Narrative of an expedition to the source of St. Peter's river, Lake Winnepeek, Lake of the Woods, &c., performed in the year 1823, ... under the command of Stephen H. Long [2, 1 ed.]

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LIBRARY ^T ^

NARRATIVE Voz,

AN EXPEDITION SOURCE OF

ST.

PETER'S RIVER,

LAKE WINNEPEEK, LAKE OF THE WOODS, PERFORMED

IN

THE YEAR 1823,

BT ORDER OF

THE HON.

J.

C.

CALHOUN, SECRETARY OF WAR, UNDER THE COMMAKD OP

STEPHEN

H.

LONG, Major

U.

S.

T. E.

Ji}

COMPILED FROM THE NOTES OF MAJOR LONG, MESSRS. SAY, KEATING, AND COLHOUN,

WILLIAM

H.

,.4^^'^^C

KEATING/ XrV

&c.

PROFESSOR OF iJiNERALOGY AND CHEMISTRY AS APSflED TO THE ARTS, IN

THE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

;

(GEOLOGIST

AND

HISTORIOGRAPHER TO THE EXl^EDlflON.

IN

TWO V0LUMESX8

numberless places by veins of coarse-grained

terruptecl in

granite.

In some cases

we

see in these veins apparently

fragments of other rocks imbedded in them.

These

frag-

ments, however, are always composed of one or more of the four simple minerals which constitute the whole mass, viz. quartz, mica, feldspar,

Although they

and amphibole.

present the appearance of fragments,

we see no reason

still

to doubt their being of contemporaneous origin

when examined with

we have

the microscope,

;

indeed,

frequently

traced a gradual passage of the feldspar of the vein into that of the

imbedded fragment

nation of the rock

by the

;

it

was not

a

mere impreg-

feldspar, as is often observable

in the vicinity of metallic veins,

where the rock has

ceived a portion of the metal of the vein

;

but

we

re-

could

trace an uninterrupted union in the crystallization of the

imbedded mass.

feldspar of the vein with that of the

some

cases also, veins posterior in formation to the

They were

of the rock were distinctly observed.

In

mass fre-

quently seen intersecting older ones in a gneiss rock, and exhibiting very beautiful and shift or slide of the older

more recent and

vein at

its

we

case the canoe

towed over the

is

by the voyagers

are called

applied whenever the obstruction

which

by the

passed in the river several rapids

which occasion what

the " Decharges" and the " Portages." is

intersection

one.

In the afternoon, falls,

diversified instances of a

is

The former term but a partial one, in

lightened, and either paddled or

rapid. In such cases the passengers

leave the canoe, and as

much

always

of the baggage or load

taken out as the shallowness of the water requires.

is

The

portages are those places where the obstruction being greater, the

whole of the cargo,

as well as the canoe itself,

has to be carried over ; these vaiy

much

in length.

We

SOURCE OP

Peter's river.

ST.

89

met with seventy -two between Lake Winnepeek and Lake Superior the shortest was but about five yards, while the ;

was nearly four miles long.

longest

Many

places are

considered as decharges or lightening places,

when

de-

scending the stream, which by ascending canoes are enu-

This ocoasions some confusion in the

merated

as portages.

terms.

The remarkable

numerous to find

that

names

it is

for

points in this navigation are so

difficult for the ;

They

are at best insignificant.

are frequently repeated,

and oftentimes quite inapplicable. of the Chippewas

tic traits

Indians or the voyagers

them hence the terms which they apply

One

to give

is

of the characteris-

names

directly the re-

verse of the property which the object presents, as a grove

was by the Romans

called lucus, (ii

We

non lucendo.)

observe this practice to prevail with our Bois brules ca-

noe-men,

who had no

sooner seen our black man, Andrew,

than they immediately agreed to

him

among themselves

the term WS.plshka, which

nickname was not given that of snowball

is

to

to apply

means white.

This

him, however, in derision, as

frequently applied to those of his co-

among civilized men neither was it with a view to wound his feelings, for he was never, as we believe, made lour

;

acquainted with the signification of this term.

As

soon as a canoe reaches a portage, a scene of bustle

and activity takes place, which none can picture selves but such as have seen

and conveyed stern and

loss of time.

it

An

is

as

them-

by the

they have reached the end

launched and reloaded without any

obstruction of one hundred yards does

not detain them more than twenty minutes. casion,

to

are unloaded,

across, while the canoe is carried

bowsmen. As soon

of the portage,

The goods

it.

however, more than once,

which caused them

to toss our

We had

oc-

to regret their speed,

baggage very unceremoni-

EXPEDITION TO THE

^0 ously, using

made up

Ihey Avould packs of

as

it

as not to be injured

furs,

whole care and attention of a voyager seems his canoe,

which are

so

by this rough treatment. The to centre in

which he handles with an astonishing degree of

dexterity and caution.

Voyagers compute distances on the water by pipes,

which are the

intervals

between the times when they cease

smoke their pipe.

to paddle in order to

however, the length of

a pipe,

We cannot determine,

having found

it

to

vary

ac-

cording to the hurry of the voyagers, the peculiar disposi-

When

tion of the guide, the nature of the weather, &c. &c. a portage exceeds half a mile in length,

it is

generally di-

vided into what are termed pauses or distances travelled without stopping to

rest.

These

also

vary much in length

according to the greater or less difficulty of the portage, its

A

length, &c.

On

pause averages about a third of a mile.

the 20th of August,

we

passed three lightening places

We

enand three portages, none of w^hich were long. Chenes, havPortage des the above camped immediately

ing travelled fourteen miles.

The evening being very

fa-

vourable for observations, Mr. Colhoun determined the position of this portage to be in latitude 50° 31' 30", and in longitude 95° 55' 5". It

was

at

our evening's encampment that the splendid

scenery of the Winnepeek

view, realizing

all

that the

first

displayed itself to our

mind could have

fancied of

wild and sublime beauty, and far surpassing any that

had ever seen.

The

characters

which we admire

we

in the

scenery of the Winnepeek, are the immense volume of waters, the extreme rapidity of the current, the great variety of form

which the cascades and

falls

present, and the

incomparable wildness of the rocky scenery which produces these

falls,

and Avhich contrasts by

its

gloom,

its

im-

PETER

SOUBJCE OF ST.

moveable and unchangeable

RIVER.

S

features,

91

with the bright, daz-

zling effect of the silvery sheet of water, passing from a

smooth and unruffled expanse, peek, that

its

numerous

broken and foaming

to a

cataract. It is in the effect of the

rocky bed of the Winne-

surpass

falls

others which

all

have seen; the cataract of Niagara, which in volume,

is

far

we

exceeds them

uniform and monotonous in comparison ; the

horizontal ledges of secondary rocks of the latter are as far

dark water-worn gra-

Inferior in picturesque effect to the nite at

and

sienite of the former, as the height of the bluffs

Niagara exceeds that of the rocky banks of the Winne-

peek.

The is,

on

falls

that the

this river

have another advantage, which

whole country has

a picturesque appearance,

which prepares the mind, and keeps sition, to appreciate the

it

splendour of

the country around Niagara

is

flat,

in a proper dispo-

its

cataracts,

while

uniform, and uninte-

resting.

On

the

Winnepeek we have

in the rocks,

which contribute

constantly in view changes to those of the surface

;

they

present at times the shistose appearance of a gneiss and mica-slate,

which disappears

at the

recurrence of the dark-

Goloured granite or reddish sienite; these, being

filled

with

veins of felds^Dar, display on a gigantic scale the beautiful striped appearance,

which has given

to

some of the mar-

bles of Italy their well-deserved celebrity.

The place

of our encampment

was characterized by one of

those peculiar effects of water, which, once seen, leave an indelible impression

upon the mind.

After having passed

over numerous rocks, which form diversified cascades, (the is

whole height of which

is

about thirty

feet,)

the water

suddenly received into a basin enclosed by high rocks,

where

it

is

forced to sojourn, awhile,

by the small

size

EXPEDITION TO THE

92

of the aperture through which

it

issues

;

here the waters

present the characters of a troubled ocean, whose waves rise

high and beat against the adjoining shores, and against

the few rocky basin

which

it

They may be

river.

We

midst of this

in the

receives from the natives, " the

ing waters."

nepeek

which are seen

to this character that the spot

it is

;

islands

called the

owes the name fall

lower

of the falls

of

movWin-

reached them in time to watch the

beautiful effect of the setting sun,

whose beams

reflected

by the stream imparted to it the appearance of a sea on fire. This was soon replaced by the moon, which cast a more placid light upon the waves, and heightened the charm of the scenery by the melancholy mantle which it spread over is

it.

of the most imposing characters of these falls

One

the tremendous noise which they produce, and which, in

comparison to their

size, is

thought

to

exceed that of Niagara,

Montmorency, Schaffhousen, St. Anthony, the Cohoes, or A other falls which any of our party have ever seen. scarcity of vegetation covers these rocks and contributes to

the picturesque effect of the spot. Instead of the heavy forests

which formerly sheltered Niagara, we have here a

spare growth of aspen, birch, spruce, and other evergreens,

whose

size,

generally small, adds to the wild and barren

appearance of the rocks.

The

night which

we

spent near

was one of the most interesting in the expedition-, our tents were pitched so that we had a view of the splendid effect arising from the play of the moonbeams these

falls,

upon the surface of

this ocean-like basin,

were constantly bent upon

it

and our eyes

until the noise of the cataract

lulled us to sleep.

The

artist

could not behold, without rapture, a scene so

worthy of being painted, and accordingly Mr. Seymour

employed

all

that remained of daylight in sketching

its

SOURCE OP

ST.

Peter's river.

93

In this he was well favoured, as a long

principal beauties.

projecting rock in the bed of the stream, affords a satis-

view of

factory and comprehensive these were the finest

have wished

all

them

to represent

in this

size.

We

we

resembling the phonolite or Idingstein

work, but

The next

in

it

was

to the

It contain-

shieffer.

It

was angular, and

probably broken from a neighbouring rock, but it

should

found near this a fragment of a mineral

ed small cubic crystals of iron pyrites.

not discover

As

features.

river,

when reduced

found impossible to retain their effect required

its

on Winnepeek

falls

its

we

could

original site.

day, being the 21st of August,

we

reached an

expansion in the river, that forms a small lake called

Lac du Bonnet, This lake

is

upper end of which

at the

yards to four miles in breadth

smooth

we encamped.

about fifteen miles long, and from six hundred ;

it

presents a fine glassy and

from any current;

surface, free

this afforded to

our paddlers a relaxation from the hard task of working

Previously

up stream.

three portages

;

we At

about one mile long.

though very

had passed one decharge and

of these, only one was fatiguing

fine, are

these portages,

it

;

was

the rapids,

not to be compared to the lower falls.

The

general features of this country

same

;

still

continued the

the rocks at times attained a greater height, though

they never rose into

hills.

At one

of the portages

we

ob-

served small black crystals, probably of tourmaline, shoot-

ing through the mass.

A

little

beyond

" Portage du Rocher du Bonnet," a seen, in

this, at

fine

the upper

white clay was

which small fragments of lamellar feldspar were This was evidently a kaolin, or decomposed

observed. feldspar;

it

appeared to be very abundant;

where we saw

it,

it

at

the surface

was much intermixed with the

which appeared somewhat deeper and better than Vol.

II.

13

soil

usual,

EXPEDITION TO TfiE

94

we doubt

but,

not, that

with

a little exertion the clay

be obtained perfectly pure, and well suited facture of porcelain.

which we saw that

we were

to the

A number of blocks of blue limestone,

some of these portages, led us

at

then

might

manu-

at

to believe

no great distance from the secondary

Our evening encampment was, however, upvery fine mass of granite, projecting into Bonnet

formations.

on a

The rock

Lake.

likewise appeared in insulated masses in

the middle of the lake. These are, for the most part, destitute of vegetation.

As we

proceeded,

we

observed thaC

the trees of deciduous foliage had almost disappeared, and that their place

was supplied by

a greater

abundance of

evergreens, such as tamarack, juniper, spruce, white pine, pitch pine, &c.

Among

the bushes

we

chiefl;^

remarked

the huckleberry, raspberry, black currant, and a wild cherry, which was then ripe, and which, notwithstanding slightly astringent taste,

its

birds

Mr. Say saw the

was

palatable.

Among

the

cedar-bird,* fish-hawk,t kingfisher,^

kildeer, the black-headed tern, and numberless ducks.

At

the evening encampment, we observed on the shore myriads of dead bodies of a alba,

(Vide Appendix

waves, and

same

new

species of ephemera, Baetes

Entomology,)

I.

after sunset a

cast

on

it

by the

very numerous swarm of the

insect collected over the surface of the water

where

they did not, however, remain long; they totally appeared before lies of

we

retired to rest.

We

dis-

saw several fami-

Indians that came up to us in small and very neat

bark canoes. The master of one of these was very desirous of exchanging with us a

pemmican, but

as

handsome wooden bowl

we had none

•

Bombyclvora Carolinensis.

f

Alcedo alcyun.

to spare,

we

f Falco halixtus.

for

some

declined his

SOURCE OF

PETEr's RIVER.

ST.

Another canoe came up soon

offer.

moose meat

powder and

for

balls

after to

this

;

we

95

exchange dried agreed

to,

and

anxiously waited for our next meal in order to taste of this

new

Whether

food.

was owing

it

or to the nature of the meat that

was found veiy

tain

it is,

falo

meat we found

it

it

;

On

the 22d,

we

to a

not, but cer-

inferior to the jerked buf-

dry, tough, and tasteless.

proceeded through the upper part of

Bonnet Lake, and soon reached the

was

bad choice of pieces,

we know

itself,

rapids.

The

current

so swift, and the obstructions so great, that paddling

was found unavailing, and the voyagers preferred setting the canoes with poles soldiers

in order to diminish the load the

;

were landed ; they walked along the shore.

Al-

though the bed of Winnepeek river displays in many places larger

falls,

and bolder features than

at this spot,

yet there

was no part of the stream which pleased us more than that which lies immediately above the lake. The river presents so

many and

such varied appearances, produced by

the rush of waters over the rocky barriers which extend across

its

bed, that

main uninterested though the rocks line is

very bold

it

was impossible

spectators of

rise but to a ;

its

for

any of us to

re-

wonderful scenery. Al-

moderate height, their out-

the current at

all

times swift, often par-

takes of the nature of a torrent, and occasionally gives rise to beautiful cascades.

The

corroding effect of the stream

upon the rock has produced many basins or coves

in whicli

the water forms eddies, and, not unfrequently, presents a

smooth expanse, contrasting with the rough billows of the adjoining torrent. lieved face,

by

The

red colour of the sienite

streaks of black

and give

gigantic scale.

it

mica which intersect

is

its

re-

sur-

the appearance of designs executed on a

The

trees

the eye a pleasing aspect

;

which cover

this

rock

the aspen, distinguished

offer to

by the

EXPEDITION TO THE

96 silvery white of

ing

at

its

bark, and

every breath of

air, is

by

intermixed with birch, and

occasionally with spruce trees

penetrable undergrowth of

firs

the banks of the river, and

leaves lightly quiver-

its

a dense and almost im-

;

forms a sort of curtain along interspersed with bushes

is

One

loaded with plums, haws, pembina, &c. jects

which contributed most

;

observed leaping out of the water

for

is

sturgeon, salmon, pike, &c.

;

;

was the

they were frequently

great abtmdance of fish in the river

well stocked with fish as this

of the ob-

to enliven the scene

few streams are so

they are principally the

Over these

falls

eagles and

hawks soared high in the air, watching for the easy prey, which they derive from the numbers of fish, that are wounded or killed by being hurried against the rocks by the irresistible force of the current.

