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DOWN 
 
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 THE 
 
 GREAT RIVER; 
 
 EMBRACING 
 
 AN ACCOUNT OF THE DISCOVERY OP THE 
 
 Miiue ^cui|ce n^ tl^e ]V[ississippi, 
 
 TOGETHER WITH 
 
 VIEWS, DESCRIPTIVE AND PICTORIAL, OF THE CITIES, TOWNS, 
 
 VILLAGES AND SCENERY ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER, AS 
 
 SEEN DURING A CANOE VOYAGE OF OVER THREE 
 
 THOUSAND MILES FROM ITS HEAD WATERS 
 
 TO THE GULF OF MEXICO. 
 
 By l^ 
 
 CAPTAIN WILLARD GLAZIER, 
 
 Autbor of "Soldiers of the Saddle," "Capture, Prison-Pen and Escape," "Battles for the 
 
 Union," "Heroes of Three Wars," "Peculiarities of American Cities," 
 
 "Ocean to Ocean on Horseback," etc. 
 
 MUu^txU^A. 
 
 
 PHILADELPHIA : ^ , ,,^ 
 
 HUBBARD BROTHERS, PLiBLisiffife" 
 
 723 Chestnut Street 
 1891. 
 
 /^Oj 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1887, by 
 
 WILLARD GLAZIER, 
 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. 
 
 
^ POPULAR ^TVORKS ^^-^ 
 
 OF 
 
 dApTAIM WILLAI(D IjLAZIEI^, 
 
 The Soldier- Author. 
 
 I. Soldiers of the Saddle. 
 II. Capture, Prison-Pen and Escape. 
 
 III. Battles for the Union. 
 
 IV. Heroes of Three Wars. 
 
 V. Peculiarities of American Cities. 
 VI. Down the Great River. 
 VII. Ocean to Ocean on Horseback. 
 
 Captain Glazier's works are growing more and more 
 popular every day. Their delineations of social, mili- 
 tary and frontip.r life, constantly varying scenes, and 
 deeply interesting stories, combine to place their writer 
 in the front rank of American authors. 
 
 SOLD ONLY BY SUBSCRIPTION. 
 
 PERSONS DESIRING AGENCIES FOR ANT OF CAPTAIN GLA- 
 ZIER'S BOOKS SHOXILD ADDRESS 
 
 m THE PUBLISHERS. ©^ 
 
Hon. Charles P. Daly, LL. D. 
 
 PRESIDENT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 =/Tmepicar[ Qeographical Society; 
 
 As A Tribute of Respect 
 
 For His Eminent Public Services; 
 
 And His Lifelong Devotion to the Cause of 
 
 OEOGRAPHICAL SCIENCE; 
 
 ®:i)is boinme 
 
 is dedicated 
 
 BY 
 
 TnEi Author, 
 
Introduction. 
 
 'HE discovery of the Mississippi is very 
 generally ascribed to Ferdinand De Soto, 
 who, in his adventurous march in pur- 
 -^ suit of gold and glory, reached the Great 
 E-iver in April, 1541, near the site of the 
 present city of Natchez. Worn out with 
 fatigue and humiliated by his many disappoint- 
 ments, he died on its banks, and found his final 
 resting-place in its deptlis. 
 
 Discovery in the Valley of the Mississippi rested 
 for nearly a hundred years after the death of De Soto, 
 when the zealous Jesuit missionary. Father James Mar- 
 quette, accompanied by Sieur Joliet, proceeded from 
 Michilimackinac to the head waters of Fox River, then 
 by portages into the Wisconsin, and descended that 
 stream to its confluence with the Mississippi in 1673. 
 Thoroughly exploring the Mississippi as far as the 
 mouth of the Arkansas, Marquette began his return 
 voyage to Canada, but after enduring many privations 
 and hardships among the Indians fell a prey to ma- 
 laria contracted on the Lower Mississippi, died and 
 was buried on the western shore of Lake Michigan. 
 
 Robert de La Salle, following in the footsteps of 
 Marquette, sailed from Rochelle, France, on his first 
 voyage to the New World, in the summer of 1678; 
 lauded at Quebec in September, and in the s})ring of 
 
 vii 
 
viii INTRODUCTION. 
 
 1679 ascended the Niagara River and, traversing 
 Lakes Erie, Saint Clair and Huron, reached Michil- 
 imackinac the latter part of August. From this point 
 he proceeded in a southerly direction to Lake Michi- 
 gan and erected on its banks a fort in the territory of 
 the Miamis. In 1680, we find him at Fort Fron- 
 tenac, on Lake Ontario, and in the autumn of 1681, he 
 descended the Mississippi from the mouth of the 
 Illinois Eiver on his way to the Gulf of Mexico, reach- 
 ing it April seventh, 1682. Soon afterward he re- 
 turned to France by way of Quebec. 
 
 La Salle left France on his second expedition in 
 July, 1684, reached the Gulf of Mexico in the follow- 
 ing February, founded a settlement on the Bay of 
 Saint Louis, and during his voyage to Canada was 
 assassinated by his own men. The command of the 
 expedition and the account of his explorations devolved 
 upon his lieutenant, the Chevalier Tonti. 
 
 When La Salle led his first expedition to the Mis- 
 sissippi, Father Louis Hennepin, who had accompanied 
 him from France, was sent northward with three 
 voyageurs to explore its head waters. After ascending 
 the Mississippi one hundred and fifty leagues above 
 the junction of the Illinois, they were taken prisoners 
 by the Indians and carried into captivity towards the 
 the source of the river in a journey of nineteen days. 
 Being set at liberty they descended the stream and 
 returned to Canada. Hennepin subsequently pub- 
 lished an account of his explorations and advent- 
 ures which tended to throw considerable light upon 
 the Indian tribes he had encountered, and the regions 
 he had traversed. 
 
 In 1683, Baron La Hon tan, an unfrocked monk 
 
INTRODUCTION. IX 
 
 and subsequently an officer of the French arm}^^ 
 arrived at Quebec. During the four years of his 
 military service in Canada, he was stationed for a time 
 at Michilimackinac, where, in 1688, he first heard of 
 the death of La Salle. Being commissioned to con- 
 tinue the work of exploration begun by Marquette, 
 La Salle and Hennepin, he proceeded to Green Bay and 
 passed through the Fox and Wisconsin rivers to the 
 Mississippi in 1689. The highly colored stories of his 
 observations and adventures related by this explorer 
 rival the tales of Munchausen, and lead the reader to 
 question the credibility of his published accounts. 
 
 For a period of one hundred and fourteen years 
 succeeding the explorations of La Hontan, the Great 
 River was seldom visited by white men. Charlevoix, 
 who had been commissioned as the historian of New 
 France, landed at Quebec in 1721 and, passing through 
 the lakes, descended the Illinois and Mississippi to 
 New Orleans. 
 
 Captain Jonathan Carver, a native of Connecticut, 
 who had served several years in the provincial army, 
 gave some attention to the Upper Mississippi in 1766. 
 By his courage and invincible daring among the 
 Indians he acquired a powerful influence over them ; 
 was elected by the Sioux to the chieftainship of a tribe, 
 and given a vast tract of land, which, however, the 
 British government declined to ratify. The fate of 
 Carver cannot but elicit our warmest sympathies. 
 His gallant services as a soldier and his zealous work 
 in the field of exploration should have insured for 
 him from his king a respectable competency; but, 
 on the contrary, he was suffered to feel the annoy- 
 jinces of poverty, and died of want in the city of 
 
X INTRODUCTION. 
 
 London, where, for a long time previous to his death, 
 he endured greater privations thar. had fallen to his lot 
 in the American wilderness. 
 
 From 1769 to 1793 several enterprising travelers 
 carried forward the work of exploration in the New 
 World. During these years Samuel Hearne made a 
 journey from Hudson's Bay to the Coppermine River, 
 and McKenzie performed a voyage to the Pacific 
 Ocean. Nothing, how^ever, was done in the direction 
 of the Mississippi after the return of Carver, until 
 1805, when Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike, a 
 brave and accomplished young officer of our regular 
 army, was ordered by General Wilkinson, then in com- 
 mand of the Department of Louisiana, to proceed to the 
 head waters of the river and continue the exploration. 
 
 Pike started from Bellefontaine, Missouri, with a 
 force of twenty men, in August, 1805. Knowing com- 
 paratively little of the climate of the region he was 
 about to visit, having no interpreter or guides, he 
 labored under many disadvantages. Winter overtook 
 him when he had reached a point only one hundred 
 and twenty miles north of Saint Anthony Falls. Here 
 he built a block-house and, leaving a detachment of his 
 men in charge of a sergeant, pushed forward with 
 snow-shoes and sledges as far as Cass Lake, then 
 known to the agents of the North-west British Fur 
 Company as Upper Red Cedar Lake. 
 
 It appears from the narrative of Lieutenant Pike's 
 expedition that he derived his information of the 
 topography of the country chiefly from representa- 
 tives of the North-west Fur Company, on whom he 
 seems to have relied largely for assistance in the de- 
 lineation of maps. These fur-traders led him to a 
 
INTBODUCTIOlSr. XI 
 
 wrong impression concerning the source of the Missis- 
 sippi, Avhich he located in Turtle Lake. Having, as 
 he supposed, accomplished the object of his mission, 
 Pike returned to Bellefontaine, and subsequently 
 published an account of his expedition and its results. 
 
 General Lewis Cass, of Michigan, an eminent sol- 
 dier and statesman, organized an expedition at De^ 
 troit and led it up the Detroit River and through 
 the lakes to the Mississippi in the spring and summer 
 of 1820. Like his predecessor, Lieutenant Pike, 
 General Cass reached the Mississippi too late in the 
 season to penetrate to its ultimate source. His ex- 
 ploration rested in the lake which now bears his name 
 and which had been previously visited by Pike. 
 Having on his staff several gentlemen of scientific 
 attainments, the Cass expedition was distinguished by 
 its attention to the peculiar characteristics of the In- 
 dian tribes and the botany, mineralogy, and meteor- 
 ology of the regions traversed. 
 
 Passing over the expedition of Beltrami and his sup- 
 posed discovery in 1823, we find that early in the spring 
 of 1832, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, who had accompanied 
 General Cass in 1820, was commissioned by the Gov- 
 ernment to proceed to the Upper Mississippi, make cer- 
 tain treaties with the Indians and carry forward the work 
 of exploration, if possible, to its fountain-head. Fully 
 equipped, and with an officer of the regular army to com- 
 mand his escort, Schoolcraft arrived at Cass Lake on the 
 tenth of July. Pushing forward with small canoes he 
 reached Lake Itasca three days later. Evidently sat- 
 isfied that he had found the object of his search, and 
 having an appointment to meet Indians in council at 
 the mouth of Crow Wing River, Schoolcraft neglected 
 
Xii INTR OD UCTION. 
 
 to coast Itasca for its feeders, and thus missed the goal 
 he had so industriously sought. 
 
 Jean Nicolas Nicollet, who succeeded Schoolcraft in 
 Mississippi exploration, was a native of France, and 
 came to America in 1832. His first visit to the head 
 waters of the Mississippi was entirely unofficial and 
 made in the interests of science. Having attracted 
 the attention of our Government, he was sent at the 
 head of an expedition to the same region in 1836. 
 This eminent explorer appears, from his maps and the 
 narrative of his expedition, to have overlooked the 
 main stream entering the south-western arm of Lake 
 Itasca, and to have accepted conclusively the statements 
 of those who had preceded him. 
 
 Satisfied that the work of exploration at the head 
 waters of the Mississippi had been completed by 
 Schoolcraft and Nicollet, nothing further was at- 
 tempted in this quarter, with the exception of a partial 
 survey, from 1836 to 1881, an interval of forty- 
 five years, when in the latter year the question of the 
 fountain-head of the Great Hiver was again revived, and 
 a hitherto unrecognized lake to the south of Itasca was 
 located by the author of this volume 'as the primal 
 reservoir — the True Source of the Father op 
 Waters. 
 
 WILLARD GLAZIER. 
 
 November 24, 1886. 
 
Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE OLD EXPLORERS. 
 
 De Soto, Marquette, La Salle and Hennepin. — Pike, BeUrami, 
 Schoolcraft and Nicollet. — Lake Itasca. — Other Lakes. — A Field 
 for Exploration. — The Author Proceeds to Saint Paul. — Prepares 
 for an Expedition to the Head Waters of the Mississippi. — 
 Journey to Brainerd. — Topography of the Country. — Extra Sup> 
 plies. — Leech Lake. — Kabekanka Eiver 29 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THROUGH THE CHIPPEWA COUNTRY. 
 
 En Route to the Head Waters of the Great River. — Impenetrable 
 Underbrush. — A Rough Road. — Half-way Houses. — Gull Lake. — 
 Wandering Indians. — Hole-in-the-day. — Little Crow. — John Mona- 
 han. — Aboriginal Conflicts. — Reuben Gray. — Dinner at Gull 
 , Lake. — Ride to Pine River. — Huge Logs and Boulders. — George 
 Barclay. — Characteristics of Indians. — Fourteen Mile Lake. — 
 First Meal in Open Air, — Exuberant Spirits. — Gauging the Ra- 
 tions. — Duck-shooting. — Birch-bark Canoes Capsized. — Resolved 
 on more Caution. — Journey Continued , , • , . 32 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 HOME OP THE CHIPPEWAS. 
 
 Arrival at Leech Lake. — Log-cabin Hotel. — Fresh Fish and Flap- 
 jacks. — Canadian Fur-traders. — Indian Agency. — Major Rufle, — • 
 Paul Beaulieu. — White Cloud. — Pioneer History.— Sioux and Chip- 
 pewas. — Domestic Habits of Indians. — Secure an Interpreter and 
 Gui d es. — Birch-bark Canoes. — Flat-mouth . — Cheno wagesic. — Din- 
 ner with Flat Mouth. — Rev. Edwin Benedict. — Theory of Paul Beau- 
 lieu as to the Source of the Mississippi.— Diversity of Opinion 38 
 
 xiii 
 
XIV CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. 
 
 A- Council. — Chenowagesic Draws a Map. — Canoes. — Distribution of 
 Luggage. — Embark on Leech Lake.— Mating a Portage. — Kabe- 
 kanka River. — Trolling for Fish. — Encampment. — Clouds of Mos- 
 quitoes. — Strike Tents. — Launch Canoes. — Lake Garfield. — Packing 
 Traps. — Indians Carry Canoes. — More Mosquitoes. — Gabekanazeba 
 River. — Astir at Dawn. — Naming Lakes. — Blue Berries.— Wolf and 
 Deer. — Shooting Ducks. — De Soto River. — Short Rations. — Ammu- 
 nition Lost. — Rigid Economy. — Portage. — Height of Land. — Flocks 
 of Pigeons. — Wild Strawberries. — Lake Itasca. — Schoolcraft Isl- 
 and 49 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 TRUE SOURCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 Exhausting Portages. — Empty Haversacks. — Coasting Itasca for its 
 Feeders. — A Talk with Chenowagesic. — Infant Mississippi. — A 
 Beautiful Lake. — Source of the Great River. — Description of Primal 
 Reservoir. — Three Feeders. — Lake Alice. — A Geographical Error 
 Corrected. — A Surprise. — Pokegama. — Chenowagesic Speaks. — 
 Latitude and Altitude of Source. — Length of the Mississippi. — Mean 
 Descent 68 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 First Day.—" Now for the Gulf of Mexico ! "—Return to Itasca. — 
 A Bald Eagle. — Short Rations. — Outlet of Itasca. — Obstructions. — 
 Narrow Gorges. — Savannas. — Wild Rice. — Camp Discovery. — Mar- 
 quette River. — Gna wings of Hunger. — Mosquitoes. Second Day. 
 — Exploring for Breakfast. — Descending the Stream. — The Dis- 
 covery. — The Alice. — The Itasca. — Shoot an Otter. — Two Ducks 
 Shot and Two Captured. — A Light Breakfast. — Drift and 
 Boulders. — All Hands Clear the Way. — Hunger and Fatigue. — The 
 Otter Roasted for Supper. — Small and Poor. — Advanced only 
 Fifteen Miles. — Camp Otter 77 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PERILS AND PRIVATIONS. 
 
 Third Day. — Blue Berries. — Chain of Rapids. — Kakabikons Falls. — 
 A Capsize and a Loss. — Joliet River. — Hunger, Gaunt and Stern.— 
 Four Ducks Shot. — Disembark and Pitch Tents. — Camp Hunger.-' 
 
CONTENTS. XV 
 
 Ducks Reserved for Breakfast. Fourth Day. — Paddles Eesumed. 
 — An Old Duck. — La Salle River. — A Deer. — A Wasted Shot. — Ex- 
 hausted. — Halt for Rest. — Two Ducks and a Mud-Turtle. — Wild 
 Rice. — Savannas. — Pinidiwin River. — Wild Geese out of Range.-~ 
 Camp Starvation ......... 86 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 BEMIDJI TO WINNIBEGOSHISH. 
 
 Fifth Day. — Struck Tents at Sunrise. — Two Ducks and a Muskrat. 
 — All Hands Very Weak. — Meet a Canoe. — Fish and Sugar. — Lake 
 Marquette.— Lake Bemidji. — Camp Relief. — Trading-post Aban- 
 doned. — Empty Larder Again. Sixth Day. — Re-embark. — Two 
 Small Ducks. — Cass Lake. — A Few Dried Fish. — Camp Chippewa. 
 — Foraging. — Corn and Potatoes. — Aboriginal Generosity. — We 
 Help Ourselves. — Description of Cass Lake. — Lieutenant Pike. — ■ 
 Governor Cass. Seventh Day. — Cabin of Missionary. — Up at 
 Daybreak. — Roasting Potatoes. — Meet Some Indians. — Dried Veni- 
 son. — Lake Winnibegoshish. — Strong Wind. — Nearly Swamped. — 
 Strike the Beach. — Kitchinodin. — Cordial Reception. — Wind- 
 bound. — Indian Character. — A Good Dinner for All Hands. — 
 Kitchinodin Asks a Blessing. — A Walk Through the Village. — 
 Description of Lake Winnibegoshish 95 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 HABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPPEWAS. 
 
 Eighth Day. — Home of Kitchinodin. — Religion of the Chippewas. — 
 The Great Spirit. — The Evil Spirit. — Invoking the Deity. — Polyga- 
 my. — Education. — Luck. — Fasting. — Females Degraded. — Origin of 
 the Chippewas. — A Future State. — False Traditions. — Inter-mar- 
 riages. — Courtship. — Power of Husband over Wife. — Funerals. — In- 
 vocations to Deceased. — Grief. — Parting with Chenowagesic. — 
 Happy Hunting-grounds 105 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 LAKE WINNIBEGOSHISH TO GRAND RAPIDS. 
 
 ^INTH Day. — Re-embark. — Driven Ashore by High Wind. — Camp 
 Chenowagesic. — Tents Pitched. — Retire for the Night. — Disturbed 
 at Midnight. — Villanous-looking Indians. Eleventh Day.— 
 Slow progress. — Leech Lake River. — White Oak Point. — Camp 
 Kitchinodin. — Chippewa Village. — Curiosity of Indians. — Chief 
 Dull-Knife. — Ugly Women. — Nude Men. — Description of a Wig- 
 wam. — India\js Friendly. Twelfth Day. — Meet Three Canoes, 
 
Xvi CONTENTS. 
 
 — Halt for Dinner. — Mosquitoes. — Pokegama Falls. — ^A Portage.— 
 Arrive at Grand Eapids. — The Potter House .... 122 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 GRAND RAPIDS TO AITKIN. 
 
 Thirteenth Day.— Supply of Food. — Leave Grand Rapids. — 
 Farewells. — Make Good Progress. — Camp Portage. Fourteenth 
 Day. — Camp Thunder. — Change of Scenery. — Halt for Dinner. — 
 Swan River. — Steamer City of Aitkin. — A Salute. — Land for the 
 Night. — Heavy Thunder-storm. Fifteenth Day. — Camp Mos- 
 quito. — Re-embark. — Meet Indians. — White Man with Indian 
 Wife. — Fine Country. — Former Battle-grounds. Sixteenth Day. 
 Douglass House, Aitkin. — Return to Civilization. — Mud River. — A 
 Capsize. — " The Commodore." — Interpreter Leaves for Leech Lake. 
 —Aitkin. — Population and Industry 130 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 TEN DAYS AT AITKIN. 
 
 Reorganization — Lecture Appointments. 
 
 Profitable Employment. — Carlos Douglass. — Rambles Around Aitkin. 
 — Productive Soil. — Numerous Lakes. — Modern Canoes. — Rushton 
 Canoe. — A. H. Seigfried. — A Veteran Canoeist. — Rushton's " No. 
 93." — Description of "No. 93." — "American Travelling Canoe." 
 — Letter from A. H. Seigfried. — H. L. Hinckley. — Valuable Sug- 
 gestions. — Racine St. Paul Canoe. — Hob Roy Canoe. — Descrip- 
 tion of Racine St. Paul — Letter from Mr. Hinckley. — Advice and 
 Instructions Relating to Canoes. — Good Wishes . . . 136 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 AITKIN TO BRAINERD. 
 
 Twenty-sixth Day. — Pine Knoll. — Below Aitkin. — "Weighed 
 Anchor." — "Snags and Sawyers."~Broad Savannas. — Pine Tim. 
 ber. — A Pleasing Landscape. — Abundance of Water-fowl. — A WiL 
 derness. — John Polly and Family. — Hospitality. — Thunder-storm, 
 Twenty-seventh Day. — Camp Discomfort.— Launched Canoes 
 — All Hands in Good Spirits. — The Sioux Portage. — Another Cap, 
 size. — Approaching Storm. — Stores Damaged. — Lightning and 
 Thunder. — Tents no Protection. — Story-telling to Pass the Night. 
 Twenty-eighth Day. — Start for Brainerd. — Halt for Dinner.—. 
 Re-embark. — Arrive at Brainerd. — Greetings. — Warren Leland.^ 
 Arthur E. Chase. — Dr. Rosser. — Lecture. — Chauncy B. Sleeper.— 
 George Barclay. — The Stolen Trunk. — Thieves Arrested.— Held fot 
 Trial. — Description of Brainerd 14^ 
 
CONTENTS. Xvil 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 BRAINERD TO MONTICELLO. 
 
 Twenty-ninth Day. — Re-embark. — Land at Crow Wing. — Charles 
 Bailey. — Hunting Exploits. — Description of Crow Wing. Thir- 
 tieth Day. — Little Falls. — A Surprise. — Judge Story. — A. J. Pier- 
 son. — Vassaly House. — Lecture. Thirty-first Day. — Receive 
 Calls. — Moses Lafond. — Nathan Richardson. — Valuable Informa- 
 tion. — Shooting the Falls.— The Alice. — Pike Rapids. — Mrs. Mc- 
 Neil. — Western Hospitality. — Western Women. — Women Farmers. 
 Thirty-second Day. — Saint Cloud. — River Wideniug.— Sauk 
 Rajiids. — Nearly Swamped. — Captain West. — Lecture. — Judge L. 
 A. Evans. — Description of Saint Cloud. — Jane Grey Swisshelni. 
 Thirty-third Day. — Monticello. — Reach Monticello.— Cordial 
 Welcome. — Lecture.— Henry Kreis. — ^Samuel E. Adams. — Henry 
 Glazier . . .154 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 MONTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS. 
 
 Thirty-fourth Day. — Leave Monticello. — Interest Manifested.— 
 River-drivers. — Wongans. — Booms and Jams. — Village of Elk 
 River. Thirty-fifth Day, — Friedley. — Strong Wind. — Blown 
 Ashore at Anoka.— Dinner.— Reach Friedley. Thirty-sixth 
 Day. — Jams and Log-booms. — Reach Minneapolis. — " The Nicol- 
 let." — Saint Anthony Falls. — Grand Spectacle. — " Sound of Many 
 Waters." — Father Hennepin. — Height of Falls. — Breadth of Falls. 
 — Legend of the Falls. — Ampato's Fate. — Saint Anthony. — Sus- 
 pension Bridge. — University. — Water-power. — Huge Rafts. — Lum- 
 ber Business. — Flour-mills. — Summer Resorts. — Falls of Minne- 
 haha. — Boating, Bathing and Fishing. — Germans and Scandi- 
 navians. — Metropolis of North-west 163 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 TEN DAYS AT SAINT PAUL. 
 
 Fort Snelling. — Lieutenant Pike. — Major Long. — Colonel Leaven- 
 worth. — Colonel Snelling.— Minnesota River. — Jonathan Carver.— 
 Geology and Mineralogy. — Minnesota Boat Club. — " The Island." 
 —Deliver a Lecture. — Father Hennej)in. — Treaty with Sioux.-— 
 Pierre Perent. — First Building in Saint Paul. — Catholic Mission. — 
 Bridges. — Capitol. — Ojiera House. — Academy of Sciences. — His- 
 torical Society. — Schools. — Asylums. — Stores and Warehouses. — 
 Retail Trade. — Wharfage. — Railroads. — Points of Interest. — Car- 
 ver's Cave. — Fountain Cave. — White Bear Lake. — Bald Eagle 
 Lake. — City Park. — Progress of Civilization .... 1^'3 
 2 
 
Xviii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. 
 
 Forty-sixth Day. — Leave Saint Paul. — Drenching Rain. — 
 The Gem City. — Hastings. — Lecture Postponed. — Foster House. 
 Forty-seventh Day. — Leave Hastings. — Saint Croix River. — 
 Red Wing. — Swiss Missionaries. — Dakota Indians. — William 
 Freeborn. — Manufactures and Resources. Forty-eighth Day. 
 — "Beware of Lake Pepin." — Frontenac. — General Garrard. — 
 Legends of Lake Pepin. — Maiden Rock. — Lake City. Forty- 
 ninth Day. — Minneiska. — Violent Wind-storm. — Chippewa 
 River. Fiftieth Day. — Reach Winona. — Courtesies. — Lecture. — 
 Business Activity. — Railways, — Churches. — Schools. — Public Li- 
 brary. — Newspapers. — Manufactures. — Lumber Trade. Fifty- 
 first Day. — Leave Winona. — Ugly Clouds. — Violent Wind. 
 —Canoes Filled with Water.— Sudden Calm. — Disembark at 
 Trempealeau. — Melchior House 197 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 •mREE DAYS AT LA CROSSE. 
 
 Trip from Trempealeau. — La Crosse and Surroundings. — Delightful 
 Day. — Beautiful Scenery. — Arrive at La Crossb. — Pearce Giles. — 
 Name of City. — Distance from Saint Paul. — Black and La Crosse 
 Rivers. — Growth of La Crosse. — Myrick's Indian Trading-post. — 
 Present Populatioia. — Products and Resources. — Potatoes and Flax. 
 — Port of Entry.— Lumber. — Base of Supply. — Electric Lights. — 
 Churches. — Schools. — Newspapers.— Public Library. — Rapid Im- 
 provement 220 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE. 
 
 Fifty-fifth Day. — Victory, Wisconsin. — Heavy Thunder-storm. — 
 Driven Ashore. Fifty-sixth Day. — Prairie du Chien. — Diffi- 
 cult Landing. — Marquette and Joliet.— Jesuit Mission. — Kickapoo 
 Indians. — The Mound-Builders. — Gautier de Vorville. — Brisbois.— 
 Captain Fisher. — Saint John's College. — Saint Mary's Institute. — 
 Fort Crawford. Fifty-seventh Day. — Guttenberg, Iowa. — 
 Thoroughly Soaked. — The City and its Surroundings. Fifty- 
 eighth Day. — Dubuque, Iowa. — September Rains. — Land for 
 Dinner. — Refused Accommodations. — Beautiful Scenery. — Excel- 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 XIX 
 
 lent Pasturage. — ^Winnebago Indians. — March of Civilization. — A 
 " Pocket." — Reach Dubuque. — Julian Dubuque. — Lead Mines. — 
 Treaty with Indians, — Immigrants. — The Civil War. — Volunteers. 
 — Trade and Manufactures. — Lumber. — First School. — The Lead 
 District. — Geographical Position of Dubuque .... 226 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 DUBUQUE TO DAVENPORT. 
 
 Fifty-ninth Day. — Start for Davenport. — Change of Scenery. — 
 Excellent Progress. — Reach Bellevue. — Bower House. — N. O. 
 Ames. — Hon. W. O. Evans. — Captain Warren. — B. W. Seaward. — 
 Bellevue and the Bandits. — Delightful Summer Resort. — A Promis- 
 ing Town. Sixtieth Day. — Clinton, Iowa. — Wapsipinicon 
 Boat Club, — Hospitality. — Revere House. — Description of Clinton. 
 — Death of Garfield. Sixty-first Day.— Comanche.— Meeting 
 an Army Comrade. — Cordova. — Le Claire Rapids. — Moline. — 
 Lowell of the West. — Manufacturing Centre. — Water-power. — 
 " City of Mills." — Rock River. — Deere & Company. — Educational 
 and Religious Matters. — Sylvan Water. — Rowing Association. 244 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 
 
 Roch Island Arsenal — City of Rock Island. 
 
 Site of Davenport. — The Illini. — Winfield Scott. — George Daven- 
 port. — Antoine Le Claire. — James Mackintosh. — The Ferry. — 
 Sidewalks. — Court House. — Educational Advantages. — Churches. 
 — Public Library. — Academy of Sciences. — Mercy Hospital. — 
 Home for the Friendless. — Growth of Davenport. — Rock Island 
 Arsenal. — General Rodman. — Colonel D. W. Flagler. — Early 
 Settlers. — Cause of Black Hawk War. — Governor Reynolds. — 
 General Gaines. — The "Prophet." — Treaty of Peace. — Colonel 
 Atkinson. — Zachary Taylor. — Jetferson Davis. — General White- 
 side. — Abraham Lincoln. — Hard Fighting. — End of War. — Sacs 
 and Foxes. — Late Civil War. — Military Prison. — Description ot 
 the Island. — Capacity of Arsenal. — Ornithology. — Rock River. — 
 Hennepin Canal. — Rock Island City. — Description. — Commerce 
 and Manufactures. — Black Hawk's Watch-tower . . . 252 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 DAVENPORT TO BURLINGTON. 
 Sixty-sixth DAY.—An Early Start.— Reach Muscatine.— De- 
 
zx 
 
 CONTENTS, 
 
 scription. — Railways. — Lumber. — Agricultural Produce. — 
 Churches.— Schools.— Population. Sixty-seventh Day.— Stop 
 at a Farm House. — Funeral of President Garfield. — Iowa Grangers. 
 — John Warren Walton. — Iowa River. — Home of Black Hawk, 
 — Indian Relics. Sixty-eighth Day. — Keithsburg. — Reach 
 Burlington. — Barrett House. — Flint-mills. — Description of Bur- 
 lington. — First Settler. — Samuel S. White. — Doolittle. — John 
 Grey. — Name of City. — Dr. Samuel S. Ross. — Judge D. Rorer. — 
 Zion Church. — Opera House. — First Wedding. — Population. — 
 Public Library. — Churches. — Schools. — Colleges. — Boat Club. 
 — Private Residences. — Prospect Hill. — Black Hawk Amphi- 
 theatre. — The Levee. — Manufactures and Commerce. — Iron Bridge. 
 — Steam-ferry. — Burlington College. — Burlington Hawkeye . 272 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 
 
 Sixty-ninth Day. — Leave Burlington. — Adventure on a Sand- 
 bar. — Rich Farms. — Nauvoo. — Joseph Smith. — Collisions with 
 Gentiles. — Polygamy. — Book of Mormon. — Compelled to Flee. — 
 Description of Temple. — Military Corps. — Spiritual Wives.— 
 Arrest of Joseph and Hiram Smith, — Hiram Shot Dead. 
 — Joseph Wounded and Killed. — Brigham Young, — Rigdon. 
 — Armed Mobs. — A "Special Revelation." — Flight. — Temple 
 Destroyed. — Icarians,— M. Cabet. Seventieth Day.— Reach 
 Keokuk. — A Tradition. — Dr. Samuel C. Miner. — American Fur 
 Company. — Moses Stillwell. — Joshua Palean. — Indian Wives. — 
 Dr. Isaac Galland. — Jesse Crayton. — " Medicine Ground." — 
 Government Canal. — Water-power. — Manufacturing Centre. — ■ 
 National Cemetery. — Government Hospital. — Public Library. — 
 Churches. — Schools. — Artesian Well. — Steamboats. — Fair-grounds. 
 — Railroads. — College of Physicians. — Beautiful Locality. — Hand- 
 some Buildings. Seventy- first Day. — Gregory, Missouri.— 
 Leave Keokuk.-— Des Moines River. — Gregory. Seventy-second 
 Day. — Quincy, Illinois. — Meet Several Steamers. — The Gem Citf, 
 — Description of Quincy. — Railroad Bridge. — Parks. — Fair-ground. 
 — Elegant Residences. — Manufactures. — Churches. — Hospitals and 
 Asylums. — Medical College. — Schools. — Public Library. — Popula- 
 tion 28a 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 QUINCY TO SAINT LOUIS. 
 L«ave Quincy. — Reach Hannibal. — Description of Hannibal. 
 
\ CONTENTS. 
 
 —Growth and Prosperity. — Lumber. — Manufactures. — Coal 
 and Limestone.— Schools.— Hannibal College.— Population. Sev- 
 enty-sixth Day.— Cincinnati, Illinois.— Naming Villages.— 
 Narrow Limits.— Unattractive Surroundings. Seventy-seventh 
 Day.— Cap Au Gris, Missouri.— Dense Fog.— Leave Cincinnati.— 
 Clarksville.— Hamburg.— Falraouth.—Great Only in Name.— An 
 UnenviablePosition.— Midnight Apparition.— The Gem City Again. 
 —Landed.— Suspicion Aroused.— "River Tramps."— Another Ef- 
 fort.— Ee-embark.— Reach Cap Au Gris.— "Leading Hotel."— 
 River Invading the Town. Seventy-eighth Day.— Alton, Illi- 
 nois.— Leave Cap Au Gris.— Illinois River.— La Salle.— Derivation 
 of ^ " Illinois."— Revolutionary War.— Kaskaskia.— Alton.— De- 
 scription. — Population. — Piasa Creek. — Bluffs. — Caves.— Rail- 
 roads.— Manufactures.— Lime and Building Stone . . 302 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 
 
 Trip from Alton— In and Around Saint Louis. 
 
 Missouri River.— Majesty of the Mississippi.— The Yellowstone.— 
 The GreatFalls.— Tributaries.— Marquette and Joliet.— Saint Gene- 
 vieve.— Civil War.— Governor Jackson.— General Fremont.— Mar- 
 tial Law.— Confederates.— Laclede.— A Trading-post.— Old Market 
 Square.— Liguest.— Name of Saint Louis.— Under Spanish Rule.— 
 Attack of Indians.— Inhabitants Chiefly French.— Old Saint 
 Louis.-First Ferry.-First Baptist Church.-First Methodist.- 
 First Episcopal.— Governor La Motte.— Population.— Pilot Knob. 
 —Great Bridge.— Captain Eads.— Carondelet.— J!fmowr^ Gazette, 
 —Joseph Charles.— Missouri BepubMcan.— Fost-Bispatch.—G /obe- 
 Democrat.—The Times. -Germsin, French and Spanish Papers.- 
 Deaf and Dumb Asylum.— Convent of Good Shepherd.— Shaw's 
 Garden.— Agricultural and Mechanical Association.— Fair Week. 
 —Forest Park.— Northern Park.— Lafayette Park.— Court House* 
 —Chamber of Commerce.— Custom House.— Jewish Temple.— 
 The Levee ... 010 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 SAINT LOUIS TO CAIRO. 
 
 Eighty-fiest DAY.-Once More Afloat.— Lunch in the Canoe.- ^ 
 Crystal City. Eighty-second Day.— River Obstructions.— Vari- 
 eties of River Craft.— Saint Genevieve.— Chester. Eighty-third 
 
xxii CONTENTS. 
 
 Day. — Grand Tower. — An ex-Union Soldier. Eighty-fourth 
 Day. — Cape Girardeau. — A Circus and a County Fair.— Blown 
 Ashore. Eighty-fifth Day.— An Early Start. — Junction of the 
 Ohio and Mississippi. — Cairo. — History of the City. — Description 
 by Charles Dickens. — Cairo in War Times. — The Cairo of To- 
 day.— The Future of Cairo 330 
 
 CHAPTER XXVII. 
 
 CAIRO TO MEMPHIS. 
 
 /SiGHTY-siXTH Day. — Off Again.— Belmont. — " Shanty-Boats." — 
 Hypocritical Boatmen.— Hickman. Eighty-seventh Day. — 
 Point Pleasant. — Chickasaw Bluffs. — Mound-Builders. — Fort Don- 
 -^Ison.— " Island No. 10."— Beelfoot Bayou. Eighty-eighth Day. 
 — A Hearty Send-off. — "Tow-heads." — Numbering the Islands. — 
 Annual Overflows.— A Settler's Life. EiGHTY-NiNTH Day.— 
 Arkansas. — Fort Pillow. — Negro Cabins.— Crops of Cotton. Nine- 
 tieth Day. — A Sixty-three Miles' Run. — Harrison's Landing. — 
 Royal Courtesies. Ninety-first Day. — Arrival at Memphis.-' 
 History of the City. — Commerce. — Institutions. — Ravages of Yel- 
 low Fever . . . . 345 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 MEMPHIS TO VICKSBURG. 
 
 Ninety-second Day. — Lodging with Negroes. — Robert Green. — 
 Ben. Montgomery. Ninety-third Day. — Helena. — Arnot Harris. 
 — W. L. Morris. Ninety-fourth Day. — Rough Experiences. — 
 Friar's Point. — A Floating Photograph Gallery. — At Modoc. 
 Ninety-fifth Day. — The Vickshurg. Ninety-sixth Day. — 
 Levees.— The White and Arkansas Rivers. Ninety-seventh 
 Day. — Fortunate Escape. — A Quick Run. Ninety-eighth Day. 
 — Monotonous Scenery. — Greenville. Ninety-ninth Day. — 
 Lively Greeting at Ashton. One Hundredth Day.— Ashore 
 at Ingomar.— Negroes' Saturday Night. One Hundred and 
 First Day. — Nearing Vicksburg. — Its War Experiences. — The 
 Great Canal.— Terrific Fighting.— The Surrender . . .357 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 
 
 One Hundred and Second Day.— Meet a ^SteAraer. — The 
 Natchez.— W2iYvenioii. — A Political Meeting. One Hundred and 
 Third Day. — The Cotton Gin. — The Bondurant Plantation. — A. 
 
CONTENTS, ^^jjj 
 
 Good Run. One Hundred and Fourth Day.— A Late Start.— 
 Zachary Taylor's Plantation.— His History. One Hundred and 
 Fifth Day.— Arrival at Natchez.— L. Q. C. Lamar.— Early His- 
 tory of Natchez.— The Natchez Indians.— The City's Future . 377 
 
 CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 NATCHEZ TO BATON ROUGE. 
 
 One Hundred and Sixth Day.— Delay at Natchez.— A Late 
 Landing.— A Late Meeting. One Hundred and Seventh 
 Day.— Eed Eiver.— The " Raft."— Numerous Bayous.— Tunica 
 Landing. One Hundred and Eighth Day.— On Board the 
 
 Steamer Robert E. Lee. One Hundred and Ninth Day. 
 
 Farewell to the Winns.— Bayou Sara.— Port Hudson.— The Morn- 
 ing Star. One Hundred and Tenth Day.— The Eliza Plan- 
 tation.— Making Sugar.— Baton Rouge.— Public Buildings.— War 
 History 4Q3 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 BATON ROUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 One Hundred and Eleventh Day.— Another Late Start.— Donald- 
 
 sonville. — Its War History. One Hundred and Twelfth Day. 
 
 Rain.— Rice-fields.— Hospitality of the Negroes. One Hundred 
 AND Thirteenth Day.— More Rain.— Orange Groves.— A Low 
 Country.— Carrollton.— Its Beauties.— New Orleans, the Crescent 
 City.— Its Peculiar Features.— In the Civil War.— Its Defences 
 Captured. — The City Surrendered. — Dark Days. — Ancient 
 Landmarks.— The Levee.— The Shell Road.— Lake Ponchartrain. 
 —General Jackson's Victory.— Cemeteries.— Mardigras.— Present 
 Condition of the City 410 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 NEW ORLEANS TO THE GULP OP MEXICO. — END OF 
 
 VOYAGE. 
 
 One Hundred and Fourteenth Day.— Meeting Ocean Steam- 
 ers.— Rich Plantations. One Hundred and Fifteenth Day.— 
 Adieu to English Turn.— Salutes from Steamers.— A Crowded 
 Lodging-place. One Hundred and Sixteenth Day.— An Early 
 Start.— Luxuriant Fields and Groves.— The Jump. One Hun- 
 dred AND Seventeenth Day.— The Last Launch.— Pilot Station. 
 —Hospitality of Pilots.— Port Eads.— Captain Eads.— His Va- 
 rious Achievements.— Robert La Salle.— The Voyage Ended . 427 
 
xxiv CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIII. 
 
 THE FATHER OP WATERS. 
 
 Review of the Mississippi and Its Tributaries. — Return to its Sowrce. 
 — Bayous of Louisiana. — The Red River. — The Yazoo and Tom- 
 bigbee. — Bay of Mobile. — The Arkansas and Colorado Rivers. — 
 White and Saint Francis. — The Ohio. — Chesapeake Bay and At- 
 lantic Ocean. — Kaskaskia. — Missouri. — IJlinois. — Des Moines, 
 Rock and Turkey Rivers. — The Wisconsin and Chippewa. — Saint 
 Croix and Minnesota. — The Gulf Lakes. — The Red River of the 
 North. — Gulf of Mexico. — Arctic Ocean. — What is the Conclu- 
 sion? — The Amazon, the Nile and the Mississippi. — The King of 
 River* 439 
 
 APPENDIX BY THE PDBLISHERS. 
 
 Inteoduction. — Letters from Barrett Channing Paine. — To the 
 Saint Paul Pioneer Press. — Brainerd Tribune. — Saint Louis Globe 
 Democrat. — Hastings Gazette. — Dubuque Herald. — Saint Louis 
 Post Dispatch. — New Orleans Democrat. — Reception of Captain 
 Glazier at New Orleans and Saint Louis. — Dr. J. S. Copes. — Mayor 
 Shakespear. — Academy of Sciences. — New Orleans Picayune. — 
 Complimentary recognition. — Freedom of city of New Orleans 
 tendered. — Presentation of canoe " Alice " to the Academy. — 
 Remarks by Dr. Copes. — Dr. J. R. Walker. — Resolutions. — H. 
 Dudley Coleman. — Col. J. B. Richardson. — Before the Missouri 
 Historical Society. — Judge Albert Todd. — Lecture by Captain 
 Glazier. — Letter presenting the " Itasca." — Captain Silas Bent. — 
 Letters pertinent to the subject,— From Captain Glazier. 
 — From Pearce Giles. — From Paul Beaulieu. — From J. C. Crane. 
 — From John Lovell. — From Gus. H. Beaulieu. — Map of Lake 
 Glazier. — Public opinion in Minnesota.— Governor A. R. Mc- 
 Gill. — Ex-Governor Horace Austin. — Hon. W. H. Gale, and many 
 others.— Recognition,— Hon. Charles P. Daly, President of 
 American Geographical Society.— Royal Geographical Society, 
 England.— George- W. Melville, Chief Engineer, U. S. N.— Presi- 
 dents of Colleges. — Geographers and Educational Publishers. — 
 Notices of the Press ...„, Pages i to lii 
 
Illustrations. 
 
 -•♦•- 
 
 PORTEAIT OF THE AuTHOE „ Frontispiecf, 
 
 Members of the Expedition , 27 
 
 Map OF THE Head Waters OF THE Mississippi 33 
 
 Dinner with Flatmouth 43 
 
 Embarking for the Source of the Great Eiver 47 
 
 Camp among the Pines 53 
 
 Making a Portage 61 
 
 Source of the "Father of Waters" 73 
 
 Running Rapids on the Upper Mississippi 87 
 
 Sioux and Chippewa Dance Music 107 
 
 Parting with Chenowagesic „. 119 
 
 Scenes pN the Upper Mississippi , 147 
 
 Falls of St. Anthony in 1881 169 
 
 A View of Minneapolis o , 177 
 
 Fort Snelling 181 
 
 (xxv) 
 
XX vi ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 City of St. Paul 187 
 
 Fort Snelling and Vicinity 193 
 
 View of Lake Pepin 206 
 
 Raft on the Upper Mississippi 213 
 
 Log-Boom and Saw-Mills . 237 
 
 An Iowa Tributary of the Mississippi.. 251 
 
 Bridge between Davenport and Rock Island 269 
 
 Saint Louis Exposition Building 31-^ 
 
 Views in St. Louis 327 
 
 The Shanty-Boat 343 
 
 City of Vicksburg 369 
 
 Negroes Picking Cotton 375 
 
 Cutting Sugar Cane 385 
 
 Sport among the Bayous 393 
 
 Scene in the Levee District 401 
 
 A Rice Field 4il 
 
 The Crescent City 423 
 
 Scene IN an Orange Grove 429 
 
 Map of the Father of Waters 'i£S 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 The Lake beyond Itasca , .,».... xxvii 
 

DISCOVERY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 True Source of the Mississippi. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE OLD EXPLORERS. 
 
 'HILE crossing the continent on horseback 
 from ocean to ocean in 1876 I came to 
 a bridge which spans the Mississippi be- 
 tween Rock Island, Illinois and Daven- 
 port, Iowa. As I saw the flood of this 
 mighty stream rolling beneath, I turned in 
 imagination to its discovery in 1541 ; I saw the 
 renowned De Soto on its banks and buried in its 
 depths ; I accompanied Marquette from the mouth of 
 the Wisconsin to the mouth of the Arkansas ; I fol- 
 lowed Father Hennepin northward to Saint Anthony 
 Falls, and saw the daring La Salle plant the banner 
 of France on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 Musing thus upon the exploits of the heroic old ex- 
 plorers who led the way to this grand and peerless 
 river of North America, I felt that it was a subject of 
 much regret, that, although its mouth was discovered 
 by the Chevalier La Salle nearly two hundred years 
 
 (29) 
 
30 DOWI^ THE GREAT EIVER. 
 
 ago, there was still much uncertainty as to its true 
 source. Within the last century several expeditions 
 have attempted to find the primal reservoir of the 
 Great River ; Pike, Beltrami, and Schoolcraft have each 
 in turn claimed the goal of their explorations ; and 
 numerous lakes, large and small have from time to 
 time enjoyed the honor of standing at the head of the 
 Father of Waters. 
 
 Schoolcraft finally, in 1832, located a lake which 
 he named Itasca, as the fountain head, and succeeded 
 in securing for it the recognition of geographers and 
 map makers. Notwithstanding the fact, however, that 
 the new claim for geographical honors was very gen- 
 erally accepted as the source, I had frequently been 
 told that many Indians denied that their ideal river 
 had its origin in Lake Itasca, but that there were 
 other lakes and streams above and beyond that lake. 
 These reflections led me to conclude that there was yet 
 a rich field for exploration in the wilds of Minnesota. 
 
 A combination of unfavorable circumstances pre- 
 vented for several years the accomplishment of my 
 purpose to penetrate to the true source of the Missis- 
 sippi. The month of May, 1881, found me sojourning 
 a few days at Cleveland, Ohio, where I had halted in 
 my journey westward from New York. On the first 
 day of June, I proceeded to Chicago, and from thence 
 to Saint Paul, Minnesota, where I was joined by my 
 brother George, and Barrett Channing Paine, of 
 Indianapolis. The month of June was spent at Saint 
 Paul in preparation. Tents, blankets, guns, ammuni- 
 tion, fishing-tackle, and other equipage necessary to a 
 six weeks' campaign in the wilderness, were provided 
 for the little band which was to form my expedition. 
 
THE OLD EXPLORERS. 31 
 
 Having completed arrangements, I left Saint Paul 
 on the morning of July Fourth, with Brainerd as my im- 
 mediate objective. Short halts were made at Minneap- 
 olis, Monticello, Saint Cloud and Little Falls, on our 
 way up the river. Brainerd was reached July seventh. 
 This enterprising town is situated at the point where 
 the Northern Pacific Railway crosses the Mississippi; 
 is near the boundary of the Chippewa Indian Reser- 
 vation, and is the nearest place of consequence to 
 Lake Itasca. Here I again halted to further inform 
 myself concerning the topography of the country ; to 
 decide upon the most feasible route to my destination, 
 and to provide such extra supplies of rations and cloth- 
 ing as might be considered essential to the success of 
 our enterprise. After consulting maps, I concluded 
 that, while most of the recent explorers had sought its 
 source by going up the stream through Lakes Winni- 
 begoshish, Cass and Bemidji, a more direct course 
 would be by way of Leech Lake and the Kabekanka 
 River. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THEOUGH THE CHIPPEWA COUNTRY. 
 
 ^s^^^BT^ CAREFUL study of the route to Leech 
 Lake, with a few valuable suggestions 
 from Warren Lelaud, an old resident of 
 Brainerd, led me to seek wagon convey- 
 ance to the former place over what is known 
 in northern Minnesota as the Government 
 Road. This road stretches for seventy-five miles 
 through immense pine forests and almost impene- 
 trable underbrush, and the only habitations to be seen 
 from it are the half-way houses, erected for the accom- 
 modation of teamsters who are engaged in hauling 
 Government supplies, and the occasional wigwams of 
 wandering Indians. It was opened in 1856, by James 
 Macaboy, for the convenience of Indian agents and fur 
 traders. 
 
 Fully equipped and with a driver celebrated for 
 his knowledge of the frontier, we commenced at eight 
 o'clock on the morning of July twelfth our wagon 
 journey to Leech Lake, the third objective in my ex- 
 pedition to the head waters of the Mississippi. John 
 Monahan, who held the reins in this seventy-five mile 
 journey over one of the roughest roads of Minnesota, 
 is a true son of Erin, who need not take a back seat for 
 Hank Monk, or any of the famous drivers of the hordes 
 (32) 
 
THROUGH THE CHIPPEWA COUNTRY, 35 
 
 A ride of between three and four hours brought our 
 little party to Gull Lake^ where a halt was made for 
 rest and refreshments. Gull Lake was for many years 
 the home and head-quarters of the noted Chippewa 
 chief, Hole-in-the-day, and was the scene of many 
 sanguinary struggles between his braves and those 
 of the equally celebrated Sioux chief, Little Crow, 
 The remnant of a block house, fragments of wigwams, 
 and a few scattered graves, are all that is now left to 
 tell the tale of its aboriginal conflicts. 
 
 A family of four persons, domiciled in a log-house, 
 constitute the entire white population of the place. 
 Reuben Gray, the genial patriarch who presides over 
 this solitary household in the wilderness, delights in 
 the title of landlord, and his hotel has become some- 
 what famous as one of the pioneer half-way houses 
 between Brainerd and Leech Lake. 
 
 Our arrival at Gull Lake was duly celebrated by 
 launching a canoe, which soon returned with a fine 
 mess of fish. These, with such fruits and vegetables 
 as were in season, afforded a dinner which our appe- 
 tites, whetted by a forenoon's jolting in a country 
 wagon, had fully prepared us to enjoy. 
 
 After dinner we resumed our journey, with Pine 
 River as the evening destination. Sometimes in the 
 roadj sometimes out of it ; now driving along the shore 
 of a lake, and again over huge logs and boulders, it was 
 voted that our ride to Pine River was unlike anything 
 we had ever elsewhere experienced. 
 
 The ranche of George Barclay, the only white 
 habitation between Gull Lake and Leech Lake, was 
 reached at five o'clock in the evening. Here we were 
 most agreeably surprised to find very good accommo- 
 
36 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 dations for both man and beast. Barclay is a decided 
 favorite with the Indians, and his prosperity in this 
 isolated corner of Minnesota is largely due to his 
 friendly relations with them. He is always supplied 
 with guns, knives, beads, tobacco, and such other goods 
 as are in demand by his dusky neighbors, for which 
 he receives in exchange furs, game, snake-root, and 
 such other products of the f rest as find a readv mar- 
 ket at Brainerd or Saint Paul. 
 
 Much valuable information was obtained at Pine 
 River concerning our route to Leech Lake and beyond, 
 the peculiar traits and characteristics of the Indians 
 whom we were likely to encounter, and those persons 
 at the Agency who could be of most service to us. 
 
 An excellent breakfast on the following morning, 
 with the prospect of reaching Leech Lake, put my 
 little party in the most exuberant spirits for the 
 day ; and nothing but jolting over one of the most 
 indifferent and rugged roads I have ever encountered 
 could have lessened the enjoyment of our journey. A 
 short halt was made for lunch at Fourteen Mile Lake. 
 This was our first meal in the open air, and enabled us 
 to gauge more accurately our supply of rations. It 
 was readily discovered that we should need at least a 
 third more provisions per diem for our expedition than 
 would be required for the ordinary occupations of 
 indoor life ; and I at once decided to provide an ad- 
 ditional "Supply of bacon and dried meats before pass- 
 ing the Indian Agency. 
 
 After lunch my brother and Mr. Paine took a bath 
 in the lake^ while I found amusement in duck-shooting 
 and chatting with some straggling Chippewas, who 
 were about launching their canoes for a six weeks' hunt' 
 
THROUGH THE CHIPPEWA COUNTRY. 
 
 37 
 
 ing and fishing excursion. These were tlie first birch- 
 bark canoes I had seen, and were regarded with consider- 
 able interest, as they were indispensable to the success 
 of our undertaking. Curiosity led me to step into 
 one of them, when from want of experience I was 
 precipitated into the lake, much to my own discomfort 
 ind chagrin, and the amusement of the Indians. 
 Being unable to swim, I was congratulated upon a 
 capsize in shallow water. Firmly resolved upon 
 more caution in the future, we continued our journey 
 towards Leech Lake, which was reached at four 
 j'ciock in the afternoon. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 HOME OF THE CHIPPEWAS. 
 
 PON onr arrival at Leech Lake our first 
 glimpse of the embryonic red man was 
 "^^^3^)1 of a boy about six years of age, who 
 j/^ ONftv^ij' ran out of a wigwam — his copper-colored 
 skin unadorned by a single garment — bran- 
 dishing a bow in one hand, and carrying ar- 
 rows in the other. He was very far from being 
 warlike, however, and on seeing his wliite brothers 
 suddenly disappeared in the bushes. A little further 
 on we came to several wigwams, and finally to a log- 
 cabin, over the door of which was nailed a pine board, 
 bearing the inscription, " Hotel." Here we were 
 received by a rough-looking man with long hair and 
 unkempt beard, and wearing in addition to his one other 
 article of clothing a pair of pants made from a red 
 blanket. 
 
 The prospect was certainly not an inviting one, and 
 no reason was found for forming a more favorable 
 opinion when we had alighted and inspected his 
 squalid accommodations. But as the government 
 officials were away from the post, we accepted the 
 situation, and as graciously as possible placed our 
 nam^s, figuratively speaking, on the register of the 
 Weaver House. We fared much better than we ex- 
 
 m 
 
HOME OF THE CHIPPEWAS, 39 
 
 pected, however, dining on fresh fish and potatoes. 
 Our supper and breakfast were selected from the same 
 bill of fare, varied by the addition of " flap-jacks." 
 As a substitute for tenantable beds we swung our ham- 
 mocl^s from the rafters of the loft. 
 
 Tills lake is one of the most peculiarly shaped 
 bodies of water that I remember ever to have looked 
 upon. Its characteristics are most striking, presenting 
 an array of curves, peninsulas and bays rarely encoun- 
 tered even in a State which boasts of ten thousand lakes. 
 Ten islands are found within its bosom, and seven 
 rivers and creeks enter it from various quarters. 
 It extends from north to south not less than twenty 
 miles, and from east to west a still greater distance, 
 with a coast line of nearly four hundred miles. Its 
 waters are deep and clear in all its central parts, and 
 yield the white fish, bass, pickerel and other species. 
 The banks of its numerous and extensive bays abound 
 in wild rice, and attract in the proper season a great 
 variety of water fowl. The pelican, swan, brant and 
 cormorant are the largest of the varieties that annually 
 visit it. On its shores may be found the elk, deer and 
 bear. Beavers were formerly abundant, but they have 
 in a great measure disappeared. The mink and musk- 
 rat afford now the principal items of its fine furs. Such 
 a lake in the midst of a hunting and trapping country 
 is always considered a place of importance, and nearly a 
 hundred years ago Canadian fur traders came through 
 the forests and over the lakes and rivers from Mon- 
 treal to establish a trading post at this point. 
 
 For many years Leech Lake was the seat of the 
 Chippewa Indian Agency, but the latter is now con- 
 solidated with the White Earth and Red Lake 
 
40 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 agencies. Major C. A. Ruffe is at present agent of 
 the three departments, with head-quarters at White 
 Earth. The village on Leech Lake consists of a 
 half dozen government buildings, as many log-cabins, 
 and twenty or thirty wigwams, scattered here and 
 there near one of the arms of the lake. 
 
 The day after our arrival the agency was thrown 
 into a state of excitement by the announcement that 
 Major Ruffe was en route to Lake Winnibegoshish by 
 way of Leech Lake, and that he was expected to make 
 his advent on the afternoon of the following day. 
 The Major was accompanied by Captain Taylor, of 
 Saint Cloud, one of the pioneer surveyors of Minne- 
 sota; Paul Beaulieu,the veteran government interpreter, 
 and White Cloud, chief of the Mississippis. 
 
 Major Ruffe was untiring in his efforts to relieve 
 the monotony of our sojourn at the Agency, and to 
 render our condition as agreeable as possible while 
 within the boundary of his dominions. Through 
 conversations with this genial officer I learned much 
 of the pioneer history of the post, and the attempts to 
 civilize the Pillagers, as the Leech Lake Indians 
 are styled. This tribe seems to have seceded from the 
 other Chippewas many hundred years ago, and to 
 have assumed the responsibility of defending this por- 
 tion of the Chippewa border. They " passed armed 
 before their brethren '^ in their march westward. 
 Their geographical position was such as to compel them 
 to be always on the alert and in every emergency, of 
 which they have encountered no inconsiderable num- 
 ber, they have shown themselves capable of defending 
 their chosen position, and on many trying occasions 
 have won admiration as brave and active warriors. 
 
H03IE OF THE CHIFPEWAS. 41 
 
 Thoroughly accustomed to the practices of the 
 forest, they have achieved uiany triumphs over their 
 powerful enemies, the Sioux. With a valor seldom 
 equaled and never surpassed, the Pillagers, with smaller 
 numbers, have, on occasions neither few nor unimpor- 
 tant, fallen upon their enemies and vanquished them 
 with a resolution characteristic of Spartan heroes. It is 
 not easy on the part of the Government to repress the 
 feelings of hostility which have so long existed, and 
 to convince them that they have lived into an age 
 when milder maxims furnish the basis of wise action. 
 Pacific counsels fall with little power upon a people 
 situated so remote from every good influence, and who 
 cannot perceive in the restless spirit of their enemies 
 any safeguard for the continuance of a peace, however 
 formally it may have been concluded. The fact was 
 adverted to by one of their chiefs, who observed that 
 they were compelled to fight in self-defence. Although 
 the Sioux had made a solemn treaty of peace with 
 them at Tipisagi in 1825, they were attacked by them 
 that very year, and almost yearly since had sustained 
 insidious or open attacks. 
 
 "The domestic manners and habits of a people whose 
 position is so adverse to improvement could hardly 
 be expected to present anything strikingly different 
 from other erratic bands of the Northwest. There is 
 indeed a remarkable uniformity in the external habits 
 of all our Northern Indians. The necessity of chang- 
 ing their camps often, to procure game or fish, the 
 wants of domesticated animals, the general dependence 
 on wild rice and the custom of journeying in canoes, 
 have produced a general similarity of life. And it is 
 emphatically a life of want and vicissitude. There is 
 
42 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 a perpetual change between action and inanity of 
 mind which is a striking peculiarity of the savage 
 state. And there is such a general want of forecast 
 that most of their misfortunes and hardships, in war 
 and peace, come unexpectedly. None of the tribes 
 who inhabit this quarter can be said to have, thus far, 
 derived any peculiarities from civilized instruction. 
 The only marked alteration which their state of 
 society has undergone appears to be referable to the 
 era of the introduction of the fur trade, when they 
 were made acquainted with and adopted the use of 
 iron, gunpowder and woollens. This implied a con- 
 siderable change of habits, and of the mode of subsist- 
 ence, and may be considered as having paved the 
 way for further changes in the mode of living and 
 dress. But it brought with it the onerous evil of 
 intemperance, and left the mental habits essentially 
 unchanged.'' 
 
 It was a subject of much regret that my arrival at 
 Leech Lake was at a season when the Pillagers were 
 away upon their annual hunting and fishing excur- 
 sions. Their absence from the Agency, was a serious 
 obstacle in the way of our further progress. Being 
 compelled to take the final step in my expedition to 
 the source of the Mississippi from this point, it was 
 important that I should complete my equipment by 
 securing an interpreter, reliable guides and birch-bark 
 canoes. 
 
 Conversations with Flat Mouth, head chief of the 
 Chippewas, developed the fact that he knew of but one 
 Indian in the Chippewa country who had actually 
 traversed the region which I was about to explore, and 
 that he was then visiting some friends near Lake 
 
HOME OF THE CHIFPEWAS. 43 
 
 Winnibegoshish, and was not expected to return until 
 the following Saturday, some three days later. 
 
 Satisfied that Chenowagesic would prove indis- 
 pensable to the success of my expedition, I decided to 
 await his return to the Agency, The tedium of my so- 
 journ at Leech Lake was broI?:en by a dinner with 
 Flat Mouth, a visit to the missionary, and conversa- 
 tions with Paul Beaulieu concerning the source of the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 Although for many years I had been much among 
 the natives of the forest, my dinner with Flat Mouth 
 was the first instance of a meal with Indian royalty. 
 Flat Mouth, the present ruler of the Pillagers, is a 
 descendant of Aish-ki-bug-ekozh, the most famous of 
 all the Chippewa chiefs. He is stalwart in appear- 
 ance, and is endowed with talents which certainly en- 
 title him to this distinction. Having accepted his 
 invitation to dinner, I went to his residence at the ap- 
 pointed hour, accompanied by my brother. I found 
 him living in a comfortable log-house of two rooms, 
 well floored and roofed, with a couple of small glass 
 windows. A plain board table stood in the centre of 
 the front room, upon which the dinner was spread. 
 Pine board benches were placed on each side of the 
 table and at the ends. We followed the example of 
 our host in sitting down. Five other persons, includ- 
 ing his wife, were admitted to the meal. Tlie others 
 were White Cloud, chief of the Mississippis,and three 
 Chippewa sub-chiefs. 
 
 The wife of Flat Mouth sat on his left and waited 
 upon him and those whom he had invited. Tea- 
 cups and teaspoons of plain manufacture were care- 
 fully arranged, the number corresponding exactly with 
 
44 BOWJV THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 the expected guests. A large 'dish of bass and white 
 fish, cut up and boiled in good taste, was placed in the 
 centre of the table, from which we were served. A 
 birch-bark salt-cellar, in which pepper and salt were 
 mixed in unequal proportion, allowed each the privi- 
 lege of seasoning his fish with both or dispensing with 
 it altogether. Our tea was sweetened with maple 
 sugar. A dish of blueberries, picked on the shore of 
 the lake, completed the dinner. 
 
 I was much gratified on this occasion by the pres- 
 ence of White Cloud, whom I had frequently been 
 told was the most respectable man in the Chippewa 
 country, and if the term has reference to his intellectual 
 faculties and the power of reaching correct deductions 
 from known premises, and the effect which these have 
 had on his standing and influence with his own tribe, 
 it is not misplaced. Shrewdness and quickness of per- 
 ception most of the chiefs possess; but there is more 
 of the character of common-sense and practical reflec- 
 tion in White Cloud^s remarks than I remember to 
 have noticed in any of the chiefs of my acquaintance. 
 In early life this chief was both warrior and counselor, 
 and these distinctions he held not from any hereditary 
 right, but from the force of his own genius. I found 
 him most agreeable in conversation and well informed 
 upon those subjects which were of most interest to him. 
 The sentiments to which he gave expression were such as 
 would naturally occur to a mind which had possessed 
 itself of facts and was quite capable of discussing them. 
 His bearing was grave and dignified, and his oratory 
 such as to render him popular wherever heard. While 
 at dinner the room became filled with Indians, ap- 
 parently the relatives and intimate friends of Flat 
 
HOME OF THE CHIPPEWA8. 45 
 
 Mouth, who seated themselves orderly and quietly 
 upon the floor. On rising from the table White 
 Cloud addressed me a few moments upon the objects of 
 my expedition. 
 
 He expressed regret that his white brothers had 
 been so long in ignorance of the source of the Missis- 
 sippi, and said, although he had not himself seen the 
 head of the Great River, there were many braves of 
 his tribe who were familiar with its location. He 
 hoped I had come thoroughly prepared to explore the 
 country beyond Lake Itasca, and that I would not 
 return to my friends until I had found the true 
 source of the Father of Waters. Continuing, he 
 said : " I am told that Chenowagesic, the Chippewa 
 warrior, will accompany you. He is a good hunter 
 and a faithful guide. He can supply you with game, 
 and paddle your canoe. The Chippewas are your 
 friends, and will give you shelter in their wigwams." 
 
 "Find Rev. Edwin Benedict as soon as you reach 
 Leech Lake," was the last injunction I received on 
 leaving Brainerd. Mr. Benedict is one of the five 
 missionaries of the Episcopal Church on the Chippewa 
 Reservation, and holds his commission from Bishop 
 Whipple, of Minnesota. With this pleasant gentle- 
 man I spent the greater share of my time while at 
 the Agency, when not engaged in preparations for my 
 journey. The courtesy of a civilized bed, and a table 
 with paper, pens and ink, were luxuries which will 
 not soon pass from my memory. 
 
 Paul Beaulieu, the half-breed interpreter to Major 
 RnfiPe, possesses a fund of information concerning the 
 Upper Mississippi, which cannot be consistently ig- 
 nored by those who are in pursuit of its mysterious 
 
46 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 source; and I considered myself most fortunate in 
 meeting him before my departure for Lake Itasca. 
 
 Beaulieu deserves more than a passing mention, as 
 he is a man of large experience, and is well known 
 throughout Minnesota, and in some circles through- 
 out the country. He was born at Mackinaw, while 
 General Sibley was stationed there in the interest of 
 the American Fur Company, of which John Jacob 
 Astor was then the head. His father was a French- 
 man, and his mother an Indian. He received a liberal 
 education partly in the Government school at Macki- 
 naw and partly at Montreal. On leaving school he 
 was employed by the Fur Company and sent all over 
 the United States, from the Saint Lawrence to Lower 
 California. He crossed the continent with the Stevens 
 party on the first Northern Pacific survey, and rendered 
 such valuable services that he was presented a testi- 
 monial in recognition of his efficiency. 
 
 Beaulieu had a theory of his own regarding the 
 source of the Mississippi, based upon the stories of 
 .^ndians of his acquaintance. Referring to this sub- 
 ject, he said that to the west of Lake Itasca there was 
 another lake, the outlet of which unites with the 
 stream from the former lake, and which contributes a 
 much larger volume of water at the junction than the 
 outlet of Itasca. He therefore assumed that this 
 nameless and almost unknown lake was the true 
 source of the Mississippi. 
 
 In corroboration of the Beaulieu theory, Major 
 Ruife said that he had heard the same idea expressed 
 by a number of old Indian voyageurs. It will thus 
 be seen that there was a great diversity of opinion 
 among the best informed authorities as to the actual 
 source of the Great River. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. 
 
 zJ^^t^ PON the return of Cheiiowagesic and 
 Pp other Indians a council was held, and 
 &( my object stated to them. They were 
 y^ requested to delineate maps of the country, 
 and to furnish an interpreter, guides and 
 canoes. Chenowagesic said : " My brother, 
 the country you are going to visit is my hunting 
 ground. I have hunted there many years, and 
 planted corn on the shores of Lake Itasca. My father, 
 now an old man, remembers the first white chief 
 who came to look for the source of the Great River. 
 But, my brother, no white man has yet seen the 
 head of the Father of Waters. I will myself furnish 
 the maps you have called for, and will guide you 
 onward. There are many lakes and rivers in the 
 way, but the waters are favorable. I will talk with 
 my friends about the canoes, and see who will step 
 forward to furnish them. My own canoe shall be one 
 of the number." 
 
 But a few hours were required to complete the 
 maps, and on the following morning, July seventeenth, 
 three Chippewas, including Chenowagesic, brought 
 each a canoe and laid it down on the shore of the lake. 
 
 One other Chippewa expressed a willingness to accum- 
 
 (49) 
 
50 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 panj us to the mouth of the Kabekanka River. These 
 with Mr. Paine/ my brother and myself, and our kig- 
 gage, were distributed equally in the three canoes 
 secured by Chenowagesic. 
 
 A large number of Indians, most of whom were the 
 relatives and friends of our guides, assembled near the 
 point from which we had decided to launch. The 
 wind blew briskly from the North, making the surface 
 of the lake quite rough for canoe navigation, and it 
 was with some distrust that we stepped gingerly into 
 the canoes and took our appointed positions at the 
 imminent risk of capsizing them by our awkwardness. 
 The Indian guides took their places at the stern, with 
 instructions to act as pilots. Rev. Mr. Benedict, who 
 accompanied me to the place of embarkation, now 
 stepped to the water's edge, and seizing the stern 
 of my canoe, gave us the launch. A waving of hats 
 by way of farewell to those who had come down to the 
 shore to see us off, and our birchen fleet got under way 
 and glided out into the deep water of the lake, pro- 
 pelled by the lusty strokes of the voyageurs, and our 
 own faint attempts in the same direction. 
 
 An hour's vigorous paddling took us across the arm 
 of the lake on which the Agency is situated, and then 
 a short portage over a point of land brought us to a 
 much larger body of water, where the wind and the 
 waves had a sweep of from fifteen to twenty miles. 
 We coasted along the shore for some distance, and then 
 headed directly across the lake for the mouth of the 
 Kabekanka River. The waves ran high, and our 
 canoes rose lightly on them, sinking again with a 
 swash into the trough, and splashing the water over 
 our bows. Gradually we became somewhat accustomed ■ 
 
EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. 51 
 
 to this, and gained sufficient confidence to gaze around 
 at the broad expanse of lake and sniff the fresh and 
 invigorating breeze which at the outset had caused us 
 so much uneasiness. 
 
 Between two and three hours of persistent work with 
 our paddles brought us to an inlet through which the 
 Kabekanka empties ; and, forcing 0L.r way through 
 the rushes, with which its mouth is filled, we ascended 
 the stream, and at about eleven o'clock came upon a 
 small lake formed by an expansion of the river. 
 
 Paddling to the upper end of it, we landed, and, hav- 
 ing built a fire, had our first meal in the open air. 
 Re-embarking, we continued our course up the Kabe- 
 kanka. As we ascended, the river became narrower and 
 swifter, and the wild rice which at first filled its shallow 
 bed gave place to snags and driftwood, through which 
 it was almost impossible to force our canoes. We had 
 nearly reached the conclusion that we could go no 
 farther in. the canoes, when we came to what seemed to 
 be a pond of still water filled with rushes. This 
 pond, we soon discovered, was the outlet of a large and 
 beautiful lake not less than seven miles long, into 
 whose tranquil waters we burst with a shout of glad- 
 ness. 
 
 The sun was now well down towards the western 
 horizon, and the question of supper and a camp-ground 
 began to agitate the minds of my companions. Con- 
 tinuing our course, we paddled slowly up the lake, 
 trolling for fish as we prospected for a suitable spot on 
 which to pitch our tents. A model camp-ground was 
 soon located on a bluff near the lake, wooded . with 
 Norway pines, and sloping rather abruptly to the 
 water. 
 
52 j}OWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 Our trolling was rewarded with a fine mess of 
 pickerel ; so we landed at once, and the fire of our 
 first camp was soon crackling merrily. The guides 
 prepared supper, while my brother and Paine pitched 
 tents and swung their hammocks among the pines. 
 
 The zest with which we relished our supper of fish, 
 enhanced by the addition of canned dainties from the 
 civilized world, can readily be imagined ; and as we 
 smoked the pipe of contentment under the shelter of 
 the grand old pines, we felt that the hardships which 
 had been predicted for our voyage had been greatly 
 magnified. After discussing the events of the day, 
 we retired to our tents, or rather were driven thither 
 by clouds of mosquitoes which, ignoring the smoke 
 of our camp-fire, began their onslaughts as soon as the 
 light of day disappeared. Paine attempted to find 
 peaceful slumber in his hammock, but was soon sung 
 and stung into a hasty retreat to the tent which George 
 had, with some care, made mosquito-proof. A grand 
 mosquito serenade was now inaugurated, which con- 
 tinued without interruption until the sun appeared 
 above the lake. Fortunate, indeed, for us that we 
 were beyond their reach. , 
 
 We struck tents at break of day on the morning of 
 July eighteenth, and, launching our canoes, paddled to 
 the upper end of the lake, where we disembarked and 
 had breakfast. 
 
 Learning from Chenowagesic that the Indians had 
 no name for this beautiful body of water, I desig- 
 nated it ^^ Garfield '^ in honor of our President, James 
 Abram Garfield. 
 
 At the head of Lake Garfield we reached the ter- 
 minus of uninterrupted water communication, and I 
 
EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. 55 
 
 was informed by my guides that a portage of between 
 two and three miles lay before us. In blissful ignor- 
 ance of what a portage really was, this announcement 
 had no terror for us, and we gayly packed our traps 
 into convenient bundles for carrying. The Indians 
 had, in the meantime, prepared packs for themselves 
 weighing upwards of a hundred pounds, which they 
 rolled in their blankets and secured with a strap which 
 was passed over the forehead, allowing the pack to rest 
 on their shoulders. On top of this they each placed a 
 canoe, bottom upwards, resting it on the pack by 
 means of a cross-bar, and thus loaded started through 
 what seemed to us a trackless forest. 
 
 Following the lead of our guides, we shouldered our 
 guns and kept up as best we could, for their pace at 
 times increased almost to a run. The undergrowth 
 was so dense that we could not see where to put our 
 feet, and were only guided by the white bottoms of 
 the canoes in front of us. On we went, up hill and 
 down, over logs and through bogs, barking our shins, 
 scratching our faces on the rough limbs, panting for 
 breath, the perspiration flowing in rivulets from every 
 pore, and bitten by countless mosquitoes, until it 
 seemed that we could proceed no farther; still the 
 guides trotted along with their burdens, showing not 
 the least sign of fatigue. At last, however, as we 
 were about to drop from sheer exhaustion, the guides 
 halted and deposited packs and canoes on the ground, 
 rolled out from under them, and, after a smile at us, 
 began picking blueberries which were found in great 
 abundance near by. As for myself and white com- 
 panions, we threw ourselves down almost breathless, 
 without even energy enough to fight the mosquitoes. 
 
56 DOWN THE GREAT BIVER. 
 
 Eager to reach higher ground, we again shouldered 
 our luggage, and were soon on the trail following in 
 the footsteps of Chenowagesic. Pushing rapidly for- 
 ward, we gained the top of a hill at eleven o'clock, 
 where we halted for rest and refreshment. Being out 
 of mosquito range in this elevated region, we spent a 
 few hours very pleasantly while the guides served din- 
 ner and carried the canoes and luggage forward to the 
 next lake. 
 
 As soon as we were sufficiently recovered from the 
 fatigues of the morning, we returned to the trail which 
 had been our line of march since leaving Lake Gar- 
 field. On descending the hill we were again beset by 
 clouds of mosquitoes — in short, to parody Tennyson, 
 there were 
 
 Mosquitoes to right of us, 
 Mosquitoes to left of us, 
 Mosquitoes all around us, 
 Singing and stinging. 
 
 A few rods from the foot of the hill we came to a 
 lake, the first of a chain of five lakes having for their 
 outlet a small river known to the Indians as the Gabe- 
 kanazeba, which in Chippewa means portage. 
 
 Once more on the water^ we pulled through three 
 lakes alternated by as many portages, and at night en- 
 camped on the shore of a fourth lake. On the follow- 
 ing morning we were astir at dawn. Had breakfast 
 at sunrise, and by seven o'clock were again in our 
 canoes paddling toward Itasca. The fifth and last of 
 the portage chain was reached at ten o'clock. Learn- 
 ing from my guides that these beautiful lakes had 
 never before, to their knowledge, been seen by white 
 men, I named them successively Bayard, Stoneman, 
 Pleasanton, Custer and Kilpatrick, as a tribute to th« 
 
EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY. 57 
 
 favorite IJDion cavalry leaders of the late war — patriot 
 soldiers who deserve well of tlieir conntrj, and to 
 whose calls I had often responded in the campaigns of 
 the Army of the Potomac. 
 
 After crossing Lake Kilpatrick another string of 
 portages was encountered, aggregating for the day no 
 less than eight, alternating with as many lakes, all 
 small, some of them being little more than ponds, ex- 
 cept three which terminate the portage chain. Con- 
 tinuing my cavalry column,! named these three lakes, 
 which are fine bodies of water, successively Gregg, 
 Davies and Sheridan ; after General Gregg of Penn- 
 sylvania, under whom I served for a short period 
 during the Gettysburg campaign ; General Davies of 
 New York, on whose recommendation I received my 
 first commission, and who rose from the rank of a 
 major in my old regiment, the Harris Light Cavalry, 
 to that of major-general and the command of the 
 Cavalry Corps under Grant; and after that true 
 knight of cavalry, Lieutenant- General Philip Henry 
 Sheridan, hero of Cedar Creek and Five Forks. 
 
 Towards evening we reached the largest sheet of 
 water between Leech Lake and Lake Itasca, the In- 
 dian name of which translated is Blue Snake Lake. 
 We crossed this lake at a point where its width is 
 about five miles, and carried our canoes to the summit 
 of a narrow strip of land which separates it from 
 another lake of less than half its size. Here, as else- 
 where during our journey and voyage through Min- 
 nesota, we found blueberries in great abundance, and 
 it was with much difficulty that I persuaded my com- 
 panions to perform their duties before they had satis- 
 fied their cravings for this delicious fruit. 
 
58 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 As soon as we had decided upon a camp-ground, 
 Paine and Chenowagesic pitched tents, my brother 
 launched his canoe in quest of fish, while Moses La- 
 gard, the interpreter, and his half-brother Sebatise pre- 
 pared supper. 
 
 After attending to the duties of the camp, I went 
 down to the lake which we had just crossed, and 
 strolled along the white sand beach of its western 
 shore. Tracks of the wolf and deer were frequently 
 seen in the sand — the first evidences of wild game in 
 our journey. Retracing my steps I met George, who 
 was just returning with a fine mess of bass, which, 
 with corned beef and a small quantity of bread sup- 
 plied by Lagard, afforded us an excellent meal, which 
 all were fully prepared to enjoy. 
 
 The mosquitoes, our inveterate enemies, did not 
 neglect us here. On the contrary, they began their 
 nightly orgies upon the going down of the sun ; where- 
 upon we dampened the ardor of their spirits in a meas- 
 ure by throwing a cordon of subdued fires entirely 
 around our little camp at intervals of from ten to 
 fifteen feet. We now enjoyed the alternative of endur- 
 ing the smoke within the camp or fighting the mosqui- 
 toes without. 
 
 Next morning we had breakfast at five o'clock, struck 
 tents at six, and a few moments later launched our 
 canoes upon the beautiful lake which is a companion 
 to the one we had crossed the previous evening. The 
 first and largest of these lakes I called George, after 
 my brother George, of Chicago, who accompanied me 
 from Brainerd to the source of the Mississippi and 
 thence to La Crosse in my descent of the river ; the 
 other I named Paiue, after my constant companion, 
 
EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY, 59 
 
 Barrett Channing Paine, of Indianapolis, Indiana, who 
 stood at its head, drank from its farthest springs, and 
 subsequently shared the privations, dangers and tri- 
 umphs of my canoe voyage down the Great Kiver to 
 the sea. 
 
 Crossing Lake Paine, we made another portage of 
 half a mile, which brought us to a small river known 
 among the Chippewas as the Naiwa. Chenowage- 
 sic explained that the Naiwa was a stream of consider- 
 able length, having its origin in a lake which is in- 
 fested with snakes, to which its name has reference. 
 This lake I called Chenowagesic, after my faithful 
 guide, and its outlet, the Naiwa, I denominated Lagard 
 River, in honor of our interpreter. 
 
 We descended Lagard River between five and six 
 miles, and then portaged westward to another small 
 river, with which it unites a few miles below. We 
 found the new stream more decidedly marshy in the 
 character of its shores, but not presenting in its plants 
 or trees anything to distinguish it particularly from 
 the Lagard. The water is still and pond-like. It 
 presents some small areas of wild rice, and appears to 
 be a favorite resort for the duck and teal, which fre- 
 quently rose up before us, and were aroused again and 
 again by our progress. 
 
 Four hours of energetic paddling brought us to the 
 foot of a lake where we halted a few moments to sur- 
 vey. This lake presents a broad border of aquatic 
 plants with somewhat blackish waters. It is the 
 recipient of two brooks and may be considered as the 
 source of the Eastern fork of the Mississippi. 
 
 While passing through the lake we came upon 
 several broods of mallard ducks, and my companions 
 
go DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 were not slow in testing their fowling pieces. A 
 broadside from rifle, shot-gun and revolver was 
 simultaneously opened, but, much to the chagrin of 
 those who fired, only one duck was killed. The 
 water fowl encountered here seem to exult in their 
 seclusion, and evinced the infrequency of intrusion by 
 flying a short distance and alighting within range of 
 our fire-arms. 
 
 We were about twenty minutes in traversing this 
 lake, which I named Elvira, in memory of my eldest 
 sister. Entering one of the brooks at its southern end 
 we paddled up stream about thirty or forty rods, when 
 we appeared to be involved in a morass where it seemed 
 difficult either to make the land or advance further. 
 In this we were not mistaken. Chenowagesic soon 
 pushed his canoe into the rushes and exclaiuied : ^^Oma 
 mikunna^^ — here is the portage. A man who is 
 called on for the first time to debark in such a place 
 will cast about for some dry spot to put his feet upon. 
 No such spot, however, existed here. We stepped into 
 rather warm pond-water, with a miry bottom. After 
 wading a hundred yards or more the soil became firm, 
 and we began to ascend a slight elevation, where the 
 growth partook more of the character of a forest. Traces 
 of a path appeared here, and we suddenly entered an 
 opening which afforded an eligible place for landing. 
 Evidences of former fires, the bones of birds, and 
 scattered camp-poles indicated that it had previously 
 been visited by Indians, whose migratory and undo- 
 mesticated habits are of a character to create in the 
 mind a suspicion of their determination never to be- 
 come civilized and stationary. 
 
