understanding that it was to be used for exchange out of the state. Deponent further says that he started west for Chicago, about four weeks since, and at that time he had not to exceed the sum of five hundred dollars, in Ypsilanti bills, none of which were the new bills. Deponent, however, had a draft on Strahan & Scott for ten thousand dollars, which deponent presented to them, and on which he obtained the sum of ten thousand dollars. Deponent further says, that he has exchanged about four or five hundred dollars of Ypsilanti notes for the notes of the Banks of Clinton, Brest, Saline, and Macomb county, but, in no instance, has he made any such exchange and taken such notes at par; and that he has not exchanged or put away notes of the bank to a larger amount than is stated above. Deponent further says, that he never considered himself as the permanent officer of the bank, and that it was merely as a favor to those who were interested that he accepted the office for a time. Deponent further says, that Strahan & Scott continued to redeem the notes of the Ypsilanti bank until about a week since and that he had induced them to continue the redemption by depositing with them one thousand dollars of the notes of the Oakĺand county bank, as collateral security, on his own responsibility. The notes so deposited, were the property of the Oakland county bank, and he is accountable for the same. About the time deponent left for the west, he asked Mr. Romeyn whether every thing in regard to the bank was straight and in good faith, to which he replied that it was, and that he considered it as solvent as any bank in the state. Deponent further says that he knew nothing about the affairs of the bank, but relied entirely on the statement of Mr. Romeyn and others. That the above conversation with Mr. Romeyn, occurred about the time of the transfer, and that since then, he knows nothing of any connection of Mr. Romeyn with the bank. J. GRISWOLD. Subscribed and sworn to before me, this second day of February, A. D. 1839. A. FELCH, Bank Commissioner. A. Received of John Griswold, ten thousand dollars of the notes of the Bank of Ypsilanti for exchange, and to account for to the Bank of Ypsilanti. January 4, 1839. L. GODARD. STATE OF MICHIGAN, (No. 9.) SS. Theodore Romeyn being sworn, says, that he had a conversation with Mr. Godard this morning, and that he stated that he, Mr. Godard, received the sum of ten thousand dollars in the bills of the Bank of Ypsilanti, as is shown by the receipt of Mr. Godard, in the hands of Mr. Griswold; and that he returned two thousand one hundred dollars in Ohio funds, three thousand in drafts of the bank, and five thousand dollars in the notes of the bank; all of which were returned before the bank was enjoined. THEODORE ROMEYN. Subscribed and sworn this 2d day of February, 1839, before A. FELCH, Bank Com. me. (No. 23.) Second Annual Report of the State Geologist. OFFICE GEOLOGIST, Detroit, Feb. 4, 1839. To the Hon. Speaker of the House of Representatives. SIR: I have the honor to transmit to the legislature the accompanying reports and documents, setting forth the progress which has been made in the geological survey for the current year, ending February 3, 1839. I am, very respectfully, Your ob't serv't, DOUGLASS HOUGHTON, REPORT, &c. OFFICE OF STATE GEOLOGIST, To the Hon. Senate and House of Representatives of Michigan. In conformity with the requisitions of your honorable body, I herewith transmit such information, touching the progress and general results of the works placed under my charge, as would appear to be called for in an annual report; reserving the great mass of matter which has been accumulated, with the view to an elucidation of the condition and resources of our state, for a final report. Immediately upon the reception of an act "relative to the geological survey," approved March 22, 1838, I proceeded, in conformity with the instructions contained in said act, to organize a geological board, and to divide the complete work in such a manner as to constitute a geological and mineralogical, a zoological, a botanical, and a topographical department. At as early a day as circumstanees would permit, the heads of each of these departments took the field, and continued their arduous duties until the inclemency of the season compelled a suspension of labor; since which time they have been busily engaged in arranging the great amount of information which has been obtained in such a manner that it may eventually be made available. My individual labor has been chiefly devoted to an examination of the coast of those portions of our state bordering on lakes Huron and Michigan, together with so much of the interior of the peninsula as circumstances would permit. I have also devoted a portion of the past season to a general examination of some of the southern and central counties of the state, preparatory to the more minute examination which has been commenced and which it is proposed to renew with the first opening of spring. The geographical information