Several canoes of

Indians were also seen on the stream engaged in

ing; Chippewa

ed by long exposure to the

which

air,

formed small white specks

reflected the rays of the sun,

great distance.

fish-

lodges, constructed of bark, and bleach-

As we proceeded

and were visible

at a

along these rapids our

canoe-men entertained us with songs more remarkable

for

the wildness and originality of their notes than for the skill

and method with which they were sung.

of the delights of these

proceed, and the effect

men is

It is

one

to sing in unison as they

very

fine,

though, perhaps, to

those tutored in music " the sounds that thrilled rocks

along" might have appeared somewhat harsh. the features which

we

Such were

admired that morning, and which

received an additional lustre from a bright sun and cloudless sky.

But when

in the afternoon the

wind blew high,

and the heavens were darkened with clouds, the scene became almost terrific; the waves arose, and it required the fullest confidence in the skill and experience of our

SOURCE OF guide to hush

apprehension, as

all

97'

PETER's RIVER.

ST.

we

observed him

make

where

a small eddy, barely thirty

feet in length, presented the

only landing place for the

for a projecting point

Our paddlers

canoes.

evident that

all

strained every nerve, and

was

it

were convinced that nothing short of the

most exertion on

ut-

their part could urge the light canoe on-

wards against the force of the stream

at last,

;

having,

by

strong and quickly repeated strokes of the paddle, reached the eddy, one of the

men immediately jumped

stream to stop the

bark, and prevent it from being dash-

frail

ed against the shore ; two canoe in stern

its

was

place, as

still

its

into the

men were scarcely able to keep the bow touched the rocks while the She was quickly unloaded,

in the rapid.

and raised from the waters, and while the men were engaged

in transporting the

baggage across,

we

stopped on

the rock to watch the progress of the other canoes,

which

Avere conducted with equal skill to the landing place.

In

contemplating this scene the interest was heightened by the recollection that perhaps no other country presents

such splendid and wild features as those that

we were

then

beholding.

In the evening

who came

to

heard of our selves to

we were

exchange wild visit

welcome

to

visited

rice for

by

a

few Chippewas,

ammunition. They had

Pembina, and had prepared them-

us.

In the course of the day

we

ob-

served hung up, near the door of a cabin, a bear's snout,

which,

we were

Chippewa custom,

told,

was put up, according

as a sort of trophy.

We

to

the

stopped to pro-

cure some of the meat, but were informed, that although the animal had been killed only on the preceding day, it

had been

all

consumed, fresh meat being

those that inhabit the banks of this river.

game appears

to

still

a rare treat to

Indeed, their

be restricted almost exclusively to a few

;

OS

EXPEDITION TO THE

bears

come

moose are seldom found

;

scarce

;

the country

so far south

too

is

wet

;

beaver has be-

for deer

and the ab-

;

sence of prairies restricts the buffalo from roving in that

The

direction.

principal subsistence of these Indians, and

perhaps of the greater part of the Chippewa nation, fish

and wild

in their

which they

rice, of

numerous marshes,

is

collect a great quantity

lakes, &c. In the course of this

day we observed signs of an igneous action upon some of the rocks

we had

;

alread)^

remarked the phenomenon on

one or more occasion, but the characters were indistinct whereas,

at

one of the portages passed on the 22d of Au-

gust, the semi-vitrification at the surface of the fragment

The gene-

of a rock found there, appeared more distinct. ral

character of the country

granite,

which

offered

was still, however,

many

a gneiss

and

instructive views of veins of

the latter rock shooting through the gneiss; they were

judged to be,

most

for the

part, of

contemporaneous

for-

mation.

The river,

as

we

racters of a stream

proceeded, lost altogether the usual chait

;

appeared to be a series of lakes of

from one hundred yards "which were united

passed

by

by an iron-bound

dented into bays.

A

to three or four miles in diameter,

These lakes were encom-

rapids. coast,

which the current had

difference of level of several feet, se-

parated these lakes, and gave rise to the rapids

where the portage did not exceed there was a

fall

of six

rous islands are seen,

On the

feet.

all

which

called

resting

upon

a

rocky foundation.

we

arrived at

by the Chippewas Awak'an'e

has been translated " Slave Fall." It

travelling

down

one case

In these small lakes nume-

a slave of the Chippewas, having escaped

was

in

;

yards in length,

fifteen

the 23d, after proceeding eight miles, falls,

in-

the river with

all

is

from

Paw'etik,

related that his master,

possible speed in a

SOURCE OF

PETER^S RIVER.

ST.

99

canoe, and that being very closely pursued, he, either accidentally or intentionally,

it is

known which,

not

ried

down by

car-

the torrent, and never afterwards seen.

The

river at this place

is

in the course of one

At

feet.

hundred yards,

which the rapids continue

it

is

It

we

it

is

is

computed

twenty

at

below

a fine cascade,

Notwithstanding the real

9.

experienced some disappointment.

had been represented

and finding

there

fall,

was sketched by Mr. Seymour,

represented in plate this spot,

it

for a short distance, presenting

a beautiful landscape. This

and

that

fall,

about eighty yards wide, and the

the upper part of

beauty of

suffered

was

his canoe to approach so close to the

to us as the finest

inferior in wildness

and

on the river, that of

effect to

"the moving waters," the pleasure which

it

would other-

wise have afforded was checked.

The

navigation of this stream

fatal accidents,

we

observed

erected

by

at

is

frequently attended with

and the number of wooden crosses which

some of the

rapids, are the brief

the survivors, to the

ed voyagers they form, ;

as

it

memory

mementos

of the shipwreck-

were, beacons which point out

These accidents are generally

the dangers of the stream.

occasioned by the breaking of the tow-line.

The only

chance of escape which the canoe-men have, in such cases, if

they be not too close to the rapid,

is

to

selves into the stream, and endeavour to

throw them-

swim

to

one of

the eddies, which fortunately are very numerous.

were

was

told of a canoe that

breaking of the tow-line ficient

;

the

lost at Slave falls

men who were

it

had

suf-

presence of mind to abandon the canoe ; they were

saved, while the bark was shattered in

stream, and lost in the rapid

some

in

We

by the

distance below. This

Fort Alexander.

It is

;

its

fall is

its

way down

the

cargo was picked up at

about eighty miles above

probable that

this, as

well as the

;

EXPEDITION TO THE

lOO

other rapids of the river,

was when we saw

much

low. Its depth varied

at

is

times

the lakes

in

;

much

finer than it

stream was considered

the

for

it,

was some-

it

times eight, ten, or twenty feet deep, while at the rapids the rock was almost bare.

ed on the banks, face

is

it

From

the water-marks observ-

appears that, in times of flood, the sur-

elevated from five to nine feet, (according to the

breadth of the river,) above the level at which

Two

and a half miles above

which, for beauty,

is

this fall

we

we saw

it.

reached another,

second only to the lower

It is

falls.

formed by two chains of rocks stretching across the stream the upper one occasions a cascade of about ten feet, and

the lower one of fifteen all

the rapids,

is

;

the length of the

the stream about one hundred and

of water

is

falls,

including

about two hundred yards ; the breadth of fifty.

The lower

sheet

divided into three parts by two islands, and quite picturesque

the foam produced

by these

the effect

is

two

exceeds that observed at any other, and imparts

falls,

;

to the river, for a certain distance, a white,

milky

which we have

Mr. Seymour's view of this Upper Falls of the Winnepeek, was not taken fall,

able spot, as the rocky nature of the

from landing of both the

at a place

falls

could be obtained.

bank prevented him

The Bois

de Bois."

tance above this, another, called Jack's also

very

fine.

one towing place. miles, and on the

not have been

brules call

A

fall Avas

short dis-

seen,

which

On the 23d we passed six portages and The distance travelled was thirty-two

first

less

called the

at a favour-

from which an advantageous view

this the fall of the "petite pointe

was

aspect.

twenty, the

fall

in the river could

than one hundred and

After passing Jack's

falls, a

fifty feet.

great change in the appear-

ance of the river was observed, and was distinctly traced to a difference in the nature of the rock.

The

granite and

SOURCE OF sienite

ST.

were replaced by a

from a mica

101

which appeared

slate,

vary

to

to a clay-slate, presenting chiefly the charac-

ters of the latter. It

many

very distinctly

is

are nearly vertical.

served in

PETEr's RIVER.

Its

places

the slate

;

The

stratified.

strata

junction with the granite was ob-

was superposed. The hills

which we had observed above Bonnet Lake, did not continue after the slate had

ponding change

The

it

;

corres-

some places senumber of islands,

includes a great

of which have a solid, rocky foundation.

the rock

hue

is

The

to the water.

ples

;

we

river

not deep

is

it

colour of

;

is

same

current

its

free

from

The

islands,

which

places are countless, are generally small, and of a

form nearly square; from the

vertical stratification of the

rock their banks are perpendicular; they generally

from ten

to

twenty

feet

rise

above the level of the water. Their

covered with a thick growth of trees, which are,

surface

is

for the

most

part,

however, small. They consist of a dwarf

ispecies of pitch-pine, called

by the Canadians, cypress of ;

the spruce, juniper, tamarack, &c.

more abundant; the undergrowth soil

is

rip-

observed none of the foaming rapids which cha-

racterize the lower part of the stream.

some

The

of a deep blue or black, imparting the

swift, especially near the islands, but

in

A

appearance.

its

river expands considerably, being in

veral miles wide all

made

in the features of the stream is obsei'ved.

appears

much

;

the white birch becomes is

very luxuriant.

better than that on the granite. In

The some

parts the rock appears covered with a ferruginous incrustation,

produced probably by the decomposition of iron

pyrites

which abounds

A

large loon flew

in

by

it.

in the afternoon

which had of late been frequent

are,

;

its

screamings

by many, considered

as sure indications of the approach of

stormy weather;

we

heard them frequently, but had no opportunity of forming

Vol.

II.

14

EXPEDITION TO TH£

102

a conclusive opinion as to the degree of importance to be

As

attached to this prognostic.

far as

one instance of suc-

cessful prediction proves the truth of this sign, the rain,

which

fell

during the night, confirmed the preconceived

opinion of those

who had

asserted

its

The

universality.

difference in the rocks did not continue long, for, after hav-

ing travelled about fifteen miles on the 24th of August, the slate ceased and was replaced by granite, which soon

passed into a decided sienite, producing a wilder and more uninhabitable country than any sienite

rises,

we had

great

apparently in

as

yet seen ; the

confusion,

in

steep

masses which are rounded at their summit; they are covered with moss, and support but a very thin growth of

scrubby pines on their surface. The country cannot be led beautiful, though

it is

certainly picturesque

;

cal-

the broad

rapid current, is the only fine feature

sheet of water, with

its

which

This place affords no means of suste-

it

presents.

We accordingly observed

nance either to brutes or men. few,

if

On

any, signs of animals.

the whole of

Winnepeek

river we saw but three trophies indicating the capture of large

game

deer, they

;

one of these consisted of the horns of a rein-

were not of full

killed while they

were

size,

the animal having been

We have made no Winnepeek river receives,the mere outlets of small

in the velvet.

mention of the tributaries which because

we

consider

them

as

lakes situated near our route

we

;

from the information which

have received from those experienced in the charac-

ters of this region,

confirms, as far as

and which our

own

observation fully

we have had an opportunity of judging, may be considered as an immense

the whole of the country

lake, interspersed with innumerable barren and

ands,

which were, probably,

at

rocky

isl-

some epocha of compara-

tively recent date, covered with water.

This, which

was

SOURCE OF kept up to a level

PETER

ST.

far superior to that to

which we

103

RIVER.

S

which

it

now attains,

attempt to trace, has broken

by

barriers

its

bounds, and the country has been very extensively

Whether

drained.

shall not

this operation is still

day, can be but a matter of conjecture

nothing that makes

That lets,

at

it

continued to this

we

;

see,

however,

either impossible or even improbable.

one time the Mississippi was one of the great out-

appears to us equally probable

rable boulders which cover

;

and that the innume-

valley, and

its

which are ana-

we have

logous in character to the rocks which

observed

in situ on the Winnepeek and elsewhere, have been de-

we

rived from the great convulsions to which

any discussion

into

as to the

ders have been dispersed satisfied as

;

allude, ap-

We are not prepared to enter

pears to us equally apparent.

manner

we

which these boul-

in

profess ourselves as

little

be, with the various theories

any geologists can

Europe

which have been suggested

in

boulders of the Jura, or for

those which cover the north of

Germany, and which

to account for the

are probably analogous to the rocks

observed, in place, in the Scandinavian peninsula.

We are

not prepared to admit that the boulders of the state of

Ohio have been projected by a subterraneous explosion, or have been washed by the mere force of the stream, or floated

down upon masses

of

ice,

&c. &c.

;

but

we

can-

not resist the conclusion of our senses, that they have not always lain where

we now

find them, that they

been removed from their original

makes

it

site,

that

have

every thing

probable that they were formerly connected with

the primitive formations of the St. Peter, the Winnepeek, the

Lake

of the

Woods, &c.

Thus

far

we

think ourselves

warranted to proceed from observations. The rest must be a matter of speculation, and in

it.

We

we

are not disposed to indulge

shall therefore i-cstrict ourselves to the follow-

104

EXPEDITION TO THE

.

ing conclusions.

1.

That the whole of the country be-

tween Lake Superior and Lake Winnepeek was formerlycovered with water to a present.

That

2.

much

greater height than

was bounded by

this inland sea

which were broken, which

3.

That

partly, 4.

at least, it is

5.

•,

was

carried on at

first,

through the valley of the Mississippi.

not improbable that this draining

That

wherefore

this great convulsion of

upon those secondary formations.

this process of draining

That

tinued.

from

result

nature, are found resting

at

time probably posterior to the

at a

deposition of the secondary limestone of Ohio the fragments,

is

it

barriers

if this

be the case,

it is

is still

partially

con-

through

the valley of the Mississippi, but chiefly through Nelson's river.

Most

of the streams

as rivers

emptying

which are mentioned by the guides

into the

Winnepeek,

are

upon

closer

inquiry found to be mere branches of the same river that divide off at distances of twenty or thirty miles, and which

we would deem more probable, they are parts of the general system of One of these lakes which cover the whole country. again unite with the main stream, or, as it

branches

is

termed the English

ascended by the Hudson's sources,

river, because

Bay Company's

it

has been

traders to

which interlock with those of Albany river;

offers a direct

its it

communication between Lake Winnepeek

and Albany Factory, of James' Bay.

On ing

the 24th,

places.

we

passed two portages and three lighten-

Our canoe-men experienced

tion at the sight of a canoe,

which passed us

dle of the day, from Montreal.

gentleman, bearer of despatches,

satisfac-

in the

mid-

There was on board a

who had

the 23d of May, having passed

months from the extreme of

great

left

London on

in the space

civilisation

of three

and population

to

SOURCE OP

Peter's river.

ST.

105

one of the wildest and most deserted spots on the surface of the earth.

The

who

with one

accidental meeting in such a solitude

belongs to a civilized country, and

speaks the same language,

meet with

is

delightful

we

;

with one of a ditferent nation

a stranger,

who we we

forget that ;

are in such cases almost inclined to greet an utter stran-

whom we had The hurry with which both parties

ger as though he were a friend from

been long separated.

were travelling prevented

us,

however, from delaying any

time; and with a sincere welcome, and mutual good wishes for the success of our respective journeys,

soon

On

the 25th of

passed, and

August we proceeded and reached the

head of Winnepeek tively easy task

we

each other's canoes.

lost sight of

river.