 Having ascended this fork of the Mississippi 
 
EXPL ORA TlOIf AND DISCO VEB Y. g3 
 
 to its source, it may be noted that it has not as 
 yet been given a place as a separate river in our 
 geography. None of the maps indicate the ultimate 
 separation of the Mississippi above Lake Beraidji into 
 two forks. It is a matter of much surprise that this 
 river should have been kept so long in darkness, 
 especially when we consider the fact that its presence 
 was known to white men nearly fifty years ago. I 
 christened it De Soto River, as a tribute to the dis- 
 coverer of the Mississippi, who though he failed to 
 find gold and glory in the great valley which had 
 lured him through the American wilderness, rendered 
 a valuable contribution to the geographical knowl- 
 edge of the sixteenth century. 
 
 The sun was rapidly sinking behind the hills as we 
 reached dry land, and being nearly exhausted by the 
 portages of the day, and in want of refreshment, a 
 camp-ground was at once decided upon, and prepara- 
 tions for supper begun. 
 
 It was at this point that we first discovered a 
 deficiency in our supply of rations. At the outset we 
 counted largely upon our fire-arms and fishing-tackle 
 to reinforce our bacon and canned meats; thus far, 
 however, but one duck had been killed, and, as com- 
 pared with our former estimates, but few fish had 
 been caught. Then, as a climax to our embarrass- 
 ments, my brother had the misfortune to lose the 
 trolling hooks and nearly all the ammunition while 
 passing through a bog in the last portage. Much 
 powder and ball had also been consumed by my 
 white companions, who sought to test their marks- 
 manship upon every animate object along our line of 
 
 march. A strict adherence to truth compels me to 
 5 
 
64 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 say that up to this time, much to their chagrin, the 
 entire outlay of ammunition resulted in caging but the 
 one duck previously alluded to. 
 
 We were now not less than seven days from the 
 trading post at Cass Lake, and with only about two 
 days' rations. Not even an Indian could be found in 
 that lonely region with whom to parley for food. It 
 may be safely concluded that before we retired to our 
 tents that night we looked our project squarely in the 
 face. Despatch in our onward progress was earnestly 
 recommended. An equal distribution of rations, and 
 the most rigid economy in the use of ammunition, 
 was also insisted upon. 
 
 A dense fog which completely enveloped the swamp 
 in our immediate front prevented our getting upon 
 the trail until seven o'clock in the morning of July 
 twenty-first, and it was even then impossible to distin- 
 guish objects at a distance of twenty yards. While wait- 
 ing for the fog to raise, a small flock of pigeons dropped 
 into the tops of some tall pines near by. George and 
 Paine were inclined to observe their usual practice of 
 discharging their fire-arms ; but, as I considered the 
 pigeons out of range, I reminded them that no more 
 ammunition could be thrown away upon uncertainties. 
 
 The distance from the eastern to the western branch 
 of the Mississippi is between six and seven miles. 
 Beginning in a marsh the portage soon reaches a slight 
 elevation covered with a growth of cedar, spruce, 
 white pine and tamarack; then plunges into a swamp 
 malted with fallen trees, obscured by moss. From the 
 swamp the trail emerges upon dry ground, whence it 
 soon ascends an elevation of oceanic sand, presenting 
 boulders and bearing pines. There is then another 
 
EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY, ^5 
 
 descent and another elevation. In short, this portage 
 carried us over a series of dihivial sand-ridges which 
 form the height of land between the Mississippi and 
 Red Eiver of the North. It may be said that thes^ 
 ridges constitute the table-land between the waters of 
 Hudson's Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, and give rise 
 to the remotest tributaries of the River Saint Louis? 
 which through Lake Superior and its connecting chain 
 may be considered as furnishing the head-waters of the 
 Saint Lawrence. This is unquestionably the highest 
 land of North America between the Alleghenies and 
 Rocky Mountains. 
 
 Chenowagesic led the way while crossing this high- 
 land, followed by the other guides, each carrying as 
 usual a canoe and a portion of the luggage. George, 
 Paine and myself moved forward on the trail in 
 Indian file. As soon as all were in motion we pushed 
 rapidly along, stopping occasionally for rest. The 
 Chippewas denominate each of these stops opugid- 
 jewinon, or a place of putting down the burden. 
 Thirteen of these halts were given by Chenowagesic as 
 the distance to Lake Itasca. The trail is often ob- 
 scured by a dense undergrowth, and requires the 
 precision of an Indian eye to detect it. Even the 
 guide was sometimes disconcerted, and went forward 
 to explore. About midway of the portage we came to 
 a small lake, into which we quickly put the canoes 
 and pulled for the opposite shore. The route bey-and 
 was more obstructed by underbrush. To avoid this 
 "we waded through the margins of a couple of ponds, 
 near which we observed old camp-poles, indicating 
 former journeys of the Chippewas. 
 
 We found the weather much warmer than we had an- 
 
gg DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 ticipated for Northern Minnesota, and not favorable to 
 much exertion in bird or beast. Several flocks of 
 pigeons and other birds common to northern lati- 
 tudes were frequently observed. Tracks of deer were 
 numerous in the marshes skirting the ponds, but 
 traveling without the precaution required in hunt- 
 ing, we had no opportunity of seeing this animal in 
 the high grounds. Ripe strawberries were found on 
 the hillsides, and a very small species of the rasp- 
 berry was brought to me by Chenowagesic at one 
 of the resting-places. The student of botany would 
 consider the plants few and of little consequence. 
 
 On turnins: out of a thicket at the foot of the last 
 elevation, between three and four o'clock in the after- 
 noon, our longing eyes rested upon the waters of 
 Lake Ttasea. A few moments later we were floating 
 on its placid bosom, and, after a pull of between two 
 and three miles, reached Schoolcraft Island. This 
 island derives its name from Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, 
 who discovered Itasca in 1832, and erroneously located 
 it as the source of the Mississippi. 
 
 Hitherto the claim of Schoolcraft has been unques- 
 tioned, and for half a century Lake Itasca has enjoyed 
 the honor of standing at the head of the Father of 
 Waters. The island is about three-quarters of an 
 acre in extent, and so densely studded with under- 
 growth tha^ vve experienced much difficulty in clearing 
 a place for our tents. We found here but two or 
 three trees worthy of notice, the most prominent of 
 which was a tall, gray pine, and on this Paine blazed 
 our names and the date of our encampment. 
 
 Itasca is in every respect a beautiful lake, between 
 five and six miles in length, and from one-fourth to 
 
EXPLORA TlOJSr AND DISCO VER Y, 67 
 
 three-fourths of a mile in width. It has three arms — 
 one to the southeast, three miles long ; one extending 
 to the southwest from the island ; and one reaching 
 northward to the outlet two and a half miles. Its 
 greatest length is from southeast to northwest. I 
 asked Chenowagesic the Chippewa name of this 
 lake, and he replied "Omushkos/^ which means Elk. 
 Schoolcraft tells us that the word Itasca is derived 
 from the mythological and necromantic notions of the 
 Chippewas concerning the origin and mutations of the 
 country. 
 
 We were in no condition to enjoy our delightful 
 surroundings at this point, in consequence of the re- 
 duced state of our supplies. Determined upon a 
 thorough exploration of the region adjacent to Lake 
 Itasca, we w^ere now confronted \\\i\\ a subject for 
 serious consideration. We were at least six days 
 from the nearest post of relief, and entirely out of 
 rations, with the exception of a small piece of bacon 
 and a few pounds of flour. The trolling-hooks were 
 lost, and there were but sixty-five rounds of ammuni- 
 tion left. In this dilemma my white companions fa- 
 vored exploration. The Indians preferred an imme- 
 diate descent of the river. 
 
CHAPTER Y. 
 
 TRUE SOURCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 'HE exhausting portages of July twenty- 
 first, between the east and west forks of 
 the Mississippi, prepared us for a sleep 
 "^ which even the Minnesota mosquitoes 
 could not disturb, and which was not broken 
 until long after the sun was glinting upon 
 us through the trees on the morning of the twenty- 
 second. Although I had cautioned the guides to 
 awaken me at dawn, I found them snoring lustily at 
 six o'clock. 
 
 As soon as all were astir, Chenowagesic and the 
 Lagards prepared breakfast. George struck tents and 
 rolled the blankets, while Paine busied himself with 
 an article for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, descriptive 
 of our voyage to Lake Itasca. Bat little ceremony 
 \'/as observed at breakfast, which was served with a 
 due regard to our scant rations, and consisted of a 
 small slice of bacon and a "flap-jack/' each of very 
 meagre dimensions. 
 
 Notwithstanding the fact that we were now con- 
 fronted with empty haversacks and nearly depleted 
 cartridge boxes, my companions were still eager to 
 follow my lead in the work of exploration beyond 
 Itasca^ which, from the beginning, had beeio the con- 
 
TRUE SOURCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 69 
 
 trolling incentive of our expedition, the grand objective 
 towards which we bent all our energies. To stand at 
 the SOURCE; to look upon the remotest rills and 
 springs which contribute to the birth of the Great 
 River of .North America; to write ^ms in the volume 
 opened by the renowned De Soto, more than three 
 hundred years ago, and in which Marquette, La Salle, 
 Hennepin, La Hontan, Carver, Pike, Beltrami, 
 Schoolcraft and Nicollet have successively inscribed 
 their names, were quite enough to revive the droop- 
 ing spirits of the most depressed. 
 
 During our encampment on the island Chenowa- 
 gesic again reminded me that he had planted corn 
 there many years before, and that his wigwam once 
 stood near the spot where we had pitched our tents. 
 He also repeated what he had told me before launching 
 the canoes at Leech Lake, that the region about Lake 
 Itasca was his hunting ground, and that he was 
 thoroughly acquainted with all the rivers, lakes and 
 ponds within a hundred miles. He further said that 
 Paul Beaulieu was in error concerning the source of 
 the Great River, and led me to conclude that the 
 primal reservoir was above and beyond Itasca, and 
 that this lake was simply an expansion of the Missis- 
 sippi, as are Bemidji, Cass, Winnibegoshish, Pepin and 
 several others. 
 
 Fully convinced that the statements of Chenowa- 
 gesic were entirely trustworthy, and knowing from 
 past experience that he was perfectly reliable as a 
 guide, w^e put our canoes into the water at eight 
 o'clock, and at once began coasting Itasca for its 
 feeders. We found the outlets of six small streams, 
 two having well-defined mouths, and four filtering 
 
70 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 into the lake through bogs. The upper end of the 
 southwestern arm is heavily margined with reeds and 
 rushes, and it was not without considerable difficulty 
 that we forced our way through this barrier into the 
 larger of the two open streams which flow into this 
 end of the lake. 
 
 Although perfectly familiar with the topography of 
 the country, and entirely confident that he could lead 
 us to the beautiful lake which he had so often 
 described, Chenowagesic was for several moments 
 greatly disturbed by the net- work of rushes in which 
 we found ourselves temporarily entangled. Leaping 
 from his canoe, he pushed the rushes right and left 
 with his paddle, and soon, to our great delight, threw 
 up his hands and gave a characteristic " Chippewa 
 yell," thereby signifying that he had found the object 
 of his search. Returning, he seized the bow of my 
 canoe, and pulled it after him through the rushes out 
 into the clear, glistening waters of the infant Missis- 
 sippi, which, at the point of entering Itasca, is seve» 
 fe»t wide, and from twelve to fifteen inches deep. 
 
 Lusty work with our paddles for half an hour 
 brought us to a blockade of fallen timber. Determined 
 to float in my canoe upon the surface of the lake 
 towards which we were paddling, I directed the guides 
 to remove the obstructions, and continued to urge the 
 canoes rapidly forward, although opposed by a strong 
 and constantly increasing current. Sometimes we 
 found it necessary to lift the canoes over logs, and 
 occasionally to remove diminutive sand-bars from the 
 bed of the stream with our paddles. As we neared 
 the head of this primal section of the mighty river, we 
 could readily touch both shores with our hands at 
 
TRUE SOURCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI. *f\ 
 
 the saaie time, while the average depth of water in 
 the channel did not exceed ten inches. 
 
 Every paddle stroke seemed to increase the ardoi 
 with which we were carried forward. The desire to 
 see the actual source of a river so celebrated as the 
 Mississippi, whose mouth had been reached nearly 
 two centuries before, was doubtless the impelling mo- 
 tive. In their eagerness to obtain a first view of the 
 beautiful lake toward which we were paddling, and 
 greatly annoyed by the slow progress made in the 
 canoes, my brother and Paine stepped ashore and 
 proposed a race to the crest of the hill which Cheno- 
 wagesic told them overhung the lake. To this 
 proposition of my companions I made objection, and 
 insisted that all should see the goal of our expedition 
 from the canoes. What had long been sought at last 
 appeared suddenly. On pulling and pushing our way 
 through a net-work of rushes, similar to the one en- 
 countered on leaving Itasca, the cheering sight of a 
 transparent body of water burst upon our view. It 
 was a beautiful lake — the source of the Father oi 
 Waters. 
 
 A few moments later, and our little flotilla of three 
 canoes was put in motion, headed for a small prom- 
 ontory which we discovered at the opposite end of 
 the lake. We paddled slowly across one of the most 
 pure and tranquil bodies of water of which it is pos- 
 sible to conceive. Not a breath of air was stirring. 
 We halted frequently to scan its shores, and to run 
 our eyes along the verdure-covered hills which enclose 
 its basin. These elevations are at a distance of from 
 three to four miles, and are covered chiefly with white 
 pines, intermingled with the cedar, spruce and tama* 
 
72 Down THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 rack. The beach is fringed with a mixed foliage of 
 the evergreen species. At one point we observed 
 pond lilies, and at another a small quantity of wild 
 rice. 
 
 As wd neared the headland, a deer was seen stand- 
 ing on the shore, and an eagle swept over our heads 
 with food for its young, which we soon discovered 
 were lodged in the top of a tall pine. The waterfowl 
 noticed upon the lake were apparently little disturbed 
 by our presence, and seldom left the surface of the 
 water. 
 
 This lake is about a mile and a half in greatest 
 diameter, and would be nearly an oval in form but for 
 a single promontory which extends its shores into the 
 lake so as to give it in outline the appearance of a 
 heart. Its feeders are three small creeks, two of 
 which enter on the right and left of the headland, and 
 have their origin in springs at the foot of sand-hills 
 from five to six miles distant. Tlie third is but 
 little more than a mile in length, has no clearly de- 
 fined course, and is the outlet of a small lake situated 
 in a marsh to the south westward. These three creeks 
 were named in the order of their discovery : Eagle, 
 Excelsior and Deer. The small lake, which is the 
 source of Eagle Creek, I called Alice, after my 
 daughter. 
 
 Having satisfied myself as to its remotest feeders, I 
 called my companions into line at the foot of the 
 promontory which overlooks the lake, and talked for a 
 few moments of the Mississippi and its explorers, tell- 
 ' ing them I was confident that we were looking upon 
 the TRUE SOURCE of the Great River, and that we had 
 completed a work begun by De Soto, in 1541, and 
 
TRUE SOURCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI, 75 
 
 had corrected a geographical error of half a century's 
 standing. Concluding my remarks, I requested a 
 volley from their fire-arms for each member of the 
 party, in commemoration of our discovery. When 
 the firing ceased, Paine gave me a surprise, by step- 
 ping to the front and proposing " that the newly dis- 
 covered lake be named glazier in honor of the leader 
 of the expedition/' The proposition was seconded 
 by Moses Lagard, the interpreter, and carried by accla- 
 mation, notwithstanding my protest that it should 
 retain its Indian name, Po-keg-a-ma. 
 
 Much to the surprise of every one, as we were 
 about closing our ceremonies, Chenowagesic assumed 
 an oratorical attitude, and addressed me as follows, in 
 a few words of true Indian eloquence. *^ My brother, 
 I have come with you through many lakes and rivers 
 to the head of the Father of Waters. The shores of 
 this lake are ray hunting-ground. Here I have had 
 my wigwam and planted corn for many years. When 
 I again roam through these forests, and look on this 
 lake, source of the Great Eiver, I will look on you." 
 
 The latitude of this lake is not far from 47°. Its 
 height above the sea is an object of geographical 
 interest, which, in the absence of actual survey, it may 
 subserve the purposes of useful inquiry to estimate. 
 From notes taken during the ascent it cannot be less 
 than seven feet above Lake Itasca. Adding the esti- 
 mate of 1575 feet submitted by Schoolcraft in 1832, as 
 the elevation of that lake, the Mississippi may be said 
 to originate in an altitude of 1582 feet above the 
 Atlantic Ocean. Taking forr^icr estimates as the basis 
 and computing reasonably through the western fork, 
 its length may be placed at 3184 miles. Assuming 
 
76 
 
 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 that the barometrical height of its source is 1582 feet, 
 it has a mean descent of over six inches per mile. 
 
 At Lake Bemidji the Mississip})i reaches its highest 
 northing, wliich is in the neighborhood of 47° 30^ 
 The origin of the river in an untraveled and secluded 
 region between Leech Lake and tlie Rod River of the 
 North, not less than a degree of latitude south of 
 Turtle Lake, which was for a long time supposed to 
 be the source, removes both foi-ks of the stream out 
 side the usual track of the fur-traders, and presents a 
 good reason, perhaps, why its fountain-head has re° 
 raained so long enveloped in uncertaintjo 
 
 ^::;=r::JjHE^ Infant Mississippi 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Camp Discovery, 
 
 Ten Miles Below Lake Itasca^ 
 July 22, 1881. 
 
 Standing at the source of the Missis- 
 sippi, around which so many beautiful 
 Indian legends cluster, and about which 
 the white man has ever had much 
 curiosity, I trust I felt a natural throb of 
 pride in contemplation of the fact that at 
 least a portion of my plan had been successfully 
 executed ; I had also a confident belief that the 
 future held further good in store for us. 
 
 All being ready, and with the exclamation, " Now 
 for the Gulf of Mexico ! ^' I directed the canoes to be 
 put into the water, and in a moment more Ave were 
 on our way back to Lake Itasca ; our speed greatly 
 accelerated by the prospect of soon reaching our 
 rations, which, for convenience, had been left with 
 the luggage on Schoolcraft Island. This pull down 
 to Itasca was in reality the first step in my voyage 
 from source to sea, for as yet but a small portion of 
 the undertaking had been realized. The old ex- 
 plorers had only navigated portions of the Great 
 
 (77) 
 
fS DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 River. It was my purpose to descend its entire course 
 from the remotest springs in the wilds of Minnesota 
 to its outlet in the Gulf of Mexico. I desired to be- 
 come familiar with the most striking features of the 
 Mighty River, and to study, through personal inter- 
 course, the varying phases of American life and 
 character upon its banks. No one had ever attempted 
 this before, and it is hardly probable that any one will 
 ever attempt it again, for the perils of a voyage of 
 over three thousand miles in an open canoe are not 
 purely imaginary. And yet this was the only way in 
 which I could practically and satisfactorily accom- 
 plish my purpose of making careful observations 
 along the route traversed. 
 
 On our way down Itasca, my brother improvised a 
 trolling-hook by twisting a piece of wire from a tin 
 can into the form of a hook, and by using a small 
 piece of red flannel as a decoy, caught two fine 
 pickerel. Just as we were nearing the island, Lagard, 
 the interpreter, called my attention to a bald eagle 
 sitting on a log, with a large, black bass in his talons, 
 which he had evidently taken from the water but a 
 moment before. A shot from my revolver had no 
 other effect than to lead him to drop his prey, which, 
 with the fish already cauglit by George, made a most 
 acceptable meal for our little party, who now began to 
 realize the extremity to which we were reduced. A 
 few ounces of flour, and not more than two pounds of 
 bacon, was at this time the sum total of our reserve 
 rations ; and yet we were several days from the nearest 
 trading post. 
 
 Dinner over at the island, we hastily re-embarked 
 and continued our course down Itasca. The outlet 
 
BOULDERS AND FALLEN TREES. 79 
 
 Jies to the northwest of the island, and proved to be 
 a brisk brook, with a mean width of ten feet, and a 
 depth of from fifteen to twenty inches. The water is 
 exceedingly clear, and we at ojce found ourselves glid- 
 ing over a sandy and pebbly bottom, strewed with the 
 scattered valves of shell-fish, at a lively rate. Its 
 banks are overhung with limbs and braLches covered 
 with foliage, which sometimes reach across and inter- 
 lace. The bends are short, and have accumulations 
 of flood wood, so that we often found it necessary to 
 clear a passage with our axes. The Indians fre- 
 quently suggested a portage, to which I invariably 
 objected, being determined to paddle my canoe down 
 the entire course of the Mississij)pi where possible. 
 There was constant danger of running against boulders 
 of black rock, lying along the margin or piled up in 
 the channel of the stream; and nothing but the most 
 strenuous eiforts on the part of our pilots preserved 
 our canoes from immediate destruction. As the ve- 
 locity of the current increased, we were hurled, as it 
 were, through the narrow gorges, and would have dc' 
 scended at a prodigiously rapid rate had it not been 
 for these interruptions to navigation. 
 
 The course of the river was northwesterly. After 
 descending about ten miles, it enters a savanna where 
 the channel is wider and deeper, but equally irregular. 
 This extends some seven or eight miles. It then 
 breaks its way through a pine ridge, where the channel 
 is again very much confined and rapid, the rushing, 
 tearing current threatening every njoment to dash the 
 canoes into a thousand pieces. The pilots were often 
 in the water to guide the canoes, or stood ever readjr 
 with their paddles to fend off. 
 
30 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 We disembarked and pitched tents in a grove of 
 poplars on the right bank, directly opposite the mouth 
 of the first stream that enters the Mississippi below 
 Lake Itasca. This tributary is evidently the one to 
 which Paul Beaulieu referred in his conversation with 
 me at Leech Lake, and which he supposed might lead 
 to the true source of the Mississippi. A careful in- 
 vestigation established the fact that Beaulieu was in 
 error, and confirms the theory that the lake located and 
 named by our party is the fountain head. Although 
 a small stream, I deemed it of sufficient importance 
 to be styled a river, and bestowed upon it the name of 
 the zealous missionary and explorer, Marquette. 
 Marquette Kiver is some fifteen miles in length, has 
 two small tributaries and is the outlet of four beauti- 
 ful lakes which I named after Captain Charles 
 Gordinier Hampton, of Detroit, Michigan ; Lieu- 
 tenant John Arthur Richardson, of Albany, New 
 York ; Moses W. Lemon, of Canton, New York, and 
 John W. Wright, of Des Moines, Iowa; companions 
 of my imprisonment and escapes during the war of the 
 Rebellion. 
 
 Reflecting upon the Mississippi and its thousand 
 tributaries, it is perhaps but a natural sentiment that the 
 first to enter and pay tribute is entitled to more than 
 a passing notice. In its onward march, the mighty 
 river will take to its bosom, among others, the Min- 
 nesota, St. Croix, Des Moines, Wisconsin, Missouri, 
 Illinois, Ohio, Yazoo, Arkansas and Red, all among 
 the first rivers of the world, and yet their position on 
 the family tree is not more important than the little 
 Marquette, which bears the same relation to its source 
 that the great Red River does to its mouth. If one 
 
OXJI OF RATIONS. 81 
 
 is last, the other is first to swell its ever increasing 
 flood. 
 
 Our camp opposite the mouth of the Marquette 
 will long be remembered by my companions as the 
 place where we first felt the gnawings of hunger, for 
 it was here that the last of our rations was consumed, 
 and we retired to our tents with appetites half satis- 
 fied after a day of unusual fatigue ; add to empty 
 haversacks the tortures of our inveterate enemies, the 
 mosquitoes, and the reader will have some idea of our 
 situation at the close of the first day in the descent of 
 the Mississippi. 
 
 Seronir gag. 
 
 Camp Otter, 
 
 Fifteen Miles Below Marquette Bivery 
 July Twenty-third. 
 
 We struck tents at six o'clock in the morning, 
 and a few moments later were in our canoes and again 
 descending the river. I immediately took position in 
 the bow of the leading canoe with shotgun in hand, 
 ready for game of any description which might appear 
 in our front, for we were now entirely destitute of 
 rations, with but little ammunition, and our fishing 
 tackle in the bogs beyond Itasca. It was at once ap- 
 parent that for some days at least, our explorations 
 would lie more in the direction of food than the 
 topography of the country. My companions were 
 cautioned to keep a sharp lookout for evidences of 
 animal life on the banks of the river, while the 
 guides were instructed to be on the alert for ducks, as 
 the Chippewas are adepts in killing many varieties 
 of waterfowl by means of their paddles. 
 
82 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 The same order in our descent of the river had 
 tlius far been adhered to which was observed in the 
 voyage to Lake Itasca, the stream being still so 
 narrow as to necessitate our moving forward in In- 
 dian file. Moses Lagard continued with me as pilot 
 in the first canoe, which had been christened " Dis- 
 covery '' by Paine. My brother followed with Cheno- 
 wagesic, in the Alice, named after my daughter, 
 while Mr. Paine, with Sebatise Lagard, brought up 
 the rear in the Itasca. 
 
 We had been in our canoes but a few moments when 
 my attention was drawn to a slight ripple on the sur- 
 face of the water. An instant later I saw a small, 
 black object pointing down stream about twenty 
 yards in advance of my canoe. Moses Lagard cried 
 out at the top of his voice, ''Shoot him ! Shoot him. 
 Captain ! " Suiting the action to the word, I at once 
 fired, and a moment later had the satisfaction of pull- 
 ing in an otter, one of the finest prizes of our voyage; 
 and, as will soon appear, a rare piece of good fortune 
 at this time. Although many years before I had been 
 counted something of a trapper, this was the first otter 
 I had seen, and, as may be well supposed, was some- 
 what elated with my shot and trophy. The guides 
 unanimously voted me a great hunter, as is the custom 
 of the Chippewas whenever a member of their tribe 
 kills this animal. 
 
 Turning a bend in the river, a brood of ducks next 
 received our attention. A round from the shotgun 
 put two juveniles on their backs, and sent the re- 
 mainder under the surface apparently frightened by 
 the discharge. The crews of both the Alice and 
 Itasca were soon at the scene of action, the Indians 
 
PADDLING FOR DUCKS. 83 
 
 screaming and gesticulating in the wildest manner in 
 order to keep the ducks under water. An excitmg 
 chase now ensued, in which Indian skill in the use of 
 the paddle was fully demonstrated. Eagerly watching 
 for some evidence of the presence of his game, the prac- 
 tised eye of Chenovvagesic readily got its bearings. A 
 few sharp strokes of his paddle brought him in range, 
 and then raising the paddle to a perpendicular, he sent 
 it straight to the back of his prey. Another duck 
 was captured in the same manner by Sebatise, which, 
 with the two brought down by the shotgun, gave us 
 a light breakfast, as all the- ducks were young and 
 small. My companions insisted that their leader 
 should have one duck entirely to himself, but to this 
 I objected, saying that whatever fortune had in store 
 for us should always be equally divided. 
 
 Greatly encouraged by the good luck of the morn- 
 ing, it now seemed that if we had sufficient ammuni- 
 tion, or if the guides should be successful in paddling 
 for game, we might pull through to the trading post 
 at Lake Bemidji without serious difficulty. But right 
 here was the rub : we had but twenty-three rounds 
 of ammunition left, and while fortune had favored us 
 once at least with the paddles, there was a much 
 larger proportion of chance than certainty for the fu- 
 ture. 
 
 Breakfast over, we were soon again gliding rapidly 
 down the river, our speed greatly accelerated by a 
 constantly increasing current. The strong rapids con- 
 tinued at intervals, and were rendered more dangerous 
 by limbs of trees which stretched across the stream, 
 threatening to sweep everything movable out of the 
 canoes. In consequence of these obstructions all 
 
84 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 hands were kept busy cutting away drift and remov- 
 ing boulders with which the stream was literally 
 choked. 
 
 Five miles below the mouth of Marquette Hiver 
 we came to a small stream having its source in a lake 
 to the westward. I gave to this lake the name of 
 Beaulieu, the veteran Government interpreter, to whom 
 reference has been previously made. Chenowagesic 
 informed me that this lake is but a short distance 
 from the source of the Red River of the North. 
 
 The series of rapids encountered during the day 
 and the consequent interruption to navigation, kept us 
 so well employed, that even had game been seen, no 
 time was found for hunting, and it was with sensations 
 of hunger, as well as fatigue, that we debated the 
 situation in our new camp. The propriety of eating 
 the otter killed in the morning was freely discussed. 
 I knew from early information obtained as a trapper, 
 that this animal was seldom, if ever, eaten by white 
 men, and then only when driven to great extremity. 
 Their catlike appearance is quite enough to neutralize 
 the cravings of hunger under ordinary circumstances. 
 George and Paine declared they would starve before 
 eating anything so repulsive in appearance, and started 
 in pursuit of blueberries. Lagard and Chenowagesic 
 said that otter was as good as baked dog, and at once 
 proceeded to dress it for supper, while Sebatise made 
 a small fire of pine knots, with which to roast their 
 prize; for the Indians were determined to show us 
 the edible qualities of the otter. 
 
 Returning to camp after a fruitless search for ber- 
 ries, George and Paine were in a humor to join me in 
 an otter steak a la Chippewa. It is perhaps needless 
 
EATING AN OTTEE. 85 
 
 to add that Mr. Otter is not so black as he has fre- 
 quently been painted, and the only regret upon fin- 
 ishing our rather unsavory supper was, that our four- 
 legged friend had not been of larger dimensions, for he 
 was both small and poor. 1 may further observe that 
 it is quite natural to conclude that, as this animal 
 subsists chiefly upon fish and vegetables, it may be 
 eaten v*^ithout hesitation, whenever the hunter or 
 voyageur findiS himself in straits for more palatable food. 
 Although the second day was a day of incessant 
 toil with axes and paddles, we only advanced fifteen 
 miles. Greatly refreshed, however, by our evening 
 meal and thankful that our condition was no worse, 
 we retired to our tents hopeful for the morrcw* 
 
CHAPTER yil. 
 
 PERILS AND PRIVATIONS. 
 
 tijirb JDag. 
 
 Camp Hunger, 
 
 Forty Miles Above Lake Bemid^% 
 July 24, 1881. 
 
 EING still without rations all hands went 
 in pursuit of blueberries at six o'clock this 
 morning, but soon returned after a fruitleae 
 search, and again launched our canoes, 
 rusting to the fates for something of an eat- 
 able character. 
 Another chain of rapids was encountered a few 
 yards below Camp Otter. We were nearly an hour 
 in passing down these rapids, when we reached the 
 Kakabikons Falls. This little cataract is a swift 
 rush of water, bolting through a narrow gorge, with- 
 out a perpendicular fall. Chenowagesic suggested that 
 we should make a portage, but after consultation, we 
 decided to keep the canoes in the water as their crews 
 were so reduced in strength as to be unable to carry 
 the luggage. 
 
 While halting at its head for Paine to come up 
 George caught hold of my canoe in order to bring his 
 own to a stand. He succeeded in his purpose. But 
 
 being checked suddenly, the stern of his canoe swung 
 
 (86) 
 
.. - ■■■■ .1 ■ ■■! ■ ■■■■I. ^ m ^ •■'W-J^ J 
 
PERILS AND PRIVATIONS. §9 
 
 across the stream, which permitted his pilot to catch 
 hold of the limb of a fallen tree. Thus stretched 
 tensely across the rapid stream, in an instant the water 
 burst over the gunwale^ precipitating its contents into 
 the swift current. The water was about four feet deep. 
 George and his pilot found footing with considerable 
 difficulty, but his canoe, tent, blankets, gun and every- 
 thing, were swept over the falls and lost. He clung 
 to his paddle, however, and by feeling with his feet 
 brought up his fowling-piece. 
 
 Following the overturned canoe, we came up with it 
 at the foot of the rapids, but injured the balance of 
 our little fleet so much in the descent as to cause us 
 considerable delay. It was hoped that this misfortune 
 would prove a valuable lesson to George, who, not- 
 withstanding the fact that he had already been cap- 
 sized five or six times, had yet, it seemed, much to 
 learn of navigation in birch canoes. Below these 
 rapids the river receives a tributary on the right hand, 
 which I called Joliet River, after the distinguished 
 French explorer, Louis Joliet, who was for many 
 years the companion of both La Salle and Hennepin. 
 We found the volume of the Mississippi nearly 
 doubled by the junction of this stream, and hence its 
 savanna borders were greatly enlarged. I noticed 
 frequently among the shrubbery on its shores the wild 
 rose and clumps of the salix. The channel winds 
 through these savanna borders capriciously. At a 
 point where we landed for blueberries, on an open 
 pine bank, on the left shore, we noted several copious 
 and clear springs pouring into the river. Indeed 
 the extensive sand ranges which traverse the wood- 
 lands of this section of the Mississippi are per- 
 
90 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 fectly charged with the moisture condensed on these 
 elevations, which flows in through a thousand rills. 
 
 The physical character of the stream made this part 
 of our route a most rapid one. Willing or unwilling, 
 we were hurried on ; but indeed we had every desire 
 to hasten the descent, for hunger, gaunt and stern, 
 Btill stared at us from each succeeding bend of the 
 river. Towards evening, Sebatise caught two black 
 bass, with a hook made from a small piece of tin, 
 while I killed four mallard ducks with three rounds 
 of my shot-gun. 
 
 We disembarked a little before sunset and pitched 
 tents on a hillside covered wnth Norway pines. After 
 carefully discussing the situation, it was unanimously 
 voted that the ducks should be reserved for breakfast, 
 as we had learned from experience that we could 
 better dispense with our rations at night than in the 
 morning, when we had a day of paddling before us. 
 My surprise can be readily imagined by those familiar 
 with Indian character, when about midnight I heard 
 loud grumbling in the tent occupied by the interpreter 
 and guides. They had reconsidered their vote and were 
 now in favor of eating fish and ducks at once. Believ- 
 ing that the course we had previously decided upon 
 was best for all, I reasoned a few moments with our 
 dusky friends, and then ordered guns and game to my 
 own tent. This put an end to the disaffection and we 
 again retired to sleep as best we could. I may here 
 add that in my experience among Indians I have 
 observed that when in the possession of food they 
 seldom defer eating it, but when their larders are 
 empty they patiently submit to the gnawings' of hun- 
 ger. 
 
PERILS AND PRIVATIONS. 91 
 
 iburtt) JDaj). 
 
 Camp Starvation, 
 
 Twenty Miles Above Lake Bemidji^ 
 
 July Twenty-fifth. 
 
 All were astir at dawn. The much coveted fish 
 and ducks were hastily dressed and broiled. A very 
 simple calculation showed me that if four ducks of 
 nearly equal size were to be divided fairly between 
 six persons, each should receive four-sixths of one 
 duck, and upon this basis I quickly made the apportion- 
 ment. As to the fish, which could not have weighed 
 more than a half pound, it was somewhat difficult to 
 divide, and so it was voted that the leader of the ex- 
 pedition should have the entire fish ration. This 
 courtesy on the part of my companions was gratefully 
 acknowledged, and I venture to say that I regarded 
 it at the time as one of the highest compliments ever 
 paid to leadership. 
 
 It is perhaps needless to add that fish and ducks 
 were speedily disposed of, tents struck, and canoes 
 again put into the Vv^ater. We were now within two 
 days of Lake Bemidji, which we had looked forward 
 to as a post of relief since leaving Itasca. The only 
 obstacle to rapid progress in the descent of the river 
 was our exhausted condition, which seriously interfered 
 with a vigorous use of the paddles. 
 
 A few yards below our last encampment, on turning 
 a bend in the river, we came suddenly upon an old 
 duck of the onzig species and her brood, which at tJiis 
 season are unfledged. This seemed a providential 
 interposition, and I at once sent a charge from the 
 shot-gun after them, but with no other effect than to 
 
§2 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 kill one young duck and apparently wound its mother. 
 As to the parent bird, however, I was greatly deceived ; 
 it affected for the moment to be disabled, flapped its 
 wings upon the water as if it could not rise, in order 
 to allow her young to escape, when she suddenly 
 arose and winged her flight beyond the reach of 
 my fowling-piece. Following the shot-gun, the In- 
 dians closed up, gesticulating and screaming loudly, 
 thereby frightening and keeping several of the ducks 
 under water. An instant later, Chenowagesic sent his 
 paddle straight home to the back of a juvenile duck, 
 which, as soon as it came to the surface, was thrown 
 into my canoe amid the shouts of the entire party. 
 We were now two ducks ahead and hopeful of a further 
 reinforcement of our commissariat before nightfall. 
 
 At ten o'clock we reached the mouth of a stream, 
 having its source in a lake a few miles north of Lake 
 Itasca. This is the second tributary entering on the 
 right, and is the largest as well as the longest so far 
 encountered. I named it La Salle River, in honor of 
 Chevalier Robert de la Salle. 
 
 Several flocks of pigeons passed over our heads early 
 in the afternoon, but as they were so far above us as 
 to be out of shot range, I did not think it advisable to 
 waste ammunition. My brother noticed a deer grazing 
 at some distance from a point where we landed to search 
 for blueberries ; but while he crept up cautiously to 
 within a few yards, he failed in his shot, either from 
 the distance or want of practice. He immediately 
 threw a fresh cartridge into his gun and fired again, 
 before the animal had made many leaps, but to no 
 purpose. 
 
 A halt was made at three o'clock for rest and 
 
PERILS AND privations: 93 
 
 refreshment, for we were so much exhausted by this 
 time from paddling and want of food that we could 
 proceed no farther. Lagard helped me out of my 
 canoe and led me to the shade of a small tree, for on 
 attempting to walk I found I was too weak to do so 
 without assistance. The two ducks killed in the morn- 
 ing, together with a mud-turtle caged by Chenowagesicj 
 were quickly broiled, and as quickly devoured. A 
 few blueberries were gathered by George, which he 
 divided equally among his companions. 
 
 At four o'clock the canoes were again put into the 
 water and the descent of the river continued. Our 
 progress for some miles was greatly retarded by a 
 eluggish current, the route lying through wild rice 
 riavannas, the most extensive we had yet seen. These 
 rice savannas seem indispensable to the Indian tribes 
 of the Upper Mississippi, who rely upon them largely 
 for their winter sustenance. Toward evening we 
 eame to the junction of a considerable stream, known 
 among the Indians as the Pinidiwin River. This 
 river originates in a lake on the northwestern summit 
 of a range of hills called the Hauteur des Terres. It 
 has another lake also near the point where it enters 
 the Mississippi. One of these lakes is known as 
 Monomina, the other I named Beltrami, after the emi- 
 nent Frenchman who preceded Schoolcraft in Missis- 
 sippi exploration. 
 
 Just below the mouth of the Pinidiwin a flock of 
 wild geese passed over our heads. This was, under 
 the circumstances, a very great temptation, and, while 
 they were apparently beyond short range, I ventured a 
 round of ammunition upon them, without effect. 
 This was a hard blow. The sun was sinking behind 
 
94 nOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 the distant hills, and although we had eaten nothing 
 since six o'clock in the morning, there was now no 
 prospect of securing food before reaching Lake Be- 
 midji. It was suggested that we should continue the 
 descent during the night, but this was considered imprac- 
 ticable, as the channel was so tortuous and unsettled as to 
 render navigation extremely difficult except in day- 
 light. We were still passing through wild rice and 
 blue grass savannas where the river is constantly chang- 
 ing its course, and the channel with which Chenowa- 
 gesic was formerly familiar was now in many places 
 filled up and overgrown with reeds and rushes. 
 
 We disembarked at eight o'clock, about ten miles 
 below the mouth of the Pinidiwin, and pitched our 
 tents in a pine grove on the left bank. The day's 
 descent was indeed an arduous one. George and 
 Paine estimated it at twenty miles. Taking into 
 consideration a sluggish current and lack of rations, 
 it must be admitted that our progress was ail that 
 could have been expected. 
 
CHAPTER yill. 
 
 BEMIDJI TO WINNIBEGOSHISH. 
 
 SUtl) SDag. 
 
 Camp Eelief, 
 
 Near Lake Bemidji, MinnMotOf 
 
 July 26, 1881. 
 
 f 
 
 TRUCK tents at sunrise. Shot a musk- 
 rat with our last round of ammunition, 
 and killed two ducks with paddles early 
 ir^ in the forenoon, which, with a few blue- 
 berries gathered by the guides, gave us a 
 scant dinner. Had we not been thus fa- 
 vored, it is hard to say what our fate might 
 have been, for we were so much reduced in 
 strength by this time that it was with the greatest dif- 
 ficulty we continued the descent of the river, aided 
 only, as we were, by a sluggish current, and too weak 
 to accomplish much with our paddles. A breakdown 
 seemed inevitable, but this timely relief gave us 
 renewed energy and braced us up for more vigorous 
 work in pushing forward the canoes. 
 
 We met a canoe late in the afternoon, about ten 
 miles above Lake Bemidji, in which there were an 
 Indian, his squaw and pappoose. Finding they had 
 some dried fish and a small quantity of maple sugar, 
 we proposed a purchase, which was made after oon- 
 7 (95} 
 
&6 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 siderable parleying, and which resulted in our secur- 
 ing four small perch and about two pounds of sugar. 
 The Fates certainly favored us on this occasion, for 
 had we been a few moments later we should not have 
 seen these Indians, as at the time of our meeting they 
 were about turning from the Mississippi to ascend one 
 of its tributaries. 
 
 As soon as we were in possession of sugar and fish it 
 was voted that nothing should be eaten until our usual 
 hour for supper ; but I may add that our wise resolu- 
 tions were not very strictly adhered to, and the offi- 
 cial having charge of the sugar was frequently visited 
 upon errands having no refiM'ence to the points of the 
 compass. 
 
 We reached the mouth of the eastern fork of the 
 Mississippi at five o'clock. This stream, to which al- 
 lusion was made during our voyage to Lake Itasca, 
 unites with the western fork about three miles south 
 of Bemidji. We were now in latitude 47° 28' 46". 
 Of the two primary streams which unite at this point, 
 the one flowing from the west contributes by far the 
 larger volume of water, possessing the greater velocity 
 and breadth of current. 
 
 A few moments before six o'clock we entered a 
 beautiful little lake of clear water and a picturesque 
 margin, spreading transversely to our course, to which 
 I gave the name of Marquette. Chenowagesic led 
 the way directly north across this body of water, strik- 
 ing the river again on its opposite shore. 
 
 The Mississippi at the point of leaving Lake Mar- 
 quette is a broad, shallow channel, with rapid current. 
 I estimated this channel to be not more than one 
 hundred yards long, at which distance we entered the 
 
BEMIDJI TO WINNIBEGOSHISH. 97 
 
 largest lake yet eucouutered in our seaward voyage. 
 This fine body of water is known to the Chippewas as 
 Pemidjegumaugj which is the Lac Traverse of the early 
 French explorers. It appears upon the recent maps 
 of Minnesota as Bemidji, which is an indifferent ab- 
 breviation of its original title. The peculiarity recog- 
 nized by the Indian name of Pemidjegumaug^ or 
 cross- water, is found to consist in the circumstance of 
 the entrance of the Mississippi into its extreme southern 
 end, and its passage through or across part of it at a 
 short distance from the point of entrance. 
 
 Lake Bemidji is in every way a magnificent sheet 
 of water, twelve miles in length from north to south, 
 and six or seven broad, fringed by an open forest of 
 hard wood. It is distant one hundred and forty-eight 
 miles from the source of the river, and lies at an ele- 
 vation of 1456 feet above the Gulf of Mexico, in 
 latitude 47° 32' 45^'. 
 
 Continuing our course w^e paddled across the southern 
 end of Lake Bemidji to its outlet. Descending the 
 river a short distance we came to high ground, which 
 was considered favorable for a camp; halted and 
 pitched tents a few moments before sunset. Here we 
 were again brought to the realization of an empty larder. 
 Every grain of sugar had disappeared. The last 
 round of ammunition was gone, and but four small 
 dried perch left to carry us to Lake Winnibegoshish, 
 distant about a hundred miles ; for we had now learned 
 that the trading post at this point, and also that at 
 Cass Lake, had some time since been abandoned. The 
 fish w^ere carefully cut up and distributed, which, wnth 
 a few blueberries found near our encampment, afforded 
 temporary refreshment and seat us to our tents musing, 
 
9S DOWJ!i THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 not SO much upon the beautiful scenery which had 
 arrested our attention during the afternoon, as upon 
 the probabilities of bagging something of an eatable 
 character on the morrow. 
 
 jSWl) JBa^. 
 
 Camp Chippewa, 
 
 Cas8 Lake, Minnesota, 
 Jidy Twenty- seventh. 
 
 Launched our canoes a few minutes after sunrise. 
 Killed two small mallard ducks and one mud-turtle 
 with our paddles, which, with the usual addition of 
 the never-failing blueberries, gave us an indifiPerent 
 breakfast at ten o'clock. All hands very weak again 
 from want of sufficient food. 
 
 Reached Cass Lake at three o'clock in the afternoon. 
 Here we found a wigwam on the shore of the lake 
 occupied by an Indian woman and her children. A 
 careful exploration brought to light a few dried fish, 
 which we at once purchased with money and tobacco, 
 the latter article being especially appreciated. 
 
 Dame Fortune seemed to be with us once more, and 
 hastening back to our canoes we paddled directly across 
 the lake, disembarking at a point near its outlet. 
 Tents were pitched and preparations for supper begun, 
 for we now had something to eat, and were in no 
 humor to defer the eating. Desirous of adding some- 
 thing of a nourishing character to our small stock of 
 dried fish, Chenowagesic and the Lagards were in- 
 structed to forage in the vicinity of our encampment. 
 They soon returned, reporting the discovery of a de- 
 serted wigwam and a large garden of growing corn 
 
BEMIDJI TO WINNIBEGOSHISR. 9^ 
 
 and potatoes. This garden, well filled with half- 
 grown potatoes, was to my starving companions an ob- 
 ject of sincere admiration, especially when we were 
 told by our guides that in the Indian country the 
 hungry are always at liberty to help themselves. 
 Under the circumstances, this practice of our red 
 brothers was well calculated to inspire us with the 
 most exalted ideas of aboriginal generosity, and the 
 alacrity with which we helped ourselves to those 
 juvenile potatoes fully attested our appreciation. 
 
 After supper all went down to the lake and had a 
 full bath, then returned to our tents thankful for the 
 favors of the day, and loud in our praises of Indians 
 who plant corn and potatoes. 
 
 Cass Lake is a fine body of transparent water, 
 about eighteen miles in length, with several large bays 
 and islands, which give it an irregular shape. The 
 largest island, called Grande He by the French, is the 
 Gitchiminis of the Indians. This island has a very 
 fertile soil, and has always been a favorite garden 
 spot with the Chippewas for raising maize or Indian 
 corn. Cass Lake was the terminus of the respective 
 explorations of Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, in 1806, and 
 Governor Lewis Cass, of Michigan, in 1820. The 
 points at which they approached it were not, however, 
 the same. Pike visited it in a dog-train on the snow 
 during the month of January, across the land from 
 the trading post of the Northwest Company at Leech 
 Lake. Cass landed in July, after tracing its channel 
 from Sandy Lake to the entrance of Turtle River, the 
 line of communication to Turtle Lake, which was for 
 many years the reputed source of the Mississippi. 
 The northern shore of Cass Lake lies in latitude 
 
iOO DOWJV THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 47° 25' 23'^ The Mississippi at the point where it 
 flows from the lake is one hundred and seventy-five 
 feet wide. 
 
 0tDmtl) JDa^. 
 
 Cabin of Missionary, 
 
 Lake Winnibegoshish, Minnesota 
 
 July Twenty-eighth. 
 
 All were up and doing at daylight. The Lagards 
 hurried off to the potato field, while George and Che- 
 nowagesic made a rousing fire in which to roast the 
 potatoes. None but those accustomed to frontier life 
 can appreciate the luxury of potatoes baked in ashes; 
 and our supper and breakfast at Cass Lake are among 
 the things long to be remembered in connection with 
 our experience on the Upper Mississippi. 
 
 Having some tobacco, with which we had provided 
 ourselves at Saint Paul fur dealing with the Indians, 
 we placed a small quantity in a conspicuous place in the 
 wigwam, concluding that when the strolling Chippewa 
 occupants should return they would find acceptable 
 payment for the potatoes confiscated by their white 
 brothers. 
 
 As soon as breakfast was over, tents were struck, 
 blankets rolled, and by six o'clock we were again in the 
 canoes pulling vigorously for Lake Winnibegoshish, 
 our next destination. The river looked very beau- 
 tiful that morning, rippling over its gravelly bed and 
 flecked with the cool shadows of bluffs and trees, its 
 surface varied now and then by small rapids, shooting 
 down which the water lashed itself against the 
 boulders. Farther along the rapids ceased and the 
 river flowed between waving meadows of wild rioe. 
 
BEMIDJl TO WINNIBEG0SHI8H. 101 
 
 We met several Indians in canoes at nine o^clock. 
 Halted and parleyed with them for dried fish, but 
 failed to accomplish anything, as they had barely 
 enough for their own use. Tempted them with to- 
 bacco, but they would not part with their fish. Later 
 in the forenoon we disembarked and ascended th© 
 bank of the river, where we found a squaw and her 
 children at work drying berri-es. Having some dried 
 venison at her wigwam near by, she generously di- 
 vided with us, receiving money in payment. Hurried 
 back to our canoes and continued the descent of the 
 river, eating venison and berries as we urged our 
 little fleet toward Winnibegoshish. 
 
 A heavy swell followed by a rising and falling of 
 the canoes betokened our near approach to a large 
 body of water, and at eleven o'clock we shot out upon 
 the bosom of Lake Winnibegoshish, the largest and 
 grandest of all the great lakes of the Great River. 
 
 Our arrival at Winnibegoshish was at a time when 
 a strong south wind blew its waters into white-capped 
 waves, and it was at the imminent risk of swamping 
 that the canoes were forced along the western shore 
 and into the little bay upon which the Indian village 
 stands. I shall not soon forget the peculiar sensa- 
 tions experienced when I realized that I was in a frai\ 
 canoe in a heavy sea two or three miles from land. I 
 would have given a good deal at this time if I could 
 have suddenly placed my feet upon a firm foundation, 
 
 Although my proposition to cross the lake was 
 stoutly opposed by the guides there seemed to be no 
 alternative, as we were again without food and felt 
 sure that something of an eatable character could be 
 s«cured at the Chippewa village on the opposite side 
 
102 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 of the lake. For nearly two hours we pulled right 
 lustily for our destination, sometimes riding upon the 
 topmost waves, and again struggling in the trough of 
 the sea. I felt several times that to get out of such a 
 fix I w^ould willingly fast six months. I would have 
 given every dollar I had in the world to have been 
 safely landed anywhere on the face of the earth. 
 Finding that my pilot coveted such a hat as his cap- 
 tain wore, I promised to keep him well supplied with 
 hats for some years to come if he landed me safely in 
 the village towards which we were paddling.' Our 
 canoes soon became detached by ponderous waves 
 which tossed us about quite at their pleasure, and no 
 opportunity was found to discuss the situation; but I 
 sincerely wished that all birch canoes had been con^ 
 signed to perdition before we saw Winnibegoshish. 
 We struck the beach at three o'clock in the afternoon, 
 heartily glad that we stood once more on ten^a jirma. 
 
 On disembarking we were very cordially received 
 by a large number of Chippewas, headed by Kitchi- 
 nodin, an Indian missionary, who welcomed us to 
 their village, the missionary extending to me the 
 courtesy of a bed in his cabin, and suggesting a fa- 
 vorable place for pitching the tents of my companions. 
 These were the first civilities shown us in the descent 
 of the Mississippi, and the three days that we were 
 wind-bound at this Chippewa village afforded me an 
 excellent opportunity for studying Indian character 
 and habits. 
 
 When told that we had been many days without 
 regular food, Kitchinodin promptly supplied us with 
 such meats and vegetables as he could procure, and in- 
 sisted that I should feel at home in his cabin. 
 
BEMIDJl TO WINNIBEGOSHISH. 103 
 
 Having been duly installed as the guest of Kitchi- 
 nodiii, I looked forward with considerable interest to 
 our dinner, which I soon discovered was in course of 
 preparation. Everything being ready, Kitchinodin 
 turned to me and said in the best English he could 
 command, and with some hesitation : Ne-che, din-ner- 
 is-read-y. Then taking me by the hand he led me 
 into his cabin and placed me at the side of a plain 
 wooden table opposite his wife. He seated himself at 
 the end of the table, and in serving the few simple 
 dishes which constituted our repast \yas assisted by an 
 intelligent-looking Indian girl who carried a juvenile 
 Kitchinodin in one arm and waited upon the table 
 with the other. Dinner consisted of dried fish, 
 potatoes, green corn, and red raspberries, which ara 
 found in abundance wherever there is a clearing in the 
 neighborhood of this lake. Before proceeding with 
 dinner my reverend host indicated, by raising his right 
 hand and bowing his head, that he desired to ask a 
 blessing. This was invoked in the Ojibway dialect, 
 and with all the fervor of a true Christian. 
 
 Having embraced Christianity, this son of the 
 forest manifested that respect for the practices of 
 civilization which almost invariably follow conver- 
 sion. He said to me through the interpreter that he 
 desired to imitate and live as far as possible in accord- 
 ance with the suggestions and teachings of his white 
 brothers. He asked my advice in many things, and 
 hoped my sojourn at Winnibegoshish would be much 
 longer than I had contemplated. Dinner being over, 
 Kitchinodin invited me to walk with him through the 
 village, after which we sat down in the shade of his 
 cabin and looked out upon the lake. 
 
1 04 J^O WN THE GEE A T Rl VER, 
 
 Lake Winnibegoshish, the largest lake of the Missis- 
 sippi, is about twenty miles in its greatest length 
 from north to south, and fifteen or sixteen broad from 
 east to west. Its northern shore lies in latitude 47° 
 28' 32". This imposing lake was first seen by white 
 men in 1806, when Hon. Lewis Cass, of Michigan, and 
 Lieutenant Pike, United States Army, reached it 
 during their tour of exploration on the Upper Missis- 
 sippi. It was subsequently visited by Schoolcraft in 
 1832, when on his way to Lake Itasca. The waters of 
 Winnibegoshish have a slightly turbid aspect after the 
 prevalence of storms, which appears to reveal its 
 shallowness with a probably white-clay bottom. The 
 Chippewa name of Winnibegoshish is indeed said to be 
 derived from this circumstance. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 HABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPPEWAS. 
 
 Home of Kitchinodin, 
 
 Lake Winnibegoshish, Minnesota, 
 July 29, 1881. 
 
 T was my intention on our arrival at 
 Lake Winnibegoshish to continue the 
 1^ descent of the river on the following 
 ^ morning, but, finding ourselves wind- 
 bound at the appointed time for re-embark- 
 I decided to improve the day by fur- 
 ther informing myself concerning the peculiai' 
 habits and religious notions of the Chippewas. 
 Conversations with Kitchinodin convinced me that he 
 was far above the ordinary Indian in point of natural 
 intelligence and acquired knowledge of the practices 
 and traditions of his race. He is a regularly ordained 
 missionary of the Episcopal Church, having been dul}^ 
 appointed by Bishop Whipple, of Minnesota. Per- 
 fectly familiar with the current beliefs and supersti- 
 tions of the Chippewas, he told me through my inter- 
 preter of many of the obstacles with which he has to 
 contend in making converts to Christianity. 
 
 Their notions of religion appear to be of the most 
 simple character ; they believe in the existence of an 
 
 (105) 
 
106 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 only God, whom they term Ka-sha-ma-n&-to, or Great 
 Spirit ; Kasha signifying great, and Maneto an irresisti- 
 ble Almighty Being. The epithet Kasha is never 
 applied to any other word but as connected with the 
 Supreme Being. It would be highly indecorous to 
 apply it to a house, a horse, or any other visible object. 
 Yet it is in a few instances applied to a good man, 
 in order to give more force to the expression by 
 connecting his good qualities with those which they 
 ascribe to the Great Spirit. They recognize also 
 an evil spirit, whom they call Mat-cha-ma-ne-to. 
 This unfavorable epithet is not restricted in its applica- 
 tion, but is extended to all unpleasant or disagreeable 
 objects. They consider themselves indebted to the 
 Good Spirit for the warm winds from the south, while 
 the evil one sends the cold winds and storms of the 
 north. The Kashamaneto dwells in the land of the 
 mid-day sun, while the Matchamaneto resides in the 
 cold regions of the north where the sun never shines. 
 
 Their worship appears to be addressed principally 
 to the Evil Spirit, whom they think it expedient to 
 propitiate ; the good one needing no prayers, for his 
 essential goodness will always induce him to assist and 
 protect man without being reminded of it by his pe- 
 titions ; neither do they believe that their prayers to 
 the Evil Spirit can in any manner displease the good. 
 In certain cases, however, as when afflicted with 
 disease, or when impelled to it in a dream, they will 
 offer a sacrifice of living animals to the Kashamaneto. 
 This is usually done at the suggestion of one of their 
 chiefs or leaders, who calls all the warriors together, 
 explains his views, and appoints one of them to go in 
 search of a buck ; to another he commits the killing 
 
DOG DANCE OF THE SIOUX. 
 
 3^ 
 
 ■& (S» &- 
 
 tt 
 
 ±id 
 
 =l=1=i^=l^ 
 
 -gi — g^- 
 
 EEi 
 
 Ltf tf 
 
 i 
 
 c=fcl 
 
 ^i?^--^ 
 
 T-H 
 
 ^ — si--'-* — •— 25)— Z^-"-©^— 5^ 
 
 ifs* — ^ 
 
 ^Szii^zz^zil?: 
 
 ±=j=tt 
 
 f=^ 
 
 I -3- 
 
 ^^£^&^^^ 
 
 t=±iiL 
 
 ^r-^-^^- 
 
 zf-zy 
 
 m 
 
 1 LJ 
 
 -^--^ 
 
 ±=ht 
 
 «-^- 
 
 -^5^tt— # 
 
 ±r:^ 
 
 =1^ 
 
 -75)— z^ 
 
 :S 
 
 z;)— z?!- 
 
 ^7Zi^-^- 
 
 m 
 
 CHIPPEWA SCALP DANCE. 
 
 
 ^=F=« 
 
 I 
 
 1^^ 
 
 7t^-^ 
 
 =^ 
 
 ^-T^si- 
 
 :1=: 
 
 
 ^1=^4 
 
 ^'. ^ ^ — g ^- 
 
 ==M==I 
 
 •^-zs* — g^ 
 
 IPB 
 
 -5< — z;* — s^-'-sr- 
 
 The notes marked thus, «?. are performed with a tremulous voice 
 sounded : " Hish-yi-yi," &c. 
 
SABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPPEWAS.IQ^ 
 
 of a raccoon ; to a third he allots some other animal 
 to be killed ; and when they have been successful in 
 their respective hunts, they meet and fasten the first 
 buck which they kill upon a high pole, and leave it in 
 this situation so that it may serve as a sacrifice to the 
 Great Spirit. Upon the remainder of the chase they 
 feast. After having boiled the game they partake of 
 it in the name of the Great Spirit. The object of 
 these sacrifices is to insure luck in their pursuits, 
 whether of hunting or fighting. 
 
 The only period when they have regular sacrifices is 
 during the winter and spring of the year, at which 
 time many of the warriors give feasts; each selects 
 the time that suits him best, and invites such guests as 
 he thinks proper. Having assembled them all, he 
 rises, takes a sort of tambourine, formed by fastening 
 a piece of skin or parchment upon a frame, which he 
 beats while he addresses himself to the divinity, ac- 
 companying his invocation with many violent ges- 
 tures. When he has concluded, he resumes his seat, 
 and hands the tambourine over to another, who pro- 
 ceeds in the same manner. They have regular songs 
 which they sing together on such occasions. 
 
 Among the Chippewas, polygamy is not only al- 
 lowed but even encouraged. A man frequently has 
 two or three wives, sometimes four or five, according 
 to his skill and success as a hunter. An Indian who 
 has many wives is respected as being a better or more 
 favored hunter than he who has but one wife; it 
 therefore follows that the number of wives he keeps 
 is equal to that which he can maintain. 
 
 They are very attentive to the proper education of 
 their children, in order to impart to them tlAose 
 
110 UOWJ^ THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 qualities of both mind and body which aliall enable 
 them to endure privation and fatigue, and to obtain 
 influence in the councils of the nation, or during their 
 military operations. Kitchinodin said that, when 
 very young, his father began to instruct him in the 
 traditions, laws and ceremonies of his tribe, in order 
 that he might one day benefit his country with his 
 counsel. 
 
 The education of boys usually commences at the 
 age of ten or twelve years ; they accustom them 
 early to the endurance of cold by making them bathe 
 every morning in winter. They likewise encourage 
 them to abstinence from food in order that ihey may 
 acquire the more readily those attributes which it is 
 desirable for an Indian to possess. 
 
 Parents use no compulsory means to reduce their 
 children to obedience; still, they generally succeed in 
 obtaining a powerful influence over them by acting upon 
 their fears; they tell them that if they do not do as 
 they are required they will incur the displeasure of 
 the Great Spirit, who will deprive them of all luck as 
 hunters and as warriors. This, together with the 
 constant and never-ceasing importance which the 
 children observe that their parents attribute to luck 
 in all their pursuits, is found to have the desired effect 
 upon the minds of all those who are fired with the 
 ambition of becoming distinguished at some future 
 day by their skill and success. 
 
 Their fasts are marked by the ceremony of smear- 
 ing their faces and hands with charcoal. To effect 
 this, they take a piece of wood of the length of the 
 finger and suspend it to their necks; they char one 
 end of it, and rub themselves with the coal every 
 
HABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPPEWAS.ll\ 
 
 morning, keeping it on until after sunset. No person 
 whose face is blackened presumes to eat or drink dur- 
 ing the period of fasting ; whatever may be the crav- 
 ings of his appetite he must restrain them until 
 evening, when he may wash off his black paint and 
 indulge moderately in the use of food. The next 
 morning he repeats the ceremony of blackening his 
 face, and continues it from day to day until the whole 
 of his piece of wood is consumed. 
 
 After this term they either suspend or continue 
 their fasting^ according to the particular requirements 
 of the case. Kitchinodin said that in no instance 
 within his recollection had Indians been known to 
 break their fasts ; so powerful indeed is their super- 
 stitious dread of that "ill luck" which would attach 
 to a transgression of their rules, that even children 
 have been, in vain, tempted to take food when at the 
 houses of teachers and beyond the control of their 
 parents. Neither does it appear that they indulge 
 after sunset in any unreasonable gratification of their 
 appetite : in this respect therefore they prove them- 
 selves more consistent than the Mahometans, who are 
 said, while their Ramadan or Lent lasts, to make up 
 by the debaucheries of the evening for the restrictions 
 imposed upon them during the day by the precepts 
 of their Prophet. 
 
 The same apprehensions which will prevent an In- 
 dian, whether man cr boy, from tasting food while 
 covered with his coating of charcoal, will not allow 
 him to shorten the term of his penance by consuming 
 the piece of wood too hastily. If he does not use it 
 sparingly, he is certain that ihe charm or virtue with 
 which he invests it will be dispelled. In addition to 
 
112 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 fasting, the Indian attempts to impress upon his off- 
 spring a permanent and unshaken belief in the exist- 
 ence of a Great Spirit, ruler of the universe, whose 
 attributes are kindness to men and a desire of reliev- 
 ing them from all their afflictions. The necessity of 
 doing all that may be grateful to him is often recurred 
 to in those exhortations by which every Indian parent 
 instructs his sons both morning and evening. 
 
 It does not appear that the same care is extended to 
 the religious principles of females ; they are not allowed 
 to take part in the public sacrifices, and as they have no 
 concern in the noble occupations of war or the chase, it 
 matters but little whether or not they are agreeable in 
 the sight of the Great Spirit. The only inducement 
 which they have to pray is that they may continue to 
 hold a place in the affections of their husbands. 
 
 The Chippewas are of the opinion that they have 
 always existed in the neighborhood of the head waters 
 of the Mississippi. They are also of the belief that 
 the first man and woman were made by the Great 
 Spirit. Their traditions at first mentioned but one 
 original couple, the parents of the red people, from 
 whom they believe themselves to have descended. 
 But when they became acquainted with the different 
 races of men, they supposed a couple of white and 
 another of black had likewise been created by the 
 Supreme Being, and that these had given rise to the 
 white and black people whom they had since seen. 
 Soon after the white men came among them they were 
 told that far away towards the setting sun there was a 
 race of people whose features and complexion resembled 
 theirs. This had led them to much reflection and discus- 
 sion. They had often inquired of other nations whence 
 
HABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPPEWAS. II3 
 
 they came, but found strong reasons for adhering to 
 their old tradition, that the land on which they now 
 resided was that upon which the Great Spirit had 
 first placed them. 
 
 Indians generally admit the existence of a future 
 life, of which, however, they entertain very confused 
 ideas, believing for the most part that the spirits of 
 those who have lived a good life will go to a country 
 where they can pursue without fatigue their favorite 
 occupation of hunting, where animals will be plentiful 
 and fat. Not so with the spirits of the bad ; theirs 
 will be a country barren and nearly destitute of game, 
 where the chase will become a painful and unprofitable 
 occupation. 
 
 It is impossible on seeing this strange people at 
 present not to feel that the time for obtaining correct 
 information from them has long since passed away ; 
 they have imbibed from the missionaries so many 
 notions which certainly did not belong to them origin- 
 ally, and the crafty policy of their chiefs to counteract 
 the effect of their intercourse with white men has 
 raised so many idle and false traditions, that it is 
 difficult to distinguish the genuine from the false 
 doctrines attributed to these nations in their original 
 state. Of the many interesting customs which, accord- 
 ing to their traditions, formerly prevailed among 
 them, the degeneration of none is more to be regretted 
 than that which accompanied the marriage ceremony. 
 This has now nearly disappeared from the face of the 
 country. Their intermarriages with other nations 
 have become so frequent, and the demoralizing ten- 
 dency of their intercourse with the traders has been so 
 great, that it has led them to neglect practices which 
 were recommended to them by a venerable antiquity. 
 
114 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Referring to the form of courtship among the 
 Chippewas, Kitchinodin said that formerly when a 
 young man had conceived an attachment for a 
 female, or wished to make her his wife, he gave the 
 first intimation of his design by throwing a deer into 
 the lodge of the girl's parents. This he would 
 repeat for several days, after which the father usually 
 asked him what object he had in doing so, and 
 whether it was to obtain his daughter. The young 
 man having replied in the affirmative, the relatives of 
 the girl would, if they approved of the connection, 
 prepare a dress for the youth, which they would take 
 to his wigwam, and there the damsel's father would 
 invest him with it. He would then take him home 
 with him, and introduce him to the bride ; there the 
 lover remained ten or twelve days, until his friends 
 had prepared the presents they intended for his wife's 
 family. It was usual for the young couple to dwell 
 with the bride's parents for the term of a year, during 
 which time the husband was virtually a servant in the 
 family, giving his father-in-law all the produce of his 
 hunt. At the expiration of this term he was at 
 liberty to remove his wife to his own wigwam and 
 treat her as he liked. 
 
 The power of the husband over his wife was un- 
 limited ; he might even put her to death if he chose, 
 and she lost all claim to the sympathy and protec- 
 tion of her own relatives. They never would resent 
 any treatment which she had been made to endure. 
 There was no fixed time for marrying. Girls were 
 sometimes betrothed at a very early age, long before 
 maturity. The presents which it was customary to 
 make were always of the most valuable kind, and con- 
 
HABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPPEWAS. 115 
 
 bisted of horses, venison, guns and many other things 
 that were likely to be of service to the contracting 
 parties. 
 
 It was the custom when an Indian married one of 
 several sisters to consider him as wedded to all ; and it 
 became incumbent upon him to take the others as 
 concubines. The marrying of a brother's widow was 
 not approved, and was always looked upon as a very 
 improper connection. The intercourse of persons 
 related by blood was likewise disapproved and discour- 
 aged. 
 
 The circumstances which attend funerals are also 
 worthy of notice. They have, it is true, but few 
 ceremonies at the time of the removal of .the corpse; 
 but the manner in which this duty is performed de- 
 serves mention. The greatest pains are taken that all 
 should be transacted in the most decorous manner. 
 The spot selected is always as dry as can be found in 
 the vicinity of their villages. The body of the de- 
 ceased is clothed in his best garments, and, if the rela- 
 tives can afford it, new clothes are obtained for this pur- 
 pose. His moccasins, rifle, knife, money, silver orna- 
 ments, in fact the whole of his possessions, are placed 
 near him : the corpse is laid with its face turned to- 
 wards the east. A small quantity of food is placed 
 near the head. The funeral is generally attended by 
 all the relatives, who express their grief by weeping. 
 An Indian is buried in an erect, seated, or inclined 
 posture, according to the wishes and directions which 
 he may have given previous to death ; for these are 
 always most implicitly obeyed. The graves in which 
 Indians are buried are generally from four to five feet 
 in depth. If the deceased had^ previous to death, 
 
116 DO WN THE GEE A T Ri VER. 
 
 signified a desire to be deposited in a tree, his wish is 
 attended to ; otherwise the body is always interred. 
 When the corpse is to be placed in a tree, it is first 
 sewed up in a blanket, and this is suspended to the 
 branches. The friends of the deceased visit it fre- 
 quently until they observe that the body is decaying ; 
 they then shake hands with it and bid it a last fare- 
 well. But even after this they return yearly to visit 
 the spot where it is deposited, and uniformly leave 
 some food near it. 
 
 At the time of a funeral they often light a fire near 
 the h^ad of the grave, and upon this they prepare 
 their feast, throwing a part of the food on the grave 
 for the use of their friend. If they have whiskey 
 they likewise scatter some on the ground, but of this 
 they are sparing, doubtless from the belief that the 
 living require it much more than the dead. An in- 
 vocation is then made to the deceased, who is en- 
 treated to speed his course direct to the Great Prairie 
 without casting his eyes back, for they hold that, if on 
 his way to the land of spirits he were to look behind 
 him, it would bring ill luck upon some one of his re- 
 latives, to whom it would be a signal that his com- 
 pany was required by his departed friend. It is 
 customary to mark the grave with a post, on which 
 are inscribed in hieroglyphics the deeds of the de- 
 ceased, whether of hunting or fighting. 
 
 The Chippewas are particular in their demonstra- 
 tions of grief for departed friends. These consist in 
 darkening their faces with charcoal, fasting, abstain- 
 ing from the use of vermilion and other ornaments in 
 dress. They also make incisions in their arms, legs 
 and other parts of the body, from a belief that their 
 
SABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPFEWAS. I17 
 
 grief is internal, and that the only way of clis^)elling 
 it is to give it a vent through which to escape. Their 
 outward signs of grief are not merely of a temporary 
 character ; they are more lasting than among those 
 who consider themselves higher in the scale of refine- 
 ment than the red man. Chenowagesic observed that 
 he had abstained from the use of vermilion for the 
 past fifteen years on account of the loss of a valued 
 friend, and he meant to persist in this practice ten 
 years longer. The deceased was not a relative, merely 
 a friend. Public opinion requires of them some 
 mourning for departed relations ; but the Indian 
 graduates his expressions of grief according to the 
 value in which he held the deceased, rather than with 
 reference to the mere relationship in which nature or 
 accident placed him in life. 
 
 Much to my regret the conversation with Kitchi- 
 nodin was suddenly brought to a close by the de- 
 parture of Chenowagesic for his home at Leech Lake. 
 This interview with the missionary was full of in- 
 terest, and gave me a clearer insight into Indian 
 character than I had as yet been able to gather from 
 other sources. 
 
 The red man appears to me to poss'^^i^s some ideas 
 of virtue and morality, which are fully as commend- 
 able as those that are supposed by ra-'xny philosophers 
 to be characteristic of civilization '<nly. True, they 
 are perhaps but too frequently checked in their 
 growth by the uncontrolled sway ^rhich his evil pro- 
 pensities exercise over him ; propensities which doubt- 
 less have been increased by ap indiscriminate inter- 
 Gourse with the most worthless ')f white men, who, to 
 serve their own selfish ends, have not been ashamed to 
 
113 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 stimulate the Indian to deeds which his own gooQ 
 fiense would have prevented him from perpetrating. 
 
 Parting with Chenowagesio, 
 
 The valuable service rendered by my faithful guide, 
 Chenowagesic, made his retirement at Lake Winnibe- 
 goshish one of the notable events of our voyage. The 
 ceremonies attending his leave-taking were made im- 
 pressive by reason of the important part he had 
 borne in leading us to the Source of the Mississippi. 
 Our parting took place in front of a cluster of wig- 
 wams near the shore of the lake. George, Paine, the 
 Lagards, Kitchinodin and many Indians from the 
 village were present. 
 
 As soon as all were assembled I arose, and, address- 
 ing Chenowagesic, recounted the leading incidents of 
 our journey to Lake Itasca and beyond. Spoke of 
 our discovery and the privations we had endured in 
 the descent of the river. Thanked him for the im- 
 portant duty he had performed, and expressed the 
 hope that, after a visit to his family, he would be able 
 to rejoin us at Aitkin and complete the voyage with 
 us to the Gulf. 
 
 When I had concluded my remarks I paid Cheno- 
 wagesic and Sebatise Lagard, who was to return to 
 Leech Lake with him, for the time they had served. 
 Gave each a photograph of myself, and divided 
 equally between them all the tobacco we had in re- 
 serve. This done, Chenowagesic straightened himself 
 up to his full height and began speaking. In a man- 
 ner characteristic of the Indian he prefaced his speech 
 by referring to the circumstances under which we had 
 met at Lee^jh Lake. Related his impressions on first 
 
HABITS AND TRADITIONS OF THE CHIPPEWAS. 121 
 
 seeing me. Referred to his promise to guide me to the 
 TRUE SOURCE of the Great River ; spoke with pride 
 of his having accomplished all that he had under- 
 taken, and closed by trusting that it might be his good 
 fortune to rejoin us at Aitkin, as I desired ; but 
 should he not be able to do so, he would anticipate 
 meeting me and my companions in the Happy Hunt- 
 ing Ground. A general hand-shaking followed, after 
 which Chenowagesic and Sebatise got into their canoe 
 and started for Leech Lake. 
 
^'^3?^^:;) 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 LAKE WINNIBEGOSHISH TO GRAKD RAPIDS, 
 
 Jfintl) JDa^. 
 
 Camp Chenowagesic, 
 
 Lake Winnibegoshish, Minnesota, 
 
 July 30, 1881. 
 
 OTWITHSTANDING the still turbu- 
 lent condition of the lake and threaten- 
 l[Vit^^l[;^ i"g southeasterly winds, we re-embarked 
 ^J^qH at sunrise and continued our course with 
 much difficulty for several hours along its 
 western shore. The increasing strength of 
 the wind, however, and consequent heavy sea 
 forced us to run ashore at ten o'clock, at a point 
 known among the fur traders as Old School Station. 
 Here we were compelled to spend the day listening 
 to the roar and swash of the waves as they lashed the 
 beach in their fury. 
 
 It was voted that we would not venture upon the 
 lake again until the ^' white caps " had entirely disap- 
 peared, and so we set to work to make ourselves as 
 comfortable as possible. Tents "were pitched, blankets 
 spread, and preparations for dinner begun, for we 
 were now in possession of a small quantity of meat 
 and potatoes secured from the Indians through the 
 kindness of Kitchinodin, 
 
LAKE WINNIBEGOSHISH TO GRAND RAPIDS. 123 
 
 All day we waited and watched anxiously for a 
 calm, but it did not come, and finally despairing of an 
 opportunity to launch our canoes before morning, we 
 retired to our tents. About midnight our slumbers 
 were disturbed by the sound of paddles and voices 
 in the little cove on the shores of which we were en- 
 camped ; then the slight grating of a canoe on the 
 beach; and presently two villainous-looking Indians 
 appeared armed with Winchester rifles, one of whom 
 I learned from my interpreter was a double murderer. 
 
 They seemed to feel quite at home; blew the 
 embers of our fire into a blaze and curled up in their 
 blankets beside it. We let them alone, and though 
 they made no further demonstration, we hardly slept 
 as soundly afterwarjis. 
 
 Camp Lagard, 
 
 Ten Miles below Winnibegoshish, 
 July Thirty-first. 
 
 On coming from our tents a little before sunrise we 
 found Winnibegoshish as angry and boisterous as ever. 
 A heavy sea, the presence of white caps, and the roar 
 of waves as they broke upon the beach, were not well 
 calculated to hasten the launch of our canoes. 
 
 Breakfast was soon ready and over. A hurried 
 consultation led me to decide that, let the consequences 
 be what they might, we could not wait longer, but 
 must cross the lake at once and enter the river. Our 
 effort was a success, but was attended with consider- 
 able risk, the wind being so strong ahead as to greatly 
 
124 BOWJV THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 retard the advance of the canoes, which were some- 
 times nearly filled with water. 
 
 After five hours of vigorous paddling against wind 
 and wave we reached the outlet and continued the de- 
 scent of the river, gliding along delightfully, aided by 
 a brisk current, until we came to another lake known 
 as Little Winnibegoshish. Here we again encountered 
 high winds and rough water, but by hugging the 
 eastern shore around to the outlet we avoided some of 
 the unpleasant experiences of the morning. 
 
 Little Winnibegoshish is only about three-fourths 
 of a mile below ite namesake. It is a beautiful sheet 
 of water of very respectable dimensions, and but for 
 its nearness to the larger lake would attract much 
 more attention than it has hitherto received. 
 
 The Lakes Winnibegoshish occupy a position on 
 the American Continent, and particularly in relation 
 to the Upper Mississippi, which makes it desirable to 
 acquire more accurate details and observations than it 
 fell to our lot to be enabled to make. But in the ab- 
 sence of such data, such facts as our means permitted 
 may be substituted. We were impressed with their 
 extent, and the picturesque and diversified appearance 
 of their woodland shores. Their geological features 
 are similar to those of Bemidji and Cass lakes, being 
 a basin of diluvial formation, occupying a position on 
 the great marine sand district of Northern Minnesota. 
 This district abounds in pure springs, and is so im- 
 pervious in its lower strata that it has probably re- 
 tained to the present day more water in the character 
 of lakes, large and small, than any other part of the 
 world. 
 
 There is a portage from Winnibegoshish for light 
 
LAKE WINNIBEGOSHISH TO GRAND RAPIDS. 125 
 
 packages of goods across the summit level of the Mis- 
 sissippi Valley into Red Lake, and the fertile valley 
 of Red River. The latter embraces the settlements 
 planned by the Earl of Selkirk, the inhabitants of 
 which maintained their existence for several years 
 against the strenuous opposition of the Northwest 
 Company. 
 
 €let)entl) SDag. 
 
 Camp Kitchinodin, 
 
 White Oak Point, Minn«»ota. 
 
 August First. 
 
 Paine sounded reveille at ten minutes after four 
 o'clock in the morning. All turned out promptly and 
 began preparations for getting on the river. Progress 
 in our canoes very slow. We followed the windings 
 of the river ten miles, to advance two towards our 
 objective. Had dried fish and potatoes for dinner. 
 Met a party of Indian hay-makers after dinner, of 
 whom we purchased a small quantity of dried meat. 
 Passed the mouth of Leech Lake River on the right 
 hand between three and four o'clock. This is a con- 
 siderable stream, is the outlet of Leech Lake, and 
 nearly doubles the volume of the Mississippi at its 
 point of entrance. We reached White Oak Point be- 
 tween six and seven o'clock in the evening, where we 
 found a Chippewa village presided over by a chief 
 with an unpronounceable name, which Lagard in- 
 terpreted as Dull Knife. 
 
 Not caring to avail myself of the courtesies extended 
 by Dull Knife, we pitched our tents in an open field 
 rather than occupy a filthy wigwam with ten or fifteen 
 
126 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Chippewas. These Indians appeared to regard our 
 arras and equipments with considerable curiosity, and 
 especially my self-acting revolver, a weapon with 
 which they had had no experience. Wishing to keep 
 them at a respectful distance from my tent, I found 
 much pleasure in showing them how effective it could 
 be made in skillful hands. The experinient proved 
 successful, for they could not readily understand how 
 pulling the trigger could cock and discharge the re- 
 volver at the same instant. Naturally superstitious, 
 they were inclined to believe that the evil one had 
 taken possession of me and could not be persuaded to 
 approach my quarters, although I found them quite 
 sociable whenever I appeared among them in their 
 village. 
 
 Dull Knife was well advanced in years but had 
 none of the infirmities of old age. The women were 
 all very ugly and the children looked like little imps, 
 in whose countenances and apparently deformed bodies 
 we could scarcely discover the rudiments of men as 
 tall and elegant as those who stood before us. Most 
 of their youth had gone out on a hunting excursion. 
 The men whom we saw were alaiost naked, having no 
 other garment than the breech-cloth, but as we drew 
 near them they gathered up their blankets. The 
 women wore a short gown and a blanket ; the children 
 ran about naked, with no other appendage than a belt 
 about their loins. It is curious to observe that all 
 Indians, whether old or young, wear a belt even when 
 they have nothing to attach to it ; and the children, 
 who seldom assume the breech-cloth before maturity, 
 invariably have a belt tied around them as soon as 
 they are able to walk. 
 
LAKE WINNIBEGOSHISH TO GRAND RAPIDS. 127 
 
 One of the wigwams which we visited was about 
 fifteen feet in diameter and fully twelve feet high at 
 its centre ; it was formed of bark secured to a frame 
 made of poles and covered with the same material. Like 
 the wigwams visited at Bemidji and Winnibegoshish 
 it had the appearance of being very comfortable. The 
 fire was made in the middle, the smoke passing out 
 between the poles; tho sides of the interior were 
 occupied with a frame three feet high and four or 
 five feet wide, which was covered with blankets 
 and skins, upon which the inmates sit and sleep. 
 There is no partition or anything that can serve 
 as a screen to separate one part of the family from 
 the other. 
 
 The disposition of these Indians was friendly. The 
 object of the expedition was explained to them, to 
 which they made no reply, but the chief directed his 
 squaw to give us some maple sugar in return for the 
 tobacco we had presented him. He expressed his regret 
 at having no fresh meat to give us, but added that if 
 his hunters returned that eveninar with meat he would 
 send some to our camp. We were somewhat surprised 
 by their familiar manner, which we at first mistook for 
 intentional impudence. 
 
 They all collected around us and carefully examined 
 our equipments, with which they seemed highly 
 pleased. One of them drew my brother's hunting 
 knife from the sheath, and having looked at it for 
 some time, returned it; he then took Paine's hat, 
 which was a sombrero, and after having examined this 
 also with care, tried it on his own head. All this, how- 
 ever, seemed to proceed rather from childish curiosity 
 than from any intention to give offence. After a time 
 9 
 
128 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 they began to beg for money which soon compelled us 
 to retire to our tents. 
 
 todfti) SDag. 
 
