All eyes were turned to the general climate of the West, and its capacities of growth and expansion. The universal ardor which then arose and was spread, of its fertility, extent, and resources, has, from that era, filled the public mind, and fixed the liveliest hopes of the extension of the Union.
The accession of Mr. Monroe to the presidency, 4th March, 1817, formed the opening of this new epoch of industrial empire and progress in the West. This period brought into the administration a man of great grasp of intellect and energy of character in Mr. Calhoun. By placing the army in a series of self-sustaining posts on the frontiers, in advance of the settlements, he gave them efficient protection against the still feverish tribes, who hovered—feeble and dejected from the results of the war, but in broken, discordant, and hostile masses—around the long and still dangerous line of the frontiers, from Florida to Detroit and the Falls of St. Anthony. He encouraged every means of acquiring true information of its geography and resources. In 1819, the military line was extended to Council Bluffs, on the Missouri, and to the Falls of St. Anthony, on the Mississippi. Major S. H. Long, of the Topographical Engineers, was directed to ascend the Missouri, for the purpose of exploring the region west to the Rocky Mountains. During the same year, he approved a plan for exploring the sources of the Mississippi, submitted by General Cass, who occupied the northwestern frontiers.
The author having then returned from the exploration of the Ozark Highlands, and the mine country of Missouri and Arkansas,[ [5] received from Mr. Calhoun the appointment of geologist and mineralogist on this expedition; and having, at a subsequent period, been selected, as the leader of the expedition of 1832, to resume and complete the discoveries under the same authority, commenced in 1820, it is to the journals and notes kept on these separate occasions, that he is indebted for the data of the narratives and for the body of information now submitted.
Washington, D. C., October 24, 1854.
CONTENTS
| EXPEDITION OF 1820. | |
|---|---|
| Introduction | [17] |
| Preliminary Documents | [25] |
| Narrative of the Expedition | [37] |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Departure—Considerations on visiting the northern summits early in the season—Crossthe Highlands of the Hudson—Incidents of the journey from Albany toBuffalo—Visit Niagara Falls—Their grandeur the effect of magnitude—Embarkon board the steamer Walk-in-the-Water—Passage up Lake Erie—Reach Detroit | [39] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Preparations for the expedition—Constitution of the party—Mode of travel in canoes—Embarkation,and incidents of the journey across the Lake, and up the RiverSt. Clair—Head winds encountered on Lake Huron—Point aux Barques—Saganaw Bay—Delays in ascending the Huron coast—Its geology and naturalhistory—Reach Michilimackinac | [47] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| Description of Michilimackinac—Prominent scenery—Geology—Arched Rock—SugarloafRock—History—Statistics—Mineralogy—Skull Cave—Manners—Itsfish, agriculture, moral wants—Ingenious manufactures of the Indians—Furtrade—Etymology of the word—Antique bones disclosed in the interior of theisland | [59] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Proceed down the north shore of Lake Huron to the entrance of the Straits of St.Mary's—Character of the shores, and incidents—Ascend the river to Sault Ste.Marie—Hostilities encountered there—Intrepidity of General Cass | [72] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Embark at the head of the portage at St. Mary's—Entrance into Lake Superior—Journeyand incidents along its coasts—Great Sand Dunes—Pictured Rocks—GrandIsland—Keweena peninsula and portage—Incidents thence to Ontonagon River | [83] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Chippewa village at the mouth of the Ontonagon—Organize an expedition to exploreits mineralogy—Incidents of the trip—Rough nature of the country—Reachthe Copper Rock—Misadventure—Kill a bear—Discoveries of copper—Generalremarks on the mineral affluence of the basin of Lake Superior | [94] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Proceed along the southern coast of Lake Superior from the Ontonagon, to Fonddu Lac—Porcupine range of mountains—Streams that run from it, at paralleldistances, into the lake—La Pointe—Group of the Federation Islands—RiverSt. Louis—Physical geography of Lake Superior | [102] |
| CHAPTER VIII | |
| Proceed up the St. Louis River, and around its falls and rapids to Sandy Lake inthe valley of the Upper Mississippi—Grand Portage—Portage aux Coteaux—Amain exploring party—Cross the great morass of Akeek Scepi to Sandy Lake—Indianmode of pictographic writing—Site of an Indian jonglery—Post of SandyLake | [110] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| Reunion of the expedition on the Savanna Portage—Elevation of this summit—Descentto Sandy Lake—Council with the Chippewa tribe—Who are they?