Our paddlers had

day except

all

at

a compara-

one place, where they

attempted to paddle up the stream instead of resorting to the towing line as is usual. This place, called the " Grandes Dalles," presents the most rapid current against which

have ever seen

a canoe paddled.

It is a

not exceeding forty yards in breadth

it

;

narrow

we

strait,

bounded on

is

both sides by perpendicular precipices of granite; great exertions

ai'e

der to ascend

required on the part of the canoe-men in orthis,

and one of the canoes,

after

two unavail-

ing attempts to stem the current with paddles, was towed

A

up with

a line.

cross at

a place called the " Petites Dalles."

short distance above this

we

passed a

This spot has

acquired a melancholy celebrity as having been the scene of the murder of one

Owen Keveney,

one of the

men em-

ployed by the Hudson's Bay Company or the colony.

His death was almost the only crime committed Indian

tei'ritories that

trial, his

cuted.

was punished.

in the

After a protracted

murderer, de Reinhard, was convicted and exe-

We

heard

all

the particulars of the transaction

EXPEDITION TO THE

106 with some had acted

interest,

as

Keveney was

and had even heen indicted as a party to

Much

was

stress

upon the question whether

laid in the course of the trial

this point

very

after

;

was included

in the

became necessary

to ex-

this spot

province of Upper Canada, and

amine

whicli the unfortunate

in

and that he was one of the prin-

travelling,

cipal witnesses,

the crime.

from the circumstance that Desmarais

guide to the canoe

it

full

testimony had been re-

ceived from the best geographers in the country,

While we were

resting

upon one of the

far.

islands, an In-

came up in his canoe with his family and supplied us

di:ui

These

with fresh sturgeon and with dried huckleberries. are said to be cured in a for

was

it

decided that the limits of Canada did not extend that

manner which

two or three years they

are

;

smoked by placing them upon

first

them

will preserve

dried in the sun, then

a net over a slow fire until

the skin bursts, and the juice begins to flow; after

which

they are again exposed to the sun until they become dry.

The smoky

taste

which they acquire improves

their

fla-

vour.

After passing through a small lake, rendered very rough

by

a

stormy w^ind,

we

reached Rat portage, which

one hundred yards long,

we

Lake of

the

the shore of the that there

is

a

is

made

We had when

a

it is

it

Woods.

communication by a

into the river, and that

tage

crossed

is

about

and encamped on

We

fine fall

are informed

from the lake

to avoid this fall that the por-

across an island.

We

did not see the

fall.

scarcely reached the eastern end of the portage

heavy rain commenced,

to

which we remained ex-

posed during the greater part of the afternoon.

Rat portage has become a point of some importance, it

as

appears probable that the north-westernmost point of

the boundary line of the United States will be at or near

SOURCE OP

Peter's river.

ST.

107

extremity, according to the tenour of the seventh

its

cle of the treaty of

Ghent, which

provides that the

arti-

com-

missioners appointed to regulate the boundary line shall fix

and determine that part of the line which extends from

Lake Huron and Lake most north-western point of the Lake of

the water communication between

Superior to the the

Woods and which ;

ticularize the latitude

The determination

further enjoins that they shall par-

and longitude of that point. of the north-westernmost point of a

lake which presents a great

be an object of

tions, will

number

difficult

of bays and indenta-

accomplishment

;

we had

heard from the Indians that the boundary line had been

run to Rat portage, and were therefore anxious out.

We

to find it

saw evidences of the commissioners having been

there but a short time previously, but no land marks could

We

be discovered. Bigsby,

M.

subsequently, however,

who is attached and who has taken

a gentleman

mission,

which he

met John

D., surgeon in his Britannic Majesty's service,

fills,

to the

boundary

line

com-

advantage of the situation

very fully and extensively

to investigate

the geology of British North America.

We

have had

fre-

quent communications with Dr. Bigsby concerning the

geology of that part of the country which

Lake

of the

pleased

with

Woods and

to find

that

lies

between the

the Sault de Ste. Marie

;

and are

our observations correspond well

Our specimens were likewise very concordant;

his.

with this exception, however, that Dr. Bigsby's stay in the

much longer than many more places than we

country having been

ours, he

bled to visit

were.

tigations

were therefore more

his specimens selected with

rapidly as

we

did,

we were

full

more

was ena-

His inves-

and more minute, and care.

In travelling as

obliged to confine ourselves to

the observation of the general features of the country,

EXPEDITION TO THE

lOa

without having time to search for

localities of minerals.

In this respect Dr. Bigsb}^ was more fortunate

kindly communicated several to

them we to that

always

shall

With

them.

this

state to

us,

and

whom we

in

are indebted for

acknowledgment we beg leave

gentleman our thanks for the

he has

;

mentioning

to offer

liberal access

he

af-

forded us to his valuable collections, as well as for the in-

formation which he freely and kindly imparted.

From

Dr. Bigsby

been run in

;

making It

we

heard that the line had not yet

the commissioners having hitherto been engaged separate surveys west of

appears that Rat portage

Lake

The lake is above Winnepeek river,

from the northernmost extremity of the elevated about ten or twelve feet at the point

M'Kenzie Bigsby

where we

is

set it in latitude

we

Rat portage,

changed

to

Its

it.

its

lake.

latitude, according to

longitude 94i° west.

Dr.

49° 44' 22", probably from an ob-

Mr. Thompson's.

servation of at

left

49° 37' and

Superior.

about nine or ten miles

is

Previous to our arrival

observed that the rocks had again

a slate, of

which the

was very

stratification

distinctly directed from east-north-east to west-south-west.

The

inclination

the slate

is a

slate, at least

was nearly

dark green

;

a vertical

it is

one

;

the colour of

very decidedly

micaceous

a

on Rat portage. This produces the same

fea-

Winnepeek river, above ture which we had observed Jack's fall, but which becomes more distinct in the Lake of the Woods. The stream expands and includes an immense number of islands. It is to this circumstance that in

the lake owes

its

picturesque appearance and

its

name, as

The

as-

pect of the lake differs essentially from any other that

we

every one of these islands

had previously

seen.

is

covered with

At Rat

trees.

portage our view was limit-

ed by an island which nearly closes the bay

at

which the

SOURCE OF portage terminates

we

but after

;

109

PETEr's RIVER.

ST.

we had

passed that island

found ourselves upon a smooth sheet of water, inter-

spersed with numberless islands, which break the uniform-

Few

ity of the water scenery. all rest

upon

solid rock,

of these islands are large

and are covered with small

chiefly pine, spruce, hazel, willow,

cherry, &c. besides

vast quantities of bushes, bearing berries.

pear abounds in these islands.

;

trees,

The rocky

The

prickly

shores are partly

concealed by the moss and lichen which cover their surface,

and by the grass and bushes which grow out from

their deep

In this respect the rocks in the

crevices.

lake differ from those in the river, as the latter are

ways

bare, to a certain elevation,

the floods that occasionally swell

which it

;

al-

indicates that of

the dark lines, which

are seen running horizontally along the shore, point out the

height of the various floods which have at different times occurred.

The weather was

so unfavourable during our stay at the

portage, as to prevent us from taking any observation.

It

we proceeded at^ two A. M. At one of the islands, (Cosse's,) while we stopped for breakfast, Mr. Seymour sketched the

having cleared up

with a

fine

at

night,

moonlight.

scenery of the lake, plate 11.

The Lake

of the

Woods

has been described to us as be-

ing about three hundred miles in circumference.

by bays,

are very inuch indented

quantity of wild rice

is

in

Its

shores

which an immense

annually collected.

Our passage

through the lake, which was nearly in a diagonal direction,

was

effected in a time

The number

of islands

very

little

time, looking merely before us, tifty in sight.

Vol.

II.

exceeding two days.

which we saw was immense;

we

at

one

could count upwards of

All are on solid rock, except one, near the •

15

EXPEDITION TO THE

110

mouth

which

of Rainy-lake river,

a sand-bar, probably

is

formed by an accumulation of sand carried down by the river.

'

This was the more remarkable, as

sand-bar observed since

it

was the

first

we entered Winnepeck river. The

Indians had, with their usual attention to the features of the

country, remarked this bar, and they called the lake P^kw^ongS. Osdgfiigan,

which means " the lake of the island of sand-

mounds," owing to the mounds formed on cumulation of the sand by the winds. is also

this bar

by the

ac-

It is true that the lake

sometimes called Met6k6k^ Osagaagan, which

sig-

Lake of the Woods, but this is supposed to be a modern appellation, translated from the name which the nifies

French traders gave

which we travelled

it

were made

to

its

first

saw it. The distance

was about eighty

the lake

in

which probably was

when they

longest diameter.

determine

its

position

;

miles,

Observations

they gave for the

of Cosse's Island, distant sixteen miles from

situation

Rat Portage, 49° 36' 42" north;

for that of

Red-rock

and, passed on the 27th of August, 49° 11' 33" Island 48° 56' 4"

and

north;

;

for

Isl-

Sandy

the entrance

finally,

of

Rainy-lake river was determined to be in latitude 48° 53' 40" north, and longitude 94° 21' 15" west. The variation of the compass in the lake was 11°

With

a

view

projecting peninsula,

it is

dred yards

25"

east.

usual for voyagers to

small portage over this point.

it is

1'

to avoid a circuitous navigation

at the

time

we

It

crossed

round a

make

a

did not exceed one hunit.

Our guide says

that

often under water, so that the canoes pass without dif-

ficulty.

This requires a

rise of

about five or six feet above

the level of the waters at that time.

dance the plant which bears at that season.

The

considering

as

it

tlie

We found in great abun-

wild-rice

;

it

was

quite ripe

Indians collect the grain in great plenty,

one of their best

articles of food,

and that

;

SOURCE OP

ST.

Ill

Peter's river.

upon which they can place the greatest

We have

reliance.

been led to make some inquiry as to the extent of the

we

gion in which wild-rice grows, and

Mackenzie

great.

says, that wild-rice

find is

does not come to maturity, north of the

we

latitude, and,

believe that

it

re-

be very

to

hardly seen, or

degree of

fiftieth

does not grow west of the

it

Mississippi below the

mouth of the Missouri, or on any

part of this river.

western extremities are probably

Its

aliout the sources of the St. Peter;

from the 31st

it

ranges in latitude

50th degree, and in longitude from

to the

the Atlantic to the 97th degree

for

;

we were

informed, by

Gen. Brown, that it had been observed on Black river state of

New York we know that ;

above and below Philadelphia

;

exists

it

and

on the Delaware

appears that

it

found in the south-east corner of South Carolina,

from

called

this circumstance, the

Gen. Macomb, cats to be the

Doubtless

who

same

it is

in the

it is

also

at a place

" Wild-oats Marsh."

has seen this marsh, states the Wild-

as the wild-rice of

to this plant that

our N.

W.

territory.

Hakluyt alludes when he

states that in " Virginia there is a

kind of reed which bear-

cth a seed almost like unto our rice or wheat and being boiled

is

This grain, which probably re-

good meal."

sembles oats more than rice in harvest

were

when we were

hays collecting

and found it is

in

told that the Indians

it

it

5

we

appearance, was

fit

for

of the

Woods, and we

were dispersed

in all the small

ate of

palatable,

its

the Lake

it

frequently on the journey,

though inferior

probable that the grain which

we

to domestic rice

had was not well

se-

parated from the hull, and from this circumstance was not as

good

as that

which

is

Although most of the

prepared with more care. islands in the lake are

formed of

slaty rock, yet some, as for instance, the Red-rock island, on

which observations wore made on the 27th of August, are

Hi

EXPEDITION TO THE

composed of granite;

in this case the feldspar is of a red-

dish appearance, and imparts to the granite the colour from

which the name of the

island

was derived.

We have fre-

we

visited that the

quently observed in the islands which

north-eastern extremity was bounded with boulders, the

average diameter of which might be about two

feet.

Though these sometimes extend all round the island, still it is more usual to observe them only at the north-eastern point, seeming to indicate that they were carried down from that quarter. The direction of the strata of mica-slate appears to vary from north 60° to north 80° east. The angle with the horizon varies from 65° or 70° to the per-

The rock

pendicular.

iron pyrites

veins

;

through the mass.

is

penetrated in some places with

of quartz

We

appear occasionally

also

saw no limestone, but Dr. Bigsby

informed us that he had observed some on the shore of the It is

lake.

through

probable that

be formed of the

Towards the and

is,

during our course

islands,

is

idea

may

includes.

a space without islands,

what is termed the " Grand traverse,"

however, only ten miles long. From the number

when

of islands, raises a

200

south-east there

this gives rise to

which

we had in sight

whence an immense number which it

the lake, at least

a slight

wind blows upon the

high but short wave, which

is

lake, it soon

very dangerous

to

bark canoes hence the least wind Will sometimes occasion a ;

considerable delay in the journey.

Desmarais was once

encamped eleven days without being

able to cross those

ten miles ; and he has heard of canoes being detained

the adjoining islands for twenty-two days. tunate, as the lulled,

met

in

and it

wind which had blown

we

We

were

the preceding day had

passed the traverse without difficulty.

a canoe with three

on for-

We

men who were coming from

Rainy lake they had been detained twenty-four hours by ;

the wind.

:;

SOURCE OP

ST.

113

Peter's river.

the south-east extremity of the lake,

As we approached

an arm of considerable extent, running in a southerly direction, appeared

connection with is

on our right

Red

river,

;

through this that the

it is

by means of Reed-grass

river,

made.

From

the observations

bar islands,

through

made on Red-rock and

the Sand-

appears that the 49th parallel of latitude passes

it

Among

this traverse.

the animals seen

by Mr.

Say, were two kinds of gulls, one of which was probably the Herring-gull, Larus

ber of pelicans, and a few ducks exist

on

young;

argenteus, ;

swans,

also a

it is

said,

Testudo geographica was

this lake; the

as well as a soft-shelled turtle, of

num-

do not

also seen,

which the species could

not be determined, the lower shell alone being

visible.

Catesby's spotted frog was found to be abundant as far as

we

travelled.

We

saw on the Lake of the Woods but few Indians,

probably not more than twenty altogether, this being the season

when they

On one

are dispersed.

of the islands

we

observed a recent grave, over which a pole was supported

by means of

stones

;

it

was bared of

red paint had been described upon

its

it

;

bark, and rings of its

and a wooden spoon was suspended from

We entered

Rainy-lake river on the morning of the 28th

of August, and reached length of this stream at its

mouth

rower above its

current

is

is ;

top was bushy it.

is

its

head early on the

about one hundred miles.

about four hundred yards;

its

average breadth

rapid and uniform

;

is

it

31st. Its

The

breadth

becomes nar-

three hundred yards

there are very few ob-

structions to the navigation, there being but

two places

at

which canoes are lightened and towed up. The longest of these

At

is

about one mile.

its

mouth the banks of this stream are low and marshy

EXPEDITION TO THE

114

beyond

this

they

river runs in

somewhat, but present few

rise

many

hills

the

The country

places over a pebbly bed.

assumes a more smiling appearance, which led us pate the meeting wdth limestone rocks;

;

to antici-

we saw none along

the river, but some precipices, seen at a distance, were sup-

posed from their horizontal

stratification to

be composed

On the river the rocks seldom appear in where we saw them they were principally mica-

of limestone. place; slate,

sometimes, however,

sienite.

Dr.*Bigsby found stau-

rotide in the slate of this river.

The country is much drier; there are fine pieces of meadow land the grass is of a pleasanter, livelier green the ;

vegetation

;

more luxuriant

birch attains a larger

we had

size.