 Potter House, 
 
 Grand Rapids, Minnesota, 
 
 August Second. 
 
 Had a light breakfast on dried fish and potatoes 
 obtained from Indians. Launched our canoes at seven 
 o'clock. While descending the river we met three 
 canoes filled with Chippewas and their families. They 
 were freighted with heavy rolls of birch bark, such 
 as their canoes are made of; together with a small 
 quantity of snake-root designed for the trading post at 
 Grand Rapids. We halted at two o'clock for dinner, 
 which consisted of dried meat, potatoes and blue- 
 berries. The annoyance suffered from mosquitoes on 
 this great plateau was almost past endurance. We 
 re-embarked at a quarter past four and reached 
 Pokegaaia Falls at five o'clock. At this point the 
 first rock stratum and the first wooded island are seen. 
 The river has an aggregate fall of twenty feet. 
 
 Making a portage around the falls, we continued 
 our course towards Grand Rapids two miles and a half 
 down the stream, shooting the rapids just above and 
 arriving at the little hamlet of the same name a few 
 minutes before seven o'clock. This pioneer village 
 consists of a hotel, two stores, a saloon and three or 
 four private houses, all built of logs. The Potter 
 House is the first hotel encountered in the descent of 
 the river, and is intended chiefly for the accommodation 
 of hunters and lumbermen, who gather here during the 
 
LAKE WINNIBEGOSHISH TO GRAND UAPTDH. 1^,9 
 
 fall and winter months. It was with quickened pace 
 we answered the call of " supper " at this house, and 
 with a keen appetite that we sat down to the first 
 civilized table we had seen in seventeen days. The 
 bill of fare, though not elaborate, was ample and con- 
 sisted of beefsteak, potatoes, raspberries, tea and 
 coffee. Very tittle ceremony was observed, and we 
 " stood not upon the order of our goingV' 
 
 Gf^AND FJAEIUS 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 OBAND RAPIDS TO AITKIII. 
 
 Sljirkmtl) JDag. 
 
 Camp Portage, 
 
 Twenty Miles Below Grand BapidSi 
 August 3, 1881. 
 
 'E were detained at Grand Kapids until 
 after dinner, in consequence of a heavy 
 thunder-storm, which set in early in the 
 morning and continued throughout the 
 forenoon. Before leaving this place we pro- 
 vided ourselves with ten pounds of flour, the 
 same quantity of bacon, one pound of coffee and 
 three of sugar, rations considered necessary to 
 carry us to Aitkin. George and Paine were compelled 
 to exchange their birch canoe for a new one, as it had 
 been rendered unseaworthy through the rough usage 
 incident to our long voyage. 
 
 Ke-em barked at one o'clock after shaking hands 
 with every man in the place, a thing which we were 
 not likely to attempt in towns farther down the 
 stream. The storm had passed away, leaving a genial 
 temperature and a placid surface, with the current 
 somewhat accelerated by the storm of the forenoon. 
 We dipped our paddles with increased energy and 
 
 made good progress toward tlie close of the day. 
 (130) 
 
GRAND RAPIDS TO AITKIN, 1^\ 
 
 JTourtonth JDa^i. 
 
 Camp Thitnder, 
 
 Seventy-five Miles Below Grand Rapids, 
 
 August Fourth. 
 
 Put our canoes into the water a few minutes after 
 six o'clock in the morning. We noted a decided 
 change in the scenery. Higher banks and greater 
 variety of trees, grasses and flowers. Halted for 
 dinner near the mouth of Swan River. This is a 
 considerable stream, originating in Swan Lake, near 
 the source of the Saint Louis River, which empties 
 into Lake Superior. 
 
 The current of the Mississippi continued to in- 
 crease in strength ; its velocity during the descent of 
 this day was estimated by Paine at two and a half 
 miles per hour. We passed a rapid a few miles below 
 Trout River, where there is a computed descent of 
 three feet in a hundred and fifty yards. 
 
 We met the City of Aitkin, a small steamboat, 
 late in the afternoon, on its way from Aitkin to Grand 
 Rapids. This pioneer craft was commanded by Cap- 
 tain Houghton of the former place, and deserves 
 special mention as the first boat propelled by steam 
 which we had thus far seen in the descent of the river. 
 The clatter of a stern-wheel, much puffing and 
 blowing, followed by the report of several shots fired 
 by sportive passengers, betokened the approach of this 
 wonder of the Upper Mississippi. The captain of 
 the Aitkin and his gallant crew must have been 
 well advised of our movements, for, as soon as they 
 had reached a point opposite the one we had taken on 
 the shore, they saluted us with several rounds of 
 
132 ^ ^ ^^ THE GREA T Rl VER. 
 
 cheers, supplemented by a general discharge of fire- 
 arms. Thiscomplimeiit was reciprocated on our part by 
 three cheers and a Chippewa yell for Captain Houghton. 
 We disembarked a few minutes after six o'clock 
 and, hurriedly pitching our tents, took shelter from 
 a heavy thunder-storm which set in just as we were 
 pulling our canoes from the water. In spite of every 
 precaution our tents were blown down and all hands 
 thoroughly drenched by the rain which fell upon us 
 in torrents. The tents were pitched again, and again 
 dashed to the ground by the wind, which came whist- 
 ling and roaring through the pines about us. 
 
 iifteenti) SDap. 
 
 Camp Mosquito, 
 
 Twenty-eight Miles Above Aitkin^ 
 
 August Fifth. 
 
 The rain-storm which opened as we were pitching 
 our tents at Camp Thunder continued throughout the 
 night, and we found clothing, blankets and equipments 
 thoroughly soaked in the morning. Breakfasted on 
 bread, bacon and coffee. Got into our canoes at seven 
 o'clock. Met a party of Indians in the forenoon 
 coming up the river. Halted and talked with them 
 a few minutes through Lagard, who had seen two of 
 their number some years before. 
 
 Stopped at a log-cabin in the afternoon and secured 
 bread and vegetables of an Indian woman who was 
 the wife of a white man. She spoke very indifferent 
 English, but her children readily understood our 
 wants, and when they had communicated them she 
 seemed to find pleasure in supplying us with the best 
 her humble cabin afforded. 
 
GRAND RAPIDS TO AITKIN. 138 
 
 Camp Mosquito, like most of our encampments, 
 was located on high ground, overlooking the Missis- 
 eippi, and, being in a bend of the river, gave us a fine 
 view of the surrounding country. It may here be 
 observed that the course of the Mississippi, below the 
 Falls of Pokegama, is still serpentine, but strikingly 
 less so than above, and its bends are not so short and 
 abrupt. Its general course, until it reaches the rock 
 formation of Pokegama, is easterly ; thence to Sandy 
 Lake inlet it flows in a south-easterly direction ; 
 from this point to the inlet of Crow Wing it is de- 
 flected to the southwest; thence, almost due south, to 
 the mouth of the Watab River ; and thence again south- 
 east to the Falls of Saint Anthony. A geographical 
 line dropped from the inlet of Sandy Lake, where the 
 channel is first deflected, to the south-west, to the mouth 
 of the Minnesota River, forms a vast bow-shaped area 
 of prairie and forest lands of high agricultural capa- 
 bilities, whose products will reach eastern and southern 
 markets through the railways and waterways now 
 opened and opening for the convenience of the settler. 
 These prairies and grove lands constitute the ancient 
 area of the Isati, described by Hennepin, and are now 
 known chiefly as having been the predatory border, 
 or battle-ground, of the Sioux, Dakotas and Chippe- 
 was. 
 
 Douglass House, 
 
 Aitkin, Minnesota^ 
 
 August Sixth. 
 
 Struck tents in the morning with high hopes — the 
 prospect of reaching Aitkin in season for dinner. Since 
 leaving Winnibegoshish " Aitkin " had been the first 
 
134 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 word in the morning and the last word at night. It 
 meant something more than a return to civilization ; it 
 meant, for the remainder of our voyage, less exposure, 
 better accommodations and more congenial surround- 
 ings than had fallen to our lot in the Chippewa country. 
 
 We reached the mouth of Mud River at two o'clock. 
 Listening to the advice of Lagard we attempted to 
 paddle np to Aitken, but found the stream too shal- 
 low and the current too strong to make it practicable, 
 so I ordered my canoe, the Discovery^ ashore and 
 walked up to the village. George and his new pilot, 
 whom he had christened " Commodore,'^ continued for 
 a time their endeavor to arrive at Aitken from the 
 water front, but much to their chagrin capsized about 
 three hundred yards below the town, in three feet of 
 water. Beyond being thoroughly soaked, however, they 
 were not injured, and George added another chapter 
 to his already long list of mishaps. Just as his birch 
 was rolling its occupants into the water he set us all 
 roaring with laughter by singing out to his pilot: 
 "Don't get wet. Commodore! Stick to the canoe! 
 Nothing so refreshing as the bottom of Mud River ! " 
 
 Distance traversed this day about thirty miles. La- 
 gard left for Leech Lake soon after our arrival, with the 
 intention of rejoining us at Brainerd and continuing 
 with us in our voyage to the Gulf. 
 
 Aitkin is the county-seat of Aitkin County, the 
 most northern settlement of any importance on tho 
 Mississippi, and the nearest to its source. The county 
 of which it forms the capital has an area of nineteen 
 hundred square miles, and contains a scattered popu- 
 lation of only about four hundred, half of which 
 number are found in the town of Aitken. The latter 
 
OEAND RAPIDS TO AITKIN-, 135 
 
 is situated on Mud River, near its confluence with the 
 Mississippi, and was founded by William Aitkin, an 
 enterprising fur trader, about the year 1832. The 
 inhabitants for the most part are actively engaged in 
 the lumber trade. Situated on the line of the North- 
 ern Pacific Railway and at the junction of two rivers, 
 one of them the greatest waterway on the continent, 
 Aitken has, in consequence, within the last few years, 
 become a flourishing centre of the lumber interest, and 
 will doubtless make rapid progress in population and 
 the development of its industry. It is distant from 
 Duluth in a westerly direction only eighty-eight miles 
 and, connected with the last-named city by railway, 
 commands transportation facilities on both Lake 
 Superior and the Mississippi. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 TEN DAYS AT AITKIN. 
 
 Reorganization — Lecture Appointments — Modem 
 
 Canoes. 
 
 ,j|i^Vjg|^^N order to perfect plans for a continuation 
 of the descent of the Mississippi, reor- 
 ^?5f ganize our little party, inspect the new 
 canoes which were awaiting us, prepare 
 the lecture which I proposed to deliver at 
 certain points, and send forward an advance 
 agent, I concluded to remain a few days at 
 Aitkin. Ten days were thus consumed and 
 profitably employed. 
 
 Mine host of the hotel, Carlos Douglass, I found 
 genial, hospitable and communicative; and to him wtJ 
 were indebted for comforts of which we had been for 
 some time necessarily deprived. He also directed 
 our rambles on the outskirts of the town and added 
 much to the enjoyment of our stay here. The soil of 
 the surrounding country is rich, and produces boun- 
 teously, the surface being interspersed with numerous 
 small lakes of clear, fresh water abounding in fish, and 
 their shores covered with a fine growth of pine, spruce 
 and tamarack. 
 
 At Aitkin we dispensed with two of our birch-bark 
 canoes, retaining only one for myself for my journey 
 
TEN DAYS AT AITKIN. 137 
 
 down to Saint Paul. Two modern canoes had been pre- 
 viously purchased at Saint Paul and forwarded to Ait- 
 kin to meet us on our arrival. One of these, a Rushton 
 canoe, was built by a native of Saint Lawrence County, 
 New York, in the neighborhood of my old home. 
 While on my way up the river I had met Mr. A. H. 
 Seigfried at Saint Paul. This gentleman is an attache 
 of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press^ and a veteran canoeists 
 he very courteously offered to place at my disposal 
 his canoe, as being well adapted, in his judgment, for 
 navigating the Mississippi. This snug craft was 
 Rushton's " No. 93,'' and was designed to carry two 
 persons. It had full bearings, a seven-feet cockpit, 
 and consequently was sufficiently roomy. It was fitted 
 with back-board, cushion and the necessary double- 
 blade paddles. The keel and stern were of oak, the 
 ribs of red elm, and the sides of white cedar. Her 
 length was sixteen feet, width at the bottom of the top 
 streak thirty inches, and on the top twenty -eight 
 inches. The depth of gunwale was nine and one- 
 half inches ; between deck and floor, twelve inches, and 
 at the ends, seventeen inches. Her weight, without 
 fittings, was eighty pounds ; and though her capacity 
 was set down at two persons, we afterwards found it 
 was not impossible to carry three. She was one of 
 the several patterns of Rushton's "American Travel- 
 ing Canoe,'' and could be fitted with a leg-of-mutton 
 sail and used as a sailing boat. However, hoisting 
 sail on so light a craft on the Mississippi involved a 
 risk, which, in our inexperience, we did not care to run ; 
 so stuck to our paddles throughout the entire voyage. 
 On reaching Aitkin on our way down the river I 
 found the following letter, among others, awaiting me i 
 
J 38 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 "Pioneer PiiEss," 
 Saint Paul, Minnesota^ 
 July 28, 188J.. 
 Captain "Willard Glazier, 
 
 Aitkin, Minnesota: 
 My Dear Sir : I am advised by Mr. Warren Potter, of Aitkin, 
 that the boats have both arrived there, and are in his charge. I 
 hand you herewith Mr. Hinckley's receipt, and bill-of-lading of my 
 boat. Expecting to be absent from the second to the thirteenth of 
 August, inclusive, I may not be here to receive the news of your 
 arrival at Aitkin, but hope you may not reach Saint Paul ahead of me. 
 I want to have a little pull down the Wisconsin, and shall hope to 
 meet you here in due time. Yours very truly, 
 
 A. H. Seigfried. 
 
 During my halt at Saint Paul on my way north, Mr. 
 Seigfried had made me acquainted with H. L. Hinck- 
 ley, a gentleman largely interested in canoes and their 
 patrons, and having under his control quite a fleet of 
 all sizes and builds on White-Bear Lake, a beautiful 
 sheet of water near Saint Paul. From this gentleman I 
 obtained much information of a practical character, 
 Mr. Hinckley showed me several of his canoes, and 
 offered valuable suggestions as to the selection of a 
 second boat for the accommodation of our small party. 
 I concluded to take a ^' Racine Saint Paul,^^ built on 
 the Rob Roy pattern. As all canoeists are aware, the 
 " Rob Roy " was the canoe originally adopted by Mr. 
 Macgregor, and in build is a cross between the 
 " birch-bark '^ of the Indians and the '^ kyak " of the 
 Esquimaux. It is long and pointed, each end contain- 
 ing a water-tight compartment. In my judgment the 
 "Rob Roy'^ pattern is the best boat for cruising on 
 lakes and rivers, its build combining strength with 
 lightness. Mr. Macgregor circumnavigated the Baltic 
 Sea in his fourteen -feet " Rob Roy," coasted the bays 
 
TEN DAYS AT AITKIN. 1 39 
 
 and inlets of Sweden and Norway, and threaded the 
 Danube, the Nile, and the Jordan. The "Racine 
 Saint Paul," being an improved " Rob Roy," was a 
 better-sailing craft and possessed equally good pad- 
 dling qualities. The length of her deck was fourteen 
 feet ; greatest beam, twenty -six inches ; depth from top 
 of gunwale, twenty-one inches, with a cockpit eighteen 
 by forty-two inches. She was propelled by a double- 
 bladed paddle, and was capable of supporting the 
 weight of a man if the middle was full of water. She 
 was, therefore, to all intents and purposes, a life-boat, 
 which it was impossible to swamp. Like the Rushton 
 canoe, the " Saint Paul " could be fitted with a sail, but 
 we preferred to make our enterprise a veritable canoe 
 foyage, and so dispensed with a sail in her case also. 
 
 The subjoined letter, referring to the boat purchased 
 of Mr. Hinckley, also reached me here: 
 
 White-Bear Lake, 
 
 Near Saint Paul, Minneaotaj 
 
 August 9, 1881. 
 Captain Willard Glazier, 
 
 Aitkin, Minnesota: 
 
 Dear Sir : I have read in the papers of your arrival at the 
 source of the Mississippi, and presume that you are now well on 
 your way back to Saint Paul. 
 
 Thinking you were beyond the reach of mail-carriers, I have 
 delayed writing you, and perhaps delayed too long. 
 
 As to the " Rushton " canoe which I shipped to Aitkin for you, 
 I found it difficult to arrange the air-chambers so as to be promptly 
 taken out and put in, as was my first intention. They can be re- 
 moved by taking out a few screws, but this may be found somewhat 
 troublesome. If, in this particular, or any other, the boat does not 
 satisfy you, I trust we shall be able to arrange matters before you 
 start southward from this point. 
 
 If you find the canoe too small for your purpose it will not be 
 too late to substitute one of my larger boats, one which I feel sure 
 will be well adapted for your voyage on the lower Mississippi. I 
 
140 
 
 DOWN THE GREAT ElVEE. 
 
 consider the canoe you purchased of me well adapted for two men, 
 with a moderate amount of baggage. She has carried three men, 
 but I would not recommend more than two. 
 
 I wrote Mr. Warren Potter, of Aitkin, concerning a small piece 
 of work on liie boat which had been overlooked before she left Saint 
 Paul. I hope my letter will reach you at Aitkin, and wishing you 
 fair weather and a comfortable time generally, 
 
 I am very truly yours, 
 
 H. L. Hinckley. 
 
 TMeFIiJshtonCaHoe 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 AITKIN TO BRAINERD, 
 
 Pine Knoll, 
 
 Thirty Miles Below Aitkin, 
 August 16, 1881. 
 
 N the morning" of the sixteenth of August 
 our little fleet metaphorically weighed 
 anchor and set sail from Aitkin — in 
 other words, we launched our canoes 
 and paddled out into the stream in presence 
 of a considerable number of the inhabitants, 
 who had assembled on the banks to witness our 
 departure and wish us a successful voyage. As 
 captain of the Discovery, I led the way, my entire 
 crew consisting of a pilot engaged at Aitkin. Follow- 
 ing me came my brother in the Rushton canoe, which 
 we had named the Alice after my little daughter. 
 He was also accompanied by a pilot. Mr. Paine in 
 the Itasca, as we had christened the Rob Roy, though 
 not "an elderly naval man," might have appropri- 
 ately recited : 
 
 " Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold, 
 And the mate of this canoe ; 
 And a bo'sun tight and a midshipmite, 
 And the crew and pilot too ; " 
 
 a4i) 
 
142 DOWIi THE GBEAT RIVER, 
 
 not because he had dined on his crew, but because he 
 sat alone in his Rob Roy, and their duties devolved on 
 him. Thus we glided from this hospitable shore, our 
 immediate destination being Brainerd, ninety-five miles 
 distant by the river, but only twenty-seven as the 
 crow flies, the Mississippi along its entire length 
 being very tortuous. We might have saved ourselves 
 many miles of canoeing by making portages. In one 
 instance the river took a sweep of seven miles, and 
 returned to within five rods of its starting point. In 
 this section it is about fifty yards in width, with a 
 current of about six miles an hour. It frequently 
 changes its course. " Snags " and " sawyers " abound, 
 but gave us little trouble, our small light craft easily 
 gliding around them. The National Government is 
 busy, even here, in removing obstructions, and the day 
 is not distant when a line of small steamers will run 
 between Aitkin and Brainerd. The banks of the 
 river are low, rising but a few feet above its surface, 
 while broad savannas, covered in summer with blue- 
 grass from six to eight feet in height, are spread over 
 a wide extent of country, commencing at the borders 
 of the river, and are annually submerged at high 
 water. The grass makes excellent fodder for stock. 
 
 The timber of this region is chiefly pine, with occa- 
 sionally a cluQip of spruce or tamarack. The surface 
 of the land away from the river is somewhat rugged ; 
 and the frequent windings of the stream, the green 
 savannas, and the sombre forests, unite in producing 
 a very pleasing landscape. Water-fowl are found in 
 abundance on all the upper waters of the Mississippi, 
 and while mosquitoes exceed them in numbers, they 
 may almost be said to rival them in size ! New Jersey 
 
AITKIN TO BRAINERD. I43 
 
 and Florida are famed for their mosquitoes. The 
 swamps and bayous of Louisiana have their myriads; 
 but of all these pestiferous insects I have ever seen 
 and suffered from, I can truthfully say that the mos- 
 quitoes of the valley of the Upper Mississippi in 
 numbers and voraciousness are unequalled. 
 
 Between Aitkin and Brainerd there were but two 
 habitations to be seen from the river. With this ex- 
 ception, all was a solitary wilderness. The day was 
 wearing to its close when we came in sight of the first 
 of these rustic homes. It was a log-cabin perched 
 upon the western bank of the river, and occupied by 
 an American named John Polly and his family. The 
 bank, which they had named "Pine Knoll,'' was 
 steep — perhaps twenty feet in height. Ascending it 
 with some difficulty we challenged the hospitality of 
 the household. Half a dozen daughters of the house, 
 ranging from ten years upwards, greeted us, and we 
 were at once made cordially welcome. The cabin com- 
 prised two rooms and a loft. It was built in a clearing 
 and surrounded by beech, birch, and maple trees. The 
 proprietor, Mr. Polly, had a thriving garden, in which 
 were promising crops of corn and potatoes, and his 
 stock appeared in fine condition, while the industry 
 and good taste of the young maidens had made the 
 exterior of the premises bright with flowers. The 
 interior was plain, and contained only the rude furni- 
 ture of the pioneer, but it bore a homelike and com- 
 fortable look ; and copies of " Harper's Monthly '' and 
 the " Century," together with other current literature, 
 were lying upon the table, while the walls were 
 decorated with sundry wood engravings extracted from 
 
 the illustrated weeklies. The family proved to be a 
 10 
 
144 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 very superior one. They had resided in half a dozen 
 different states, and had finally found a home in this 
 wilderness ; the nearest white settlement being Aitkin, 
 twenty miles distant by the river. 
 
 After a pleasant evening's intercourse with the family 
 the hour came for retiring, and we bunked upon the 
 floor, the cabin affording no better sleeping accommoda- 
 tion for casual visitors, who seldom if ever trouble their 
 domestic arrangements and circumscribed limits. We 
 might have reposed peacefully through the night, had 
 not a sudden and severe thunder-storm sent rivulets of 
 water through the cracks and fissures of the log struct- 
 ure, which meandered in numerous and vigorous 
 streams across the floor on which we had made our 
 beds. Mrs. Polly was much annoyed at this state 
 of things, and with many apologies endeavored to 
 convince us that she was very much surprised at such 
 an occurrence. The storm came to an end about 
 midnight; the water was mopped up, and, wrapping 
 our blankets once more about us, we lay down again 
 upon our damp couch, and slept soundly till day- 
 light. 
 
 Camp Discomfort, 
 
 Mouth of Pine River, Minnesota., 
 
 August Seventeenth. 
 
 Launched our canoes at seven o'clock, with colors 
 flying and all hands in the best of spirits. After 
 presenting each member of our party with a bouquet 
 the Pollys took position on the bank of the river and 
 waved us off. 
 
 A mile below Pine Knoll we passed the Sioux 
 
AITKIN TO BRAINERD. 145 
 
 Portage, so named from an incident connected with it, 
 which was told to us by Mr. Polly, who explained that 
 some ten or fifteen years before a band of Chippewas 
 were descending the river closely pursued by a party 
 of Sioux. The Chippewas, not being entirely familiar 
 with its course, continued down the river, which here 
 makes an extended detour to the eastward, then 
 retraces its course westward, on a nearly parallel line. 
 The Sioux, better informed, made a portage of about 
 fifty yards and then, reaching a point down stream, 
 placed themselves in ambush upon the bank, awaiting 
 the arrival of the Chippewas. The latter, supposing 
 their enemies still in pursuit in their canoes, were 
 completely surprised when the Sioux opened fire upon 
 them from a point in advance, and the whole party 
 were massacred in their boats. 
 
 Late in the afternoon one of our canoes was unfor- 
 tunately capsized ; the men who were in it regained 
 the shore with some difficulty, but much of the lug- 
 gage was lost or damaged. We had scarcely repaired, 
 as much as lay in our power, the effects of this accident, 
 when we observed the heavens overcast with dark 
 clouds, portending an approaching storm. We imme- 
 diately landed near the junction of Pine River, with a 
 view to protecting our persons and stores from the rain. 
 
 About seven o'clock in the evening the storm broke 
 out with more violence than is usually noted in this 
 latitude. The precautions which wx had taken proved 
 of but little or no avail. The stores, which had been 
 carefully packed in a canoe, and covered up as well 
 as our limited means permitted, were much damaged 
 by the water. The tents were pitched in as favorable 
 a spot with respect to the trees as the grauud would 
 
146 DOWN THE GREAT RIViJR. 
 
 admit of, but not sufficiently so to render our position 
 either safe or comfortable. Several trees in the vicinity 
 of our encampment were struck by lightning, pnd the 
 wind blew with such force that the crash of falling 
 timber was frequently heard during the night. 
 
 Notwithstanding the comfortless situation in which 
 we found ourselves, there was an irresistible interest in 
 the scene. A storm is at all times one of the most 
 splendid phenomena in nature; but when experienced 
 in the gloomy forests of the Mississippi, in the midst 
 of a solitude, with no companions but a few fellow- 
 sufferers standing in a shivering attitude around a 
 small fire, it receives additional interest; every flash 
 of lightning displays a scene which the painter would 
 wish to fix upon the canvas. The loud peals of 
 thunder resound more forcibly when reverberated by 
 the rocky bluffs which border upon the river, and they 
 contrast sublimely with the low but uninterrupted mut- 
 tering of the waters. 
 
 Although our tents were pitched soon after disem- 
 barking, we found it quite impracticable to occupy 
 them, as our clothing, blankets, and in fact the ground 
 itself, was thoroughly soaked. To avoid drowsiness 
 we drank large quantities of coffee, and at the request 
 of my companions I entertained them with the story 
 of my capture, imprisonment and escape during the 
 late war. Beginning with my capture in Northern 
 Virginia in the fall of 1868, I went back again to 
 Libby Prison, journeyed in cattle- cars to Danville, 
 told them of the prison-pen at Macon and its '^ tun- 
 nels ; '^ then of our sojourn at Savannah ; our experi- 
 ence at Charleston " under fire,'^ and our removal to 
 the capital of the Palmetto State. I escaped again 
 
SCENES ON THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI. 
 
AITKIN TO BRAINERD, I47 
 
 from Columbia ; wandered through the swamps of 
 Carolina and Georgia; was recaptured, tried as a spy 
 at Springfield ; escaped from Sylvania and reached the 
 Federal lines at Savannah just as day was breaking. 
 
 We passed at the mouth of Pine River one of the 
 most wretched nights of our long voyage, relieved 
 somewhat, perhaps, by a narration of events which I 
 had hardly recurred to in many years. 
 
 ©tumtp-iSigljtl] Slag. 
 
 Private House, 
 ' Brainerd, Minnesota^ 
 
 August Eighteenth. 
 
 We drank more coflPee at sunrise, and breakfasted on 
 bread and bacon. Put our paddles into the water at 
 six o'clock, and with favorable weather pulled with a 
 will for Brainerd, our evening destination. Halted at 
 one o'clock at the mouth of a small creek three miles 
 above Brainerd, and had dinner in the shade of a large 
 tree. Re-embarked at four o'clock in the afternoon. 
 We had scarcely proceeded a mile when we were met 
 by a large number of ladies and gentlemen in canoes 
 and skiffs, including a detachment of the Brainerd 
 Boat Club. Among those who were prominent in re- 
 ceiving us were Warren Leland, Arthur E. Chase, of 
 the Tribune, and Dr. Rosser, brother of General 
 Rosser, late of the Confederate service. Our greeting 
 by these genial people, whom we had left some six 
 weeks previously when starting for the head-waters of 
 the Mississippi, was most cordial, and will not soon 
 fade from the memory of those who were the recip- 
 ients of their courtesies. 
 
 That evening, in accordance with an appointment, 
 
148 no WW THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 I delivered the first lecture of my trip in Ely's Hall, 
 after an introduction by Judge Chauncy B. Sleeper. 
 The audience was large and attentive, and the subject 
 presented was, ^' Pioneers of the Mississippi," in 
 which I talked of De Soto, Marquette, La Salle, 
 Hennepin, and others who had engaged in the ex- 
 ploration of the Great River. Several of my hearers 
 showed their interest in the subject by coming long 
 distances to the lecture, and one, George Barclay, 
 a pioneer, told me he had brought his family thirty- 
 seven miles with an ox-team to hear what I had to say 
 of the old explorers. 
 
 An event subjecting me to some inconvenience at 
 the time, but amusing in many of its details, occurred 
 at this place. As the flotilla of citizens met me upon 
 the river, the first question with which I was hailed 
 was : " Captain, what did you have in your trunk ? " 
 I thought it a singular question, to say the least, and 
 did not at first know whether to set it down to abso- 
 lute impertinence or merely to the excessive but in- 
 nocent curiosity of frontiersmen. However, the mat- 
 ter was soon explained. My trunk, containing cloth- 
 ing and other personal effects, had been despatched 
 from Aitkin to Brainerd, and on the previous evening 
 the express office in which it was stored had been 
 broken into and the trunk stolen. The thieves had 
 taken it into a pine thicket on the outskirts of the town 
 and there rifled and distributed its contents among 
 themselves. Fortunately for my lecture appointment 
 I had brought a coat and vest with me in the canoe. 
 At the very time I was delivering my lecture a half 
 dozen ruffians, with my clothing on, were walking 
 the streets of Brainerd. What they had no personal 
 
AITKIN TO BRAINERD. 149 
 
 use for, they had pavyned in the saloons for liquor. The 
 beaded pipe and tobacco pouch presented me by Flat- 
 mouth, with a pair of moccasins, were left at a saloon 
 as a consideration for half a dozen drinks. A mos- 
 quito-helmet, made of bolting-cloth by my wife 
 before we started for Northern Minnesota, and the use 
 of which they failed to recognize, was offered and re- 
 ceived in pawn as a dress. After the thieves had 
 drunk quite freely at my expense, they went out to the 
 " Last Turn," as a certain locality with a history is 
 called, and lay down in a row in a state of intoxication. 
 
 The Northern Pacific Express Company, in whose 
 charge the trunk had been placed, took active meas- 
 ures to discover the guilty parties and succeeded in 
 finding and arresting them with some of my clothing 
 still upon them. On the following morning I was sub- 
 poenaed to give evidence against them, and went out 
 with the district attorney through the streets of the 
 town in search of stray articles of apparel. During 
 this search I met a man having on the pair of cavalry 
 boots which I had worn on my horseback journey 
 across the continent in 1876. We picked up articles 
 here and there, some of which, as has already been 
 mentioned, had been pawned. 
 
 At the examination which ensued, a man who ex- 
 pressed willingness to testify against the thieves was a 
 little snubbed by the prosecuting attorney, who thought 
 that he probably knew very little about the affair. 
 But when his turn came to take the witness-stand, he 
 told a straightforward and interesting story. He said 
 he happened to pass the thieves in the woods, while 
 they were engaged in the disposition of their booty, 
 and thinking their proceeding a little strange, asked 
 
150 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 them what they were doing. They replied that they 
 had just arrived from New York, and being too poor 
 to go to a hotel, had decided to take advantage of the 
 grand dressing-room which nature had furnished them, 
 and make their toilet under the trees. They finally 
 made their questioner a present of a shirt and a pair 
 of drawers. The witness concluded his testimony by 
 throwing open his coat and exclaiming, "And IVe got 
 one of Captain Glazier's shirts on now, your Honor ! " 
 The shirt spoke for itself, as my name was marked 
 upon it. His evidence and mine were conclusive, and 
 the thieves were remanded to appear at the next term 
 of court. They were not persons, however, to be 
 easily disconcerted, for while the testimony was being 
 given, one of them drew a bottle of whiskey from his 
 pocket, and passing it U[) to the judge, invited him to 
 take a drink. It is needless to add that he was 
 promptly reprimanded. 
 
 Brainerd has already been referred to as a thriving 
 town. It is situated on the borders of an extensive 
 pine forest, in a bend of the Mississippi, at the cross- 
 ing of the river by the Northern Pacific Railroad. It 
 is ninety-five miles below Aitkin by river, but only 
 twenty-eight by railway. The town is literally built 
 among the pine trees, the streets having been cut di- 
 rectly through the original forest, and only such trees 
 removed as were necessary for building and business 
 purposes. Brainerd is the second town from the source 
 of the river, and, after Saint Paul and Minneapo- 
 lis, one of the most enterprising and populous on the 
 Upper Mississippi. Seen from the river, which winds 
 around it, it is very picturesque, the tall pines, straight 
 as an arrow, overtopping the houses. Without a 
 
AITKIN TO BRAINERD. 
 
 151 
 
 history, this town appears to have leaped into exist- 
 ence with a considerable population, mostly of New 
 England origin, and will doubtless in a few years be- 
 come a city of respectable dimensions. The *' North- 
 ern Pacific" has its shops located here, and this cir- 
 cumstance, together with the large and growing lum- 
 ber interest, and the spirit and enterprise of the people 
 who have cast their lot in this section, have given 
 Brainerd its present prominence and prospective im- 
 portance as a centre of industry. It is the capital of 
 Crow Wing County is one hundred and thirty-six 
 miles northwest of Saint Paul by railway, and supports 
 a weekly paper and a bank. The population at the 
 time of ray visit was about three thousand five hun- 
 dred. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 BRAINERD TO MONTICELLO. 
 
 STtuentg-ulutl) SDap. 
 
 nz^^ 
 
 Private House, 
 
 Crow Wing, Minnesotaf 
 August 19, 1881. 
 
 ETWEEN two and three o'clock in the 
 afternoon a considerable number of the 
 citizens of Brainerd accompanied ns to 
 the bank of the river to witness the 
 launch of our canoes and to send after us 
 their good wishes. Warren Leland gave my 
 canoe its send-oiF, and we were soon out of hear- 
 ing of the cheers of the friendly multitude upon 
 the shore. 
 
 We halted at nightfall at Crow Wing, where we 
 found shelter and food at the home of Charles Bailey, 
 who, though he kept no regular hotel, welcomed 
 strangers under his roof. He entertained us through- 
 out the evening with stories of his hunting exploits, 
 some of which almost rivalled the adventures ot Mun- 
 chausen, and which he told so gracefully and with 
 such an air of innocence and plausibility as to make 
 them most convincing. He had killed, if I remember 
 correctly, on some occasions, not less than forty deer in 
 a single dav, while the narration of his encounters 
 152' 
 
BRAINERD TO MONTICELLO. I53 
 
 with bears and wolves was quite enough to make the 
 hair of the listener stand on end. What our host did 
 not know of hunting and, I might add, of story-tell- 
 ing, was hardly worth knowing. 
 
 Crow Wing, a little hamlet of half a dozen farm- 
 houses, is situated on the eastern bank of the Missis- 
 sippi, just below its junction with Crow Wing River. 
 Its history is brief. It was at one time a mission- 
 station, and then aspired to become the great town of 
 the Upper Mississippi; but the Northern Pacific 
 Railroad dealt its death-blow by locating on a higher 
 parallel of latitude and making its crossing of the river 
 at Brainerd. 
 
 aijirtidi] Elag. 
 
 Vassaly House, 
 
 Little Falls, Minnesota^ 
 Auguit Twentieth. 
 
 At seven o'clock in the morning we were again 
 afloat. The day was a beautiful one, and the current 
 being perceptibly stronger, we made rapid progress 
 towards Little Falls, our evening destination. We 
 were, however, unexpectedly delayed by an occurrence 
 which, while it flattered our importance, gave expres- 
 sion to a generous impulse on the part of the citizens 
 we were about to visit. W^hen within about a mile 
 and a half of Little Falls, we were suddenly startled 
 by the appearance of two strangers who hailed us and 
 introduced themselves as Judge A. F. Story, and A. 
 J. Pierson, editor of the Transcript. They had hur- 
 ried across a bend of the river to intercept us before 
 reaching the town, and with many apologies and ex- 
 pressions of welcome and good feeling, begged us to 
 
154 DOWN THE GEE AT EIVER. 
 
 delay our approach to the town for an hour. The ex- 
 planation they gave for this singular request was 
 extremely complimentary to our little paity of ex- 
 plorers. Preparations, they said, were being made for 
 our reception, which, as they were not quite completed, 
 would be spoiled by our premature advent upon the 
 scene. They added that they had seen us coming 
 down the river, and had rushed in hot haste to en- 
 deavor to persuade us to defer for an hour our arrival 
 at the town. We, of course, readily com[)lied with so 
 kind and flattering a request, and at the expiration of 
 about an hour resumed our paddles and started ex- 
 pectantly for the landing. Before reaching this spot, 
 however, we were met by a small fleet of row-boats 
 filled with citizens anxious to be the first to extend a 
 welcome to us; while on the river banks it appeared 
 that half the population of Little Falls had assembled 
 to greet our arrival. A temporary landing stage had 
 been improvised expressly for our accommodation, a 
 brass band saluted us with a lively air, while cheers 
 and words of welcome met us on every side. Being 
 called upon for a speech, I offered a few remarks, 
 thanking the good citizens for the interest they mani- 
 fested in my undertaking, and explaining briefly its 
 character and aims. At the conclusion of my remarks 
 we were escorted to the Yassaly House by Judge 
 Story and a number of citizens, including the band, 
 which honored us with sundry airs deemed by them 
 appropriate to the occasion, and thus added not a little 
 to our entertainment. In the evening I delivered my 
 lecture to an attentive audience in Yassaly Hall, ac- 
 cording to previous appointment. 
 
BRAINERD TO MONTICELLO. J 55 
 
 Sljlrtg-first JBatt. 
 
 Farm House, 
 
 Thirty Miles Below Little Falls, 
 
 August Twenty-first. 
 
 The day following our arrival at Little Falls being 
 Sunday, we decided not to re-embark until afternoon. 
 During the morning we received calls from a number 
 of the leading citizens, among whom were Moses La- 
 fond, one of the oldest residents, if not the very oldest ; 
 and Hon. Nathan E-ichardson, an ex-member of the 
 State Legislature. The latter showed us many relics 
 gathered in the State strongly corroborating the 
 theory of a pre-historic race, and gave us much valua- 
 ble information concerning the early history of this 
 section of Minnesota. 
 
 The river at this point is divided by an island, on 
 the eastern side of which the current is very swift, 
 while on the western side the stream rushes along in 
 a torrent, boiling and whirling over the rocks and 
 bowlders in a descent of some twenty feet in perhaps 
 eighty rods. This is the most considerable fall of the 
 Mississippi between Pokegama and Saint Anthony. A 
 rumor had been circulated in the town that we in- 
 tended shooting the falls and rapids of the Mississippi 
 from its source to its mouth ! Hence, when prepared 
 to embark and continue our cruise, a number of the 
 worthy citizens assembled to see us shoot Little Falls — 
 a feat, it was said, which had never before been at- 
 tempted. T may here say that the rumor w^as entirely 
 without foundation. I was in no sense sportively in- 
 clined, nor even possessed the qualification of an adept 
 at handling a canoe under difficulties, and my long 
 
156 DOWN THE GREAT RIVEE. 
 
 journey had been projected and undertaken, not with 
 a view of displaying any extraordinary feats of nau- 
 tical skill or physical endurance, but with the milder 
 object of adding, if possible, to the geographical knowl- 
 edge of this section of our country, and at the same 
 time afford myself an opportunity of studying the 
 character of our great North American river and the 
 cities and people that lined its banks, extending over 
 a distance of some twenty degrees of latitude. This op- 
 portunity I should have failed in finding by the or- 
 dinary and swifter mode of travel iag by railway or 
 steamboat. I therefore declined to make a spectacle of 
 myself by shooting the falls, preferring to make a 
 portage around them. My brother George, however, 
 younger and more venturesome in such matters than 
 myself, determined to give the people the show they 
 were expecting, and, entering his Kushton canoe, soon 
 went bounding over the steep descent. By a skilful 
 use of his paddle he managed to steer clear of the 
 bowlders in his course, and further, to show his daring, 
 stood upright for a minute or two. The descent was 
 of course very rapid, and he soon reached the more 
 placid current at the foot of the falls. The Alice 
 had carried him securely over, springing buoyantly 
 over the surging waters, swerving readily at command 
 of the paddle, and accomplishing, without injury to 
 herself or her passenger, what few canoes of so light 
 a build would be capable of doing, and fewer amateur 
 canoeists would, I think, have had the temerity to 
 undertake. 
 
 Below the falls we found the strongest current we 
 had yet encountered, and during the afternoon ran no 
 less than thirteen rapids, including Pike Rapidsf 
 
BEAINEED TO MONTICELLO. 1§7 , 
 
 During our lightning progress down the latter, we 
 scarcely knew, for three-quarters of a mile, whether we 
 should find ourselves at the end on the surface, or at 
 the bottom of the river. Our canoes were fille<l with 
 water, and we received a most thorough drenching. 
 This section of the Mississippi presents a succession of 
 rapids as far down as Saint Cloud. 
 
 As night approached we halted near the residence 
 of Mrs. William McNeil, a widow. This lady was 
 successfully conducting a tolerably large farm, and 
 with true western hospitality tendered us a night's 
 accommodation in her dwelling. A volume treating 
 of western scenes and people would be incomplete if 
 it made no reference to the western women. The 
 isolated life which many of them lead, and the insuf- 
 ficiency of domestic help, together with the vicissi- 
 tudes of the pioneer, have developed a race of sturdy, 
 self-reliant women, lacking, let me be understood, in 
 no womanly graces; but supplementing these with 
 strong traits of character which make them fit com- 
 panions of the brave, stalwart and enterprising men 
 whose wives, daughters and sisters they are. It is no 
 uncommon thing in the northwest, should a husband 
 die, for the widow to assume the business and conduct 
 it quite as successfully as her late husband had done 
 during his life. Many of the farms managed by 
 women in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa are as 
 prosperous in appearance, as well and thriftily man- 
 aged, and equally as remunerative, as those in the 
 hands of the men. Their feminine capabilities and 
 talents are moreover practically demonstrated in many 
 ways among the intelligent communities of the frontier. 
 11 
 
153 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 West House, 
 
 Saint Cloud, Minnesota^ 
 August Twenty-second. 
 
 Embarking at the usual hour in the morning, we 
 were met by a strong head-wind, against which it 
 seemed ahuost impossible to advance. The river was 
 widening and the country adjacent had been longer 
 settled, leaving fewer trees upon its banks for protec- 
 tion. About noon we reached Sauk Rapids, having a 
 fall of about twenty feet in the course of sixty rods, 
 which my brother successfully passed over, but the re- 
 maining members of the party, less adventurous, again 
 preferred carrying their canoes around the rapids to 
 the risk of being swamped in their descent. 
 
 My brother reached Saint Cloud in advance of us, 
 and returned accompanied by a son of Captain West, 
 a prominent resident, who kindly escorted us to the 
 landing where an assemblage of citizens awaited us. 
 In the evening I delivered my lecture at the Opera 
 House, being introduced to the audience by Judge L. 
 A. Evans. Among those who called upon me were 
 several clergymen, including a Catholic priest, and all 
 evinced an intelligent interest in the purpose of my 
 journey. 
 
 Saint Cloud is very pleasantly located on the western 
 bank of the Mississippi, just below Sauk Rapids. It 
 is the capital of Stearns County, seventy-five miles 
 north of Saint Paul by railway, and six hundred and 
 seventy from the river's source. For some years it 
 was considered the leading commercial and manufac- 
 turing town of Northern Minnesota, and is one of the 
 
BRAINERD TO MONTICELLO. 159 
 
 oldest settlements in the State. Here we encountered 
 the second bridge across the Mississippi, the first being 
 at .Brainerd. Saint Cloud has always been a busy 
 town, having a population of about three thousand five 
 hundred, and is characterized by a spirit of enterprise. 
 It has a public library, a state normal school, and two 
 banks; two newspapers, one of which was edited by 
 Jane Grey Swisshelm, a lady of wide reputation as a 
 writer; several saw, planing and flour mills, foundries 
 and other industrial establishments; all of which ap- 
 peared to be in a highly flourishing condition. A con- 
 siderable acreage of wheat and other cereals is raised 
 in this vicinity, and the future of this progressive little 
 city is sure to be prosperous. 
 
 ®l]irt^-tl]irb gag. 
 
 Private House, 
 
 Monticello, Minnesota^ 
 
 August Twenty-third. 
 
 A strong southerly wind faced us in the morning 
 when we pushed off from the crowded landing-place, 
 and our day's work was the most trying we had en- 
 countered since leaving Brainerd. We had forty-three 
 miles to paddle with a slack current, but finally 
 reached Monticello between four and five o'clock in 
 the afternoon, considerably fartigued by the effort ex- 
 pended in pulling against the high wind. A cordial 
 welcome awaited us, however, from the people lining 
 the beach, while a band, brought out for the occasion, 
 struck up a lively air, and afterward volunteered to 
 play at my lecture. On this occasion I was intro- 
 duced to my audience by Mr. Henry Kreis, a substitute 
 for the gf^tlenian who had been appointed to perform 
 
1QQ DOWN THE GREAT RIVEM, 
 
 that ceremony, but was preveiited by unforeseen cir- 
 cumstances from appearing. Only the day before, the 
 gentleman in question had had an altercation with a 
 fellow-citizen which resulted in his kicking his op- 
 ponent down-stairs, and this serious breach of good 
 manners and of law and order had ended by his being 
 temporarily lodged in jail. His son called on me 
 bearing the apologies of his father and a message to 
 the effect that an important legal engagement alone 
 prevented him from fulfilling his appointment with 
 me. It is well to add that this gentleman was one of 
 the most highly respected citizens of the town, and 
 that public opinion appeared to be strongly in his 
 favor. 
 
 Monticello is a pleasant little town of from four to 
 five hundred inhabitants. Hon. Samuel E. Adams, 
 editor of the Monticello Times, and one of the pioneers 
 of this part of Minnesota, extended many courtesies 
 to our little party; and here I met two of my cousins, 
 sons of Henry Glazier, who had been a resident of the 
 State for many years, and one of the early settlers of 
 Wright County. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ilONTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS. 
 
 Sfljlrtjj-fotxvtl) SDag. 
 
 Sherburne House, 
 Elk River, Minnetota^ 
 August 24, 1881. 
 
 spent the morning with uncle Henry's 
 family at their home in Mon ti cello ; 
 walked down to the landing after din- 
 ner, accompanied by cousins Ward and 
 George Glazier, Mr. Adams and others 
 to whom we had been introduced during 
 our sojourn. A waving of handkerchiefs, the 
 discharge of firearms and the prolonged cheering 
 which followed the launch of our canoes, bespoke the 
 kindly interest felt in us, and for our undertaking. 
 Large numbers of country people were assembled at 
 many ])oints along the river to see us pass. We still 
 found river-drivers, wongans, logs, booms, jams and, in 
 fact, we were told that we should meet these peculiarities 
 of the Upper Mississippi as far as La Crosse. The 
 village of Elk River is situated on the east bank of 
 the Mississippi, opposite the river of this name which 
 comes in from the west. Its population is small, 
 probably not exceeding one thousand or twelve hun- 
 dred persons. 
 
 161 
 
lff<> DOWN THE GREAT RIVEB. 
 
 Mississippi Hous^ 
 
 Friedley, Minnesota^ 
 
 August Twenty-fifth. 
 
 We took to water between nine and ten o'clock at 
 Elk River. Firm southerly winds met us at the very 
 outset and it was only by dint of a most persistent use 
 of our paddles that we succeeded in forcing our canoes 
 down stream. George having left us at Elk River in 
 order to arrange for my lecture at Minneapolis, had 
 encumbered us with an extra canoe which tended 
 largely to impede our progress, as we were compelled 
 to tow it at our stern. Anoka was reached soon after 
 one o'clock. It was our intention to pass this place, 
 as it stands some distance back on a tributary of the 
 Mississippi, but being blown ashore we concluded 
 to walk up to the town, where we had dinner at a 
 restaurant. After a stroll through some of the leading 
 streets of this enterprising little city, we returned to 
 our canoes and continued our course toward Friedley, 
 at which place we disembarked a few minutes before 
 sunset. 
 
 Friedley, or Fridley, as it is sometimes spelled, is a 
 small hamlet in Anoka County, of less than three 
 hundred inhabitants, and is some seven miles above 
 Minneapolis. It enjoyed a bubble reputation some 
 years ago, being looked upon by its founders as the 
 future great city of the Upper Mississippi, but like 
 many another its site was unfavorable, and it has 
 been so overshadowed by its more fortunate rivals 
 that it is now seldom mentioned, except in connectioo 
 with it« past aspirations. 
 
MONTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS, Jg5 
 
 Nicollet House, 
 
 Minneapolis, Minnesotaj 
 
 August Twenty-sixth. 
 
 We spent the morning in our quiet retreat at 
 Friedley. My notes, covering our voyage from 
 Aitkin, were perfected at this place and business and 
 private correspondence attended to. 
 
 Re-embarked soon after dinner, and aided by a 
 strong current dropped down to within three miles of 
 the Falls of Saint Anthony, where we were compelled 
 to take our canoes out of the water owing to the prev- 
 alence of jams and log-booms. The canoes were car- 
 ried through Minneapolis and around the cataract on a 
 farm wagon. After they had been carefully placed in 
 a storehouse and we had registered at the " Nicollet," 
 I walked out to the Falls. 
 
 Long before coming in sight of this grand spectacle, 
 the ear is greeted by the deep, solemn roar that truly 
 resembles the " sound of many waters." The pulse 
 of the traveler naturally quickens as he feels him- 
 self approaching the scene where Father Hennepin, 
 of old, was so moved with admiration as to christen 
 the red man's falls after his patron saint. It ap- 
 pears indeed as though some mighty strife were 
 going on amid the elements, and as one advances, a 
 strange, indescribable feeling steals over the senses, a 
 feeling that awakens a spirit of admiration for the 
 handiwork of the Almighty. The Falls at length 
 burst upon the enraptured view — the celebrated Falls 
 of Saint Anthony. One is not here so completely over- 
 whelmed as when viewing the incomparable Niagara, 
 
IQQ DOWN THE GREAT BIFES. 
 
 with its great height of waterfall, its deafening roar, 
 and the lofty character of its scenery. Saint Anthony 
 is more within the grasp of human oomprehension^ 
 and is therefore looked upon with greater pleasure. 
 Niagara appears to wear a kind of threatening frown, 
 while the former greets you with a winning and com- 
 placent smile. Yet, on account of the vast body of 
 water continually rushing over the rocky mass in the 
 bed of the river, the scene is one of sublimity as well 
 as one of loveliness and beauty. As I gazed on 
 these falls and listened to the warring elements I was 
 forcibly impressed with the truth of the beautiful lines 
 
 of the poet Brainard : 
 
 "And what are we, 
 That hear the question of that voice sublime ? 
 Oh, what are all the notes that ever rung 
 From war's vain trumpet^ by thy thundering side? 
 Yes, what is all the riot man can make 
 In his short life, to thine unceasing roar? 
 And yet, bold babbler, what art thou to Him 
 Who drowned the world, and heaped the waters far 
 Above its loftiest mountain ? A light wave, 
 That breaks and whispers at its Maker's might I " 
 
 Concerning the height of the fall and the breadth of 
 the river at this point, much incorrect information has 
 been published. Hennepin, who was the first white 
 man to visit it, states it to be fifty or sixty feet high. 
 It was this explorer who gave it the name which 
 it now bears, in honor of Saint Anthony of Paduii^ 
 wham he had taken for the protection of his discovery. 
 Carver reduces its height to about thirty feet; his 
 stMctures upon Hennepin, however, whom he charges 
 with exaggeration, might, with propriety, be retorted 
 upon him, and we feel strongly inclined to say of him, 
 as he said of his predecessor, " the good Father, I fear, 
 
MOMTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS. 167 
 
 too often had no other foundation for his accounts than 
 report, or at most a slight inspection." Lieutenant 
 Pike, who is more accurate than any traveler whom we 
 have followed, states the perpendicular fall to be six- 
 teen and a half feet. It was again measured in 1817 
 with a plumb-line, from the table rock from which the 
 water was falling, and found to be the same. The 
 measurement at this time was made with a rough 
 water-level, which made it about fifteen feet. The 
 difference of a foot is trifling and might depend upon 
 the place where the measurement was made ; but we 
 cannot account for the statement made by Schoolcraft 
 that the river has a perpendicular pitch of forty feet> 
 and this as late as fourteen years after Pike's measure- 
 ment. 
 
 The breadth of the river near the brink of the fall 
 is five hundred and ninety-four yards. Below the fall 
 it contracts to about two hundred yards. There is a 
 considerable rapid both above and below, and a portage 
 of two hundred and sixty poles in length was usually 
 made here in pioneer days. The entire fall or differ- 
 ence of level between the place of disembarking and 
 reloading, was stated by Pike to be fifty-eight feet, 
 which is, undoubtedly, very near the truth. The 
 whole fall to the foot of the rapids, which extend sev- 
 eral miles down the river, may be estimated at about 
 one hundred feet. 
 
 This romantic spot in the Mississippi is not without 
 a legend to hallow its scenery and enhance the interest 
 which of itself it is calculated to awaken. The follow- 
 ing tragic story was current some years ago among the 
 Indians and vrhite settlers in the neighborhood of the 
 Falls. Ampato Sapa, a youthful female, whose name 
 
lf)8 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 signifies the dark day^ was united in marriage to a 
 young Indian of the Dakota tribe. For several years 
 they lived together happily and two children were born 
 to them. Both parents doted on their children with a 
 depth of feeling scarcely equaled by more civilized 
 whites. The man became great as a hunter, and many 
 of the surrounding families sought his guardianship 
 and friendship, and shared the products of his chase. 
 Some of them, anxious to strengthen their interest with 
 the successful hunter, urged him to form a connection 
 with their family, telling him that a second wife was 
 indispensable to a man of his talent and importance, 
 who would probably soon be acknowledged as a chief. 
 The daughter of an influential man was presented to 
 him, and, animated with the ambition of attaining to 
 high honor in his nation by a union with the daughter 
 of a man of great influence, he took a second wife, 
 without mentioning the subject to the young mother 
 of his children. Desirous of conciliating his first wife, 
 for whom he still retained much regard, he introduced 
 the subject to her in these words : " You know, 
 Ampato, that I can love no woman so fondly as I do 
 you. With deep regret I have seen you of late sub- 
 jected to toils which must be oppressive, and from 
 which I would gladly relieve you ; yet I know 
 of no other way of doing so than by associating with 
 you in the duties of our household one who shall 
 relieve you from the trouble of entertaining the numer- 
 ous guests whom my growing importance in the nation 
 collects around me. I have, therefore, resolved upon 
 taking another wife, but she shall always be subject to 
 your control." With the deepest concern his wife 
 listened to this unexpected announcement. She remon- 
 
MONTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS. 171 
 
 strated with him in the kindest terms, and tearfully 
 entreated by every consideration her devoted love could 
 suggest, that he would not let another take her place 
 in his affections. The Indian, with much duplicity, 
 still concealed from her the secret of his marriage with 
 another, while she put forth her strongest appeals in 
 the effort to convince him that she was equal to the 
 tasks imposed upon her. She pleaded all the endear- 
 ments of their past life, dwelling on his former fond- 
 ness for her, his regard for her happiness and that of 
 their children, and cautioned him to beware of the 
 consequences of uniting himself to a woman of whom 
 he knew very little. Finding her still opposed to his 
 wishes he at length informed her that further opposi- 
 tion on her part was useless as he had already selected 
 another partner; and that if she could not receive his 
 new wife as a friend, she must receive her as an encum- 
 brance, for he had resolved she should reside with him. 
 Deeply distressed at this information, she stole 
 away from the cabin with her infant and fled to her 
 father. She remained with him for a time, until some 
 Indians, with whom he lived, went up the Mississippi 
 on a winter hunt. When they returned in early spring 
 with their canoes loaded with skins, they encamped 
 near the Falls. After they had left in the morning, 
 Ampato lingered near the spot, and soon launching a 
 light canoe, entered it with her babes. She paddled 
 down the stream chanting her death-song. Her friends 
 saw her only too late, and their attempts to arrest her 
 progress were of no avail. She was heard to sing in 
 a doleful voice of the past happiness she had enjoyed 
 while she was the sole object of her husband's affections. 
 Finally her voice was drowned in the roar of the cataract; 
 
172 DOWJ^ THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 the rapids carried down her little bark ; it came to the 
 edge of the Falls ; was seen for a moment covered with 
 spray — but never was a trace of the canoe or its hapless 
 freight seen more. The Indians say that often a voice 
 has been heard to sing a piteous song near the edge of 
 the falling water, and that the burden of the song is 
 always the inconstancy of Ampato's husband. Some 
 assert that her spirit wanders near the spot with her 
 children clinging to her bosom. Such tales and tradi- 
 tions the Indians treasure and relate to the traveler. 
 
 Minneapolis proper is situated on the west side of 
 the river, while Saint Anthony, which by mutual agree- 
 ment has become united to the first-named city, is on 
 the east side — the two forming one city under the 
 name of Minneapolis. It is ten miles from Saint 
 Paul. The city proper is built on broad esplanades 
 overlooking the river and its falls, rapids and pict- 
 uresque bluffs. It is the first place of magnitude 
 reached in descending the river. The streets are laid 
 out at right angles, eighty feet in width, bordered by 
 sidewalks twenty feet wide, with double rows of trees 
 on each side. The founders of western cities have 
 gained wisdom from the mistakes of those of the eastern 
 coast. Notwithstanding the broad expanse of country, 
 which to the early colonists seemed limitless, the cities 
 and towns built on and near the Atlantic seaboard 
 were modeled upon European plans, even to the nar- 
 row streets and compact rows of buildings. Not so in 
 the West. The original plans of our western towns 
 are so wisely designed that no future increase of 
 population, with its attendant demands for dwelling 
 and business houses, can ever transform them into an 
 aggregation of dense, stifling streets and lanes, such as 
 
MONTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS. 175 
 
 are too often found in our first-class eastern cities. 
 Health and beauty are two objects which have been 
 steadily kept in view in their foundation. Though 
 their rude beginnings have not always been attractive, 
 the possibilities of beauty are always there and time is 
 sure to develop them. 
 
 Saint Anthony saw its beginning in 1849, though a 
 single log-cabin had stood upon its site for twelve 
 years before this date. The first dwelling in Minne- 
 apolis proper was erected in the winter of 1849-50, 
 by Colonel J. H. Stevens. Speaking of his early 
 residence and neighbors, the colonel says : " We have 
 often retired at night and opened our eyes in the morn- 
 ing upon the wigwams of either the Sioux, Chippe- 
 was, or Winnebagos, which had gone up v/hile we 
 slept." 
 
 The name " Minneapolis " is compounded of Indian 
 and Greek ; Minne being the Sioux for water , and 
 ipolis the Greek for c%> ^^^ meaning the water city^ 
 or the city of the waters. It is located on what was 
 formerly known as the Military Reserve of Fort Snell- 
 ing, a reservation nine miles square assigned to and 
 surrounding the Fort for purposes of forage. In 1855, 
 Congress granted the right of preemption to the set- 
 tlers, and since that period a rapid growth of the city 
 has taken place. In 1856, the population w^as only 
 two thousand, while that of Saint Anthony was about 
 three thousand five hundred. 
 
 A suspension bridge connecting the two cities was 
 built in 1855. It cost over fifty thousand dollars, 
 and was the first suspension bridge ever built in a 
 Territory, and the first to span the Mississippi. A 
 ferry-boat at this point had been established in 1851 
 
176 DOWJN^ THE GREAT IllVER. 
 
 That summer its proprietor realized three hundred 
 dollars. In 1855, the receipts had increased to twelve 
 thousand. In 1880, the population of the united 
 towns numbered nearly fifty thousand, with the certain 
 prospect of doubling, trebling, and even quadrupling 
 that number in a very few years. 
 
 The University of Minnesota is located here, and 
 there are several other important educational institu- 
 tions. The public schools are in every respect ex- 
 cellent; the Athenaeum Library contains about ten 
 thousand volumes, while the University possesses 
 one of several thousand. There are more than sixty 
 churches of all denominations, and some of the sacred 
 edifices are very handsome. 
 
 The river is here about six hundred yards in width, 
 and above Saint Anthony Falls rushes through low 
 banks, rising in uneven bluffs from five to twenty-five 
 feet, in foaming, tumultuous rapids, until it reaches the 
 precipice, whence it springs in a single leap down a 
 distance of about sixteen feet. Thence it proceeds in 
 a series of rapids over piles of rocks in its bed for 
 some distance, the great descent being made of 
 eighty-two feet in two miles. Below the Falls the 
 clifPs are bold and picturesque, the character of the 
 scenery varying. 
 
 The Falls are divided by Cataract Island, from 
 which a dam has been constructed to the eastern shore 
 to furnish water-power for manufacturing purposes, 
 and nearly the whole volume of water now rushes 
 through the western channel. The Falls may be seen 
 with equal advantage from either shore, but the best 
 view is obtained from the centre of the Suspension 
 Bridge which crosses the river above them, and from 
 
MONTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS. 177 
 
 which the rapids may be seen boiling and rushing 
 immediately beneath. 
 
 These falls furnish abundant power for manufact- 
 uring purposes, and as early as 1856 large mills were 
 already in operation at Saint Anthony, in which rail- 
 lions of feet of lumber were annually sawn. The logs 
 which fill the Mississippi above the Falls, sometimes 
 even to the point of obstructing navigation, all have 
 their destination at Minneapolis. Here they are con- 
 verted into lumber and laths and sent to distant 
 sections of the country, perhaps in the form of huge 
 rafts again set afloat upon the river. The lumber 
 business of this city is immense, probably exceeding 
 that of any other city in the country. It is equaled 
 only by the flour mills of this rapidly growing western 
 giant. Minneapolis stands at the head of the flour 
 manufacturing of the world. She has no equal in this 
 branch of manufacture either on this continent or in 
 Europe. The wheat raised in such immense quantities in 
 the Northwest is here ground into flour and shipped to 
 every part of the United States; while vast quantities 
 are exported to Europe. The banks of the river are 
 lined with immense flour mills, which furnish employ- 
 ment to thousands of hands. 
 
 Minneapolis is more a manufacturing than a com- 
 mercial city. Saint Paul monopolizes much of the 
 commerce of the Upper Mississippi. Steamboats can 
 only ascend to Fort Snelling, some miles below the 
 Falls, hence Minneapolis depends largely upon the 
 railroads for transportation. But while Saint Paul 
 measures miles of streets lined with stores and ware- 
 houses, Minneapolis can show an equal number of 
 mills and factories. It is alvso a city of residences— a 
 
178 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 beautiful city. The streets are broad and amply 
 shaded, and the houses are, many of them, very hand- 
 somely built and surrounded by ornamental gardens. 
 Minneapolis is the summer resort of thousands of 
 visitors who come here from all points on the Missis- 
 sippi, as far down as New Orleans, to escape the enerva- 
 tion of a southern summer, and enjoy the pure and 
 healthful climate and delicious scenery of the city and its 
 surroundings. It is especially a resort for invalids, who 
 find its atmosphere bracing and health-giving. It is 
 moreover the centre of a number of delightful sum- 
 mer haunts, all of which are daily growing in popu- 
 larity. Lakes Calhoun, Harriet, and Minnetonka, and 
 the Falls of Minnehaha, attract thousands of visitors, 
 and present not only beauty of scenery, but all the con- 
 veniences and improvements one seeks for at watering- 
 places in the East, and which the traveler from that 
 section is hardly prepared to encounter on the confines 
 of civilization in the Northwest. Boating, bathing, 
 fishing and hunting are among the daily amusements, 
 while commodious hotels and attractive cottages stud 
 the shores of the lakes, and provide the numerous 
 visitors with every comfort. These summer resorts 
 are increasing in number and popularity, and the many 
 lakes which are scattered over the State of Minne- 
 sota, will all of them, sooner or later, make their at- 
 tractions known to the outside world and draw many 
 summer visitors. Much of this transient travel will 
 find its way through Minneapolis, being attracted 
 thither by the beautiful Falls of Saint Anthony ; so 
 that while many of our eastern and northern cities 
 record their largest number of inhabitants during the 
 winter months, Minneapolis will, and in fact already 
 
MONTICELLO TO MINNEAPOLIS. j^ig 
 
 does, on the contrary, find her population very con^ 
 siderably increased during the summer. 
 
 Minneapolis, including Saint Anthony, is connected 
 with Saint Paul by three lines of railway, while the 
 railroads diverge to every point of the compass, bring- 
 ing an influx of travel and produce and carrying away 
 its merchandise. The city is surrounded by a mag- 
 nificent farming country, which is fast becoming settled 
 by a superior class of immigrants — Americans from 
 New England and New York State, Germans from the 
 Fatherland, and Norwegians and Swedes from the 
 land of Thor. The labor of these farmers and the 
 product of their industry contribute to keep its mills 
 running, to increase their number, and to make this 
 city the great bread-giver of the country. People 
 may dispense with many of the artificial needs created 
 by civilization; they may wrap furs around them in- 
 stead of the products of the loom ; they may dwell in 
 caves, or construct for themselves huts of mud and 
 the boughs of trees, but the whole human race, civiK 
 ized and savage, must have bread, or its equivalent. 
 The Indian raised his maize, finding an animal diet 
 insufficient for his needs; and the great wheat fields 
 of Minnesota furnish something better than maize for 
 the race that has displaced and succeeded him ; and the 
 many mill-stones of Minneapolis, set in motion by 
 nature's engine, the Falls of Saint Anthony, grind 
 and crush the wheat into a shape ready to be trans- 
 formed into bread for the million. 
 
 The lumbermen of the Upper Mississippi, who form 
 a distinct olass, will never cease their labor so long as 
 there is a pine forest left standing; while the swift 
 current of >he river furnishes a highway on which, 
 
180 DOWJ^ THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 without the aid of steam or sails, and with river-drivers 
 for captains and crews, their drives of logs find ready 
 and inexpensive transportation. Transformed from 
 their crude state into a shape to meet the needs of the 
 builder, the river still affords them free transit and 
 numerous markets along its more than two thousand 
 miles of shore. 
 
 The inhabitants of Minneapolis, like those of this 
 entire section of country, are pushing, enterprising citi- 
 zens from the eastern and north-eastern states, who, re- 
 lieved from the difficulties which beset them in their 
 native home, and with all the resources of the Great 
 West at their command, accomplish wonderful things 
 in very brief periods of time. The sprinkling of 
 Germans and Scandinavians prefer for the most part 
 to settle in the country. There is, of course, the usual 
 class of river-men, boatmen, and lumbermen of all 
 kinds, together with the roughs who infest, more or less, 
 all new cities; but the latter are comparatively few. 
 
 Minneapolis, we venture to prophesy, is destined to 
 become the metropolis of the North-west. She is 
 not only a great manufacturing city, but the most 
 beautiful and attractive in this region. As age tones 
 down the still manifest newness of her twenty-five or 
 thirty years of existence, wears away the rough edges 
 of some of her people, and substitutes handsome 
 edifices for the few remaining rude habitations and 
 business places of her early pioneers, she will become 
 still more beautiful, and in a few years will abundantly 
 repay a pilgrimage to the Upper Mississippi, while 
 the Falls of Saint Anthony will continue to be not the 
 least of her attractions to the tourist in search of the 
 tjublrme and beautiful. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 TEN DAYS AT SA.INT PAUL. 
 
 Fort Snelling — White Bear Lake — Minne-ha-ha, 
 
 ^^^^flpSTV|^E re-embarked at ten o'clock on the morn- 
 ^^mSmr: I ^^^ ^^ August twenty-seventh, just below 
 ^^l^l/iJ ^^^ rapids at Minneapolis and, aided by 
 r^^fcj/^ an unusually strong current, soon found 
 "^f^^yi ourselves opposite Fort Snelling, which is 
 :^^\ midway between Minneapolis and Saint Paul. 
 
 '^ Here we halted to view one of the oldest land- 
 marks of the North-west. 
 Fort Snelling is situated at the confluence of the 
 Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, on the west bank of 
 the latter. The buildings of the garrison are upon a 
 high bluff, two hundred feet above the water level, 
 stretching to the north and west in a gently undulating 
 and fertile prairie interspersed here and there w^ith 
 heavy groves of timber. Around this Fort cluster 
 memories of the earl}'' struggles of the pioneers of 
 civilization with the savage tribes that have since 
 been sent to other hunting-grounds. It is a promi- 
 nent object in one of the finest landscapes of the Upper 
 Mississippi. Recent alterations, however, have con- 
 siderably changed and modernized the surroundings 
 and deprived it of much of its picturesqueness. The 
 
 (183) 
 
134 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 building erected outside of the walls for the accom- 
 modation of officers, and the demolition of the tower 
 that formerly occupied the extreme point of the bluff, 
 have no doubt given it much less the appearance of a 
 fortification than it previously wore, although making it 
 presumably much pleasanter for those who reside there. 
 The Fort is always open to those who may incline to 
 to look wdthin its walls and view whatever there is of 
 interest to be seen. In these days of peace, however, 
 it does not present a very warlike appearance. Of 
 incidents connected with its history many interesting 
 stories are told which illustrate the dangers, trials and 
 hardships to which the early settlers were subjected, 
 and the character of their savage neighbors. 
 
 Some of the most efficient officers of our military 
 service have been quartered here, and have received 
 with hospitality the various scientific expeditions that 
 have from time to time passed through the country. 
 On the island at the mouth of the Minnesota, Lieuten- 
 ant Pike encamped and entered into negotiations with 
 the Indians for the site of the present Fort. In a report 
 to the War Department in 1817, Major Long recom- 
 mended the position for a permanent fortification. In 
 1819, a detachment of the Sixth Infantry, numbering 
 three hundred men, under Co4onel Leavenworth, left 
 Detroit with instructions to occupy the Fort, and on 
 the seventeenth of September they established a canton- 
 ment on the south side of the Minnesota near its 
 junction with the Mississippi. 
 
 Work on Fort Snelling was begun in the summer 
 of 1820, at which time Colonel Snelling was in com- 
 mand. Saint Louis, distant nine hundred miles, was 
 then the nearest town of any importance. The first 
 
TEN DAYS AT SAINT PAUL. ^35 
 
 row of barracks that were put up were constructed of 
 hewn logs, the others of stone. The Fort was built in 
 the form of a diamond in order to harmonize with the 
 ground at the extreme points. Where a tree had stood 
 was located a half-moon battery, to the rear of which 
 were the quarters of the officers, a very neat stone 
 building, the front of cut stone; at the opposite 
 point a tower. The Fort was enclosed by a high 
 stone wall, and is well represented in the accompanying 
 illustration. 
 
 Among the best remembered incidents in connection 
 with this place is the fact that the first white woman 
 who saw the Falls of Saint Anthony was the wife of 
 Captain George Gooding of the Fifth Infantry. 
 
 With reference to the Minnesota River, formerly 
 known as the Saint Peter, it is stated to have been first 
 visited by Captain Jonathan Carver, towards the close 
 of the eighteenth century, who published an account 
 of its discovery in 1778. It was again thoroughly 
 explored in 1823, under instructions from the War 
 Department. Its elevation above tlie Gulf is seven 
 hundred and forty-four feet. The precise latitude of 
 its mouth 44° 52' 46''. 
 
 The atmosphere of this locality is represented as 
 serene and transparent during the spring and summer 
 seasons, and free from the humidity which is so ob- 
 jectionable a trait of our eastern latitudes. The mean 
 temperature is 45°. As to its geological and miner- 
 alogical condition, I refer to Pike, Schoolcraft, Nicollet, 
 and other eminent scientists, who have preceded me 
 in the exploration of this section of the Mississippi. 
 It will be sufficient here to say that the stratificatioi? 
 at and belo Saint Anthony Falls consists wholly of 
 
186 DOWN TEE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 formations of sandstone and limestone, horizontally 
 deposited, whose relative ages are chiefly inferable 
 from the evidences of organic life in the shape of 
 fossils which they embrace. The lowest of this series 
 of rock is said to be a white sandstone composed of 
 transparent and loosely cohering grains. 
 
 Still favored with a brisk current and an encourag- 
 ing breeze at our backs, we glided swiftly down to 
 within two miles of the northern limits of Saint Paul. 
 Here we halted and had luncheon in the shade of a 
 cluster of a large trees standing on the west bank of 
 the river. 
 
 Soon after re-embarking we were met by a dele- 
 gation of the Minnesota Boat Club, who came up in 
 their boats to exchange greetings and welcome us to 
 their club-rooms, a courtesy always appreciated by voy- 
 agers, and especially by those in possession of craft 
 requiring careful housing. I should be unworthy of 
 civilities if I failed to say that the young men com- 
 posing this club are gentlemen in the fullest sense of 
 the term, and he is indeed most fortunate who holds 
 a key to their delightful quarters on " The Island." 
 
 On leaving the boat-house we ascended a flight of 
 steps leading up to the bridge which crosses the river 
 at this point. Here we found some thousands of citi- 
 zens congregated, who had apparently come out to wit- 
 ness our reception by the boat-club. A carriage was 
 in waiting, into which we were ushered and driven to 
 the Metropolitan. 
 
 An appointment having been previously made, I 
 lectured at Sherman Hall at the usual hour; was 
 favored with a very full house, which, considering the 
 torrid condition of the weather at the time, was more 
 
TEN DAYS AT SAINT PAUL, Jgg 
 
 than I had expected. The press criticisms evinced a de- 
 cided interest in the " Pioneers of the Mississippi," and 
 were all that I could have desired. 
 
 At the time of my visit, Saint Paul had about fifty 
 thousand inhabitants, with large commercial interests, 
 which were daily increasing in extent and importance. 
 The city was originally built on the eastern, or left 
 bank of the Mississippi, on a plain, some eighty feet 
 above the river, but it has now extended to the western 
 bank also. On the eastern side its site now embraces 
 four distinct terraces, arranged around the curve of the 
 river in the form of an amphitheatre with a southern 
 exposure. The second and third terraces, upon which 
 the city is principally built, widen out into level semi- 
 circular plains. 
 
 Father Hennepin was the first white man to reach 
 the site of Saint Paul, having visited the locality in 
 1680. In 1766, Carver made a treaty with the Dakota 
 Indians in what is now known as Carver's Cave. In 
 1837, the first United States treaty was entered into 
 with the Sioux, who threw their lands open to settle- 
 ment, and the first claim was entered by Pierre Perent, 
 a Canadian traveler and adventurer, who sold it two 
 years later for forty dollars. His former claim now 
 embraces the principal part of the city. The first 
 building was erected in 1838, and the place continued 
 a mere Indian trading-post for several years thereafter. 
 It was surveyed in 1845, and in 1847 there were but 
 three white families upon the ground. In 1846, Saint 
 Paul had but ten white inhabitants. In 1847, it was 
 laid out into village streets, and in 1849 became the 
 site of a Catholic mission. A municipal government 
 was established in 1854, when the town had three 
 
190 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 thousand inhabitants. In 1856, the number had in- 
 creased to ten thousand. In 1880, twenty-four years 
 later, it had been multiplied by five, th© census returns 
 giving fifty thousand, with a growth of one hundred 
 per cent, during the previous ten years. In 1849, the 
 business of the place amounted to $131,000. In 1854, 
 it had increased to $6,000,000, with |700,000 of capi- 
 tal invested. 
 
 The original town was regularly laid out, but the 
 additions are irregular. The streets are well graded 
 and generally paved. The third terrace is underlaid 
 by a stratum of limestone from twelve to twenty feet 
 thick, and of this material many of the buildings are 
 constructed. The city has several excellent hotels, and 
 many churches belonging to the various denominations 
 of Christians. Five bridges cross the river; lines of 
 horse-cars connect all parts of the city, and a system 
 of sewerage drains it of all impurities. The State 
 Capitol — in process of erection when I saw it — occu- 
 pies one entire square, on an elevation overlooking the 
 city and river. The Opera House, on Wabasha 
 Street, seating about twelve hundred persons, is a large 
 and handsome building. The Academy of Sciences 
 contains about one hundred and thirty thousand speci- 
 mens in natural history. The Historical Society and 
 Library Association have each fine public libraries. 
 The public and private schools of Saint Paul are all 
 of the first order of excellence, and there are several 
 female seminaries of a high grade. A Protestant and a 
 Catholic Orphan Asylum and three hospitals represent 
 the public charitable institutions. 
 
 Saint Paul is nominally at the head of navigation of 
 the Mississippi, the further progress of steamboats up 
 
TEN DAYS AT MINT PAUL. 191 
 
 the river being checked by the rapids below the Falls 
 of Saint Anthony. The river here is open from two 
 hundred to two hundred and forty days in the yeai, 
 and several steamboats arrive and depart daily. It is 
 a thorough business city, its chief thoroughfares being 
 lined with large and well-built stores and warehouses; 
 the movements of the people on the streets indicating 
 the hurry and preoccupation of pressing business pur- 
 suits. The casual visitor is reminded of Chicago more 
 than of any other city of the West. At its back lie the 
 grain and lumber-producing regions of Minnesota and 
 Wisconsin, which are yearly filling up with an intelli- 
 gent and industrious people. Their produce finds an 
 outlet at this port, and here they look for a great por- 
 tion of their supplies. The retail trade of Saint Paul 
 is very large, and it is also in great part the wholesale 
 centre of a large circle of smaller towns. 
 
 Its double line of river bank affords ample wharfage. 
 It is surrounded by a network of railways, connecting 
 it with the large and growing city of Minneapolis, 
 and with every town of importance in Minnesota and 
 adjoining states. These secure permanence to its 
 prosperity, since railroads, even more than rivers, 
 make flourishing cities in the present day. 
 
 There are many points of interest around the city. 
 On the eastern bank of the river, near the shore, is the 
 celebrated Carver's Cave, a romantic opening or aper- 
 ture in Dayton Bluff, in the interior of which the 
 treaty before referred to was concluded. There is a 
 small lake in this cave which may be crossed by a 
 boat. Two miles from Saint Paul is Fountain Cave, 
 deriving its name from a stream which flows through 
 
 it and which probably was the originating cause of tli8 
 13 
 
IQ2 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 cave. It contains several chambers, some of ample 
 dimensions, and, it is said, that at one thousand feet 
 from the opening in the rock no termination has yet 
 been discovered. The rock is of pure white, soft sand- 
 stone, and the entrance to the cave is about fifteen feet 
 in width. About three hundred feet in the interior 
 from its mouth, a cascade some fifteen feet in height 
 falls into tlie stream. This cave is a favorite resort in 
 the summer, and presents many features of interest to 
 the geologist. 
 
 The Falls of Minnehaha, made famous by Long- 
 fellow in his immortal "Song of Hiawatha," are 
 reached by a })leasant drive past Fort Snelling. The 
 name of these Falls signifies '^ Laughing Water." In 
 the words of Longfellow's beautiful description of the 
 journey of his hero to the land of the Dakotas, 
 
 •*Till he heard the cataract's laughter, 
 Heard the Falls of Minnehaha, 
 Calling to him through the silence," 
 
 we have a definition of this poetical name. The 
 stream, which is a confluent of the Great River, enters 
 a deep ravine by a downright plunge of fifty feet, 
 bursting into foam as it descends, and sending up a 
 cloud of s )ray from its base. It falls into a large basin 
 and thence proceeds quietly forward to its junction 
 with the Mississippi. The sheet of water is projected 
 over a shelf of rock of a semicircular form, and be° 
 neath this shelf pedestrians may pass dryshod. 
 
 White Bear Lake, twelve miles distant from Saint 
 Paul, and about an equal distance from Minneapolis, 
 is becoming a popular pleasure resort. Located at 
 the junction of the Saint Paul and Duluth and the 
 
f ;:A.-^^..kMkJ^^US^i'^k -^^f^ ^-^^^- ^^ 
 
 FORT SNELLING AND VICINITY. 
 
TEN DAYS AT SAINT PAUL. 195 
 
 Minneapolis and Saint Louis railways, it is about 
 four miles in length ; and nearly midway between its 
 eastern and western banks is a long, forest-covered 
 islet. The water of the lake is transparently pure and 
 of the color of the bright blue sky overhead. The 
 largest fleet of sailing yachts to be found on any west- 
 ern lake, is seen floating here, many of them costly 
 and of elegant construction. Large hotels have been 
 erected on the western and southern banks for the 
 accommodation of visitors, while picturesque villas dot 
 its western shore, owned by wealthy business men of 
 Saint Paul and Minneapolis, who send their families 
 liere to reside during the summer, and join them each 
 evening after the close of business. White Bear is 
 the oldest summer resort in the State. Camping-out 
 is here reduced to a science, and we find encampmenti^; 
 large enough to be called villages, the tents being as 
 commodious and comfortably furnished as the parlors 
 and bedrooms at home. White Bear is a popular 
 place for pic-nics for the surrounding cities, towns, 
 villages and farms. In the country around are nu- 
 merous smaller lakes, which are sought for fishing 
 and duck hunting. 
 
 Bald Eagle Lake lies a mile beyond White Bear. 
 It is a lovely sheet of water, but not so large as the 
 latter. It has high banks and is full of fish of sev- 
 eral varieties. A few pretty cottages have been built 
 here, and occupied as summer residences. A mineral 
 spring was discovered some years since and a pavilion 
 erected over it by the late Dr. Post, of Saint Paul, 
 who also built a summer residence near by. The City 
 Park is located on the shores of Lake Como, two miles 
 from the centre of Saint Paul. 
 
196 DO WW THE GREAT RIVEE. 
 
 Saint Paul is associated, like Saint Louis, with the 
 names of early explorers and navigators of the Missis- 
 sippi, although its settlement is comparatively recent. 
 Its name was derived from that of a log-chapel dedi- 
 cated to the Apostle Paul in 1841, by the Jesuit 
 missionaries. Unlike Saint Louis, or New Orleans, 
 it has no antiquated streets and perpetuates no French 
 or Spanish names. It is intensely American and 
 intensely nineteenth century. The population is com- 
 posed principally of immigrants or their descendants, 
 from the northern and especially the New England 
 States, while its foreign element is largely German 
 and Scandinavian, which, however, is gradually be^ 
 coming Americanized. The children of these foreign 
 citizens will be Americans not only in fact, but in 
 Reeling and interests. 
 
 The rapid growth of our country is in nothing more 
 palpably demonstrated than by the founding and 
 development of her cities. Yesterday there was a 
 wilderness, uninhabited and almost unexplored. To- 
 day, there is a thriving town cherishing great ex- 
 pectations, which in most instances are more than 
 realized on the morrow. Vast territories, inhabited by 
 only a few bands of Indians, have in a single genera- 
 tion been converted into populous states ; desert wastes 
 have developed, under the intelligent labor of men, a 
 wonderful degree of fertility ; and the progress of 
 civilization in its western march can be arrested only 
 by the waves of the Pacific, which beat upon the rock- 
 bound coast of California, Oregon and Washington. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. 
 
