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I had confided for years, were engaged in it. I doubted the soundness of
the ultra predictions which were based on every sort of investment of
this kind, whether of town property or farming land, and held quite
conservative opinions on the subject, but yielded partially, and in a
moderate way, to the general impulse, by making some investments in
Wisconsin. Among other plans, an opinion arose that Michilimackinack
must become a favorite watering place, or refuge for the opulent and
invalids during the summer; and lots were eagerly bought up from Detroit
and Chicago.

_17th_. I embarked in a steamer for Green Bay--where I attended the
first land sales, and made several purchases. While there, I remarked
the curious fluctuations in the level of the waters at the mouth of Fox
River. The lake (Michigan) and the bay appear to hold the relation of
separate parts of a syphon. It was now fourteen years since I had first
noticed this phenomenon, as a member of the expedition to the sources of
the Mississippi. While at Green Bay I procured a young fawn, and carried
it to be a tenant of my garden and grounds. This animal grew to its
full size, and revealed many interesting traits. Its motions were most
graceful. It was perfectly tame. It would walk into the hall and
dining-room, when the door was open, and was once observed to step up,
gracefully, and take bread from the table. It perambulated the garden
walks. It would, when the back-gate was shut, jump over a six feet
picket fence, with the ease and lightness of a bird.

Some of its instincts were remarkable. At night it would choose its
place of lying down invariably to the leeward of an object which
sheltered it from the prevailing wind. One of its most remarkable
instincts was developed with respect to ladies. On one occasion, while
an unattended lady was walking up the avenue from my front gate to the
door, through the garden grounds, the animal approached from behind, in
the gentlest manner possible, and placed his fore feet on her shoulders.
This happened more than once. Its propensity to eat plum leaves at last
banished it from the garden. It was then allowed to visit distant parts
of the island, and, at length, some vicious person broke one of its
legs, from its propensity to browse on the young leaves of fruit trees.
This was fatal to it, and I was induced to allow its being shot, after
it had been an inmate of my grounds for about three years, where it was
familia