;

the white maple

We

The

seen

;

the

observed here, however, as

for a long time past, a total

hickory, and beach.

is

poplar

is

absence of walnut,

very abundant on Rainy

river.

Among

the animals

which

are occasionally seen here,

are the bear, otter, wolverine, carcajou, moose, squirrel,

wolf, weasel, beaver, muskrat, fox, &c. fisher are

very abundant. The principal

The

martin, and

fish in the river is

the sturgeon.

Among

the objects

which

chiefly atti'acted our notice,

were the interesting ephemera which we had seen on

Winnepeek

river.

They became

so abundant on

Rainy

river towards sunset, that they presented the appearance

of a snow storm.

They

continued for some time, until

they were driven by the wind into a small tributary valley where they formed white clouds, beautifully relieved against the dark green of the forest, deepened in

by

the approach of night.

The ensuing morning

its

shade

their

dead

bodies were seen floating on the stream, and drifted by the

wind

into small coves near the shore.

From

their great

SOURCE OF

ST.

115

PETEr's RIVER.

abundance, Mr. Say was led to believe that this short-lived insect never witnesses a rising sun, but that after performing, in a short time, all the duties assigned to fect state, it deposits its

few hours

after

The next evening it

in its per-

has been evolved from the chrysalis.

it

abundantly, but

it

eggs and expires in the night, a

the ephemera were again seen very

was evident

that this

was a new swarm,

and not part of that previously observed.

The mosquetoes, which had not been seen for some time made their appearance Avhile we were on Rainy river; the weather, which was warm and moist, contributed to increase their numbers. Although we expei'ienccd much rain while on this river, and on the lake from which it flows, we have not been able to discover that the climate is more damp there than elsewhere the name which they bear may have been, therefore, derived from an ac-

past, again

;

cidental

fall

of rain experienced there

by the

first

white

may be derived from the colour of their wawhich has much of the appearance of rain water, and

visiters, or it ters,

which peek

differs greatly

from the limpid character of Winne-

river.

Rainy-lake river receives but few tributaries.

mention only the River of Rapids, Pine

river,

We

shall

Black river,

and the Grand and Little Fork.

The it

first

presents

take

its rise

miles long;

Pine

of these

in lakes it

river,

yards wide

is

so called

from the

immediately above ;

its

fine rapids

mouth; course

it

is

which

said to

is

about eighty

is

about thirty

enters from the left bank.

which flows from the north,

at its

Black river

and swamps

its

is

mouth. a small tributary

The Grand Fork, which

from the south-east.

enters from the left bank,

is

the largest tributary of the river, and probably contains as

EXPEDITION TO THE

IIG

much water

as the

main stream above

rises near a small lake called by the

peek, and which

we have

their confluence. It

name

of

Lake Winne-

distinguished from that previ-

ously mentioned, by the designation of Little

Lake

;

in the vicinity of

it is

Red Lake.

Winnepeek

Mr. Davenport,

one of the agents of the American Fur Company, represented this fork as being one hundred leagues long, very rapid, and not well supplied with water

portages

Lake

;

it

from

;

it

;

has two short

passes through a small lake called

Little Lake,

this there

Sachawgan

a long portage, (ten pauses,) to

is

which has an

outlet half a mile long into Lit-

Winnepeek Lake. The whole distance may be ascendA trade has eight or nine days by loaded canoes. in ed been carried on by the American Fur Company, between Rainy Lake and Fond du Lac, by means of the Grand Fork of Rainy river, Little Lake Winnepeek, the Mis-

tle

sissippi,

Sandy Lake, Savannah

and the river

river,

St.

Louis.

The is

a

Little

Fork which

wide stream, but it

far into the country,

is

and

as

Grand Fork,

enters above the

unimportant, as it

it

furnishes no

does not extend

medium

of com-

munication with other lakes or streams.

We saw but few islands in Rainy river, and these were We occasionally observed stakes which

generally small.

had been used by the boundary

line commissioners, to de-

termine the breadth of the river in several places.

During so good

Lake

as

this part of

Travers,

&c. which

our journey our provisions were not

they had previously been.

we

we had depended

chiefly

carried along with us, and

which was prepared

for

From Lake Travers

to

falo

Until

upon the

Pembina,

we

St.

reached

salt

upon the

our party at Fort

and some dried meat. But

we

pork,

biscuit

Anthony.

had much fresh buf-

after leaving

Fort Douglas,

SOURCE OP

we

lived altogether

ST.

Peter's river.

upon the jerked

which we had purchased.

117

and pemmican

buffalo

These had not been well pre-

pared, and a large portion was found to be in a very bad condition.

immense quantity eaten by our

This, and the

Engages, whose appetite

far

exceeded any thing that

The

had ever witnessed, soon reduced our stock.

we

private

stores of the officers and gentlemen's mess, such as tea,

sugar, &c.

were

so nearly

expended

as to require that

We

should be used in a sparing manner.

ed

number of wild

to a

made and

plants, of

they

therefore resort-

which infusions were

tried as substitutes for the imported tea;

and

although to some of the party these appeared good, yet by the greater part the change was not relished. plants

which we used were the Ledum

Among

the

latifolium of Pursh,

the Stachys anisatus, and the Gaultheria procumbens of Nuttall.

Being informed that

at the

head of Rainy river there

were two settlements, one on the north shore, belonging to the

Hudson's Bay Company, and the other on the south,

kept up by the American Fur Company, latter,

but found

it

we

destitute of provisions,

stopped at the

and of the

arti-

of our canoes.

Notwithstand-

ing, therefore, the polite reception of the

superintendant,

cles required for the repair

Mr. Davenport, we crossed over to the north shore, where Mr. M'Gillivray gave us the same hospitable treatment which we had received

at the other trading posts

Hudson's Bay Company.

We

remained

of the

at this place

two

days, to repair our canoes, which had suffered from the ra-

One

them being very heavy,

pids in

Winnepeek

and

bad order, was broken up, and

in

river.

of

its

materials used to

repair the others.

At Rainy Lake we met with a man, whose made known to the

adventures deserve to be

Vol. n.

16

interesting

public; of

;

EXPEDITION TO THE

lis

we

these

regret that

it is

not in our

power

give

to

We had

than a very brief and imperfect outline.

who had

various places of a citizen of the United States,

been

at

more

heard at

an early age taken prisoner by a party of Indians,

and who, having been educated among them, had acquired and manners,

'their language, habits,

While

those of his country.

we were

at the

to the exclusion of

Red

river settlement,

informed that he had been assaulted by an In-

dian and severely, some added mortally, wounded.

On

our

Rainy Lake Fort, Mr. M'Gillivray requested Mr. Say to visit this man and examine his wound; Mr. arrival at

Say found John Tanner, European

tent, resting

for such

two daughters beside him. was found

was

his

that the ball

On

wound

inspecting the

it

had passed through the right arm

above the elbow, and thence through the

The

breast.

as-

having been made about forty days previous, the

sault

arm had united arm was

breast had healed, and the bones of the perfectly and properly still

name, in a neat

on a good comfortable bed, with his

;

but the

wound

in the

open, though apparently in an improving condition

the patient was able to walk about.

At the time that the shot was fired. Tanner was on his way to the United States with his family this had inter;

rupted his voyage.

Feeling himself better, but

ble to travel alone, he applied to

Major Long

still

una-

for a pas-

sage in our canoes for himself and his daughters ; this re-

quest was granted.

He removed

his tent

closure within the British pickets to our

from the en-

camp

;

parations were made, and the poor man's heart

and happy

at the idea of

all

his pre-

was

resuming his journey

in

light

such

company as secured him against apprehensions of an attack,

when

his happiness

check.

We

met with

had appointed

a terrible

to depart

and unexpected

on the morning of

SOURCE OF

ST.

PETER's RIVER.

119

the 3d of September; the preceding evening, his daughters

asked and obtained his consent to go to the

fort to see

an

woman from whom they had expemuch kindness. They were seen going into the

old half-breed Indian

rienced fort,

but did not return

;

the father becoming uneasy went

in search of them, but could obtain no information con-

cerning their fate

;

he applied

to

Major Long, who

visited

Mr. M'Gillivray with Mr. Say, and stated to him the circumstance, desiring that he would use his influence and authority to cause the children to be restored to their pa-

The efforts of this gentleman were, however, unThe children were not found and at the time availing. that we left the fort, it was not known what had become rent.

;

Tanner was placed

of them.

ma

;

in a

most distressing dilem-

he had re-entered the Indian country but a short

time before for the mere purpose of taking his daughters to

Mackinaw

;

if

he returned without them, the ob-

voyage would be

ject of his

frustrated,

and the hopes of

ever again seeing his children would be rendered very

On

faint.

the other hand,

if

he remained in the country

without any one to attend him in his wounded and infirm condition, his situation

who had

would be very

difficult.

The

In-

him was supposed to be lurking in the neighbourhood, and would probably renew his attempt at any rate, he could scarcely hope to find an opdian

assaulted

;

portunity of returning to the United States for a long while.

Under

persist in his

all

these circumstances he determined to

former intention

ly encouraged

by

;

and

in this

he was strong-

the assurances given to

him by Dr

M'Laughlin,* a gentleman who had proved himself a

• Dr. John

Company, and

M'Laughlin

was formerly a partner

after the consolidation of the

two

warm

in the North-west

societies

he obtained

EXPEDITION TO THE

120 friend of his, and

who

ance of the

This gentleman assured him that

fort.

would he used

efforts

had just resumed the superintendall

his

discover the place where his

to

daughters were, and that he would rescue and protect

them

until the ensuing spring,

return to Rainy

Lake

travelled with us a

pain was so

much

we

of them.

to

After having

few miles on the 3d of September, his aggravated, and his arm swollen, by the

motion of the canoe, ceed;

when Tanner expected

in search

that he found himself unable to pro-

landed him, and placed him under the care of a

dependant on the

fort

whom we

saw engaged

in fishing.

was evident that Tanner's grief at being obliged to stop was much mitigated by the hope of being able personally Those who apto renew his search after his daughters. It

Tanner at the fort, endeavoured to mind the belief that the girls had eloped

peai'ed unfriendly to

impress upon

his

from him with a view

to return to their

on the Lake of the Woods

;

uniform attachment which

the)''

him,

as well as their

had always manifested to

ready compliance with his Avish that

they should proceed with

bouring such an idea

mother who was

but the father replied that the

;

us,

must ever prevent

cause, that his daughters had been concealed

the half-breeds or dependants on the fort

was about fourteen or

a share

in

Rainy Lake

fifteen, their

the Hudson's Bay Company. ;

on our

arrival tliere

September.

;

We have

their age,

which

His usual residence was

at

he was absent, having gone to the

He

returned on the

His attentions to us during the short time that

saw him were of the most position

;

by some of

comely appearance and

annual meeting of the partners at York Factory, 1st of

his har-

he thought, and probably with good

flattering kind,

and evinced

we

a generous dis-

tliey could be compared only to those of Mr. Mackenzie. met with no persons who have in a short time acquired so

great a claim to our respect and gratitude as these two gentlemen.

—

SOURCE OP

121

Peter's river.

ST.

warrant the apprehen-

engaging manners, were such as

to

sions of their anxious parent.

If this

was the

case,

we

douht not that Dr. McLaughlin's exertions will have led to their discovery.

The hope which we had

entertained of having Tanner

for a fellow traveller during the rest of the journey, as

well as the fear of increasing his pain by too versation, prevented

history of his curate

life,

Mr. Say from securing

but the following

is

much

con-

a complete

believed to be ac-

:

John Tanner was the son of

a clergyman,

who removed

with his family to the banks of the Ohio, near the mouth of the

Miami river, some time

previous to the year 1790.

settled there but about ten days

had been

He

when apprehen-

sions

were entertained of an attack from a party of Indians.

The

unsettled

time, exposed

state of that

its

part of the country, at the

scattered inhabitants to frequent incursion.s

from their savage neighbours. Tanner was then about nine years of age

;

notwithstanding the prohibition of his father,

from the house, and

he had wandered

to a short distance

had just

hat with walnuts, picked from a neigh-

filled his

tree, when he was seized upon by a party who by their threats forced him to silence

bouring dians,

carried

him

off.

This party was commanded,

it

of In:

is

they said,

by an Indian who resided near Saganaw, and whose wife had lately lost her son. Bereft of her only child, the mother appeared inconsolable, and finally begged that her

husband would make a prisoner of one, about the same age, to

whom

she might transfer

borne to her

own

ofispring.

had armed a party of his

all

the affection which she had

With

friends,

this

the settlements, found this child, carried

turned with him to

liis

wife,

view the Indian

proceeded down towards

who was

him

oflT,

and re-

delighted on be-

122

EXPEDITION TO THE

holding a boy so nearly of the age of that

she had

\vliich

lost.

By

Indians young Tanner was treated with

these

kindness; he rose to manhood, became distinguished as a

man and

brave

From

a hunter.

Saganaw

to the

tribe of the

we

circumstances which

have not ascertained, his adopted parents,

who

belonged

Ottawa nation, removed

more western country the man died ;

;

to a

became the

his wife

leader of a small party that resided occasionally on the

Lake of the Woods, or on Red river, or the Assiniboin. Tanner was offered the situation of chief, which he wisely declined, judging that his white origin would make him

He

an object of suspicion.

cess as a hunter, and had told

appeared

satisfied

with his suc-

no further ambition.

by those who had long known him,

We were

that although

had acquired many of the characteristics of Indians,

he had some

peculiarities

different origin. spirits,

or to

He

smoke

and gewgaws

as is

which marked him

had never been seen

as

one of a

to taste of ardent

Instead of purchasing

a pipe.

he

still

trifles

customary with Indians, he devoted the

produce of his hunts, which were always successful, to the acquisition of articles of clothing useful to himself, to his

adopted mother, or to her relations.

In this state he ap-

pears to have lived perfectly happy, respected and esteem-

ed by

all

In the year 1816, he ren-

his fellow hunters.

dered an important service to

by guiding

a party of

direction of

new

settlers,

who were under

the

Governor M'Donnell and Captain D'Orson-

nen from Rainy Lake

ment

Lord Selkirk's settlement,

to

arrived at so timely a

Fort Douglas

moment

great favourite at the settlement.

Lord Selkirk during

;

as to

He was

this reinforce-

make Tanner

a

pointed out to

that nobleman's visit to his colony.

His Lordship took great

interest in his situation,

and by

SOURCE OP

ST.

Peter's river.

was discovered. His

bis exertions, Tanner's family

He

gradually brightened.

name, or rather

it

recol-

though

faint at

had forgotten his

father's

lections of the scenes of his eai'ly youth, first,

123

had become confused

in his recollection

with that of a friend of his family called Taylor, so that this

was

at first

thought to be his name.

Tanner placed

by Lord

in our hands a letter

Selkirk, and

which

is

which was written

dated Lexington, Nov. 25,

1817. It was written after a personal interview with Mrs.

Taylor, whose account of the family corroborated Tanner's

There were

statement in the most important particulars.

some

slight discrepancies, but these

were no other than

might have been expected from the imperfect recollections of a child of nine years of age, after twenty-six years of es-

trangement from his country and friends.

somewhat

singular that

he should have

It is

perhaps

totally forgotten a

language which he must have undoubtedly spoken with considerable fluency at the time that he

The

was taken

prisoner.

following extract from Lord Selkirk's letter, at pre-

sent in our possession, shows

how

far his recollections ex-

tended.

"

The

circumstances that Mrs. Taylor mentioned of his

family coincide with those which he told

me

particularly that he had a brother called sisters

married previously

that his father

was

scribed him.