 Jorty-sktl] Dap. 
 
 Foster House, 
 Hastings, Minnesota^ 
 September 5, 1881. 
 
 ^^JT^^T^ITH the feeling that another week might 
 have been profitably spent in and around 
 Saint Paul, we shook hands with many 
 newly-made friends and again stepped 
 into our canoes in front of the Boat-club 
 House. A moment later and we were once 
 more wending our way upon the broad bosom 
 of the Father of Waters, floating and paddling 
 towards the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 Having abandoned my birch canoe. Discovery, at 
 Minneapolis, I took for personal use the Alice, which 
 had hitherto been in charge of my brother, who had 
 now retired from the expedition altogether and was 
 acting in the capacity of advance agent in connection 
 with my lecture appointments. Paine was assigned 
 to the Itasca. Horace Greeley Scott, of Hudson, Wis- 
 consin, who had been engaged at Saint Paul as voy- 
 ageur, acted as " crew '' of the Alice. 
 
 Our journey from Saint Paul to Hastings was un- 
 eventful, except as to the weather, which was decid- 
 
 (197) 
 
198 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 edly uncomfortable. A drizzling rain set in at an 
 early hour in the morning, which increased in strength 
 until eleven o^clock, when the water came down in 
 torrents, drenching our clothing and making naviga- 
 tion anything but agreeable. Nothing but an ap- 
 pointment to lecture in the evening could have kept 
 me in my canoe under such circumstances. 
 
 At three o'clock in the afternoon we passed what is 
 termed the narrowest place in the Mississippi below 
 the Falls of Saint Anthony. The river at this point 
 is clear of islands and not more than one hundred 
 yards wide. Pike states that his men rowed across in 
 forty strokes of the oar; another traveler avers that he 
 crossed in 1857, from a dead start, in sixteen strokes. 
 
 While passing through this contraction of the river 
 it was our good or ill fortune to meet the Gem City, the 
 favorite steamer plying between Saint Paul and Saint 
 Louis. Our meeting with this boat was the first in- 
 stance in which we had encountered any craft of 
 respectable dimensions in the descent of the Missis- 
 sippi, and we had learned from actual experience that 
 it was advisable to exercise some caution when ven- 
 turing our canoes near the wake of such vessels as the 
 one in question, if we desired to put our voyage on a 
 practical basis. It is true we had taken some precau- 
 tions ; had paddled in towards the western bank from 
 the middle of the stream, where we felt quite secure 
 from the swell which would naturally follow the 
 movement of so large a body in deep water. The 
 waves came as we anticipated, but not so mildly as we 
 had predicted ; on the contrary, the first that reached 
 us came with a snap and a swash, lifting us high and 
 dry upon the beach at least five feet from the water^s 
 
SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. ^99 
 
 eflge, precipitating on the beach the contents of the 
 canoes, including their ^^ gallant crews." Some con- 
 solation was found, however, in the reflection that any 
 position on shore was preferable to one at the bottom 
 of the river. 
 
 The "commodore" was compelled to bear the en- 
 tire responsibility of this "toss up," as the captain of 
 the Itasca had suggested paddling against the waves 
 as a proper precaution against a capsize. It will be 
 sufficient to add that this advice was not unheeded in 
 similar cases thereafter. 
 
 With canoes half-full of water and streams of the 
 same element running from our clothes, we disem- 
 barked at five o'clock at the ferry-landing in front of 
 Hastings, where we were met and escorted to the 
 Foster House by Irving Todd of the Gazette, Rev. J, 
 B. Donaldson, Dr. Reuben Freeman, J. B. Lambert 
 and others. Acting u[)on the advice of Mr. Lambert, 
 who had been engaged to introduce me, my lecture 
 appointment at this place was indefinitely postponed 
 in consequence of the storm which raged throughout 
 the night. 
 
 The evening was spent most agreeably in the par- 
 lors of the Foster House, where a number of the repre- 
 sentative men of the city, including several clergymen, 
 assembled to listen to whatever I felt inclined to tell 
 them of our discovery and adventures at the head- 
 waters of the Mississippi. I w^as not favorably im- 
 pressed with the business enterprise of Hastings, but 
 will always have a pleasant recollection of the hospi- 
 tality of its people. The city has a wheat and lum- 
 ber market, with four flour-mills, and three saw- 
 mills, and a population of about four thousand. 
 
200 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Saint James Hotel, 
 Red Wing, Minnesota, 
 September Sixth. 
 
 Eight o'clock found us in our canoes at Hastings. 
 The weather indications of the morning were prophetic 
 of a pleasant trip to Red Wing; but, alas ! appearances 
 were deceitful, as the storm, which had evidently been 
 slumbering for a few hours, broke out afresh at ten 
 o'clock and kept us company throughout the entire 
 day. We attempted a landing at several points above 
 the city, but rain, high winds and a swift current 
 prevented. 
 
 The mouth of the Saint Croix Kiver was reached 
 at ten o'clock. This stream, which enters the Missis- 
 sippi three miles below Hastings, forms the boundary 
 between Minnesota and Wisconsin. For a consider- 
 able distance below the Saint Croix the water of the 
 Mississippi, where shoal, is of a reddish appearance, 
 but very black in deep water. The red is occasioned 
 by the sand seen at the bottom, which is of that color; 
 the dark is invariably common to deep water when 
 moderately limpid. 
 
 Thoroughly drenched a second time since leaving 
 Saint Paul, it was with an exceedingly keen apprecia- 
 tion that we received a hearty welcome at the boat- 
 house-landing at this place. Our canoes out of the 
 water and securely housed, we hastened up to the Saint 
 James, where we were quickly shown our rooms and 
 glad enough to get into them, and into bed, too, as 
 my trunk containing changes, which should have 
 preceded us, had not arrived from Hastings, 
 
SAINT PA UL TO LA CROSSE. 201 
 
 A conference with the lecture committee led to the 
 same conclusion we had arrived at in Hastings, that 
 with the storm howling without, and the lecturer 
 hoi^s de combat, it were better to let the Pioneers of 
 the Mississippi 
 
 " Sleep tlie sleep that knows not breaking ; '*' 
 
 hence, the engagement for Red Wing was declared 
 cancelled. 
 
 Ijike several other cities in this State, Red Wing has 
 a history, and exemplifies how much an intelligent 
 and industrious people can accomplish in a very short 
 time. The standard of civilization was originally 
 planted here by two Swiss missionaries, Denton and 
 Garin, who arrived, accompanied by their wives, in 
 1838. The savage Dakotas at this date occupied the 
 territory, and these brave and self-denying missionaries 
 labored among them until the health of Denton failed 
 in 1846, when the American Board of Missions ap- 
 pointed Rev. Messrs. J. W. Hancock and John Alton, 
 of Vermont, to succeed them. Two mission-houses 
 were built, one of which remains to this day. Two 
 white families and about three hundred Indians were 
 at that time — thirty-six years ago — the sole occupants 
 of what is now the enterprising little city of Red 
 Wing. 
 
 In June, 1852, the Indians entered into a treaty 
 with the Government, which authorized the country 
 to be occupied by white settlers, but the close of the 
 same year saw only about forty white people in the 
 village. On the following Christmas Day the entire 
 white community dined at the residence of William 
 Freeborn, one of the first settlers. The town now 
 
202 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 commenced to grow and has developed very consider- 
 ably up to the present time, the population at this date 
 being about ten thousand. Red Wing has the reputa- 
 tion of being one of the largest primary wheat markets 
 in the country, having handled grain to the amount 
 of nearly three million bushels. Some of its manu- 
 factures also are acquiring a wide reputation. The 
 clay deposits in the neighborhood are said to be among 
 the finest and richest in America ; and it is in contem- 
 plation to commence the manufacture of glass, as a 
 sand of very superior quality abounds here. 
 
 Being only six miles from Lake Pepin, one of the 
 finest bodies of water in the West, surrounded by some 
 of the most magnificent scenery to be found anywhere 
 on the continent. Red Wing will probably in a short 
 time become a summer resort ; and at no distant day, 
 with its abundance of timber, transportation facilities, 
 and productive farming country, may possibly become 
 one of the leading cities of Minnesota. Lumber and 
 all its products are in a flourishing condition ; laths, 
 shingles, sashes, doors and blinds, hubs, spokes, felloes 
 and every variety of bent- work being manufactured 
 extensively. Boots and shoes, furniture, stoneware, 
 boilers and wagons, have also found a solid footing. 
 The lime and stone business has developed during the 
 past few years into an important industry. Common 
 and pressed brick are also extensively made here, and 
 have acquired an excellent reputation throughout the 
 Northwest. Steam-engines and heavy and light cast- 
 ings are manufactured. The city has an excellent fire 
 department and water-works; and its public schools 
 are said to rank among the best in the State. Red 
 Wing is distant from Saint Paul sixty -five miles. 
 
SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE, 203 
 
 Jorta-eigljtl) SDag. 
 
 Merchant's Hotel, 
 
 Lake City, Minnesota, 
 
 September Seventh. 
 
 The clouds lifted at sunrise, and in anticipation of a 
 pleasant trip through Lake Pepin we took a hurried 
 stroll through the leading streets of Red Wing imme- 
 diately after breakfast, and an hour later were in our 
 canoes on our way down the river. 
 
 A gentle swell followed by a very perceptible buoy- 
 ancy of the canoes gave intimation that we were ap- 
 proaching a body of water of no mean pretensions. 
 For several days we had been cautioned to '^ beware 
 of Lake Pepin," and when at last we found ourselves 
 gliding smoothly over its placid bosom, we felt that its 
 turbulent propensities had been greatly exaggerated. 
 It took but a few moments however to reverse the 
 scene and convince us that the Fates were not alto- 
 gether favorable. A strong southerly wind, again ac- 
 companied by rain, made our journey through Lake 
 Pepin memorable, if not agreeable. For over ten 
 hours the elements held possession and the waves ran 
 so high that Paine, who led the way in the ItasGa, was 
 frequently out of sight in the troughs, though not 
 more than forty yards in advance of the Alice. 
 
 I contemplated a halt at one time, but the rugged and 
 precipitous character of the bluffs, which came down to 
 the water's edge, would have made a landing extremely 
 difficult, if not dangerous; and besides, to be perfectly 
 frank, we were engaged upon a voyage from Source 
 to Sea, and I, for one, did not feel like taking the re- 
 sponsibility of showing the '' white feather.'' Having 
 
204 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 an engagement to lecture at Lake City, I was com- 
 pelled to stick to the canoes, and meet the appointment 
 in the usual way, or disembark and go down by rail, 
 thus acknowledging, after a three montlis' cruise on the 
 Mississippi, that our mode of locomotion was imprac- 
 ticable. We, thereforej resolved to remain in the 
 canoes if every member of the party went to the bot- 
 tom of the lake. 
 
 My new voyageur, Scott, acquitted himself with great 
 credit on this occasion, considering the fact that he had 
 never been in a canoe before joining us at Saint Paul. 
 His complete self-possession and steady nerve had 
 much to do with carrying me safely through one of 
 the most trying situations I had been called upon to 
 master since leaving Lake Winnibegoshish. 
 
 We struck the beach at Frontenac between twelve 
 and one o'clock, heartily glad to set our feet again on 
 solid earth, and quite willing to let old Pepin lash his 
 sides for an hour at least to his heart's content. 
 
 Frontenac is a small hamlet, of perhaps two hun- 
 dred souls, standing on the western shore of the lake, 
 about ten miles below Red Wing. It is a most ro- 
 mantic spot in appearance, and will, I venture to pre- 
 dict, at no distant day become a most delightful sum- 
 mer resort. Considerable attention has already been 
 drawn to it in this particular, and we especially noted 
 good hotel accommodations and the presence on its 
 white-sand beach of many yachts, skiffs and canoes. 
 
 We were met here by Mr. A. W. Ditmars, of Lake 
 City, who came up to confer with me concerning my 
 lecture appointment at this place. After dining with 
 us at the hotel, he suggested that I should have the 
 pleasure of meeting General Israel Garrard. We 
 
SAINT PA UL TO LA CROSSE. ' 207 
 
 walked up to the generaFs residence on the bluff, 
 where I was introduced and spent an hour most agree- 
 ably. General Garrard is a gentleman of leisure and 
 culture, and possesses a fund of information concern- 
 ing the legendary history of Lake Pepin which is ot 
 absorbing interest to those who desire to preserve 
 records of aboriginal times. 
 
 It was hoped, when we disembarked, that the lake 
 would calm before we returned to our canoes, but in 
 this we were destined to disappointment, for on reach- 
 ing the beach we found the wind still piling up the 
 waves to a threatening height and making the outlook 
 for our little flotilla anything but inviting. General 
 Garrard and Mr. Ditmars said, " if you value your 
 lives, don't launch those canoes on Lake Pepin to-day .'' 
 Many others on the shore echoed the same sentiment. 
 Still determined, however, to go down to Lake City in 
 our staunch little crafts, Paine stepped promptly into 
 the Itasca, while Scott and myself pulled out in the 
 Aliee. 
 
 Running out into the lake we soon rounded the sand- 
 bar which lies directly in front of Frontenac and headed 
 down stream. We hugged the western bank as closely 
 as possible, seeking the protection of the friendly bluffs 
 against the violent wind, which now came sweeping 
 across the lake from a south-westerly quarter. 
 
 Three miles below Frontenac we descried the cele- 
 brated Maiden Rock, which rises to a height of nearly 
 five hundred feet on the eastern shore. The upper two 
 hundred feet are formed by a perpendicular bluff, and 
 the lower three hundred constitute a very abrupt and 
 precipitous slope which extends from the base of the 
 
 bluff to the edge of the water. This forms a point, 
 14 
 
208 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 projecting into the lake and bounded by two small 
 basins, each of which is the estuary of a brook. The 
 wildness of the scenery is such that even the voyager 
 who has gazed wdth delight upon the majestic bluffs 
 of the Mississippi is forcibly impressed with the 
 grandeur of this spot. There was much in it that we 
 had not met with at any other point of the far-stretch- 
 ing Valley of the Mississippi, a high-projecting point, 
 a precipitous crag resting upon a steep bank whose 
 base is washed by a wide expanse of water, which con- 
 trasts strikingly with the savage outlines of the land- 
 scape. But Maiden Rock receives additional interest 
 from the melancholy tale which is connected with its 
 history and which casts a deep gloom over its 
 brightest feature. 
 
 There was a time, so the legend runs, when this now 
 desolate spot was the scene of a most tragic event. 
 In the Indian village of Keoxa, in the tribe of Wa- 
 pasha, there lived a young Indian maiden, whose 
 name was Winona, which signifies the "first-born." 
 She had formed an attachment for a young hunter of 
 the tribe, who returned her affection. They had fre- 
 quently met and agreed to become united in marriage, 
 but on applying to her parents, the young hunter was 
 rejected, and inforniied that a warrior of distinction 
 had sued for their daughter and their consent had been 
 given. The warrior was a favorite with the tribe, and 
 had acquired great popularity from his services to the 
 village against the Chippewas. Winona, however, 
 remained faithful to her lover, notwithstanding his 
 rival's efforts to supplant him and the countenance he 
 received from her parents and brothers. To them she, 
 replied that she had made choice of a man w4io, being 
 
SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. 209 
 
 a hunter, would remain with her and secure her sub- 
 sistence and comfort ; while the warrior would be fre- 
 quently absent, intent upon martial exploits. Winona's 
 reasoning and earnest entreaties, however, were in vain, 
 and her parents at length drove away her lover, and 
 commenced harsh measures in order to compel her to 
 marry the warrior. She begged them to allow her to 
 live a single life, but to all her entreaties they turned 
 a deaf ear. Winona had hitherto enjoyed a great share 
 in the aiFections of her family, and had been indulged 
 more than is usual with females among Indians. Her 
 affectionate disposition had made her a favorite with 
 her brothers, and they endeavored to influence their 
 parents to use persuasive means to accomplish their 
 wishes, in preference to compelling her to the union 
 against her inclination. To remove some of her ob- 
 jections to the warrior, they undertook, themselves, to 
 provide for her future maintenance, and accordingly 
 presented to her suitor many articles that an Indian 
 might desire to possess, as a propitiatory offering in 
 behalf of their sister. About this time a party was 
 formed in the village to ascend the river to Lake 
 Pepin, in order to procure a supply of the blue clay 
 which is found upon its banks at a certain spot, and 
 which was used by the Indians to make paint. Winona 
 and some of her friends were of the party, and it was 
 on this day that her brothers had offered their presents 
 to the warrior. Thus encouraged, he again addressed 
 the young girl, but with the same ill success. She 
 refused to be united to him, and would remain single 
 all her life. Her parents again remonstrated in strong 
 language, and threatened to eompel her to obedience. 
 Winona, with tears, replied : ''You will drive me to de- 
 
210 DOWN Tit A' GREAT RIVER, 
 
 spair ; I have said I love him not ; I cannot live with 
 him; I wish to remain a maiden. You say you love 
 me, that you are my father, my mother, ray brothers, 
 my relations ; yet you have cruelly parted me from the 
 only man with whom I wish to be united ; you have 
 compelled him to leave the village ; alone he now wan- 
 ders through the forest, with no one to assist him, 
 none to spread his blanket, none to build his lodge, 
 none to wait on him ; yet he was the man of my choice. 
 Is this your love for me? But even this is not enough : 
 you would have me rejoice in his absence ; you wnsh 
 me to unite with another man, one whom I do not and 
 cannot love, and with whom I never can be happy. 
 If this is your love for me, I will say no more; but 
 soon you will have no daughter nor sister to torment 
 with your false love." She then withdrew; but her 
 parents, still heedless of her words, decided that 
 Winona should be united with the warrior that very 
 day. While they and their friends were engaged in 
 preparations for the festival, Winona wound her way 
 slowly io the top of the high rock — since named 
 Maiden Rock. On reaching the summit she called 
 loudly to her friends below, and upbraided them for 
 their cruelty to herself and her lover. "You were 
 not satisfied," she exclaimed, " with refusing my union 
 with the man I had chosen, but you tried to make me 
 faithless to him, and when you found me resolved 
 upon remaining a maiden, you threatened to compel 
 me to marry another. You knew me not. You will 
 see how I will defeat your designs." She then com- 
 menced to sing her dirge; the light wind wafted the 
 words of her doleful song to her family and friends ; 
 they rushed, some of them, to the top of the rock to 
 
SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. 211 
 
 stop her; others to the foot to receive her in their 
 arms, while all, with tears, entreated her to desist from 
 her fatal purpose ; her father promising that no com- 
 pulsion should again be resorted to. But Winona's 
 resolution was taken, and, concluding her song, she at 
 once leaped from the precipice, and fell a lifeless corpse 
 at the feet of her parents and brothers. 
 
 This legend has given the rock its name. The fate 
 of this young maiden has many parallels among the 
 Indians, who are not all proof against the finest feel- 
 ings of our nature, whatever may be thought by some 
 to the contrary. 
 
 Lake Pepin was discovered by Father Hennepin in 
 April, 1680, who says of it : "About thirty Leagues 
 above Black River we found the Lake of Tears, which 
 we named so because the Savages who took us, as it 
 will be hereafter related, consulted in this Place what 
 they should do with their Prisoners ; and those who 
 were for murthering us cried all the Night upon us, to 
 oblige by their Tears their Companions to consent to 
 our Death. This Lake is formed by the Meschasii)i, 
 and may be seven Leagues long and five broad. Its 
 Waters are almost standing, the Stream being hardly 
 perceptible in the Middle." The name which the lake 
 now bears is evidently of French origin, but I have 
 not been able to ascertain who applied it, or what cir- 
 cumstances suggested its adoption. 
 
 Progress through the lake was painfully slow, and 
 although we came in sight of this place at four o'clock, 
 and were within two miles of its landing at five, the 
 wind and waves beat so persistently against our bows 
 that we did not reach port until after sunset. Despite 
 the rain, however, which was still falling, a large con- 
 12 
 
212 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 course of citizens had gathered on the beach to see us 
 disembark and to welcome us to Lake City. A brass 
 band was in attendance and discoursed a few lively 
 airs, making us quite forget for a few moments that 
 our clothing was thoroughly drenched from head to 
 foot. 
 
 Lake City belongs to that class of magic cities of the 
 West which, under favorable circumstances, leap into 
 existence and develop so rapidly as to far exceed the 
 brightest anticipations of their founders. Beautifully 
 located on the western shore of Pepin, enjoying excel- 
 lent rail and water communications with all points up 
 and down the river, it is destined to sustain the 
 prominence it has gained on the Upper Mississippi. 
 
 ibrt^-nmtl) JDag. 
 
 National Hotel, 
 
 Minneiska, Minnesota, 
 
 September Eighth. 
 
 Weather in the morning fair and calm. We re- 
 sumed our journey through the lake at eight o'clock, 
 and glided along with great ease until within three 
 miles of its southern extremity, when a violent wind- 
 storm from the northward bore down upon us, and 
 for a time kept us hard at work with our paddles to 
 prevent the swamping of the canoes. Our observations 
 on Lake Pepin led us to conclude that the slighest 
 breath of wind will produce a heavy swell, and from 
 this circuijstance it is the custom of voyagers on the 
 river to pass through the lake, if possible, at night; 
 experience having taught them that it is generally 
 calmer then than during the day. It is twenty-one 
 miles long, and its breadth, which varies from one to 
 
SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. 215 
 
 three miles, may be averaged at about two and a half. 
 Towards its outlet the valley widens considerably, 
 owing to the entrance of the Chippewa Eiver. This 
 river is five hundred yards wide at its mouth, and is 
 navigable at all seasons of the year for fifty miles, and 
 in time of freshets boats can proceed much further np„ 
 The general direction of the lake is from west-north- 
 west to east-south-east. The scenery along its shores 
 contrasts strongly with that of the river. Instead of 
 the rapid current of the Mississippi, winding around 
 numberless islands, some of which display well wooded 
 surfaces, while others are mere sand-bars, the lake, 
 when calm, presents a smooth and sluggish expanse 
 of water, unrelieved by a single island; nothing limits 
 the view but the towering bluffs which enclose it; 
 these extend in a more regular manner, and with 
 a more uniform elevation than those along the 
 
 river. 
 
 We halted for a few moments at Wabasha, a small 
 town on the right bank, twelve miles below Lake 
 City, having a population of between two and three 
 thousand. After a stroll through its leading streets 
 we returned to the landing and re-embarked. 
 
 Alma, Wisconsin, on the left bank, nine miles below 
 Wabasha, was reached in season for dinner. Although 
 we began the descent of the Mississippi on th^ twenty- 
 second of July and had floated and paddled down up- 
 wards of twelve hundred miles of its course, we had 
 not until now eaten a meal outside of Minnesota. 
 This State may well be proud of her relation to the 
 Mighty River, for she has more than one-third of its 
 entire length within her borders. 
 
 Minneiska, being in a bend of the river, was seen 
 
216 DOWN THE GREAT lilVER. 
 
 directly in our front, just as the sun was sinking be- 
 hind the horizon. The river, the town, the towering 
 bluiFs, the gorgeous sky, and the glimmering rays of 
 the sun, as it gradually disappeared from view, pre- 
 sented a scene worthy the painter's most skilful art 
 and one not readily effaced from the memory of the 
 observer. Aside from its poetic uame and natural 
 attractions, very little can be said of Minneiska. It 
 might be inferred, from its present appearance as seen 
 from the river, that a cyclone had struck it many years 
 ago and that its days of prosperity were long since 
 numbered. A stroll through the streets after supper 
 developed nothing to lead us to a more favorable im- 
 pression. 
 
 liftietl] ?Daa. 
 
 Private Residence, 
 
 Wi nona, Minnesota, 
 
 September Ninth. 
 
 Our journey from Minneiska to Winona was heartily 
 enjoyed ; the most enchanting scenery, and not a 
 breath of wind nor a ripple to disturb the even tenor 
 of our way. Halted for luncheon at a village on the 
 east bank delighting in the na;me of Fountain City. 
 
 When within two miles of Winona we were met by 
 several canoes and skiffs, bearing representatives of the 
 local press and others who seemed much interested in 
 our voyFtge and its objects. Our arrival at this place 
 was made exceedingly pleasant by the numerous and 
 flattering courtesies of the citizens. We noted at the 
 landing the national colors, while the greetings were 
 most cordial. A carriage was waiting to convey us to 
 a private residence where we were entertained as guests 
 during our stay in Winona. Lectured in the evening 
 
SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. 217 
 
 in the session -room of the Normal School in accordance 
 with a previous appointment. Was introduced by 
 Captain O. B. Gould, a prominent attorney and one of 
 the trustees of the school. 
 
 The location and surroundings of this city, distant 
 ninety-six miles south-east of Saint Paul by rail, are 
 extremely picturesque. Standing on a plateau nine 
 miles long by three broad, on the west bank of the 
 river, it is environed by lofty bluffs, the surfaces of 
 which, in some cases from summit to base, appear of a 
 velvety smoothness that has more the semblance of art 
 than of nature. The city is laid out with the utmost 
 regularity, the streets wide and mostly at right angles ; 
 and the business blocks, compactly built of brick and 
 stone, are generally of a very substantial character. 
 Many of the private residences are elegantly designed, 
 and show indications of wealth. The whole appear- 
 ance of the place betokens business activity and pros- 
 perity. The inhabitants number at present about fif- 
 teen thousand, and it is thus the third city in population 
 in the State, and claims to be the third in commercial 
 importance. It is the river outlet for a large portion 
 of Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Chicago, Milwau- 
 kee and Saint Paul ; the Green Bay, Winona and Saint 
 Paul, and other branch-lines of railway, have their 
 stations and termini here. Winona is the fourth pri- 
 mary grain market in the United States. Fifteen 
 churches, of all denominations, attest the moral and 
 religious status of the citizens. Here, also, are a good 
 public library, the first State normal school, a high 
 school, four banks, and one daily and four weekly 
 newspapers. The city is one of the most important 
 lumber-distributing points on the Upper Mississippi. 
 
218 DOWN^ THE GREAT BIVEM, 
 
 Two grain elevators, seven flour-mills, three large 
 saw-mills, six carriage and wagon manufactories, and 
 several other manufacturing establishments show the 
 extent to which the capital and industry of Winona 
 have been developed in a few years by its enterprising 
 inhabitants. 
 
 Jifta-first JDag. 
 
 Melchior House, 
 
 Trempealeau, Wisconsirtf 
 September Tenth. 
 
 There was so much of interest to be seen in and 
 around Winona, that we did not re-embark until three 
 o'clock in the afternoon. On stepping into our canoes 
 it was remarked that the outlook was not so favorable 
 as on the morning of the previous day, when we em- 
 barked at Minneiska. A slight breeze from a south- 
 erly quarter paid its respects as we pulled out from the 
 shore. A few moments later ugly-looking clouds were 
 observed, portending something of an unusual char- 
 acter. Still we kept on, unmindful of the threatening 
 aspect of the sky, until we reached an expansion of the 
 river about three miles below Winona, when, sud- 
 denly, the wind shifted to the westward and swept 
 across the stream with great violence. In less than 
 five minutes we found ourselves at the mercy of a tur- 
 bulent sea — the surface covered with white caps, and 
 our frail barks dashing hither and thither, quite be- 
 yond the control of the paddles; now riding on the 
 topmost wave, and again sinking in the troughs which 
 were seen on every hand. 
 
 Scott having retired from the expedition at Winona, 
 my brother took his place as pilot and was now with 
 Die in the Alice. Naturally possessed of an excitable 
 
SAINT PAUL TO LA CROSSE. 219 
 
 temperament and being only an amateur canoeist, like 
 myself, his assistance was of little avail on this occa- 
 sion. The canoes were soon filled with water and 
 nothing but the light and buoyant material of which 
 they were constructed prevented their sinking. Like 
 Richard III., we would have been glad to exchange 
 our kingdom — not for a horse — but for the air-tight 
 compartments of our canoes which had been cast aside 
 at Aitkin a? an unnecessary encumbrance. 
 
 In an attempt to reach the western bank we were 
 caught by wind and wave and driven to the opposite 
 or lee shore, where we were beset with snags, sawyers 
 and driftwood, thus making a landing impracticable. 
 A few moments later the wind subsided, the water 
 again became calm, and our first and only squall on 
 the Mississippi was numbered among the things of the 
 past. 
 
 We disembarked at Trempealeau a little before sun- 
 set, and were pleasantly domiciled at the Melchior 
 House. After tea we were most agreeably entertained 
 in the parlors of the hotel by the family and friends of 
 our hostess. George and Paine were especially zealous 
 in their attentions to the young ladies and, notwith- 
 standing the dilapidated appearance of Trempealeau, 
 voted it among the most delightful places on th« 
 Upper Mississippi. 
 
CHAPTER Xyill. 
 
 THREE DAYS AT LACROSSE. 
 
 TVip from Trempealeau — La Crosse and Surrcnindings. 
 
 REAKFAST over at Trempealeau, we took 
 a hurried walk through its rickety streets 
 and glanced at the relics of its former 
 prosperity. Paine suggested that it would 
 make an appropriate finis to a volume of 
 'hich Minneiska might fittingly form the preface. 
 Resumed our journey at ten o'clock after ex- 
 changing adieux with the Melchiors, who had 
 ?ome down to the landing to witness the launch of our 
 canoes and to leave with us their best wishes for a safe 
 and pleasant voyage to the Gulf 
 
 Nothing could be more delightful than our trip 
 from Trempealeau to La Crosse. A clear sky, a genial 
 atmosphere, and a strong current, made navigation a 
 pleasure rather than a burden, as had been the case on 
 many preceding days. Everything now appeared 
 different. Even the face of nature seemed changed. 
 In place of the majestic bluffs, the banks here sloped 
 gradually down to the water's edge, covered with va- 
 rious trees enriched by the variegated hues of autumn. 
 (220) 
 
THREE DAYS AT LA CROSSE. 221 
 
 So pleasantly had the time passed that it was with 
 something of surprise we discerned at one o'clock 
 the church spires of La Crosse. Half an hour later our 
 canoes touched the boat-house landing and we were 
 soon registered and assigned to rooms at the Commer- 
 cial Hotel. 
 
 Among the first to greet us at the " Commercial " was 
 Mr. Pearce Giles, of Philadelphia, an old acquaintance 
 and friend, who had assisted in the organization of my 
 expedition at Saint Paul, before starting for the head 
 waters of the Mississippi, and who was now sojourning 
 for a few days at La Crosse. 
 
 The name of this ambitious young city is said to be 
 derived from the invigorating game of " La Crosse," 
 the favorite sport of the Indians on the level prairie 
 upon which the city now stands. To indulge in their 
 athletic matches, it is recorded that they assembled 
 here in large numbers annually — the plain being con- 
 veniently adapted for the purpose— and the first white 
 settler, Nathan Myrick, became so enthusiastic an ad- 
 mirer of the exciting game, that he named the spot on 
 which his solitary cabin was built. La Crosse, and 
 hence the name of the Indian sport is perpetuated in 
 that of the city. 
 
 La Crosse claims, and with good grace, to be the 
 second city in commercial and manufacturing impor- 
 tance in the State of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, of course, 
 ranking first. The prairie land on which it is built is 
 seven miles in length by two and a half in breadth, on 
 the east bank of the Mississippi River. The distance 
 below Saint Paul is one hundred and ninety -seven miles. 
 By railway. La Crosse is only one hundred and twenty- 
 nine miles from the latter city, and one hundred and 
 
222 DOnW THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 ninety-six from Milwaukee. The Black and La 
 Crosse rivers fall into the Mississippi at this point, 
 the former a most important lumbering stream. The 
 growth and development of La Crosse, in a very few 
 years, are in truth no less amazing than creditable to 
 its enterprising pioneers and citizens. The first settler. 
 My rick, landed here in November, 1841, less tlian fifty 
 years ago, with a boat-load of goods and notions from 
 Prairie du Chien, and his laudable enterprise was to 
 trade the contents of his boat with the red men for 
 their furs. In the course of ten years My rick's In- 
 dian trading-post had invited other settlers to it, and it 
 became an incorporated town. In five years more, 
 1856, the town had attained sufficient size and impor- 
 tance to be made a city. To-day it has a population 
 of over twenty thousand of as live, go-ahead citizens as 
 are to be found in the valley of the Great River. The 
 geographical location of this city is doubtless one of the 
 secrets of its rapid progress and present flourishing con- 
 dition. The products of one of the finest agricultural 
 states in the Union, together with the vast supplies 
 coming in from Minnesota and Northern Iowa, give 
 to La Crosse immense advantages, occupying as it does, 
 a commanding position on the river for attracting com- 
 mercial relations by virtue of its great facilities of 
 transportation. Besides numerous lines of railway 
 centring here, the city has access to that grand high- 
 way, the Mississippi and its tributaries, embracing 
 over sixteen thousand miles of navigable rivers. A 
 stretch of over two thousand miles of water-way from 
 Saint Anthony's Falls to the Gulf of Mexico, affords 
 the cheapest kind of transportation, of the benefits of 
 which La Crosse avails itself to a very large extent, 
 
THREE DAYS AT LA CROSSE. 223 
 
 and hence, mainly, its growth in population and in 
 wealth. 
 
 The commerce and manufactures of a city depend 
 largely upon the resources of the State in which it is 
 situated. Wisconsin is one of the richest agricultural 
 states in America. It is larger than the states of New 
 York, Connecticut and Rhode Island combined, and 
 in fertility of soil surpasses them. A considerable 
 percentage of the wheat crop of the United States is 
 grown in this province. Its immense cornfields, com- 
 prising several million acres, are another source of 
 wealth. The hay-producing area is about twice as 
 large as the State of Iowa, and timber of the most 
 valuable manufacturing descriptions is plentiful in the 
 northern part of the State. Twenty million pounds of 
 butter and fifteen million pounds of cheese are annually 
 manufactured in Wisconsin, much of which is shipped 
 to eastern markets and from them reshipped to the 
 markets of the civilized world. The soil and climate 
 of this State are especially adapted to the growth of 
 potatoes, one of the most profitable crops raised in the 
 country. The growth of flax is another leading in- 
 dustry of the State of Wisconsin, the yield being over 
 twenty million pounds a year. Thus, in agricultural 
 resources the " Badger " State possesses every advan- 
 tage necessary for developing great commercial and 
 manufacturing cities, and the favorable position of 
 La Crosse eminently fits it for reaping the full bene- 
 fit of the conditions provided by generous Nature. 
 
 La Crosse is a port of entry and ranks third on the 
 
 Mississippi River, being exceeded in the number 
 
 of vessels enrolled only by New Orleans and Saint 
 
 Louis. The wholesale trade of La Crosse is in a 
 15 
 
224 DOWN THE GRuAT RIVER. 
 
 flourishing condition and includes large receipts and 
 shipments of grain and immense supplies of lumber. 
 Hardware, boots and shoes, clothing, furniture and 
 other necessaries of life are now also staples of the 
 wholesale trade. In fact, from all we could learn 
 from inquiry on the spot, the commerce of La Crosse is 
 rapidly growing under the skilful management of its 
 enterprising merchants, its annual transactions reach- 
 ing about five million dollars. The retail trade is in a 
 no less satisfactory condition, and the growth of this 
 city in population and wealth is a subject of remark 
 by all occasional visitors. 
 
 The manufactures of La Crosse are pointed to with 
 justifiable pride by its citizens and promise great 
 things in the near future. The wool manufactories 
 are thirteen in number and of an extensive character. 
 Iron manufactories, foundries and machine-shops jre 
 numerous, and the out-put of this class of industries is 
 of the most varied description. Engines and boilers 
 of every size are built here, and architectural iron prod- 
 ucts and stoves of all kinds are produced in great 
 abundance, thus illustrating the genius, skill and 
 enterprise embarked in the iron business in this busy 
 city. The forests of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minne- 
 sota are practically inexhaustible, and it is claimed that 
 no city in the Northwest is more advantageously 
 situated in regard to lumber resources than La Crosse. 
 Its position is such as to enable it to draw upon any 
 source of supply through the far-reaching Mississippi 
 Kiver and its tributaries. The mills of La Crosse 
 have a combined capacity of two hundred million feet, 
 and consume, distribute and export not less than five 
 hundred million feet of lumber annually. The aggre- 
 
THREE DAYS AT LA CROSSE. 225 
 
 ga^ wealth contributed to the city by lumber alone 
 amounts to many millions of dollars per year. 
 
 The rapid development of the Northwest has largely 
 increased the growth and importance of La Crosse 
 within the past few years, and has assured its future 
 as a commercial and manufacturing centre. It has 
 become the base of supply for an extensive range of 
 territory in the matter of lumber, and in everything 
 that contributes to the growth of a city is annually 
 making gains. It will afford some idea of the dimen- 
 sions of the city to say that it has about thirty miles 
 of graded streets, and^forty-five miles of sidewalks. 
 The fire department and the police force rank at a 
 high standard of efficiency. Electric light for the 
 streets and stores is furnished by the Brush Electric 
 Light Company, which has erected four towers, each 
 one hundred and fifty feet high, and nine masts, and 
 the streets at night are consequently well illuminated. 
 The public schools are eleven in number in addition 
 to the High School, erected in 1878, at a cost of twenty- 
 six thousand dollars. Two English, one Gertnan and 
 two Norwegian newspapers keep the citizens posted 
 in State and national politics and the general news of 
 the locality. Twenty-five churches administer to the 
 religious requirements of the various denominations 
 and nationalities, some of them iiandsome specimens 
 of church architecture. The Public Library contains 
 about eight thousand volumes adapted to the mixed 
 population. La Crosse, in shor^, is a rapidly improv- 
 ing city, and we think is destined to become in a few 
 years prominent in population and wealth, and an 
 important factor in the commerce and manufactures of 
 the Nation. 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE. 
 
 liftS'-ftftf) ?I)aa. 
 
 Victory House, 
 
 Victory , WisconsiUf 
 
 September 14, 1881. 
 
 'HILE at La Crosse it was decided that 
 our little party should be reduced to a 
 more economical basis, inasmuch as there 
 was little of an exploratory character on 
 the Lower Mississippi, and since the duties 
 devolving upon voyageurs in a wild country 
 '^ could now be readily dispensed with. Acting 
 upon this decision, Paine rather reluctantly sur- 
 rendered his commission as captain of the Itascw^ and 
 joined me in the Alice. The city press having an- 
 nounced the hour of our departure, many citizens 
 had assembled at the landing to witness the launch, 
 which was made at eight o'clock, my friend, Pearce 
 Giles, giving us the "send-off.'' 
 
 It was proposed, on setting out in the morning, to 
 make De Soto the evening destination, but a heavy 
 thunder-storm, which had been gathering throughout 
 the afternoon, burst at five o'clock and drove us ashore 
 
 * This canoe was subsequently ordered to Saint Louis and pre- 
 sented to the Missouri Historical Society. 
 (226) 
 
LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE. 227 
 
 at Victory. This remnant of by -gone days might very 
 appropriately be classed with the Alma, Minneiska, 
 Trempealeau series, which, but for the circumstance 
 that it stands upon the banks of the Father of Waters, 
 would be a poor "Victory" indeed. One of the 
 shining lights of this place, happening to overhear a 
 conversation between Paine and myself, concerning 
 the town of De Soto, situated on the river five miles 
 below, ventured to inquire if in our opinion the "De 
 Sota '^ after whom the town was called, was anv 
 relation of " Minnie Sota," the girl after whom he 
 understood the adjoining State was named ! 
 
 Nothing of an unusual character in the scenery or of 
 especial interest as to incident was noted in the journey 
 from La Crosse to Victory. A halt was made at one 
 o'clock for dinner, which we had at a farm-house on 
 the right bank, near the boundary line between Min- 
 nesota and Iowa. This was our last meal in the for- 
 mer State. 
 
 Tremont House. 
 
 Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, 
 September Fifteenth. 
 
 On retiring to our rooms the previous evening, it 
 was the intention to get into our canoes at seven 
 o'clock in the morning, but we were detained at Victory 
 by rain until after eight, when, taking advanta2:e of 
 a lull in the storm, we pushed off, finding a brisk 
 current, wind down stream and everything favorable 
 until we reached Lansing, when more rain fell, and 
 continued to fall throughout the day. Stopped 
 at a farm-house on the Iowa side for dinner, our 
 
228 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 first meal in the Prairie State. Made short halts at 
 De Soto, Lansing, and Harpers. 
 
 Wind, rain, a swollen stream and approaching 
 darkness rendered our landing at Prairie du Chien 
 both difficult and dano;erous. We were cautioned bv 
 persons on the shore not to attempt to pass under the 
 low pontoon-like railway bridge which crosses the 
 river at this point, but the warning came too late, as 
 the brisk current and suction of the bridge trellis-work 
 had placed the canoe beyond our control, and we 
 were unable to do more than guide it through the 
 network of huge posts which constitute its foundation 
 and support. We succeeded ultimately in getting out 
 of the trap in which we temporarily found ourselves, 
 much to our own relief and the apparent gratification of 
 the anxious spectators on the shore. 
 
 On the seventeenth of June, 1673, Marquette and 
 Joliet, the former a Jesuit missionary, reached the junc- 
 tion of the Wisconsin with the Mississippi, a little above 
 which,Prairie du Chien stands to-day. Seven years later, 
 in 1680, Father Hennepin and M. Dugay explored the 
 Mississippi from the mouth of the Illinois northward, 
 and on ascending and descending the river passed 
 the site of the present town. Hennepin claimed at 
 this time to have reached the head-waters of the Missis- 
 sippi, and also to have explored it to its mouth, but 
 his narrative bears evidence of great exaggeration, and 
 procured for him, with the French, the title of " the 
 great falsifier." Yet his achievement was a splendid 
 one, with which he might well have been satisfied. 
 He passed twice the entire distance between the Falls 
 of Saint Anthony and the mouth of the Arkansas, in 
 all nearly three thousand miles, which voyage having 
 
LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE. 229 
 
 been accomplished in a canoe on aa unknown and 
 treacherous river, flowing through an unexplored wil- 
 derness, was truly something to be proud of. 
 
 There is a tolerably well authenticated tradition that 
 Jesuit missionaries had visited the country during the 
 twenty years previous to Marquette's expedition, and 
 had established a number of missions among the 
 Indians of the Mississippi Valley. At an early day a 
 Jesuit mission was established on the present site of 
 Prairie du Chien, and later it became a French trad- 
 ing-post. But Prairie du Chien and the surrounding 
 country have an unwritten history extending back into 
 the remote past, only a few traces of which still 
 remain. Before the invasion of the white race it was 
 the home of the Kickapoos and other tribes of Indians. 
 Going back still farther into the dim past, the unknown 
 race designated as Mound-Builders seem to have made 
 this a favorite locality. In Crawford County, more 
 than in any other part of Wisconsin, are found traces of 
 their work. The antiquity of these mounds is un- 
 doubtedly remote, for frequently what is known as the 
 " virgin forest " is found growing upon them. 
 
 The mounds found in Crawford County are of vari- 
 ous forms and sizes. One of the largest and highest 
 existed at Prairie du Chien, and was leveled in order to 
 furnish a site for Fort Crawford. It was about twenty 
 feet in height, with a base of two hundred feet. An- 
 other mound of similar form and dimensions stood 
 within the old fort of which Crawford was the successor. 
 The circular form is the most common of these tumuli, 
 though there are many of different shapes. Some are 
 built like walls or breastworks, with open spaces like 
 gates. Others take the form of a serpent; still others 
 
230 DOWN THE GREAT BIVEB. 
 
 that of a bird or beast ; while some few mounds resem- 
 ble a man lying on his face. These latter are from 
 three to four feet high. On the shores of the Missis- 
 sippi and Wisconsin, on the beach lands and highest 
 peaks of the bluffs, these mounds are, or rather were, 
 very numerous, and easily discernible from the river. 
 
 Some of the mounds of Prairie du Chien present a 
 different soil from that on which they are built, none 
 like it having been discovered within several miles, 
 thus indicating that the soil must have been brought 
 from a considerable distance. In no instance is there 
 the appearance of the earth of which they are com- 
 posed having been dug from the side of, or even near 
 them. Sometimes the spot on which the mound 
 stands has a natural elevation. One such, on the 
 south-west angle of Prairie du Chien, is itself about 
 ten feet high, while the hillock which it occupies 
 gives it the appearance of being at least twice that 
 height. From the top of this mound an extensive 
 view may be obtained of the low bottom-lands and 
 lakes which lie between the channels of the Wisconsin 
 and Mississippi rivers, giving it the appearance of 
 having been a watch-tower. It is scarcely probable, 
 however, that they were all military defences. The 
 supposition is more plausible that many of them were 
 religious symbols, the mounds serving, perhaps, as 
 altars. There is no positive evidence that they Svere 
 built as tombs for the dead; for, though human re- 
 mains have been found in some of them, these remains 
 may have been deposited at later periods, and others 
 have not contained any. 
 
 But the mounds are fast disappearing before the 
 march of civilization. A utilitarian age and people 
 
LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE, 231 
 
 are demolishing tlieni with the plow, the pick and the 
 spade, and already a majority have disappeared. The 
 antiquarian of the future will sigh in vain for these 
 sole relics of an unknown and a mysterious people. 
 However, in some few instances, they are being pre- 
 served with that care to which their antiquity entitles 
 them. 
 
 Prairie du Chien, the county-seat of Crawford 
 County, is situated on the eastern bank of the Missis- 
 sippi, on a level plain or prairie about nine miles long 
 and between one and two miles wide. This prairie 
 is bounded on the east by high, rocky bluffs, with 
 scattered clumps of trees, while its western border is 
 washed by the Mississippi. Its name was derived 
 from that of an Indian chief who once resided there, 
 known as Le Chien, or The Dog ; hence Prairie du 
 Chien, or The Dog Prairie. It was one of tlie oldest 
 of the French trading-posts, but the first permanent 
 settlement was located there in 1783. Gautier de 
 Vorville, Michael Brisbois, and Captain Fisher were 
 among the traders late in the last and early in the 
 present century, and all of them have left descendants. 
 Fisher was of Scotch origin, and carried on an exten- 
 sive trade with the Indians. In 1815 he emigrated to 
 more remote regions on the Red Piver of the North, 
 but died in Prairie du Chien in 1827. 
 
 In 1814, the British sent a party of Indians, com- 
 posed of Sioux, Menomonies, and Winnebagos, under 
 the command of Lieutenant-Colonel William McKay, 
 to capture Prairie du Chien from the Americans. 
 After a four days' siege the fort surrendered, and tlie 
 report of a great victory was carried by Captain 
 Rolette to Mackinaw. Large numbers thronged the 
 
232 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 shores and inquired of tlie captain the news. " A 
 great battle — a sanguinary contest/^ responded Rolette, 
 with an air of great solemnity and importance. ^' How 
 many were killed?" "None." "What a bloody 
 contest ! " vociferated the crowd, as they escorted the 
 hero from the boat to the garrison. The following year, 
 at the conclusion of peace, the post was evacuated. 
 
 Crawford County was established in 1818, while the 
 country was still embraced in the territory of Michigan. 
 At that early period it extended from the Wisconsin 
 River on the south to the Buffalo River on the north, 
 comprising an area now divided into ten or more 
 counties. 
 
 Like many of its neighbors up and down the river, 
 Prairie du Chien had great expectations in its youth. 
 It was confident of becoming the chief town of the 
 Mississippi. It is situated five hundred and forty miles 
 north of Saint Louis, in the midst of a productive agri- 
 cultural and mineral region. But though one or more 
 railroads touch it, the great through-lines of the con- 
 tinent passed it by ; and for that, and other reasons, 
 more or less difficult of explanation, but which act as a 
 sort of Providence in shaping the ends of rough- 
 hewn cities, it remains scarcely more than a town, hav- 
 ing but about three thousand inhabitants. It is, 
 however, an important local shipping-post, and has a 
 number of manufactories. Saint John's College and 
 Saint Mary's Female Institute are located here, under 
 control of the Catholic Church. 
 
 Just above Prairie du Chien is the site of Fort 
 Crawford, near the town of Saint Fiolle, which in 1846 
 was the larger of the two, but which has now altogether 
 disappeared from the map. Prairie du Chien is a pretty 
 
LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE. 233 
 
 town, being well built, with wide streets and an 
 abundance of shade ; and there is an air of thrift and 
 enterprise about its inhabitants which impress the 
 stranger. As in most other towns of the Upper Missis- 
 sippi, its people are made up largely of New Eng- 
 landers and New Yorkers ; and wherever they are 
 found, prosperity is sure to follow in their track. 
 Thus, though Prairie du Chien will probably never 
 become a large city, it will hold its own among the 
 neighboring towns and cities up and down the river, 
 and obtain a due share of the influx of immigration 
 into this section of the country. 
 
 Jtft2-0n)entl) IDaj). 
 
 Jefferson Hotel, 
 
 Guttenb er g, Iowa, 
 Sept. Sixteenth. 
 
 Lecture appointments at Davenport and other points 
 below Dubuque made it imperative that we should 
 launch our canoe at a seasonable hour in the morning, 
 though much against inclination, for the storm which 
 opened the day before was still in progress. Halted 
 a few moments at McGregor, and took dinner at the 
 Mississippi House, Clayton, both of which towns are 
 in Iowa. A glance through their streets reminded us 
 very forcibly of the "waning glory "of Minneiska, 
 Trempealeau and Victory. 
 
 Finding the wind from the westward we kept close 
 to the Iowa shore all day. Reached Guttenberg at 
 five o'clock and housed our canoe in the Diamond Jo 
 freight-house. Our clothing was again thoroughly 
 soaked and no changes at hand. 
 
 Guttenberg, the county -seat of Clayton County, 
 
234 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Iowa, is twenty-six miles below Prairie du Chien, and 
 two hundred and eighty-one south of Saint Paul. It 
 is the largest town in the county and the river- 
 landing for an extensive section of country. It has 
 a population of about fifteen hundred — nearly all 
 Germans. 
 
 The traveler who seeks to penetrate the region west 
 of Guttenberg will first encounter nature in its rough 
 and primitive majesty. He ascends a gigantic bluff, 
 step by step, until he attains a mountain elevation. 
 Then, at his feet, he beholds the Mississippi, dotted 
 with lovely islands and sparkling in the sunlight as it 
 rolls its flood of waters toward the sea. Before him 
 spreads the forest as it appeared a hundred years ago, 
 beautiful in its grandeur. He journeys through it, and 
 his eyes are greeted by smiling farms as he looks west- 
 ward from the hill-tops. The country grows less 
 rugged as he advances, until, five miles from Gutten- 
 berg, he enters a rolling prairie, extending far and 
 wide on either hand, to within three miles of Elkader. 
 This prairie is one of the largest in the State, and is 
 broken into every variety of hill and dale. It is 
 covered with farms, most of them under the very 
 highest state of cultivation. 
 
 lifta-eigl)!!) SDag. 
 
 Pacific House, 
 
 Dubuque, Iowa, 
 
 Sept. Seventeenth. 
 
 We paddled away from Guttenberg at eight o'clock 
 in the morning. Weather still unsettled and in keep- 
 ing with that which followed the launching of our 
 canoes at Saint Paul, with the exception of two or 
 
LA CROSSE TO JJuBUQUE. 235 
 
 three days. We learned from river-men that these 
 September rains are a well-known characteristic of 
 the Upper Mississippi, and are looked for annually. 
 
 Several attempts were made to arrange for dinner 
 between twelve and one o'clock at farm-houses on the 
 Iowa side, but the stupid foreigners whom we 
 encountered declined to accommodate, seeming to 
 regard us with suspicion. Our perseverance was ulti- 
 mately rewarded with an excellent dinner at Specht's 
 Ferry, thirty miles belo^v Gutteuberg. 
 
 The afternoon was the finest we had chronicled in 
 many days and afforded us a splendid opportunity to 
 study scenery and other objects of interest in our " line 
 of march." 
 
 The geologist, mineralogist or artist will find in the 
 tour from Prairie du Chien to Dubuque a most pro- 
 ductive field for research, and one possessing more 
 beauty of scenery and grandeur than any other sec- 
 tion of the Mississippi below Winona. His attention 
 will be arrested by the peculiar outline of hills that 
 limit the vision on either side of the river, and the 
 perpendicular walls of rock that rise from the grassy 
 slope or green copsewood in massive cliffs, which 
 terrace the heights as with continuous natural battle- 
 ments. This scenery not only characterizes the banks 
 of the Mississippi, but many of its Iowa and Wisconsin 
 tributaries. At the base of the cliffs we often noted 
 cool, clear, and copious springs, which not un frequently 
 give rise to small streams containing an abundance of 
 delicious trout. The sportsman will find the rivers of 
 this region well stocked with pike, carp, bass, cat-fish, 
 pickerel and sun-fish, while the prairies abound in 
 grouse, partridges and pheasants. 
 
236 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Along the banks of the Mississippi the surface is 
 broken and too uneven for farming purposes, but 
 affords excellent pasturage, while from the valleys and 
 bottoms are gathered hay and grain for winter fodder, 
 leaving little to be desired by the shei)herd and stock- 
 raiser. Further back from the river on the Iowa side 
 are found undulating prairies, interspersed with open 
 groves of timber, watered with pebbly or rock-bedded 
 streams, pure and transparent; hills of moderate eleva- 
 tion and gentle slope, with here and there small lakes 
 and ponds, some skirted with timber, and others sur- 
 rounded by the greensward of the open prairie. 
 
 Less than forty years have elapsed since this section 
 was in full possession of the Winnebago Indians. How 
 changed the scene ! Their villages, their hunting- 
 grounds and the unbroken forests have disappeared. 
 The palefaces came among them, and the axe of the 
 woodman broke the solitude of ages and warned them 
 of an impending fate. No longer shall these groves 
 and plains be the hunting-ground of the red man ; no 
 longer the deep ravines serve as lurking-places for 
 the wily foe, nor the bluif-side as a battle-field between 
 contending tribes. No longer 
 
 " With tawny limb, 
 And belt and beads in sunlight glistening, 
 Does the savage urge his skiff like 
 A wild bird on the wing." 
 
 Their struggle against the onward march of civiliza- 
 tion was in vain, and 
 
 "Where prowled the wolf and where the hunter roved, 
 Faith raised her altars to the God she loved." 
 
 Our journey was uninterrupted until about four 
 
II I lu ^ illMllMlrtlll! |!i'lli:ilhlll!ill|i'l:l'llil!l!illlOlEi:i!;i!!ili:i 111 :JlfliilillllllillilliMI|iiillliiMllillll 
 
LA CUOSSL TO DUBUQUE. 239 
 
 j^clock, when we ran into the log-boom of a saw-mill 
 just above Dubuque. A long "pocket" had been 
 constructed for the reception of logs, and into this we 
 slipped before realizing that, like all well-ordered 
 pockets, there was but one way out of it. We had, in 
 brief, after discovering our dilemma, indulged the hope 
 that as, in a few parallel cases still preserved in memory, 
 there might be a hole in this rather unwelcome Missis- 
 sippi saw-mill-log-boom pocket, and so glided down 
 towards the mill. We recalled our Winona adventure, 
 but that was a squall, while this affair was certainly a 
 boom^ and if there is anything in a name, our present 
 unfavorable lookout was likely to result to our advan- 
 tage. Proximity to the inevitable saw-mill finally 
 brought our musings to an end, and our canoe to a 
 standstill, for we had run into a nest of two or three 
 thousand logs, and must either retreat by the route we 
 had entered or lift the canoe over the boom, by no 
 means an easy matter, considering that there was noth- 
 ing but a narrow pole to stand on while we were 
 making the transfer, and that floating on the surface 
 of the water. Running the canoe alongside the boom, 
 Paine stepped out upon the latter, and balancing him- 
 self with his double paddle, gave me a hand, and in a 
 moment more I was beside him. We then hoisted the 
 canoe over and launched it on the other side. It is per- 
 haps needless to add that we resolved to give saw- 
 mills and their booms a wide berth in future. 
 
 The citizens of Dubuque claim for their city the 
 distinctive title of '^ Metropolis of Iowa." In what 
 measure the claim is justified we must leave to the 
 other enterprising and flourishing cities of this State 
 to determine. 
 16 
 
240 nOWJ^ THE GEE AT RIVEli. 
 
 Up to the year 1803, the French owned an immense 
 region west of the Mississippi, which in that year 
 became ])art of the pnblic domain of the United States 
 by i)urchase. This region had previously belonged to 
 Spain, and during the tenure of the Spaniards, namely 
 in 1778, a young Canadian trader, named Julien 
 Dubuque, obtained the privilege of working the lead 
 mines which are situated within the limits of the 
 present city. This privilege was obtained from the 
 Indians, and in 1806, Dubuque and his companions 
 applied to the United States Government to have their 
 claim established as a Spanish grant, on the ground 
 that the governor of Louisiana had confirmed, in 
 1796, the Indian permission given eight years before. 
 In 1810, Dubuque died ; but his heirs-at-law con- 
 tinued to press their claim, and the "Dubuque claim 
 case " was legislated upon in Congress and litigated in 
 the courts for nearly fifty years, until, in 1853, it was 
 finally settled adversely to the claimants. 
 
 In the year 1832, the Black Hawk War was closed, 
 and a treaty extinguished the title of the Indians to 
 the lands which now form the eastern part of the State 
 of Iowa. A settlement was soon made by a few 
 American immigrants and their families ; others shortly 
 followed, and Dubuque became in two years a busy 
 mining village, having received its name by vote at a 
 public meeting of the settlers. 
 
 Iowa became a Territory in 1838, Dubuque having 
 been incorporated as a village in the previous year. In 
 1840 the population of the village was less than one 
 thousand. The first newspaper published in the Ter- 
 ritory was started in 1836, under the title of The 
 Dubuque Visitor. In 1840 a movement was made to 
 
LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE. 24X 
 
 incorporate Dubuque as a city, and in the spring of 
 1841 this was effected by the election of a mayor and 
 aldermen to manage the city affairs. 
 
 The lead-mining operations were prosperous, and 
 the foundation of a flourishing city had been laid by 
 this industry. In December, 1847, Iowa became a 
 State, and the population of Dubuque had now increased 
 to over three thousand. The city had become an im- 
 portant receiving point, but Galena was still its suc- 
 cessful rival for the up-river commerce. It required 
 another decade to secure the success which has been 
 achieved by Dubuque. 
 
 The emigration from the Eastern States to Iowa in 
 1850, and for several years afterward, largely added 
 to the population of this city. Improvement of the 
 streets and business blocks followed, with large school- 
 buildings for the accommodation of six hundred pupils 
 each; and, during the five years preceding 1856, 
 Dubuque made more progress than it had done in the 
 previous fifteen years. During this latter year the 
 population had grown to nearly sixteen thousand. In 
 1857 and 1858 the city met with some reverses owing- 
 to the general financial revulsion; but in 1859 busi- 
 ness revived, immigration from the East was resumed, 
 and the business men of Dubuque commenced earnest 
 work for the welfare of their promising city. Fine 
 blocks of buildings and commodious public halls were 
 erected, and the General Government began the con- 
 struction of the Custom House and Post-Office. From 
 1860 to 1870, the whole country was convulsed by the 
 Civil War and its results. Although far removed 
 from the scenes of military conflicts, Dubuque City and 
 County sent three companies of volunteers to battle 
 
242 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 against rebellion, besides many who enlisted in the 
 regular army. Within a year after the close of the 
 war, the city grew more rapidly; trade, manufactures 
 and public improvements increased, and more houses, 
 schools and churches were built. 
 
 In 1870 the population of Dubuque had increased 
 to over eighteen thousand. A street railway was added 
 to the facilities for passenger transit; and steady 
 progress made it all that pertains to a healthy munici- 
 pal growth. Among the manufectures of this thriv- 
 ing city are those of steam-engines, boilers, threshing- 
 machines, casting and the work of iron-foundries and 
 machine-shops, coppersmith work, tobacco, window- 
 shades, churns, fanning-mills, trunks, soap, flour, 
 wagons and carriages, furniture, planing-mill work, 
 cooperage, brick, vinegar and many others. The trad© 
 in lumber affords a striking contrast. In 1834 a 
 small raft of pine boards, the first that ever descended 
 the Upper Mississippi, furnished the material for a 
 frame building used as a boarding-house in Dubuque. 
 In 1870 fifty million feet of pine lumber were sold 
 from fifteen Dubuque lumber-yards, and the trade has 
 very considerably increased since that date. 
 
 The first school in Iowa was opened in Dubuque in 
 1833. At present there are in the city a dozen fine 
 buildings, with about eighty well-qualified teachers and 
 over three thousand pupils to mark the educational 
 progress of its citizens. The lead mines of Juliea 
 Dubuque within the corporation limits and surround- 
 ing them, have been, and are still, an important ele- 
 ment of prosperity. The lead district of Dubuque 
 County comprises over a hundred square miles, but 
 the larger number of the mines are worked within the 
 
LA CROSSE TO DUBUQUE. 243 
 
 city, or within a mile or two of it. Many of the valu- 
 able lodes near Dubuque have been worked beneath 
 gardens, streets, roads and cultivated fields. The 
 product of the mines has averaged in value about three 
 hundred thousand dollars annually, and they are still 
 as productive as they were nearly fifty years ago. 
 
 The Methodists, in 1834, were the first religious 
 denomination established in Dubuque. The Catholics 
 were the next, in 1835; and by the year 1840,' the 
 Presbyterians, Congregational ists. Episcopalians and 
 Baptists liad organized churches. 
 
 No city of the Union of equal population has in our 
 opinion more reason to be proud of its position, char- 
 acter and reputation, than Dubuque, in developing all 
 the elements of progress, placed by nature at its dis- 
 posal. From its fortunate geographical position, nearly 
 midway between Saint Louis and Saint Paul, it bids 
 fair to justify its claim to be the " Metropolis of Iowa.'' 
 
CHAPTER XX. 
 
 DUBUQUE TO DAVENPORT. 
 
 Itfts-nmtl) JDaa. 
 
 Bower House, 
 
 Bellevue, lowUf 
 
 September 18, 1881. 
 
 ^ EMAINED at Dubuque until after din- 
 ner. Spent the morning in strolls through 
 and around the city. On calling for our 
 canoe at one o'clock, we found a strong 
 wind from the south, and in consequence 
 rough water was encountered throughout 
 the afternoon. 
 On leaving Dubuque we noticed a very pro- 
 nounced change in the scenery. The bold, rocky 
 bluifs, which had been observed at intervals all along 
 our route from the Falls of Saint Anthony, had almost 
 entirely disappeared, and in their place rolling prairies 
 came down, in many cases to the water's edge, in 
 gradual slopes. Illinois is now on our left hand, and 
 as we reach and pass the various cities and towns that 
 serve as landmarks on the river, we begin to realize 
 that we are making good progress toward the Gulf. 
 We were strongly tempted to paddle over to the east 
 bank and set our feet on the soil of the " Sucker " 
 State, but the wind having shifted to westward we 
 (244) 
 
DUBUQUE TO DAVENPORT. 245 
 
 thoiio:lit it wise to hao; the windward shore. If more 
 favored to-morrow we shall run over and pay our re- 
 spects. 
 
 Reached Bellevue at half-past seven o'clock and 
 registered at the Bower House. Here, through the 
 courtesy of our landlord, Mr. N. O. Ames, we were 
 introduced to several very intelligent and agreeable 
 citizens, among whom were Hon. W. O. Evans, editor 
 of the Leader^ Captain W. A. Warren and Mr. B. 
 W. Seaward. From these gentlemen we gleaned 
 considerable information concerning the peculiar origin 
 and early history of Bellevue. It is said to have been 
 settled by bandits in 1836, and has a present popula- 
 tion of eighteen hundred honest, industrious and pros- 
 perous citizens. 
 
 It stands on a high bank thirty-two miles below 
 Dubuque, has an excellent landing and is noted for its 
 fine scenery. 
 
 I should do injustice to the moral standard of I'iiis 
 respectable and enterprising town, if I failed to exp/ain 
 iiat its bandit pioneers, after many sanguinary strug- 
 gles with the officers of the law, were, long years ago, 
 exterminated, so that the traveler in these times, v/ho 
 contemplates a sojourn at this delightful summer re- 
 sort, need have no fears, nor provide himself with an 
 unusual supply of ammunition, nor call on the au- 
 thorities to protect his life and property from the 
 onslaughts of marauders. 
 
 Bellevue has two banks, one weekly paper and an 
 extensive trade by railway in grain, stock and agri- 
 cultural produce. 
 
 It is a promising town, and its onward move- 
 ment seems assured. 
 
246 DOWN THE GREAT lilVER, 
 
 Bevebe HoiniE, 
 
 Clin touy low Of 
 
 Sept. Nineteenth. 
 
 So agreeably had we been entertained by the suc- 
 cessors of the " bandits/' that we did not re-embark 
 until nine o'clock in the morning, and then rather re- 
 luctantly, notwithstanding our resolution of the pre- 
 vious evening to start at a much earlier hour. We 
 reached Sabula, on the west bank, thirty-three miles 
 below Bellevue, a few minutes after one o'clock, at 
 which place we dined. 
 
 We stepped ashore at Lyons and looked through 
 its principal streets. This city is fifty-eight miles 
 south-east of Dubuque, and three above Clinton, with 
 which it is connected by street railways. It has a 
 national bank, two weekly papers, graded public 
 schools, a seminary, several factories and extensive 
 nurseries. Its population as given by the last census 
 is something over four thousand. 
 
 Just below Lyons we were met by Messrs. E. L. 
 Moses and W. F. Coan, Jr., of the Wapsipinicon 
 Boat-club, who, having been apprised through their 
 city papers that we were on our way to Clinton, came 
 up the river to extend the hospitalities of their club. 
 These gentlemen led the way down to their boat- 
 house, where we were shown the various craft in 
 which they delight to cut the water. Boats large and 
 small, and of every variety of manufacture, from the 
 rudest pattern of a dug-out, to the most delicately 
 constructed sculls and skiffs. 
 
 After spending a half-hour with the "Wapsies" we 
 
DUBUQUE TO DAVENPORT. 247 
 
 were escorted to the Revere House and introduced to 
 the proprietor, Mr. J. G. Cornue, to whom we were 
 indebted for many favors and much valuable infor- 
 mation concerning Clinton and vicinity. 
 
 Clinton, the county-seat of Clinton County, is situ- 
 ated on the west bank of the Mississippi, just above 
 the mouth of the Wapsipinicon. It is eighty miles 
 below Dubuque, forty-two above Davenport and one 
 hundred and thirty-eight west of Chicago. It contains 
 three banks, one daily and three weekly papers, rail- 
 road repair-shops, foundries, sash and blind-factories, 
 a paper-mill and eight saw-mills. Population about 
 ten thousand. The river is crossed at this point by 
 an iron railway drawbridge, having its eastern ter- 
 minus in Fulton, a small towMi on the Illinois side. 
 
 While here, we learned of the death of President 
 Garfield, which occurred between eight and nine 
 o'clock in the evening. The announcement reached 
 Clinton at half-past ten. I had retired, but was 
 aroused by the newsboys, who were crying extras on 
 the streets, and a few moments later the hotel clerk 
 handed me a copy of the Clinton Herald, giving an 
 account of the sad event at Elberon, New Jersey. 
 
 Private House, 
 
 Moline, Illinois, 
 
 September Twentieth, 
 
 We were up very early in the morning and, after 
 reading the details of the President's death, had 
 breakfast; then walked down to the boat-club house, 
 where we found several members of the club awaiting 
 us. Was introduced to their commodore, Mr. E. M. 
 
248. DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Trernan, and others. Mr. E. L. Moses, who met us 
 above Clinton the evening before, accompanied us 
 down the river in a "sculP' as far as Comanche, 
 where he introduced me to an acquaintance of his, 
 Colonel J. H. Smith, late of the Sixteenth Iowa 
 Volunteers, who, I soon discovered, had been a fellow- 
 prisoner at Richmond during the War of the Rebel- 
 lion. We soon fell to talking over our army ex= 
 periences, and became so much absorbed in the inci- 
 dents of our prison-days, that Paine concluded I had 
 quite forgotten that Moline was the evening objective. 
 Perhaps I had, for it is not an easy matter to break 
 away from those with whom we have shared priva- 
 tions, hardships and dangers, when we meet them but 
 once or twice in the course of a lifetime. 
 
 Had dinner at Cordova, a small hamlet on the Illi- 
 nois shore, twenty-one miles below Clinton. So 
 strong was the current during this day's journey that 
 we covered forty-three miles between nine o'clock in 
 the morning and five in the afternoon, notwithstanding 
 my interview with Colonel Smith, at Comanche, and 
 an hour for refreshments at Cordova. 
 
 The Le Claire Rapids, ten miles above Moline, were 
 thought by many to be dangerous to navigation in 
 small boats; but we rather coveted the impetus which 
 they were certain to give our staunch little caaioe, 
 while we felt sure that their turbulent character had 
 been greatly exaggerated. It is needless to add that 
 the rapids were safely passed and that we heartily en- 
 joyed the excitement which invariably falls to the 
 lot of a voyager in a swift current with occasional 
 slight obstructions. These are the only rapids be- 
 tween Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and Keokuk, Iowa, 
 
DUBUQUE TO DAVENPORT. 249 
 
 with the exception of the Lower Rapids at Moline, 
 which are a continuation of the former. The ve- 
 locity of the Upper Rapids is sufficient to turn a mill- 
 wheel requiring considerable power, and we noticed 
 one in operation on the Iowa side. 
 
 Arriving at a convenient landing-place at Moline, 
 in sight of many evidences of an advanced civilization 
 in the shape of sundry gigantic smoke-stacks, we 
 found ourselves in the lively little city which has 
 been designated, with some show of reason, the " Lowell 
 of the West." Moline is exclusively a manufacturing 
 centre. Passing along its main street, parallel to the 
 river, we see little else than factories, some of con- 
 siderable size, and the busy hum of machinery sa- 
 lutes our ears for more than a mile, as we walk, and 
 look with wonder on these signs of the march of 
 western industry and progress. The motive power 
 produced by a fall in the Mississippi at this point, and 
 utilized for the driving of machinery, is the source 
 of all this energy, and has made Moline one of 
 the busiest and most flourishing places in the western 
 country. The National Government has of late years 
 greatly improved this motive power for the benefit, 
 mainly, of the United States Arsenal works on the 
 island, but no less has it contributed to the solid ad- 
 vantage of the enterprising settlers on the adjacent 
 mainland, and hence Moline, the "City of Mills,'' has 
 attained its present importance, and, we believe, it 
 may truly be said that no other city in the West, of 
 its size, equals it in manufacturing vigor and re- 
 sources. The great plow-factory of Messrs. Deere 
 & Company is known far and wide, while many 
 other establishments of scarcely less celebrity flourish 
 
250 DOWK THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 side by side on the river's bank, giving employment to 
 large numbers of people and creating and distributing 
 wealth over the land. 
 
 The site of this enterprising city is favorable to its 
 growth, and ali'eady it extends its arms eastward 
 almost to Eock River, an important tributary of the 
 Mississippi, distant from Moline pi'oper about three 
 miles. It must be said, however, that the useful pre- 
 dominates over the beautiful here, as in most manu- 
 facturing centres, albeit not lacking, over the bluffs, in 
 many beautiful spots, where extensive views of the 
 Great River are obtained, and sites for building are 
 being selected. Educational and religious matters are 
 not forgotten by this busy people. Besides several 
 excellent schools, including a handsome and commo- 
 dious High School, the site of which overlooks the 
 city, and is in every respect a credit to the citizens, 
 Moline has a flourishing Public Library, containing 
 many thousand volumes of theological, historical, bio- 
 graphical and scientific works, together with a good 
 assortment of fiction. Here are also several churches 
 of the various religious denominations and, from all 
 we could learn, the people are generally sober, intelli- 
 gent and industrious. 
 
 In population Moline is smaller than either Daven- 
 port or Rock Island City, but in manufacturing im- 
 portance it far excels them both. The source of its 
 growth and prosperity — the water-power — will doubt- 
 less continue to operate as such for generations un- 
 told, and Moline will eventually fill the entire space 
 between the Mississippi and Rock River at this point. 
 Sylvan Water, the poetic designation given to a por- 
 tion of the Great River lying between the city and 
 
AN IOWA TEIBUTARY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
DUBUQUE TO DAVENPORT. 
 
 251 
 
 Rock-Island Arsenal, has been the scene of the an- 
 nual regatta of the Mississippi Valley Amateur 
 Rowino- Association, for which it is found to be emi- 
 nently adapted. A substantial bridge uniting Moline 
 with the arsenal crosses it, and from this a view is ob- 
 tained of the extensive government works now in 
 progress for the permanent improvement of the water- 
 power. 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 
 
 Rock Island Arsenal — City of Rock Island. 
 
 'HE entire forenoon of September twenty- 
 first was devoted to an inspection of the 
 varied manufactures of Moline, and in 
 "^ the afternoon we dropped down to Daven- 
 port. Among those who shook hands with 
 us at the landing was Colonel P. A. J. Rus- 
 sell, city editor of the Democrat, who was the first 
 to greet me here during my horseback journey from 
 ocean to ocean in 1876, and who now seemed doubly 
 interested in my canoe voyage from source to sen. 
 The colonel remarked that he had no intention of 
 letting me intersect my old line of march without see- 
 ing at least one familiar face. 
 
 Stepping into a carriage which was in waiting at the 
 ferry, we were driven to the " Kimball,'^ until recently 
 known as the Burtis House, where I had registered 
 during my former journey. The chief topic of con- 
 versation everywhere at this time was the death and 
 approaching funeral of President Garfield. Having 
 an engagement to lecture at Davenport on the twenty- 
 third, it was thought advisable by many to cancel it 
 out of respect to theNation's dead ; while others urged 
 
 that as a large number of tickets had been sold it 
 (252) 
 
FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 253 
 
 would be better to meet the appointment. I accord- 
 ingly lectured at Library Hall, being introduced by 
 Mayor Henry. I referred to the dead President be- 
 fore proceeding with my lecture, and gave my reasons 
 for delivering it at a time when nearly all public en- 
 gagements were either cancelled or postponed. 
 
 The site of Davenport and its vicinity was the 
 camping-ground of the Indians from time immemo- 
 rial. Marquette and Joliet, the discoverers of the 
 country over two hundred years ago, found the tribes 
 of the Illini here. There were three villages; the 
 main one, at which they landed, was called Pewaria, 
 where, it is believed, the city of Davenport now stands, 
 as it is laid down on Marquette's map on the west 
 side of the river " Conception/' as he named the Mis- 
 sissippi. The beauty of its location has been oft^n 
 descanted upon. It needs no pen of mine to describe 
 its loveliness and the rich and varied landscape that 
 surrounds it. 
 
 Less than fifty years ago the first cabin was erected 
 
 here by white men. The retreating footsteps of the 
 
 red man were still heard over the bluffs. The graves 
 
 of his people were still fresh on the brow of the hills, 
 
 but all of this, with the play-grounds of his children, 
 
 have now been covered over with the habitations of 
 
 the pale face. The mighty river that once bore the 
 
 frail bark of a Marquette and a Joliet has become the 
 
 thoroughfare of states. AVhere the light canoe of the 
 
 savage once glided in safety, the scu-ti-chemon (or 
 
 steamboat) of the white man now floats with majesty 
 
 and splendor, and this magnificent river has become 
 
 the highway of a mighty nation. The Mackinaw 
 
 trading-boat, with its French voyageur has left its 
 17 
 
254 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 moorings on As-sin-ne- Man-ess (Rock Island), and old 
 Fort Armstrong, that had stood like a watchful sen- 
 tinel on the jutting rocks of the island for more than 
 forty years, has been burned down by sacrilegious 
 hands. 
 
 The bluffs of Davenport consist of a gentle rise from 
 the river or bottom lands; not so steep but that roads 
 are constructed up almost every part of them. The 
 general elevation of these bluffs or highlands is about 
 one hundred feet above the Mississippi, covered now 
 with residences, gardens and cultivated fields to their 
 summit. Davenport Township differs from most others 
 upon the river in the beautiful rolling prairie imme- 
 diately back from the river, after passing the bluffs. 
 Back of the city the slope from the top of the bluff to 
 Duck Creek, covered as it is with gardens and fields, 
 is one of uncommon beauty and richness. 
 
 At the close of the year 1832 there were no settle- 
 ments of white men in Iowa. In this year, on the 
 fifteenth of September, General Winfield Scott nego- 
 tiated a treaty with the Indians of the Sac tribe for the 
 purchase by the United States of the territory com- 
 prising Scott County, bordering on the river. The 
 city of Davenport was named after Colonel George 
 Davenport, the first white settler on Kock Island, on 
 the eastern shore of the river and immediately opposite 
 the site of Davenport, The Government had ai)pointed 
 him Indian agent and he received a grant of land on 
 the Island. 
 
 The first person that owned land in Davenport was 
 Antoine Le Claire, the son of a Canadian French- 
 man, born in Michigan in 1797. His mother was the 
 daughter of a Pottawatomie chief. At this time the 
 
FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 255 
 
 Territory of the Northwest, out of which half a dozen 
 great States have since been formed, was peopled 
 almost entirely by the red man, with here and there 
 one of a different race, fearless enough to brave the 
 perils of a frontier life among the dusky denizens of 
 the wilderness. The father of Le Claire was one of 
 these. The claim upon which the city of Davenport 
 was laid out was purchased by Le Claire for one hun- 
 dred and fifty dollars! In 1835 Mr. Le Claire sold 
 his claim to a company, whose object was to lay it out 
 as a town site. They chose well, as the event has 
 amply established. During the first year only some 
 half dozen families came in, mostly from Saint Louis. 
 The first hotel, the first store and the first saloon were 
 opened this same year. The saloon was a log shanty 
 and stood on Front street below Western avenue. The 
 "Davenport Hotel," a frame building of small pre- 
 tension, erected by Messrs. Davenport and Le Claire, 
 occupied a lot on the corner of Front and Ripley 
 streets ; asid the first store was the property of James 
 Mackintosh, who sold to the scant population dry- 
 goods, groceries, hardware and provisions. But, in 
 addition to the dozen families in Davenport, purchasers 
 came from the opposite shore of the river. Lumber 
 was at that time brought up the river from Cincinnati. 
 Flour at sixteen dollars per barrel and pork at six- 
 teen cents per pound were also brought from Cincin- 
 nati. From this first year the ferry also dates its 
 origin — a flat-boat propelled by oars. This, in timCc 
 gave i)]ace to steam, and, at present, a large and com- 
 modious steamboat is constantly employed in trans- 
 ferring freight and passengers between the Iowa and 
 Illinois shores of the river, which at this point is about 
 
256 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 a mile wide. The mortality of Davenport during the 
 first year of its existence amounted to seven, with a 
 population of less than one hundred souls. Stevenson 
 — now Rock Island City, on the Illinois shore, which 
 had been laid out in 1834 — possessed at this time a 
 population of nearly five hundred. 
 
 Davenport, in the beauty of its location, excels all 
 the other cities in the State. Handsome homes dot th^ 
 bluffs. River views, for residences, have been exten- 
 sively occupied by the well-to-do citizens, and the 
 scope of country brought within the range of the eye 
 from some of these hill-top dwellings is scarcely to be 
 excelled for beauty by anything I have seen on the 
 river. The drainage is of nature's own making — the 
 city being built on a declivity. There is much room 
 for improvement in the sidewalks here. Possibly the 
 citizens are too busy to give thought to a subject that 
 concerns them only externally. Strangers, however, 
 notice their defective, and in many cases dilapidated, 
 condition, and make uncharitable remarks. The same 
 applies to the County Court House, which is, w^ithout 
 exception, the meanest I have seen in any city east 
 of the Rockies and north of "Dixie." Verhum 
 Yipientia suffiGit. 
 
 " O wad some power the giftie gie us, 
 To see oursels as itli ers see us ! " 
 
 The educational advantages are proportioned to the 
 size of the city. Here are twelve school-buildings, in- 
 eluding that of the High School, erected in 1874, at a 
 cost of sixty-five thousand dollars. The annual cost 
 of the twelve schools is about seventy thousand dol- 
 lars. Griswold College, belonging to the Protestant 
 Episcopal diocese of Iowa, occupies a very picturesque 
 
FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 2hl 
 
 site overlooking the river. The Roman Catholic 
 Academy of the Immaculate Conception is conducted 
 by the Sisters of Charity of the B. V. M. Located 
 within the city boundaries, it is surrounded by beauti- 
 ful grounds and appears as quiet and retired as if 
 miles away from the hum of the restless city. The 
 buildings are elegant and commodious, and a new ad- 
 dition, at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars is now 
 in course of erection. This academy was opened for 
 the education of young ladies in 1859. The churches 
 are numerous and well attended. Grace Church, the 
 cathedral of the Protestant Episcopal diocese of Iowa, 
 is a very fine, substantial edifice, erected at a cost of 
 eighty thousand dollars. 
 
 Trinity Church has a chime of bells, awaking mem- 
 ories of youth both grave and gay, and may be heard 
 at a distance of several miles. The Roman Catholic 
 diocese of Davenport, embracing the southern half 
 of the State, has also its seat here in the residence of 
 the bishop. Four Baptist, four Catholic, one Chris- 
 tian, two Congregational, four Episcopal, one Hebrew, 
 three Lutheran, four Methodist, one Unitarian and 
 four Presbyterian churches afford strong evidence of 
 progress in the cause of religion. 
 
 The Public Library on Brady street, ?s a means of 
 education, is not to be passed over without favorable 
 mention. It was founded by the late Mrs. Clarissa 
 C. Cook, a lady of wealth and benevolence, and con- 
 tains about ten thousand volumes; but the institution 
 which has contributed most to the fame of Davenport, 
 is its Academy of Sciences. This embraces a most 
 valuable collection of rare curiosities, ancient and 
 modern — relics from the mounds of Iowa and adjoin- 
 
258 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 ing states, including many skulls and portions of the 
 skeletons of pre-historic man, and of animals of an ex- 
 tinct race. The visitor to Davenport may spend a day 
 very profitably in this well-ordered and attractive mu- 
 seum. Mercy Hospital is under the management of 
 the Sisters of Mercy, and was opened in 1868. It has 
 grown to large proportions and receives and cares for 
 patients without reference to their religious denomina- 
 tion. It has the entire confidence of the citizens and 
 all testify to its judicious management and great use- 
 fulness. The Home for the Friendless, founded and 
 liberally endowed by the benevolent Mrs. Cook, 
 is a shelter for destitute females. It supplies a want 
 found to exist, in a greater or less degree, in most 
 cities, but unfortunately supplied in few. It is to the 
 praise of Davenport that such an institution has been 
 provided for friendless women and girls, and that 
 it is so well and carefully conducted. 
 
 The growth of Davenport has been mainly since 
 1850. Surrounded by a beautiful and fertile country, 
 it affords good sanitary conditions and every facility 
 for the development of industry of many kinds. The 
 present population is about 25,000. 
 