—Traitsof their history, language, and customs—Enter the Mississippi, with themain exploring party, and proceed in search of its source—Physical characteristicsof the stream at this place—Character of the Canadian voyageur | [118] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| Proceed up the Mississippi River—Its velocity and character—Swan River—TroutRiver, and Mushcoda or Prairie River—Rapids ascended—Reach, and make aportage around Pakagama Falls—Enter a vast lacustrine region—Its characterand productions, vegetable and animal—Tortuous channel—Vermilion and DeerRivers—Leech Lake branch—Lake Winnipek—Ascent of the river to Upper RedCedar, or Cass Lake—Physical character of the Mississippi River | [126] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| Physical traits of the Mississippi—The elevation of its sources—Its velocity andmean descent—Etymology of the name Mississippi—Descent of the river to SandyLake, and thence to the Falls of St. Anthony—Recross the great Bitobi Savanna—Pakagamaformation—Description of the voyage from Sandy Lake toPine River—Brief notices of the natural history | [137] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| Description of the descent from Pine River—Pine tracts—Confluence of the Crow-wingRiver—Enter a sylvan region—prairies and groves, occupied by deer, elk,and buffalo—Sport of buffalo hunting—Reach elevations of sienitic and metamorphicrocks—Discover a pictographic inscription of the Sioux, by which theydenote a desire for peace—Pass the Osaukes, St. Francis's, Corneille, and RumRivers—St. Anthony's Falls—Etymology of the name—Geographical considerations | [145] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| Position of the military post established at the mouth of the St. Peter's—Beauty,salubrity, and fertility of the country—Pictographic letter—Indian treaty—Theappearance of the offer of frankincense in the burning of tobacco—Opwagonite—nativepigments—Salt; native copper—The pouched or prairie rat—Minnesotasquirrel—Etymology of the Indian name of St. Peter's River—Antiquities—Sketchof the Dacota—Descent of the Mississippi to Little Crow's village—Feastof green corn | [153] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| Descent of the river from the site of Little Crow's Village to Prairie du Chien—Incidentsof the voyage, and notices of the scenery and natural history | [162] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| Mr. Schoolcraft makes a visit to the lead mines of Dubuque—Incidents of the trip—Descriptionof the mines—The title of occupancy, and the mode of the minesbeing worked by the Fox tribe of Indians—Who are the Foxes? | [169] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| The expedition proceeds from Prairie du Chien up the Wisconsin Valley—Incidentsof the ascent—Etymology of the name—The low state of its waters favorable tothe observation of its fresh-water conchology—Cross the Wisconsin summit, anddescend the Fox River to Winnebago Lake | [178] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| Descent of the Fox River from Winnebago Lake to Green Bay—Incidents—Etymology,conchology, mineralogy—Falls of the Konomic and Kakala—Populationand antiquity of the settlement of Green Bay—Appearances of a tide, notsustained | [186] |
| CHAPTER XVIII. | |
| The expedition traces the west shores of Lake Michigan southerly to Chicago—Outlineof the journey along this coast—Sites of Manitoowoc, Sheboigan, Milwaukie,Racine, and Chicago, being the present chief towns and cities of Wisconsinand Illinois on the west shores of that Lake—Final reorganization ofthe party and departure from Chicago | [193] |
| CHAPTER XIX. | |
| South and Eastern borders of Lake Michigan—Their Flora and Fauna—Incidentsof the journey—Topography—Geology, Botany, and Mineralogy—Indian Tribes—Burial-placeof Marquette—Ruins of the post of old Mackinac—Reach Michilimackinacafter a canoe journey north of four hundred miles | [200] |
| CHAPTER XX. | |
| Topographical survey of the northern shores of Green Bay and of the entire basin ofLake Michigan—Geological and Mineralogical indicia of the coast line—Era ofsailing vessels and of the steamboat on the lakes—Route along the Huron coast,and return of the expedition to Detroit | [210] |
| EXPEDITION OF 1832. | |
| Discovery of the Source of the Mississippi River in Itasca Lake | [221] |
| CHAPTER XXI. | |
| The search for the veritable source of the Mississippi is resumed.—Ascent to CassLake, the prior point of discovery—Pursue the river westerly, through the AndrúsianLakes and up the Metoswa Rapids, forty-five miles—Queen Anne's Lake | [223] |
| CHAPTER XXII. | |
| Ascent of the Mississippi above Queen Anne's Lake—Reach the primary forks ofthe river—Ascend the left-hand, or minor branch—Lake Irving—Lake Marquette—LakeLa Salle—Lake Plantagenet—Encamp at the Naiwa rapids at the base ofthe Height of Land, or Itasca Summit | [231] |
| CHAPTER XXIII. | |
| The Expedition having reached the source of the east fork in Assawa Lake, crossesthe highlands of the Hauteurs de Terre to the source of the main or west fork inItasca Lake | [239] |
| CHAPTER XXIV. | |
| Descent of the west, or Itascan branch—Kakabikoñs Falls—Junction of the Chemaun,Peniddiwin, or De Soto, and Allenoga Rivers—Return to Cass Lake | [246] |
| CHAPTER XXV. | |
| The expedition proceeds to strike the source of the great Crow-Wing River, by theIndian trail and line of interior portages, by way of Leech Lake, the seat of thewarlike tribe of the Pillagers, or Mukundwa | [251] |
| CHAPTER XXVI. | |
| Geographical account of Leech Lake—History of its Indians, the Mukundwas—Theexpedition proceeds to the source of the Crow-Wing River, and descendsthat stream, in its whole length, to the Mississippi | [258] |
| CHAPTER XXVII. | |
| Complete the exploration of the Crow-Wing River of Minnesota—Indian council—ReachSt. Anthony's Falls—Council with the Sioux—Ascent and exploration ofthe River St. Croix and Misakoda, or Broulé, of Lake Superior—Return of theparty to St. Mary's Falls, Michigan | [265] |
| APPENDIX NO. 1. | |
|---|---|
| Departmental Reports | [279] |
| General Cass's Official Report | [280] |
| "" Memoir suggesting further Explorations | [285] |
| "" Personal Testimonial | [287] |
| "" Communication on Indian Hieroglyphics, &c. | [430] |
| "" Queries respecting Indian History, &c. | [438] |
| Indian History and Languages | [430] |
| Topography and Astronomy | [288] |
| Mineralogy and Geology | [292] |
| Mr. Schoolcraft's Report on Copper Mines | [292] |
| " " " on Geology and Mineralogy | [303] |
| " " " on the Value of the Mineral Lands on Lake Superior | [362] |
| " " " Memoir on the Geology of Western New York | [381] |
| " " " on the Elementary Sounds of the Chippewa Language | [442] |
| Botany | [408] |
| Zoology | [408] |
| Meteorology | [418] |