The only

Taylor said that

who was

to his

a big lusty

in the north,

Ned, and two

being carried

man,

as the

point of diflerence

Ned Tanner was older than

is,

that Mrs.

the boy John,

carried away*, whereas I had understood

be younger; but as

I

Also

ofi".

young man de-

him

through an interpreter, such a mistake might easily

Mrs. T.

also said that old

Kentucky

to

could converse with John only

John Tanner had been

arise.

settled in

several years before 1790; but that possibly he

124

EXPEDITION TO THE

might have removed other part of the

at that date,

by the

river,

The young man

state.

told

from some

me

that his

father had changed his residence a very short time before

he was carried

off,

and had been settled on the banks of

when

the Ohio only about ten days,

He

dians took place.

come down cattle.

He

the attack of the In-

mentioned particularly his having

the river in a large boat or also

mentioned,

with horses and

flat

that, at the

place

father lived previous to his removal, there

where

was

a

running in a cavern under ground, where they used

his

brook to

go

with a candle to take water," &c.

Through the benevolent and active interference of Lord Tanner was restored to his family, who recogniz-

Selkirk,

ed him and received him

well.

He

had already brought

several of his children into the United States, and had

three of

them

at

to return to the

Indians, the

it

Mackinaw, when,

Lake

of the

in 1823,

Woods

he determined

for the others.

The

appears, manifested great unwillingness to allow

two young

girls to

be taken out of the country, and they

opposed his endeavours,

until finally,

with the assistance

of Dr. IVI'Laughlin, he succeeded in removing the children.

He appears

to

his daughters,

have

felt

but

little affection for

and wished her

to

the mother of

remain in the country;

but she, finding her efforts to keep her daughters unavailing, resolved to go with them.

They had

passed Rainy

Lake and were at the Portage de I'Isle, in Bad, (INIaligne,) when the wife induced an Indian, who was travel-

river,

ling with them, to shoot Tanner.

She,

it

appears, bribed

him The poor man was near falling a victim to the plot; his wife ran away with the Indian, took her daughters with her, and left him alone and wounded; fortunately he was with the promise of her elder daughter.

picked up by a canoe going to Rainy Lake

;

they

conve}*^-

;

SOURCE OP

ST.

Peter's river.

125

ed him there his daughters joined him, and, ed

him with the utmost kindness.

down

a

said,

His wife proceed-

who was

the river with her accomplice,

have had

he

as

;

treated

said to

bad name, even among the Indians, previous to

this circumstance.

We

have endeavoured

to

some knowledge of

acquire

the character and principles of a man, whose early impressions

must have been completely extirpated by those of the

men among whom he vowed

to be

heedless

spent the greater part of his

who had

revenged on the Indian

of the personal

from another

life.

shot

He

him

danger which he must incur

visit to the country,

he resolved upon return-

ing to Rainy Lake as soon as he should have regained his strength, in order to pursue and punish his

observations which were

made

of his feelings, only drew from him this answer; did he shoot

me ?

cold, decisive

he wished

If

to kill him, for he

is

a

to kill

bad man."

manner;

it

Any

enemy.

him, on the impropriety

to

me,

it

is

"Why

my

duty

This was uttered in a

was not the

result of passion, but

of a conviction founded upon a process of reasoning, to

which he had been long accustomed.

In his intercourse

with traders he appears to have been honourable, and

more

this reflects the

time,

when an

upon him,

credit

active competition

as

between

it

was

at a

rival traders

frequently induced them to stimulate the Indians to frauds

which

One

affected their opponents.

attested. In a letter, dated

was written by Mr. John Allan, did not choose to

traffic

parties trading in opposition to

west Company,

VoLv

IT.

at

it is

stated, that

" Tanner

exclusively with any trader, but

used to take goods on credit,

occasion, brought

instance appears well

Montreal, Nov. 1818, and which

two parcels of the fork of

17

same time, from

at the

one another, and on one furs to a post of the

Red

river

;

North-

he employed the

EXPEDITION TO THE

1^6

contents of one parcel to pay a debt which he had contracted there, and, having done so,

was about

go with

to

his other parcel of furs, to discharge, in like manner, a

debt which he had contracted with a neighbouring trader

Bay Company; some

of the Hudson's

taking

away

of his furs was made,

of the North-west Company's prevail on

Tanner

to sell the

by the person

fort,

whole

who

Tanner

own

still

charge

in

endeavoured to

to him.

suasion failed, threats were resorted to as

opposition to the

by the

When

per-

trader,

and

persisted in doing as he pleased with his

property, a pistol was presented to his breast

;

on

which, pointing to his bare bosom, he undauntedly told the trader to

and

declaring that, although but a stranger

fire,

a slave in that country,

woman

as to raise a

wards, through

weapon

he would not be so much of a against

any man, and

from killing him.

By

after-

this

bold

conduct he maintained his right to the disposal of his

furs,

fear, desist

which he immediately applied

to the

payment of

a just

debt."

Of his attachment by the long and visit his

to his children,

perilous journey

he gave a strong proof

which he undertook

to

daughters and the distress which he felt, when they ;

had disappeared, was among the most heart-rending scenes

which we have ever witnessed. tural expression of grief

deeply

which he had meditated of

His language was the nafelt.

If the

abandonment,

his wife, presents

him

to our

consideration in a less deserving light as a husband,

it

in

mind, in extenuation, that the

woman

who

could, under

any circumstances, be induced

to plan,

and

instigate another person to so atrocious a

must be borne

that in

crime as

which she afterwards shared, could not be an amia-

ble companion, affections.

and could probably have no claim upon his

SOURCE OP

What

will be the future destiny of

We

us very uncertain.

ever be

Peter's river.

ST.

satisfied

much

187

Tanner appears

to

question whether he can

with sharing in the occupations and com-

forts of civilized life.

We think

it

more probable

wandering and irregular habits which he seems

that the to

have

imbibed from the Indians will soon drive him back from

He was

the settlements to his usual haunts in the woods. at

one time considered, by zealous persons,

ment

fit

instru-

for the conversion of Indians to Christianity, but

doubt whether he can ever be brought to viction in the truths of Revelation,

make

as a

fit

ministers of the gospel.

feel tliat

which

While

is

we

deep con-

required to

his strong

mind

appears to have rejected the superstitions of Indians, it has

imbibed a sort of philosophic incredulity, which would

make him

but a slow and unwilling convert to the purest

of faiths.

Tanner was of

mode

of

a disposition naturally stern,

which

his

and the sentiments of his companions have

life

He was

but increased.

seen to shed a tear;

said,

by many, never

when he was

to

have been

bereft of his daughters,

he wept not his grief was of too stern a character. But ;

was

evident that the conflict of

it

emotions in his mind, at

the time that he was compelled to land from our canoes,

overpowered him, and his eyes glistened with a tear which he attempted in vain

There

is

loath to omit

him.

it.

who have His

off.

a feature in his character

alluded to, and, as

those

to shake

it is

which we have not

honourable to him,

We allude to at various

his

warm

we

should be

gratitude for

all

times manifested kindness to

affection for his Indian

mother, and for her

fa-

mily, was great. Of the late Lord Selkirk he always spoke

with much

feeling.

cerely attached.

He

To

Dr. M'Laughlin he appeared sin-

frequently mentioned the kind sym-

EXPEDITION TO THE

Its

him by Major Delafield, of the bouncommission, who would have taken him in his

pathy manifested

dary line

to

wounds did not admit of

canoe, but that at that time his his removal.

Such

the sketch of the

is

resting man, as far as

and character of

life

we have been

this inte-

able to collect

them

from personal interviews with him, from the account of Dr. M'Laughlin and others, who had known him for many years, and especially from the perusal of the documents

which he had

him

and which fully establish

in his possession,

to be the son of the Rev.

neighbourhood of Frankfort,

ments

consist of letters

in

John Tanner, Kentucky.

late of the

These docu-

from Lord Selkirk, from Mr. Ed-

ward Tanner, and from other persons who interested themTanner had promised to supply us selves in his behalf. with the particulars of his

life

and adventures, and with a

full account of the manners and habits of the Ottawas and

whom

Chippewas, among

he had resided.

His well

esta-

make it an object of much wounds prevented him from continuing with us. His language, though broken, was intelligible he had in his intercourse with white men, since blished character for candour

regret that the state of his

;

1817, acquired enough of the English language to converse in

it,

though always with much

At Rainy

lake fort there

difficulty.

a very fine water

is

passed by two or three only of those on

The whole

Winnepeek

by these

feet.

falls,

the height of which

The beauty

ing or dashing of waves that is chiefly sienite, in

tendency to a

is

is

of the spot depends

upon the wildness of the rocky scenery, occasioning

a

sur-

river.

of the waters of the lake discharge themselves

into the river

twenty-five

fall,

very striking.

about

much

a foam-

The rock

which we thought we could distinguish

stratification directed

about north-east, and

SOURCE OF

ST.

Peter's river.

inclining about 65 degrees to the south-east.

may have been

ever,

about the lake

The

how-

This,

The principal growth

the pitch pine, white pine, and spruce.

rather light, but in the immediate vicinity of

soil is

the fort

is

a local feature.

129

excellent

it is

potatoes and wheat are cultivated, to-

;

musk

gether with maize, pease, beans, pumjikins, water and

The wild strawberry seemed

melons, &c. &c.

Our

abundant there than elsewhere.

soldiers

more

to be

were kept

busy, while encamped at the fort, in fishing for the pike and fresh-water salmon, which are found in great abimdance

and excellence

Among

found there. throated

at the falls.

humming ;

Mr. Say

the birds

and

is

killed the ruby-

bird, black-headed titinouse,*

ated wood-pecker.t

near to the fort

The Testudo geographica and

pile-

There are remains of beaver dams it is

probable that this was formerly

a favourite haunt of this animal,

which has been entirely

hunted out by the residents on the lake.

We proceeded through Rainy lake, for a distance of about on a general easterly course. We found to

fifty miles,

it

resemble in tains

its

many

most part

Lake of

islands, all resting

is

70 degrees

characters the

a mica-slate,

east,

upon

whose

Woods

;

it

strata are directed

The

;

we have

we

north

in a

few

islands betray a rapid

and constant decomposition by the crumbling of the cal strata, so that

con-

rock which for the

a

and nearly vertical

places seen granite, sienite, &c.

the

verti-

doubt not that the physical characters

of the lake, as well as the size and form of the islands, must

undergo very striking changes

in the lapse of ages.

From

Rainy lake the voyagers pass into a number of small rivers or narrow channels, separated by portages. Among these rivers they distinguish that of the "

•

Parus

atricapillufish for winter; this

however, an expensive preparation,

is,

them about two English

dollars per bushel

Montreal

salt at

object to the salt ties

which

made

of the white-fish, at least such

whom we ful

We

conversed.

they formerly obtained

one dollar per

at

in the

contains render

it

;

as their salt costs

They

barrel.

United States

the impuri-

;

it

unfit for the preservation

is

the opinion of those with

mentioned

to

them the

success-

experiments made in England on the substitution of

sugar to

mised

preservation of

salt in the

to repeat

them

;

if

fish,

and they pro-

the maple sugar should answer as

economy

well as the cane sugar, there would probably be in using

it

ascertained here, and

which may

that cattle will feed little

if

A

in place of salt.

upon

interest the agriculturist,

We

fish.

any other food, and

abundance of good milk, the

by that of the

least afiected

circumstance which was

saw cows

is

an extent of

that have

that thrive well, yielding taste of

which

is

not in the

fish.

In the immediate vicinity of the post

and there

we saw

but sand

one mile square which ap-

at least

down by

pears to be formed entirely by the sand brought

Michipicotton river.

This stream

hundred and forty yards wide nication with

Moose

river.

;

it

We

is

formed of small

enclosing large rocky islands. passable during the

summer

there

about one

affords an easy

were

commu-

told that the coun-

try north of this bay resembles that near

being entirely

is

Winnepeek

river,

lakes, rivers, rapids,

The country

is

and

quite im-

season except with a bark ca-

noe, which the traveller carries over the portages, and

which he again launches

after arriving at a navigable stream

or lake. In winter the whole country being frozen and co-

:

SOURCE OP

Peter's river.

ST.

193

vered with snow affords an easy mode of travelling to

who

those

On

are accustomed to the use of snow-shoes.

walked from Michipicot-

these, travellers have frequently

Bay

ton to Hudson's

in

twenty-one days

;

they usually

drag after them a small train or sledge, in which their provisions are packed

they travel in this manner from forty

;

day

to fifty miles per

;

it is

ed seventy-five miles, but measured, miles,

The degree

rated. is

very great

alcoholic

known this

it is

to

said, that

they have even walk-

as these are estimated,

and not

probable that the distances were overof cold experienced at Michipicotton

the winter before our visit to the fort, an

;

thermometer

- 35°

fell to

descend to -37°, and

was the maximum of

cold.

it

(F.)

It has

been often

was not ascertained

From

that

these circumstances

potatoes and turnips are the only produce raised near the fort.

This place resorted to

is

much The di-

acquiring more importance, being

by canoes going

to

Moose

Factory.

viding ridge between the waters of Hudson's of Lake Superior,

if

applied to such a country,

north of the lake.

Bay and those

indeed the term dividing ridge can be

Every

is

said to be about thirty miles

river in this part of the country

more or less beautiful cascades. There is a very handsome one about two miles above the fort on a small

presents

ijranch of the Michipicotton is

;

and one

represented as being very beautiful

arising above

very

great.

it,

and from

its size

at a greater distance ;

we saw

the cloud

suppose the cataract to be

Mr. Mac Intosh showed us very

fine foliated

and transparent gypsum which came from Moose

where he represents description river

is

it

as

being very abundant.

would appear

that the country

of a different nature from that on

he did not represent ti'v.

it

A walk up

it,

however,

as

river,

From his on Moose

Lake Superior

being a prairie coun-

the river offered us the largest whortle-.

^

194

EXPEDITION TO THE

berries

which we have ever seen

they were highly

;

fla-

voured and very abundant, even more so than those

in the

vicinity of the Falls of Kakabikka. Other berries also

grew

abundantly.

Notwithstanding our desire to get under weigh, compelled by

weather

stress of

one day, during which time

remain

to

we

little,

we resumed

we

sleet.

we

left

the

found ourselves exposed to

we were

obliged again to resort to

had travelled but about

three hours of hard rowing.

we

snow, and

our journey, but as soon as

a storm so violent that

We

hail,

wind having apparently abated a

the

river and entered the lake,

land.

Michipicotton

experienced a heavy south-

westerly gale accompanied by rain,

The next morning,

at

we were

five miles

With

during near

considerable difficulty

got our boat round a promontory, and hauled

it

up, on

the shore, in a small cove which appeared tolerably safe.

On

looking back to the various

experienced on the route,

we were

at

we

no period of the journey exposed to so immi-

when we were

nent a danger as on that morning in a crazy boat, coast, in

a

view

used our

on a very rough

sea, near

safety, to

flies

and lay by

keep ourselves

and

sail

in the

struct their skin lodges,

till

as

We

as possible,

in a conical

form, upon a frame of light poles, which had been

by some

Indians.

we

In this manner

left

sheltered ourselves

ba)'^

observed it

was

the direction of the strata was North

40*^

slaty rock, of a dark colour, sometimes almost black ;

there

snow and wind.

We had on the west coast of Michipicotton well stratified

we

that the Sioux con-

winding them round,

partially against the effects of the

landed,

the next morning.

warm

manner

sailing

an iron bound

which there were but few harbours.

however, in

With

which we have

difficulties

are induced to believe that

west, their inclination was vertical.