 Rock Island Arsenal lies to the north of Rock Is- 
 land City, the latter not being situated on the Island, 
 as might be supposed by the untraveled reader from it? 
 name. The Island proper has been appropriated by 
 the United States Government since 1804, though un- 
 occupied until 1812, on the breaking out of the war 
 with Great Britain. A fort was erected here in 1816, 
 and named Fort Armstrong, in honor of the then 
 Secretary of War. It was garrisoned by United States 
 troops until May, 1836, when it was evacuated. In 
 
FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 259 
 
 1840, the Government established here an ordnance de- 
 pot, but in 1845, the stores were removed to the Saint 
 Louis Arsenal. In 1862, an Act of Congress con- 
 verted the Island into an arsenal for the National 
 Government, and such it remains to this day. General 
 Thomas J. Rodman, the inventor of the Rodman gun, 
 (v^as appointed to the commandof the Arsenal in June, 
 1865, and continued in command until his death in 
 1871. In March, 1869, Congress appropriated $500,- 
 000 for the construction of a bridge across the Missis- 
 sippi, uniting the Island with the city of Davenport, im- 
 mediately opposite. General Rodman was succeeded in 
 June, 1871, by Colonel D. W. Flagler, of the Ordnance 
 Corps. This officer, since his appointment, has effected 
 great improvements on the Island, having converted it 
 into a strong military post — in fact, the strongest on 
 the Mississippi. He has erected substantial quarters 
 for the commander and his subordinate officers, 
 soldiers' barracks, a complete system of sewerage, a 
 bridge, connecting the Island with the city of Moline ; 
 roads, streets and avenues across the Island ; a water- 
 |)Ower wall, powder-magazine, pump-house, and has 
 introduced the manufacture of stores for the army and 
 machinery for the various shops in which the material 
 of war is extensively fabricated. 
 
 Rock Island Arsenal is united with the Iowa side 
 of the river, as before stated, by a well-constructed and 
 handsome bridge, 1,550 feet long ; and with the Illinois 
 i.ide by two bridges, one leading to Rock Island City 
 and the other to Moline. The one spanning the Miss- 
 issippi on the north of the Island is a most durable 
 structure, and is said to be one of the finest in the 
 United States. 
 
260 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 White settlers appear to have first located in the 
 vicinity of Rock Island about the year 1828. In the 
 spring ofjiithat year there were only nine men and 
 their faniilies on the site of the present city of Rock 
 Island. About this time the Indians of the Sac tribe, 
 of whom Black Hawk was the recognized chief, were 
 in the habit of leaving their villages on the Island and 
 its vicinity for several months on hunting expeditions, 
 and the white settlers took advantage of this absence 
 to move in and take posessession. This gave rise to 
 much discontent and hostility on the part of Black 
 Hawk and his people when they returned to their 
 homes ; and as the number of settlers increased, the 
 animosity of the Indians became stronger. The com- 
 manding officer on the Island and the Indian agent, 
 Colonel George Davenport, frequently urged the In- 
 dians to give up their villages and lands and move 
 across to the west side of the Mississippi, in accordance 
 w^ith a treaty they had entered into with the United 
 States Government; but Black Hawk refused to go. 
 Keokuk, the chief of the Fox tribe, in compliance 
 with the treaty, moved to the Iowa side of the river 
 and established himself there. From 1828 to 1831, 
 the white settlers on the main land in the vicinity of 
 Rock Island rapidly increased in number. The lands 
 were surveyed and sold to the settlers by the United 
 States Government, but Black Hawk and his party of 
 Sacs, which numbered about five hundred warriors, 
 still occupied their villages and refused to leave. The 
 settlers frequently complained of depredations by the 
 Indians, and in the spring of 1831 Black Hawk 
 warned the white men that they must leave. It was 
 feared that some neighboring tribes of Indians, the 
 
FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 261 
 
 Kickapoos, Pottawatomies and Winnebagos, would 
 join Black Hawk in an attack on the settlers. The 
 latter sent petitions to the military authorities at Rock 
 Island and Saint Louis and to the Governor of Illinois, 
 and in this way commenced what is known as the 
 Black Hawk War. 
 
 Governor Reynolds, of Illinois, in response to the 
 repeated complaints of the settlers, as^serabled about 
 sixteen hundred mounted volunteers at Beardstown, 
 ninety miles from Rock Island, and marched them to 
 the Island. General Gaines, who was stationed at 
 Saint Louis, proceeded at once to Rock Island with 
 the Sixth United States Infantry. The settlers were 
 all ordered to move to the Island, and the General sent 
 for Black Hawk for a talk. General Gaines, the offi- 
 cers of the Sixth Regiment, the officers of the Island 
 garrison, and the settlers, met in the Council House. 
 Black Hawk, accompanied by about one hundred war- 
 riors in their war-paint, drew near, and when within 
 about one hundred yards of the place of assembly 
 commenced shouting in a very loud and intimidating 
 voice. It was thought, from the shouting and the 
 manner of the Indians, that there would be an at- 
 tempt made at a general massacre. A man called 
 '^ The Prophet," who always accompanied Black Hawk, 
 commenced shouting in the Council House in a very 
 boisterous manner, gesticulating and speaking rapidly 
 as though he was very angry and desired to excite the 
 warriors to an attack. General Gaines spoke to Black 
 Hawk quietly of the sale of their lands to the United 
 States Government. The Indians said the lands had 
 never been sold. General Gaines then called for the 
 reading of the treaty, which seemed to enrage thero 
 
262 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 still more. Black Hawk exclaimed, " The white peo- 
 ple speak from a paper, but,'^ striking his hand upon 
 his breast, *^ the Indian always speaks from the heart." 
 He said their lands had not been sold, as the men who 
 signed the treaty had no authority to sell, having been 
 sent to meet the Government chiefs at Saint Louis on 
 other business. And if it was sold, they got nothing 
 for it. The General then pressed for an answer about 
 his leaving for the territory assigned him and his people 
 on the west side of the Mississippi. He replied, that 
 he would not leave, and he would not fight, but if the 
 whites came to drive him oflF, he would sit down in his 
 wigwam and they might do as they pleased with him ; 
 for himself he would do nothing. General Gaines in- 
 terpreted this to mean that he would fight. 
 
 On the evening of June nineteenth, 1831, General 
 Gaines' command was joined by General Reynolds 
 with his volunteer troops near the mouth of Rock 
 River, and the next morning the combined forces 
 moved upon the Indian village. They found, how- 
 ever, that Black Hawk and all his people had left. 
 They had crossed the Mississippi and camped about 
 twelve miles below Rock Island. June thirtieth, 
 Black Hawk came to the Island with twenty-seven 
 of his warriors and signed a treaty of peace with 
 General Gaines and the governor of Illinois, the latter 
 acting in behalf of the Government. In this treaty, 
 Black Hawk pledged himself not to return to the east 
 side of the river near the Island, or to engage again 
 in hostilities with the white settlers. The Illinois 
 volunteers were then disbanded and went home, and 
 provisions were distributed to the Indians by General 
 Gaines. 
 
FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 263 
 
 During the fol lowing winter, it became evident that 
 Black Hawk would not kee[) the treaty which he had 
 signed only a few months before; and in the following 
 April (1832) he crossed the Mississippi at Burlington 
 and moved up the bank of the river with about five 
 hundred warriors and his women and children, with 
 the intention of driving out the settlers and reoccupy- 
 ing his old village on the Island. He expected assist- 
 ance from the Winnebagos and other Indians on 
 Rock River. The news of Black Hawk's movements 
 soon reached Saint Louis, and Colonel Atkinson left 
 that city with the First Infantry for Rock Island. 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Zachary Taylor, afterwards Presi- 
 dent of the United States, was in command, and Lieu- 
 tenant Jefferson Davis, afterwards President of the 
 Confederate States, was attached to the First Regiment, 
 and served through the campaign. Governor Rey- 
 nolds, of Illinois, assembled about two thousand volun- 
 teers at Beardstown and marched to Yellow Banks, 
 fifty miles below Rock Island. Then he moved to 
 the mouth of Rock River, where he was joined by 
 Colonel Atkinson and the regulars. The volunteers 
 were commanded by General Whiteside ; and Abraham 
 Lincoln, afterwards President of the United States, 
 held the rank of captain in the command and fought 
 throughout the campaign. The Indians had gone up 
 Rock River until they were opposite Rock Island. 
 Then Black Hawk sent his women and children up 
 the river in canoes, and he and his warriors ventured a 
 bold attempt to capture Fort Armstrong on the Island. 
 At this time the garrison mustered less than eighty 
 fio-htina: men. Black Hawk crossed to the Island with 
 his warriors by night, a distance of five miles through 
 
264 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 the woods and over the blufiPs to the west side. A 
 violent snow-storm prevented an attack that night, 
 and before morning Colonel Atkinson arrived with 
 the First Infantry and probably saved the small gar- 
 rison from massacre. 
 
 The Indians withdrew during the night and fol- 
 lowed their women up Rock River. Colonel Atkin- 
 son at once joined General Whiteside and his volun- 
 teers and started in pursuit. After much hard fight- 
 ing in the months of May, June, July and August, 
 nearly the whole of Black Hawk's band was destroyed, 
 and Black Hawk himself, his son Seoskuk and other 
 chiefs, were captured and conveyed to Rock Island. 
 They were afterwards taken to Washington and other 
 eastern cities. The Government took much pains to 
 secure for Black Hawk a kind reception by the Indians 
 upon his return from his " eastern tour ; " and the ac- 
 counts of the meeting between him and the chiefs at 
 Rock Island are very affecting. Black Hawk then 
 established himself, with a remnant of his own tribe, 
 on Des Moines River, in Iowa, where he died in 1838. 
 
 Tradition states that the Sacs and Foxes came from 
 the vicinity of Montreal, Canada, before the year 
 1700; and that they had lived in their villages on or 
 near Rock Island fully one hundred and fifty years. 
 Their affection for these villages was like that of the 
 Israelites for their city of Jerusalem. From the close 
 of the Black Hawk War, there is no record of further 
 hostilities with the Indians at Rock Island. 
 
 During the late Civil War, the Island was made 
 available by the Government as a military prison, up- 
 wards of twelve thousand Confederate prisoners having 
 been confined here. Of these, one thousand nine hun- 
 
FO UR DA YS AT DA VENPOR T. 265 
 
 dred and sixty-one died during their imprisonment 
 and were buried on the Island. About four hundred 
 Union soldiers were also buried here^ and on each re- 
 curring Decoration Day, the graves are strewn with 
 flowers. 
 
 There is little more to be said of the Island except 
 that it rests upon a substantial foundation of rock of 
 the limestone order and hence its name. The length 
 of the Island is two and three-quarter miles, and its 
 width varies from a quarter to three-quarters of a 
 mile. A very pleasant day may be passed in wander- 
 ing over this island, which seems intended to become 
 the arsenal for the entire Mississippi Valley. When 
 the works are completed, if crowded to its full capacity, 
 it will arm, equip and supply an army of seven hun^ 
 dred and fifty thousand men — so it is estimated. 
 
 Surrounded with the paraphernalia of grim war, 
 Commandant Flagler has found time and opportunity 
 for the cultivation of the science of ornithology, and 
 has converted his island-fortress into an immense. 
 aviary ! Here are to be seen, flitting about the dense 
 foliage of the woodlands, almost every variety of 
 American bird — nearly all song-birds, which build their 
 nests and raise their broods on the Island unmolested. 
 It is a singular adjunct to an arsenal and reflects credit 
 on the taste and refinement of its gallant commander. 
 The colonel wages war without quarter on the English 
 sparrow, however, which he will not allow to alight 
 and rest its little wings on his preserves on pain of 
 summary execution by the shot-gun, without even a 
 preliminary trial by court-martial. 
 
 The city of Kock Island is situated on the main- 
 land at the extremity of Rock Island Arsenal, on the 
 
266 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Illinois or left bank of the river. On its eastern side 
 are some very picturesque bluffs, stretching away to 
 the sheltered valley of the Rock River, and including 
 scenery of unrivaled beauty. Comfortable residences 
 dot the sides of these hills, amid clumps of trees and 
 miniature forests that afford shelter and shade to the 
 well-to-do residents. Rock Island is about midway 
 between Saint Louis and Saint Paul, and immediately 
 opposite the more populous city of Davenport, Iowa. 
 It is, as already stated, connected with the latter city 
 by an elegant and substantial iron bridge, owned by 
 the Government and open to the public free of toll. 
 The famous water-power produced by the lower rapids 
 has contributed largely to the marvelous grov/th of 
 this city as well as of Moline, the city of factories, 
 within an easy walk or horse-car ride of Rock Island 
 City. Here is to be the terminus of the projected 
 Hennepin Canal, by which it is proposed to solve the 
 problem of cheap transportation between the Atlantic 
 Ocean and the Mississippi, through the intervening 
 great lakes. Recently a deep interest has been mani- 
 fested in the construction of this canal, the accomplish- 
 ment of which will doubtless be of vast benefit to the 
 people of the North-west, as well as to the public 
 generally. 
 
 In Rock Island City we found numerous flourish- 
 ing establishments for the manufacture of plows, culti- 
 vators and other agricultural appliances ; of wagons 
 and carriages, together with foundries and machine- 
 shops. At night the streets are brilliant with the 
 Brush electric lights; the side-walks are well paved 
 and clean, and generally in a much better condition 
 for pedestrians than those of the sister city of Daven- 
 
FOUR DAYS AT DAVENPORT. 267 
 
 port, across the river. Rock Island has a well-organ- 
 ized police force; a fire department, water-works, 
 street cars, and a flourishing Public Library; free postal 
 delivery, churches, public schools, and a commerce and 
 trade second to no city of its size in the Union. In 
 the interest of the growth of a city the transportation 
 problem is, perhaps, the most important question for 
 the consideration of the citizens, and Rock Island is 
 very favorably situated in this respect, owing to her 
 position as the centre of a system of railroads. Several 
 lines pass through here and give the city a busy aspect 
 at all times. It is on the line of the great transconti- 
 nental highway. The Chicago, Rock Island and 
 Pacific Railroad, passing through Rock Island, con- 
 nects the eastern trunk lines with the Union Pacific 
 at Omaha ; and here also are depots of the Chicago, 
 Milwaukee and Saint Paul ; the Chicago and North- 
 western ; the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy; the 
 Rock Island and Peoria, and the Rock Island and 
 Mercer County railways. The population of this 
 enterprising little city is at present about 16,000. The 
 private residences have a neat and thrifty appearance, 
 while some afford evidence of the wealth and taste of 
 their owners. The shrubbery and flowers which 
 cluster about the doorways of even the humblest resi- 
 dences are indications of the comfort and thriving 
 condition of the tenants. 
 
 Three miles inland from Rock Island City is situ- 
 ated a very picturesque and romantic resort, which is 
 frequented by the inhabitants of both sides of the river 
 at this point, the traditionary name of which is Black 
 HawMs Watch-Tower. The tower is of nature^s archi- 
 tecture, and is the summit of the highest hill overlook- 
 
258 1>0WN THE GEE AT lilVER. 
 
 ing Rock Kiver, an important tributary, from which 
 a most extensive and pleasing picture of the surround- 
 ing country is obtained. The look-out derives its 
 fanciful name from its having been used by Black 
 Hawk as a point from which he could survey his coun- 
 try for many miles round and the valley of the great, 
 winding river. It is said to have been selected by the 
 chief's father, and overlooked the tribe's first village 
 near tlie banks of Rock River. Black Hawk in the 
 account he gave to Antoine Le Claire, in 1833, says: 
 " The Tower was my favorite resort and was often 
 visited by me alone, where I could sit and smoke my 
 pipe and look with wonder and pleasure at the grand 
 scenes that were presented, even across the mighty 
 river. On one occasion a Frenchman, who had been 
 resting in our village, brought his violin with him to 
 the Towner, to play and dance for the amusement of my 
 people v/ho had assembled there, and, while dancing 
 with his back to the cliff, accidentally fell over it and 
 was killed. The Indians say that at the same time of 
 the year soft strains of the violin can be heard near 
 the spot." He further relates that "in the year 1827 
 a young Sioux Indian, who was lost in a violent snow- 
 storm, found his way into a camp of the Sacs, and while 
 there fell in love with a beautiful maiden. On leav- 
 ing for his own country he promised to return in the 
 summer and claim his bride. He did so, secreting 
 himself in the woods until he met the object of his 
 affection. A heavy thunder-storm was coming on at 
 the time, and the lovers took shelter under a rocky 
 cliff on the south side of the Tower. Soon a loud peal 
 of thunder was heard ; the cliff was rent into a thousarid 
 pieces and they were buried beneath them. This, their 
 
FO UR DA YS AT DA VENPORT. 
 
 271 
 
 unexpected tomb," says Black Hawk, "still remains 
 undisturbed." The " Tower " is much admired, and 
 the street-cars of Rock Island convey many hundreds 
 of visitors to its summit in the spring, summer and 
 autumn, where they pic-nic for the day and enjoy, with 
 the pure, healthful breezes, a most sublime view of 
 the country for many miles. The property is owned 
 by the Dav^noort family and is made freely accessible 
 to all. 
 
 
 
 
 "Vi^ 
 
 BlacK^ HawK^'s 
 
 WatchTqwer 
 
CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 DAVENPORT TO BURLINGTON. 
 
 Eastern Hotel, 
 
 Muscatine, Iowa, 
 
 September 25, 1881. 
 
 'E found an extended field for observation 
 at Davenport, Rock Island and their 
 environs, and would gladly have spent 
 many more days in this delightful lo- 
 cality ; but to keep in advance of the cold 
 weather, which was now following us down 
 the river with rapid strides, it was deemed pru- 
 dent to press forward with all possible despatch. 
 In consequence of this decision the lecture programme 
 was abandoned and short halts contemplated in the 
 cities and towns lying along our route. 
 
 Greatly refreshed by our four days on shore, we 
 resolved to make an early start on the morning of 
 the twenty-fifth, £:nd at seven o'clock were in our 
 canoe. Colonel Russell was at the landing, and after 
 returning my '^ Mississippi Album," which had been 
 left with him the previous evening, pushed us out 
 into the stream with best wishes for a prosperous 
 voyage. 
 
 (272) 
 
DAVENPORT TO BURLINGTON. 273 
 
 On opening the album the following lines were found 
 inscribed in the colonel's familiar hand : 
 
 " Davenport, on the Mississippi, 
 "My Dear Captain : September 25, 1881. 
 
 " Safety and success, thus far, 
 Adown this mighty stream ; 
 May heaven guard thy progress still, 
 And grant fulfilment of your dream I " 
 
 We echoed the sentiment of the last two lines 
 thenceforth to the end of our voyage. 
 
 A vigorous use of our paddles for an hour and a 
 half brought us to Buffalo, a small village on the right 
 bank, ten miles below Davenport. After dinner at 
 Buffalo we resumed our journey with Muscatine as the 
 evening destination, which city was reached at five 
 o'clock. We now began to regard ourselves as 
 jiomething more than amateurs in canoe navigation, as 
 the distance covered from day to day will convince 
 the reader that we were not lacking in propelling 
 force. 
 
 Muscatine, on the west bank of the Mississippi, is built 
 on a rocky bluff, the scenery from which in all direc- 
 tions is very charming to the lover of nature. The 
 city is situated at the apex of the Great Bend, thirty 
 miles below Davenport and three hundred and seven- 
 teen miles above Saint Louis by rail. The Muscatine 
 division of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minne- 
 sota, and the south-western branch of the Chicago, 
 Rock Island and Pacific railways have their stations 
 here. It is the shipping-point of an extensive and 
 fertile surrounding country, while widely extended 
 beds of coal and quarries of freestone and limestone 
 
274 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 are in the neighborhood. Its lumber business is large 
 and increasing, and barley, corn, oats, rye, wheat, wool, 
 butter and pork are produced on the rich farms ad- 
 joining. It supports two large pork-packing estab- 
 lishments and three extensive saw-mills, and has a gas- 
 works, four banking houses, good public schools, a 
 Catholic school, a fine public library, five newspapers, 
 a monthly periodical, and fifteen churches. Muscatine 
 was first settled in 1836, and was incorporated as a 
 city in 1853; and if the public spirit displayed by her 
 capitalists is any indication of future prosperity, I con- 
 clude that they will not be disappointed. The popula- 
 tion now reaches over ten thousand. 
 
 Farm House, 
 Near Mouth of Iowa River^ 
 September Twenty-sixth. 
 
 Learning that this day, which had been appointed 
 for the funeral of the late President Garfield, would 
 be observed at Muscatine with befitting ceremonies, we 
 remained in that city until three o'clock in the after- 
 noon, in the meantime listening to an eloquent oration 
 upon the life and public services of the eminent sol- 
 dier and illustrious statesman whose brilliant career 
 had been so suddenly closed by the hand of th« 
 assassin. 
 
 It was some time since we had enjoyed the hospi- 
 talities of the farmers, but we had, nevertheless, not 
 forgotten that many of the pleasantest evenings of our 
 journey had been spent in the farm-houses of Minne- 
 sota. We were now desirous of testing the courtesies 
 and accommodations of the Iowa grangers, and also 
 
DAVENPORT TO BURLINGTON, 275 
 
 of picking up some information concerning their social 
 and industrial progress. 
 
 It was fortunate, perhaps, that circumstances brought 
 us to the farm of John Warren Walton, a pioneer of 
 Louisa County, an intelligent and affable gentleman. 
 We wandered over Mr. Walton's farm, and, looking 
 to the westward from an elevated position, our eyes 
 rested upon the beautiful groves and running streams, 
 and we wondered not that Keokuk and Black Hawk 
 clung with such tenacity to their ancestral hunting- 
 grounds. 
 
 The Iowa River passes diagonally through this sec- 
 tion of Iowa to its confluence with the. Mississippi. 
 Its banks are heavily timbered, and the farmer finds 
 his highest hopes realized in the natural resources of 
 his possessions. In this county, but a few miles from 
 the Walton farm, is the small village of Florence, 
 which lives in history as the home of Black Hawk. 
 Here repose the bones of his ancestors, while the re- 
 nowned chief "sleeps his last sleep '^ in a distant part 
 of the State. Our evening with the Waltons was oc- 
 cupied chiefly in looking over a large number of Indian 
 relics which had been carefully preserved and classi- 
 fied by our agreeable host. It was one of the finest 
 private collections we had ever examined. 
 
 Barrett House, 
 Burlington^ Iowa 
 Sept. Twenty-seventh. 
 
 " Weighed anchor " at seven o'clock. Our attention 
 had been drawn to so many objects of interest in our 
 route to Burlington that we clearly saw the necessity 
 
278 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 of an early start. Weather pleasant and but little 
 wind. 
 
 We ran down to Keithsburg for dinner. This 
 is a small village of Mercer County, Illinois, thirty- 
 five miles below Muscatine, and sixty-eight south-west 
 of Chicago. It has a national bank, a graded public 
 school, and a weekly paper. Population about one 
 thousand. 
 
 So genial were wind and weather during our sixty- 
 sixth day that we were registered at the Barrett House, 
 Burlington, at five o'clock, having covered forty-four 
 miles since pushing off at the mouth of the Iowa in 
 the morning. 
 
 I had hardly reached my room at the hotel when 
 ray daughter, Alice, now a girl of twelve years, came 
 bounding up the stairs to meet me. She had been 
 looking for us all the afternoon, but we had dropped 
 into Burlington so quietly that very few were aware 
 of our arrival until we were registered at the "Bar- 
 rett." I had placed her at a private school here be- 
 fore starting on my expedition. 
 
 After tea the card of a representative of the Hawk- 
 eye was handed me, followed a moment later by the 
 sender, Mr. J. E. Calkins, who politely solicited for 
 his paper the fullest particulars of our explorations 
 and discoveries in Northern Minnesota. This infor- 
 mation we, of course, readily furnished, and the 
 following day the readers of the Hawheye were 
 presented with a narrative of the discovery of the 
 source of the Mississippi, and a brief outline of our 
 voyage down the river. 
 
 Julian Dubuque, a French-Canadian, was the first 
 pioneer, as has been previously stated, who found hih- 
 
DAVENPORT TO BURLINGTON. 277 
 
 way to what now constitutes tlie State of" Iowa. At 
 this period, 1778, the country about Burlington was 
 claimed by France, and that government granted to 
 the intrepid })ioneer a large tract of land which in- 
 cluded the site of the now flourishing city of Dubuque. 
 His purpose was, like that of most of the earliest pio- 
 neers, to trade with the Indians for their furs, and his 
 death occurred in 1810. 
 
 In 1833, the first American settlers arrived here, after 
 the Black Hawk Indians had ceded their lands by treaty 
 to the United States. These settlers came mostly from 
 Illinois and located on the spot then called "The 
 Flint Hills," on which the city of Burlington now 
 stands. Not a sintrle mark of civilization o-reeted 
 these early settlers, if we except the trading-posr. of 
 Julian Dubuque's successor, on the present site of the 
 city named after him. The Mississippi was the west- 
 ern limit of civilization, but the land of promise lay 
 beyond. Unbroken forests swept from the heights of 
 Flint Hills down to the river's edge, with here and 
 there the solitary wigwam of an Indian who yet lin- 
 gered on the spot he had bartered away to the white 
 man. 
 
 The city of Burlington, on the right bank of the 
 Mississippi, is five hundred and thirty-six miles below 
 Saint Paul, and two hundred and fifty above Saint 
 Louis. Along the bank of the river and the valley of 
 Hawkeye creek, the land is low, but back of this the 
 site of the city is hilly to the height of two hundred 
 feet, to the level of the prairie which stretches away to 
 the west. The first settler on the site of Burlington was 
 Samuel S. White, who built his cabin on what is now 
 Front street, just below the lots on which the Sunder- 
 
278 DOWN THE GEE AT RIVER, 
 
 land mills stand. White's brother-in-law, Doolittle, 
 and others, joined him in 1834, and together they laid 
 out the original town. John Grey, a Vermonter, a 
 friend of White, gave the name of " Burlington " to 
 the prospective town, in honor of the city of that 
 name in his native State. The future Burlington com- 
 prised then only a few log-cabins, and the first frame 
 houses were erected by White and Doolittle in 1834.. 
 In this year the first store was opened by Dr. Samuel 
 S. Ross. The first brick house was built by Judge 
 David Rorer, in 1836. 
 
 In 1837, the population of the embryo city num- 
 bered three hundred, and in February, 1838, Burling- 
 ton was incorporated. On the twenty-eighth of Decem- 
 ber, 1846, Iowa was admitted into the Union and 
 John Lucas elected its first governor. Zion Church 
 was used as a place of worship and State-house from 
 the installation of the territorial government, in 1838,^ 
 until the removal of the State capital to Iowa City. 
 It stood on Third street, between Washington and 
 Columbia streets, on the spot where now stands the 
 magnificent Opera House, the pride of the Orchard 
 City. " Old Zion '' is no more. 
 
 Burlington's first school-house was erected in the 
 year 1835; and its first saw-mill in 1837. Dr. Ross 
 and Miss Matilda Morgan were the parties to the first 
 wedding in 1833. The license and the preacher were 
 obtained from Monmouth, Illinois, there being no terri- 
 torial government at this time, and therefore no author- 
 ity to perform the marriage ceremony on the west side 
 of the river. The bridal company crossed in a scow 
 and the knot was tied as they stood on the eastern 
 bank, after which the guests returned to make merry 
 
DAVENPORT TO BUELINGTOJV 279 
 
 at the wedding dinner. Frovii a population ot* three 
 hundred in 1837, Burlington leaped to one of twenty 
 thousand in 1880, an interval of only forty-three years, 
 and at the present date (1885) it numbers at least 
 twenty-eight thousand inhabitants. A considerable 
 proportion of these are of German birth or descent, 
 many of whom are nmong its most substantial and en- 
 terprising citizens. 
 
 Burlington is a city of the first-class, with a mayor 
 and aldermen, a well -organized police force, fire de- 
 partment, water-works, gas, street-cars, a fine public 
 library, churches, public schools, two colleges, one of 
 the best opera-houses in the West, a splendid boat-club 
 house, and commerce, trade and manufactures of a 
 character to warrant the belief of her citizens that in 
 a few more years she will rank among the first of 
 western cities. The private residences are exceedingly 
 attractive in appearance, and nothing could be more 
 beautiful than the view from those on the summit of 
 Prospect Hill. Most of them are owned by their oc- 
 cupants, whicn accounts for their neat and thrifty style 
 and surroundings. The little park on North Hill is a 
 delightful resort in the summer, with its fountain and 
 walks and seats under the shade of the maples and 
 elms. North of the Catholic Cemetery is Black Hawk 
 Amphitheatre, with a great granite boulder in its centrcc 
 Here, tradition says, the Sacs and Foxes assembled in 
 council and determined the question of peace or war. 
 The granite boulder was the rostrum from which 
 Black Hawk appealed to his people when they rallied 
 for the final struggle with the white man. 
 
 The city of Burlington is favorably situated in the 
 important matter of transpovU\iion facilities. With 
 
280 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 nine lines of railway radiating to all points of the com- 
 pass she connects with Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, 
 and the South-east; with Saint Paul, Minneapolis and 
 the North- west; and with Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, 
 Colorado and Texas. She thus enjoys every advantage 
 for developing her trade. The Mississippi also plays 
 an important part as a means of transportation, large 
 amounts of merchandise being brought here for dis- 
 tribution. The levee is a very fine one, embracing a 
 quarter of a mile of solid paved roadway, with a 
 gradual slope, making the landing easy of access. The 
 quantity of freight received and shipped by river is 
 said to be rapidly increasing. Large rafts of lum- 
 ber from up-river are received and landed at Burling- 
 ton to be stored in the yards to dry, after which it is 
 shipped by railway to various points in Iowa, Illinois, 
 Missouri, Kansas, and Nebraska. The amount of 
 lumber shipped from Burlington is a large item in her 
 general trade. The smokestacks of the manufactories* 
 are seen in all parts of the city. The Murray Iron 
 Works are large and substantial buildings. The Bur- 
 lington Plow Company, Wolfe's Furniture Factory, 
 the Buffington Wheel Works, and many others, are 
 fully up to the times in the character and amount of 
 their products. 
 
 The 0[)era House is a credit and an ornament to the 
 city and is one of the finest constructed theatres in the 
 West. It was opened in 1882, and cost one hundred 
 thousand dollars. The Burlington Boat-club has 
 been an important factor in promoting the improve- 
 ment of the city. Its primary objects were to build 
 and maintain a boat-house, purchase boats and pro- 
 mote the art of rowing with a view to the improve- 
 
DA VENPOR T TO B TJRLING TON. 281 
 
 ment of its members in manly exercise. But they have 
 accomplished far more, and to them the city owes, in a 
 great measure, the erection of its beautiful opera-house. 
 They have a very handsome club-house which orna- 
 ments the river approach to the city, and the members, 
 besides extending their fame from Lake Minnetonka to 
 Creve Cour Lake, have participated with honors in 
 the regatta of the National Rowing Association at 
 Washington. A large percentage of the muscle and 
 blood of Burlington are numbered among its members, 
 who are noted for their skill in aquatic contests and 
 regattas occurring in the Mississippi Valley. 
 
 A splendid iron bridge crosses the river at this 
 point, built by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Rail- 
 road Company. It consists of nine spans and is about 
 two thousand two hundred feet in length. There is also 
 a commodious steam-ferry crossing the river to Hender- 
 son, which is considered one of the finest on the Mis- 
 sissippi. The Public Library occupies pleasant and 
 well-arranged rooms on the north-west corner of Fourth 
 and Jefferson streets. It has about seven thousand 
 volumes on its shelves, which have cost over ten thou- 
 sand dollars. The library originated in a liberal 
 gift of five thousand dollars by the Hon. James W. 
 Grimes. 
 
 The educational interests of Burlington appear to 
 have been carefully fostered, as evidenced by the public 
 schools, the denominational schools, private schools, 
 colleges and academies. The high-school building is 
 a model of its kind. Burlington College, at the head 
 of College Street, is surrounded by ample and orna- 
 mented grounds, and is a select boarding and day 
 school for young ladies and gentlemen. The Academy 
 
282 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 of Our Lady of Lourdes, on the corner of Fourth and 
 Court streets, has a handsome building and accommo- 
 dates about one hundred and twenty pupils. Several 
 other public and private schools flourish here, and the 
 poorest citizen can secure a good education for his 
 children. 
 
 The press of Burlington through one of its members, 
 has carried the name and fame of this city into the re- 
 motest corner of America; and across the ocean, on 
 the news-stands of London, Liverpool^ Manchester, 
 Birmingham and Glasgow^, it is found, and has given 
 the city of its birth and growth a cosmopolitan char- 
 acter which it will probably never lose. Esto peiyetua, 
 "The Burlington Hawkeye ! " May thy witty and in- 
 structive pages continue to delight our descendants as 
 they have instructed and delighted U8. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 
 
 Galt House, 
 At Montrose, Iowa. 
 September 28, 1881. 
 
 'APA, wont you let me get into the canoe 
 and go a little way with you and Mr. 
 Paine this morning?^' These were the 
 words that greeted ray ears as we were 
 about to re-embark at Burlington. It had 
 never occurred to us that any one, large or 
 small, would covet the position of third person 
 in the very limited space at our command, for the 
 good reason that a casual glance forbade such a vent- 
 ure ; but Alice being persistent in her request to try 
 it, we lifted her into the canoe and pushed off. Find- 
 ing that our staunch little craft was not overburdened, 
 we headed down stream, and were soon making good 
 progress towards Dallas, our noonday objective. The 
 only other incident of the morning was our first ad- 
 venture with a sand-bar. It would hardly appear that 
 a boat so slight as to draw but five inches of water 
 could be brought to a stand by such an obstruction, 
 but such was the case, much to our chagrin and the 
 great amusement of the passengers and crews of the 
 
 (283) 
 
284 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 passing river steamers. The explanation is brief. A 
 strong current throws the canoe or skiff upon the bar, 
 and the voyager, not wishing to risk a wetting by 
 stepping out of his boat and pushing or pulh'ng her off 
 the bar, continues to use his paddle or oar aided by the 
 current, which, instead of helping him out of his dif- 
 ficulty, only renders his escape all the more impossible. 
 After considerable moralizing and many experiments 
 with our paddles, which did not materially improve 
 the situation, captain and crew pulled off their boots 
 and stepping out on the bar, carried the canoe and its 
 solitary passenger into water of sufficient depth to 
 float it. This occurrence on the sand-bar had no at- 
 tractions for Paine or myself, but was greatly enjoyed 
 by Alice, who exclaimed : "Oh, I am so glad, j)apa, for 
 now I can remain with you so much the longer.^' 
 
 Dallas was reached in season for dinner. This town 
 is in Hancock County, Illinois, fifteen miles below 
 Burlington on the opposite shore. It has a weekly 
 paper, two banks and several factories. Population 
 something over eight hundred. 
 
 While at Dallas we were introduced to Dr. J. M. 
 Lionberger and Mr. Benoni Mendenhall, who seemed 
 to find much pleasure in pointing out the attractions 
 of their village. I was indebted to Dr. Lionberger 
 for the assurance that he would assume the responsi- 
 bility of safely returning my daughter to Burling- 
 ton. Parting with her at this place was the most 
 trying experience that fell to my lot during our long 
 voyage. Her desire to remain with us; the affectionate 
 solicitiide expressed for me, and the reluctance with 
 which she promised to return to school, were quite all 
 I could bear. 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 285 
 
 During our journey from Dallas to Montrose we 
 observed on both banks of the river many graceful 
 slopes, swelling and sinking, as far as the eye could 
 reach. In some instances dense forests still cover these 
 slopes with timber of the finest quality, the oak pre- 
 vailing. Again, they revel in their carpet of green, 
 dotted here and there with clumps of trees that it would 
 baffle the skill of the landscape gardener to imitate; 
 now crowning the grassy heights, now clothing the 
 green fields with partial or isolated shade. 
 
 The slopes and tlie rich alluvial bottoms that inter- 
 vene furnish the sites for the numerous cities, towns 
 and villages which stud the banks of the Father of 
 Waters, like gems in this great sea of commerce. 
 
 From the hill-to})s are seen cultivated meadows and 
 rich pasture grounds, irrigated by numerous rivulets 
 winding through fields of hay, fringed with flourish- 
 ing willows. On the summit levels spread the rich 
 farms of Iowa and Illinois, the long, undulating waves 
 of the prairie stretching away until sky and meadow 
 mingle in the wavy blue. Art, science and manufact- 
 ures gather their busy multitudes here and take posses- 
 sion of these sylvan scenes. As we glide along in our 
 voyage towards the sea the ear is greeted by 
 
 " The mill-stream's fall, 
 The engine's pant along its quivering rails, 
 The anvil's ring, the measured beat of flails, 
 The sweep of scythes, the reaper's whistled tun% 
 Answering the summons of the bells of noon; 
 The woodman's hail along the river shores. 
 The steamboat's signal, and the dip of oars." 
 
 Among the chief objects of a noteworthy charactei 
 which especially arrested our attention in this day's 
 19 
 
'J86 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 journey were Nauvoo and the ruins of its Mormon 
 Temple, which, on account of their peculiar history, 
 claim more than a passing notice. 
 
 Nauvoo, the "City of Beauty," situated on the eastern 
 bank of the Mississippi, about midway on the western 
 boundary of the State of Illinois, has an eventful his- 
 tory. It is to-day a small village composed of a few 
 houses at a short distance from the ruins of the once mag- 
 nificent Mormon Temple. The village is located upon 
 one of the most lovely sites on the river, the ground 
 rising with a gentle slope to a wide plateau at the 
 summit, which overlooks the river and opposite coun- 
 try for many miles. In 1840 the spot, where subse- 
 quently the town was built, became a refuge for the 
 Mormons, who were fleeing from the persecutions of 
 an angry mob. A branch of the Mormon community 
 had early been located in Jackson County, Missouri. 
 According to an alleged revelation given to Josejih 
 Smith, their pseudo prophet, that locality was the very 
 spot on which "Adam's altar was built, in the centre 
 of the Giirden of Eden ! " They had not been, ac- 
 cording to the report, wholly desirable citizens and 
 neighbors, and the inhabitants at last expelled them. 
 Zion fell into the hands of the Gentiles, and while 
 some of the Mormons returned to Kirtland, Ohio, 
 others settled in Clay County, Illinois. 
 
 For several years they remained in this county un- 
 molested, and even made many converts. In 1837, 
 the bank of Kirtland having failed, Smith, Rigdon 
 and others joined the Missouri settlement. A spirit 
 of insubordination had sprung up in this community. 
 There were contentions among those within, and quar- 
 rels with tiiose without, and for three years a genej'al 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 287 
 
 excitement prevailed in the State. The Mormons 
 came into frequent collision with their Gentile neigh- 
 bors, and many persons were killed. The "Saints" 
 openly defied the people who were not of their belief, 
 and, with zeal begotten of fanaticism, even threatened 
 to march upon Saint Louis and lay it in ashes. 
 
 Rumors now circulated among the people generally 
 regarding the immoral practices of the leaders. Polyg- 
 amy had not yet become a recognized doctrine of their 
 church, 'and was even expressly forbidden by the 
 "Book of Mormon." Finally, the disfavor in which 
 they were held by the unbelievers in their religion 
 culminated, and in November the entire people of the 
 Mormon settlement were compelled to flee for their 
 lives towards the Mississippi. Young and old, the 
 sick and infirm, helpless women and children as well 
 as strong men, twelve thousand in number, exposed to 
 cold and hunger and every privation, at last found a 
 temporary resting-place upon the western bank of the 
 Great River. 
 
 The people of Illinois, on the opposite side, believ- 
 ing that the persecution was unjust to which the Mor- 
 mons had been so ruthlessly subjected, extended help 
 to them, and invited them to the shore of their State. 
 Crossing the river, they pitched their tents upon a rich 
 delta formed by the Des Moines and Mississippi rivers, 
 and thus the town of Nauvoo was founded. 
 
 The believers soon built themselves rude log-huts, 
 while they gave freely of their scant means for the 
 erection of a temple, which was designed to excel in 
 magnificence every other religious edifice in the world. 
 This temple eventually coj^t them over five hundred 
 thousand dollars, and was built of polished limestone. 
 
288 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 It was one hundred and thirty feet long by eighty- 
 eight wide ; sixty-five feet to the cornice, and with a 
 cupola one hundred and sixty-three feet in height. The 
 weather-vane on the summit of the spire represented the 
 figure of a prophet blowing a trumpet. An immense 
 stone basin, supported by twelve colossal oxen, formed 
 the baptistery, which was in the basement. The plan of 
 the temple was revealed to Joseph Smith, according to 
 his statement, and the corner-stone was laid on April 
 sixth, 1841. 
 
 They were allowed to dwell in quiet in their new 
 home ; but to prepare for future contingencies. Smith 
 organized a military corps, which he called the !N^auvoo 
 Legion, and of which he assumed command with the 
 rank of lieutenant-general. On parade the prophet 
 appeared at the head of his Legion, followed by half a 
 dozen females on horseback, dressed in black velvet 
 riding-habits, with long white plumes on their hats. 
 
 At Nauvoo was first given the alleged revelation 
 concerning "spiritual wives,'^ which finally culminated 
 in open polygamy. This and other objectionable prac- 
 tices of the "Saints" fell under condemnation. The 
 people of Illinois, like those of Missouri, felt scandal- 
 ized. Smith attempted to check the rising storm by 
 contradictions, denunciations and excommunications. 
 But those who thus fell under his displeasure de- 
 nounced him in turn. A newspaper was established 
 at Nauvoo in acknowledged opposition to him, and 
 charged him with all the crimes of which he had ac- 
 cused others. By his orders the paper was suppressed, 
 the printing material destroyed, and the editors were 
 compelled to flee for their lives. The latter entered 
 complaint at Carthage for the violence done them, and 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 28 & 
 
 warrants were issued for the arrest of Joseph Smith 
 and his brother Hiram. The faithful rallied around 
 their prophet and resisted the officers sent to serve the 
 warrants. The city was fortified and the Legion slept 
 under arms. 
 
 The governor of the State personally interfered and 
 persuaded the Smiths to surrender, on the assurance 
 that they should receive protection and justice. They 
 were accordingly arrested and placed in Carthage jail. 
 But a new charge was brought against them, that of 
 treason against the Government, and it was rumored 
 that through the connivance of the governor they 
 were permitted to make their escape. The people be- 
 came panic-stricken and vowed that " if law could not 
 reach them, powder and shot should." 
 
 On the evening of the twenty -seventh of Jute, 1844, 
 the jail of Carthage was forcibly entered by a mob, 
 armed and disguised. Hiram Smith was shot dead in 
 his cell, and Joseph was mortally wounded as, he was 
 attempting to leap from a window. Placing him 
 against the wall of the jail, four muskets at once put 
 an end to his life. The executioners were never 
 identified. 
 
 Smith was at once magnified into a martyr, and his 
 blood became the "seed of the church," which has in- 
 creased in numbers from that day to this. Brigham 
 Young was elected by the ^" College of Apostles," of 
 which he was president, to succeed Smith as the head 
 of their church, and the new chief promptly excom- 
 municated E-igdon and others who had aspired to the 
 position. Young moderated the vengeance of the Mor- 
 mons, and peace seemed again to be about settling on 
 the community, when Eigdon and the other recreants 
 
290 DOWI^ THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 spread reports of crime and debauchery at Nauvoo 
 from one section of the country to the other. The 
 smaller Mormon settlements, off-shoots of that at Nau- 
 voo, were promptly attacked by armed mobs, and the 
 same fate would doubtless have befallen the larger 
 place had not a " special revelation " been received 
 commanding the immediate departure of the Saints to 
 the then remote West on the Missouri River, near 
 Council BlufiPs. 
 
 In February, 1846, sixteen hundred men, women 
 and children crossed the Mississippi on the ice, on foot 
 and in ox-teams, for the new Land of Promise. Others 
 followed them as soon as property could be disposed 
 of and arrangements made. A command was, how- 
 ever, said to have been received from Heaven for them 
 to remain for the completion and dedication of the 
 Temple. But the mob became impatient and attacked 
 the city. The Legion held it at bay whilethe Temple 
 was completed and dedicated. The baptistery was fes- 
 tooned with flowers; the walls decorated with symbolic 
 ornaments ; lamps and torches glittered ; prayers were 
 uttered and chants were sung, and thus the dedication 
 was completed. 
 
 In an hour afterwards the portal was closed and an 
 inscription placed upon it: "The House of the Lord! 
 Built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day 
 Saints. Holiness to the Lord ! " and the Saints were 
 already making their way across the Mississippi. The 
 last of the Mormons were, in September of the same 
 year, driven from their homes at the point of the 
 bayonet. 
 
 Thirty months after its consecration the Temple was 
 destroyed by fire at midnight. It was afterwards 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCT. 29] 
 
 nrtially restored, but in May, 1850, was cast into a 
 _eap of ruins by a tornado, which also laid the town 
 low. The place fell into the hands of a colony of 
 Icarian Socialists from Paris, under M. Cahet, who 
 practised a sort of community life, but failed to attain 
 that temporal prosperity which is not infrequently the 
 result of such a system. 
 
 Thus concludes all that is of interest in the history 
 of Nauvoo, though it is but the beginning of the his- 
 tory of the Mormons, who, driven from place to place, 
 at last established themselves in the lap of the Rocky 
 Mountains; a history full of romance and literally 
 stranger than fiction, which has become interwoven 
 with that of the Nation. 
 
 So much of absorbing interest had been observed 
 and commented upon at Dallas, Nauvoo and other 
 points along the route from Burlington that we did 
 not reach our evening destination until nearly eight 
 o'clock. We were glad indeed to get out of the canoe 
 and get into our hotel, where, after supper, I wrote up 
 my log for the day, and gathered from the best author- 
 ities I could find some information concerning Mont- 
 rose, which is claimed by many of its citizens to be 
 the oldest town in the State. 
 
 It is on the west bank of the Mississippi, in Lee 
 County, Iowa, forty miles south-east of Burlington, 
 and twelve north of Keokuk. It is connected with 
 Nauvoo by ferry, and is reported to have a population 
 of a little less than a thousand. Its people are engaged 
 largely in the preparation of lumber. The Chicago, 
 Burlington, and Quincy E-ailroad runs through it and 
 has a station here. 
 
292 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 Laclede House, 
 
 A t Keokuk , Towa^ 
 September Twenty-ninth. 
 
 "Look out for the Keokuk Rapids!'' was the last 
 injunction we received before leaving Montrose in the 
 morning. In fact this had been our usual warning 
 for several days whenever we appeared on shore, until 
 we had come to think some terrible ordeal ftwaited us. 
 So far, we had found but three of Nature's obstructions 
 in the descent of the river, which we had overcome by 
 having recourse to a portage; these, it will be remem- 
 bered, were the Kah-a-hih-ons, a few miles below 
 Lake Itasca, Pokegama Falls, below Lake Winiii- 
 begoshish, and the Falls of Saint Anthony. Some 
 kindly disposed persons suggested that we should have 
 the canoe carried down to Keokuk at the foot of the 
 rapids on a wagon ; while others advised a passage 
 through the Government Ship Canal on the Iowa 
 shore. Having run all the rapids of the Great River 
 thus far, we were not inclined to make an exception 
 of these if their descent was compatible with ordinary 
 safety ; and further, we did not care to be subjected to 
 the inconvenience and delay of locking through the 
 canal, or the seemingly unnecessary trouble and ex- 
 pense of a long portage. Inquiry at Montrose had 
 elicited the following information : length of rapids, 
 twelve miles; fall of water, twenty -four feet; occasional 
 obstructions throughout entire length. 
 
 On reaching the head of the rapids we encountered 
 what we had long since learned to anticipate almost 
 regularly at ten o'clock in the morning, namely, a 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUJNCY. 29a 
 
 strong southerly wind, and in consequence a disturbed 
 surface. So determined was the resistance offered by 
 the wind that, instead of dashing down the rapids at 
 " break-neck pace," as had been predicted by our 
 friends, it was only by dint of a spirited use of our 
 paddles that any perceptible progress was made in the 
 canoe. There was greater danger of going to the bot- 
 tom through the action of the waves than by contact 
 with obstructions in the bed of the river. Paine, who 
 used the double paddle, became so thoroughly ex- 
 hausted that we were compelled to disembark about 
 three miles above Keokuk. After resting half an 
 hour we again pushed off, finding the elements still in 
 possession. Another hour of persistent struggle against 
 the high wind and a rough sea enabled us to reach the 
 landing at Keokuk, between two and three o'clock, glad 
 indeed to be out of rano^e of the boisterous wind and 
 rapids, which together fought us with such determina- 
 tion that we made but twelve miles in four hours of the 
 hardest work that we had up to this point recorded. 
 
 The following tradition connected with the early 
 history of the "Gate City" is generally accepted on 
 the spot as true in outline if not in detail. 
 
 Dr. Samuel C. Miner, of the United States army, 
 came to Warsaw, Illinois, in the year 1820, and built 
 himself a log shanty on the corner of Main street and 
 the levee. He soon found that it was " not good for 
 mall to be alone," and formed an attachment for the 
 daughter of an Indian chief, which in these rude times, 
 and the absence of church or legal functionaries, was 
 unsanctioned by any marriage ceremony, except, we 
 may presume, the primitive one of mutual consent. 
 This woman bore him five children. But an order came 
 
294 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 at length from the War Department winch suddenly 
 dissolved the union by requiring all array officers and 
 attaches to separate themselves from the Indian females 
 with whom they were living in marital relations, and 
 the doctor was removed to Piick-e-she-tuck, or " Foot 
 of the Rapidsj" now known as Keokuk. Here he died 
 of cholera in 1832, having been the first white resident 
 of the future city. In the meantime the American 
 Fur Company had established a trading-post, erecting 
 several log-cabins on a spot now known by the eupho- 
 nious title of " Rat Row/' and large accessions to the 
 settlement follow^ed in a short time. The first, however, 
 to settle here, after Dr. Miner, was Moses Stillwell and 
 his family. Then the fur company and its employes 
 came, after one of whom, Joshua Palean, a street in 
 the city is named. The employes of the company all 
 took Indian wives, and thereby rendered themselves 
 very popular with the natives. The population grew 
 rapidly, but the fur company, for reasons of its 
 own, determined to remove. They were succeeded by 
 Isaac R. Campbell and Samuel C. Muir, who occupied 
 4;heir buildings and continued their trade of supplying 
 the Indians and whites with the necessaries of life. 
 "Rat Row" at this period comprised nearly the whole 
 of the settlement, and included hotel, church, court- 
 house, grocery and saloon. Up to this time — 1835 — 
 the settlement had been without a distinctive name, 
 being known as " Foot of the Rapids," or its Indian 
 equivalent, Puck-e-she-tnck. Finally, some steam- 
 boat men proposed to name it Keohuh, after the 
 friendly chief of the Sacs, and this name was ulti- 
 mately adopted. 
 
 In the spring of 1837 a village was laid out by 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 295 
 
 Dr. Isaac Gallaiid, agent of the New York Land Com- 
 pany, and was formally inaugurated and recorded as 
 "Keokuk." In 1840 the main portion of Keokuk 
 was a dense forest, and about a dozen log-cabins were 
 sufficient for the settlers. In 1847 the census gave 
 the population as six hundred and twenty. Keokuk 
 was incorporated as a city in December of this year, 
 and was governed by a mayor and aldermen. The first 
 school was opened by a shoemaker, named Jesse Cray- 
 ton, in 1833, who taught his few pupils and made 
 shoes for the villagers, without detriment to his trade 
 or his profession. 
 
 Keokuk is called the "Gate City,'' from its position 
 at the foot of the rapids and near the mouth of the 
 Des Moines River. It is situated about two hundred 
 miles above Saint Louis, and is about the same distance 
 from Chicago; stands on a high and commanding site 
 and is surrounded by a very productive country. The 
 population at present is about twenty-two thousand. 
 As evidence of its good sanitary condition, the bluffs 
 in its vicinity were known, it is said, among the In- 
 dians as the "Medicine Ground." The city possesses 
 the requisites of a substantial prosperity, its location 
 giving it many advantages. A fine iron bridge spans 
 the Mississippi at this point, combinhig a railroad, 
 wagon road and a foot bridge, which contributes; 
 doubtless, to a considerable extent, to the trade of 
 the city. Another substantial bridge crosses the Des 
 Moines River, and adds largely to the business interests 
 of Keokuk. The Government Canal is a grand work, 
 by means of which the dangers arising from rocks and 
 shoals in the rapids, that formerly interfered witli 
 navigation, are entirely obviated, and large vessels pass 
 
296 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 through in perfect safety on their way up and down 
 the river. The cost of the canal to the Government 
 was nearly four million dollars. The largest steam- 
 boats find ample room at Keokuk for loading and dis- 
 charging freight and passengers. A great inducement 
 to manufacturers to locate here is the valuable water- 
 power created by the Des Moines rapids, and there can 
 be little doubt that in due time this force will be taken 
 advantage of and Keokuk become an important manu- 
 facturing centre. 
 
 One of the national cemeteries is located in this city, 
 It is beautifully laid out and well kept, with marble 
 headstones on which are inscribed the names of the 
 soldiers who died during the Civil War in the Keokuk 
 Government Hospital. Extensive waterworks and 
 an effective fire-department have been provided 
 since 1875. There are over ten miles of water-mains, 
 and fifteen miles of macadamized streets, with good 
 side-walks sheltered from the sun in summer by the 
 foliage of countless shade-trees. The city contains a 
 free public library with nine hundred volumes, for 
 which a very handsome building has been provided. 
 There are over twenty churches of all denominations, 
 and eight school buildings with an enrolment of over 
 two thousand pupils. There is also a well-appointed 
 street railway, and a beautiful park has been opened 
 for the exercise and recreation of the citizens. Another 
 feature of Keokuk is an artesian well, throwing a 
 barrel of water a minute, the exterior of which is 
 highly ornamental. 
 
 The Buckeye Foundry and Machine-Shops were 
 established here in 1849, and employ a considerable 
 number of men in the manufacture of steam-engines, 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 297 
 
 mill machinery, all kinds of castings, car-wheels, etc. 
 A plow factory, also employing many hands, and a 
 barb-wire factory, have been located here since 1875, 
 and other manufactures are destined to follow in their 
 wake. 
 
 The situation of Keokuk at the foot of the rapids 
 has made her a port of considerable importance for 
 steamboats, which carry large quantities of grain and 
 other freight every season to Saint Louis and southern 
 ports on the river. Steamers touch here daily, some 
 bound through from Saint Paul, and others stopping 
 at Keokuk to discharge and take on freight and pas- 
 sengers. The fair-grounds are located at a convenient 
 distance from the city, are well inclosed and contain a 
 fine-art hall, mechanical and agricultural halls, amphi- 
 theatre, dining-rooms and every convenience for the 
 exhibition of stock. Seven railroads centre here, thus 
 offering every facility for transport and travel. 
 
 Prominent among the educational institutions of the 
 city is the College of Physicians and Surgeons, of the 
 practical success of which the citizens have much to say. 
 The building is a fine structure and occupies a central 
 position in the city. The oldest daily newspaper in 
 Keokuk, The Gate City, is an enterprising and wide- 
 awake sheet. The daily Constitution^ the leading 
 Democratic organ, has a large and increasing circu- 
 lation. 
 
 Keokuk, though small in comparison with some 
 cities on the river, has broad thoroughfares, handsome 
 and substantial buildings, occupies a beautiful locality, 
 and her citizens are justly proud of the progress she 
 has made since the day of Dr. Samuel C. Miner and 
 his Indian princess. 
 
298 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Private Kesidence 
 
 At Gregory , Missouri 
 September Thirtieth. 
 
 Wind up stream, with occasional showers in the 
 morning. Remained at Keokuk until four o'clock in 
 tlie afternoon, when, finding the weather favorable, we 
 floated down to the mouth of the Des Moines River. 
 This is the largest river of Iowa, and is formed by the 
 junction of two branches, known as the East and West 
 Forks, which rise in a chain of small lakes in south- 
 western Minnesota, and, flowing in a south-easterly 
 direction, unite in Humboldt County, Iowa. From 
 this junction it flows south-east, through the central 
 portion of the State, to its confluence with the Missis- 
 sippi, four miles below Keokuk. In its course of three 
 hundred miles the Des Moines drains ten thousand 
 square miles in Iowa, passing through an undulating, 
 fertile region, interspersed with tracts of prairie, rich in 
 coal and abounding in timber. Many flourishing towns 
 have sprung up along its banks, among which is Des 
 ?^Ioines, the capital of the State. Thf^ principal tribu- 
 taries from the west are the North, Middle, South and 
 Racoon rivers. The largest eastern branch is the 
 Boone, which rises in Hancock County. 
 
 Our object in moving from Keokuk at so late an 
 hour was not to insure better accommodations, but to 
 sleep on the soil of Missouri, place another State at our 
 backs, and subtract at least twelve miles from the 
 balance of our seaward journey. We found nothing 
 at Gregory worthy of attention except a supper, lodg- 
 ing and breakfast, if we omit numberless mud-holes, 
 caused by overflows of the river. 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 29^ 
 
 0n)£nt^-Beconlr TDag. 
 
 Tremont House, 
 
 Quiney, Illinois. 
 
 October First. 
 
 We shook the mnd of Gregory from our feet at 
 eight o'clock in the morning, and stepping into the 
 Alice started for Quiney. Weather warm and cloudy, 
 with mercury at 85° in the shade. Met several 
 steamers which were evidently on their way to points 
 on the Upper Mississippi. . A large flock of pelicans 
 were seen a few miles below Gregory, presenting a wall 
 of white as they stood in line on the beach a few hun- 
 dred yards in advance of us. Paine fired at them witn 
 his revolver, but without apparent eifect, except to 
 frighten them away. 
 
 Went ashore at Canton, Missouri. This town ia 
 twenty-two miles below Keokuk, and one hundred 
 and ninety-one above Saint Louis. It has a national 
 bank, a weekly paper, several flour and lumber mills, 
 and claims a population of between three and four 
 thousand. On returning to the landing we found a 
 large crowd admiring our canoe. One said: "Ain't 
 she a daisy ? '' Another remarked : " I reckon that 
 trick cost a heap of money ! '' A speculative bystander 
 inquired: "How much will you take for her, colonel?" 
 These were the first provincialisms we had noted since 
 leaving the Chippewa country, and we were not a little 
 amused by their oddity. 
 
 Dined at Lagrange, a pleasant village of Lewis 
 County, Missouri, eight miles below Canton and twelve 
 above Q,uincy. Here we found a college, a savings' 
 bank and a >%'eekly paper. 
 
300 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Quincy, the "Gem City" and the capital of Adams 
 County, is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi. 
 It stands on a limestone bluff, one hundred and twenty- 
 five feet above the river, commanding a most ])ic- 
 turesqueview of the country for several miles, and has 
 one of the best steamboat-landings to be found on the 
 Mississippi. It is one hundred and sixty miles above 
 Saint Louis, and ninety -five west of Springfield, the 
 capital of the State. 
 
 Quiiicy saw the first white settler establish himself 
 as a trader with the Indians in the year 1822. It was 
 not long before others followed, and in 1825 a town 
 was laid out, which in 1834 had attained sufficient 
 growth and importance to be incorporated. It received 
 its charter as a city in 1839, and now ranks in popula- 
 tion as the second city in the State of Illinois. It is 
 regularly laid out and well built, paved, watered and 
 lighted ; the business blocks being chiefly of brick, 
 well designed and substantial. The city has an exten- 
 sive river traffic; a splendid railroad bridge across the 
 Mississipj>i ; four well proportioned parks, providing 
 convenient breathing-places for the citizens, who crowd 
 them in the warm summer evenings; a fine fair-ground, 
 covering about eighty acres ; many elegant public and 
 private edifices; numerous manufactories, employing 
 about four thousand operatives, and producing an- 
 nually $10,000,000 worth of goods. Lines of horse- 
 cars traverse the leading thoroughfares. Many of the 
 private residences are spacious, elegantly and taste^ 
 fully planned, and surrounded by well-kept and very 
 beautiful grounds. Quincy has thirty churches; four 
 daily, one tri-woekly and seven weekly papers of dif- 
 ferent shades of politics Two hospitals and three 
 
BURLINGTON TO QUINCY. 301 
 
 asylums are among the benevolent institutions pro- 
 vided by the city for those in need of treatment. It 
 has a medical college of great value to the people ; 
 several academies and seminaries, besides the public 
 schools, which are nine in number, including a high 
 school, a grammar school, and intermediate and pri. 
 mary departments; the number of pupils in these being 
 about three thousand. A good city library is also 
 provided for the intellectual enjoyment of the citizens. 
 Two national and two other banks; a fine grain ele- 
 vator, and a large business in pork-packing and ice- 
 collecting; thirteen carriage and wagon manufactories; 
 eight iron foundries; eleven brickyards and eleven 
 flour-mills attest the commercial and manufacturing 
 importance af the *^ Gem City ; " which has also an 
 efficient police force and a well-organized fire depart- 
 ment. The present population of Quincy is estimated 
 at over thirty thousand. 
 20 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 QUINCY TO SAINT LOUIS. 
 
 Pbivate Residence, 
 
 Ha nnibal, Mi ssouri^ 
 
 October 2-4, 1881. 
 
 T was the custom of the voyage to spend 
 our Sundays in town, but having ar- 
 1^ ranged to meet my wife at Hannibal we 
 were again on the water at ten o'clock in 
 the morning, and, at the end of three hours, 
 had reached our destination, twenty miles 
 below Quincy. At Hannibal we remained three 
 days in the enjoyment of some approach to do- 
 mestic comfort. The change was a welcome relief to 
 both Paine and myself, and it was not without some 
 reluctance we renewed our acquaintance with the Alice. 
 This staunch little craft had, however, carried us thus 
 far in safety, and, with confidence in her virtues be- 
 gotten of experience, we again committed ourselves to 
 her care. 
 
 Hannibal is a busy commercial city in Marion 
 County, Missouri, on the west side of the river, one 
 hundred and forty-four miles above Saint Louis. Its 
 favorable position and extensive railroad connections 
 have contributed largely to its rapid growth and pros- 
 perity, the latter being clearly indicated by the large 
 (302) 
 
QUINCY TO SAINT LOUIS. 393 
 
 number of fine residences on the surrounding slopes. 
 The Mississippi is crossed here by a splendid iron 
 bridge adapted for railroad, wagon and passenger 
 travel. The city is rapidly increasing in extent and 
 importance, and is the supply-point for large quantities 
 of tobacco, pork, flour and other produce. The lead- 
 ing trade is in lumber with other parts of the State, as 
 well as with Kansas and Texas, and it claims to be 
 one of the most extensive lumber markets on the 
 western bank of the Mississippi. The manufactories 
 include iron foundries, car-shops, machine-shops, sev- 
 eral large tobacco works, beef-curing establishments, 
 saw-mills, flour-mills, and the lumber yards are fifteen 
 in number. Coal and limestone abornd in the vicinity, 
 and the manufacture of lime is a prominent industry. 
 It possesses a city hall, a Catholic seminary, several 
 good public schools, including a high school, and daily 
 and weekly newspapers. Hannibal College was estab- 
 lished in 1868, under the auspices of the Methodist 
 Episcopal Church, South, and is in a flourishing con- 
 dition. The present population is about fifteen thou- 
 sand, and everything about the city wears the aspect 
 of industrial prosperity. 
 
 Grant Hotel, 
 
 Cincinnati^ Illinois^ 
 
 October Fifth. 
 
 I should fail to interest the reader were I to attempt 
 a description of some of the villages and hamlets passed 
 in the descent of the Mississippi. Many of these places 
 do not possess even a local interest, and the eye soon 
 wearies of the air of desolation and monotony that 
 
304 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 characterizes the majority of them. The guide-books 
 dispose of these doubtful landmarks with a little dry 
 detail, and rarely recommend the tourist to allot them 
 the compliment of a passing notice. 
 
 One peculiarity, however, may be noted, and that is 
 the ambition displayed by the pioneers of civilization 
 in the West in naming villages and hamlets, which, 
 with few exceptions, are still of little importance, aftei 
 the great cities of the Eastern States, and also of foreign 
 lands. These names, which occupy such prominence 
 on the maps, excite the curiosity of the traveler, and 
 when the reality dawns upon him, and he scans their 
 narrow limits, their commonplace architecture and 
 usually unattractive surroundings, it has a depressing 
 effect, and he wonders, after all, if there is anything in 
 a name. We find upon the map the name and indica- 
 tion of a city, but it proves on acquaintance to be the 
 most uninteresting of hamlets, though bearing so re- 
 spectable a name as that of " Cincinnati." 
 
 0ex)ent2-0et)cutl] SBag. 
 
 Cap Au Gris House, 
 
 Cap Au Gris, Missouri^ 
 
 October Sixth. 
 
 We had resolved upon an early start from " Cincin- 
 nati," but from six to eight o'clock everything was 
 enveloped in a dense fog, which gradually disappeared 
 as the day advanced. At nine o'clock we pushed off 
 and found the weather favorable, as is usually the case 
 on the river after heavy fogs. 
 
 Disembarked at Clarksville, on the west or Missouri 
 side, where we had an excellent dinner at a restaurant, 
 and then walked through the town, which we discovered 
 
QUINCY TO SAINT LOUIS. 305 
 
 to be a place of some enterprise. It is forty miles be- 
 low Hannibal, and one hundred and two above Saint 
 Louis. We noticed a bank, several flour-mills, and 
 other factories. 
 
 Hamburg, Illinois, and Falmouth, Missouri, were 
 seen, but from their appearance from the river we con= 
 eluded they were great only in name. 
 
 It had been our aim to make a landing by seven 
 o'clock, but becoming somewhat confused by a cluster 
 of islands a few miles below Falmouth, knowing noth- 
 ing of the river or country in our front, and moreover, 
 completely enshrouded in darkness, we were, for nearly 
 two hours, in a most unenviable position. To cap the 
 climax, as we were passing the last island of the group, 
 a large steamer was sighted coming up the river at a 
 high rate of speed. This circumstance gave us con- 
 siderable anxiety for a time, as we were unable to di- 
 vine \Yhether her course would be to the right or left 
 of the island. Dropping the paddles across the canoe, 
 we carefully watched the movements of this "midnight 
 apparition," as she came tearing along unmindful of 
 the peril to which she exposed two anxious canoeists 
 but a few yards ahead of her. A flash of lightning 
 revealed to us that our present adversary was none 
 other than our old up-river acquaintance, the Gem Cityj 
 presumably on her way to Saint Paul. It was a beau- 
 tiful thing — this river giant with her red, green and 
 electric lights — beautiful to look upon, though, under 
 the circumstances of our relative positions, not particu- 
 larly inspiriting to the captain and crew of the Alice, 
 who were greatly relieved when they found themselves 
 rocking in the wake of her huge sidewheels. 
 
 It was now after eight o'clock, and the thought 
 
306 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 Uppermost in our minds was where we could effect a 
 landing and secure lodging, for the current was so strong 
 and the banks so steep and crumbling in this quarter 
 as to render disembarking exceedingly precarious. 
 At last a glimmering light was discovered, apparently 
 at a farm-house on the west bank, which we straight- 
 way attempted to reach, but making a miscalculation a» 
 to the strength of the current, which was very power- 
 ful, were carried a considerable distance below, striking 
 the shore a few yards above another farm-house on the 
 jsame side. Everything now seemed favorable, but it 
 was only an illusion. On approaching the house we 
 were met by a rough-looking man and two or three 
 boys, accompanied by several dogs — the man armed 
 with a shot-gun. Our sudden and unseasonable ap- 
 pearance on his premises had aroused suspicion, and 
 we were bluntly told that he had no accommodation 
 for "river tramps." We endeavored to explain, but 
 to no purpose. It appeared that a party of highway- 
 men had been captured some days previously on the 
 islands opposite his farm, and this circumstance un- 
 doubtedly prompted him in repeating that he had no 
 lodgings for strangers. Money was of course tendered, 
 but refused. The only advantage gained from this 
 interview was the cheering information that Cap Au 
 Gris was fifteen miles below I 
 
 Returning to our canoe we pushed off, resolved upon 
 another effort to pass the remainder of the night on 
 shore. Soon a light was seen in a bend on the Illinois 
 side ; crossing the river, we found an easy landing and 
 hastened up to farm-house " ISTo. 3." Here we found 
 more men and fewer dogs than on the Missouri side ; 
 but after some minutes' parley it became evident that 
 
QUIXCr TO SAINT LOUTS. 397 
 
 our mission was fruitless, for the same reason appar- 
 ently as that which had influenced our Missouri friend, 
 and we again returned reluctantly to our canoe, de- 
 termined to keep a sharp look-out for Cap Au Gris, 
 which, to our great joy, was reached a few minutes be- 
 fore twelve o'clock. 
 
 Wii will not say anything of Cap Au Gris that is 
 likely to make its enlightened citizens feel uncomfort- 
 able. We were glad to reach its hospitable shores 
 after several hours of peril and to receive a welcome at 
 its leading " liotel." Let us simply say, therefore, 
 that it stands on the banks of the mighty Mississippi. 
 It is to be hoped it will always stand there. But it 
 occurred to the writer — from the rapidity with which 
 the river is now cutting down its banks — that its 
 scattered remains will soon be found not far from 
 the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 Empire House, 
 
 Alton, Illinois, 
 
 October Seventh. 
 
 Although we did not retire to our rooms at Cap 
 Au Gris until after midnight, we had an early break- 
 fast, for there was much to be seen and noted in our 
 journey to Alton. The mouth of the Illinois River 
 was passed between ten and eleven o'clock. We had 
 very naturally looked forward to the confluence of this 
 tributary with the Mississippi as one of the events in 
 our voyage; for it was here, two hundred years ago, 
 that the illustrious La Salle and his heroic followers 
 firht beheld the Great River, in which their higheit 
 hopes for New France were centred. 
 
S08 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 The Illinois, whose entire course is through the 
 State of the same name, is formed by the junction of 
 the Kankakee and Des Plaines rivers in Grundy 
 County, about forty-five miles south-west of Lake 
 Michigan. It passes Peoria, the most important city 
 on its banks ; Pekin, Havana, Beardstown, and 
 Naples; and enters the Mississippi between Calhoun 
 and Jersey counties, twenty miles above the mouth of 
 the Missouri. It is about five hundred miles long, 
 and is navigable for two hundred and forty-five. 
 Water communication between the great lakes and the 
 Mississippi is aiforded by a canal, reaching from the 
 mouth of the Vermilion, a tributary of the Illinois in 
 La Salle County — where the latter is obstructed by 
 rapids — to Chicago, a distance of ninety-six miles. 
 
 Here it may be stated that the name of this State 
 was formerly bestowed upon all that vast tract of 
 country which lies north and west of the Ohio, and 
 was derived from the Illini, or Illinois, a tribe which 
 possessed the country on the banks of the Illinois 
 River. The name is said by Hennepin to signify a 
 full-grown man. The first settlements within the 
 present limits of the State were made by the French. 
 La Salle set out from Canada on his adventurous en- 
 terprise in search of the Mississippi in the year 1680, 
 in company with Father Hennepin, and descended the 
 Illinois River from its source. He then returned to 
 Canada, and in 1682 came back with a number of 
 volunteers and founded the settlement of Kaskaskia — 
 now included in Randolph County — and others. At 
 the commencement of the eighteenth century these 
 settlements are said to have been in a flourishing 
 condition. 
 
QUINCY TO SAINT LOUIS. 30 
 
 At the conclusion of hostilities between the French 
 and English in 1763, the Illinois country, with 
 Canada, was ceded to the British Government. In 
 1778, during the Revolutionary War, the Virginia 
 militia made an incursion through the Indian country 
 and subjugated Kaskaskia and other posts of the Brit- 
 ish on the Mississippi; and during the same year the 
 Legislature of Virginia organized a county in this re- 
 mote region, called "Illinois." This territory was 
 afterwards ceded by Virginia to the United States. 
 In 1800, it was included within the limits of Indiana 
 Territory, and at that time the country that forms the 
 present State of Illinois contained about three thou- 
 sand inhabitants. After the year 1800, the popula- 
 tion increased rapidly from immigration. In 1809 a 
 territorial government was established, and the popu- 
 lation the following year amounted to over twelve 
 thousand. In 1818, Illinois was received into the 
 Union as the twenty-second State. 
 
 Nature has given this great State immense aavan- 
 tages for inland navigation. On its northern borders 
 it has, for some distance, the waters of Lake Michigan. 
 On its north-west frontier, it has Rock River, a 
 tributary of the Mississippi. On its whole western 
 front it is washed by the Mississippi, and on its 
 southern by the Ohio. On the east it is bounded by 
 the Wabash. Through its centre winds, in one di- 
 rection, the Illinois ; and in another direction the Kas- 
 kaskia flows through the State ; and such is the inter- 
 section of Illinois by its boatable streams, that no 
 town in it is far from a point of river communication 
 either with Lake Michigan, the Mississippi, the Ohio, 
 or the Illinois. The Mississippi forms the western 
 
310 DOWN THE GREAT lilVER. 
 
 boundary of the State through its whole length from 
 north to south, a distance, by. the curvatures of the 
 stream, of not far from six hundred miles. 
 
 From the mouth of the Illinois, whose waters 
 seemed to make little impression on the majestic river 
 on which we were floating, we paddled down to the 
 city of Alton, a distance of twenty miles. Here we 
 found convenient accommodation while waiting up our 
 notes of the journey. 
 
 In the year 1807, some Frenchmen from Saint 
 Louis, erected a small building on this spot. They 
 traded with the Indians, and the solitary building 
 combined store, office and residence for these pioneers 
 during several months of succeeding years, until, in 
 1817, the site was selected for a town, and named 
 Alton. It is situated on the left bank of the Missis- 
 sippi about twenty -four miles above Saint Louis. In 
 1870, the population of Alton comprised eight thou- 
 sand eight hundred and sixty-five souls, and at pres- 
 ent is about ten thousand. The city is long and nar- 
 row — its length along the river being nearly three 
 miles and its average breadth only one mile and a half. 
 
 Alton is divided about its centre by a stream called 
 Piasa Creek, which has its source in several springs 
 within the city limits. This stream is arched over 
 and is used as a main sewer. 
 
 The chief seats of business are found in the valley 
 of this stream, and in the bottom lauds along the Mis- 
 sissippi. Irregular bluffs, the highest being about two 
 hundred and twenty-five feet above the river, raise their 
 heads on each side of the valley, and give a picturesque 
 appearance to the scenery. The city is built on the 
 limestone rock, which is honeycombed with numerous 
 
QUINCY TO SAINT LOUIS. 311 
 
 caves, and along the banks of the river the rock forms 
 perpendicular bluifs. 
 
 A rich farming country surrounds Alton. Three rail- 
 roads and the river connect it with all parts of the coun- 
 try, and manufactories of various kinds are abundant. 
 Among these are iron-foundries, woolen-mills, flour- 
 mills, glass-works, a castor-oil-mill, planing-mills, 
 several lumber-yards and steam saw-mills, and agri- 
 cultural implement factories. Lime and building 
 stone of a very superior quality, are largely exported 
 from Alton. A steam-ferry conveys passengers and 
 freight to the opposite shore of the river. A large 
 Roman Catholic Cathedral and several churches of 
 the various denominations of Protestants are con- 
 spicuous objects throughout the city. The State Pen- 
 itentiary, established here in 1827, was removed some 
 years since to Joliet. The buildings are still in ex- 
 istence and were utilized during the Rebellion as a 
 government prison of war. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 
 
 Trip from Alton — In and Aj-ound the Oity. 
 
 WO much has been said by early and recent 
 travelers concerning the turbulent char- 
 acter of the Missouri, the greatest tribu- 
 )^ tary of the Father of Waters, that he 
 who approaches its mouth for the first time 
 in a frail skiff or canoe expects, if not well 
 on his guard, to be sent whirling to the bottom 
 — his effects mingling with the muddy current 
 of the river. Imagine, therefore, our surprise, on 
 reaching the confluence of these giants of running 
 streams, to see them peacefully unite their mighty 
 floods, creating scarcely a ripple on the surface ! One 
 cannot fail to be impressed with the majesty of the 
 Mississippi as he observes the ease and grace with 
 which she receives her numberless tributaries, many of 
 them the most important rivers of North America. 
 So quietly do some ofthese rivers enter the parent stream 
 that the voyager might often pass their point of junc- 
 tion without realizing that a new accession had been 
 made to the great body on which he is floating. 
 
 The Missouri, as we have said, is the largest and 
 most important of the many tributaries of the Missis- 
 sippi. It takes its rise in the Rocky Mountains, in 
 (312) 
 
THREE DAYS AT SAINT LCUIS. 313 
 
 Montana Territory, over three thousand miles from 
 its mouth. The springs which give rise to the Mis- 
 souri are less than a mile distant from the head-waters 
 of the Columbia, which flows west into the Pacific 
 Ocean. The Yellowstone River is probably the largest 
 tributary of the Missouri, and enters it from the south- 
 west. At its junction with the Missouri it is eight 
 hundred yards wide. Steamboats ascend the Missoun 
 to the Yellowstone, a distance of over eighteen hundred 
 miles. The Great Falls of tlie Missouri are five hun- 
 dred and twenty-one miles from its source. The river 
 descends by a succession of rapids and falls three hun- 
 dred and fifty-seven feet in about sixteen miles. The 
 lower and greatest fall has a perpendicular pitch of 
 eighty-seven feet. The principal tributaries, next to 
 the Yellowstone, are the Little Missouri, Big Chey- 
 enne, White Earth, Niobrara, Nebraska, Kansas and 
 Osage, on the right ; and the Milk, Dakota, Big Sioux, 
 Little Sioux and Grand, on the left. These tributaries 
 are each navigable from one hundred to eight hun- 
 dred miles. The Missouri throughout the greater 
 part of its course is a rapid and muddy stream. It is 
 over half a mile wide at its mouth, and through the 
 greater part of its course it is wider. In the winter it 
 is frozen so hard as to be safely crossed by loaded 
 wagons for a number of weeks. 
 
 Missouri was visited by Marquette and Joliet in 
 1673, and the first settlement was made at Saint 
 Genevieve, twelve miles above Chester, in 1755. The 
 territory was purchased by the United States from the 
 French, in 1803, as a part of Louisiana. In 1821, 
 'Missouri was admitted into the Union as the twenty- 
 fourth State. Earlv in the Civil War, Governor 
 
314 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Jackson issued a proclamation declaring the State out 
 of the Union. Major-General Ereemont declared 
 martial law throughout the State August thirty-first, 
 1861. In the early part of 1862, the Confederate troops 
 held half of Missouri. The Missourians furnished 
 108,773 soldiers to the Federal side during the war. 
 
 We found the current of the Mississippi below the 
 mouth of the Missouri much stronger than we had 
 observed it to be since passing the Keokuk Rapids. 
 Thus favored we made swift progress toward Saint 
 Louis, touching the west bank in the vicinity of the 
 Union Stock Yards, near the northern limits of the city, 
 at eleven o'clock. Here we dined at the Union Stock 
 Yards' Hotel, afterward visiting the yards and talking 
 with stock dealers. At three o'clock we were again in 
 our canoe floating along the city front. 
 
 About a mile below the stock yards we were sig- 
 naled from the shore and on pulling in discovered that 
 a number of friends and acquaintances, together with 
 several members of city boat-clubs, including the 
 "Modocs," ^^ Excelsiors," and "Westerns," had come 
 up the river to escort us down to the club-rooms of 
 the " Excelsiors," where we were surprised and grati- 
 fied to learn that arrangements had been made to re- 
 ceive and entertain us. 
 
 It appeared that much interest had been awakened 
 through the press of Saint Louis, which had followed 
 us to the source of the Mississippi and back to our last 
 launch at Alton. As we passed the shipping moored 
 to the wharves, whistles were blown, and the crowds on 
 shore voiced a hearty welcome and showed a kindly 
 interest in our undertaking, which we had not looked 
 for and which^ for a time, quite bewildered us. 
 
THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 317 
 
 On reaching the "Excelsior'' boat-house landing 
 at the foot of Anna Street, we were met by representa- 
 tives of the press, who were in pursuit of information 
 bearing upon our voyage and purpose. 
 
 Desiring quiet, and an opportunity to see and study 
 the varied industries of this great city, we avoided 
 hotels, and sought the seclusion of a private residence, 
 where we remained three days, and during this in- 
 terval visited nearly every object of interest to the 
 tourist. 
 
 Saint Louis is to-day the great metropolis of the 
 Mississippi Valley, while its history takes us back to 
 the early days of romance and discovery. Both Mar- 
 quette and Joliet explored the Mississippi past the 
 city's present site, and were followed by Hennepin and 
 Dugay. La Salle in 1682 traversed the same route. 
 In 1764, Pierre Auguste Laclede ascended the river 
 from New Orleans and, being a merchant, established 
 a trading-post on the site of the present city, and 
 erected a few wooden huts near the present Old Market 
 Square. From this point lead ore and wild game 
 were shipped to New Oi-leans, and soon after, wheat, 
 raised in Illinois, was added to the commerce. The 
 furs were generally shipped to Canada and thence to 
 Europe ; and it required four years to make the returns. 
 
 In 1776, Pierre Laclede Liguest received a grant of 
 land for the city of Saint Louis, so named in honor of 
 King Louis XIV. of France. Saint Louis, in com- 
 mon with the rest of Louisiana, had passed under 
 Si)anish rule in 1769, the Spaniards having taken pos- 
 session a year later. In 1780, the little frontier town 
 was attacked by fifteen hundred Indians and forty 
 British, and suffered severely at their hands. In 1785^ 
 21 
 
318 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 the Mississippi rose to an unprecedented height and, 
 sweeping over its banks, then unprotected by a levee, 
 did great damage and threatened to destroy the town. 
 
 Up to the beginning of the present century, the in- 
 .habitants of this small city in the wilderness were 
 principally French — a happy, careless people, who 
 allowed the burdens of to-day to sit as lightly as pos- 
 sible upon them, and troubled themselves little about 
 those of to-morrow. Yet, situated as they were, many 
 hundreds of miles from the civilization of both the East 
 and the South, and surrounded by the hostile bands 
 of Indians, sometimes with starvation staring them in 
 the face, they endured incredible hardships and suffer- 
 ings, the memory of which is still retained in the names 
 of some of the older streets. 
 
