But let him mount his bicycle, his saddle-horse, or his family carriage, and start out upon a gypsy tour of a week or two along the country roads, exploring the hills and plains and valleys of—say his congressional district; or, better by far, take his canoe, and with his best friend for a messmate explore the nearest river from source to mouth, and my word for it he will find novelty and fresh air enough to satisfy his utmost cravings; and when he comes to return to his counter, his desk, or his study, he will be conscious of having discovered charms in his own locality which he has in vain sought in the accustomed paths of the tourist.

This volume is the record of six hundred miles of canoeing experiences on historic waterways in Wisconsin and Illinois during the summer of 1887. There has been no attempt at exaggeration, to color its homely incidents, or to picture charms where none exist. It is intended to be a simple, truthful narrative of what was seen and done upon a series of novel outings through the heart of the Northwest. If it may induce others to undertake similar excursions, and thus increase the little navy of healthy and self-satisfied canoeists, the object of the publication will have been attained.

I am under obligations to my friend, the Hon. Levi Alden, for valuable assistance in the revision of proof-sheets.

R. G. T.

Madison, Wis., December, 1887.

CONTENTS.

PAGE
Introduction[15]
Table of Distances[26]
The Rock River.
CHAPTER I.
The Winding Yahara[31]
CHAPTER II.
Barbed-Wire Fences[48]
CHAPTER III.
An Illinois Prairie Home[61]
CHAPTER IV.
The Half-Way House[74]
CHAPTER V.
Grand Detour Folks[86]
CHAPTER VI.
An Ancient Mariner[103]
CHAPTER VII.
Storm-Bound at Erie[117]
CHAPTER VIII.
The Last Day Out[129]
The Fox River (of Green Bay).
FIRST LETTER.
Smith's Island[143]
SECOND LETTER.
From Packwaukee to Berlin[160]
THIRD LETTER.
The Mascoutins[174]
FOURTH LETTER.
The Land of the Winnebagoes[187]
FIFTH LETTER.
Locked Through[205]
SIXTH LETTER.
The Bay Settlement[218]
The Wisconsin River.
CHAPTER I.
Alone in the Wilderness[237]
CHAPTER II.
The Last of the Sacs[248]
CHAPTER III.
A Panoramic View[262]
CHAPTER IV.
Floating Through Fairyland [275]
CHAPTER V
The Discovery of the Mississippi[288]