It is

;

found in some

SOURCE OP parts to contain

much

ST.

quartz and iron pyrites.

rises

higher than the coast usually does

cliff,

which appears

tion

;

to

195

Peter's river.

it

;

This rock

forms

a vertical

be undergoing a very rapid destruc-

but the fragments, instead of collecting at the base and

forming an inclined plane, are washed away, so that the waters of the lake come up to this vertical bank, which rises like a wall, enclosing the

Pyrites appears to

lake.

abound throughout the mass.

It

is

probable that, at

the junction of this rock with the sienite, the river has forced

way

its

into the lake,

and that the wide bay of Mi-

chipicotton has been opened, for on the east side

saw the

we

sienitic

rocks predominating.

At

we

again

the bay in which

stopped, five miles east of the trading house,

we

ob-

served the sienite to be intermixed with other rocks, one of which contains a greater abundance of hornblende, and

forms a real greenstone talc,

;

another portion

is

mixed with

and a third portion contains hard nodules of quailz,

which would

at first

convey the idea of

a conglomerate, but

which, being examined more closely, appear to present no characters but such as are entirely compatible with a pri-

mitive and highly crystalline formation

;

these nodules of

quartz are connected by a talcose cement. All these varie-

found together, and belong to the same general

ties are

mass, of which they form but local or partial features. are

which

They

penetrated by iron pyrites, in great abundance,

all

some points were evidently mixed with copper these were examined with care, in hopes of

in

pyrites

all

;

meeting with the native copper, and with other ores of the

same metal besides the pyrites

;

our search was, however,

The great interest which generally prevails on the subject of the copper mines of Lake Superior, as

unsuccessful.

they are

perhaps justify us in offering, on this few observations, which we hazard with some

called, will

subject, a

EXPEDITION TO

196

We

diffidence.

J'HE

have seen native copper strewed

directions, over the great valley drained

and

tributaries,

its

vellers that

it

and we know from the reports of

many

exists in

in several spots

places. It has also

on Lake Superior, where

looked to as an object of great promise. of

that

it

is

known

exists

many

in

by the Mississippi

it

all tra-

been found

was long since

The

on the Ontonagon

mass

largest

and

river,

for

a correct account of the characters of this interesting block

we

are indebted to

Mr.

Schoolcraft.

Our journey having

been conducted on the north shore of the lake, we of course had no opportunity of seeing

we know

that

this interesting

mass

;

but

all

of the native copper of that country leads us

to the belief that

it

has not yet been found in situ, and that

therefore these loose masses ought not to be looked to as indicative of mines in their immediate vicinity.

weight and

from

size of the

great

mass on the Ontonagon might,

induce us to believe that

is true,

The

a great distance, if the

it

it

has not been transported

much

greater size and weight

of the boulders which are dispersed along the vallies of the Mississippi did not attest, that, whatever

may have

been the cause which produced these revolutions, the force with which

it

operated must have been immense.

It is

not, therefore, to these masses of native copper, but to the

ores of this metal found in rocks in situ that our attention

ought principally to be directed with a view to discover copper mines. ties

We

have ourselves seen a number of

locali-

of copper pyrites throughout the primitive rocks of

Lake Superior, but these were always in more minute examination might probably

the north coast of

small specks. lead to site

more

A

successful results.

We

believe that there

of -copper mines somewhere near this lake, and

think

it

in

is

a

we

no manner improbable that the masses of na-

tive copper

which occur, from the south shore of Lake

;

SOURCE OF

PETEr's RIVER.

ST.

197

Superior clown the valley of the MississipjDi, have

IjcGti

by the same cause which dispersed the boulders

scattered

Whether

of sienitic rock.

the native copper found to the

north-west on Copper Mine river comes from the same place,

is

fore can

a subject

upon which we have no

and there-

data,

Perhaps, as Mr. Schoolcraft

form no opinion.

suggests, the Porcupine Mountains,

be found to contain copper ores.

if

We

well explored, would

do not

at present re-

any places where the pyrites or any other ore of

collect

copper has been found in any quantity on Lake Superior.

Mr.

Schoolcraft,

handed

true,

is

it

to

one of our party

some fragments of ores of copper, brought to him in 1823

by an

Indian,

Kewewenon

who

said

he had found them on Kewecna or

Upon

point, on the south shore of the lake.

the vague reports of an Indian

we

shall

build no theory

the question which appears to us of far greater importance is

not where the copper

if it

should be found.

lies,

We

but what shall

are

other advantage would result from to

come, than the mere addition

new^ locality of this metal.

It

we do with

it

very doubtful whether any

in

it,

at least for a

century

books of science of a

does not appear to us, that

in the present state of that section of our country, and with

the unpromising prospects which

it

now offers,

could be worked for a great length of time.

know, try,

exists in

many

and much nearer

these mines

Copper,

we

other parts of our extensive counto the centres of civilization

and po-

pulation. Instead, therefore, of wasting our endeavours and

resources, in a futile attempt to discover mines in so re-

mote and dreary

a country, let us apply

vestigation of those sections,

be turned first

to

them

to the in-

where mines could,

immediate advantage.

Had

if

found,

the French,

who

overran our country, considered this point, and in-

stead of wasting their resources in idle searches, instead of

Vol.

II.

26

EXPEDITION TO THE

198

out an expedition to ascend the Mississippi

fitting

two

thousand miles, for the sole purpose of collecting green earth on the St. Peter, had they spent the same

amount

in

France, in working the mines that have since been opened there, they

would have rendered an

their country

essential

and benefited their fortunes.

service to

Whereas, by

the course which they were led to pursue, they added but little to

science, at the

same time that they ruined them-

'

selves.

These observations are offered with the more as they are not

hesitation,

founded on an extensive acquaintance with

the localities of native copper, &c. but rather upon a general,

perhaps some

may

think a hasty and superficial, in-

spection of the features and resources of that section of

country, which

come

many have

considered as destined to be-

the seat of future mining operations on a great scale.

we

After remaining twenty-four hours encamped,

sumed our voyage, though with sea,

re-

the disadvantage of a high

and cold and snowy weather; but the wind being

vourable

we proceeded with

facility, coasting

fa-

along the

Bay after travelling twentywe reached CapeGargantua which we doubled, and which may be considered as the entrance of the bay.

eastern shore of Michipicotton

;

seven miles,

We

stopped for a meal at what appeared to be a very safe

harbour near to the point.

posed

to be derived

connected manner

at the

fanciful imagination

The name

of this place

from a high rock, which

it

is

sup-

rises in a'dis-

To a The spot

entrance of the harbour.

might appear a Colossus.

has in truth a very beautiful and characteristic appearance; the rock, which

is

an amygdaloid, having but

appears to be fast wasting

away under

fluence of the waves, producing a

little solidity,

the destructive in-

number of picturesque

and irregularly shaped masses, projecting

to a small height

SOURCE OF

In one of these there

above the level of the lake.

which by some might be taken

vity,

volcano, though

merely spot

is

probably owes

it

held in great veneration deposit near

it,

its

a ca-

is

crater of a

for the

present appearance

waves upon the rock.

to the action of the

ever they pass

199

PETEr's RIVER.

ST.

by it

the Indians, who,

This

when-

presents of tobacco and

other valuable articles, which, in their simple faith, they

expect will propitiate the

spirit that

dwells there.

This place offers one of the best localities for zeolites,

and will probably, when better explored, yield specimens

We

of great beauty.

mark

a view to

of the specimens

;

some fragments, rather with

but Dr. Bigsby,

times, has obtained

we

collected

the locality than on account of the merit

who was

some very good pieces,

there several

for

one of which

are indebted to his liberality.

we passed several islands, known Fox and Montreal Islands, and after a long

Proceeding onwards

by

the

name

and swift

sail, at

indentations,

ment. soil

of

we

While on the

was not deep, but

and that

it

from the shore,

a distance

to avoid all its

reached the place of our evening encamptrap rocks, that

we

observed that the

what there was of

it

supported a fine growth of cedar.

treal Islands

were observed

country became lower and

however found no

to present

was good,

The Mon-

sandy beaches

less dreary. In the

the

;

evening

we

suitable place to pitch our tents, but

spread our blankets on the stony beach, having no means of sheltering ourselves

from

occurred during the night.

a

At

heavy

fall

this place

of

we

snow which observed two

rocks in immediate contact, one of which was a granite

formed by

a very small proportion of quartz and mica.

a mica-slate, which formation.

with

a fine pink-coloured feldspar, intermixed

we judged

Near

it

was

to constitute a subordinate

;

^00

EXPEDITION TO THE

On

the 2yth

we

reached at an early hour a projecting

point, called the Pointe de

Memens,

a corruption of the

Indian word Marmoaze, which signifies an assemblage of

We

rocks.

beach

a trap rock in place, but the

strewed with water-worn fragments of conglome-

is

rates or sandstone

we

met with

there

these

;

were the

first

conglomerates which

observed on the lake shore. After leaving this point

proceeded on a long stretch, thirty-one miles long, is

to

termed the Grand Cape, which we reached

Our course

night. called

Maple

and there we

first

observed the sugar

Being during part of

siderable distance from the north shore,

this

day

we with

tisfaction discovered the south coast of the ;

close of our navigation on this lake. first

The

The

approaching

view

is

termed

is

land appeared to be very low, and

nearly overflowed by the waters of the lake. point of land which

con-

part of the south

disclosed itself to our

White-fish point.

at a

great sa-

lake to be in

this afforded us a sure indication of the

shore which

what

late at

led us near to a group of small islands,

Islands,

tree in abundance.

sight

we

The next

disclosed on the south shore

quois point, differing but

little

from the former

is

Iro-

in its

ge-

neral character.

We

had reached the Grand Point

judge of

its real

situation

next morning, that at the eastern

that cape

Mary

it

was only,

we became aware

an hour to

therefore, on the

that

we had

arrived

extremity of the lake, and that on doubling

we would

issues.

•,

at too late

enter a bay from which the river St.

We left the

Grand Point on the morning of

the 30th of September, the weatlier was fair and pleasant after travelling a short distance, the rocks

to recede gradually

were

from the

were observed

lake, the shores of

which

lined with sandy beaches; but the hills at a distance

decreased rapidly in height, and from the change in their

SOURCE OF

Peter's river.

ST.

201

vegetation, appeared to indicate a difference in their geological character.

The as the

Oak

Pointe aux chenes, or

commencement

point,

Mary's

of St.

may

be considered

which

river,

Pointe aux Pins, one mile lower down,

at the

about three

is

miles wide, and has a rapid current and a devious bed.

The wind being

we

and

in

two hoars'

time reached the head of the rapid which

is

termed the

fair,

Sault de St. Marie.

We

spread a

landed,

sail,

left

our boat, and walked

bank of the

along the Portage road, on the south to the "

Cantonment Brady," which

is

river,

the highest military

post occupied by the United States' troops on the chain of lakes.

A

dug from the head of the rapid

mill-race has been

to the fort

;

it

is

somewhat

closes the nature of the rocks,

than a mile long

which

it

;

dis-

consist of red sandstone

This was the

horizontally stratified.

we

less

first

spot at

which

observed this rock in place, but Dr. Bigsby has inform-

ed us that he found casionally

it

in man}^ of the spots at

which he oc-

encamped on the north shore of the

Mr. Schoolcraft's narrative we

lake.

In

are informed that this rock

extends to a very considerable distance along the south shore of

Lake

Superior.

The

canal or mill-race,

garrison has opened at the Sault, has been

much

less difficulty

and expense than would

which the

made with at first

have

been expected, from the apparent magnitude of the undertaking; at a very slight additional expense the canal might

be enlarged so as

to

render

it

navigable for bark canoes of

the largest size.

Our party

travelled the distance

from Fort William to this passage

was

An

idea

can be formed of our success in this respect from the

cir-

the Sault de St.

Marie

in fifteen

days

;

considered very short considering the season.

cumstance that the superintendent of Michipicotton house.

;

EXPEDITION TO THK

202

Mr. Mac Intosh, who

left his

post eight days before

we had

arrived at the Sault three hours after

we

landed

did,

yet

;

gentleman was travelling with a crew of experienced

this

voyagers, but being in a canoe he was frequently obliged to lay by.

Our boat though

flat-bottomed, and in a bad

The north

condition, answered our purpose very well. coast of the lake, along

which we

somewhat

time of the year than the southern

safer at that

said to afford

it is

most of these

are,

many good

travelled,

Long

;

hence none but ex-

Our Engages not be-

we were

ing well acquainted with the coast,

which we

when we needed them

travelled on the lake

frequently at

most.

The

route

was estimated by Major

hundred and eighty-three miles

at three

considered

harbours, the entrances to

however, concealed

perienced pilots can find them out.

a loss for harbours

is

;

no doubt a

considerable saving in the distance could be effected in

weather by keeping further

fine

by

off

from the

The

cutting across Michipicotton bay.

ing which

we

travelled on the lake

ous and severe

we had snow,

;

and

coast,

season dur-

was unusually

hail, or rain, for

boister-

nearly the

whole of the time.

The country

along the lake

imaginable, considering

which

it

may

its

is

one of the most dreary

latitude,

be approached.

rocky, broken, and unproductive,

growth of

common

trees

cold and inhospitable

cumscribed that

;

to

the

and the

Its surface is

true,

abound

rugged regions

man finds no possibility Game is extremely

tifully

plants

;

its

means of subsistence

climate

is

are so cir-

of residing on

it

Few,

if

scarce.

grow spontaneously.

in its waters, but

with

even in the natural

in a savage state.

any, esculent

facility

every where

,Fish,

it

is

only such as can be plen-

caught by means of nets

;

the total absence

sandy beaches on the greater part of

its

of

extent prevents

SOURCE OF

ST.

203

PETEr's RIVER.

the use of nets, and of course precludes even this last

mode of subsistence. Accordingly all the Chippewas that we saw on the lake did not exceed half a dozen of families. If a

few

fertile vallies

should ever be found in the country

they will be so closely surrounded by rocky

hills

and dan-

gerous swamps as to render them no desirable abode for civilized

men. Indeed

this section of

to estimate the future population of

country from

its

present aspect,

would be

it

a highly exaggerated allowance to admit a single inhabit-

ant for every thousand acres of land.

But from

its

very

wildness and dreariness this coast draws a charm which

we would The high

vainly hope to find in more favoured regions. hills,

the rugged precipices, the rocky shores,

with their spare vegetation, are relieved by the transpa-

rency and purity of the waters that wash their base

;

these

are often so great that the pebbles can be distinctly seen at a depth of

appears as

more than twenty if

upon which

suspended in it floats;

air,

so transparent

the spectator,

long intent upon gazing

at the

At Cantonment Brady, by the

who keeps

is

frequently the liquid

his eyes too

bottom, feels his head grow

giddy, as though he were looking

pitably received

The canoe

feet.

down

a

deep abyss.

the party were kindly and hos-

officers of the garrison,

which was

command of Major Cutler of the 2d regt. United States' Infantry. The gentlemen of the party enjoyed a few interviews with Mr, H. R, Schoolcraft, who at that

was

time under the

stationed there as Indian agent; they found this gen-

tleman very obliging in communicating to them his observations on the topography and mineralogy of the country, as also

upon the character and dispositions of the Indians

within his agency. Mr. Schoolcraft has devoted to this latter subject,

much time

and has collected much valuable

in-

formation, which he kindly offered to impart to our gen-

EXPEDITION TO THE

204

tlcmen; they however declined

this

kind

having

ofler,

as-

Mr. Schoolcraft had previously intended the i nformation for Governor Cass, who, as they were pleased to certained that

hear,

is

collecting materials towards a general account of

the Indians within the district of Michigan.