 In 1790, Dr. Andrew Todd was authorized by the 
 Spanish government to prosecute an extensiv^e trade 
 with the Indians of the Missouri River, and made his 
 headquarters at Saint Louis. In 1803, Louisiana 
 having been ceded to the United States, Saint Louis 
 came under the control of this country. In 1808, 
 the Missouri Fur Company was founded with a capi- 
 tal of $40,000. One year later, John Jacob Astor and 
 Company set out from Saint Louis on an expedition 
 to the Pacific Ocean ; and ten years later the company 
 established a commercial house in the city, which was 
 mainly the source of Astor's early wealth. The Mis- 
 souri Fur Company having dissolved, another fur 
 company was organized in 1819. In 1823, General 
 Ashley entered from Saint Louis into the Indian 
 trade of the Rocky Mountains, and discovered the 
 famous South Pass to the Pacific. At the time of 
 General Ashley the fur business was a very perilous 
 
THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 319 
 
 one. Two-fifths of the men perished, some bting 
 drowned, others killed by hostile Indians, and still 
 others devoured by white bears. Yet adventurous 
 men were not lacking to take their chances in the pur- 
 suit. This branch of commerce, however, enriched the 
 little town and gave her a prosperous foundation, upon 
 which the fortuitous circumstances of the present century 
 favored the building up of a great and prosperous city. 
 
 During the early period of her history, French was 
 almost the only language spoken in Saint Louis, and 
 the business men were Frenchmen. The farmers and 
 boatmen were also French, and agriculture and navi- 
 gation were carried on according to French systems. 
 The inhabitants of the town cultivated, in common, a 
 large field to the west of the city, which supplied them 
 with wheat and corn for bread. They had also numer- 
 ous and excellent stock. In 1807, Saint Louis wa3 as 
 much a French village in population and general ap- 
 pearance as though located in France. The following 
 is a description of the dress of the people given Vy a 
 historian : 
 
 " The dress of the people, male and female, was for- 
 eign to an American. The voyageurs, comneurs du 
 hois, and the farmers, scarcely ever wore a hat, but tied 
 around their heads a cotton handkerchief. The white- 
 blanket-coat was the general Tyear in winter, and in 
 summer a cotton white shirt, or red woolen one, was 
 about all the garment the masses wore, except panta- 
 loons of buckskin in the winter, and colored cotton in 
 the summer. In the cold weather the masses generally 
 wore moccasins on their feet, and in summer they used 
 the same on their bare feet. It was common for the 
 males to wear a belt around them, winter and summer. 
 
320 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 wherein was fastened a pouch, generally made of seal- 
 skin with the hair on, containing tobacco, a pipe, and 
 a flint and steel ; so that they could enjoy the genial 
 luxury of smoking at any place or time. This habit 
 was almost universal in olden times with the French 
 male population. In the belt was also suspended a 
 butcher-knife, and often a small hatchet. Thus 
 equipped, a Frenchman, with a clay pipe in his mouth, 
 Vas prepared for the Rocky Mountains, or a hunt in 
 the neighborhood for raccoons and opossums." 
 
 The merchants and wealthy classes dressed well, and 
 deported themselves like gentlemen. The women 
 were always dressed neatly and tastefully, and paid 
 careful attention to their appearance. They did not 
 labor in the fields. 
 
 The dwellings were built after French models, and 
 barns stood thick on the present Third street. These 
 barns were very simply built by planting cedar posts 
 in the ground, filling up the intervals with puncheons 
 of split Cottonwood, and thatching the roofs. In these 
 barns were stowed away the wheat from the common 
 field, and hay cut from the prairie. 
 
 Small round towers constructed of sods, extended 
 quite around the town, and were the remains of forti- 
 fications erected during the Spanish dominion to defend 
 it against the English and the Indians. A bluff of 
 perpendicular rock, twenty or thirty feet high, ex- 
 tended from the foot of Chestnut Street up the river 
 bank and was not removed until a considerably later 
 period. The first ferry, which was established in 1 796, 
 was composed of rude canoes, known as dug-outs. 
 When horses and wagons crossed, two large canoes 
 were lashed together, and a platform placed on them. 
 
TBBEE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 321 
 
 At this period the population was exclusively 
 Catholic, that church having from its earliest history 
 planted itself in the town. In 1818, the first Baptist 
 Church was built, and in 1820, the first Methodist 
 organized and the first Episcopal Church was erected^ 
 In 1812, the first session of the State legislature was 
 convened at Saint Louis. 
 
 The city at the beginning of the century depended 
 almost wholly upon the fur trade ; but the Saint Louis 
 of to-day profits by the vast mineral and agricultural 
 resources of the State, and by the commerce of the 
 Valley of the Mississippi, which is now a compara- 
 tively densely populated region. When La Motte, 
 the royal governor of Louisiana appointed in 1712, 
 was ordered to assist the agents of Crozat in establish- 
 ing trading-posts on the Mississippi and its tributaries, 
 he wrote back to the ministry : " I have seen Crozat's 
 instructions to his agents. I thought they issued 
 from a lunatic-asylum, and there appeared to me to 
 be no more sense in them than in the Apocalypse. 
 What! is it expected that for any commercial or profit- 
 able purpose boats will ever be able to run up the 
 Mississippi into the Wabash, the Missouri or the Red 
 River? One might as well try to bite a slice off the 
 moon ! Not only are those rivers as rapid as the 
 Rhone, but in their crooked course they imitate to per- 
 fection a snake^s undulations. Hence, for instance, on 
 every turn of the Mississippi it would be necessary to 
 wait for a change of wind, if wind could be had ; be- 
 cause this river is so lined with thick woods, that very 
 little wind has access to its bed." 
 
 Could it be possible for the shade of La Motte to 
 look down upon his late domain from his celestial 
 
32^ J)OWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 abode, he would see many things to astonish his 
 ghostly excellency, all accomplished in little more than 
 a century and a half. He would see many great and 
 populous cities on the banks of the Great River, and 
 myriads of water craft of every description, not only 
 proceeding down the river aided by the current, but 
 strange vessels, unlike anything of his time, ])uffing 
 smoke and steam out of their nostrils, proceeding 
 directly up the stream, regardless of either wind or 
 current, with a speed and by a means of locomotion 
 which would seem to him, if he possessed only his 
 eighteenth century knowledge, allied to sorcery. 
 
 The application of steam as a motive power, has 
 made Saint Louis what it is — the great inland city of 
 the continent. Without it, she may have sent her 
 loads of furs, metals, and grain down the river to New 
 Orleans, but would have received litile in return. In 
 1817, the first steamboat, the General Pike stopped 
 at her landing. Since that time, her progress has 
 been rapid and certain. In 1811, her population was 
 but fourteen hundred. In 1850 it had increased to 
 nearly seventy-five thousand ; while in 1880 it had more 
 than quadrupled, being set down by the census at 
 350,522. Now, a thousand steamboats speed up and 
 down the Father of Waters and his tributaries, to bring 
 produce to be reshipped from this port. 
 
 The State of Missouri is very rich in minerals. 
 Lead, kaolin, iron, copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel and 
 magnesia, all furnish material to keep busy the im- 
 mense and numerous factories which have been estab- 
 lished in Saint Louis, and furnish employment to 
 about fifty thousand workmen. A large portion of 
 Pilot Knob, which is five hundred and eighty-one f^^i 
 
THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 323 
 
 high, is pure iron ore, and it is estimated that a single 
 stratum will furnish nearly ten millions of tons, while 
 there are several strata above, and at least one below. 
 The iron ore in the region of Pilot Knob and Iron 
 Mountain it is computed will furnish a million tons 
 per year of manufactured iron for the next two hun- 
 dred years. And most of the iron will be manufac- 
 tured, or at least shipped from Saint Louis, furnishing 
 an immense business and a proportionately large source 
 of revenue. The limestone, sandstone, and granite of 
 the State also furnish excellent building material for 
 the houses and blocks of the city. 
 
 The agricultural resources of Missouri are also very 
 great. The State furnishes large numbers of hogs and 
 cattle, which are slaughtered and disposed of in Saint 
 Louis; while breadstuffs, provisions, hay and lumber 
 are constantly being received and shipped. It is one 
 of the first cities in the Union in the manufacture of 
 flour, the wheat being grown on the fertile prairie land 
 of Missouri, Iowa and Kansas. 
 
 Saint Louis presents a fine appearance from the 
 river. First, there is upon the river itself a city of 
 steamboats, tugboats and flatboats, ranged in front of 
 the levee, which rises high above low-water mark, 
 and higher than all but the highest high-water mark, 
 reached, perhaps, but once in a century. The great 
 Saint Louis Bridge proudly stretches across the Mis- 
 sissippi, making three broad leaps in crossing. The 
 ct'utre span is five hundred and twenty feet in width ; 
 II lid the tw^o side ones are each five hundred feet, the 
 arches rising sixty feet, and permitting the largest 
 steamboats to pass under them. This bridge was de- 
 signed by Captain James B. Eads, now famous as the 
 
324 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 builder of the Jetties at the mouth of the Mississippi j 
 was begun in 1869 and completed in 1874. It con- 
 tains two tiers of tracks, the lower tier being for 
 steam-cars and the upper one for horse-cars, carriages 
 and pedestrians. 
 
 On the right bank of the river rises, terrace after 
 terrace, the Saint Louis of to-day, differing no less in 
 characteristics and people than in size from the Saint 
 Louis of three-quarters of a century ago. Front street 
 is one hundred feet wide, and extends along the levee. 
 The streets running north and south are numbered 
 west of Front street; while those running east and 
 west, and terminating at the river, have arbitrary names 
 given them. Front, Second, and Main streets are the 
 principal wholesale avenues, and are lined with im- 
 mense warehouses. Fourth street contains the most 
 fashionable retail stores, and is the favorite prome- 
 nade. The longest street is Grand avenue, running 
 for twelve miles parallel with the river. Thirty years 
 ago Carondelet was a separate suburb on the river 
 bank, to the southward, but is now included in the 
 city, the entire intervening space' having been built 
 upon. Washington and Chouteau avenues, Lucas 
 Place, and Pine, Olive and Locust streets contain the 
 finest residences. 
 
 The Missouri Gazette was the first newspaper estab- 
 lished west of the Mississippi, having made its appear 
 ancein July, 1808, its publisher being Joseph Charless. 
 This was the beginning of the Missouri Republican ^ 
 of which Mr. Charless was one of the proprietors up to 
 the time of his death. The second weekly appeared in 
 1815. There are now more than sixty papers issued 
 in the city, including dailies, weeklies and monthlies. 
 
THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 325 
 
 They are anioMg; the most ably conducted and widely 
 circulated in the country. The Post Dispatch is one 
 of the youngest of these, and at the same time one of 
 the brightest and most enterprising. It prints three dif- 
 ferent editions, and is prompt in securing the freshest 
 and most readable news. The Missouri Republican is 
 not only the oldest paper of the city, but one of the 
 leading papers of the country. It represents the in- 
 terests of the Democratic party and has a very large 
 circulation. The Globe-Democrat is Republican in its 
 politics and a power in the party. The Critic and 
 Spectator are both enterprising daily papers, and there 
 are, in addition, two German dailies, three German 
 weeklies, one French weekly, and one Spanish news- 
 paper, published monthly. Agricultural, literary, re- 
 ligious, commercial, legal, medical and educational 
 publications complete the list. 
 
 The Catholic church, although it has lost, to a cer- 
 tain extent, the supremacy which it first held over the 
 city, is still represented by a large class of the popula- 
 tion, and has a number of sacred buildings, while there 
 are numerous charitable institutions under its control. 
 The Cathedral, in Walnut street, between Second and 
 Third, is one of the finest ecclesiastical structures in 
 the city. Its lofty spire contains a fine chime of bells. 
 The Sisters of Charity conduct a hospital which has 
 accommodation for four hundred patients ; and there 
 tire also a Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and a Convent of 
 the Good Shepherd for the reformation of fallen women, 
 in charge of Catholic orders. 
 
 Germans form a goodly proportion of the population 
 of the city, and are, for the most part, orderly, indus- 
 trious and intelligent. During the war of the Rebel- 
 
326 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 lion they proved themselves thoroughly loyal to the 
 National Government and secured Saint Louis and, 
 through it, the State from the evils of secession ; and 
 in this city the first military movements of the West 
 were made. The population is largely made up of 
 imnjigrants from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, 
 these States being on the same parallels as Missouri, 
 although latterly other sections of the country have 
 become represented. 
 
 No one who visits Saint Louis should fail to see 
 Shawns Garden, one of the most interesting parks in 
 the country, embracing an area of one hundred and 
 four acres. It is owned and has been planned and 
 perfected by Mr. Shaw, who intends to present it to 
 the city. Ten acres are devoted to flowers and shrub- 
 bery of every known variety, a number of greenhouses 
 sheltering tropical plants and other exotics. Fruits 
 of every kind occupy six acres, and twenty-five acres 
 furnish ample space for every kind of ornamental tree 
 which will grow in this latitude. The labyrinth leads 
 through a maze of hedge-bordered pathways to a sum- 
 mer-house in the centre ; and there are a museum and 
 a botanical library in connection with the Garden. 
 During the week the grounds are open to the public, but 
 on Sunday only strangers are admitted, who must pro- 
 cure tickets for the privilege. 
 
 The annual exhibition of the Agricultural and Me- 
 chanical Association of Saint Louis is the great feature 
 of the city. Fair week, which is usually the first 
 week in October, sees the city filled with strangers 
 from every section of the State. The fair-grounds em- 
 brace eighty -five acres, and are three miles north-west 
 of the Court House. 
 
Entrance TO S HAWS Garden 
 
 'M||||lil|!||K5W'^- 
 
 ' llilAFWETTEPAF^K; 
 
 VIEWS IN SAINT LOUIS. 
 
THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 327 
 
 Saint Louis has two thousand acres of public parks, 
 admirably laid out and adorned with fountains and 
 statuary. Forest Park embraces one thousand three 
 hundred and fifty acTCS, and is four miles west of the 
 Court House. The Des Peres River runs through it, 
 and it is, to a great extent, still covered with the primi- 
 tive forest. Northern Park, containing one hundred 
 and eighty acres, is on the bluffs north of the city. 
 There are a number of smaller parks or squares scat- 
 tered through the city, prominent among which is 
 Lafayette Park, containing bronze statues of Wasliing- 
 ton and Benton. The memory of Benton is greatly 
 honored, Saint Louis being very proud of its citizen, 
 the statesman who for so many years called this city 
 his home. 
 
 Saint Louis is a handsome city, architecturally 
 speaking, though there is a lack of that grand archi- 
 tectural display which is found in some of our western 
 cities. The buildings are chiefly of stone or brick, and 
 are, many of them, fine, though, as a whole, they are 
 substantially rather than showily built. The finest 
 public edifice is the Court House, occupying an entire 
 square, and built of Genevieve limestone. It is in 
 the form of a Greek cross, surmounted by a lofty iron 
 dome, and each front is adorned with a handsome 
 Doric portico. The Chamber of Commerce is the 
 finest building of the kind in the country. It is built 
 of gray limestone, is two hundred and fifty-five feet 
 long, one hundred and eighty-seven feet wide, and 
 five stories in height. The new Custom House and 
 Post Office, at the corner of Eighth and Olive streets, 
 is a very handsome edifice, occupying an entire block. 
 It is built of Maine granite, with rose-colored granite 
 
328 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 trimmings, and its cost was about five million dollars. 
 The Republican building, at the corner of Third and 
 Chestnut streets, is one of the finest and most com- 
 pletely appointed newspaper offices in the country, 
 and speaks well fi^r the financial success of that news- 
 paper. The city contains many handsome churches, 
 among which the Jewish Temple, at the corner of 
 Seventeenth and Pine streets, is one of the most con- 
 spicuous for its beauty. 
 
 The Elevator, at the foot of Ashley street, is one of 
 the largest in the country, having a capacity of two 
 millions of bushels. The levee is one of the most 
 interesting features of the city. It is a hundred feet 
 wide, facing the river with a solid wall of masonry; 
 and here we find continual bustle and the busy activity 
 of an immense commerce. In front of this levee, from 
 early spring until early winter, while navigation is 
 open upon the Mississippi, immense numbers of boats 
 are daily seen, loading and unloading, discharging and 
 taking on board their many passengers, coming and 
 going. While the river is locked by ice during a 
 brief season in the winter, these boats are securely 
 fastened to the levee. Yet, with all the precautions 
 which may be taken, when the ice breaks up in early 
 spring, it is very common for some of them to be 
 crushed like egg-shells between the floes. 
 
 Saint Louis is the great commercial depot of the 
 Mississippi. Lying almost in the centre of the vast 
 Mississippi Valley, it is connected by commerce with 
 all the towns and cities above and below it and on the 
 remotest tributaries of the Great River. As the West 
 is developed, so will the magnitude and prosperity of 
 this city increase. Lying equally between the North 
 
THREE DAYS AT SAINT LOUIS. 
 
 329 
 
 and South, the East and West, she will always main- 
 tain her present cosmopolitan character, uniting people 
 of all sections and all nationalities; and in this com- 
 mingling, and eventual blending of families and races, 
 she will become more thoroughly American, in the 
 broadest signification of that wci^I 
 
 . — -^ 
 
IJHAPTEE. XX YI 
 
 SAINT LOUIS TO CAIRO. 
 
 (£tgl]ti)-first Sap. 
 
 Boarding Housx. 
 
 Orystal City, Missoiiri, 
 October 10, 1881. 
 
 ITH the feeling that three days had been 
 pleasantly and profitably spent in the 
 metropolis of the Valley of the Missis- 
 sippi, we railed for our canoe at the 
 boat-house of the " Excelsiors," and pushing 
 her once more into the river "set sail " for 
 the tropical gulf. The weather now seemed 
 settled, the temperature not having materially 
 changed since leaving Saint Paul, as our progress in 
 the descent of the river was about equal to the advance 
 of the season. 
 
 Our eighty-first day was not marked by anything 
 of es])ecial interest. Went ashore but twice between 
 Saint Louis and Crystal City, and then for a few mo- 
 ments only. Had luncheon in the canoe in order to 
 save time. Distance covered between ten o'clock in 
 the morning and five in the afternoon, forty-three 
 miles. 
 
 Crystal City is a stirring village of Jefferson County, 
 Missouri, situated on a small tributary of the Missis- 
 ^330) 
 
SAINT LOUIS TO CAIRO. 331 
 
 sippi, about a mile from their junction. It has a popu- 
 lation of nearly five hundred, and is engaged chiefly in 
 the manufacture of plate glass. We weie much im- 
 pressed with the enterprise of this place, and trust that 
 as the tide of its prosperity rolls on it will feel justified 
 in erecting a commodious hotel, thus sparing future 
 visitors the annoyance to which we were subjected of 
 canvassing the entire village for a night's lodging, 
 which resulted in securing a bed in a room already 
 tenanted by two men and three dogs. 
 
 St. James Hotel, 
 
 Chester , Illinois^ 
 
 October Eleventh. 
 
 Some of the peculiar characteristics of the Lower 
 Mississippi now began to force themselves upon our 
 attention. Among the obstructions observed below 
 the mouth of the Missouri are '^ planters," " sawyers," 
 and " wooden islands," which are frequently the cause 
 of injury and even destruction to the boats. "Planters" 
 are large bodies of trees firmly fixed by their roots in 
 the bottom of the river, in a perpendicular manner, and 
 appearing not more than a foot above the surface of 
 the water when at its medium height. So firmly are 
 they rooted that the largest boats coming in contact 
 with them will hardly move them ; but, on the con- 
 trary, they materially injure the boats. "Sawyers "are 
 also large trees, fixed less perpendicularly in the 
 stream, yielding to the pressure of the current, disap- 
 pearing and reappearing at intervals, and having a 
 motion similar to the upright saw of a saw-mill, from 
 
 which thty take their name. These obstacles to navi- 
 22 
 
332 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 gation have seldom been seen of late years, as there are 
 several government snag-boats constantly on the alert 
 for them, and as soon as discovered they are promptly 
 removed. " Wooden islands" are formed by driftwood, 
 which from various cauces has been arrested and matted 
 together in different sections of the river. Formerly, 
 these impediments were the cause of heavy losses to 
 the merchant, and danger to the traveler; but since 
 the introduction of the steamboat and the improve- 
 ment of the channel, accidents of this nature are not of 
 frequent occurrence. 
 
 The Mississippi and its principal tributaries give a 
 peculiar cast to the mode of traveling and transporta- 
 tion, and have created a peculiar class of men called 
 boatmen. Craft of every description are found on 
 these waters. Here are still found the huge, shapeless 
 masses denoting the infancy of navigation, and the 
 powerful and magnificent steamship which marks its 
 perfection ; together with all the intermediate forms 
 between these extremes. The most primitive of all 
 water-craft is the " ark " or flatboat, an immense frame 
 of square timbers with a roof. It is in shape a paral- 
 lelogram, and lies upon the water like a log; it hardly 
 feels the oar, and trusts to the current mainly for mo- 
 tion. It is usually fifteen feet wide and from fifty to 
 eighty feet long. These arks are often filled with the 
 goods and families of emigrants, carrying even their 
 domestic animals and wagons. They are also fre- 
 quently used as itinerant stores, and are filled with the 
 various kinds of goods which are found most salable 
 in the river towns. Sometimes they are fitted up as the 
 workshops of artificers, who readily find employment 
 in the villages and hamlets along the route selected. 
 
SAINT LOUIS TO CAIRO. 333 
 
 Barges and keelboats are also frequently observed ; 
 skiffs, dugouts or pirogues, made of hollowed logs, 
 and numerous other vessels for which language has no 
 name and the sea no parallel. Since the advent of the 
 steamboat much of the miscellaneous craft has dis- 
 appeared, and the number of river boatmen has de- 
 creased by many thousands. 
 
 Favored with pleasant weather, our trip from Crystal 
 City to Chester was greatly enjoyed. Halted at Saint 
 Genevieve, on the west bank, where we dined and 
 spent an hour on shore. This is the oldest settlement 
 in Missouri, and one of the oldest in the Valley of the 
 Mississippi, having been founded by Marquette in 
 1673. The surface is broken and hilly in the vicinity 
 of the town, and is noted chiefly for its mines of lead 
 and copper. It is an important river station, ship- 
 ping the iron products of Iron Mountain, and the 
 fruits, wines and cereals of the surrounding country. 
 
 Leaving Saint Genevieve, we ran down to Chester 
 on the left bank, at the mouth of the Kaskaskia River, 
 a considerable stream, navigable at high water to Van- 
 dalia, one hundred and fifty miles from its confluence 
 with the Mississippi. The banks of the Kaskaskia, 
 and those of its tributaries, are generally fertile and 
 studded with rich and flourishing cities and vil- 
 lages. The surface is usually undulating and is well 
 adapted to the cultivation of corn, wheat, rye, oats and 
 tobacco. Cotton is raised to some extent in the lower 
 part of its course. 
 
 Chester is the county-seat of Randolph County, Illi- 
 nois ; is seventy-six miles below Saint Louis, and is 
 the shipping-point of the Chester coal-flelds. It is an 
 incorporated city; has eight churches, a bank, two 
 
334 nOWIf THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 weekly papers, rolling-mills, foundries, flour-mills, an 
 elevator, and claims a population of three thousand. 
 
 ffigl]tn-tl|tr^ Elaii. 
 
 Farm House, 
 
 Neely^s Landing, Missouri, 
 
 October Twelfth. 
 
 Resumed our voyage at eight o'clock. Halted at 
 Wilkinson's Landing, a small hamlet fifteen miles be- 
 low Chester on the opposite shore. Stopped a few 
 minutes at Grand Tower, forty miles below Chester. 
 This natural rock-tower, rising from the bed of the 
 river near its western bank, sixty feet above the 
 water-level, gives its name to the town on the Illinois 
 side. 
 
 " In some former period," observes Schoolcraft, 
 "there has been an obstruction in the channel of the 
 Mississippi, at or near Grand Tower, producing a stag- 
 nation of the current at an elevation of about one hun- 
 dred and thirty feet above the present ordinary water- 
 mark. This appears evident from the general elevation 
 and direction of the hills, which for several hundred 
 miles above are separated by a valley from twenty to 
 twenty-five miles wide, that deeply embosoms the cur- 
 rent of the Mississippi." On the rocky and abrupt 
 fronts of some of these hills a series of water-lines are 
 distinctly seen, and are uniformly parallel ; and at 
 Grand Tower these water-lines are found about one 
 hundred feet above the top of the stratum in which 
 petrifactions of the madrepore and various fossil remains 
 are deposited. Here the limestone rocks, by their pro- 
 jection towards each other, indicate that they have, at 
 a remote period, been severed, either by some coavui- 
 
SAINT LOUIS TO CAIRO. 335 
 
 sion of nature, or by the action of water, and tliat a 
 passage has been made through them giving vent to 
 the stagnant waters on the prairie lands above, and 
 opening for the Mississippi its present channel. 
 
 The bank of the Mississippi from near Grand Tower, 
 extending up on the Missouri side of the river, is suf- 
 ficiently elevated above the surface of the State of 
 Illinois to have formed a western shore of an expanse 
 of water covering the entire area of that State. And 
 the alluvial deposits, of which the Illinois prairies are 
 formed, are composed of fine, hard and compact layers 
 of earth, similar to those at the bottom of mill-ponds 
 or of water long stagnant. 
 
 We tried very hard towards evening to find a vil- 
 lage on the east bank of which we had heard, and 
 which is still placed on the maps as Preston, but a 
 diligent search and much inquiry failed to discover 
 anything but a single deserted house, standing upon 
 the brink of the crumbling bank of the river. We 
 subsequently learned that, lacking the protection of a 
 levee, Preston had long since yielded to the ravages of 
 the invading Mississippi. 
 
 Disembarked at half-past six o'clock and arranged 
 to spend the night with the family of Mr. John Shin- 
 naman, an ex-Union soldier who returned to his farm 
 at the close of the war. In referring to his present 
 financial condition, Mr. Shinnaman was far from hope- 
 ful. He explained that about a year ago he thought 
 of selling his farm, at that time comprising over five 
 hundred acres, and investing the proceeds in goods 
 with which he proposed to open a store ; but liis wife 
 opposed, had little faith in the store, and declined to 
 sign the deed with him conveying their real estate to 
 
236 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 other parties. Since then the river has cut acre after 
 acre away from his possessions, until at the time of our 
 visit not more than seventy-five acres out of the orig- 
 inal five hundred were left. It is safe to assume that 
 in future Mrs. Shinnaman will sign all papers con- 
 veying property to anxious purchasers with promptness 
 and despatch. 
 
 ®gl]tp-fourt(} SDaj). 
 
 Woodward House, 
 
 Commerce, Missouri^ 
 
 October Thirteenth. 
 
 We were awakened at six o'clock in the morning by 
 the farm hands, who were up and doing at a much 
 earlier hour. A good old-fashioned farm-house break- 
 fast was served at half-past six, reminding me of boy- 
 hood days and the old house on the hill in northern 
 New York. Excellent coffee, milk and cream fur- 
 nished by milkmen who had not yet learned to sing, 
 "Shall we gather at the river;'' corn-bread, bacon and 
 eggs, and such fruits and vegetables as are usually 
 found on the farms of Missouri. 
 
 Returned to our canoe at eight o'clock. Mr. Shin- 
 naman and family and several of their neighbors and 
 friends accompanied us to the landing to see us off. 
 Weather favorable until eleven ; then wind up stream 
 and comparatively slow progress. 
 
 Landed at Cape Girardeau for dinner and to attend 
 to correspondence. Found the Cape astir with a circus 
 and county fair, a combination almost too much for a 
 town of its magnitude. The circus, however, I learned 
 was very well patronized, as is usually the case, but at 
 the expense of the other enterprise. We were driven 
 from the river at Commerce by a severe wind and rain 
 
SAINT LOUIS TO CAIRO. 337 
 
 storm at four o'clock in the afternoon. We were glad, 
 indeed, to find comfortable quarters at Commerce, and 
 had the satisfaction of entering in our log forty-three 
 miles as the day's run. 
 
 Commerce, the capital of Scott County, Missouri, is 
 one hundred and fifty-four miles below Saint Louis. 
 It is a pleasant village of five hundred inhabitants, 
 and is engaged in the manufacture of flour, leather and 
 pottery. 
 
 Hotel de Winter, 
 
 At Cairo, Illinois^ 
 October Fourteenth. 
 
 It was necessary to make an early start in the morn- 
 ing, as we were expecting mail at Cairo and desired to 
 reach that city before the hour of closing the post- 
 office, and besides, we were eager to see La Belle 
 Riviere^ the grand old Ohio, and witness the greeting 
 of this greatest of its eastern tributaries to the Father 
 of Waters. Consequently we were on the water soon 
 after seven o'clock and making good progress towards 
 our destination. A stout use of our paddles, aided by 
 a current of four and a half miles per hour, brought us 
 to tlie mouth of the Ohio at two o'clock, thereby 
 scoring to our credit forty-three miles in six hours, 
 allowing one hour on shore for luncheon. 
 
 At one o'clock we came to what is styled in river 
 parlance a long reach, from the head of which we could 
 plainly see Cairo resting upon the flat prairie in the 
 distance. Across the southern extremity of this prairie 
 city could be seen the placid Ohio rolling its waters 
 along towards its confluence with its mighty rival, the 
 Mississippi. A few moments more and our little craft 
 
338 DOTKF THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 was whirled into its comparatively quiet, clear current; 
 and with our prow pointed northward we pulled 
 quickly up to the Cairo steamboat-landing and dis- 
 embarked. 
 
 At the wharf we were met by several citizens, in- 
 cluding Captain W. P. Halliday and the editor of the 
 Argus-Jowmal, the former of whom is perhaps the 
 most prominent representative of the city's commercial 
 interests. 
 
 Cairo occupies the extreme southern point of the 
 State of Illinois at the junction of the Mississippi and 
 Ohio rivers, being situated on a peninsula jutting out 
 between them a little above their point of union. Mar- 
 quette and Joliet were the first white men of whom 
 there is any record, who visited the Mississippi at its 
 confluence with the Ohio, which was then known as 
 the Wabash. In 1673, they passed the spot where the 
 latter mingled its bright waters with the turbid flood 
 of the former; and after descending the Mississippi to 
 latitude 33°, a little below the mouth of the Arkansas, 
 they reversed their course, and in ascending the river 
 repassed the same spot. It is possible that the Jesuit 
 missionaries had preceded them, for at the time of their 
 visit a number of missions had already been estab- 
 lished among the Indians through the Illinois country. 
 
 Following Marquette and Joliet came Hennepin and 
 Dugay in 1681 ; while in 1682, La Salle took the same 
 route down the Mississippi, delaying for a few days at 
 the mouth of the Ohio, to make arrangements for trade 
 and intercourse with the Indians. 
 
 During the first half of the eighteenth century the 
 Ohio River was little known, all that portion of it be- 
 low the mouth of the Wabash being considered a con- 
 
SAIN2 LOUIS TO CAIRO. 339 
 
 timiatiou of the latter tributary; and above that point 
 tlie Ohio, known only by report, was spoken of as the 
 Kiverof the Iroquois. It was not until 1749 that the 
 river was regularly explored by the French and traced 
 to its sources in the Alleghenies. 
 
 No settlement seems to have been made on the 
 present site of Cairo during the French dominion in 
 America. It was not even considered an eligible place 
 for a trading-post, mission or fort; therefore all these 
 were located both above and below it on the Mississippi, 
 and also on the Ohio. It was not until the French 
 had withdrawn from the Ohio River and ceded Louisi- 
 ana to the United States, and the Anglo-Saxon race 
 had begun to push westward, and was already figur- 
 ing with its characteristic alertness of intellect on the 
 great future of our country, that this locality was 
 selected as a site for a town. 
 
 Cairo is said to be the geographical centre of the 
 trade and population of our country. At the junction 
 of two of its greatest rivers it would naturally seem to 
 invite commerce, and also seem to occupy the very 
 position for the metropolis of the Mississippi Valley. 
 So reasoned the early settlers, and Cairo sprang into 
 existence. But beyond its geographical position at the 
 mouth of the Ohio, and in the centre of the great val- 
 ley of the Mississippi, it possessed no natural advan- 
 tages. The ground was low and annually overflowed 
 during the spring freshets. Hence undoubtedly its 
 name of Cairo, after that Egyptian city which is not 
 unfrequently submerged by the Nile. Hence also the 
 name of " Egypt '' contemptuously bestowed upon 
 southern Illinois. 
 
 Charles Dickens visited the little town in 1842, and 
 
340 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 described it in no flattering terms, as low and marshy, 
 and at certain seasons of the year inundated to the 
 house-tops — a breeding-place of fevers, ague and death. 
 No doubt he looked at much which he saw in America 
 at that date through blue spectacles. Nevertheless, 
 Cairo was certainly not a paradise when Dickens visited 
 it. Since that time large sums of money have been 
 expended in improvements, chiefly in the construction 
 of levees to protect it from inundation ; but trade and 
 commerce have in a great measure passed it by and 
 established their headquarters at Saint Louis, further 
 up the Mississippi and just below the mouth of the 
 Missouri. Steamers upon the Mississippi and the Ohio 
 make Cairo one of their regular stopping-places, and a 
 number of railroads centre here. The Chicago divis- 
 ion of the Illinois Central terminates at Cairo. The 
 *' Great Jackson Koute,^' or the Chicago^aint Louis 
 and New Orleans Railroad — one of the main trunk 
 lines between the Northern and Southern States — 
 passes through the town. It is also connected by 
 steam ferry with Columbus, Kentucky, the northern 
 terminus of the Mobile and Ohio road. If railroads 
 and river facilities could make a town, then surely 
 Cairo ought to be one of the most prosperous in the 
 West. 
 
 During the Civil War it had a brief period of pros- 
 perity. General Grant established his headquarters 
 here in 1861, when he was appointed brigadier-general 
 of volunteers, and it was the base of his first military 
 operations. When Grant, by reason of his brilliant 
 achievements at Forts Henry and Donelson, was pro- 
 moted to the command of the Military District of 
 Tennessee, General W. T. Sherman succeeded to the 
 
SAINT LOUIS TO CAIRO. g^j 
 
 command of the District of Cairo, and from thence 
 began his own distinguished career. Thus it was the 
 starting-point of two of the most famous heroes of the 
 late war — one who " broke the back of the Rebellion," 
 and the other who eventually suppressed it. During 
 that period it was an important depot of supplies, and 
 enjoyed a satisfactory commercial activity. It was the 
 headquarters of soldiers and participated in all the 
 bustle of military life. For a time it rose into com- 
 parative importance and seemed to realize in a degree 
 the dreams of its youth. But with the close of the war 
 came the close of its prosperous times. The streets 
 were again empty and comparatively silent, and the 
 town lapsed into decadence. 
 
 Cairo is now a city of eleven thouB-and still hopeful 
 inhabitants. It has several good hotels, and a fine 
 Custom House of cut stone, which cost two hundred 
 thousand dollars. The county buildings are also large 
 and handsome. The levee keeps within bounds the 
 two rivers which, not a generation ago, almost yearly 
 united and spread out in a broad expanse of water 
 several miles in extent at that point. But it does not 
 give consistency to the Illinois mud, which, stickier 
 and deeper even than that of the Chicago of early days, 
 still turns the streets into semi-fluid canals at certain 
 seasons of the year. Neither can it keep back the 
 malaria which infests the lower portion of the State of 
 Illinois. 
 
 Cairo has a heterogeneous population composed in 
 part of Northerners and in part of Southerners, while 
 there are also representatives of the genuine Westerner. 
 It is not a handsome city, though there are some fine 
 buildings^ and its general architecture has improved 
 
342 
 
 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 of late years. Tlie flat, uii picturesque country and the 
 yellow flood of the Mississippi possess, neither of them, 
 elements of beauty. Its future may possibly be brighter 
 than its past, though it will probably never reach the 
 goal of its early ambition. If the levees prove a suffi- 
 cient protection against the surging flood of the Mis- 
 sissippi, so that the town is secure against occasional 
 inundation, the advantages of its geographical position, 
 and the superior facilities offered by its numerous rail- 
 roads, may yet build it up into a tolerably populous 
 and thriving city. 
 
 Gf^AHaTQ.yyxfl 
 
.i:..iJJ 
 
CHAPTER XXyil. 
 
 CAIRO TO MEMPHIS. 
 
 Laclede House, 
 
 Hickman, Kentucky ^ 
 October 15, 1881. 
 
 N quitting Cairo we left Illinois to th^ 
 
 northward and now had Kentucky on 
 
 our left hand. The dilapidated village 
 
 of Belmont, Missouri, was reached a few 
 
 minutes after one o'clock. Here on the 
 
 seventh of November, 1861, an indecisive 
 
 battle was fought between the Confederates under 
 
 Generals Polk and Pillow, and the Union troops 
 
 commanded by General Grant. 
 
 Some of the most peculiar and interesting features 
 
 of a journey on the Lower Mississippi are the studies 
 
 presented by the " Shanty-boats." We passed many 
 
 of them. They are also called family-boats, as they 
 
 serve as a home during the winter for a peculiar class 
 
 of people. They carry passengers and cargo from the 
 
 colder regions of the Ohio to New Orleans. They hail 
 
 mostly from the Allegheny and Monongahela region 
 
 and from towns on the Upper Ohio. Winter-quarters 
 
 are looked up in the fall, and the swift-running river 
 
 is the path to warmer suns and a life of ease. 
 
 (345^ 
 
346 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 The shanty-boatman fishes in the stream for floating 
 boards^ planks and scantling to build his house. His 
 scow or flatboat is roughly constructed, and is usually 
 about twenty feet long by twelve wide. It is made of 
 planks spiked together, calked and Ditched, and thus 
 made water-tight. A small shanty is built upon the 
 boat, covering about two-thirds of it. If the proprietor 
 has a family he takes them on board, and lays in a 
 small stock of provisions, chiefly salt pork, flour, ]h)- 
 tatoes, molasses and coiFee. An old cooking-stove is 
 rigged up, rough bunks are constructed for sleeping, 
 and if the family has any furniture, it is put on board 
 and arranged in the shanty. A double-barreled gun 
 and a good supply of ammunition for certain contin- 
 gencies, with a number of steel-traps, are never forgot- 
 ten. This rude shanty, with its door at each end, and 
 a few small windows in its sides, makes a comfortable 
 home for its rough occupants. 
 
 Every trade is represented on these floating dens. 
 Cobblers, tinsmiths, agents and repai^^ers of sewing- 
 machines, grocers, saloon-keepers, barbers and others 
 set afloat their establishments and ply their several 
 trades at the small towns and villages on the river 
 banks. The shanty-boat floats on the stream with the 
 current, the occupants rarely doing any rowing. They 
 keep on their course till a warmer climate is reached, 
 when they work their craft into some creek and secure 
 it to the bank. The men then set their steel-traps in 
 the woods for coons, mink and foxes, and in the course 
 of the winter, as the reward of their vigilance, secure 
 many skins. They find other game, however, and 
 feast upon the hogs of the backwoodsmen and small 
 farriers. When engaged in the dangerous work ()f 
 
CAIRO TO 3IEMPHIS. 347 
 
 hog-stealing, the men will keep a number of the skins 
 of wild animals stretched on the walls of their shanty, 
 so that visitors to their boat may be led to believe that 
 they are industrious trappers — " who wouldn^t steal a 
 hog for no money." They will attend with their 
 whole family any religious meeting in the vicinity. 
 They join with vigor in the shoutings and "amens," 
 and affect a desire to lead Christian lives, so that the 
 spectator is often misled by their seeming earnestness 
 and sincerity. A visit to the shanty-boat, however, 
 and a glimpse of these people " at home," will quickly 
 dispel such hastily formed impressions. 
 
 The fleet of shanty-boats begins to reach New Or- 
 leans at the approach of spring. They there find a 
 market for the skins of the animals trapped during 
 their voyage, and the trapper disposes of his boat for 
 fire-wood. He then purchases lower-deck tickets on 
 an up-river steamboat for Cairo, Cincinnati, or Pitts- 
 burg, and returns to the Ohio River to rent a small 
 patch of ground for the season, where he can raise a 
 little corn, cabbage and potatoes, upon which to subsist 
 until the time arrives to repeat his annual trip down 
 the river to warmer climes, 
 
 Hickman is a small but busy town, the capital of 
 Fulton County, Kentucky, and is the only place in 
 this State of any importance on the Mississippi. It 
 has a population of about two thousand, engaged 
 mostly in the handling of agricultural produce. The 
 surrounding country is fertile and produces, in con- 
 siderable quantities, wheat, corn and tobacco. The 
 town has various factories and supports a seminary and 
 a newspaper. It is the terminus of the Nashville, 
 
 Chattanooga and Saint Louis Railroad. 
 23 
 
348 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 KoBiNsoN House, 
 Point Pleasant, Missouri^ 
 October Sixteenth. 
 
 Many of the features peculiar to the Lower Missis- 
 sippi continued to force themselves upon our notice; 
 sand-bars appeared frequently above the water, upon 
 which were often seen large flocks of wild ducks and 
 geese. The Chickasaw Bluffs, the first and highest of 
 a series which rise at intervals, like islands, out of the 
 low bottoms as far south as Natchez, came into view 
 on the left side of the river, just above Hickman, 
 The Mound-Builders of past ages used these natural 
 fortresses to hold at bay the fierce tribes of the north, 
 and many centuries later they played a conspicuous 
 part in our Civil War. 
 
 We passed the Kentucky boundary at three o'clock 
 and came in sight of Tennessee, Missouri still con- 
 tinuing on our right. Descending a long straight 
 reach, after making a run of twenty-five miles below 
 Hickman, we saw on the shore, in a deep bend of the 
 river, the site of Fort Donelson, while in the middle 
 of the stream, nearly opposite, lay ^' Island No. 10." 
 Both of these places were full of interest, being the 
 scenes of conflict during the Rebellion. Gliding down 
 another long bend we passed New Madrid, on the 
 Missouri side. 
 
 At four o'clock the mouth of Reelfoot Bayou opened 
 before us, a creek which discharges the waters of one 
 of the most peculiarly interesting lakes in America- - 
 a lake which was the immediate result of a series of 
 disastrous disturbances, generally known as the New 
 
CAIRO TO MEMPHIS. 349 
 
 Madrid earthquakes, which took place in 1811-13. 
 Much of the country in the vicinity of New Madrid 
 and Fort Donelson was involved in these earthquakes. 
 Swamps were upheaved and converted into dry up- 
 lands, while cultivated uplands were depressed below 
 the average water-level and became swamps or pondso 
 The inhabitants, deprived of their farms, were reduced 
 to such a stage of suffering as to call for aid from the 
 Government, and new lands were granted them in 
 place of their fields which had sunk out of sight. 
 
 The most interesting effect of the subsidence of the 
 land was the creation of Reelfoot Lake, the fluvial en- 
 trance to which is from the Mississippi, some forty-four 
 miles below Hickman, Kentucky. The northern end 
 of the lake is west of, and but a short distance from 
 Fort Donelson, which is about twenty miles from 
 Hickman by the river route. 
 
 Boarding House, 
 
 Cottonwood Point, 3Tissouri 
 
 October Seventeenth. 
 
 Seven o'clock saw us again on the water. Our 
 landlord. Captain Robinson, launched the canoe, giving 
 us a hearty send-off, which was lustily echoed by his 
 friends and neighbors assembled on the river-bank to 
 witness our departure. 
 
 The climate was now growing delightful. It was 
 like a June day in the Northern States. Each soft 
 breeze of the balmy atmosphere seemed to say, as we 
 felt its strange, fascinating influence, "You are nearing 
 the goal ! '' 
 
 We found the river exceedingly tortuous at this time, 
 
350 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 The reaches were usually from four to six miles in 
 length, though some of them were considerably longer. 
 Sometimes deposits of sand and vegetable matter will 
 build up a small island adjacent to a large one, and 
 then a dense thicket of cottonwood brush takes posses- 
 sion of it, and assists materially in resisting the en- 
 croachments of the current. These little low islands 
 covered with thickets are called " tow-heads," and the 
 maps of the Engineer Corps distinguish them from the 
 numbered islands in the following manner : "Island 
 No. 24/' and "Tow-head of Island No. 24." 
 
 Commencing with "No. 1," below the mouth of the 
 Oliin, these islands end with "No. 125," just above the 
 inlet to Bayou La Fourche in Louisiana; and in ad- 
 dition there are many which have been named after 
 their owners. During one generation a planter may 
 live upon a peninsula comprising many thousand acres, 
 with his cotton-fields and house fronting on the Missis- 
 sippi. The treacherous current of this river may sud- 
 denly cut a new way across his estate at a distance of 
 two or three miles from liis house. As the gradual 
 change goes on, he looks from the windows of his 
 house upon a new scene. He no longer gazes upon 
 the majestic river, enlivened by the passage of steam- 
 boats and other craft; but before him is a sombre 
 bayou or lake, whose muddy waters are almost motion- 
 less. He was possibly the proprietor of Beauregard 
 Point, he is now the owner of Beauregard Island, and 
 lives in the quiet atmosphere of the backwoods of 
 Tennessee. 
 
 The area of land on both sides of the Mississippi 
 subjected to annual overflow is very large. There are 
 localities thirty or forty miles away from the river 
 
CAIRO TO MEMPHIS. 351 
 
 where the height of the overflow of the previous year 
 is plainly registered upon the trunks of the trees by a 
 coating of yellow mud, which frequently reaches from 
 seven to ten feet above the ground. This great region 
 covers vast tracts of rich laud, as well as millions of 
 acres of low swamps and bayou bottoms. 
 
 The settler builds his log-cabin on the highlands, 
 and makes a clearing where the rich soil and warm 
 sun aid his feeble efforts in the direction of agriculture, 
 and he is rewarded with a large crop of corn and sweet- 
 potatoes. These, with bacon, annually provided from 
 his herd of wandering pigs, furnish the food for his 
 family of children, who, usually without covering 
 for their heads, roam through the woods until the sun 
 bleaches their hair to the color of flax. With tobacco, 
 whiskey and ammunition for himself, and an ample 
 supply of snufl* for his wife, he drags out an indolent 
 existence; but he is the pioneer of American civiliza- 
 tion, and as he migrates every few years to a more 
 western wilderness, his lauds are frequently occupied 
 by a more intelligent and industrious class, and his im- 
 provements are improved upon. The new-comer, with 
 more ambition and greater resources, raises cotton 
 instead of corn, and looks to the North for his necessary 
 supplies of food and clothing. 
 
 ®t8l)t2-mntl) SDog. 
 
 Fort Pillow House, 
 
 Fu I ton, Tennessee. 
 
 October Eighteenth. 
 
 We passed the Missouri boundary soon after leaving 
 Cottonwood in the morning and had the State of 
 Arkansas on our right. Ate our luncheon in the 
 
352 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 canoe as we floated through a cut-off near the Tennes- 
 see shore. 
 
 Late in the afternoon we met two colored men in a 
 skiff, who in answer to inquiries directed our attention 
 to the site of Fort Pillow, w^iich is situated on the left 
 bank of the river upon one of the Chickasaw Bluffs. 
 It is about forty feet above the water and commands 
 the low country opposite and two reaches of the river 
 for a long distance. 
 
 At intervals we caught glimpses of negro cabins with 
 their clearings, and their little crops of cotton glisten- 
 ing in the sun. Truly had the sword been beaten into 
 the plowshare, and the spear into the pruning-hook. 
 
 3Xrimtktl] Slag. 
 
 Plantation House, 
 
 Harrison's Landing, Arkan»aSf 
 
 October Nineteenth. 
 
 This was a sunny and windy day. The Arkansas 
 shores afforded us protection as we paddled away from 
 Fulton. The island tow-heads and sand-bars were 
 numerous, and in places the Mississippi widened into 
 lake-like proportions, while the yellow current, now 
 heavily charged with mud, increased in height every 
 hour. 
 
 Having divested ourselves of all superfluous apparel 
 we pushed soutliward with all the nerve we could 
 command. The negroes at work on the plantations 
 gave us a hearty hail as we passed. By a lively 
 use of our paddles from seven o'clock in the morning 
 until the same hour in the evening w^e were enabled 
 to make Harrison's Landing, Arkansas, noting in our 
 log sixty-three miles for the day. 
 
CAIRO TO MEMPHIS. ,35,3 
 
 Our evening with the Harrisons of Harrison's Land- 
 ing was one of the most agreeable and noteworthy ex- 
 periences of our many halts on the Arkansas shore. 
 It was the beginning of a long list of courtesies and 
 entertainments of which Paine and myself were the re- 
 cipients, but which we had hardly expected in the Far 
 South, since I felt that,possibly,my service in the Union 
 Army would be a bar to the usual Southern civili- 
 ties; but in this we were greatly mistaken. No people 
 could be more cordial in the treatment of their guests 
 than were those whom it was our good fortune to meet 
 in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana. 
 
 Hotel Cochran, 
 
 Memphis , Tennessee^ 
 
 October Twentieth. 
 
 We were quite surprised in the morning, on propos- 
 ing payment for our accommodations, to be told by the 
 Harrisons that they preferred to have us consider 
 our stay at their home a visit. Having already noted 
 some peculiarities of Southern hospitality we deemed it 
 j)rudent not to observe our usual practice of insisting 
 that payment in full should be accepted. 
 
 With the cordial good wishes of those whom we had 
 met at the Landing we again stepped into the Alice 
 and pointed her prow towards Memphis, twenty-five 
 miles distant. Near Randolph we passed at a distance 
 large and well-cultivated cotton plantations, but the 
 river country in its vicinity was almost a wilderness. 
 
 Arrived at Memphis, we landed, and after partaking 
 of refreshments, started on a tour of observation through 
 the city, as was our custom. 
 
354 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Memphis dates its origin from the year 1820, when 
 its site was selected, and the city of the future planned 
 and laid out. It grew rapidly and in 1831 was incor- 
 porated as a city. It is built on a bluff, forty-seven 
 feet above the highest flow of the river, and its safety 
 from inundation is thus assured. At a short distance 
 above the city the Wolf River empties its clear stream 
 into the Mississippi. Memphis is seven hundred and 
 eighty miles above New Orleans, and four hundred 
 and twenty below Saint Louis. Twenty years after its 
 foundation the population had increased to three thou- 
 sand three hundred and sixty; in 1884, it had reached 
 nearly fifty thousand. Memphis has attained the 
 dignity of being the most important point on the 
 river between Saint Louis and New Orleans. The 
 city is very tastefully and conveniently planned, and 
 is adorned with many elegant and substantial private 
 residences and public structures. The Esplanade, 
 between Front street and the river, forms a fine ad- 
 dition to the city, and here we find the Custom House, 
 a splendid specimen of architecture, built of the best 
 quality of marble from the Tennessee quarries. The 
 business streets are wide and regular and lined with 
 handsome stores. Many of the private residences are 
 surrounded with beautiful lawns, ornamented with 
 classic statuary and flowers in profuse variety. The 
 city occupies an area of over three square miles, a 
 handsome park, filled with trees, adorning its centre. 
 Here also in a bust of Andrew Jackson. The ceme- 
 teries are six in number. Elm wood, on the south-east 
 border of the city, being the most tastefully laid out 
 and the most beautiful of the number. 
 
 Intersecting the city is the Bayou Gayoso, with several 
 
CAIRO TO MEMPHIS. 355 
 
 branches, which, up to the year 1860, was the recep- 
 tacle of most of the city drainage. Since that date 
 over forty miles of sewers have been constructed and 
 the city is now provided with a very superior and ef- 
 fective system of drainage. The facilities for trans- 
 portation by railway are abundant in every direction, 
 and to these are added an excellent and well-appointed 
 street railway. Memphis is well paved and is supplied 
 with pure water from the Wolf River by the Holly 
 system. 
 
 In addition to the usual religious, educational and 
 commercial institutions, the city contains a fine public 
 library of about ten thousand volumes; three daily 
 and ten weekly papers; a chamber of commerce, and a 
 cotton exchange. The Christian Brothers' College — 
 — Catholic — established in 1841, has a large number 
 of professors and instructors, and a corresponding 
 number of preparatory and collegiate students, whose 
 training does credit to the faculty. The Memphis 
 College, for the education of females, is an admirable 
 institution situated within the city limits. The State 
 Female College is a little outside, and is also in a 
 flourishing condition. 
 
 Navigation is open at all seasons of the year and large 
 sea-going vessels ascend the river to Memphis. For 
 the sale of cotton this city ranks as the largest interior 
 market in the United States. It has also an extensive 
 trade with Arkansas, Mississippi, West Tennessee and 
 Northern Alabama. Several lines of steamboats run 
 to Saint Louis, Cincinnati, Vicksburg and many other 
 points. The Memphis and Little Rock Railway ter- 
 minates at Hopefield, on the Arkansas side of the river, 
 whence a powerful transfer-boat convevs an entire train 
 at once to Memphis. 
 
356 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 The annual value of the trade of the city is about 
 gixty-five million dollars. Foundries and machine- 
 shops are among the principal manufactories. There 
 are also extensive wood- works, a large tobacco factory, 
 furniture factories, and three of the largest oil-mills in 
 the United States. 
 
 During the Civil War the Union forces took posses- 
 sion of the city after a naval engagement in which the 
 Confederate flotilla was nearly destroyed. This oc- 
 curred June sixth, 1862, and the Unionists held pos- 
 session until the close of the war. In August, 1864, a 
 cavalry raid was made upon the city by the Con- 
 federate General Forrest, who captured several hun- 
 dred Federals and then departed. 
 
 Memphis has suffered greatly from the ravages oi^ 
 yellow fever. In 1878 and 1879 two-thirds of the 
 population fled from the city. Business was wholly 
 suspended, and for three months in each of these years 
 all ingress or egress was forbidden, except for the most 
 necessary purposes. The city became for a time hope- 
 lessly bankrupt. It is, however, at last regaining its 
 normal condition of prosperity, and by thoroughly cleans- 
 ing, repaving and sewering the streets, and supervising 
 the construction of buildings, is likely to become event- 
 ually one of the healthiest cities on the Mississippi 
 River. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 MEMPHIS TO VICKSBURG. 
 
 Negro Cabin, 
 
 Near Alexis^ Mississippi, 
 
 October 21, 1881. 
 
 N returning to our canoe at Memphis in 
 the morning we found many interested 
 citizens assembled on the levee to wit- 
 ness our departure and to leave with us 
 their good wishes for a safe and pleasant 
 ^ voyage to the Gulf. 
 
 We made a miscalculation in the forenoon as 
 to a cut-off, by which we lost four miles. Halted 
 a few moments at a United States Survey-boat to in- 
 quire distances and to further inform ourselves concern- 
 ing the route to Vicksburg. 
 
 Our first night among the colored people was brought 
 about through a failure to reach a town or find a white 
 family on or near the banks of the river before 
 dark. Continuing our course, we hailed every visible 
 light without response until nearly ten o^clock, when 
 we came to the home of Robert Green, an intelligent 
 and courteous colored man, who gave us a cordial wel- 
 come. We did not regret the circumstances which led 
 us to the cabin of a negro. I was most anxious tc 
 
 (357j 
 
358 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 place myself in possession of some facts concerning 
 their method of gaining a livelihood and note their 
 social advancement under the favoring influences of 
 freedom. During my escape from a Southern prison 
 many years before, I had found shelter and protection 
 among the negroes of South Carolina and Georgia, 
 when, as slaves, they were looking forward to a release 
 from bondage, and at a time when there was much 
 speculation as to the probabilities of their future, should 
 the war result in emancipation. 
 
 Twenty years have passed, the problem has been 
 solved, and every intelligent person North and South 
 is thoroughly convinced that the negro has not only 
 made rapid strides in the direction of intellectual de- 
 velopment, but has proven himself capable of main- 
 taining his family and accumulating property. 
 
 I learned through Mr. Green of many notable ex- 
 amples in which colored men have been prosperous to 
 a very marked degree. He cited, among others, Ben 
 Montgomery, who was at one time the slave and body- 
 servant of Colonel Joseph Davis, brother of Jefferson 
 Davis, ex-President of the late Confederate States. He 
 was the manager of the Davis estates while a slave, 
 and was so industrious and honest in all his dealings, 
 and so successful in business, that after the war he was 
 able to purchase his master's plantation, for which he 
 paid him in gold. 
 
 Montgomery was described as fairly educated and 
 possessing the presence and address of a gentleman. 
 It is a singular fact that this large landed-estate should 
 have become the property of the former slave so soon 
 after the war, and proves most conclusively that the 
 black man may aspire to wealth and station with as 
 
MEMPHIS TO VICKSBURG, 359 
 
 fair a prospect of success as the more favored race. 
 Ben Montgomery died some years since, leaving an 
 example to his colored kindred worthy of their imita- 
 tion. 
 
 Ninety 4l)irl) Dap, 
 
 Delmonico Hotel, 
 
 Helena, Arkansas, 
 
 October Twenty-second. 
 
 As soon as we had finished breakfast at the cabin of 
 our colored host, Robert Green, we called for the Alicey 
 and, accompanied by all the Greens, large and small, 
 hurried down to the river and pushed off. Nothing 
 of an unusual character was seen until about twelve 
 o'clock, when, as we rounded a bend we saw in the 
 distance Helena, the most enterprising city of Arkan- 
 sas. We struck the beach at one o'clock, and on step- 
 ping ashore received a welcome from Arnot Harris 
 and W. L. Morris. These gentlemen escorted us to 
 the "Delmonico" for dinner, and extended many 
 courtesies during our brief stay in their city. 
 
 Helena, standing on the right bank of the river, 
 in Phillips County, Arkansas, has become, since the 
 Civil War, a very enterprising town, and is growing 
 rapidly into importance. It offers many advantages 
 for navigation and commerce, and the only drawback 
 to its still greater advancement is the destructive 
 agency of the Mississippi, which occasionally threatens 
 it with inundation. If it can protect itself against the 
 overflows, Helena, from its peculiarly favorable posi- 
 tion, is destined to become one of the first cities on the 
 Lower Mississippi. Located in a fertile cotton section, 
 the facilities for shipment of that staple to other ports 
 is apparent. It is eighty miles below Memphis, and is 
 
360 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 the terminus of the Arkansas Midland, and the Iron 
 Mountain and Helena railroads. 
 
 In the summer of 1863 Helena was held by a Union 
 force under General Prentiss, strongly intrenched, the 
 river also being commanded by a gunboat. July 
 fourth, an unsuccessful attempt to seize the town was. 
 made by a superior Confederate force under General 
 Holmes. In the action which followed, the Confeder- 
 ates lost one thousand six hundred and thirty-six men, 
 and the Unionists two hundred and fifty. 
 
 The present population of Helena is about four 
 thousand, and it supports two banks and five news- 
 papers. 
 
 Niuets-fourtl) Dag. 
 
 Plantation House, 
 
 Near Modoc, Arkansas 
 
 October Twenty-third. 
 
 Wind, rain, and a chopped sea greeted us as we 
 stepped into our canoe at an early hour in the morn- 
 ing. A persistent use of our paddles supported by a 
 brisk current brought us to Friar's Point at eleven 
 o'clock. Here we landed, and after climbing over a 
 levee walked, or rather waded, up to town through 
 several inches of mud and water. 
 
 After dinner, which we had at a restaurant, we took a 
 hurried stroll through this forlorn-looking place, confin- 
 ing our walk chiefly to high ground and streets favored 
 with paved or board sidewalks. Should the majestic 
 Mississippi conclude some fine day to take Friar's 
 Point on an excursion to the Gulf, it is doubtful if 
 anything but the "point" would be missed. 
 
 Just before re-embarking we were invited aboard 
 the " Doremus Floating Photograph Gallery," which 
 
MEMPHIS TO VICKSBURG. 361 
 
 has been upon the river for the past six years, under 
 the direction of J. P. Doremus, of Paterson, New Jersey. 
 Mr. Doremus explained that he made his floating gal- 
 lery his home during the summer months, and that he 
 had photographed every object of interest between 
 Minneapolis and Vicksburg. Many of the views sub- 
 mitted for our inspection were faithful representations 
 of Mississippi scenery, and will prove a valuable con- 
 tribution to the illustrated history of the Great River. 
 
 The w^eather was showery throughout the afternoon, 
 but in anticipation of several days more of the same 
 sort we thought it best to continue our voyage, and 
 pressed forward determined to cover as many miles as 
 possible before nightfall. 
 
 The small landing and postal station known as 
 Modoc was reached a few minutes before six o'clock. 
 Here we spent the night with J. E. McGuire and 
 family, a wealthy and enterprising cotton-planter, who 
 named the place and established a post-office soon 
 after the Modoc War. We were much gratified to 
 note in our log a gain of forty-eight miles for our 
 ninety-fourth day. 
 
 Ninet^^tttt) JDa^. 
 
 Boarding House, 
 
 Concordia, Mississippi, 
 
 October Twenty -fourth. 
 
 Our Modoc landlord, Mr. McGuire, gave us the 
 launch at eight o'clock, pushing the Alice into a brisk 
 current which, at this point, is said to be about seven 
 miles an hour. Contrary to our predictions of the 
 previous day, the weather was cool and pleasant, with 
 wind up stream. 
 
362 DOTTiV THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 We met the steamer Vickshurg near " Island No. 
 ^Qy^ and greeted her passengers and crew by raising 
 our hats. This courtesy was responded to by the Vicks- 
 hurg Yf'iih her usual salute of three whistles. Dined 
 with a cotton-planter on the Arkansas side, opposite 
 Mahone's Landing, Mississippi. Laconia was passed 
 at five o'clock in the afternoon and Concordia reached 
 a few minutes before six. Several miles were saved in 
 this day's run by availing ourselves of cut-ofFs. Dis- 
 tance covered forty-five miles. 
 
 Private House, 
 
 Bolivar , Mississippif 
 
 October Twenty-fifth. 
 
 The low banks of the river below Memphis brought 
 plainly to view the levees or dikes built as a protection 
 against the inroads of freshets. The mouths of the 
 White and Arkansas rivers were passed during the 
 afternoon of this day, the latter of which is the largest 
 western tributary of the Mississippi south of the 
 Missouri. 
 
 Below the mouth of the Arkansas is, or rather was, 
 the town of Napoleon, at one time a place of enter- 
 prise and importance on the Lower Mississippi, but 
 now represented by only a few scattered houses, the 
 most demoralized-looking hamlet we had seen since 
 leaving Minneiska, at the other end of the river. The 
 banks were tumbling into the stream day by day. 
 Houses had fallen into the current which was rapidly 
 undermining the town. Here and there chimneys 
 were observed standing in solitude, the buildings having 
 been torn down and removed to other localities in 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 379 
 
 the exercise of their rights as freemen. The sanguin- 
 ary race-encounters at the polls in the South, reported 
 in the Northern papers since 1865, not unfrequently 
 with much exaggeration, are things of the past — let ua 
 hope never to be revived ; and, as the years roll by and 
 the rising generation of blacks, with their minds free 
 from the shackles of ignorance as their bodies are from 
 slavery, that the color-line will cease to be an obstacle 
 to political and other preferment, and white and black 
 live together and work for their common good in har- 
 mony and peace. 
 
 BONDURANT LANDING, 
 
 Saint Joseph, Louisiana, 
 November First. 
 
 Before resuming our voyage on the following morn- 
 ing we were allowed to inspect a cotton-gin, through 
 the courtesy of Hon. J. W. Goodrum, brother of our 
 host at Warren ton. We had noticed several of these 
 gins on plantations after passing Vicksburg, but this was 
 the first we had seen in operation, and we were much 
 interested by the apparently complicated though really 
 simple process of manipulating the useful vegetable 
 product before its transmission to the manufacturer 
 to be converted into material for clothing. 
 
 At Point Pleasant we halted for lunch and made the 
 acquaintance of Albert Bland. After our meal, taken 
 at his commodious store, I had a conversation with 
 him in relation to the political condition of Louis- 
 iana. His views were based on intelligent inves- 
 tigation and appeared thoroughly sincere, and al- 
 though presented from a Southern standpoint, were 
 
 by no means partisan or illiberal. I left him with a 
 26 
 
380 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 most favorable impression on my mind of the growth 
 of a sentiment which bade fair soon to unite all sections 
 of our common country in the bonds of fraternal citizen- 
 ship. 
 
 Grand Gulf, a small village standing on a high 
 bluff, and one of the mouths of Big Black River, were 
 reached at four o'clock in the afternoon. The Big 
 Black takes its rise in Chocktaw County, and after a 
 course of two hundred miles, enters the Mississippi 
 through two mouths, one of which is in Warren 
 County, and the other in Claiborne County at Grand 
 Gulf. Here we disembarked a few minutes after sun- 
 set, at the point where General Grant landed during 
 the operations against Bruinberg in 1863. I was 
 kindly received as a guest at the Bondurant Planta- 
 tion and honored by being assigned to the room for- 
 merly occupied by the great general. 
 
 Our run for the day was sixty-four miles between 
 nine o'clock in the morning and six in the evening, 
 one of the best heats in our long race to the sea, and 
 a showing to which even a veteran canoeist might 
 possibly refer with some pride. It is due, however, to 
 my companion, Paine, that I should candidly con- 
 fess that the credit belonged chiefly to his vigorous 
 arms, as he used the double paddle in the bow of the 
 canoe. 
 
 ®ne ^unbretr anir Jourtt) Dag. 
 
 Plantation House, 
 
 Hosedale Landing, Louisiana, 
 November Second. 
 
 Breakfasted rather late at the Bondurant Planta- 
 tion, at which our worthy host surprised us with a 
 bountiful mess of fresh perch, caught by negroes in a 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 381 
 
 bayou on the estate. Mr. Bondurant entertained us 
 so agreeably and hospitably that we were startled to 
 find it nine o'clock while boarding the Alice. He 
 pushed us out from the landing, while a gatherii>g of 
 white and colored people on the banks waved their caps 
 and cheered us God-speed. On nearing General Zachar)* 
 Taylor's old plantation, a heavy and protracted rain^ 
 storm forced us to pull ashore. Here we were re- 
 galed with a generous lunch, and listened to stories of 
 "Old Zach./' related with enthusiasm by colored 
 admirers of the hero; and while the storm lasts and 
 prevents our departure, we will tell the reader what 
 we know of the hero of Buena Vista. 
 
 The family tree of this American patriot blossomed 
 long ago on English shores, and the blood of his 
 forefathers is said to have been both ancient and 
 blue. The emigration of the family to Virginia took 
 place in 1692, and the history of that State is inter- 
 threaded in warp and woof with outcroppings of this 
 distinguished name. 
 
 General Taylor's father held a colonel's commission 
 in the Eevolutionary War, and manfully helped to 
 mould the country towards its future greatness. In 
 1790, the family moved to Kentucky, when young 
 Zachary was less than a year old, and when the em- 
 bryo State was little more than a battle-ground for 
 contending tribes of Indians and the bloody wars then 
 raging between the red and white races. Colonel 
 Taylor, the father, bore so conspicuous a part in these 
 early struggles as to render his name a terror to the 
 barbarian foe, and a tower of strength to the settlers 
 whose banner he bore. When peace at last brought 
 repose to the country, he became one of Kentucky's 
 
382 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 leading politicians and public men. He helped frame 
 the constitution of his State, represented Jefferson 
 County and the city of Louisville for years in both 
 branches of the legislature, and voted as a member of 
 the electoral college for Jefferson, Madison, Monroe 
 and Clay. His sons and daughters were left a grand 
 heritage of fame, staunch character, and the true grit 
 which fights for principle against all odds. 
 
 The younger Taylor, Zachary, is said to have had a 
 boyhood filled with adventure and touched with the 
 bold characteristics and heroic traits which afterwards 
 distinguished his life. Raised on the frontier, exposed 
 daily and nightly to sudden attacks from the surround- 
 ing Indian tribes, in danger of being scalped on his 
 way to school, buffeted by the rough wind of adverse 
 circumstances, he attained a character of strength 
 which no gentler rearing could give. His opportuni- 
 ties for the discipline of the schools were meagre 
 enough, but his great will-power and untiring perse- 
 verance enabled him to master an education where 
 others would have failed. 
 
 In 1808, when the embers of the on-coming war 
 were being fanned into flame and the capture of the 
 United States Frigate Chesapeake by a British ship of 
 war sent a thrill of indignation through the country, 
 young Taylor made application to Jefferson for a 
 commission in the army, and, on the third of May in 
 that year, was created first-lieutenant in the Seventh 
 Regiment, United States Infantry. In 1812, he was 
 promoted to a captaincy, and having been placed in 
 command of Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, about 
 fifty miles above Vincennes, Indiana, he successfully 
 repelled an attack of savages greatly outnumbering his 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. j^s3 
 
 own little band, and by his skilful strategy and her- 
 oisnij covered his youthful name with glory. It was 
 within an hour of midnight when the Fort was fired 
 and the attack commenced. Surrounded by a yelling 
 horde of four hundred and fifty Indians, this boy-cap- 
 tain calmly gave his orders amid the rushing of the 
 flames and the cries of women and children inside, who 
 had sought the protection of the Fort. By heroic ef- 
 forts the flames were extinguished, temporary breast- 
 works were erected and such a storm of shot poured in- 
 to the enemy's ranks that by morning they were over- 
 powered, and Captain Taylor and his men were left 
 victors of the field. The country resounded with the 
 praises of this officer of only twenty -two years, and the 
 brave defence won for him the brevet rank of major. 
 
 During the years intervening between 1815 and 
 1832, Major Taylor was stationed at various frontier 
 posts in the West and rendered efficient service. He 
 had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, 
 and in the last-named year was appointed commander 
 of the regular troops in the Black Hawk War. At the 
 close of this war he received the appointment of colo- 
 nel of the First Regiment, Infantry, then doing duty 
 on the Upper Mississippi. Here he acted as Indian 
 agent for several years, and acquired great influence 
 over his dusky brethren, being known among them as 
 the "Big Chief.'' In 1836, having been ordered to 
 Florida, the brilliant and bloody battle of Okee-cho- 
 bee was fought, in which Colonel Taylor so distin- 
 guished himself as to receive the brevet rank of briga- 
 dier-general. He was assigned command of the 
 operations in Florida, and continued there until 1840, 
 making four years of difficult service in that particu- 
 lar field. 
 
334 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 During this Florida war, General Taylor was cen- 
 sured for employing bloodhounds to ascertain the 
 hiding-places of the wily foe ; but the censure was ill- 
 considered, since he himself said, in a letter on the 
 subject, that his object in employing dogs was to " as- 
 certain where the Indians were, not to injure them.'^ 
 
 The admission of Texas into the Union, in 1845, 
 having virtually brought on the Mexican War, Gen- 
 eral Taylor became at once one of the most promhient 
 actors in that great military drama. 
 
 He was recalled by the Secretary of War, Mr. 
 Marcy, from Louisiana to the defence of Texas, and 
 appointed to the command of the army of occupation 
 there. In August, he took up his position at Corpus 
 Christi, on the west side of the Nueces, where he re- 
 mained until March, 1846, at which time he went to 
 the Rio Grande, as far as Fort Brown — or where Fort 
 Brown afterwards stood — a distance of one hundred 
 and nineteen miles. 
 
 Ampudia remonstrated against the blockade of the 
 Kio Grande in vain, and thus matters progressed until 
 the war was fairly inaugurated. General Arista had 
 succeeded Ampudia in the command of the Mexican 
 forces and on one or two minor occasions— when small 
 detachments of Americans had been surrounded and 
 captured by overwhelming numbers — he issued the 
 most astonishing congratulatory orders, proclaiming 
 the success of their arms. But this inflated bubble of 
 bombast was doomed to be pricked. 
 
 Taylor advanced to Point Isabel and soon afterwards 
 the bloody battle of Palo Alto was fought. For two 
 hours the havoc raged with unceasing fury, and regi- 
 ments of Mexican lancers and cavalry were mowed 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 337 
 
 down like grass before the heavy fire of our artillery. 
 The long prairie grass of Palo Alto, which reached 
 nearly to the muzzle of the guns, was set on fire by the 
 continuous sheet of flame issuing from our cannon, 
 and enveloped the contending armies in a cloud of 
 smoke. At the end of two hours a new battle line 
 wais formed under cover of the smoke and the conflict 
 was renewed with increased vigor. For three hours 
 longer the fighting continued. Again and again the 
 Mexican line advanced to the onset with a brave 
 front and were as many times hurled back in defeat. 
 Arista endeavored to turn our flank and get possession 
 of the stores in our rear, but his efforts were parried 
 by more skilful resistance, and at last, as night set in, 
 the enemy were driven in disorder from the field, and 
 the Americans held a clear title of victory to the 
 grounds of Palo Alto. At this battle two thousand 
 men under General Taylor confronted and defeated 
 six thousand Mexicans. The enemy's loss in killed, 
 wounded and missing was estimated at one thousand. 
 The memorable day was that of May eighth, 1846. 
 
 General Taylor is said to have exhibited an utter 
 disregard of danger when in battle, always inspiring 
 his men by his presence where the balls flew thickest 
 and death seemed most imminent. At Palo Alto, he 
 rode up to the Fifth Infantry on the American right 
 as the Mexican Lancers charged down upon them, and 
 addressed them in these words : " Men, I place myself 
 in your square ! " How much this act influenced the 
 gallant repulse of the charge, who can tell ? 
 
 The brilliant victory of Resaca de la Pal ma, in which 
 General La Vega was captured, followed Palo Alto 
 on the next day, and was almost or quite as hotly 
 
388 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 contested and perhaps quite as bloody. Arista's eamp 
 was captured with all its prodigal display of military 
 grandeur and profuse splendor of equipage, and the 
 American army partook of a bountiful supper from the- 
 contents of the camp-kettles simmering on the fires, left 
 in such sudden haste when the panic came on. The 
 tricolor of the Tampico Battalion was also captured 
 and is still preserved among the nation's trophies of 
 war. During the engagement General Taylor seemed 
 to be everywhere at once as the inspiring and sustain- 
 ing spirit of the great action. His official report of 
 the affair is full of a clear sagacity as well as great 
 modestv and reveals the character of the man. 
 
 The two victories of Palo Alto and Resaca de la 
 Pal ma were all the more praiseworthy from the fact 
 that the American army on these occasions contended 
 against a force four times its number, and nothing 
 but superior skill and generalship, added to well-disci- 
 plined troops, could have braved the repeated and 
 furious onsets of the Mexicans. General Ampudia, 
 second in command to Arista, barely escaped drown- 
 ing while crossing the Rio Grande in the disorderly 
 retreat which followed the battle. He rushed into the 
 Plaza of Metamoras — the first man who entered the 
 city with the news — exclaiming, " All is lost ! " 
 
 On that night of terrible repulse to the enemy, 
 between four and five thousand panic-stricken and 
 lawless soldiers, were wandering about the streets of 
 Metamoras, abandoned to the despair of the hour. 
 Ampudia denounced Arista, and the women of the city 
 tore down the festoons from the ball-rooms where they 
 had prepared a festival in honor of the expected vic- 
 tory — and then threw aside and trampled upon their 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 389 
 
 gay apparel. Citizens fled to the country, only per- 
 haps to fall by the way into the hands of pillagers and 
 murderers or scattered bodies of unorganized troops. 
 Neither social nor civil nor military order had any 
 place in this carnival of riot and confusion. 
 
 On the eleventh, there was an exchange of prisoners, 
 among whom on our side were Captains Thornton and 
 Hardee and Lieutenant Lane. 
 
 The Mexican array was now in full retreat and our 
 successes were followed up by crossing the Rio Grande, 
 taking possession of Metamoras and giving to the in- 
 habitants of that city the security and protection which 
 their own troops were unable to furnish. Here Gen- 
 eral Taylor was obliged to wait for reinforcements 
 and wagons for a period of about three months before 
 he could advance to the attack of Monterey. The 
 Mexicans, meantime, had become strongly intrenched 
 behind the natural and artificial fortifications of that 
 walled city with an opposing force of ten thousand 
 men, under command of Ampudia. The rugged heights 
 of Monterey were supposed to be impregnable. For 
 ten years it had been held by a handful of native 
 troops, defying the Spanish power. To attempt its 
 reduction would be to rush into the very jaws of death 
 — for their guns commanded the entire approach. Yet 
 against this famous stronghold General Taylor con- 
 fidently advanced with a force of but six thousand men. 
 After a march of twelve da}^s he came in sight of the 
 beautiful city enthroned among its mountains. 
 
 Thick stone walls environed it. Ditches and redoubts 
 and bastions and a river in its rear, protected it. But 
 the attack was skilfully undertaken, the city was 
 stormed and in a few days the vaunted fortress of the 
 
390 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Aztecs — the strongest save Vera Cruz in all Mexico — > 
 was in our hands. The generalship of Taylor on this 
 occasion has been lauded everywhere, and well does 
 his memory deserve the highest tribute paid to military 
 genius. 
 
 Meantime Santa Anna had returned from exile at 
 Havana, and gathering around him a force of twenty- 
 two thousand men, set out from San Louis Potosi to 
 drive back the Americans. This army Taylor met on 
 the field of Buena Vista — eight miles from Saltillo — 
 with a volunteer soldiery — Scott having drawn off 
 most of the regulars for other points. Our troops 
 were formed in line of battle in a mountain-pass under 
 the towering peaks of the Sierra Madre, two thousand 
 feet high. They occupied a lower spur of the range 
 and advancing up the mountain side, their continuous 
 firing after the battle had begun, wrapped the ascent 
 in a sheet of smoky flame. The contest raged furiously 
 along the whole line, and thrice during the ten hours 
 of terrible conflict did the balance of victory seem to 
 hang by a single thread — the immense numbers of the 
 Mexicans almost insuring our defeat. 
 
 But the victory was at last ours though won at a fear- 
 ful cost of life. How could it be otherwise when five 
 thousand Americans were pitted against an enemy 
 twenty thousand strong ? " Throughout the action 
 General Taylor was where the shot fell hottest and 
 thickest, two of which pierced his clothes.'^ 
 
 When a canister shot tore through the breast of his 
 coat he remarked coolly that '^ those balls are grow- 
 ing excited." 
 
 At one time during the fray he watched the fighting 
 of some Kentucky regiments — his own State troops — • 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 391 
 
 supposiDg them to be faltering; then, learning his 
 mistake and seeing them advance in solid phalanx, he 
 couldn't help shouting, " Hurrah for old Kentuck ! '' 
 while tears of joy ran down his cheeks. 
 
 " And thus on Buena Vista's heights, a long day's work was done 
 And thus our brave old general another battle won ; 
 And still our glorious banner waves unstained by flight or shame, 
 And the Mexicans among their hills still tremble at our name. 
 So honor unto those that stood ! Disgrace to those that fled ! 
 And everlasting honor to the brave and gallant dead !" 
 
 The military exploits of General Taylor were in- 
 deed glorious, but these could not outshine his tender- 
 heartedness, his humanity and his noble qualities as a 
 man. The fall of Hardin and McKee and Lincoln 
 and young Clay, besides many others of his personal 
 friends, affected him deeply, and drew forth heartfelt 
 words of sympathy to the grief-stricken families. 
 
 After the battles of Palo Alto and Eesaca de la 
 Palma, Taylor received the appointment of major- 
 general, which was confirmed by Congress, and he was 
 constituted commander-in-chief of all the forces in 
 Mexico — a position which he held until Scott was or- 
 dered to that country in 1846. 
 
 One of Taylor's personal peculiarities was an aver- 
 sion to uniforms or full dress of any description ; and 
 in summer he delighted in cotton pantaloons, straw hat 
 and linen roundabout. In character he was every 
 inch the general. No emergency, however great, 
 overthrew him. If dangers arose, he confronted them ; 
 if difficulties, he became their master. Superior in 
 judgment, superior in tactical skill and strategy, 
 prompt and decisive in action, he has conquered a 
 name and fame in the four desperate battles of the 
 
392 BOWIV THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Mexican War, which lias won for him laurels of death* 
 less renown. 
 
 ®\u <5untrreir anlr Jttll) Cla^- 
 
 Foster House, 
 
 Natchez, 3Iississippif 
 
 November Third. 
 
 The Alice, having been carried up to the plantation 
 house at Rosedale the previous evening, was borne 
 back to the river this morning on the shoulders of 
 three burly negroes, who seemed very proud of the 
 opportunity of rendering a service to the Northern 
 strangers. 
 
 We found the aspect of the country very much 
 ohanged as we approached Natchez. Large and well- 
 tilled plantations protected by levees now skirted the 
 river-banks, while occasional forests of dense green, 
 heavily draped with Spanish moss, threw dark shad- 
 ows on our watery path. 
 
 Soon after landing at Natchez we had the pleasure 
 of attending a political meeting at which the Hon. 
 L. Q. C. Lamar was the principal speaker, and 
 were very much impressed by the liberal sentiments 
 to which he gave expression. The senator spoke 
 in advocacy of General Lowry, the democratic candi- 
 date for governor. Among other things, my memory 
 recalls the following : '^ As they had accepted the situa- 
 tion at the close of the war thej should act in good 
 faith and endeavor to adapt themselves to the circum- 
 stances in which they were now placed and which fol- 
 lowed the arbitrament to which they had succumbed. 
 Northern men and Northern capitalists should be en- 
 couraged to come South and made welcome to join 
 
SPORT AMONG THE BAYOUS. 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 379 
 
 the exercise of their rights as freemen. The sanguin- 
 ary race-encounters at the polls in the South, reported 
 in the Northern papers since 1865, not unfrequently 
 with much exaggeration, are things of the past — let ua 
 hope never to be revived ; and, as the years roll by and 
 the rising generation of blacks, with their minds free 
 from the shackles of ignorance as their bodies are from 
 slavery, that the color-line will cease to be an obstacle 
 to political and other preferment, and white and black 
 live together and work for their common good in har- 
 mony and peace. 
 
 BONDUKANT LANDING, 
 
 Saint Joseph, Louisiana, 
 November First. 
 
 Before resuming our voyage on the following morn- 
 ing we were allowed to inspect a cotton-gin, through 
 the courtesy of Hon. J. W. Goodrum, brother of our 
 host at Warrenton. We had noticed several of these 
 gins on plantations after passing Vicksburg, but this was 
 the first we had seen in operation, and we were much 
 interested by the apparently complicated though really 
 simple process of manipulating the useful vegetable 
 product before its transmission to the manufacturer 
 to be converted into material for clothing. 
 
 At Point Pleasant we halted for lunch and made the 
 acquaintance of Albert Bland. After our meal, taken 
 at his commodious store, I had a conversation with 
 him in relation to the political condition of Louis- 
 iana. His views were based on intelligent inves- 
 tigation and appeared thoroughly sincere, and al- 
 though presented from a Southern standpoint, were 
 
 by no means partisan or illiberal. I left him with 8 
 26 
 
380 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 most favorable impression on my mind of the growth 
 of a sentiment which bade fair soon to unite all sections 
 of our common country in the bonds of fraternal citizen- 
 ship. 
 
 Grand Gulf, a small village standing on a high 
 bluif, and one of the mouths of Big Black River, were 
 reached at four o'clock in the afternoon. The Big 
 Black takes its rise in Chocktaw County, and after a 
 course of two hundred miles, enters the Mississippi 
 through two mouths, one of which is in Warren 
 County, and the other in Claiborne County at Grand 
 Gulf. Here we disembarked a few minutes after sun- 
 set, at the point where General Grant landed during 
 the operations against Bruinberg in 1863. I was 
 kindly received as a guest at the Bondurant Planta- 
 tion and honored by being assigned to the room for- 
 merly occupied by the great general. 
 
