_July 19th_. The American Philosophical Society at Philadelphia informs
me of my election as a member.
_28th_. I returned to Michilimackinack from my excursion to New York,
and began to inquire of aged persons, white and red, as they visited the
office, into the local traditions of the place.
There is a hiatus in the history of the island, extending from 1763, the
date of the massacre of the British garrison on the mainland, to about
1780, the probable date of the removal of the post from the apex of the
peninsula (Peekwutinong of the Indians) to the island.
The name of the place is pronounced Mish-i-nim-auk-in-ong, by the
Indians, The term _mishi_, as heard in _mishipishiu_, panther, and
_mishigenabik_, a gigantic serpent of fabled notoriety, signifies
_great; nim_, appears to be derived from _nimi_, to dance, and _auk_
from _autig_, tree or standing object; _ong_ is the common termination
for locality, the vowels _i_ (second and fifth syllable) being brought
into the compound word as connectives.
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