From

the in-

dustry with which these materials are collected, no doubt can be entertained that whenever Governor Cass will publish his

account of these interesting nations,

much towards

bute

it

will contri-

the history of the aboriginal tribes

Indeed the certainty that this work will offer much more complete and satisfoctory account of the Chippewas than we could have done was one of the moof America. a

tives

which induced us

to curtail our observations

on

thi»

subject.

de

Having brought the history of our voyage St. Marie, we deem it proper to conclude

ing persuaded that the observations which

to the Sault it

there, be-

we made

after

that time, having been of a hasty and superficial nature,

could contribute but

little to

the history of a country

has been so long known, upon which so written, and which, rations,

by becoming the

much

which

has been

seat of military ope-

during the war of 1812, has acquired so great a de-

gree of celebrity. It will

be sufficient for us to state that the party

left

the

Sault in their open boat, on the 3d of October, and reached

Mackinaw on the next day. There they diDenny proceeded with the ten Green Bay, thence to ascend the Fox river to

the island of vided.

Lieuts. Scott and

soldiers to

the portage, and descend the Wisconsan to the Mississippi.

We

have heard with

by a letter from Lieut. Anthony with his command

satisfaction,

Scott, that he reached Fort St.

without any accident, though after having suffered

from cold weather.

much

At Mackinaw Major Long embarked

SOURCE OP

ST.

205

Peter's river.

with Messrs. Say, Keating, Colhoun, and Seymour, on

board the revenue cutter, the Dallas, which carried them as far as Detroit. St. Clair,

On

this

voyage across Lake Huron and

they were three days, during which they re-

ceived the kindest atttentions from the

commander of the to them

Knapp, who very politely gave up

cutter, Captain

the use of his cabin. After remaining three days at Detroit

they proceeded plies

velled canal

to buffalo,

on board of the steam boat that

upon Lake Erie. They then

;

by land

to Rochester,

they proceeded

visited Niagara,

and

tra-

where they struck the Erie

down

the canal to Albany, a dis-

tance of two hundred and fifty eight miles.

On

the 26th

of October they reached Philadelphia, having been absent about six months, during which time they travelled over

upwards of four thousand

five

hundred miles, the whole

party being blessed with health, meeting with no accident of any account, and undergoing hardships and privations, far less considerable than those

to undergo,

courage of other explorers.

Vol. IL

which they had expected

and which have tried the perseverance and

27

206

EXPEDITION TO THE

CHAPTER

V.

General description of the country traversed by the Kx' pedition, designed as a topographical report to the

War

Department, by

S.

H.

LONG, Major

United

States' Topographical Engineers.

THE

region,

whose description

is

intended in the pre-

sent essay, as embracing the route of the Expedition, limited, on the

N.

W. by

gree of N. latitude with the 97th of the S. E.

by

is

the intersection of the 51st de-

W.

longitude, and, on

that of the 40th degree of latitude with the

74th degree of longitude west of Greenwich.

Its figure is

rhomboidal, about thirteen hundred miles long, from E. S.

E. to

W.

N.

W.

and has an average width of between

four and five hundred miles. Its boundaries

may

be traced

on the accompanying map, being coincident with the route of the Expedition.

The

researches of the Expedition were

more immediate-

ly limited to the region above specified, but our attention

has been nevertheless directed to the attainment of

new in-

formation relative to other parts of the country, whenever a favourable opportunity presented.

w'hole

is

briefly

embodied

The

in the following

substance of the

remarks, with

the view of giving a geographical outline as complete and satisfactory as circumstances will permit.

In order to render the description as plain and perspi-

cuous as practicable,

we

shall arrange

our remarks under

separate heads, corresponding to particular divisions of the

route of the Expedition, and conclude with a few observations of a

more general nature and

application.

The

follow-

—

SOURCE OF

ST.

ing division of the subject applicable, viz.

207

PETER's RIVER.

may

therefore be regarded as

:

Of the country between Philadelphia and the Ohio

1st.

river.

Of

2d.

the country between the Ohio river and

Lake

Michigan.

Of the country and navigable communications between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi. 4th. Of St. Peter's river and the adjacent country. Also 3d.

of the Coteau des Prairies.

Of Red river and the adjacent country. Of the country between Lakes Winnepeek and

5th. 6th.

Superior.

Remarks on

7th.

a variety of subjects connected with

the topography of the country.

L Of

the country between Philadelphia

and

the Ohio

river.

After

all

that has

been written

in description of this part

of the country, a very few remarks relative to

its

aspect and character will suffice, on this occasion.

of the Alleghany Mountains, the country

ably diversified with hills and valleys, and the vegetable products

common

to a

is

most agree-

prolific in all

temperate climate, and

suited to the convenience and welfare of

On

is

general

Eastward

man and

beast.

approaching the range of mountains just mentioned,

the elevation above tide water gradually increases, and the irregularities of the surface

become more apparent.

Con-

nected with these appearances some slight change of

mate

is

perceptible, and

is

cli-

evinced by a more frequent oc-

;

208

EXPEDITION TO THE

currence and longer continuance of frosts and snows upon

On

tlie surface.

entering upon the mountainous range,

difference both of aspect and chaj-acter ed.

A

is

multiplicity of ridges, stretching in a north-easterly

and south-westerly direction, alternating with various widths and depths, rise to the height of

here presented

is

from twelve hundred

A

sand feet above tide water.

;

vallies of

the ridges

to three thou-

change of climate, corres-

ponding

to the difference of altitude, is also observable

and

remarked that

it is

more is

it-

readily perceiv-

occur on some of the ridges,

frosts

month of the year. Such by a difference of elemaize, which grows in

or less frequently in every

the change of climate occasioned

vation

in

these

ridges,

that

great perfection in the vallies, cannot be raised upon the

mountains, where the altitude

hundred

It is

feet.

on the mountains, base, is heavier to

by

is

greater than about fifteen

remarkable also that wheat grown up-

at a considerable elevation

a

few pounds

above their

in the bushel,

and

is

said

be of a better quality in other respects, than that of the

vallies

The

and other adjacent grounds. surface of the ridges

and generally covered

is

often broken and rugged,

Avith a profusion of rocks

of the older sandstone formation.

and stones,

The mountain growth

consists principally of pitch pines, scrub oaks, chesnut,

hemlock, aspen,

laurel,

bramble, &c.

North-westwardly of the Alleghany Mountains, the country presents a surface exceedingly diversified with hills

and

vallies,

yet more generally susceptible of

culti-

vation, and not less fertile than to the eastward. Its general elevation

one thousand

above tide water feet,

and

its

may

be estimated

at

climate in most respects

is

about

very

similar to that of the country adjacent to the mountains,

on the other

side, in the

same

latitudes.

In this respect^

SOURCE OF

as also in its productiveness,

however,

may

ence

two

some

slight differ-

be occasioned by the natural condition of the point of view, the country east-

tracts, in a geological

ward of the range being of a primitive, and

that

westward

common

of a sccondaiy character, limestone being

to both.

country between the Ohio river and Lake

Of the

II.

209

PETEr's RIVER.

ST.

Michigan.

On

tliis

two

part of the route are presented

country, distinctly marked

;

varieties of

the one exceedingly hilly, like

between the Alleghanies and Ohio, before noticed, and

that

the other of a waving aspect, presenting extensive

with occasional

The

clivity.

flats,

and swells of moderate height and de-

hills

between these two

line of division

tracts

com-

mences on the Mississippi, near Cape Girardeau, and runs

Miami

north-eastwardly to the the

Muskingum, which

river, thence eastwardly to

Zanesville, and

crosses near

it

thence north-eastwardly, passing along the sources of Big-

Beaver of

river,

Lake

burgh

and terminating near the eastern extremity

Erie. (See

Account of the Expedition from

Rocky Mountains,

to the

.gion situated

between

this line

vol. 2, p. 333.)

and

vallies

;

re-

and the Ohio river exhibits,

as before hinted, a surface exceedingly diversified hills

Pitts-

The

with

the hills uniformly present rounded sum-

mits; rocks are seldom abundant upon the surface, though

secondary lime and sandstones prevail

at a

below; precipices no where occur except the numerous water-courses.

region

may

be estimated

at

The

moderate depth

as boundaries to

general elevation of this

between

six

hundred and one

thousand feet above tide water, gradually increasing from the

mouth of the Ohio upwards.

face do not render

it

The

inequalities of sur-

unfit for cultivation.

The

vallies, es-

EXPEDITION TO THE

iilO

pecially of the principal streams, are exceedingly fertile,

and the

hills,

though

The

formly an argillaceous loam

soil

of both

is

though deeper than

latter is less prolific,

owing

in hilly regions,

to its

almost uni-

that of the former

;

and contains much lime and vegetable mould,

met with

means of

less productive, afford the

subsistence in abundance.

deep,

is

that of the

usually to be

is

and much more easily cultivated,

being light and free from stone.

North-westwardly of the limit above-mentioned, the country wears a very different aspect, palpably manifest in travelling in the direction of the

river vallies are broader and

No

magnitude,

if

we

by

parallel ranges of bluffs

hills of

any considerable height or

except numerous swells, some of which

are broad and extensive, are here to be seen. tracts

of

flat

The

line.

regularly defined, being

separated from the high lands or mural banks.

assumed

more

Extensive

country, with scarcely an undulation upon

their surface are presented

;

also

many

swamps and The countrj'also upon many

large

morasses, some of which are deep and miry.

on the Sandusky and

St.

Mary's

rivers, as

other streams in this quarter, abounds in blemishes of the nature last mentioned, for which, remedies no doubt will

be provided, as soon as the population and wealth of the

country are sufficiently advanced to admit of the various

improvements that are

practicable.

In the northerly parts of Illinois and Indiana, as also in tlie

west corner of the

paigns,

too

flat

wet

state of Ohio, are extensive

and marshy, of

for cultivation.

a soil apparently

A

is

for the

is

flat

heavily wooded,

most part denominated the Beech lands,

the red beech being the prevailing growth upon soil

cham-

rich, but

large proportion of the

lands of Ohio and Indiana, however,

and

very

of these lands

is

thin, but

it.

remarkably black,

The rest-

SOURCE OF

211

Peter's river.

ST.

In addition to

ing upon a bed of sand, gravel, or pebbles.

the tree just mentioned, the woodlands comprise the oak, ash, elm, hickory, sugar-tree, wild cherry, black walnut,

]iriodendron,poplar, hop-horn-beam, and in

some places cot-

ton-wood and sycamore, most of which attain a gigantic size.

The

may

general elevation of this portion of country

be

estimated, as before, at about one thousand feet above tide

water. in

It is

remarkable, that the strip or zone of country,

which numerous

those of

Lake

ceed from the

Ohio interlock with

tributaries of the

Erie, should decrease in altitude as

Miami

we

pro-

river, eastward; also, that a hilly

region should intei^vene between the Ohio river and the

zone above mentioned, or the country in which taries,

from the north, have their

tion than that of the zone

itself.

to the doctrines of the geologist,

to the general principles of

its

tribu-

origin, of greater eleva-

Yet however repugnant

and however discordant

hydrography, such

is

never-

theless the case, as has been satisfactorily ascertained

the surveys recently

made

in Ohio,

routes that have been explored.

westward

to

Lake Michigan,

by

on the several canal

From

the

Miami

north-

a very gradual declension of

the surface takes place, in so much, that in the vicinity of the lake, the general level

is

about seven hundred feet above-

tide water.

In regard to the cations,

facilities for artificial

water communi-

between the lakes and the Mississippi, through

this district of country,

no doubts can

to the supply of water

on the several summits

season.

Of the routes

exist,

but in relation in a

already been taken in a former part of this work. route through the the

two

St.

explored.

dry

across the state of Ohio, notice has

Maumee and Wabash,

The

and that through

Joseph's and Kankakee rivers, remain to be

Of the

practicability of these routes there can

EXPEDITION TO TUB

*~'12

be no question, except as to the quantity of water that can be brought to their summits, as before intimated.

A

water communication connecting the west end of

Lake Erie with

become

will ere long as

a subject of great interest, inasmuch

must be regarded

it

Lake Michigan

the southern extremity of

as

an important link in the grand

New York

chain of internal navigation connecting

The

the country of the Mississippi.

with

route by which this

be effected remains also to be explored, but the abun-

is to

dance and size of the water-courses intervening between these

two

places, leave but little

room

to

doubt of

its

prac-

ticability.

Country and navigable Communications between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi river.

III.

Of

No

the

by the Expedition can

part of the region traversed

be considered more interesting than that

The

sideration.

surface,

which

is

now under

con-

generally prairie,

is

agreeably diversified by gentle swells and vallies, and

checkered with skirts of woodland fringing water-courses.

The

high degree, and

The bottoms

is

soil in

many

places

is

its

numerous

exuberant in a

no where infested with rocks or stones.

especially exhibit proofs of the greatest fe-

cundity, in the rankness of their vegetable products

;

to

these valuable traits must be added the abundance of lead ore,

which prevails

in

many

places

;

all

of which conspire

to render this country quite as valuable as

any other

tract

of equal extent within the basin of the Mississippi. In this brief recital of the natural advantages and resources of the

country,

it

should not be forgotten, that the

facilities for

water communications between the lake and the Mississippi are

numerous

;

there being no less than three differ-

SOURCE OP

213

PETEk's RIVER.

ST.

cnt routes through which loaded canoes have passed from

one

to the other in times of inundation,

without the inter-

vention of portages.

The

foregoing remarks are intended as applicable more

particularly to the tract bounded, north by the

and Fox

rivers, south

gan, and west

by the

Illinois, east

by the Mississippi

Wisconsan

by Lake Michi-

river, than

which few

The

countries of equal extent can boast of a finer aspect.

rivers included within the limits just assigned, are the Chi-

cago, Milwacke, Manitowacke, and several others of less note, tributary to

Lake Michigan, the Des

Fox, Mequin, &c. tributary

Makabea size that

or Small

Fox

river,

De Page, Rock and

Plaines,

the

to the Illinois,

and several others of smaller

Rock among which are the Kishwake, Pektannon, and Wassemon rivers, all

mingle their waters with the Mississippi.

river has manj^ tributaries,

Pektannon, Little

respectable streams, never before recognised in the geo-

The

graphy of the country.

vallies of the water-courses

generally, and particularly of those just mentioned, are

bounded by

parallel ranges of hills, of

moderate height and

gentle declivity.

The country embracing

the southern extremity of

Michigan, and extending inland lake, presents

no

hills,

flat

Lake

miles from the

except the elevated sand-drifts that

bound that extremity of the tensive

many

lake.

On

the contrary, an ex-

embracing woodlands and meadows alternating

with each other, spreads from the

St.

Joseph

to the

Plaines, and from the lake to the Kankakee. Its soil

is

Des ap-

parently good, but the chilling northerly winds, which

blow from the with them

gies abortive. tract,

lake, charged with vapour,

blast

and mildew, and render

At

Chicago, which

attempts have been

Vol. IL

2S

made

is

seem

its

to carry

prolific ener-

situated within this

to cultivate maize, wheat,

21

EXPEDITION TO THK


/,/ ,A/,/r.uw

//i//fi;y/}

^l/i, ;/(>/! f.''ir

JJ

\'/'V

7

255

APPENDIX. part of the gill cover

over the upper jaw and on the

;

cover, with abbreviated lines of

wrinkled part of the

gill

small blackish spots

helly white, with a

;

few spots on the

middle ;^w* dusky, pectorals and ventrals white before and behind gill covers capacious, broadly united beneath, and ;

each side tapering gradually to a somewhat obtuse point

which nearly

attains to the line

the ventral fins

of the anterior origin of

on the upper basal portion of the

;

gill

cover, and extending for a short distance along the side of the head, the surface tation of the part

;

wrinkled to permit the great

is

mouth

roughness to the touch

;

tongue with large dusky spots

jaws within margined with dusky gill

dila-

entirely destitute of teeth, or of

opening covered with

papillae pointing

backwards

yellow oblong-oval cartilaginous bone on the the termination of the caudal

;

posterior bone of the

;

tail

;

a

beneath

iin.