 Our run for the day was sixty-four miles between 
 nine o'clock in the morning and six in the evening, 
 one of the best heats in our long race to the sea, and 
 a showing to which even a veteran canoeist might 
 possibly refer with some pride. It is due, however, to 
 my companion, Paine, that I should candidly con- 
 fess that the credit belonged chiefly to his vigorous 
 arms, as he used the double paddle in the bow of the 
 canoe. 
 
 Plantation House, 
 
 Mosedale Landing, Louisiana, 
 November Second. 
 
 Breakfasted rather late at the Bondurant Planta- 
 tion, at which our worthy host surprised us with a 
 bountiful mess of fresh perch, caught by negroes in a 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 381 
 
 bayou on the estate. Mr. Bondarant entertained us 
 so agreeably and hospitably that we were startled to 
 find it nine o'clock while boarding the Alice. He 
 pushed us out from the landing, while a gathering of 
 white and colored people on the banks waved their caps 
 and cheered us God-speed. On nearing General Zachar}» 
 Taylor's old plantation, a heavy and protracted rain^ 
 storm forced us to pull ashore. Here we were re- 
 galed with a generous lunch, and listened to stories of 
 " Old Zach./' related with enthusiasm by colored 
 admirers of the hero; and while the storm lasts and 
 prevents our departure, we will tell the reader what 
 we know of the hero of Buena Vista. 
 
 The family tree of this American patriot blossomed 
 long ago on English shores, and the blood of his 
 forefathers is said to have been both ancient and 
 blue. The emigration of the family to Virginia took 
 place in 1692, and the history of that State is inter- 
 threaded in warp and woof with outcroppings of this 
 distinguished name. 
 
 General Taylor's father held a colonel's commission 
 in the Revolutionary War, and manfully helped to 
 mould the country towards its future greatness. In 
 1790, the family moved to Kentucky, when young 
 Zachary was less than a year old, and when the em- 
 bryo State was little more than a battle-ground for 
 contending tribes of Indians and the bloody wars then 
 raging between the red and white races. Colonel 
 Taylor, the father, bore so conspicuous a part in these 
 early struggles as to render his name a terror to the 
 barbarian foe, and a tower of strength to the settlers 
 whose banner he bore. When peace at last brought 
 repose to the country, he became one of Kentucky's 
 
382 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 leading politicians and public men. He helped frame 
 the constitution of his State, represented JeflPerson 
 County and the city of Louisville for years in both 
 branches of the legislature, and voted as a member of 
 the electoral college for Jefferson, Madison, Monroe 
 and Clay. His sons and daughters were left a grand 
 heritage of fame, staunch character, and the true grit 
 which fights for principle against all odds. 
 
 The younger Taylor, Zachary, is said to have had a 
 boyhood filled with adventure and touched with the 
 bold characteristics and heroic traits which afterwards 
 distinguished his life. Raised on the frontier, exposed 
 daily and nightly to sudden attacks from the surround- 
 ing Indian tribes, in danger of being scalped on his 
 way to school, buffeted by the rough wind of adverse 
 circumstances, he attained a character of strength 
 which no gentler rearing could give. His opportuni- 
 ties for the discipline of the schools were meagre 
 enough, but his great will-power and untiring perse- 
 verance enabled him to master an education where 
 others would have failed. 
 
 In 1808, when the embers of the on-coming war 
 were being fanned into flame and the capture of the 
 United States Frigate Chesapeake by a British ship of 
 war sent a thrill of indignation through the country, 
 young Taylor made application to Jefferson for a 
 commission in the army, and, on the third of May in 
 that year, was created first-lieutenant in the Seventh 
 Regiment, United States Infantry. In 1812, he was 
 promoted to a captaincy, and having been placed in 
 command of Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, about 
 fifty miles above Vincennes, Indiana, he successfully 
 repelled an attack of savages greatly outnumbering his 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. ?583 
 
 own little band, and by bis skilful strategy and her- 
 oism, covered his youthful name with glory. It was 
 within an hour of midnight when the Fort was fired 
 and the attack commenced. Surrounded by a yelling 
 horde of four hundred and fifty Indians, this boy-cap- 
 tain calmly gave his orders amid the rushing of the 
 flames and the cries of women and children inside, who 
 had sought the protection of the Fort. By heroic ef- 
 forts the flames were extinguished, temporary breast- 
 works were erected and such a storm of shot poured in- 
 to the enemy's ranks that by morning they were over- 
 powered, and Captain Taylor and his men were left 
 victors of the field. The country resounded with the 
 praises of this officer of only twenty-two years, and the 
 brave defence won for him the brevet rank of major. 
 
 During the years intervening between 1815 and 
 1832, Major Taylor was stationed at various frontier 
 posts in the West and rendered efficient service. He 
 had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, 
 and in the last-named year was appointed commander 
 of the regular troops in the Black Hawk War. At the 
 close of this war he received the appointment of colo- 
 nel of the First Regiment, Infantry, then doing duty 
 on the Upper Mississippi. Here he acted as Indian 
 agent for several years, and acquired great influence 
 over his dusky brethren, being known among them as 
 the "Big Chief." In 1836, having been ordered to 
 Florida, the brilliant and bloody battle of Okee-cho- 
 bee was fought, in which Colonel Taylor so distin- 
 guished himself as to receive the brevet rank of briga- 
 dier-general. He was assigned command of the 
 operations in Florida, and continued there until 1840, 
 making four years of difficult service in that particu- 
 lar field. 
 
384 DOWN THE GREAT RlVEB. 
 
 During this Florida war, General Taylor was cen- 
 sured for employing bloodhounds to ascertain the 
 hiding-places of the wily foe ; but the censure was ill- 
 considered, since he himself said, in a letter on the 
 subject, that his object in employing dogs was to " as- 
 certain where the Indians were, not to injure them." 
 
 The admission of Texas into the Union, in 1845, 
 having virtually brought on the Mexican War, Gen- 
 eral Taylor became at once one of the most prominent 
 actors in that great military drama. 
 
 He was recalled by the Secretary of War, Mr. 
 Marcy, from Louisiana to the defence of Texas, and 
 appointed to the command of the army of occupation 
 there. In August, he took up his position at Corpus 
 Christi, on the west side of the Nueces, where he re- 
 mained until March, 1846, at which time he went to 
 the Rio Grande, as far as Fort Brown — or where Fort 
 Brown afterwards stood — a distance of one hundred 
 and nineteen miles. 
 
 Ampudia remonstrated against the blockade of the 
 Rio Grande in vain, and thus matters progressed until 
 the war was fairly inaugurated. General Arista had 
 succeeded Ampudia in the command of the Mexican 
 forces and on one or two minor occasions— when small 
 detachments of Americans had been surrounded and 
 captured by overwhelming numbers — he issued the 
 most astonishing congratulatory orders, proclaiming 
 the success of their arms. But this inflated bubble of 
 bombast was doomed to be pricked. 
 
 Taylor advanced to Point Isabel and soon afterwards 
 the bloody battle of Palo Alto was fought. For two 
 hours the havoc raged with unceasing fury, and regi- 
 ments of Mexican lancers and cavalry were mowed 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 387 
 
 down like grass before the heavy fire of our artillery. 
 The long prairie grass of Palo Alto, which reached 
 nearly to the muzzle of the guns, was set on fire by the 
 continuous sheet of flame issuing from our cannon, 
 and enveloped the contending armies in a cloud of 
 smoke. At the end of two hours a new battle line 
 was formed under cover of the smoke and the conflict 
 was renewed with increased vigor. For three hours 
 longer the fighting continued. Again and again the 
 Mexican line advanced to the onset with a brave 
 front and were as many times hurled back in defeat. 
 Arista endeavored to turn our flank and get possession 
 of the stores in our rear, but his efibrts were parried 
 by more skilful resistance, and at last, as night set in, 
 the enemy were driven in disorder from the field, and 
 the Americans held a clear title of victory to the 
 grounds of Palo Alto. At this battle two thousand 
 men under General Taylor confronted and defeated 
 six thousand Mexicans. The enemy's loss in killed, 
 wounded and missing was estimated at one thousand. 
 The memorable day was that of May eighth, 1846. 
 
 General Taylor is said to have exhibited an utter 
 disregard of danger when in battle, always inspiring 
 his men by his presence where the balls flew thickest 
 and death seemed most imminent. At Palo Alto, he 
 rode up to the Fifth Infantry on the American right 
 as the Mexican Lancers charged down upon them, and 
 addressed them in these words : " Men, I place myself 
 in your square ! " How much this act influenced the 
 gallant repulse of the charge, who can tell ? 
 
 The brilliant victory of Resaca de la Pal ma, in which 
 General La Yega was captured, followed Palo Alto 
 on the next day, and was almost or quite as hotly 
 
388 • DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 contested and perhaps quite as bloody. Arista's eamp 
 was captured with all its prodigal display of military 
 grandeur and profuse splendor of equipage, and the 
 American army partook of a bountiful supper from the 
 contents of the camp-kettles simmering on the fires, left 
 in such sudden haste when the panic came on. The 
 tricolor of the Tampico Battalion was also captured 
 and is still preserved among the nation's trophies of 
 war. During the engagement General Taylor seemed 
 to be everywhere at once as the inspiring and sustain- 
 ing spirit of the great action. His official report of 
 the affair is full of a clear sagacity as well as great 
 modestv and reveals the character of the man. 
 
 The two victories of Palo Alto and Resaca de la 
 Palma were all the more praiseworthy from the fact 
 that the American army on these occasions contended 
 against a force four times its number, and nothing 
 but superior skill and generalship, added to well -disci- 
 plined troops, could have braved the repeated and 
 furious onsets of the Mexicans. General Ampudia, 
 second in command to Arista, barely escaped drown- 
 ing while crossing the Rio Grande in the disorderly 
 retreat which followed the battle. He rushed into the 
 Plaza of Metamoras — the first man who entered the 
 city with the news— exclaiming, " All is lost ! '' 
 
 On that night of terrible repulse to the enemy, 
 between four and five thousand panic-stricken and 
 lawless soldiers, were wandering about the streets of 
 Metamoras, abandoned to the despair of the hour. 
 Ampudia denounced Arista, and the women of the city 
 tore down the festoons from the ball-rooms where they 
 had prepared a festival in honor of the expected vic- 
 tory — and then threw aside and trampled upon their 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 339 
 
 gay apparel. Citizens fled to the country, only per- 
 haps to fall by the way into the hands of pillagers and 
 murderers or scattered bodies of unorganized troops. 
 Neither social nor civil nor military order had any 
 place in this carnival of riot and confusion. 
 
 On the eleventh, there was an exchange of prisoners, 
 among whom on our side were Captains Thornton and 
 Hardee and Lieutenant Lane. 
 
 The Mexican army was now in full retreat and our 
 successes were followed up by crossing the Rio Grande, 
 taking possession of Metamoras and giving to the in- 
 habitants of that city the security and protection which 
 their own troops were unable to furnish. Here Gen- 
 eral Taylor was obliged to wait for reinforcements 
 and wagons for a period of about three months before 
 he could advance to the attack of Monterey. The 
 Mexicans, meantime, had become strongly intrenched 
 behind the natural and artificial fortifications of that 
 walled city with an opposing force of ten thousand 
 men, under command of Ampudia. The rugged heights 
 of Monterey were supposed to be impregnable. For 
 ten years it had been held by a handful of native 
 troops, defying the Spanish power. To attempt its 
 reduction would be to rush into the very jaws of death 
 — for their guns commanded the entire approach. Yet 
 against this famous stronghold General Taylor con- 
 fidently advanced with a force of but six thousand men. 
 After a march of twelve daj^s he came in sight of the 
 beautiful city enthroned among its mountains. 
 
 Thick stone walls environed it. Ditches and redoubts 
 and bastions and a river in its rear, protected it. But 
 the attack was skilfully undertaken, the city was 
 stormed and in a few days the vaunted fortress of the 
 
390 DOTFiV^ THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Aztecs — the strongest save Vera Cruz in all Mexico — • 
 was in our hands. The generalship of Taylor on this 
 occasion has been lauded everywhere, and well does 
 his memory deserve the highest tribute paid to military 
 genius. 
 
 Meantime Santa Anna had returned from exile at 
 Havana, and gathering around him a force of twenty- 
 two thousand men, set out from San Louis Potosi to 
 drive back the Americans. This army Taylor met on 
 the field of Buena Vista — eight miles from Saltillo — 
 with a volunteer soldiery — Scott having drawn off 
 most of the regulars for other points. Our troops 
 were formed in line of battle in a mountain-pass under 
 the towering peaks of the Sierra Madre, two thousand 
 feet high. They occupied a lower spur of the range 
 and advancing up the mountain side, their continuous 
 firing after the battle had begun, wrapped the ascent 
 in a sheet of smoky flame. The contest raged furiously 
 along the whole line, and thrice during the ten hours 
 of terrible conflict did the balance of victory seem to 
 hang by a single thread — the immense numbers of the 
 Mexicans almost insuring our defeat. 
 
 But the victory was at last ours though won at a fear- 
 ful cost of life. How could it be otherwise when five 
 thousand Americans were pitted against an enemy 
 twenty thousand strong ? " Throughout the action 
 General Taylor was where the shot fell hottest and 
 thickest, two of which pierced his clothes.'^ 
 
 When a canister shot tore through the breast of his 
 coat he remarked coolly that " those balls are grow- 
 ing excited." 
 
 At one time during the fray he watched the fighting 
 of some Kentucky regiments — his own State troops — • 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 391 
 
 supposing them to be faltering; then, learning his 
 mistake and seeing them advance in solid phalanx, he 
 couldn't help shouting, " Hurrah for old Kentuck ! '' 
 while tears of joy ran down his cheeks. 
 
 " And thus on Buena Vista's heights, a long day's work was done 
 And thus our brave old general another battle won ; 
 And still our glorious banner waves unstained by flight or shame, 
 And the Mexicans among their hills still tremble at our name. 
 So honor unto those that stood ! Disgrace to those that fled ! 
 And everlasting honor to the brave and gallant dead ! " 
 
 The military exploits of General Taylor were in- 
 deed glorious, but these could not outshine his tender- 
 heartedness, his humanity and his noble qualities as a 
 man. The fall of Hardin and McKee and Lincoln 
 and young Clay, besides many others of his personal 
 friends, affected him deeply, and drew forth heartfelt 
 words of sympathy to the grief-stricken families. 
 
 After the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la 
 Palma, Taylor received the appointment of major- 
 general, which was confirmed by Congress, and he was 
 constituted commander-in-chief of all the forces in 
 Mexico — a position which he held until Scott was or- 
 dered to that country in 1846. 
 
 One of Taylor's personal peculiarities was an aver- 
 sion to uniforms or full dress of any description ; and 
 in summer he delighted in cotton pantaloons, straw hat 
 and linen roundabout. In character he was every 
 inch the general. No emergency, however great, 
 overthrew him. If dangers arose, he confronted them ; 
 if difficulties, he became their master. Superior in 
 judgment, superior in tactical skill and strategy, 
 prompt and decisive in action, he has conquered a 
 name and fame ia the four desperate battles of the 
 
392 DOWIV THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 Mexican War, which lias won for him laurels of death- 
 less renown. 
 
 ®\\t ^unDreb aitir Jtfll) Sag. 
 
 Foster House, 
 Natchez, Mississippi^ 
 " November Third. 
 
 The AlicCj having been carried up to the plantation 
 house at Rosedale the previous evening, was borne 
 back to the river this morning on the shoulders of 
 three burly negroes, who seemed very proud of the 
 opportunity of rendering a service to the Northern 
 strangers. 
 
 We found the aspect of the country very much 
 changed as we approached Natchez. Large and well- 
 tilled plantations protected by levees now skirted the 
 river-banks, while occasional forests of dense green, 
 heavily draped with Spanish moss, threw dark shad- 
 ows on our watery path. 
 
 Soon after landing at Natchez we had the pleasure 
 of attending a political meeting at which the Hon. 
 L. Q. C. Lamar was the principal speaker, and 
 were very much impressed by the liberal sentiments 
 to which he gave expression. The senator spoke 
 in advocacy of General Lowry, the democratic candi- 
 date for governor. Among other things, my memory 
 recalls the following : " As they had accepted the situa- 
 tion at the close of the war they should act in good 
 faith and endeavor to adapt themselves to the circum- 
 stances in which they were now placed and which fol- 
 lowed the arbitrament to which they had succumbed. 
 Northern men and Northern capitalists should be en- 
 couraged to come South and made welcome to join 
 
SPOKT AMONG THE BAYOUS. 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 395 
 
 them in the development of their industries and com- 
 mercial enterprises. It was their duty to do all in 
 their power to promote the growth of good feeling be- 
 tween the sections and show the people of the North 
 that they were now not less loyal to the old flag than 
 those who had carried it through the war." The re- 
 mainder of the speech was in the same liberal and en- 
 lightened strain. After the meeting at the Court 
 House, I saw Senator Lamar in the parlor of the 
 Foster House and conversed with him on the subject 
 of the contest in which he was engaged. I also ex- 
 plained to him the nature and extent of my voyage, 
 in which he appeared much interested. 
 
 Few towns or cities of the Mississippi are so rich in 
 historical interest as Natchez, situated on the eastern 
 bank of the river, two hundred and eighty miles north 
 of New Orleans. The city is divided into two sec- 
 tions, known as Natchez-on-the-hill and Natchez-un- 
 der-the-hill. The latter is built on a narrow strip of 
 land between the bluff and the river, and includes the 
 landings and principal business houses. It possesses 
 neither architectural nor scenic beauty. It was 
 formerly the resort of gamblers, river thieves and 
 other desperate characters. Jim Bludsoe, the hero of 
 one of Hays' poems, we are told, had 
 
 ** One wife at Natchez-under-the-hilJ. ' 
 
 And another one here in Pike." 
 
 Broad and well-shaded roads connect it with Nat- 
 chez-on-the-hill, which is beautifully located on a cliff 
 nearly two hundred feet high overlooking the river. 
 The latter has abundance of shade trees, and many 
 
 handsome residences and other buildings. The houses 
 26 
 
396 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 are principally of brick, and surrounded by ample and 
 attractive gardens. 
 
 Along the whole front of the city, on the brow 
 of the cliiF, is a park from which fine views can be ob- 
 tained up and down the river. Adjoining this park is 
 a National Cemetery, laid out and decorated in a taste- 
 ful manner. The Court House is in a public square, 
 shaded with trees, and the Masonic Temple is a hand- 
 some building. The Catholic Cathedral has a spire 
 one hundred and twenty-eight feet high, and there are 
 other churches worthy of notice. 
 
 Natchez is the shipping-port of a large and fertile 
 cotton region, and holds commercial intercourse with 
 the whole Mississippi Valley. Its population in 1860 
 was 13,553. But the blockade of the Mississippi and 
 the general prostration of business in the South dur- 
 ing the Rebellion affected the city disastrously, so that 
 even at the conclusion of the war it did not at once re- 
 cover, and in 1870 its population had decreased to 
 about 10,000. Since that time it has been gradually 
 regaining lost ground, and is now on the road to pros- 
 perity. 
 
 The early history of Natchez is full of incident in- 
 terwoven with romance. Before the white man set 
 foot on the shores of the American continent it was 
 the home of a tribe of Indians from which it takes its 
 name. The Natchez Indians were a superior race, and 
 may have been descendants of the Mound Builders, 
 since their religion was that of fire-worship, which was 
 evidently that of the prehistoric inhabitants of Amer- 
 ica. Their ceremonies were not unlike those of the 
 fire- worshippers of Persia. Fire was kept perpetually 
 burning upon the altar of the Temple of the Sun, and 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 39^7 
 
 this fire they believed originally descended to them 
 from heaven. A short time before the appearance of 
 the white man this fire accidentally went out, and 
 great were their mourning and dismay, as they be- 
 lieved the accident foreboded some great misfortune to 
 their tribe. Filled with the remembrance of this evil 
 omen, they made but a feeble struggle against the en- 
 croachments of the French, and were easily dislodged 
 from the territory. In extreme cases they offered hu- 
 man sacrifices to appease the wrath of their deity. 
 
 In 1700, D'Iberville, whose exploits in America 
 were not confined to Louisiana, but began in the 
 provinces of New York and Newfoundland, pro- 
 ceeded up the Mississippi in order to explore the 
 country and form friendly alliances with the native 
 tribes. He visited the Natchez country, and decided 
 it was the most favorable for the establishment of a 
 colony, and on the bluff where Natchez now stands, he 
 located the site of the future capital and built a fort. 
 The exact location of this fort is now a matter of dis- 
 pute. Some contend that it was at the back of the 
 present town, and others that Ellis Bluffs marks the 
 spot. While D'Iberville was there, one of the tem- 
 ples was struck by lightning and set on fire. The In- 
 dians were frightened, believing it to be a manifestation 
 of anger by their deity, and the high priest besought 
 the squaws to throw their little ones into the fire, in 
 order to appease him. Four infants were thus sacrificed 
 before D'Iberville could prevail upon them to desist. 
 
 The Great Sun, king of the Natchez tribe, was very 
 friendly, and gave the French permission not only to 
 build a fort, but to establish a trading-post. The lat- 
 ter, however, was not immediately done. 
 
398 DOWJ^ THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 Sixteen years later no permanent settlement had 
 been effected at Natchez. A feeling of unfriendliness 
 had been engendered between the Indians and whites, 
 and several of the latter had been murdered. And 
 now romance unites with matter-of-fact in the history 
 of the city. The daughter of Cardillac, then royal 
 governor of Louisiana, fell in love with Bienville, who, 
 though a young man, was in a certain sense the rival 
 of her father. Cardillac was at first infuriated that 
 one of her birth and rank should bestow her affections 
 upon a mere adventurer, and a Canadian. He remon- 
 strated with his daughter, but she grew so pale and 
 thin that at last he was frightened into acquiescence 
 with her wishes. Inviting Bienville to an audience, 
 he offered him the olive branch of reconciliation, and 
 the hand of his daughter as the guarantee of his .good 
 will. Bienville received the communication respect- 
 fully, but declined the honor intended him. In re- 
 taliation for the slight, Cardillac at once ordered him 
 to the Natchez country to build a fort and punish the 
 murderers of the Canadians, who had lost their lives 
 at the hands of the Indians. " What ! ^' exclaimed 
 Bienville, '^ do you really intend to send me with 
 thirty-four men to encounter a hostile tribe numbering 
 eight hundred warriors?" But Cardillac was obdu- 
 rate, and Bienville and his little force set out on their 
 mad expedition. 
 
 In April, 1716, Bienville and his small company 
 encamped on an island a little more than fifty miles 
 distant from the Natchez, and sent to them word that 
 he was going to establish a fort and trading-post 
 among them. After a little demur, and the exchange 
 of several communications, the Indian chiefs, deceived 
 
VICKSBURG TO NATCHEZ. 399 
 
 by the apparent friendliness, and believing the murder 
 of the Canadians still unknown, visited Bienville on 
 the island. They were immediately made prisoners, 
 and finally, after exacting and receiving the heads of 
 the murderers, two of them were put to death. 
 
 The Indians, thus intimidated, concluded a treaty 
 of peace, and on the arrival of Bienville at Natchez, 
 assisted in cutting the ditches, raising the parapets and 
 bastions of the new fort, and in constructing the build- 
 ings to be occupied by the French. This fort was 
 called Rosalie, and the ruins of it are still visible. 
 The ground which it occupies is, however, gradually 
 sinking, being undermined by subterranean springs, 
 and soon it will have entirely disappeared. The 
 depth of the artificial earthworks, subsequently added, 
 is plainly discernible, in the distinctly-marked strata 
 of earth. 
 
 Bienville returned in triumph to New Orleans, to 
 resume the government of that colony in the absence 
 of De V Epenay, who had been appointed to succeed 
 Cardillac. The latter, on his way up the river, search- 
 ing for gold and silver, stopped at Natchez, and was 
 cordially received by the chiefs, who presented to him 
 their calumet in token of peace. Scorning their of- 
 fers of friendship, he treated them contemptuously, 
 and as a result difficulties broke out afresh between 
 the French and Indians, and Cardillac was summarily 
 recalled by Crozat. 
 
 In 1729, the Indians massacred all the settlers of the 
 Natchez country, including the colonies on the Saint 
 Catherine, on the Yazoo, the Washita and near the 
 present town of Monroe. More than two hundred 
 men were killed, and ninety-two women and one hun- 
 
400 
 
 DOWJ^ THE GREAT JilVEB. 
 
 dred and fifty-five children taken prisoners. A war 
 was the result, in which the Natchez were dispersed, 
 and practically annihilated as a tribe. A few years 
 ago a small remnant of this tribe still existed in Texas, 
 its members exceedingly proud of their lineage. 
 
 The subsequent vicissitudes of the settlement were 
 only such as were endured by all frontier towns. As 
 the country became populated, Natchez became pros- 
 perous, and up to the period of the war was one of the 
 most thriving cities of the Lower Mississippi. As the 
 resources of the South are developed, and its produc- 
 tive capacity increased, Natchez will share its pros- 
 perity, and become an index of its material advance- 
 ment. 
 
CO 
 
 o 
 
 < 
 
 o 
 
CHAPTER XXX. 
 
 NATCHEZ TO BATON ROUGE. 
 
 Negro Cabin, 
 
 Near Fairview, Louisiana, 
 November 4, 1881. 
 
 JyJ[3JJ^^E had fully intended to leave Natchez at 
 an early hour in the morning; but I 
 was drawn into a conversation concern- 
 ing the late war, on learning that a 
 brother of the Misses Foster was killed in 
 an action with Kilpatrick's cavalry. Sup- 
 posing that I would be likely to know some 
 particulars of their brother's death, they plied 
 me with many inquiries which ultimately led to a gen- 
 eral discussion of our cavalry movements in Virginia. 
 It was nearly ten o'clock when we pushed out 
 from Natchez, but aided by an unusually strong 
 current we covered our average distance for the 
 day. 
 
 Being ignorant of the country in our advance, we 
 made a miscalculation as to the evening: destination 
 and experienced some difficulty in effecting a landing 
 late at night, which ended in our being compelled to 
 seek quarters at a negro cabin or accept the alternative 
 of remaining on the river, perhaps until daylight. We 
 
 (403) 
 
404 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 were not easily reconciled to our accommodation on 
 this occasion, but had become so thoroughly accus- 
 tomed to roughing it that we at length adjusted our- 
 selves to circumstances, and ^^ slept on our arms," as 
 soldiers would express it, on the floor of the cabin, 
 with a few old rags scattered over the boards, and our 
 blankets for covering. It should, however, be stated 
 to the credit of our colored host, that he provided the 
 best at his disposal, and with a generosity that com- 
 manded our admiration. 
 
 We found very little rest in the cabin of Benjamin 
 Franklin Williams, owing to the progress of a re- 
 ligious revival in the vicinity. Mrs. Williams went 
 to class-meeting after supper, and did not return until 
 between two and three o'clock in the morning ; then, 
 upon her return, her husband joined her in a review 
 of their work in the cause of the Gospel, and, to- 
 gether, they spent in this way the remainder of the 
 night. I may add that I have learned from some ex- 
 perience among colored people, that when they are 
 once enlisted in religious work, their zeal is unbounded, 
 and they are ceaseless in their endeavors to convert 
 others. 
 
 Private Kesidence, 
 
 Bayou Tunica, Louisiana, 
 
 November Fifth. 
 
 In anticipation of very shortly making the mouth 
 of the Red River, the last tributary of the Mississippi, 
 we breakfasted at six o'clock, and a few minutes 
 later pushed the Alice into her element, and were 
 soon out of sight of our friends at Fairview. In less 
 than an hour we were off the mouth of the Red 
 
NATCHEZ TO BATON ROUGE. 405 
 
 River, and soon after met the steamer Henry Franhy 
 engaged in the cotton trade between Natchez and 
 New Orleans. 
 
 Red River rises in Texas, and flows east and t-hea 
 south, dividing Texas from Indian Territory and Ar- 
 kansas. It then passes into Louisiana, flowing south- 
 east until it falls into the Mississippi. Its length is 
 about twelve hundred miles. Small steamers ascend 
 it as far as Shreveport, Louisiana, three hundred and 
 thirty miles from its mouth. The " Raft," an im- 
 mense collection of trees and drift-wood, about fifteen 
 miles long, had long obstructed the navigation ; but in 
 1873, a navigable channel was opened through its en- 
 tire length. Red River receives its name from its pe- 
 culiar color, supposed to be derived from the red clay 
 through which its upper course lies. In Louisiana it 
 sends off numerous bayous, which find their way back 
 again to the main stream, forming frequent lakes. 
 
 Arrived at Tunica Landing, we were very cordially 
 received by Mr. John J. Winn and family. Mr. 
 Winn is an enterprising merchant and cotton planter, 
 and we found him an exceedingly affable and courteous 
 host. 
 
 Bayou Tunica, 
 
 Tunica Landing, Louisiana, 
 
 November Sixth. 
 
 The weather being rainy, with strong southerly 
 wind, Mr. Winn easily persuaded us to remain an- 
 other day at Tunica. Had the weather been more fa- 
 vorable we should either have continued our voyage, 
 or accepted Mr. Winn's pressing invitation to join him 
 in an alligator hunt — the chief sport of this section 
 
406 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 of Louisiana. Our host informed us that he had shot 
 as many as seventeen of these creatures in one day, 
 among the bayous of his plantation. 
 
 The steamers Natchez and Robert E. Lee stopped at 
 Tunica in the afternoon on their way up the river. 
 Mr. Winn took me on board the latter and introduced 
 me to several of the officers. Let me add that the 
 Winns were untiring in their effi^rts to make our stay 
 at their home in every respect agreeable, and it is but 
 a slight recognition of their hospitality to say that 
 they succeeded admirably. 
 
 (S>\\t fyxxi^xt^ ani 23'tntf) SDag. 
 
 Waterloo House, 
 
 Waterloo, Louisiana, 
 
 November Seventh. 
 
 It was with a feeling of regret that we parted with 
 the Winns and paddled away from Tunica at nine 
 o'clock in the morning. Mr. and Mrs. Winn, their 
 clerks and the colored people of the hamlet were pres- 
 ent at the launch. 
 
 The weather was still unsettled, while a high wind 
 from the southward greatly retarded our progress. 
 Seeing no plantation-houses or villages, between 
 twelve and one o'clock we disembarked, and refreshed 
 ourselves with coffee, corn-bread and bacon at a negro 
 cabin about three miles above Bayou Sara, a flourish- 
 ing village, which wx passed at three o'clock. Twelve 
 miles below Bayou Sara we passed Port Hudson, 
 noted for important military events during the Civil 
 War; and, late in the afternoon, met the United 
 States mail steamer. Morning Star, the officers and 
 crew of which honored us with a salute. Waterloo, a 
 
NATCHEZ TO BATON EOUGB, 407 
 
 village of five hundred souls, was reached a few min- 
 utes after sundown, the dilapidated appearance of 
 which led us to the reflection that a "great battle'^ 
 had possibly been fought in its immediate vicinity. 
 
 Eliza Plantation, 
 
 Near Plaquemine, Louisiana^ 
 November Eighth, 
 
 Our run of November eighth led us through one of 
 the richest sugar-producing sections of the State, 
 Dotted here and there along the river's banks are the 
 picturesque homes of the planters, made more attrac- 
 tive by the tropical vegetation, the clustering vines, 
 blooming roses and bright green turf, than they could 
 ever be from mere architectural beauty, while their 
 continuous course along the shore gives the idea of an 
 extended and prosperous village. We were welcomed 
 to the Eliza Plantation, by its proprietors, Messrs. V. 
 U. Lefebre & Son, who are counted among the wealthi- 
 est sugar planters of Plaquemine Parish, owning and 
 controlling three large plantations. 
 
 This was our first experience on a sugar plantation, 
 and I made the most of my opportunity. We were 
 shown the cane-field and sugar-mill, and every detail 
 was explained, from the cutting of the cane to the re^ 
 fining process, which leaves this useful product in con- 
 dition for the market. 
 
 The sugar-cane varies in height from six to fifteen 
 feet and upwards, and in diameter from one and a half 
 to two inches. Its stalk is knotty. The roots are 
 slender, about a foot in length, and furnished with a 
 few short fibres. There are twelve or fifteen leaves at 
 
408 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 the top arranged like a fan. The sugar-cane requires 
 a nutritious soil and a tropical or sub-tropical climate. 
 It is propagated by slips, and requires from twelve to 
 sixteen months to arrive at maturity. The leaves fall 
 off before flowering, and the stem then becomes of a 
 straw color. After the cane harvest the roots strike 
 again and produce a fresh crop, but in about six years 
 they must be removed. The canes are cut in dry 
 weather. They should have a smooth skin, consider- 
 able weight, grayish pith and a sweet glutinous juiee. 
 The lowest joint contains the richest juice. The canes 
 are tied up in bundles and sent to the crushing-mill. 
 The cane-mill usually consists of three massive cast- 
 iron rollers, about six inches in diameter. The juice 
 passes into a channel below, and thence to a reservoir. 
 From twelve to fourteen tons of good ripe cane pro- 
 duce about fifteen hundred gallons of juice, which are 
 required for making one hogshead of sugar. 
 
 The juice of the cane is simply a solution of sugar 
 in water. It is usually of a yellow color, but is some- 
 times colorless. It has an agreeable but rather insipid 
 taste. The exposure of the juice to the air, even for 
 half an hour, would cause fermentation to set in ; lime 
 is therefore immediately added for the purpose of 
 neutralizing the acid. The process of refining is of 
 too technical a nature to be popularly explained in a 
 work of this character. 
 
 On the opposite, or eastern side of the river, stands 
 Baton Rouge, one hundred and seventeen miles above 
 New Orleans, and formerly the capital of Louisiana. 
 It was one of the first French settlements on the 
 Lower Mississippi, and had been previously the seat 
 of an old Indian village. The city is built on a bluif 
 
NATCHEZ TO BATON ROUGE, 499 
 
 twenty feet above the highest inundations, and is well 
 and substantially erected. Plantations of sugar-cane, 
 groves of tropical fruit trees and handsome villas with 
 gardens, border the river at the foot of the bluif, the 
 villas being, in some cases, of elegant architectural 
 proportions. A National arsenal and barracks, a 
 military hospital, the State Penitentiary and Deaf and 
 Dumb Asylum, are located here, and the Louisiana 
 State University was temporarily removed to this city 
 after its edifice was burned in 1869. In the Civil 
 War the city was occupied by the Federal troops after 
 the capture of New Orleans. On August fifth, 1862, 
 General Williams was attacked at Baton Rouge by the 
 Confederates, under General Breckenridge. The 
 Union general was killed, but the assailants, after a 
 fierce contest, were repulsed. The city is advanta- 
 geously situated for navigation and commerce, and has 
 at present a population of about ten or twelve thou- 
 eend. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 BATON ROUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 
 
 E. E. Lee Hotel, 
 
 DonaldsonvUle, Louisiana, 
 November 9, 1881. 
 
 HERE was so much of interest to be seen 
 on the Lefebre plantations that it was 
 nearly eleven o'clock when we again 
 ■^ turned our faces towards the river. 
 
 Donaldsonville was not reached until long 
 after dark, and having been incorrectly in- 
 formed as to the best point for landing, we found 
 much difficulty in getting ashore. This is a small 
 place of less than five thousand inhabitants, seventy- 
 five miles above New Orleans. It has received 
 but little recognition in the general history of the 
 country, but is, nevertheless, a growing city and worthy 
 of more attention than it appears to have hitherto at- 
 tracted. 
 
 During the Civil War Donaldsonville fell into the 
 possession of the Federals, who erected a small earth- 
 work with a garrison of one hundred and eighty men 
 of the Twenty-eighth Maine, under the command of 
 Major D. Mullen. At 1.30 A. m. of June twenty- 
 eighth, 1862, the Confederates attacked the work, but 
 (410) 
 
BATON ROUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 41 X 
 
 in the darkness there was a good deal of confusion in 
 their movements. They were defeated by the com- 
 bined action of the little garrison and three gunboate 
 in the river, the affair lasting until daylight; with 
 a result of sixty-nine Confederate dead and one hun- 
 dred and twenty prisoners, 
 
 ®ne ^unbntr anb toelftl) jmag. 
 
 Negro Cabin, 
 
 Saint John Parish, Louisianm, 
 
 November Tenth. 
 
 Started from Donaldsonville in a rain storm, which 
 continued until late in the evening. I was fre- 
 quently and forcibly reminded of our up-river ex- 
 periences between Saint Paul and La Crosse, where 
 we were thoroughly drenched daily for more than 
 a week. 
 
 Nothing of special interest was noted in this day's 
 log. The rain continuing to descend in torrents ren- 
 dered the journey anything but pleasant, and the view 
 of the banks was partially obscured by dark, over- 
 hanging clouds that portended an uninterrupted down- 
 pour and a soaking to the skin. Rice and sugar-plan- 
 tations were just observable through the mist, at inter- 
 vals of three or four miles on both sides of the river, 
 and it may be stated that these were the first cultivated 
 rice-fields we had witnessed. 
 
 Wishing to cover as much ground as possible, we 
 remained in our canoe until eight o'clock in the even- 
 ing and then, on pulling ashore, sought shelter from 
 the rain under the first roof we came to, which proved 
 to be another negro cabin. 
 
 I cannot say too much in praise of the genuine ho»- 
 
412 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 pitality of the negroes we came in contact with in the 
 South. Always ready and eager to do their utmost to 
 please us, they were unselfish to a degree. It was but 
 poor accommodation they could offer, and they were 
 fully conscious of this ; but, poor as it was, the demon- 
 strations of cordial welcome with which it was ten- 
 dered made us feel thankful to have found such friends. 
 
 ®ne ^trniinir anir Sljtrteentl) JlDaji. 
 
 Pbivate Eesidence, 
 
 Carrolliont Louisiana^ 
 
 November Eleventh. 
 
 The storm which followed us to our quarters on the 
 night of the tenth greeted us again in the morning, 
 and again continued with us through the day. Rice- 
 fields, sugar-plantations and an occasional orange-grove 
 were seen from the canoe. The high banks, which had 
 hitherto greatly obstructed our view of scenery ad- 
 jacent to the river, had now entirely disappeared. In 
 fact, the river seemed higher as we descended, and its 
 surface was nearly, if not quite, on a level with the 
 land. 
 
 Anxious to reach New Orleans before dark, we re- 
 freshed ourselves with a cold lunch at midday as we 
 floated along with the current, past Saint Charles, a 
 small town on the west bank of the river. 
 
 We found it impossible to reach New Orleans at a 
 seasonable hour in consequence of the strong wind 
 from the south which impeded our progress from the 
 time of re-embarking in the morning until we stepped 
 ashore at night. The great depth of the river, too, 
 was an obstacle to rapid progress, as a heavy sea is 
 Always sure to result from high winds and deep water. 
 
BATON HaUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 413 
 
 The idea of reaching New Orleans before dark was 
 abandoned late in the afternoon, when we discovered 
 that we could only hope to make Carrollton by a most 
 vigorous use of our paddles. The night of Novem- 
 ber eleventh was one of unusual darkness, and when 
 the river front of Carrollton was reached, where we 
 found a swift current and an indifferent landing, our 
 canoe came very near being capsized, as a friendly 
 citizen caught the bow and pulled us up the bank. 
 
 Carrollton, on the left bank of the river, is in Jeffer- 
 son Parish, and adjoins New Orleans. It contains the 
 Court House and public buildings of the parish, and 
 is connected with the centre of New Orleans by street- 
 cars which start every three minutes. The public 
 gardens of Carrollton attract many visitors from the 
 Crescent City and the country immediately adjacent. 
 The town supports a weekly society paper. 
 
 Since passing Saint Louis we had looked forward to 
 the great Southern seaport as the chief object of attrac- 
 tion on the Lower Mississippi. Its early history, 
 rapid development and present commercial importance 
 combine to place it among the foremost cities of the 
 continent. It was now in full view and the goal of 
 our voyage not far distant. 
 
 Before proceeding, however, to our final destination 
 in the Gulf, I must pause to give the reader some ac- 
 count of this great and flourishing city of New Or- 
 leans. It is on the left side of the river — with the 
 exception of the annexed town of Algiers, which is on 
 the right bank — and is about one hundred and twelve 
 miles above its mouth, nine hundred and fifty-three 
 miles below the mouth of the Ohio, and eleven hun- 
 dred and forty-nine below the mouth of the Missouri 
 
414 DOWir THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 It embraces nearly the whole of Orleans Parish, with 
 parts of Jefferson and Plaquemine, reaching on the 
 north and east to Lakes Pouchartrain and Borgne. It 
 derives its name of "The Crescent City" from the 
 circumstance that the older portion of it is built within 
 a great bend of the river. In the progress of its 
 growth up stream it has now so extended itself as to 
 follow long curves in opposite directions, so that the 
 river front on the left bank presents an outline some- 
 what resembling the letter S. 
 
 The city is built on an inclined plane descending 
 gently from the river toward the swamp in the rear, 
 so that when the Mississippi is full, the streets are 
 three or four feet below the surface of the river. To 
 prevent inundations an embankment, called the Levee, 
 has been raised at great expense. This Levee is fifteen 
 feet wide and fourteen feet high, and is constructed for 
 a great distance along the river bank. The view of 
 the city from the river is beautiful, and, on entering it, 
 I found it difficult to realize that I had arrived at an 
 American city. The buildings, the manners, customs 
 and language of the people are so different ; the popu- 
 lation being very nearly equally made up of Ameri- 
 cans, French, Creoles and Spaniards, with a mixture 
 of almost every nation of the globe. 
 
 New Orleans bears not only the evidence of its 
 American and nineteenth century civilization, but it 
 also still retains traces of its French and Spanish 
 dominion, and of the old world civilization which 
 those nations have left behind them. * For nearly a 
 century New Orleans, though located on the American 
 continent, was European in its appearance and sympa- 
 thies. In 1712 Crozat was granted by Louis XI Y., 
 
BATON ROUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 4"^^ 
 
 the exclusive privilege for fifteen years of trading in 
 the then unknown, and literally boundless, territory 
 of Louisiana. At that period, for every two shiploads 
 of European immigrants a shipload of negroes was 
 brought from Africa, and thus slavery was planted in 
 the colony. Then came the great John Law scheme. 
 A gigantic bubble was blown ; the Loyal Bank sprang 
 into existence ; the charter of the Mississippi Company 
 was registered at Paris, and Louisiana was represented 
 in Europe as the long-sought El Dorado. Emigrants 
 flocked to its shores, only to be disappointed and im^ 
 poverished. The bubble burst, and with its bursting 
 came the reaction. The pendulum swung to the other- 
 extreme, and the evil report of the colony matched 
 that which but a short time previously had been said 
 in its favor. Louisiana was now represented as the 
 rendezvous of beggars, thieves and murderers, but the 
 privations and terrors of its inhabitants were greatly 
 magnified. 
 
 In the midst of this depression, Bienville selected 
 the present site of New Orleans for a capital of the 
 province over which he was governor. The site was 
 surveyed in 1717, and the first settlement made in the 
 following year. But flood, pestilence and famine came, 
 so that it was not until 1723 that the settlement be- 
 came permanent. In the same year the seat of govern- 
 ment was removed from New Biloxi to the later settle- 
 ment, which, in honor of the Regent of France, was 
 called New Orleans. 
 
 The city was in the midst of a swamp, surrounded 
 by a dense, rugged forest. The small, cleared space 
 which was occupied was frequently inundated ; and to 
 dispose of the surplus water, which was always present. 
 
41 S DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 each street was bordered by a ditch, which cut up the 
 town into small squares. These ditches were filled 
 with stagnant water, swamp mud and refuse matter, 
 and, under the burning sun, sent up offensive and 
 poisonous odors. Reeds and swamp grasses grew to 
 the very doors of the residences, and the toll of the 
 vesper bells and the croaking of the frogs from the 
 neighboring swamps mingled and harmonized in a 
 mighty chorus. 
 
 The inhabitants, some of them representing the best 
 blood of France, maintained in this noisome spot and 
 in their rude dwellings the courtly manners which 
 they had brought with them from their distant homes. 
 Stately ladies walked the miry streets in pairs^for in 
 those days etiquette would permit no lady to appear in 
 public without a duenna. Monks and nuns stole 
 silently along and were familiar objects upon the 
 streets. The little cross-surmounted edifices set apart 
 for the ceremonies of their religion daily summoned 
 their worshippers, and no religion save the Roman 
 Catholic was tolerated. The streets were named after 
 princes of the royal blood : Toulouse, Bourbon, Cond6, 
 Chatres and Conti. Above the city, on tlie banks of 
 the Mississippi, titled and wealthy French families 
 had established themselves ^nd lived lives of ease an-d 
 pleasure. 
 
 Occasionally the English threatened the little 
 French colony, but were compelled to turn back before 
 reaching the city ; for the French pioneers, though a 
 happy-go-lucky race, content with enjoying to-day and 
 permitting to-morrow to take care of itself, were good 
 soldiers, and very frequently successful in their mili- 
 tary operations. They conquered and dispersed the 
 
BATON BOUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 4^7 
 
 warlike Natchez, the most superior Indian tribe which 
 existed upon this continent when it was discovered. 
 They held the English at bay and proved too much 
 for the Spaniards, until, in 1777, the king of France, 
 in a fit of generosity, bestowed upon his "cousin of 
 Spain " the splendid gift of Louisiana, ceding it " with- 
 out any exception or reservation whatever, from the 
 pure impulse of his generous heart;" thus, by a single 
 stroke of the pen, depriving France of a province of 
 untold and, at that period, unimagined wealth, for 
 Louisiana embraced all the territory from the Gulf of 
 Mexico and Mexico on the south, to the English pos- 
 sessions on the north, and from the Mississippi to the 
 Pacific. 
 
 The French settlers rebelled against Spanish rule, 
 but in the end had to submit to it. Then came a sue- 
 cession of Spanish governors and Spanish colonists, who 
 have left their traces in quaint balconied houses and 
 little touches of Moorish architecture. In 1789, Don 
 Andr6 Almonastre, " Perpetual Eegidor of New Or- 
 leans,'^ built the Cathedral of Saint Louis, which was 
 replaced in 1850 by the present structure, as ugly as it 
 is modern in architecture. 
 
 Then, in 1803, Louisiana became again French, but 
 the rejoicings of the Creole inhabitants had scarcely 
 begun before they were turned into wailings by the 
 unexpected sale of the province by Napoleon I. to the 
 United States. Thus all the domain west of the Mis- 
 sissippi was purchased for $15,000,000. "Spanish 
 they might become, but English never!'' w^as Napo- 
 leon's dictum, and hence the sale. The inhabitants 
 and settlers resented the transfer and resolutely with- 
 drew within their own quarters, refusing to become 
 
418 Down THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 American citizens under the new regime. But again 
 they were helpless. 
 
 Under the United States rule New Orleans made 
 such progress as it had never done in the past. Its 
 commercial interests were built up and tliere was a 
 large influx of population. In the following year it 
 was incorporated as a city, and in 1810 its popula- 
 tion had increased to more than seventeen thousand. 
 Forty years later it numbered one hundred and sixteen 
 thousand inhabitants, and in 1860 nearly one hundred 
 and seventy thousand. 
 
 Then came the terrible years of the Civil War, when 
 all its business was prostrated and it was contended for 
 by two opposing armies. In the second year of the 
 war the city was strongly fortified. Sixty miles be- 
 low it, on the Mississippi, Fort Philip, on the left, and 
 Fort Jackson, on the right, were two strong citadels, 
 with a united armament of one hundred and twenty- 
 six guns. The river was seven hundred yards wide, 
 and an iron cable stretched across it, and, supported 
 by rafts and eleven hulks securely moored, presented 
 an effectual barrier. A fleet of thirteen gunboats, in- 
 cluding the iron-clad battery Louisiana and the ram 
 Manassas, was covered by the guns of the forts, while 
 water-batteries swept the channel above. The city was 
 held under General Lovell, while Commander G. No 
 Hollis directed the naval armament. 
 
 These protections of the city were considered im- 
 pregnable, and one of the newspapers of April fifth, 
 1862, published the following : " Our only fear is that 
 the Northern invaders may not appear. We have 
 made such extensive preparations to receive them that 
 it were vexatious if their invincible armada escape the 
 fate we have in store for it/' 
 
BATON ROUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 4I9 
 
 The mortar fleet, under Commodore Porter, and the 
 gunboat fleet, under Commodore Farragut, commenced 
 a bombardment on April eighteenth. The fleet em- 
 braced forty -six vessels, with three hundred guns and 
 mortars, but no iron-clads. The bombardment lasted 
 six days and was heard at New Orleans, sixty miles 
 distant. On the night of the twentieth boats passed 
 up the river through a break in the raft. The Con- 
 federate squadron descended to meet them, but was 
 destroyed within two hours. Twelve of the Federal 
 boats passed the forts without injury and proceeded up 
 towards the city. 
 
 When the news reached New Orleans the greatest 
 consternation prevailed. Bells were rung and the 
 people crowded the streets in a panic. Lovell imme- 
 diately ordered the evacuation of the city. When this 
 order went forth, the Confederates in their anger set 
 fire to the rafts and shipping on the river and to private 
 and public buildings. The city was surrendered to 
 the Union forces, and the forts, which had already 
 been silenced by the fleet, were compelled to capit- 
 ulate. General Benjamin F. Butler's land force, hav- 
 ing disembarked at Ponchartrain, took possession of 
 New Orleans. 
 
 When the war was ended. New Orleans was found 
 to have undergone a social as well as a political revo- 
 lution. Slavery was no more, and slaveholders were 
 bankrupt. Wealthy families had lost their all. Ladies 
 who had enjoyed large incomes before the war now 
 found themselves forced to open boarding-houses or 
 engage in menial occupations in order to support them- 
 selves and their families. Young women daintily 
 brought up, and who had every want supplied bj? 
 
420 DOWN THE GREAT EIVEB 
 
 others, were compelled to seek some kind of employ- 
 ment for their daily bread. Those who had been so 
 fortunate as to preserve their property, converted it 
 into money and took it away with them to Europe. 
 Only those remained who had no money with which 
 to go. 
 
 Such was the dark outlook, but prospects presently 
 began to brighten. Business interests looked up. 
 Fresh blood and fresh capital found their way into 
 avenues of trade and New Orleans is more prosperous 
 to-day than it was at any time in the past, and 
 ranks in its exports and foreign commerce next to 
 New York. 
 
 New Orleans to-day presents a strange compound 
 of the past and present. Canal street separates the 
 French quarter from the modern American city. This 
 street, which is the main business thoroughfare and 
 promenade, once had a canal running through it con- 
 necting the Mississippi with Lake Ponchartrain. But 
 since other canals have been opened this has been filled 
 up and replaced by a grass-plot twenty feet in width, 
 bordered on each side by double rows of trees. The 
 street is nearly two hundred feet wide and is lined by 
 fine stores and handsome private residences. 
 
 On the lower side of Canal street is found the 
 French quarter, which represents the original city. 
 This was built around a curve of the river. It is now 
 extended along the river bank both above and below 
 this curve. In the French quarter are many houses 
 dating back to the eighteenth century, some of them, 
 with their overhanging balconies or airy niches and 
 fantastic Moorish lattices, speaking of the time of the 
 Spanish dominion. Many of these old-time houses 
 
BATON ROUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 421 
 
 have DO beauty save that of age. They are of solid 
 masoDry, with great arched porticos and small win- 
 dows ; their pavements worn into unevenness by the 
 footsteps of many generations. The old Ursuline con- 
 vent in Cond6 street is one of the most interesting of 
 these structures. It was erected in 1787, during the 
 reign of Carlos III., by Don Andr^ Almonaster. It 
 is huge and ugly in form, with queer gable windows, 
 but quaint and venerable in appearance. When the 
 site which it occupies became valuable, the nuns sold 
 the building and removed to other quarters, where 
 they have built themselves a large edifice, modern and 
 stylish in appearance, and doubtless far more convei:|^ 
 lent and comfortable, but not half so interesting as their 
 early home. The old convent building is now occu- 
 pied by the Catholic bishop and is known as the 
 Bishop's palace. It is elbowed on every side by 
 modern structures, which present a strange contrast to 
 its Old World appearance. 
 
 Jackson Square is situated in the French quarter, 
 facing the river, and bounded on the three remaining 
 sides by Saint Peter, Saint Ann and Chartres streets. 
 Though it bears a modern name, its origin dates back 
 to the earliest days of the infant colony. It was 
 formerly known as the Place d' Armes, and was the 
 military parade-ground and place of public gatherings 
 during the French and Spanish periods of the history 
 of JN"ew Orleans. It is now ornamented by trees and 
 shrubbery, and contains MilPs equestrian statue of 
 General Jackson. The Cathedral, dedicated to Saint 
 Louis, and the Courts of Law, face the river from the 
 opposite side of the square. 
 
 The old Creole families of New Orleans keep them- 
 
422 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 selves to a great degree distinct from the American 
 population. In their quarter the French language, 
 spoken in a variety of dialects, from the pure, liquid 
 accents of the higher classes down to the childish patois 
 of the negroes, is almost universally used. At the 
 French market, on the Levee, near Jackson Square, 
 may be seen the greatest variety of peoples, and 
 be heard the greatest jargon of tongues. On Sunday 
 morning the scene is especially interesting, as the 
 crowd on that day is greatest. 
 
 The Levee is also one of the characteristic features 
 of New Orleans. Here is conducted the immense coni- 
 mercial business of the city, and in front of it is 
 moored the shipping of all nations. New Orleans is 
 the greatest cotton mart of the world, and also exports 
 large quantities of sugar, rice, tobacco and other prod- 
 ucts. The Levee is the scene of constant activity and 
 bustle. Sailors, river-men, merchants, shipping-clerks, 
 foreigners of all nationalities, travelers, priests, monks 
 and nuns are constantly passing and repassing, forming 
 a panorama which for variety and life has probably 
 not its equal on this continent. 
 
 The Shell Road out to Lake Ponchartrain is the 
 favorite drive. After leaving the city, it passes through 
 cypress swamps which, though gloomy, are exceedingly 
 picturesque, the trees being fringed with long, gray 
 Spanish moss. Lake Ponchartrain is itself a beautiful 
 body of water, forty miles long by twenty-five wide, 
 and abounds in fish and its borders in game. On its 
 banks are the country residences of the wealthy in- 
 habitants of the city. 
 
 The battle-field where, on January eighth, 1815, 
 General Jackson obtained a victory over the British, 
 
BATON ROUGE TO NEW ORLEANS. 425 
 
 lies a few miles below the city. It fronts on the Mis- 
 sissippi and extends inland about a mile to the cypress 
 swamps. An unfinished marble monument, erected in 
 commemoration of the victory, has attained a height of 
 seventy feet. In the south-west corner of the field is 
 a National cemetery, and between it and the city is 
 the new edifice of the Ursuliue convent, a large build- 
 ing overlooking the river. 
 
 The cemeteries of New Orleans are most peculiar. 
 The ground is so low that water is reached at a depth of 
 two or three feet, so that the tombs are all placed above 
 ground. Some of them are very handsome structures 
 of marble, granite or iron. Others are mere cells 
 placed in tiers, one above another. These cells look 
 like ovens, and when one receives a coffin it is hermeti- 
 cally sealed, and usually a marble tablet is placed over 
 the brick-work. There are no less than thirty-three 
 cemeteries in and near the city. Of these. Cypress 
 Grove and Greenwood are best worth visiting. 
 
 The population of New Orleans is composed of 
 French Creoles and the more modern French, Span- 
 iards, Portuguese, Italians, West Indians, Mexicans, 
 colored people of every shade, from the full-blooded 
 negro up to the octoroon, scarcely distinguishable in 
 complexion and features from the southern European ; 
 Southerners of English descent; Northerners and 
 Westerners; Chinese and Indians. The city still 
 maintains, in many respects, its early characteristics. 
 Its inhabitants are very gay, and theatres and operas 
 are liberally patronized. Mardigras is the great an- 
 nual holiday. Though a comparatively recent insti- 
 tution, having been first observed during the present 
 
 century, it is now celebrated with a universality and 
 
 28 
 
426 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 abandon which is as astonishing as it is delightful to 
 the visitor. On that day King Rex makes his appear- 
 ance in the city, attired in rega? splendor, and is fol- 
 lowed by a retinue of knights and servitors. After 
 these come a motley procession grotesquely masked. 
 The streets and balconies are crowded with spectators^ 
 and the day is given up to mirth and enjoymenty con- 
 cluding with balls and pantomimes. 
 
 In 1880, the population of New Orleans amounted 
 to two hundred and sixteen thousand. It is not archi- 
 tecturally a beautiful city, and, owing to its low site, 
 can never become an imposing one. But from its 
 location near the mouth of the Mississippi, it must 
 command the trade of the Gulf States and be the gate- 
 way through which the commerce of the cities of the 
 Mississippi Valley passes to other quarters of the globe. 
 The constantly increasing prosperity of the South, due 
 largely to free labor and to an influx of fresh blood, 
 fresh capital and fresh enterprise, is telling upon its 
 trade and commerce ; and unless something in the form 
 of a national calamity, such as war or pestilence, comeb 
 to check its prosperity, the progress of New Orleaufc* 
 must be onward to still larger commerce, broad^^ 
 ?K)cial planes, and higher intellectual advancement. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIL 
 
 HFW ORLEANS TO THE GULF OF MEXICO — END 
 
 OF VOYAGE. 
 
 ®ne ^unbrei anir iburtmitl) JPag. 
 
 English Turk, 
 Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana, 
 November 12, 1881. 
 
 'HE rays of the sun as he rose on th^ 
 morning of this day fell upon us through 
 a slight mist — the wind favorable and the 
 ■^ water smooth — when we pushed off from 
 the great seaport and turned our prow in 
 the direction of the Gulf. Met two large 
 ocean steamers inward bound — the first of these 
 giants we had seen in motion. One of them 
 glided so smoothly through the water that she ap- 
 peared to us, at first, to be stationary. Soon, however, 
 we discovered, by her wake, that she was forging 
 ahead with her screw-propeller at a tolerably rapid 
 pace, but so quietly as to lead to the impression that 
 she was at anchor. We speedily paddled out of her 
 way on finding our mistake, and the majestic vessel 
 passed onward to her destination. 
 
 English Turn was duly reached, a point rendered 
 memorable by the fact that in the war of 1812 the 
 English fleet, bound for New Orleans, turned back od 
 
 (427) 
 
42S DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 hearing of the defeat of their land force by General 
 Jackson. The people who inhabit this spot appeared 
 to be mostly of French origin or affinity. They spoke 
 little else but French, and the patois of the negroes 
 was especially amusing to us who had been accustomed 
 to hear only English spoken by our colored fellow- 
 citizens of the North. 
 
 The scenery on both banks of the river was pic- 
 turesque and diversified — orange groves, many acres 
 in extent ; rice fields and sugar plantations succeeding 
 one another as in a panorama, and rendering our trip 
 very pleasant. The weather was all we could wish, 
 and the reflection that we were rapidly nearing the 
 end of our voyage imparted an extra impulse to our 
 arms at each dip of the paddle as we drove the Alice 
 through the smooth and comparatively limpid water. 
 
 ®iu Qunbnb aub jFifteentt) JPajJ. 
 
 Home Place, 
 
 Plaguemine Parish, Louisiana^ 
 November Thirteenth. 
 
 We took leave of our French-speaking friends at 
 English Turn this morning at seven o'clock, wind and 
 weather still favoring us; and, stepping into our canoe, 
 pulled rapidly away from the crowd of whites and 
 negroes who lined the landing-place to witness our 
 departure. Several ocean steamers passed us during 
 the forenoon on their passage to and from New Orleans. 
 The Teutonia, hailing from some German port, the 
 ShelburnCj from one of the Australian colonies, and a 
 local steamer, complimented us with a salute from 
 their whistles when in short range. 
 
 Passed the night at an orange grove named Home 
 
NEW ORLEANS TO GULF OF MEXICO. 429 
 
 Place, which consists, besides the grove, of a landing- 
 stage and a general store. At Home Place we had no 
 choice but to occupy a sleeping-room with four other 
 men and an equal number of dogs, the men being 
 laborers in the orange grove. From this point large 
 quantities of oranges are shipped in sloops to New Or- 
 leans, which eventually find their way to the fruit- 
 stands and stores of Northern cities. 
 
 The Jump, 
 
 Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana, 
 November Fourteenth. 
 
 Again afloat, after an early breakfast at Home Place 
 and a hurried stroll through the orange grove, we re- 
 sumed our journey. Our course this day led us past 
 some of the finest orange groves and rice fields we had 
 yet seen. It may be noted that there is a somewhat 
 striking resemblance between the extremes of the Mis- 
 sissippi. The wild rice savannas of Northern Minne- 
 sota may be compared with the cultivated rice-fields 
 of Louisiana. The Indian at the head waters of the 
 Mississippi relies largely upon the wild product for his 
 winter sustenance, while his white brother of the far 
 South finds a ready market for the cultivated article. 
 The sugar maple of the Upper Mississippi is replaced 
 by the sugar-cane of the Lower, while the hemp and 
 flax of Iowa and Wisconsin are paralleled by the cot- 
 ton of Mississippi and Arkansas. The Jump is a 
 small, scattered and primitive hamlet, with a popula- 
 tion of possibly twenty-five or thirty souls, whose oc- 
 cupation appeared to be principally confined to fish- 
 ing. Their language is a mixture of French and 
 
430 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 German, scarcely intelligible to our Northern ears. 
 We failed to discover the origin or meaning of the 
 singular name of this river-side cluster of cabins. 
 
 ®ne QuniJnb anir 0n)mteentl) SDajj^ 
 
 Port Eads, 
 
 Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana, 
 W NovemberFifteenth. 
 
 A bright sun and clear sky greeted us as we opened 
 the door of the little cabin at The Jump early on 
 the morning of the last day of our voyage. A break- 
 fast of bread and coffee was hastily taken and we were 
 ready for the final strokes which would bring us to the 
 Gulf of Mexico — the goal toward which we had 
 floated and paddled for one hundred and seventeen 
 days. 
 
 Pilot Station, at the head of the Passes, was reached 
 at ten o'clock, and here we met with a hearty welcome 
 from the sturdy men who devote their lives to the 
 hazardous work of piloting vessels to and from the 
 Gulf; a welcome which only those who have enjoyed 
 their hospitality can adequately appreciate. Accus- 
 tomed to exj)osure and danger, they are generous in 
 the extreme to all who by fortune or accident fall into 
 their hands. No sooner had we approached their 
 Tanding-place than the Alice, with her crew, was pulled 
 out of the water and a cordial invitation took us to 
 their quarters, where we were promptly supplied witli 
 coffee and ship biscuit, and plied with questions as to 
 our up-river experiences. 
 
 After lunch, the Alice was put into the Mississippi 
 for the last time and our hospitable entertainers gave 
 three lusty cheers as we pushed off. We then paddled 
 
N-EW ORLEANS TO GULF OF MEXICO. 43X 
 
 briskly across the Expansion to the head of the South 
 Pass, the most direct and best route to the Gulf. Port 
 Eads was made at three o'clock. Tliis village occu- 
 pies a prominent and bleak position at the mouth of 
 the South Pass at its entrance into the Gulf; is in 
 Plaquemine Parish, and possesses an immense light- 
 house. It is also a customs and pilot station. 
 
 This volume would be incomplete without some 
 reference to the celebrated engineer of the Jetties, who 
 has made it possible for the largest ocean vessels to 
 enter in, safety the Great River. We therefore pause 
 to give the reader a brief sketch of his remarkably 
 eventful life. 
 
 Captain James Buchanan Eads, a native of Law- 
 renceburg, Indiana, was born May twenty-third, 1820. 
 He was a machinist almost from his birth. When 
 nine years of age he removed with his parents to Louis- 
 ville, Kentucky, and his first lesson in steam engi- 
 neering was learned on board the steamboat that con- 
 veyed him to that city; the engineer, seeing the curios- 
 ity of the boy excited, explained to him the principal 
 parts of the machinery. At the age of ten years he con- 
 structed models of saw-mills, fire-engines, steamboats, 
 steam-engines, electrical and other machines. With no 
 other tool than his pocket-knife, it is said, he could take 
 to pieces and put together again a patent lever watch. 
 At thirteen his parents went to Saint Louis, and he 
 accompanied them. On the way there the steamer 
 was burned in the night, and he landed nearly 
 naked on the very spot now occupied by a part of the 
 great bridge which he afterwards designed and built. 
 For a few months he supported himself, his mother 
 and sister by selling fruit on the street. He theq 
 
432 DO WW THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 obtained a situation in a mercantile house in which he 
 remained for five years. Here he found an excellent 
 library to which he was allowed access by his generous 
 employer. He made good use of his opportunity to 
 study subjects bearing upon mechanics, civil engineering 
 and physical science. In 1839 we find him employed 
 as clerk on a Mississippi steamer. Here again he 
 made the best use of his opportunity to acquire a com- 
 plete knowledge of the great river which he afterward 
 turned to such good account. In 1842 he built a 
 diving-bell boat for recovering the cargoes of sunken 
 steamers. He soon improved upon this by constructing 
 one of larger tonnage, with machinery for lifting the 
 hull and cargo of a vessel. A company was formed for 
 operating this boat on the river between the Balize and 
 Galena. It was while engaged in this business that he 
 obtained a thorough knowledge of the river-bed. 
 
 In 1845 he established a glass manufactory at Saint 
 Louis. Two years later this enterprise failed and left 
 him burdened with debt. He then returned to his 
 former business of raising steamers, removing obstacles 
 from the river, and improving the harbor of Saint 
 Louis. A capital of fifteen hundred dollars was pro- 
 vided by his creditors, and ten years later he had 
 increased this sum to nearly half a million, having 
 long since paid off his creditors in full. 
 
 In 1856 Captain Eads proposed to Congress to keep 
 the channels of the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and 
 Arkansas rivers clear of all obstructions for a term of 
 years. A bill was passed by the House of Represent- 
 atives authorizing the scheme, but in the Senate it 
 failed. 
 
 On the seventeenth of April, 1861, three days after 
 
NEW OH LEA MS TO GULF OF MEXICO. 483 
 
 the attack on Fort Sumter by the Confederates, Attor- 
 ney-General Bates wrote to him from Washington : 
 " Be not surprised if you are called here suddenly by 
 telegram. It may be necessary to have the aid of the 
 most thorough knowledge of our Western rivers, and 
 in that eveut, I have advised that you should be con- 
 sulted." The summons came shortly after the letter, 
 and Captain Eads went immediately to Washington. 
 He submitted a plan to the President and Cabinet for 
 placing gunboats on the rivers and locating batteries at 
 several points on shore. With Captain — afterward 
 Rear- Admiral — John Rodgers, he was appointed to 
 carry out the recommendations he had made, and to 
 improvise three war-vessels for service at Cairo. He 
 afterward designed seven iron -clad gunboats for the 
 Government, which he engaged to build in sixty-five 
 days. They were all finished according to contract 
 and ready for their armament. 
 
 In 1862 Captain Eads was authorized to build six 
 more armored iron gunboats, larger than the preceding 
 ones. The kind of work these ironclads performed is 
 recorded in the history of Grant and Halleck's cam- 
 paigns, and of Farragut's capture of Mobile. 
 
 From 1867 to 1874 Captain Eads was engaged in 
 the construction of the steel -arch bridge at Saint Louis. 
 The central arch of this great work has a clear span of 
 five hundred and twenty feet and is universally pro- 
 nounced to be the finest specimen of metal arch con- 
 struction in the world. The side arches are five hun- 
 dred and two feet in span ; the piers are sunk clear 
 through to the bed rock. 
 
 In his proposal, in 1874, to deepen the mouth of the 
 Mississippi by means of Jetties, he was opposed by 
 
434 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 nearly all the United States Engineers and by a com- 
 mission composed of seven of them. This commission 
 proposed to avoid the bars by building a canal from 
 Fort Philip to Breton Bay. Captain Eads' plan was 
 to make the river itself deepen the channel through the 
 bars, and he had faith enough in his plan to offer to do 
 the work at his own expense and wait for payment 
 until he had proved its success. A bill was introduced 
 in Congress to allow him to make his experiments on 
 the South Pass. The cost was to be five and a quarter 
 million dollars; only half a million was to be paid 
 after a channel twenty feet deep by two hundred feet 
 wide had been secured ; another half million after a 
 channel twenty-two feet deep, and other sums upon the 
 obtaining of channels twenty-six and twenty-eight 
 feet deep. The final million was to be withheld until 
 a channel of thirty feet depth had been kept through- 
 out twenty years. Congress, however, afterward voted 
 to pay him one and three-quarter million dollars in 
 advance of the terms of his contract when he had se- 
 cured twenty-two feet depth in the channel. 
 
 The result of the application of the Jetty system to 
 the South Pass has been a triumphant justification of 
 its author's views. Four years after he commenced the 
 work the United States inspecting officer reported that 
 thirty feet depth had been secured throughout the 
 channel, and that the least width was two hundred 
 feet. The balance due Captain Eads by the Govern- 
 ment was then paid him, and the million held as secu- 
 rity was considered as earned and placed at interest for 
 his benefit. The channel has maintained this depth 
 ever since. 
 
 Before commencing the Jetties, he had turned his 
 
NEW ORLEANS TO GULF OF MEXICO. 435 
 
 attention to the improvement of eleven hundred miles 
 of the Mississippi by the Jetty system. On March fif- 
 teenth, 1874, he addressed a letter to the Hon. William 
 Windom, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trans- 
 portation Routes to the Seaboard, and in this and sub- 
 sequent papers clearly outlined one of the most mag- 
 nificent plans which hydraulic engineering has ever 
 undertaken, by which thirty thousand square miles of 
 rich land could be saved from devastating inundations. 
 
 In 1880, a commission reported to Congress in favor 
 of the '^ Jetty system'^ of Captain Eads, as opposed to 
 the " Outlet system " and the " Levee system " of other 
 eminent engineers; and several million dollars were 
 voted to carry out his plans. Two reaches of the 
 river, Plum Point, twenty miles long, and Lake 
 Providence, thirty-five miles long, were selected for 
 improvements, and the effect produced was simply mar- 
 velous. 
 
 During the time of the construction of the works 
 for carrying his plans into execution. Captain Eads 
 was in bad health, and for some time absent from the 
 United States. No further appropriations were made 
 to continue this great work ; but enough has been done 
 to show the entire practicability of the plan. 
 
 The grandest scheme contemplated by this indefati- 
 gable engineer is the Ship Railway across the Isthmus 
 of Tehuantepec, for the transportation of large ships 
 fully laden from ocean to ocean. This railway, he 
 claims, can be built at one-half the cost of the Panama 
 Canal and in one quarter of the time needed to build the 
 canal ; that four or five times the speed practicable on a 
 canal can be secured ; that more vessels can be carried 
 in a day over the railway than through the canal ; that 
 
436 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 it will cost less to operate it than to operate a canal ; 
 and that its location is the very best of all those which 
 are proposed on the American Isthmus. Its proposed 
 track is twelve hundred miles from the De Lesseps 
 Canal, the immense territory of Central America lying 
 between the two. 
 
 Captain Eads has, at the request of the Government 
 and of individuals particularly interested, examined 
 and reported upon the bar at the mouth of Saint 
 John's River, Florida; the improvement of the Sacra- 
 mento River; the improvement of the harbor of To- 
 ronto, and of the port of Vera Cruz ; the improvement 
 of the harbor of Tampico, and of Galveston, and the 
 estuary of the Mersey, England. He was president 
 of the Saint Louis Academy of Sciences for two terms. 
 In 1881 he delivered an address before the British 
 Association at York upon the improvements of the 
 Mississippi, and also upon the Tehuantepec Ship 
 Canal; and in June, 1881, he was awarded the medal 
 of the British Society of Arts, in token of its apprecia- 
 tion of the services he had rendered to the science of 
 engineering — he being the first American upon whom 
 this medal had been conferred.* 
 
 From Port Eads the sea-wall of the Jetties was 
 plainly visible, and as we floated down stream our 
 minds were busy with reminiscences of Robert de La 
 Salle, who, nearly two hundred years ago, was the 
 first European to enter the Gulf of Mexico and plant 
 the banner of France on its shores. 
 
 * Since the preparation of these pages the country has deplored 
 the loss by death of the illustrious engineer of the Mississippi Jet- 
 ties, which occurred at Nassau, New Providence, on the eighth of 
 March, 1887, at the age of sixty-seven years. 
 
NEW ORLEANS TO GULF OF MEXICO. 437 
 
 During the spring of 1681 he pushed his canoes 
 through Lake Michigan to its southern extremity and 
 found his way through the Chicago and Illinois E-ivers 
 to the Mississippi. Continuing his course to the south- 
 ward, he reached the Delta on the sixth of April, 
 1682, and drifting down the turbid current between its 
 low and lonely shores, ^' the brackish water changed to 
 brine, and the breeze grew fresh with the salt breath 
 of the sea. The broad bosom of the Gulf then opened 
 on his sight, tossing its restless billows limitless, voice- - 
 less, solitary, as when born of chaos, without a sail, 
 without a sign of life. After coasting the marshy bor- 
 ders of the Gulf, La Salle assembled his companions 
 on a spot of dry ground a short distance from the 
 mouth of the river; where he prepared a column on 
 which was inscribed the arms of France. 
 
 ^* The Frenchmen were mustered under arms. 
 Then, amid volleys of musketry and shouts of Vive le 
 Roi! La Salle planted the column in its place, and, 
 standing near it, proclaimed in a loud voice that, in 
 the name of his king, he took possession of all that 
 portion of North America which was drained by the 
 Mississippi and its tributaries. On that day the 
 monarchy of France received a stupendous accession. 
 The fertile plains of Texas; the vast basin of the 
 Mississippi, from its frozen northern springs to the 
 sultry borders of Louisiana ; from the woody ridges 
 of the Alleghenies to the bare peaks of the Rocky 
 Mountains, a region of savannas and forests, sun- 
 cracked deserts and grassy prairies, watered . by a 
 thousand rivers and ranged by a thousand warlike 
 tribes.'^ 
 
 Great, indeed, were the possibilities of the future in 
 
438 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER, 
 
 the development of his Empire in the West. In 
 imagination he doubtless pictured a New France in 
 America, rivaling in grandeur and glory anything 
 which the most enthusiastic Frenchman could have 
 predicted for Old France in the days of her greatest 
 prosperity and splendor. 
 
 While thus occupied with thoughts of the illustrious 
 La Salle and his heroic followers, it was observed that 
 we were nearing our goal, and at twenty minutes after 
 three o'clock, on the afternoon of November fif- 
 teenth, 1881, the prow of the Alice met the salt waves 
 of the Gulf as they came rushing defiantly against the 
 swift current of the mighty stream, and we were sud- 
 denly brought to a realization of the fact that our long 
 voyage Down the Great River, from Souro<a to Sea, 
 was ended. 
 
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CHAPTER XXXIIl. 
 
 THE FATHER OF WATERS. 
 
 AVING observed many times in the 
 course of our voyage that the Missis- 
 sippi is perhaps the first river of the 
 world, I now pause at its mouth, and, 
 without hesitation, affirm that it is incontes- 
 tably entitled to the proud designation 
 given it by the Chippewas, of May-see-see-be — 
 
 THE FATHER OF RUNNING WATERS. In Order 
 
 to support ray position it will be necessary to ask the 
 indulgence of the reader, and invite him to accompany 
 me in my return to its source. Should he feel unduly 
 taxed, however, and hesitate to accept my invitation, 
 let me explain that our journey back to its head- 
 waters will be less arduous and accomplished in much 
 less time than that we have just concluded at the 
 Balize. 
 
 It has already been noted that the Lower Missis- 
 sippi, through its numberless bayous, communicates with 
 every quarter of Louisiana and with the sea. Through 
 the Red River it reaches Arizona and New Mexico. 
 
 By means of the Yazoo the Mississippi invites the 
 
 commerce of Tennessee, and, as the former stream is 
 
 navigable to its sources in Georgia, it may readily 
 
 communicate by canal with rivers that discharge their 
 
 29 (439) 
 
440 DOWN THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 waters into the Atlantic Ocean. The sources of the 
 Tombigbee are also near those of the Yazoo, and, con- 
 sequently, communication is easily opened with the 
 rivers of Alabama, which have their outlets in the 
 Bay of Mobile. 
 
 As the debouchure of the Arkansas River, the Mis- 
 sissippi becomes the great water-way for the transpor- 
 tation of the exports of Colorado, Kansas and the 
 State of Arkansas, and as the sources of the former 
 are but a few hundred miles from those of the Colo- 
 rado, it may be assumed that the Mississippi could 
 easily communicate with the Gulf of California. 
 
 The White and Saint Francis rivers pen€trate far 
 into the interior of Arkansas and Missouri — a region 
 of great fertility, and rich in its mines of lead, copper 
 and iron. 
 
 The Ohio, the largest eastern tributary of the Mis- 
 sissippi, rises in New York and Western Pennsyl- 
 vania, and will prove in the future, as it has in the 
 past, a powerful lever in the development of the rich 
 and flourishing States whose boundaries are its shores. 
 Indeed, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, 
 Virginia and Western Pennsylvania are largely in- 
 debted to this great tributary of the Mississippi for 
 their happy commercial relations with the Eastern 
 and Southern States. 
 
 To continue with the Ohio, we may assume that, by 
 means of the Monongahela, the Mississippi could, 
 with the aid of the canal, communicate with the Po- 
 tomac, which empties into Chesapeake Bay and thence 
 into the Atlantic Ocean. 
 
 The Allegheny River connects its waters by canal 
 with Lake Erie, and thence through the Welland 
 
THE FATHER OF WATERS. 441 
 
 Canal with Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence 
 River, thus opening communication with New York, 
 Canada and the great lakes, Huron, Michigan and 
 Superior. 
 
 Through the Kaskaskia, the Mississippi extends its 
 commerce into the rich and populous State of Illinois. 
 
 The Missouri, the largest tributary river of the 
 world, might, through its remotest feeders, open com- 
 munication between the Mississip})i and the rivers 
 Lewis and Clark, which flow into the Columbia, and 
 would ultimately connect it with the Pacific Ocean. 
 What a grand problem is here presented for the solu- 
 tion of the future ! The products of the great State 
 of Missouri; the fertile prairies of Kansas and Iowa; 
 the vast plains of Nebraska; the unlimited wheat 
 fields of Dakota, and the gold and silver mines of 
 Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, must, in a large 
 measure, reach the leading commercial cities of Amer- 
 ica through the Mississippi— the grandest water-way 
 of the world. 
 
 Through the Illinois Kiver, the Mississippi com- 
 municates, by means of the Michigan Canal, with the 
 Chicago River, w^hich empties into Lake Michigan ; 
 while the proposed IIenne})in Canal would open direct 
 communication with this great inland sea, and thus 
 invite the commerce of its sister lakes. 
 
 The Des Moines, Rock and Turkey rivers extend 
 far into the interior, and are navigable many miles 
 from their confluence with the Mississippi. 
 
 By means of the Wisconsin and Chippewa rivers, 
 the Mississippi, aided by portages, communicates 
 with the Fox and Menomonee rivers, through which 
 it also reaches lakes Michigan and Superior, 
 
442 DOWJ^ THE GREAT RIVER. 
 
 A few miles above Lake Pepin the Saint Croix 
 River enters the Mississippi and pays tribute from the 
 vast lumber regions of Wisconsin. 
 
 The Minnesota River^ formerly known as the Saint 
 Peter, is the leading tributary of the Mississippi in 
 Minnesota. This stream, like the Saint Croix, brings 
 down yearly from the northern counties countless 
 millions of logs from her seemingly inexhaustible 
 pine forests. 
 
 It has been shown in a previous chapter that the 
 source of the Red River of the North is but seven 
 miles from the source of the Mississip})i. The Red 
 River discharges its waters into Hudson's Bay, which 
 communicates with the Arctic Ocean. The Saint 
 Louis, which falls into Lake Superior, also takes its 
 rise in this section of Minnesota. The reader will re- 
 call that the source of the Mississippi can be reached 
 by a canoe, and that, by a short portage, it may be re- 
 launched on the Red River, and thus it is seen that 
 the Gulf of Mexico greets the Arctic Ocean across 
 the continent of North America — a range of between 
 four and five thousand miles, 
 
 It is something to excite wonder that a river of 
 such remarkable length should present no other ob- 
 stacles to its navigation than Pokegama Falls, Saint 
 Anthony Falls, Little Falls and the Keokuk Rapids; 
 the last of which, it may be observed, is no longer an 
 obstruction, since the Government Canal now conveys 
 through its wateis tbe largest craft that finds its way 
 to the Upper Mississippi. 
 
 No one will question that this King of Rivers 
 drains one of the most extensive, beautiful and fertile 
 valleys of the globe; and its /housand affluents mingle 
 
THE FATHER OF WATERS. 443 
 
 their accumulated floods with the mighty stream so 
 quietly as to scarcely create a ripple. 
 
 Through its numberless lagoons above the Falls of 
 Saint Anthony, JSature has provided for the surplus 
 water in time of freshets; but for which^ the coun- 
 try adjacent to the entire lower river would be 
 completely devastated in the fall and spring. The 
 hand of the Creator is also seen in the bayous of 
 Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana; and finally at 
 the Delta, where it discharges quietly into the sea, as 
 from a common centre the accumulated waters of more 
 than half a continent. 
 
 What, then, is the conclusion ? Can another such 
 river be found between the poles, which thus commu- 
 nicates with every sea; which combines so much of 
 the wonderful with so much of the useful ; wnich 
 bears upon its bosom the freightage of both the old 
 world and the new, and to which the future presents 
 such a promising outlook ? 
 
 The Amazon and the Nile surpass the Mississippi 
 in length, and possibly in the volume of their waters. 
 Still, in many, yea, all other particulars of far greater 
 consequence, they cannot be compared with it. But 
 apart frona, and altogether beyond a consideration of, 
 the length and width and depth of these great rivers 
 of the world, we may consistently claim for the 
 Mississippi a very decided superiority over its longer 
 rivals, inasmuch as, throughout its entire length, its 
 banks are peopled with freemen, and industry meets 
 with no restriction. 
 
PUBLISHERS' APPENDIX 
 
 TO 
 
 DOWN THE GREIT RIYEP. 
 
 (1) 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 THE publishers of Captain Willard Grlazier's Works, having 
 recently had their attention drawn to sundry articles in the 
 public prints calling in question his claim to have located the 
 source of the Mississippi, conclude to invite the consideration 
 of the reader of this volume to a few of the many press notices, 
 letters of endorsement and other papers placed at their disposal 
 by friends of the explorer, bearing directly upon the subject 
 of the primal reservoir or true source of the G-reat River. In 
 view of the apparent incredulity of some critics, it is thought 
 expedient to lay this matter before the public in connection 
 with Captain Grlazier's latest work, which gives a detailed 
 account of his discovery, in order that a sound and enlightened 
 conclusion may be arrived at upon the merits of the claim 
 presented. 
 