respecting the northern portion of this peninsula is so imperfectly understood that, were it at this time desirable, it would be impossible to lay before you the minute results of the examinations in that portion of the state, in such a manner as to be intelligible, unless accompanied with complete new maps, which could not be expected to be forwarded in a report, that at most, can only be looked upon as setting forth, in a general manner, the progress of the work placed under my charge. NORTHERN PART OF THE PENINSULA: Topography and General Character. The country under consideration, lying west of Saginaw bay, and extending north from townships 10 and 11 north, to the straits of Mackinac, has been so imperfectly known to the citizens of our state that no estimate of its value could be made. No circumstances have occurred to aid in developing its resources, and from the forbidding character of most of the coast, it has very naturally been considered as a flat country, worthless, except for the immense tracts of pine timber which were supposed to exist in it; both of which suppositions are, to a great extent, without foundation. It is true, however, that the northern portions of the peninsula are characterized by a larger proportion of irreclaimable marsh than is to be found in the southern counties, yet notwithstanding this, many portions are not inferior to the other parts of the state. Several streams of considerable size occur on the northern part of the peninsula; among the most important of which are the Maskego, White, Pere Marquette, Manistee and Platte on the west; Cheboigan on the north, and Thunder Bay, Au Sable, Pere and Tittabawassa rivers on the east. The Maskego river, which is the largest of the streams enumerated, has its principal source in a group of large inland lakes situated west of the meridian, in about ranges 3 and 4 west, and towns 22 and 23 north. These lakes are almost completely surrounded by nearly impenetrable swamps, covering a large portion of the area of from 7 to 8 townships, the chief portions of which may safely be said to be utterly irreclaimable. From one of the principal lakes of the group mentioned, the Maskego river runs southwesterly in a line partially parallel with the coast of Lake Michigan, receiving numeroust ributaries, until it finally discharges its waters into the last mentioned lake, in town 10 north, range 17 west. The stream through its whole course is extremely crooked, and its total length, including its windings, may be estimated at about two hundred miles. The waters descend with an extremely rapid, though for the most part uniform current, and their depth is very regular. The stream is capable of being easily made navigable for steamboats, nearly, if not quite, to the lake which forms its source. Large portions of the lands situated upon this stream are well adapted to the purposes of ag riculture, and although the great majority are timbered lands, there is nevertheless a sufficient amount of prairie to greatly facilitate the settlement of the surrounding country. The Maskego, like almost all the streams on the western side of Lake Michigan, first discharges its waters into a small lake that is separated only by a very slight distance from the main lake. The Maskego river may be said to furnish one of the best natural "stream" harbors which is found upon Lake Michigan. The Tittabawassa on the east, which is one of the branches of the Saginaw river, has its source not very far distant from that of the Maskego, and the upper portion of its course is nearly parallel to the latter stream, the Maskego being upon the west side of the summit, while the Tittabawassa is upon the eastern side. The latter stream, gradually curving to the east, discharges its waters through the Saginaw river into Saginaw bay of Lake Huron. The Tittabawassa is navigable for boats of light draught for a distance of from forty to fifty miles, above which it is obstructed by numerous rapids that will furnish, if properly applied, an abundance of hydraulic power. The surrounding country is considerably elevated, and the banks of the stream sometimes rise quite abruptly to a height of from 20 to 40 or even 50 feet. Portions of the lands in the vicinity of the river are of good quality and well adapted to agriculture; but other portions occur where the soil is of a light sandy character and will require much labor to render it productive. Some valuable tracts of white pine exist in the vicinity of the Tittabawassa, but in consequence of the ravages of fire, which has been communicated from Indian camps, pine in quantities is rarely seen upon the immediate, banks of the river. The Au Sable and Thunder bay rivers are both capable of being made excellent harbors for lake shipping, and they are streams of considerable magnitude. The former may be rendered navi. gable, but to what distance I am not able to say. The naviga tion of the latter stream is obstructed near its mouth by a series of rapids, the bed of the stream being composed of limestone in place. |