Total length four feet eight inches.

Rostrum, from the anterior canthus of the eye to the tip,

fourteen and a half inches.

In the above description

we have endeavoured

to state

such characters chiefly, as could not be drawn from the dried specimens, and that have therefore been hitherto

wanting.

In the

gills of this fish

were several Lamprey Eels, (Pe-

tromyzon,) of a small species.

The

Paddle-fish

is

frequent-

ly seen to leap out of the water in the manner of the Sturgeon.

They grow

to a

sure above recorded.

not seen.

somewhat

larger size than the

The Polyodon

of Lacepede

mea-

we have

^

APPENDIX.

25ii

CLASS MOLLUSCA.

C.

The

shells described in the following pages constitute

but a small portion of the collection obtained during the

Those collected on

expedition.

packed

in a box,

canoes to Fort ceived, and

is

of the route

I

which

and intrusted

St.

Anthony

;

supposed to be put

all

may add

a

still

box has not

this

On

lost.

returned in j^et

been re-

the subsequent part

but which was finally lost at

Mackinaw. Another parcel of I

men who

the univalves collected, iu a canteen

I constantly carried,

not since been heard

Peter's river were

St.

to the

To

of.

shells sent

from Chicago has

this statement of

our losses

one, consisting of a box

more important

which contained skins of quadrupeds,

and

birds, reptiles,

fishes.

HELIX. 1.

H. harpa.

6'Ae// conic,

reddish-brown

;

ivhorls

(oiiv,

convex, with numerous elevated, subequidistant, equal, lameliform, acute lines across, the interstitial spaces vv^rinkled;

flat

and

aperture snhorhicuhr, truncated by the penul-

timate whorl, and very

oblique; lahruni simple;

little

umbilicus small, nearly concealed by the base of the

la-

brum.

Length rather more than one-tenth of an

inch.

Inhabits the North-west Territory.

The

elevated lines on this shell give

appearance, and readily distinguish tive species that I

the aculeata of

have seen.

MuUer, but our

'/

f{

^\i^

a very

handsome

from any of our na-

The European analogue

curved points on the lameliform

'-"-WXtAt/

it

it

is

shell is destitute of re-

lines.

PI. 15,

fig.

1.

;;

APPENDIX. 2.

257

H. porcina. Shell depressed, yellowish-brown

with minute, very numerous bristles;

dermis rugose, tvhorls rather

epi-

;

more than

four, depressed above, beneath

rounded, forming a very obtuse angle rather above the centre of the whorl

umbilicus open, rather small, pro-

;

found; labrum Simple.

Breadth rather more than three-tenths of an inch. Inhabits North-west Territory. 3.

minutely hirsute

ivhorls five, rounded

;

tially or entirely closed

;

;

imibilicus

pai'-

by the termination of the labrum

region of the umbilicus indented

ed by the labrum

PI. 15, fig. 2,

Shell convex, brownish-horn colour,

W. fraterna.

labrum

;

aperture

much

reflected, white,

contract-

unarmed

;

its

outer edge not projecting beyond the curve of the whorl its

inferior angle extends to the centre of the base of the

shell;

labium with

a strong, prominent, oblique,

com-

pressed, white tooth.

Breadth one-third of an inch. Inhabits Pennsylvania. I obtained a

but supposing

specimen of it

to be

this shell several

years ago,

an accidental variety of the hirsuta^

I laid it aside

without further notice.

ever, Messrs.

Hyde and Mason have

Since then, howpresented numerous

specimens of the same species to the Academy, having

found

it

consider

rather it

common

;

I therefore

no longer hesitate to

as a distinct species. It resembles

don of Mr. Racket, (Trans. Linn.

Helix mono-

Soc. Lond. vol. 13,

in the conformation of the aperture, but that shell

sented as being largely umbilicated, and

its

not extend near to the centre of the base, as species. PI. 15, 4.

little

pi. 5,)

repre-

labrum does it

does in our

fig. 3.

H. diodonta. Shell somewhat depressed

vex, very

is

;

spire con-

elevated; ivhorls five, rounded, regularly

ass

APPENDIX.

but not prominently wrinkled, and grooved transversely

aperture moderate

;

labrum

jecting dentiform callus near the base on the inner edge

labium with an oblique tooth on the middle rather large, profound, exhibiting

all

;

with a slightly pro-

reflected,

;

umbilicus

;

the volutions.

Breadth rather more than seven-tenths of an inch. This

shell inhabits the state of

allied to

smaller size and armed labium. less dilated than that

it

York.

It is closely

Its aperture also is

oHh^profunda.

H. 2ierspectiva nob. ritory,

New

H. j)rofunda nob. but may be distinguished by

is

common

PI. 15,

in the

its

much

fig. 4.

North-west Ter-

varies in being smaller, and in the circumstance

of the labrum embracing a

somewhat smaller proportion

of the penultimate volution.

H. arborea nob. common H. chersina nob.

common

in the

A

in this territory.

variety of this species

North-west Territory.

It

is

differs

not unin the

greater rotundity of the upper part of each whorl, and in

somewhat less rounded or more flattened figure of the It may, however, prove to be a distinct species, when many specimens of chersina can be had to compare the

labrum.

with

it.

H. alternata and albolabris nob. On our return homeward these two species were not found until we arrived in the secondary country towards the eastern extremity of

Lake

Superior.

H. thyroidus nob. Falls of Niagara. H. ligera nob. North-west Territory.

VITRINA, Draparn. V. pellucida of authors. This

shell

was

first

found near

Coldwater Lake in latitude 48|° north, under stones, fallen

259^

APPENDIX.

timber, &c. It afterwards frequently occurred in similar tuations, until

we

si-

when it was congeners the inhabitant is much too

approached Lake Superior,

no more seen. Like

its

large to retract within the shell, and a great portion of the

body

No

therefore constantly exposed.

is

genus has been hitherto found in

very of

this

this shell is therefore the

specimens which

we

species of this

country

more

;

the disco-

interesting.

collected do not appear to

The

diflfer

in

any respect from those of Europe,

BULIMUS, B. lubricus of authors. stones, &c.

Briig.

This species occurred under

on the shores and islands of Lake Winnepeek

and Lake of the Woods.

It is altogether similar to

the

European specimens of

this species, excepting that the la-

bium

transverse.

is

somewhat more

PUPA. P. modesta. Shell dextral, suboval, minutely wrinkled

apex obtuse; whorls obliquely subovate

;

six;

:

umbilicus distinct; aperture

labium with

a prominent compressed

semioval tooth equidistant from the extremities of the

la-

brum, and a somewhat conic one rather below the middle of the columella

ceding whorl tate,

;

lahrutn not reflected, joining the pre-

at its

upper extremity with a curve

lower tooth placed opposite

to that of the

labium, the others smaller and placed a

Length

less

little

«.

wanting;.

biden-

above.

than one-tenth of an inch.

Inhabits the North-west Territory. PI. 15,

Var.

;

middle of the

The

fig. 5.

smaller tooth of the labrum obsolete or

;

360

APPENDIX.

SUCCINEA. 1.

avara. Shell suboval, pale reddish-yellow, subdia-

S.

phanous, fragile, covered with an earthy crust whorls three, ;

minutely wrinkled

;

body whorl very

large

;

spire small

aperture large, subovate, about two-thirds of the whole length of the shell.

Length three-twentieths of an

inch.

Inhabits the North-west Territory.

This small species of Succinea occurs

in

humid

very frequently under stones and near the water. shell is It

may

at

once be distinguished from either the ovalis or its

very small

PL

size.

15,

fig. 6.

obliqua. Shell oblong-oval, nearly pellucid, pale

amber-coloured

;

whorls three, very obliquely revolving,

distinctly wrinkled; spire a little

suboval,

somewhat

prominent; aperture

oblique.

Length seven-tenths of an inch less

The

always completely incrusted with a coating of earth.

campestris hy 2. S.

places,

;

length of the aperture

than half an inch.

Inhabits Pennsylvania.

Of

this fine species,

found in the vicinity of Philadel-

many specimens were some time since presented to the Academy Nat. Sc. by Messrs. Hyde and Mason, and we obtained a specimen near the Falls of Niagara. It may be at once distinguished from either the ovalis or campestris by the much greater obliquity of the revolutions of its whorls. It is very like the Helix joi/^n* of phia,

Linn, but

it is

more than double the size of that

may, however, be

a variety of that shell.

species.

PI. 15,

fig. 7.

It

261

APPENDIX.

PLANORBIS. t^*^ 1.

five,

P. deflectus. Shell dextral, depressed

;

whorls nearly

minutely and regularly wrinkled across, wider than

long, with a

much

depressed rotundity above, descend-

ing to an acute lateral edge below the middle

;

impressed suture indented, but not profoundly ;

a

spire not

beneath

;

concave in the middle, exhibiting one-half of each

little

volution to the apex

whorls flattened, slightly rounded

;

;

aperture declining very much, suboval, the superior portion of the

labrum considerably surpassing the inferior

portion and taking

origin a

its

ferior portion of the

little

above the carina

in-

;

labrum terminating on the middle of

the inferior surface of the penultimate whorl. Greatest breadth two-fifths of an inch.

This shell was presented to lected

many specimens

me by

who

Dr. Bigsby,

col-

in the waters of the North-west

Territory. It

resembles the exacuous nob. but the aperture does

not embrace so large a proportion of the preceding volution,

and the volutions on the inferior portion of the shell

are consequently slightly indented

more obvious, and the umbilicus ;

is

but

the upper portion of the labrum does

not extend so far beyond the lower portion, the aperture declines also

an

much more, and

affinity for the

the carina

is

less acute.

It has

carinatus of Europe, but in addi-

tion to other differences the aperture of that species declines but little, if at

volving

line.

lution about

which our

all,

and the carina

is

an elevated

shell is also allied, but difiers in

aperture, and the less degree of rotundity of their upper surface. PI. 15,

Vol.

II.

re-

The aperture embraces the penultimate voas much as in the rotundatus of Europe, to

34

fig. 8.

its

its

declining

whorls on

;

APPENDIX,

'i62

2.

Shell dextral; luhorls more thau

P. corpulentus.

three, rather

than wide

;

rugged with coarse wrinkles, much higher

much

superior surface

an abrupt acute

which

line,

superior one

flattened,

not quite so definite and acute as the

is

spire slightly concave

;

and edged by

distinct to the aperture

and terminated below by another

sides hardly rounded,

abrupt edge, which

is

j

umbilicus exhibit-

ing a portion of each of the rapidly retiring whorls to the

apex; aperture longer than wide, the superior part extending higher than the preceding volution and the inferior portion declining

same

much lower

than the inferior line of the

volution.

Greatest breadth three-fourths of an inch.

Length of the aperture nearly half an

inch.

Length of the penultimate whorl near the aperture rather

more than three-tenths of an inch. Winnepeek river, Winnepeek

Inhabits

Woods, and Rainy Of this species I

lake;

common.

numerous specimens, but had

collected

the misfortune to lose

them

Lake of the

lake,

PI. 15, fig. 9.

all,

number

as well as a great

of interesting terrestrial and fluviatile shells, on our return to the settlements,

and

I

am

indebted to the liberality of

Dr. Bigsby for the individual above described. It ly allied to trivolvis, nobis, but

is

much

the sides of the whorls, the carinse are the upper side

brum

is

less

is

much more

less

its

close-

more prominent,

horizontally flattened, the la-

rounded, and the whole shell

higher in proportion to

is

rounded on

is

larger and

width, and the aperture ex-

tends both above and below the penultimate whorl. P. canipantilatus, nob. Falls of Niagara. P. trivolvis, nob. North-west Territory and Falls of Niagara. P. parvus, nob.

is

common

in the waters of the

North-

263

APPENDIX. west Territory, and

upon

may

be found i» plenty crawling

They vary

the rocks near the shores.

in size

from

those found in the eastern states, being less than half as large.

P. armigerus, nob. St.

Peter and

Red

rivers,

com-

mon. P. bicarinatus, nob. North-west Territory, rather com-

mon.

LYMNEUS. L. megasomus. Large, dilated suboval pidly diminishing, acute

;

whorls about

;

spire, short, ra-

five,

rounded, ob-

tusely wrinkled across; body-whorl large, the wrinkles

very obvious; suture deeply impressed; aperture submuch longer than the spire, within chesnut-brown ;

ovate,

columella white.

Length more than one and six-tenths of an inch. Length of the aperture more than one inch. Greatest diameter one inch.

This remarkably large and

fine species

was found

in

Bois blanc Lake, North-west Territory, by Dr. Bigsby, to

whom ish,

I

am

indebted for specimens.

The

colour

is

brown-

sometimes lineated across the body whorl with dull

greenish and pale ochraceous

;

and the chesnut-brown co-

lour of the interior of the shell, combined with

dimensions, distinguish this species from

covered in this country. PI. 15,

fig.

all

its

large

others yet dis-

10.

L. emarginatus, nob. from Lake Namakan, north of Lake Superior, collected by Dr. Bigsby. L. elongatus, nob. Rainy Lake and Seine river, Dr. Bigsby. L. desidiosuSf nob. Falls of Niagara.

; ;

264.

APPENDIX.

PHYSA. P. heterostropha, nob. North-west Territory.

VALVATA. V. sincera. Shell subglobose-conic whorls nearly four, ;

accurately rounded, finely and regularly wrinkled across

aperture not interrupted by the penultimate whorl nor appressed to

it,

not diminished

but merely in contact with

it,

the labrum

in thickness at the point of contact; urn-

bilicus large, exhibiting the volutions.

Breadth

less

than one-fifth of an inch.

Inhabits North-west Territory.

For

this species I

am

indebted to Dr. Bigsby. It

similar to the tricarinata, nobis, but

nated lines, and the umbilicus

from the obtusa of Europe, nitude of the umbilicus.

PL

is

fig.

the

very

destitute of cari-

rather larger;

also, in

15,

is

is

much

it

differs

greater

mag-

11.

PALUDINA. P. limosa^ nob. North-west Territory.

AMPULARIA. A. depressa.

Shell ventricose, subglobular, obsoletely

banded with obscure green ; whorls four, slightly wrinkled

body whorl more prominent above, somewhat flattened wards the suture, of a pale olivaceous colour, which is

toal-

most concealed by numerous, unequal, longitudinal and transverse greenish and brownish lines ; spire very

depressed

:

much

aperture suboval, within somewhat glaucous,

fi.Arn ij

r,r/iy//,r

>-//>,iv;i

7.

y />!//,//.>

iiii-t/i/si'/mis

(Q /"'///?, '/vV,'.'

Jfr-Mr

< ; '/y7ri/,-///n[,-

o -*V -^ en

-i.

"^

J

-3 -- "^ "S j; -k: cn

'2

y s»

t) pq

c )

2 PQ

'-2

d

APPENDIX.

458

O -o

^Jj

fc^

J3 "3

-Q -;3

V;'

m W

CQ

en

1?

^

r-

(«

4-59

e C

o > § Q a.