Black Rain over Detroit - 250 year anniversary

Science has explained that there is a phenomenon which produces days of complete darkness and black rain. As the legend below tells, one of these days occurred in Detroit on October 19, 1762. The day inspired Pontiac to gather troops to attack the English. The legend also gives an interesting take on how the islands in the Detroit River were formed.

THE BONES OF THE PROPHET
A Leg-end of Isle au Peche
By: Marie Caroline Watson Hamlin, 1884

Sailing along the Detroit and Lake Ste. Claire, the eye is charmed by the beautiful islands which nestle on the bosom of the bright waters. The Indian legend regarding their origin is a pretty and poetical conception. One little one just above Belle Isle " Peach Island," [[On account of a misnomer Isle au Pe'che has been Anglicized into "Peach Island," whereas it should have been translated Fishing Island, on account of an old fishery established there as early as 1722.[[Charlevoix.)) as it is called is 'a bit of wandering fairyland, around which romance has woven its gossamer web and which history has gilded with its magic pencil.

The spirit who inhabited the Sand Mountains, called the " Sleeping Bear," [[Sleeping Bear. A point of land on the eastern coast of Lake Michigan, noted for the prevalence of storms in its vicinity.) had a daughter who was endowed with such seductive beauty and matchless perfection that the mother feared she would be stolen. The spirit hid her in a box, tying it by a long string to a stake on the beach, and every day would draw the box in to feed the fair maiden and comb her yellow tresses.

The South Wind passed once at this hour, and saw her. He murmured caressingly his soft and balmy sighs through the golden meshes of her flowing hair. This gentle wooing gave birth to that beautiful, but too brief, Indian summer. The North and West Winds heard of the mysterious beauty through their zephyr couriers.

A fierce rivalry ensued and the elements were at war. A violent storm arose, snapped the frail thread which held the box to its moorings, and it drifted along borne by the waves to the lodge of the Prophet, the Keeper of the Gates of the Lakes, who resided at the outlet of Lake Huron. Joyfully he received as his bride this beautiful waif of the foamy billows. The dusky Pandora brought evil in her train. The storm revived in all its fury, sweeping away the lodge and portions of the land of the old Magician. These floated down and formed the islands in the Detroit River.

The old Prophet was buried beneath Isle au Peche which became the Mecca of the Ottawa warriors. The fragments of the box formed Belle Isle, and the great Manitou, in order to prevent any more contentions, girded the island with rattlesnakes. No other sentinels were required to guard the imprisoned beauty than these reptiles with their bewitching craft of eyes and forked tongues, and which were held in superstitious veneration by the Indians.

It was in October 19th, of 1762 that the wonderful "pluie de suie" or " Black Rain" [[Literary, rain of soot) occurred; this day is known in history as the " Black Day of Canada." Clouds of inky blackness hung over Detroit. Water, land, everything was enveloped in this somber drapery of darkness. The howling of wolves and the despairing moans of animals, combining all that is savage in beast and fearful in man, prophesying and deploring the approaching misfortune, lent terror to this weird carnival of Tenebrae. When the rain fell, the drops emitted a strong sulfurous odor, and were so deeply colored that they could be used as ink. Philosophy and science gave their solution of this strange phenomenon, but the learned explanation fell on deaf ears, for the Canadians and Indians read for themselves the mystic language foreboding disaster.

Pontiac, the wily diplomat of the forest, whose eloquence, subtlety and consummate ambition, commanded the admiration of his civilized foes and gained for him the title of the Mithridates of the West, viewed these signs as prophetic warnings. Following the ancient customs of the Indians who prepared themselves for great undertakings by fasting, [[The Indians believed in fasting, and thought that by weakening the body, they entered into closer communion with the spirit.The dreams or visions which came to them whilst in this condition were carefully treasured, and frequently guided and influenced them in all their undertakings during their lifetimes.) he dismissed his squaws and retinue to the Ottawa village on the eastern shore of Le Detroit, and went alone to Isle au Peche to consult the Prophet whose bones lay beneath.

There, amid the calm and picturesque scenes of nature, and in that harmonious silence so eloquent in its muteness, he conceived the plan of that wonderful coup d'etat which has blazoned his name on history's page, by which he aimed to destroy all the English forts on the same day, and to drive the invaders from the country. Brought up in the solemn grandeur of the primitive forests where no passing mood or fancy of the mind but had its image or echo in the wild world around, the autumn blast as it shrieked its discordant symphonies through the forest poured its fierce energy into his heart. The sullen roar of the waves as they dashed against the beach in foaming rage inflamed his resentment ; his fevered imagination saw the phantoms of his race urging him on to defend their resting-place from the despoiling hand of the invader. In the moaning reeds the voice of the Prophet bade him gather his tribe, to rise up, to be strong as the whirlwind and to go forth like the lightning and scatter the English like leaves before the autumn wind.

The evening of the seventh day he returned to his tribe, emaciated from his long vigils and fasting. He sent his messengers with the war-belt of wampum [[Indians among themselves had no written contracts,the belt of wampum supplying the place, as a reminder of a bond or promise given. It was painted different colors to suit the occasion ; red, for instance, signifying war, etc. The belts were carefully preserved and handed down in the tribe from generation to generation.) and the tomahawk stained red in token of war, from tribe to tribe, from village to village.

Pontiac, as chief of the Metai, a magical association among the warriors of the lakes, obtained great influence over all the tribes which enabled him to play on the superstition of his followers. He called them to a great council, and in burning words of eloquence spoke of the wrongs and injuries they had received from the English, and revealed to them the command he had received from the Prophet of Isle au Peche. The plan gave satisfaction to the grave and silent warriors, who, drawing their blankets over their heads, retired to their villages to await the signal which was to return to them the hunting-grounds of their forefathers.


The siege of Detroit was carried out in the spring of 1763.

More information about the Black Rain

If anyone is interested in boating over to Peche Island to starve ourselves until we start hallucinating, let me know. :p