 LETTERS FROM BARREOT CHANNING PAINE. 
 
 We commence with the press correspondence of Mr. Barrett 
 Channing Paine, who, at the period of the Griazier expedition, 
 was a reporter on the staff of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, 
 and subsequently Managing Editor of the Saint Paul Glohe. 
 This gentleman accompanied Captain Griazier to the source of 
 the Mississippi, and thence down the river in a canoe to the 
 Grulf of Mexico. During the entire voyage Mr. Paine was in 
 constant correspondence with the Pioneer Press and leading 
 papers of various cities on the banks of the Mississippi, to 
 which he furnished detailed accounts of the discovery and 
 incidents of the journey. We present only a few of these 
 letters selected from a large number for the perusal of the 
 reader. The writer was certainly in a position to know the 
 truth of the mattei^s upon which he so inteUigently reports. 
 
 (iii) 
 
IV 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Letter to the Brainerd {Minnesota) Tribune from Channivg Pained 
 
 "Schoolcraft Island, 
 "Lake Itasca, Minnesota, 
 " July 22, 1881. 
 '•' To the Editor of the Tribune : 
 
 "Captaiu Glazier's party arrived at this much-talked -of lake last 
 evening, reaching the south-eastern arm by a three mile portage, and 
 then paddling down to the Island, where we encamped. We left 
 Leech Lake on the sixteenth, after cordial farewells with the gentle- 
 men then at the Agency, especially Mr. Nichols and Rev. Edwin Bene- 
 dict, to whose kindness we were greatly indebted. Launching our 
 little fleet of canoes, three in number, on the billowy surface of the 
 lake, we started for our first objective. Lake Itasca. After leaving 
 Leech Lake our way lay up a river called by the Indians Gabakan- 
 azeba. The river broadens out a short distance from the lake, but 
 narrows again and becomes tortuous and full of snags. Passing 
 safely through all these, we reached, late in the afternoon, a fine lake 
 nearly ten miles long, upon the shore of which we encamped. Next 
 morning we paddled to the upper end of the lake, and were there in- 
 troduced to our first real portage. Two miles and a half over a very 
 rough country — the hardest work we ever undertook — brought us to 
 another but smaller lake, and then, for five days, lakes and portages 
 followed each other in rapid succession, until at length the waters of 
 Itasca burst upon our view. The talk of our guides, coupled with 
 what we had heard at Leech Lake, had led Captain Glazier to the 
 conclusion that, whatever the source of the Mississippi might be, 
 there was reasonable ground for the belief that Lake Itasca was not. 
 Chief among the theories advanced by the Indian guides, one of 
 whom, Chenowagesic, had hunted and trapped for years at the head- 
 waters of this river, was that there existed a lake of good dimensions 
 and wooded shores above Itasca, which poured its waters into the so- 
 called source, and which was itself really the source of the Great 
 River. They also stated (correctly, as we afterwards learned) that 
 the stream which flowed from the lake spoken of by Paul BeauJieu 
 as perhaps the source, contributed much less water to the main 
 stream at its confluence with it than did the stream from Itasca. 
 Resolved to explore the lake above. Itasca, the captain started with 
 two canoes, next morning, from Schoolcraft Island, and pushed up to 
 the head of the lake. Chenowagesic piloted us through the rushes 
 with which this end of Ilfisca is filled, and presently we found our- 
 selves in a small but rapid stream, up which we went, and after fol- 
 lowing its windings, paddled again through some rushes, and then 
 shot out upon the smooth surface of a beautiful lake. This lake is 
 about two miles long by a mile and a half broad, and its shape is 
 that of a heart. The shores are beautifully wooded, and its waters 
 are deep and clear. On its one promontory our party landed. After 
 exploring its shores, and first slaking our thirst at a spring of ice- 
 cold water which bubbled up near by, we were marshalled in line, 
 and Captain Glazier made a few remarks pertinent to the discovery 
 of the true source of the Father of Waters. After this six volleys 
 were fired in honor of the occasion, and then the question of a name 
 for the new lake arose. This being left for the party to decide, I ad- 
 dressed ray companions, and after alluding to the time, money and 
 energy expended by the leader of the expedition, proposed that it be 
 named Lake Glaziek in his honor. This proposition was received 
 with applause and carried by acclamation, and it was further decideu 
 
APPENDIX. V 
 
 that the name and date should be blazed on a pine tiee which stood 
 conspicuously on the point. After this we re-embarked in our canoes 
 •nd returned to the Island." 
 
 In the following letter Channing Paine gives a further 
 account of the discovery of the head of the Grreat River : 
 
 " Douglas House, 
 
 ^^ Aitkin, Minnesota, 
 " August 11, 1881. 
 " To the Editor — Saint Louis Globe-Democrat : 
 
 " Lake Itasca, for many years, has been regarded, both by geo- 
 graphical societies and map-makers, as well as by the publie gener- 
 ally, as the source of the grandest of rivers — the mighty Missiswippi. 
 But geographical knowledge, like all other knowledge, is of little con- 
 sequence if it is not progressive, and in its history we have seen the 
 firmly-rooted beliefs of centuries torn up and tossed aside by the ex- 
 plorations and reasoning of intrepid travellers, who, respecting truth 
 and facts more than mere theory, have accepted nothing without proof, 
 merely because others have so accepted it. This is the ground occupied 
 by Captain Wiliard Glazier in his explorations in search of the source 
 of the Mississippi, 
 
 " Starting for the headwaters of this great river in July last, he 
 learned that the dense forests which surround the source of the 
 Father of Waters were rarely penetrated by white men, or even by 
 Indians, at any time except in winter, when lakes and rivers were 
 frozen up, and the whole surface of the country covered with a man- 
 tle of snow. 
 
 " He also heard through the interpreter and Indian guides who ac- 
 companied him that the aboriginal inhabitants of these primeval 
 forests did not regard Itasca as the source; but, while rejecting it, 
 differed among themselves as to what lake really was the fountain- 
 head. Some claimed that the stream from Itasca was not itself the 
 main stream, but flowed into the river proper some three miles below 
 the lake. The stream to which it was tributary, though narrower, 
 was, they claimed, deeper and swifter, bringing to the united streams 
 more water than the one from Lake Itasca. 
 
 " Others considered the Itascan stream as the main one, but spoke of 
 another lake, broad and beautiful, which lay above Itasca and 
 poured its clear waters into the accepted source through a small 
 stream which entered the southern arm of Lake Itasca. Captain 
 Glazier determined to thoroughly examine all this region, and to set- 
 tle definitely and forever the true source of the Mississippi. 
 
 "Acting in accordance with this resolution, he pushed on toward 
 Itasca, intending to make it a starting-point for further exploration. 
 Reaching this objective point after innumerable hardships, he 
 camped on Schoolcraft Island, and after a day of rest directed opera- 
 tions toward the lakes and streams of the surrounding country. 
 
 " Thoroughly surveying the stream that the Indians claimed to be 
 the main one, he found it much inferior in volume to that from 
 Itasca. This point settled, he closely examined the shores of Lake 
 Itasca for tributary streams, finding but three of any importance. 
 Of these three the one by far the largest came in at the extreme 
 head of the lake, at a point where it is nearly filled with bulrushes. 
 
 "Taking two canoes, Captain Glazier ascended this stream, which, 
 though shallow, is rapid, yet so narrow in places that to jump across 
 it would be an easv task. Following its windings, he entered v/hat 
 
vi APPENDIX. 
 
 appeared to be a lake filled with rushes. Pushing through this b»T» 
 rier, however, the canoes soon glided out upon the still surface of a 
 beautiful lake, clear as crystal, with pebbly bottom, and its shores 
 covered with a thick growth of pine. This lake is formed in the 
 shape of a heart, having but one marked promontory. Its greatest 
 length is about two miles and its width a mile and a half. 
 
 " Captain Glazier found that this fine lake was fed by three 
 rivulets, which rose in swamps a few miles from the lake, and thor- 
 oughly convinced that this body of water was the true source of the 
 Mississippi, he proclaimed it as such. Without waiting for discus- 
 sion, the members of the party decided unanimously to call it Lake 
 Glazier in his honor. Modestly expressing -his thanks for this 
 mark of their appreciation, Captain Glazier said that, though he 
 firmly believed this lake to be the source of the river, he should relax 
 none of his vigilance on tlie trip through the unknown part of the 
 sfream, but would carefully examine all water flowing into the 
 Mississippi, in order to be positive as to the main stream." 
 
 On reaching Hastings, Captain Glazier and his fellow- 
 voyagers were hospitably entertained by some of the leading 
 citizens and Mr. Paine addressed the following letter to the 
 
 Editor of the Hastiihgs Gazette : 
 
 " Foster House, 
 "Hastings, Minnesota^ 
 " September 5, 1881. 
 " To the Editor of the Gazette : 
 
 " For many years the source of the Mississippi was as much a mys- 
 tery as is at present that of the Nile. But when in 1832 Schoolcraft 
 made his ofiicial exploration of the headwaters of this great water- 
 course, and after a long and arduous journey up the stream reached 
 a lake which he named Itasca, and pronounced it the head of the 
 river, the matter was considered settled, and speculation was no 
 longer rife in regard to this point. Now, however, it has been proved 
 by Captain Willard Glazier beyond doubt that the lake which has 
 BO long enjoyed the honor of being the source of our greatest river 
 had an honor it did not merit. 
 
 " Going thither with the object of visiting the head of the river, Cap- 
 tain Glazier was led to suspect by the talk of his guides, one of 
 whom, Chenowagesic, had hunted and trapped for years in the region 
 around the source, that Lake Itasca had really no greater claim to be 
 considered the head of the river than Cass Lake, or Bemidji or 
 Winnibegoshish, all larger and finer lakes than Itasca. Above 
 and beyond Itasca lay another lake. This, with its feeding springs, 
 was the source of the mighty river, and this lake, if it existed, 
 Captain Glazier resolved to visit and explore. After a long and se- 
 vere journey he reached it, being the first white traveller to float 
 upon its surface ; and after thoroughly examining its feeders and the 
 narrow stream through which it flowed into Itasca, he felt that he 
 had found the true source of the Mississippi. Nevertheless, he con- 
 tinued his explorations along the river below Itasca after passing 
 through that lake, and satisfied himself thoroughly that the new lake 
 was at the head of the main stream. In speaking of the source of 
 the Mississippi, therefore, we should henceforth call it Lake Glazieb 
 instead of Lake Itasca." 
 
APPENDIX, yij 
 
 The following description of Lake Glazier from the pen 
 of Channing Paine appeared in the Duhuque Herald of Sep- 
 tember sixth, 1881 : 
 
 Lake Glazier. 
 
 " The new-found source of the Mississippi is a sparkling little gem 
 of a lake, situated above and beyond Lake Itasca. It nestles 
 among the pines of an unfrequented and wild region of Northern 
 Minnesota, many miles from the nearest white settlement, and just 
 on the dividing ridge which forms the great watershed of North 
 America. Within a few miles of it can be found lakes and streams, 
 whose waters are tributary to the Red River of the North and the 
 Yellowstone, thus reaching the sea thousands of miles from the 
 mouth of the mighty Mississippi, which flows in a limpid brook 
 from Lake Glazier, This lake, discovered to be the source of one 
 of the greatest rivers of the world, by Captain Willard Glazier, on 
 the Twenty-second of July, 1881, is about two miles in greatest diam- 
 eter, and would be nearly round in shape but for a single promon- 
 tory, whose rocky shores give it in outline the form of a heart. The 
 waters of the lake are exceedingly clear and pure, coming from 
 springs, some being at the bottom, but the three most prominent 
 rise a few miles back, in low, wet land enclosed by sand-hills, 
 and flow into the lake in little rills. On the very point of the pro- 
 montory is a spring whose waters are as cold as ice, and at which the 
 Glazier party slaked their thirst while exploring the shores of the 
 new lake. So lonely is the region around the lake that for fourteen 
 days not even a red-skin was seen, and wearied by the hardships 
 of this rough country, yet with a feeling of having added something 
 to geographical knowledge, the Captain and his party were glad to 
 return to civilization." 
 
 The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch published the following, with 
 several other communications, from Mr. Paine : 
 
 " 1310 Olive Street, 
 "Saint Louis, Missouri, 
 " To the Editor— Post-Dispatch : " October 10, 1881. 
 
 " Lake Itasca has been considered- to be the source of the Mississippi 
 for so many years that any man who disputes its title to that honor 
 Is looked upon as a radical and one bent upon upsetting all our pre- 
 conceived geographical ideas. Still it is a fact that Lake Itasca is 
 not the source, and has no greater claim to being called so than has 
 Cass Lake or Lake Bemidji or Lake Pepin. This fact was discov- 
 ered beyond all doubt by Captain Willard Glazier, who equipped an 
 expedition last July and started for the headwaters of the Missis- 
 sippi. Reaching Lake Itasca after a journey of great hardship, he 
 camped on Schoolcraft Island, and, using this as a base of opera- 
 tions, he thoroughly explored the lakes and rivers which contribute 
 their waters to the infant Mississippi. The various theories and sto- 
 ries heard from his Indian guides were considered as clues and faith- 
 fully followed up until their truth or falsity was ascertained. Suc- 
 cess at length crowned his efibrts, for a beautiful lake was found 
 above Itasca, and in the direct line of the course of the river below 
 Itasca, which lake proved to be the farthest water — the extreme head 
 of the Mississippi. The lake, which the members of the expedition 
 Toted to call Lake Glazier, in honor of their leader, is about two 
 
Viii APPENDIX. 
 
 miles in diameter, with clear and beautiful water, fed by springs, 
 and altogether one of the prettiest lakes of its size in Minnesota. 
 The stream which flows from it into Itasca is quite rapid, though so 
 narrow that in some places one can easily jump across it." 
 
 The following account of an interview with Mr. Paine 
 is extracted from the New Orleans Democrat of November 
 twentieth, 1881 : 
 
 " There arrived at the Jetties on the fifteenth a tiny cedar canoe, 
 bearing aloft at the bows a pennant with the inscription Alice, and 
 at the stern a United States flag. Its ofiicers and crew consisted of 
 Captain Willard Glazier, a distinguished writer, and a reportorial 
 companion, Mr. Barrett. Channing Paine, of the Saint Paul Pioneer 
 Press, who had come all the way down the Mississippi, from its 
 source, in this frail bark. Great, indeed, was the joy of the voy- 
 agers as they glided dov/n to the mouth of the river, and saw the salt 
 spray of the Gulf dash high over the seaward wall of the Jetties. 
 After clambering U]) by the beacon, and standing gazing at the broad 
 expanse of water, toward which they had been paddling for the last 
 four months, until they were drenched by an unusually heavy wave, 
 the two men again descended slowly, scarcely conscious that their long 
 voyage was finished. Hailing a passing boat, they boarded her, and 
 the light canoe was made fast behind and towed back to Port Eads, 
 where the travellers were most hospitably entertained until the 
 arrival of an inward bound steamship to bring them to New Orleans. 
 
 "As this is by far the longest canoe voyage ever made, and ex- 
 tended the whole length of the Great River, some account of the ex- 
 pedition, its aims and incidents, cannot fail to be of interest. 
 
 "A representative oi i\vQ Democrat had the pleasure of meeting 
 Barrett Channing Paine, who accompanied Captain Glazier, and 
 from him learned the following particulars of the voyage : 
 
 " Captain Willard Glazier is a serious, soldieily-looking man, and a 
 military author of repute. Among his best known works are ' Soldiers 
 of the Saddle,' ' Capture, Prison-Pen and Escape,' ' Battles for the 
 Union,' 'Heroes of Three Wars,' and 'Peculiarities of American 
 Cities.' The Captain does not look like a man of thoughtless, adven- 
 turous disposition, and it seems strange at first that he should have 
 made the voyage in the manner he did ; but it looks sensible enough 
 when his reasons are taken into consideration. The Captain made the 
 trip avowedly for the purpose of study and observation, as he did his 
 horseback ride across the continent, from Boston to San Francisco, 
 in 1876. He wished to thoroughly understand the people of the 
 great valley, their social conditions, industries and modes of life. 
 He also expected to obtain much enjoyment from the changing 
 scenery and climate. Had he travelled by steamboat or railway, he 
 would have been whisked through the country in a week or so, and 
 would have had absolutely no opportunity for obtaining an inside 
 view of the condition of affairs. In addition to seeing the country, 
 the Captain designed delivering a lecture prepared specially for the 
 purpose on the ' Pioneers of the Mississippi,' in all the imjiortant 
 iowns on his route. The lecture treated chiefly of the early explorers 
 — De Soto, Marquette, La Salle, and Hennepin. 
 
 "Actuated by these motives, he procured a fine cedar canoe of the 
 Kushton model, which he shipped to Aitkin, the most northerly point 
 on the river reached by rail. He then went forward, himself, to 
 
APPENDIX. ix 
 
 Saint Paul, accompanied by his brother, where he was joined by his 
 present companion, and there made final preparations for the long 
 voyage. 
 
 "At Brainerd the party left the line of the Northern Pacific Rail- 
 road, and proceeded by wagon over a road, which was hardly more 
 than a trail, to Leech Lake, where the Government has an Indian 
 Agency. The country traversed was exceedingly wild, being almost 
 without inhabitants, and covered with a growth of jack-pines. It 
 being the blueberry season, quite a number of Indians were seen 
 picking that fruit, which grows there in abundance. As a rnle the 
 braves lay in the shade, smoking or sleeping, while the squaws 
 and children did the picking. At night they found a stopping- 
 place at Pine Piver, and the following afternoon arrived at the 
 Agency, where there are two trading-posts and a number of white 
 men. 
 
 " Here three birch-bark canoes were purchased, and the services of 
 an equal number of Indian guides procured, one of whom also acted 
 in the capacity of interpreter. All of these were required to reach 
 the source of the river, which was a matter of great difiiculty and 
 some danger. Lake Itasca, which was then supposed by most people 
 to be the source of the Mississippi, lay five days' journey away, through 
 an almost impassable wilderness. Indeed, it was well-nigh impossi bJe 
 to find even an Indian who had visited it. But at last one was found 
 in the person of Chenowagesic, a Chippewa brave, who consented to 
 pilot the party to that lake. 
 
 " On July seventeenth everything was in readiness, the three birch 
 canoes were launched on Leech Lake, and the voyage had fairly 
 commenced. After crossing Leech Lake the voyagers pushed up the 
 Gabecanazeba River, which was filled with rushes and wild rice. 
 Laboriously paddling through these, they reached another lake, and 
 encamped for the night. Next morning this lake was crossed, and 
 the first real hardship of the expedition confronted them in the shape 
 of a portage. The provisions and luggage were taken out of the 
 canoes and transported on the backs of the Indians across the coun- 
 try, a distance of three miles, through underbrush so thick that they 
 could not see ten feet in advance. Five days were spent in this 
 manner — first paddling across a little lake, and then making a long 
 portage, until at last Lake Itasca was reached, and the party en- 
 camped on Schoolcraft Island. By this time the Captain felt con- 
 vinced from the talk of the guides, particularly of Chenowagesic, the 
 chief guide, whose words were translated to him, that Itasca was not 
 the source of the Great River. 
 
 " Determined to ascertain the truth, he proceeded at once to make 
 a thorough exploration of the headwaters of the river, guided in a 
 great measure by Chenowagesic, who had hunted and trapped for 
 years in this region. Various streams joining the infant Mississippi 
 were examined, and found to contain less water than that stream, 
 thus establishing the fact that Itasca is on the main stream. 
 Then a thorough exploration of the shores of the lake itself was 
 made. Several creeks were found to enter it, the chief of which 
 came in at the southern end of the south-western arm of the 
 lake. Itasca, at this point, is filled with bulrushes, through which, 
 with great difficulty, the explorers forced their way, but were 
 rewarded by finding themselves in a clear, swift-running stream, 
 having an average depth of about ten or twelve inches, and a 
 width of about five feet. Up this tortuous stream the canoes were 
 pushed and dragged, and finally the voyagers shot out upon the 
 
X APPENDIX. 
 
 Burfaee of a beautiful heart-shaped lake, which proved, upon carefni 
 exploration, to be the true source of the Father of Waters. Aftet 
 examining the shores, the party landed on a rocky point, and Cap- 
 tain Glazier made a short speech, expressing his confident belief that 
 they had found the true source of the Great River, and added some- 
 thing to the geographical knowledge of the country. He was fol- 
 lowed by Mr. Paine, who, after a few introductory remarks, moved 
 that the new lake be called Lake Glazier, in honor of the man by 
 whom it had been discovered. This motion was adopted by the Cap- 
 tain's companions, and after drinking from a spring of ice-cold 
 water which bubbled up at their feet, the party re-embarked. Lake 
 Glazier is about two miles in greatest diameter, with clear, deep 
 waters and wooded shores, being altogether a prettier lake than 
 Itasca and both wider and deeper, to whose honors, as source of the 
 mighty Mississippi, it succeeds. 
 
 ^^ Reporter. — Then which way did you proceed ? " 
 
 "J/r. Paine. — From Lake Glazier the descent of the river began. 
 Below Itasca it runs in a northerly direction for a hundred miles or 
 more, and then swings round to the eastward, finally bending toward 
 the south, which general direction it afterwards maintains. For the 
 first few miles it runs between rich meadows, and the canoeists ex- 
 pected from this that the voyage would be easy and agreeable. Such 
 was not our fortune, however, for we soon found the river to be ob- 
 structed by snags, drift-wood and boulders of all sizes. Huge trees had 
 in many places fallen completely across the river. These obstacles 
 were surmounted in different ways. Sometimes the canoes could be 
 pressed down and made to go under the logs ; again, they would have to 
 be carried around ; sometimes the drift would be removed, and some- 
 times the canoes would be lifted over. At last they had to be carried 
 across a portage for half a mile, then launched again, until at length 
 the obstructions were passed. Meanwhile, and all through the 
 journey, the mosquitoes hovered around us in clouds, making life a 
 burden, and causing all the members of the expedition to forget their 
 early Christian training. 
 
 " Leaving the obstructions behind, we sped smoothly between the 
 waving meadows once more lining the river. But a new hardship 
 now threatened us — our rations gave out entirely, and most of the 
 ammunition having become wet, starvation stared us in the face. To 
 buy anything in that wild country was, of course, impossible. This 
 danger was barely averted by the marksmanship of our leader, and 
 the dexterity of the Indian guides, who would occasionally kill 
 a duck with their paddles. We got down at last to 'hard pan,' and 
 had gone without any breakfast or supper the day we reached Lake 
 Bemidji. Here we were lucky enough to meet an Indian, who had 
 a little flour and pork, and having replenished our larder, we crossed 
 the lake and continued our course down the river. 
 
 "A new danger now beset us in the shape of rapids which would 
 occur every few miles, rendering canoe navigation extremely hazard- 
 ous. Several times holes were stove in the thin birchen canoes, and 
 a number of times we were precipitated into the water, but no one 
 was dangerously hurt, and the guides were very deft in repairing the 
 canoes. 
 
 "A half-day's journey from Lake Bemidji is Cass Lake, a fine 
 sheet of water, twenty miles in length by ten wide. The next day, 
 Winnibegoshish, the largest lake of the Mississippi, was reached. It 
 is twenty miles in diameter, and greeted us with a heavy sea, whi< h 
 nearly swamped us as we paddled across the corner to a few scut- 
 
APPENDIX. Xi 
 
 tered wigwams which form the little Indian village on its banks. 
 Two days we were wind-bound, getting away on the morning of the 
 third. That night our camp was invaded by a number of hostile 
 Indians, but, owing to our vigilance, bloodshed was avoided. 
 
 " In three days more Pokegama Falls were reached, and we saw 
 the first white man since leaving Leech Lake. Making a portage 
 around the falls, we shot Grand Rapids a few miles below, and slept 
 that night beneath the shelter of a roof. Nothing worthy of mention 
 occurred between this point and Aitkin, which we reached in four 
 days, and at last found ourselves within the bounds of civilization, 
 and bade farewell to our Indian guides. Captain Glazier tried to in- 
 duce these dusky sons of the forest to accompany him to the Gulf, 
 but the stories they had heard of the alligators and snakes of the 
 Sunny South terrified them, and they refused. A short rest was taken 
 at Aitkin, and then we re-embarked in the pretty modern canoes 
 which awaited us there. The descent of the river in these canoes 
 was easy and pleasant. At all the principal towns the Captain 
 delivered his lecture, 'Pioneers of the Mississippi,' which was 
 listened to with great interest. 
 
 "Between Aitkin and Saint Paul numerous and dangerous rapids 
 were met, all of which were shot in safety ; and the Falls of Saint 
 Anthony reached without accident. Below Saint Anthony Falls the 
 scenery is very beautiful, high bluffs arising with more or less abrupt- 
 ness from the water's edge. 
 
 "Among other points of especial interest along the Upper Missis- 
 sippi, Lake Pepin occupies the most prominent position after Saint 
 Anthony Falls. Environed by majestic bluffs and with a length of 
 thirty miles it forms a very beautiful sheet of water. But though 
 beautiful it is treacherous, and the winds sweeping down between the 
 high bluffs frequently make navigation on its waters perilous. In 
 the morning when we reached its upper end we found to our dismay 
 that the elements had possession, and the waves ran so high that a 
 number of river steamers had been compelled to tie up and wait for 
 the storm to subside. Captain Glazier, however, having a lecture 
 appointment at Lake City, half way down the lake, determined to 
 keep his appointment despite the weather, and ventured forth regard- 
 less of the warning of the river men. It took us all day to paddle a 
 distance of sixteen miles, and many times it seemed that our frail 
 boats would be engulfed by the waves which dashed over them ; but 
 the danger was passed in safety. 
 
 *' From this point things went smoothly until the canoe fleet was 
 just below Winona, when a sudden and violent squall struck the 
 boats and came near sending us to the bottom. Fortunately, this too 
 was weathered, and then the only drawbacks encountered were the 
 continuous and strong headwinds and the seas consequent upon them, 
 which tried our nerves so frequently that they came at length to be 
 naturally expected. While on the Keokuk Rapids the wind blew so 
 strongly that it actually carried the boats up stream, and it was only 
 by the hardest paddling that any downward progress could be made. 
 
 "At La Crosse the expedition was reduced in number to the Captain 
 and myself, who proceeded to the Gulf in the Alice. Some days were 
 spent in all the principal towns. On October eighth Saint Louis was 
 reached, and we were welcomed by the various boat-clubs of the city 
 and congratulated on having completed the first great section of 
 the navigable river. On October tenth we re-embarked and pushed 
 on towards the mouth of the river. Everywhere we were received 
 with the greatest cordiality. Cairo, Memphis, Vicksburg, Natchez and 
 30 
 
xii APPENDIX. 
 
 Baton Rouge were the chief halting places, but frequently night over- 
 took us near some plantation house, and then we were the guests of 
 the planters, and were entertained with true Southern hospitality. 
 
 "Special occasion was taken by Captain Glazier to investigate the 
 cotton and sugar crops, the relations of the white and colored races, 
 and the future possibilities of the South ; and with very gratifying 
 results. At last New Orleans was reached. 
 
 "As it was so near his journey's end, and as it was his intention to 
 return as soon as he had passed through the Jetties, the Captain deter- 
 mined to pass the city on his downward trip witiiout halting. This 
 was accordingly done, and three days' paddling brought us to Cap- 
 tain Eads' great work. Remaining there a day we returned to the 
 city. 
 
 " Thus far Mr. Paine ; and thus ended the longest canoe voyage 
 ever made, and one which perhaps entailed more hardships on those 
 who made it than any other on record. Starting from the cold 
 springs at its source Captain Glazier followed the windings of the 
 greatest river on our continent from the pine forests and the wheat 
 lands of the extreme Northern States, through all the varying phases 
 of climate and industries, to the cotton and sugar-cane section of the 
 South; past the orange and banana groves, and on to the broad Gulf. 
 Such a journey is full of interesting and strange exj^erieiices, pleas- 
 ures and hardships intermingled, and has, Captain Glazier thinks, 
 fully repaid the cost in time, money and labor of the undertaking. 
 
 "The canoe in which this long voyage was made has been pre- 
 sented by the Captain to the New Orleans Academy of Sciences. 
 
 " It may be well to mention that no one else has ever traversed 
 either in canoe, steamboat or otherwise more than two-thirds of the 
 course of the Mississippi ; and when it is taken into consideration 
 that the distance is considerably over three thousand miles, and that 
 the upper portion is filled with rapids, logs and other obstructioas, 
 it is not to be wondered at." 
 
APPENDIX. xiii 
 
 11. 
 
 RECEPTION AT NEW ORLEANS AND SAINT LOUIS. 
 
 ON his return to New Orleans from the Gulf, with the pur- 
 pose of viewing the great maritime eity of the South, Cap- 
 tain Griazier was met by Dr. J. S. (Jopes, President of the New 
 Orleans Academy of Sciences. This gentleman introduced him 
 to Mayor Shakeepear, and arrangements were at once made for 
 a public reception by the Academy. The following interesting 
 account of the ceremony is taken from the New Orleans 
 Picayune of November twenty-first, 1881, and shows the esti- 
 mate placed on the Captain's exploratory labors by many of 
 the most prominent residents of the Crescent City : 
 
 " The termination of the exploring expedition and canoe trip of 
 Captain Willard Glazier, extending from his new-found source of the 
 Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, culminated, after a voyage of one 
 hundred and seventeen days, in a very general and complimentary 
 recognition and ovation on the part of the officials and citizens of New 
 Orleans. In company with Dr. J. S. Copes, President of the Academy 
 of Sciences, Captain Glazier was presented to His Honor, Mayor 
 Shakespear was warmly welcomed, and the freedom of the city ten- 
 dered him. 
 
 " In appreciation of the generous hospitality extended to him, the 
 Captain expressed a wish to present his beautiful canoe, which had 
 safely carried him through his long voyage, to the Academy of 
 Sciences, and the following letter accompanied the presentation: 
 
 " * Saint Chakles Hotel, 
 " * Ne to Orleans, Louisiana, 
 " 'November 21, 1881. 
 " ^Joseph S. Copes, M. />., 
 
 ^''President — New Orleans Academy of Sciences : 
 
 " * Dear Sir : — I have just concluded upon the border of the State of 
 Louisiana a voyage of observation, exploration, and discovery; and, 
 as you have expressed considerable interest in the results, and mani- 
 fested a desire to possess the canoe in which the voyage was made, I 
 find pleasure in presenting it to your honorable society as a souvenir 
 of my expedition. 
 
 " ' During this canoe journey of over three thousand miles, begin- 
 ning at the headwaters of the Mississippi and extending to the Gulf of 
 Mexico, I had the satisfaction of locating the source of the Great 
 River which we have traversed, and feel a pride in having corrected 
 a geographical error of half a century's standing. 
 
 " ' I will not now enter into a detailed account of my ex])lorations 
 on the upper Mississippi, but shall take the earliest opportunity of 
 transmitting to your Secretary a complete narrative of the voyage, 
 
xiv APPENDIX. 
 
 which will be issued in book form as soon as the matter can be pre- 
 pared for publication. 
 
 " ' Very respectfully yours, 
 
 " ' WiLLARD Glazier.* 
 
 "A special meeting of the Academy of Sciences was held — Dr. J. S. 
 Copes, President, in the chair — for the purpose of receiving from 
 Captain Glazier the handsome cedar canoe Alice, with which he had 
 navigated the Mississippi from Aitkin to the Gulf. 
 
 " By invitation, Captain Glazier gave an account of his explorations 
 on the Upper Mississippi, and especially of that section of country 
 beyond Lake Itasca, a body of water which has hitherto been con- 
 sidered the fountain-head of the Great River. 
 
 " Dr. Copes, in the name of the Academy, thanked Captain Glazier 
 for his valuable gift, which would be highly prized, and then con- 
 gratulated him upon his contribution to American geographical 
 knowledge. In the course of his remarks, the learned doctor said 
 that De Soto penetrated the continent of North America in pursuit 
 of gold, and accidentally discovered the Mississippi. Marquette, the 
 zealous missionary, traversed the river from the mouth of the Wis- 
 consin to the motith of the Arkansas. La Salle pursued his explora- 
 tions from the mouth of the Illinois to the Gulf, his sole aim seeming 
 to be the conquest of North America in the name of the King of 
 France. Hennepin explored but a small section of the stream, ex- 
 tending from the mouth of the Wisconsin to Saint Anthony Falls ; 
 while Willard Glazier had made the discovery of its primal reservoir, 
 and traversed its entire length from source to sea. 
 
 " The members of the Academy listened with great interest to Cap- 
 tain Glazier's account of his explorations and discovery, and also to 
 the historical address of the President. 
 
 ''Dr. J. R. Walker then offered the following resolutions: 
 
 '^^ Resolved, That the thanks of this Academy are due, and are 
 hereby tendered, to Captain Willard Glazier for the donation of his 
 beautiful canoe, Alice, and for the brief narrative of his explorations 
 at the source of the Mississippi River, and of his voyage thence to the 
 Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 ^''Resolved, That this Academy not only gratefully accepts this 
 handsome gift, but promises to preserve and cherish it as a souvenir 
 of Captain Glazier's high qualities as an explorer and contributor to 
 the increase of American geographical knowledge.' 
 
 " Mr. H. Dudley Coleman then moved that a copy of the resolu- 
 tions be appropriately written and framed, and presented to Captain 
 Glazier; and that a committee of three be appointed to prepare the 
 same. 
 
 " The resolutions were unanimously adopted, when Dr. Copes ap- 
 pointed as the committee Messrs. Coleman, Walker, and Blanchard. 
 
 "At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Coleman escorted Captain 
 Glazier to the Washington Artillery Arsenal, and introduced him to 
 Oolonel J. B. Richardson, commanding the battalion, who extended 
 to Captain Glazier the hospitalities of the battalion during his stay 
 in the city." 
 
 BEFORE THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 
 
 Captain Grlazicr returned to Saint Louis from New Orleans, 
 having engaged to deliver a lecture in that city on the ' ' Pio- 
 
APPENDIX. ^y 
 
 neers of the Mississippi. ' ' On his voyage down the river and 
 visit to the city, he was unable to remain long enough to fulfil 
 the engagement, as winter was rapidly approaching, and it was 
 expedient to reach the Grulf as soon as possible. Moreover, he 
 wished to present one of his canoes— the Itasca— to the Mis- 
 souri Historical Society, in return for the hospitality he had 
 received during his previous brief visit ; and it was arranged 
 that the presentation should take place on the night of the 
 lecture. Accordingly, on the evening of January fourteenth, 
 1882, an audience consisting of members of the Historical So- 
 ciety, the Academy of Sciences, clergy, officers and teachers of 
 the public schools, and the several boat clubs of the city, 
 assembled at Mercantile Library Hall, to listen to his lecture 
 on the pioneer explorers of the Great River, and to witness 
 the presentation of the Itasca. 
 
 At eight o'clock. Captain Glazier, accompanied by Judge 
 Albert Todd, Vice-President of the Historical Society, appeared 
 on the platform, and the Judge introduced the lecturer in the 
 following terms, as reported in the local press : 
 
 "Mark Twain wrote that in his Oriental travels he visited the 
 grave of our common ancestor, Adam, and, as a filial mourner he 
 copiously wept over it. To me the grave of our common ancestress 
 Eve, would be more worthy of my filial affection, but, instead of 
 weepmg over it, I should proudly rejoice by reason of her irrepressible 
 desire for knowledge. She boldly gratified this desire, and thereby 
 litted Adam up from the indolent, browsing life that he seemed dis- 
 posed and content to pass in the 'Garden,' and gave birth to thai^ 
 spirit of inquiry and investigation which is developing and elevatino- 
 their posterity to 'man's pride of place'— 'a little lower than the 
 angels'— by keeping them ever discontented with the status quo, and 
 constantly pressing on to the 'mark of their high calling' beneath 
 the blazing legend 'Excelsior.' It is this ceaseless unrest of the 
 spirit, one of the greatest evidences of the soul's immortality, that is 
 continually contracting the boundaries of the unknown in geography 
 and astronomy, in physics and metaphysics, in all their varfed de- 
 partments. Of those pre-eminently illustrating it in geography were 
 Jason and his Argonauts; Columbus, De Gama, and Magellan; De 
 feoto, Marquette, and La Salle; Cabot and Cook; Speke, Baker 
 Livingstone, and Franklin ; and our own Ledyard, Lewis, Clarke' 
 Kane, Hall, and Stanley. And this evening will appear before you 
 another ot these irrepressible discontents who would know what is 
 still hidden, at any risk or privation. 
 
 iir'-'n "^S^/^f ^ ^^ *^^^ ^'^"*^* ^^ enterprise, in search of truth, Captain 
 VVillard Glazier has discovered, at last, the true source of our grand 
 and peerless river, the ' Father of Waters,' down which he has floated 
 and paddled in frail canoes, a distance of more than three thousand 
 miles, to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. One of these canoes is 
 now placed here in your view, and will be presented to-night by its 
 navigator to our Historical Society. 
 
Xvi APPENDIX. 
 
 "Nearly two hundred years ago La Snlle discovered the mouth r~f 
 the Mississij)pi, yet only now in this year of grace, 1881, was abcu- 
 tained its true fountain source. 
 
 " This, the latest achievement of Captain Glazier, is only in the 
 natural course of his antecedents. Born as late as 1841, he has already 
 gone through the experiences of the Adamic labors of a tiller of the 
 soil, the hard toils of the student and of the successful teacher; of the 
 dashing and brilliant cavalry officer in the Union army through tlu- 
 whole period of our late war, trom its disastrous beginning to its 
 successful ending; of the sufferings of capture and imprisonment in 
 the notorious ' Libby,' and otlier prisons, and of a daring and perilous 
 escape from their cruel walls; of an adventurous tourist on horse- 
 back through the most civilized and savage portions of our continent, 
 beginning with the feet of his horse in the waters of the Atlantic, and 
 ending with their splash in the waters of the Pacific. He delivered 
 lectures along his route wherever a civilized audience could be col- 
 lected, and suffered capture by the Indians, with all its sensational 
 romance and hideous prospects. 
 
 "From the material of these antecedents he has written and pub- 
 lished several books of singular interest and national value. 
 
 " From this brief sketch we would naturally expect to see a stalwart 
 man, massive and powerful in form and muscle. Our conceptions 
 of men of big deeds is that they are also big. But David was a strip- 
 ling when he slew Goliath of Gath. Napoleon was characterized by 
 the society ladies of the period of his early career as * Puss in Boots.' 
 Our own Fremont and Eads would seem at sight capable of only the 
 ordinarily exposed duties of life. Of like physique is the subject of 
 this introduction. 
 
 "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my pleasant privilege to intro- 
 duce to your acquaintance Captain Willard Glazier as the lecturer 
 for the evening." 
 
 Captain Glazier then delivered his interesting historical lec- 
 ture on the "Pioneers of the Mississippi." The adven- 
 tures and discoveries of De Soto, Marquette, La Salle, Henne- 
 pin, Joliet, and others, including the more recent explorers, 
 Pike, Beltrami, Schoolcraft, and Nicollet, were intelligently 
 discussed, and the attention of all present absorbed by the 
 interest of the subject. He spoke of the ambition of De Soto 
 to found an empire like that of Cortez in Mexico ; of his arrival 
 on the banks of the Great River, and finally of his death and 
 burial in its depths. Concerning Father Marquette, the lec- 
 turer dwelt upon the zeal with which he preached the Gospel 
 to the benighted Indians, and his premature death and burial 
 in the wilderness. La Salle was then presented as an intrepid 
 pioneer, pushing down the mighty river to plant his banner on 
 the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and taking possession of the 
 country through which he had passed in the name of the King 
 of France. The exploits of Hennepin, Joliet, and others were 
 
APPENDIX. xvii 
 
 then recounted, and tlie lecturer gave eridence of great famil- 
 iarity with the lives of these heroic pioneer explorers of the 
 Mississippi. The following letter was then read : 
 
 '^ "1310 Olive Street, 
 
 "Saint Louis, Missouri^ 
 " January 14, 1882. 
 
 "Edwin Harrison, Esq., 
 
 "President Missouri Historical Society : 
 
 " Dear Sir : — In my recent canoe voyage down the Mississippi it 
 was my good fortune to receive many courtesies at the hands of the 
 press, boat clubs, and citizens of Saint Louis. This, coupled with the 
 fact that you have expressed considerable interest in the result of my 
 explorations, inclines me to present to you the Itasca, one of the 
 canoes used in the expedition, for the museum of your Society, as a 
 memento of my voyage and discovery. 
 
 " During this tour of observation, extending from the headwaters 
 of the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, I had the satisfaction 
 of locating the true source of the mighty stream down which we 
 paddled our canoes to the sea. 
 
 " I am not now able to give you a detailed account of my voyage, 
 but shall avail myself of the earliest opportunity to transmit to your 
 Secretary a complete history of it, which will be issued in book form 
 as soon as the material can be put in proper shape for publication. 
 
 " Very truly yours, 
 
 " WiLLARD Glazier." 
 
 Captain Silas Bent, late of the U. S. N., accepted the canoe 
 for the society, in the following words : 
 
 " Captain Glazier : 
 
 " It becomes my jjleasant duty to accept, for the Missouri Historical 
 Society, this beautiful canoe, which has itself become historic by 
 reason of tlie service it has rendered you. It shall be deposited with 
 other treasured relics in our museum. 
 
 " I have also to express to you the high appreciation in which the 
 Society holds the valuable contribution to geographical knowledge 
 resulting from your explorations among the headwaters of the Missis- 
 sippi River, and your discovery of the remotest lake that contributes 
 to the perennial birth of this hydra-headed ' Father of Waters,' whose 
 genesis near the Arctic regions gives it a length of more than three 
 thousand miles to the tropical gulf, to which it bears upon its ample 
 bosom in safety the freightage of an empire. 
 
 " I desire, too, to thank you for the interesting lecture just given 
 us upon the achievements of the heroic old explorers, who have, in 
 centuries past, preceded you in investigations of the characteristics 
 of this river. But whilst past investigations have made us familiar 
 with the general character of the stream, and the peculiarities of its 
 many mouths, yet we know very little of its source ; and should be 
 gratified, I am sure, if you could give us, this evening, a brief account 
 of the circumstances attending your explorations in that direction, 
 and of the difficulties you had to encounter in the accomplishment 
 of your object." 
 
 In oompliance with Captain Bent's request that he would 
 
xviii APPENDIX. 
 
 give some account of the events connected with the expedition 
 to the source of the Mississippi, Captain Grlazier then briefly 
 narrated the leading incidents of his voyage and explorations. 
 At the conclusion, several gentlemen came forward to congratu- 
 late him upon the practical results of his undertaking and ex- 
 pressed their appreciation of the work he had accomplished. 
 The Itasca^ which occupied a prominent position on the plat- 
 form, was duly inspected, and afterwards removed Ijo the 
 rooms of the Historical Society. 
 
APPENDIX, xj^ 
 
 m. 
 
 LETTERS PERTINENT TO THE SUBJECT. 
 
 ALETTEK from Captain Griazier which appeared in the Saint 
 Paul Pioneer Press in December, 1886, and was copied 
 into several Eastern papers, is here introduced as an epitomized 
 narrative of the discovery. The journey to the headwaters of 
 the Mississippi, the launch of the canoes on Lake Itasca, the 
 search for its feeders and the finding of one larger than the 
 others which the Indian guides said flowed from another lake 
 to the south of it ; the passage of the canoes up this feeder 
 and the entrance of the explorers upon a beautiful lake which 
 they ascertained by sounding and measurement to be wider 
 and deeper than Itasca, and the veritable source of the Great 
 River ; all this is succinctly told in the following letter of the 
 leader of the expedition, and we respectfully commend its 
 perusal to the reader : 
 
 "To the Editor — Pioneer Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota: 
 
 "I solicit the favor of replying through your columus to articles 
 in one or two New York dailies calling in question my claim to 
 have definitely located, in 1881, the true source of the Mississippi 
 River. 
 
 " When my attention was first drawn to the articles of those who 
 seem so much exercised by my expedition to the headwaters of the 
 Mississippi, I had no intention of replying, but have finally yielded 
 to the reasoning of friends who feel that longer silence might possibly 
 be construed to my disadvantage. 
 
 " I am well aware that I assume grave responsibility in locating 
 the source of the greatest river of North America and correct! nij a 
 geographical error of half a century's standing, especially since I follow 
 in the footsteps of such eminent explorers as Pike, Beltrami, School- 
 craft and Nicollet; and in view of the fact that I have presumed to 
 pass the limit of their explorations. 
 
 " For many years prior to 1881, 1 had been of the opinion that Lake 
 Itasca occupied an erroneous position in our geography. In fact I 
 had become satisfied tli rough conversations with straggling ChippewAS 
 in the Northwest, that the red man's ideal river did not rise in the 
 lake described by his white brother, but that there were other lakes 
 and streams beyond that lake and that some day the truth of their 
 statements would be verified. 
 
 " Thoroughly convinced that there was yet a field for exploration 
 in the wilds of Northern Minnesota I resolved, in 1876, to attempt a 
 settlement of the vexed question concerning the source of the Missis- 
 sippi at an early day. Finding the opportunity I sought in 1881 J 
 
j^j^ APPENDIX. 
 
 proceeded to Saint Paul in June of that year accompanied by Pearce 
 Giles, of Camden, New Jersey. Here I was joined by my brother 
 George, of Chicago, and Barrett Chauning Paine, then an attache of 
 the Pioneer Press. 
 
 " Having completed arrangements we moved from Saint Paul on the 
 morning of July Fourth with Brainerd as our immediate objective. 
 Short stops were made at Minneapolis, Monticello, Saint Cloud and 
 Little Falls on our way up the river, Brainerd was reached July 
 seventh. This enterprising town is situated near the boundary of the 
 Chippewa Indian Reservation and is the nearest place of consequence 
 to Lake Itasca. Here I again halted to further inform myself con- 
 cerning the topography of the country ; to decide upon the most 
 practicable route to our destination, and to provide such extra sup- 
 plies of rations and clothing as might be considered adequate to the 
 requirements of our undertaking. 
 
 "After consulting our maps I concluded that while Schoolcraft and 
 Nicollet had found Itasca by going up the river through Lakes 
 Winnibegoshish, Cass and Bemidji, a more direct course would be by 
 way of Leech Lake and the Kabekanka River. 
 
 "A careful study of the route to Leech Lake, with a few valuable 
 suggestions from Warren Leland, of Brainerd, one of its oldest 
 pioneers, led us to seek conveyance to the former place over what is 
 known in Northern Minnesota as the Government Road. This road 
 stretches for seventy-five miles, through immense pine forests, and 
 the only habitations to be seen from it are the ' half-way houses ' 
 erected for the accommodation of teamsters who are engaged in hauling 
 government supplies; and the occasional wigwams of wandering 
 Indians. 
 
 " While at the Leech Lake Agency it was our good fortune to meet 
 the post-missionary, Rev. Edwin Benedict; Major A. C. Rufie, the 
 Indian Agent; Paul Beaulieu, the veteran Government Interpreter; 
 White-Cloud, chief of the Mississippi Indians; Flat-Mouth, head 
 chief of the Chippewas, and others well known at the Agency. 
 Through conversations with these parties I learned that pioneers of 
 that region were of the opinion that the lake located by Schoolcraft 
 was the source of the Mississippi, but that the Indians invariably 
 claimed that the Great River had its origin above and beyond Itasca, 
 in a beautiful lake known to them as Pokegama, signifying the 
 ' place where the waters gather.' 
 
 " Beaulieu, who is perhaps the best authority in Minnesota, having 
 lived for more than sixty years within its borders, said that Cheno- 
 wagesic, who afterwards became my chief guide, was the most intelli- 
 gent Chippewa of his acquaintance, had made his home for many 
 years in the vicinity of the headwaters of the Mississippi, and Ihat 
 he had always asserted, when maps were shown him, that a lake 
 above Itasca would in time cluuige a feature of those maps and con- 
 firm his statement that Lake Itasca could not longer maintain its 
 claim to being the fountain-heal of the Great River. 
 
 " Three days were spent at Leech Lake, during which time we 
 secured an interpreter, Indian guides and birch- bark canoes. Every- 
 thing being in order we launched our canoes on the morning of July 
 seventeenth. Wishing, as previously explained, to approach Itasca 
 by a different route from that adopted by Schoolcraft and Nicollet 
 who went up the Mississippi from Lake Winnibegoshish, I crossed 
 Leech Lake and ascended the Kabekanka River, thence proceeding 
 in a direct westerly course through twenty-one lakes, alternated by 
 as many portages, reaching Itasca between two and three o'clock Mt 
 
APPENDIX. XXi 
 
 the afternooji of the twenty-first. The region traversed, Ave were told 
 by the guides, had never before been trodden by white n^n ; and 
 considering the nature of the country it is not to be wondered at, as 
 swamps, floating bogs, and dense undergrowth were encountered 
 throughout the entire journey. 
 
 " The work of coasting Itasca for its feeders was begun at an early 
 hour on the morning of the twenty-second. We found the outlets 
 of six small streams, two having well-defined mouths, and four filter- 
 ing into the lake through bogs. The upper or southern end of the 
 south-western arm of Lake Itasca is heavily margined with reeds and 
 rushes, and it was not without considerable difiiculty that we forced 
 our way through this barrier into the larger of the two open stream* 
 which enter at this point. This stream, at its mouth, is seven feet 
 wide and about three feet deep. 
 
 "Slow and sinuous progress of between two and three hundred 
 yards brought us to a blockade of logs and shallow water. Deter- 
 mined to float in my canoe upon the surface of the lake towards which 
 we were paddling, I directed the guides to remove the obstructions, 
 and continued to urge the canoes rapidly forward, although opposed 
 by a strong and constantly increasing current. On pulling and 
 pushing our way through a network of rushes, similar to that encoun- 
 tered on leaving Lake Itasca, the cheering sight of a tranquil and 
 limpid sheet of water burst upon our view. 
 
 " This lake, the Chippewa name of which is Pokegama, is about a 
 mile and a half in its greatest diameter, covers an area of two hun- 
 dred and fifty acres, and would be nearly an oval in form but for a 
 single promontory, which extends its shores into the lake, so as to 
 give it in outline the appearance of a heart. Its feeders are three 
 small creeks, two of which enter on the right and left of the head- 
 land, and have their origin in springs at the foot of sand hills from 
 two to three miles distant. The third stream is but little more than 
 a rivulet of a mile in length, has no clearly defined course, and is the 
 outlet of a small pond or lakelet to the south-westward. 
 
 " The latitude of the lake in question is about 47° ; its height above 
 the Atlantic Ocean 1,582 feet, and its distance from the Gulf of 
 Mexico 3,184 miles. 
 
 "The statement that the lake now very generally accepted by 
 geographers, and educational publishers as the True Source of the 
 Mississippi was so regarded prior to the organization of ray expedi- 
 tion cannot be substantiated ; for, on the contrary, both press and 
 people throughout Minnesota were ignorant of its existence, so far as 
 we were able to ascertain by diligent inquiry from Saint Paul to 
 Brainerd; and, in fact, I may add that the missionary, Indian 
 agent, and post-trader at Leech Lake knew no other source of the 
 Mississippi than Lake Itasca, except what they had been told by 
 my chief guide, Chenowagesic, and a few other Chippewas in that 
 vicinity. Barrett Channing Paine, fully confirms this statement in 
 his letters to the Brainerd, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul papers of 
 that period. These letters prove most conclusively that the people 
 of Northern Minnesota had no knowledge whatever of the lake be- 
 yond Itasca until its existence was announced by me through the 
 medium of the press in 1881. 
 
 " If the assumption by some writers that the lake to the south of 
 Itasca had been seen before my visit to that region in 1881 is well 
 grounded, I need only say in reply that it had not been assigned any 
 geographical importance prior to my visit ; in other words, it had not 
 been recognized by any one as the true source of the Mississippi. 
 
Xxii APPENDIX, 
 
 "When William Morrison, the fur-trader, pitched his tent on 
 Schoolcraft Island in 1804, he evidently did not Know that the outlet 
 of the lake on which he looked was a part of the mighty river. 
 Schoolcraft followed, at the head of an expedition twenty-eight years 
 later, and claimed the lake as the source of the Mississippi. It ia 
 very generally admitted that Morrison had seen Itasca before School- 
 craft, but no one questioned that the latter was entitled to the credit 
 of discovery, since he was the first to establish the fact that the 
 Mississippi was its outlet. My claim to have definitely located the 
 true source in the lake beyond Itasca stands on precisely the same 
 ground. 
 
 " I do not desire to pass a reasonable limit in an effort to insure 
 justice, but having consumed considerable time and money in locat- 
 ing lakes and streams in Northern Minnesota, and having established 
 that the lake to the south of Itasca is the primal reservoir of the 
 Mississippi, I do not feel disposed to allow myself to be thrust aside 
 by those who know comparatively little or nothing of that region. 
 
 "Assuming that the statements of my party are incontrovertible 
 concerning the lake which we claim as the True Source of the Great 
 River, it follows naturally : 
 
 " I. That Lake Itasca cannot longer be recognized as the fountain- 
 head of the Mississippi, for the reason that it is the custom, agreeably 
 *^^o the definition of geographers, to fix upon the remotest water, and 
 si lake if possible, as t|ie source of a river. 
 
 " II. That the lake to the south of Itasca, and connected therewith 
 by a perennial stream, is the primal reservoir or True Source of the 
 Mississippi; that it was not so considered prior to the visit of my ex- 
 pedition in 1881 ; and that my party was the first to locate its feeders 
 correctly, and discover its true relation to the Great River. 
 
 "III. That Schoolcraft could not have seen the lake located by 
 me, else he would have assigned it its true character in the narrative 
 of his expedition. 
 
 " IV. That Nicollet, who followed Schoolcraft, could not have 
 been aware of its existence, as he gives it no place upon his maps, or 
 description in the accounts of his explorations. 
 
 " V. That the lake known as Pokegama by the Chippewas was 
 not christened 'Glazier' by me, or through ray instrumentality, but 
 was so named by my companions, in opposition to my wish that it 
 should retain its Indian appellation. 
 
 " Finally, whatever the verdict may be upon the merits of my claim 
 to have been the first to locate the source of the Mississippi River and 
 publish it to the world, if any person had seen this lake prior to 1881 
 it was certainly not known to the white residents of Northern Minnc 
 sota, or to the Indian tribes in the vicinity of its headwaters. Lake 
 Itasca was still recognized as the fountain-head, was so placed upon 
 maps, and taught as such in all the schools of the country. 
 
 " I simply claim to have established the fact that there is a beau- 
 tiful lake above and beyond Itasca — wider and deeper than that 
 lake — with woodland shores — with three constantly flowing streams 
 for its feeders — and in every way worthy of the position it occupies 
 as the primal reservoir or true source of the Father of Waters. 
 
 "WiLLARD Glazier. 
 
 "Syracuse, New York, December, 1886." 
 
 A letter irom Pearce Griles, of Camden, New Jersey, who 
 
APPENDIX. Xxili 
 
 was identified witli tlie GtLAZIER expedition from its inception 
 to its close : 
 
 " To the Editor — Boston Herald : 
 
 " In 1832 Henry Rowe Schoolcraft led an expedition through the 
 wilds of Northern Minnesota and discovered what he believed to be 
 the source of the Mississippi. Being at a loss for an appropriate name 
 to bestow upon the lake which constituted this supposed source, so 
 the story goes, he asked a companion what were the Latin words 
 signifying * true head,' and received in reply ' Veritas caput.' This 
 was rather a ponderous name to give a comparatively small body of 
 water, even though the Father of Waters here took his first start in 
 the world. The explorer, therefore, conceived the idea of uniting the 
 last two syllables of the first word with the first syllable of the second, 
 thus, by a novel mode of orthography, forming a name which might 
 easily pass for one of Indian origin — Itasca. A person versed in 
 orthographical science would probably perceive at once that the name 
 did not belong to the same family of harsh Indian appellations which 
 have affixed themselves permanently to many towns and rivers in 
 Wisconsin and Minnesota, but was more allied to the softer language 
 of southern Indian nations. But it has now been discovered that 
 Lake Itasca is not Veritas caput; and Lake Glazier, discovered in 
 July, 1881, by Captain Willard Glazier, must be regarded by all 
 future generations as the true head of the Mississippi. 
 
 "The Mississippi, on its first stages, flows in a northerly direction, 
 the whole system of small lakes which contribute to it being sur- 
 rounded on the north and west by an amphitheatre of hills. Lake 
 Glazier lies above and beyond Lake Itasca, and its waters have an 
 elevation of probably seven feet above th-at lake, being connected 
 therewith by a small, swift stream. Lake Itasca is composed of three 
 arms, extending in the form of a trefoil, having a length of five miles 
 and an average width of about one mile. The upper, or southern 
 end of its middle arm apparently terminates in a swamp, which 
 might easily have deceived any one not familiar with the country. 
 But Chenowagesic, Captain Glazier's Indian guide, who had for 
 years used the region of these lakes for his hunting-ground, readily 
 made his way through the reeds and rushes at the mouth of the 
 connecting stream. Lake Glazier at its outlet preseiits another 
 barricade of reeds, through which the party made their way in their 
 canoes. 
 
 "Lake Glazier is about two miles in length by a mile and a 
 half in breadth. Its shores, instead of being low and marshy, as are 
 those of many of the neighboring lakes, present finely wooded slopes 
 and surround the lake in what would have been the shape of a per- 
 fect oval, had not a bold, rocky promontory indented its southern 
 end, and given to it the outline of a heart. On the point of this 
 promontory is a spring from which flows ice-cold water. The waters 
 of the lake are exceedingly clear and pure, proceeding from springs, 
 some of them in the bottom of the lake itself, and the others at a 
 greater or less distance from its shores. 
 
 "Lake Glazier has three small feeders, one of them named 
 Eagle Creek, entering it near its outlet, and taking its rise a mile or 
 60 farther south, in a small pond or lakelet, upon which Captain 
 Glazier bestowed the name of 'Alice,' after his daughter. Eagle 
 Creek runs nearly parallel with the western shore of the lake, a little 
 distance from it. Two streams, two or three miles in length, flow 
 Bortkward into Lake Glazier at its southern extremity oci eithei 
 
xxiv APPENDIX. 
 
 side of the indenting promontory. Excelsior Creek, so named because 
 it represents the very highest water of the Mississippi, is the longer 
 of these. Deer Creek, to the eastward, and rising a little nearer the 
 lake, has been so named for the reason that numbers of deer were 
 seen in its vicinity. 
 
 " Lake Glazier is thus supplied by three feeders. Eagle, Excelsior 
 and Deer Creeks, now named in the order of their importance, and 
 as uniting these waters in one common reservoir, this lake is 
 undoubtedly entitled to be regarded as the Veritas caput — the true 
 head of the Mississippi. " Peakce Giles. 
 
 " Boston, August 6, 1886." 
 
 We insert here an interesting letter from Paul Beaulieu, 
 Interpreter to the United States Indian Agency, White Earth, 
 Minnesota. Mr. Beaulieu is a very intelligent lialf-breed, 
 about sixty years of age, and has lived nearly all his life in 
 the neighborhood of the headwaters of the Mississippi. His 
 testimony, therefore, upon a subject with which he must 
 necessarily be familiar, will have due weight with the inquir- 
 ing reader : 
 
 " U. S. Indian Service, 
 » " White Earth Agency, Minnesota, 
 
 " May 25, 1884. 
 
 "Dear Sir: — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 letter of the sixteenth instant. In reply, I would respectfully state 
 that according to the ideas of the people of this section of country, 
 for a score of years past, in alluding to Lake Itasca, which is known 
 only as Elk Lake by the original inhabitants of this country, was 
 never by them considered as the head or source of the Father of 
 Running Waters, or May-see-see-be, as it is by them named. I have 
 received a map showing the route of exploration of Captain Willard 
 Glazier in 1881, and being well acquainted with his chief guide, Cheno- 
 wagesic, who has made the section of country explored by Captain 
 Glazier his home for many years in the past, and who has proved 
 the truth of his often repeated assertion, when maps were shown him, 
 that a smaller lake above Lake Itasca would in time change a 
 feature of those maps, and proclaim to the world that Lake Itasca 
 cannot longer maintain its claim as being the fountain head of Ke- 
 chee-see-be, or Great River, which is called May-see-see-be, by the 
 Chippewas. The map as delineated by Captain Glazier's guide, 
 Chenowagesic, and published by the Glazier party, is correct ; and it 
 is plain to us who know the lay of this whole country (I mean by us^ 
 the Chippewa tribe in particular, also the recent explorers for pine) 
 that Lake Glazier is located at the right place, and is the last lake 
 on the longest stream of the several rivers at the head of the great 
 Mississippi. " With respect, yours truly, 
 
 " Paul Beaulief, 
 " U. S. Indian Interpreter." 
 
 An eastern correspondent addressed the following com- 
 munication to the Saint Paul Dispatch, in which he claims 
 
APPENDIX. XXV" 
 
 ihat the discovery of tlie true source of the Mississippi should 
 be credited to Captain Grlazier : 
 
 " Jb the Editor — Saint Paul Dispatch: 
 
 " Having been a resident of Minnesota in 1855, I wish to say a 
 word about Captain Glazier and his discovery. Minnesota, at the 
 time of my residence there, was thinly settled. Minneapolis and 
 Saint Anthony were both straggling villages. Saint Paul could 
 boast of something like 10,000 population. The nearest railroad 
 point to the latter city was one hundred and thirty miles distant. 
 In winter Burbank's Northwestern Express carried the mails and 
 the very few passengers that could muster courage to make the toil- 
 some journey ; and well do I remember my trip over this route. I 
 know that, at that time, there was a question with the Sioux, Chip- 
 pewas and many pioneers as to Lake Itasca being the source of the 
 Great River. There was a settled opinion that something would be 
 found beyond that would eventually prove to be the source of that 
 stream. I believe Captain Glazier to have been actuated by a desire 
 to establish the truth of this problem. Interested parties may seek 
 to withhold from him his rightful due as a discoverer, but notwith- 
 standing these attempts, in some schools in this region. Lake 
 Gi.AZiER is taught as the true source of the Mississippi. To at- 
 tempt to discredit one who took front rank for the preservation 
 of the Union, and who suffered in many rebel prisons, is altogether 
 unworthy of the parties who are making themselves conspicuous in 
 ^he matter. " J. C. Crane. 
 
 " West Millbuey, Massachusetts, January, 1887." 
 
 Letter from Mr. John Lovell, geographer and historian, and 
 one of the leading educational publishers of the Dominion of 
 Canada : 
 
 "Captain Willard Glazier: 
 
 ^'Dear Sir : — I ovye you an apology for not having earlier acknowl- 
 edged your courtesy in sending me a copy of your remarkably inter- 
 esting work 'Down the Great River.' Owing to illness and a 
 variety of calls on my time, I had not an opportunity ere this of 
 finishing the reading of it. I have no hesitation in saying that it is 
 most interesting and instructive, especially where you so ably sum- 
 marize the results of former expeditions, and where you describe in 
 animated language the aim, course, and outcome of your own explor- 
 ations. You have had an experience which has fallen to the lot of 
 few travellers, and, in certifying the source of the Father of Waters, 
 have rendered a great service to the cause of geographical discovery. 
 The account of your voyage from the newly discovered Source to the 
 Gulf of Mexico gave me much pleasure and information. The 
 patience and endurance of the brave fellows who were with you, 
 considering the distance, in canoes, is worthy of praise. Your own 
 able management of the expedition is worthy of all commendation 
 and of substantial and immediate thanks from the good men of 
 your own wonderful country. 
 
 " Again I sincerely thank you for your handsome and most accept- 
 able present. 
 
 " With sincere respect, I remain, dear sir, 
 
 " Yours faithfully, 
 
 "John Lovell, 
 
 " Montreal, October 17, 18§7." 
 
Xxvi APPEXDIX, 
 
 The following letter will speak for itself. M^ Grus. H. 
 Beaulieu, of White Earth, Minnesota, Deputy United States 
 Marshal for the district, is an educated half-breed, and cousin 
 of Paul Beaulieu. His home is on the Chippewa Indian 
 Reservation, within sixty miles of the source of the Mississippi. 
 In this letter he presents the Indian theory as to the com- 
 parative volume of water in the two lakes — Glazier and 
 Itasca : 
 
 " Captain Willaed Glazier : 
 
 "i>ear Sir : — I have been somewhat interested in your discussion 
 regarding the source of the Mississippi. Even had you never pro- 
 claimed to the world your discoveries, from information received by 
 me from Indians and old mixed-blood Indian voyageurs, there would 
 have always been a doubt existing with me as to whether Itasca was 
 the head of the Mississippi. 
 
 "Henry Beaulieu, a brother of Paul Beaulieu, always maintained 
 that Lake Glazier was the true source of the Mississippi. I remem- 
 ber that, after his return from Itasca with Mr. Chambers of the New 
 York Herald, I think in 1872, he said that Winnibegoshish or Cass 
 Lake might as well be called the source of the Mississippi as Itasca. 
 Other mixed-blood have repeatedly stated the same thing. I men- 
 tion this to show you what the general opinion is among Indians and 
 those of mixed blood. 
 
 " Chenowagesic's theory concerning the head of the Mississippi 
 is this: That while Itasca presents a larger surface than Lake 
 Glazier, it does not contain as much water as the latter. He arrives 
 at this conclusion from the fact that Itasca freezes over two or three 
 weeks before Lake Glazier. This, he says, is a sure sign that the 
 latter lake is the deeper of the two, and contains more water. His 
 arguments in favor of Lake Glazier are rather novel, and, as & 
 matter of course, are taken from an Indian's standpoint, 
 
 " Yours truly, 
 
 *' Gfs. H. Beaulisu. 
 
 '* White Earth, Minnesota, December ^7, 1887." 
 
THE LAKE BEYOND ITASCA. 
 
 31 
 
APPENDIX. xxvli 
 
 IV. 
 
 PUBLIC OPINION IN MINNESOTA. 
 
 THE evidence here presented in support of Lake Glazier 
 is, in our judgment, most conclusive ; we may add, 
 overwhelming. Many of the most prominent citizens of 
 the State in which the Great River takes its rise volunteer 
 their endorsement of a claim, of the merits of which, they must 
 necessarily be better informed than persons living at a remote 
 distance from the head of the river. State authorities, includ- 
 ing the Governor and his staff; senators and representativas. 
 many of whom have resided from twenty to forty yeflTs in 
 Minnesota ; pioneers, clergymen, and school-teachers, \i /tb 
 many of the leading citizens ; editors, school-superintendents, 
 professional men, and others, strongly affirm that Lake Itasca 
 is not the source of the Mississippi, but that the lake to the 
 south of it, definitely located by Captain Glazier, is the prima: 
 reservoir or true source of the Father of Waters. These wit- 
 nesses, moreover, unequivocally assert that the credit of the 
 discovery should be awarded to the man who made it, notwith- 
 standing the groundless opposition of a few cavillers who have 
 never themselves visited within many hundred miles a region 
 they affect to be so marveiously familiar with. 
 
 From His Excellency, A. R. 3IcGill, Governor of 3Ilnnesota : 
 
 " Captain Glazier's claim to be the discoverer of the true source of 
 the Mississippi seems reasonable, to say the least. I have been a 
 resident of Minnesota twenty-six years, and never until Captain 
 Glazier's expedition, heard the claim of Itasca being the source of the 
 Great E-iver seriously questioned." 
 
 From Hon. Horace Austin, Ex- Governor : 
 
 " I think that it would be a very proper thing to do under tlie cir- 
 cumstances that Captain Glazier's services should be recognized by 
 the passage of a bill by the Legislature giving his name to the lake 
 which is the real source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From Hon. W. H Gale, Ex-Lieiitenant-Governor, Winona: 
 
 " I have been a resident of Minnesota for more tliau twenty-eight 
 years, and I believe it was the generally accepted ojnnion of tiie pco' 
 pie of this State that Lake Itasca was the source of the Mississipp 
 
Xxviii APPENDIX. 
 
 "Eiver, until after the expedition of Captain Willard Glazier, and his 
 publication to the world that another lake south of Lake Itasca was 
 the true source, to which lake has been given the name of Lake 
 Glazier. This is now generally recognized as the true source aud 
 head of the Mississippi, and Captain Glazier as the man who first 
 made known that fact to the world." 
 
 From F. W. Seeley, Adjutant- General . 
 
 "I desire to say, in justi«e to Captain Glazier, that, having been a 
 resident of Minnesota for Ihveuty-five years, and quite familiar with 
 the geography of the State, it is my belief that he was the first to dis- 
 cover tlie true source of the Mississippi River and publish it to the 
 world." 
 
 From Moses E. Clapp, Attorney- G eneral : 
 
 " From such information as I have on the subject, I am convinced 
 that the actual source of the Mississippi had not been recognized 
 prior to the published accounts of the explorations of Captain Wil- 
 Jard Glazier." 
 
 From H. W. Childs, Assistant Attorney- General : 
 
 " There is, in my opinion, no reason or ground for disputing Cap- 
 tain Glazier's claim to have located the body of water now undoubt- 
 edly regarded as the source of the Mississippi Eiver, and appropriately 
 named Lake Glazier," 
 
 From J. K. Moore, Private Secretary to Governor McGill: 
 
 " From the evidence, it seems clear to me that the actual source of 
 the Mississippi River had never been recognized until Captain 
 Glazier made its discovery in 1881." 
 
 Frovi Gus. H. Beaulieu, Deputy U. S. Marshal, District of Minnesota : 
 
 *' Having been born and raised in the State of Minnesota, and a 
 resident of VVhite Earth Indian Reservation, and being familiar 
 with the Indian traditions, I certify that Itasca Lake had never been 
 considered the source of the Mississippi by the best informed Chip- 
 pewa Indians. Although I had never seen any published maps to 
 the contrary, prior to the expedition of Captain Glazier in 1881, from 
 the best information I have among the Indians, I now regard Lake 
 Glazier as the true source of the Mississippi River. I regard his 
 chief guide, Chenowagesic, as the best authority among the Indians 
 regarding the section of country about the headwaters of the Mis- 
 sissippi, and consider him thoroughly reliable. 
 
 From Ed. W. S. Tingle, St. Paul Globe : 
 
 "After a study of the literature of the subject, I am convinced that 
 the lake to which the name of Glazier was given by the Glazier 
 exploring expedition is undoubtedly the true source of the Mississippi, 
 and that Captain Glazier was the first to call general public attention 
 io the fact." 
 
APPENDIX. xxix 
 
 From Rev. W. T. Chase, Pastor First Baptist Church, Minneapolis: 
 
 " There seems no reasonable doubt that the actual source of the 
 Mississippi had never been recognized until Captain Willard Glazier 
 made its discovery in 1881. Captain Glazier merits the gratitude of 
 every citizen of the United States who is interested in knowing all 
 that is knowable about the great Father of Waters." 
 
 From Ex-Mayor Pillsbury, Minneapolis : 
 
 '* From the best information I have been able to obtain, I am satis- 
 fied that Captain Willard Glazier was the first person that discovered 
 the true source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From Rev. J. L.'Pitner, Pastor Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 Minneapolis : 
 
 "From the evidence I have examined, I am convinced that the 
 real source of the Mississippi was not known i^rior to 1881. I am 
 quite sure the claims of Lake Glazier are not ill-founded, and that 
 in its deep, cool bosom the Great River takes its rise." 
 
 From John E. Bradley, Superintendent Public Schools, Minneapolis : 
 
 " From such examination as I have been able to give to the 
 problem of the true source of the Mississippi, it seems to be satisfac- 
 torily established that Lake Glazier is to be so regarded." 
 
 From Hon. Samuel E. Adams, Member of the Minnesota Historical 
 Society, Monticello : 
 
 " I have no doubt of the correctness of Captain Glazier's statement 
 that he discovered the new source of the Mississippi now bearing his 
 name." 
 
 From •J'ohn H. Elliott, Secretary Y. M. C. A., Minneapolis : 
 
 " I have no hesitation in stating that I believe Lake Glazier ttt 
 be the real source of the Mississippi River, and that Captain Glaaier'c 
 claims are entitled to respectful and grateful recognition." 
 
 From J. S. McLain, Evening Journal, Minneapolis : 
 
 " I have no reason to question the claim of Captain Glazier to have 
 been the first to correctly map the section of country about the source 
 of the Mississippi, or that the body of water which bears his nam* 
 is the true source of the Great River." 
 
 From Albert Shaw, Minneapolis Tribune : 
 
 "Unquestionably Captain Glazier may claim the credit of having 
 called public attention to the fact that there is a lake beyond Lake 
 Itasca which is more strictl}'- to be considered as the source of the 
 Mississippi. That the lake will always be called Lake Glazier^ 
 and that it will henceforth be spoken of everywhere as the source of 
 the Great Hiver, I have no doubt; 'aor do I doubt the propriety of the 
 name." 
 
 27 
 
XXX APPENDIX. 
 
 From Judge John P. Rea, Commander-in- Chief G. A . E., Minn eapolis : 
 
 " I have resided in Minnesota eleven years, and ahvays supposed 
 that Lake Itasca was the source of the Mississippi. I never heard 
 the fact questioned until within the past four or five years. From all 
 the evidence I have upon the subject, I am satisfied that Lake 
 Glazieu is the true source." 
 
 From G. M. Wing, Secretary North- West Indian Commission^ 
 
 3Ii7ineapolis : 
 
 "Concerning the real source of the Mississippi, I would say that 
 the lake which Captain Willard Glazier has located, and which he 
 claims to be the source, is no doubt more properly the true source of 
 this Great River than Lake Itasca. There is no doubt whatever in 
 my mind but that Captain Glazier was the first person to discover 
 that fact, and make the same known to the world ; and that fact 
 alone, though it might have been visited before, should entitle him 
 to the honor of naming the same. I have been over the route 
 traversed by Captain Glazier and party, and find that the map which 
 he has published is a correct delineation of that section." 
 
 From Hon. J. G. Lawrence, Ex-Senator, Wabasha : 
 
 "I believe Captain Glazier is certainly entitled to the credit of 
 having discovered the true source of the Mississippi in a lake above 
 Lake Itasca, and now named Lake Glazier." 
 
 From Judge L. A. Evans, Ex-Mayor, Saint Cloud 
 
 " First Mayor of Saint Cloud, and have served six terms as such. 
 Have resided in Saint Cloud for thirty years. I believe that Lake 
 Glazier is the true source of the Mississippi River, and this is the 
 opinion of the majority of the people residing in this part of the 
 State." 
 
 From Will E. Haskell, President and Managing Editor, 
 Minneapolis Tribune: 
 
 ''There can be no longer any doubt, when the,question is carefully 
 considered, that the credit of discovering the true source of the 
 Mississippi belongs to Captain Willard Glazier. Captain Glazier's 
 discovery has now become an accepted geographical fact, and future 
 generations of school-boys will speak knowingly of Lake Glazier, 
 ae we did in our youth of Itasca/' 
 
 From J. O. Simmons, Little Falls . 
 
 " Have been a resident of Little Falls for the past twenty-nine 
 years; County Attorney and justice of the peace for several years; 
 would state that I am personally acquainted with the half-breed 
 Indian interpreter, Paul Beaulieu. Have known him since June, 1857. 
 and know him to be a person of intelligence, great experience, and 
 personal knowledge of the northern portion of Minnesota, which up 
 to very recently has been a vast wilderness occupied only by the l^hip- 
 pewas. Have often conversed with him relative to the "country north 
 
APPENDIX. XXXl 
 
 ©f us, and speaking of the Mississippi, have heard him say that Lake 
 Itasca was not the fountain head ; that there was a stream emptying 
 5ts waters into Itasca from a lake a short distance above the latter, and 
 which, in his opinion, was the true source. Since Captain Glazier's 
 exploration, I accept the lake bearing his name as the true source of 
 the Mississippi." 
 
 From Rev. Andrew D. Stowe, Eector, Trinity Church, Anoka : 
 
 " This is to certify that from the testimony of Indians and Half- 
 breeds living at White Earth Agency, Minnesota, during my residence 
 there of two years, I am persuaded that Lake Glazier, instead of 
 Itasca, is the real source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From D. Sinclair, Winona : 
 
 " In the autumn of 1862 I spent several weeks in that portion of 
 Northern Minnesota, extending from Crow Wing to Leech Lake, and 
 the country about Red Lake, in company with Paul Beaulieu, the 
 well-known Indian guide and interpreter. During a conversation as 
 to the source of the Mississippi, Beaulieu informed me that Lake 
 Itasca was not the real source of that river, but that a smaller lake, 
 located a short distance south of Itasca, was entitled to that distiuc- 
 tion. After investigating the matter recently, I have no doubt of the 
 genuineness of Captain Glazier's claim to be the person who first 
 publicly established the fact that the lake which now bears his name 
 is the true source of the Mississippi Eiver." 
 
 From William A. Spencer, Clerk United States District Court, 
 Saint Paul : 
 
 " I have resided in Minnesota upwards of thirty years, and until 
 recently have always thought that Lake Itasca was the source of the 
 Mississippi ; but after an examination of the claim of Captain Glazier 
 to be the discoverer of the true source, I am satisfied his claim is well 
 founded." 
 
 From 0. C. Chase, Chairman County, Commissioners, Otter-Tail 
 
 County : 
 
 **From information received, I am fully satisfied that Captain 
 Glazier was the first person to publicly announce the true source of 
 the Mississippi." 
 
 From John J. Ankeny, Postmaster, Minneapolis : 
 
 " From the best information I can obtain, I am persuaded that the 
 source of the Mississippi had not been recognized prior to the 
 published accounts of exploration by Captain Willard Glazier in 
 1881. I think, therefore, he is entitled to the credit of the discovery." 
 
 From P. P. Swenson, Sheriff, Hennepin County : 
 
 " After a residence of thirty-two years in the State of Minnesota, 
 until recently I have always supposed that Lake Itasca was the 
 source of the Mississippi River. I am now well informed of its true 
 source being Lake Glazier, having personally traversed that 
 section of the State." 
 
Xxxii APPENDIX. 
 
 From Freeman E. Kreck, Postmaster, Aitkin : 
 
 "1 have been a resident of Aitkin County since 1881; have b«eit 
 County Auditor for past two years, and for a time proprietor and 
 editor of the Aitkin Age. Since Captain Glazier's explorations 1 do 
 not hesitate to say that I believe Lake Glaziek to be the true primal 
 reservoir of the Mississippi, and I think I voice the sentiment of the 
 majority of the residents of this section." 
 
 From A. Y. Merrill, County Attorney, Aitkin: 
 
 "I believe that the lake claimed to have been located by Captain 
 Glazier is the real source of the Mississippi River." 
 
 From J. W. Wakefield, Aitkin : 
 
 " Resident of Minnesota for thirty years. Personally acquainted 
 with Chenowagesic. Indian trader more than fifteen years. Thorough- 
 ly familiar with the Chippewa language. I recognize Lake Glazier 
 as the true source of the Mississippi River." 
 
 From Lyman P. White, Ex-Mayor, Brainerd : 
 
 "I have been a resident of Brainerd since 1870. Built the first 
 house in Brainerd. Have had charge of the town site for the Lake 
 Superior and Puget Sound Company for sixteen years. I met Captain 
 Glazier on his Mississippi trip, and fully endorse his claim to have 
 discovered the true source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From W. W. Hartley, Brainerd : 
 
 " Have been a resident of Brainerd for the past fifteen years. 
 Editor and publisher of the Tribune from 1875 to 1881, and post- 
 master from 1879 to 1886. Met Captain Glazier and his party here in 
 1881, both en route to the source of the Mississippi River, and on their 
 return voyage by canoes to its mouth. Have no recollection of ever 
 having heard any other than Lake Itasca claimed to be the source of 
 the Mississippi prior to the Captain's expedition. Lake Glazier 
 has since been accepted and is believed to be its source." 
 
 From J. H. Koop, Postmaster, Brainerd: 
 
 " Have been a resident of this State for sixteen years. Met Cai>tain 
 Glazier at the time he made his expedition of discovery to the source 
 of the Mississippi, and I recognize the lake bearing his name as its 
 true source." 
 
 From N. H. Ingersoll, Editor, Brainerd Dispatch : 
 
 " I fully endorse the statement that Captain Glazier was the first 
 to proclaim to the world the true source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From Bev. Fletcher J. Hawley, D. D., Rector of St. PauVs Episcopal 
 ChxLrch, Brainerd : 
 
 " I have been a resident of Brainerd since 1880, and have not 
 heard any one question the truth of Captain Glazier's claim to have 
 discovered the true source of the Mississippi to be ia Lake Glazieb." 
 
APPENDIX, xxxiii 
 
 From John F. Peterson, Register of Deeds, Minneapolis: 
 
 " I have resided in Minnesota for the past eighteen years, and fully 
 believe that LaK£ Glazibr is the true source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From C. P. De Laithe, Superintendent of Schools, Aitkin County : 
 
 " I recognize Lake Glazier as the source of the Mississippi River. 
 Have resided in Aitkin for several years." 
 
 From J. H. Hallett, Brainerd : 
 
 •* I recognize the lake discovered by Captain Glazier as the real 
 source of the Mississippi. Hav^e been an Indian trader for the past 
 fifteen years." 
 
 From Hon. N. Richardson, Little Falls, Judge of Probate of 
 Morrison County: 
 
 " I have resided on the banks of the Mississippi for thirty-one 
 years. Met Captain Glazier at Little Falls with his exploring party, 
 that visited the headwaters of this river in the summer of 1881. 
 From information derived from sources that I consider reliable, I 
 regard Lake Glazier as the true source of the Great River. Have 
 been a member of the Minnesota Legislature for three terms." 
 
 From. O. L, Clyde, First Lieutenant, National Guard, Little Falh : 
 
 " I have been a resident of Northern Minnesota for twenty years, 
 and always supposed that Lake Itasca was the source of the Missis- 
 sippi. I never heard any thing to the contrary until the year 1881, 
 when Captain Glazier explored the Upper Mississippi, and made his 
 report of the same. I now recognize Lake Glazier as the true 
 source of the Great River." 
 
 From Moses La Fond, Little Falls : 
 
 "Lake Glazier is now considered the true source of the Missis"- 
 sippi. I am one of the old pioneers of this State, having resided in the 
 northern section for over thirty-two years, and was a member of the 
 Legislature in 1874." 
 
 From R. CronJc, of the Government Survey, Sauk Rapids: 
 
 " This is to certify that I was compass-man on the survey of town- 
 ship 143 north, range 36 west of the 5th principal meridian, which era- 
 braces Itasca Lake, (the Indian name of which I understood to be 
 Omushkos or Elk Lake,) and hereby affirm that Lake Glazier is 
 the only well-defined body of water emptying into Lake Itasca, and 
 in my opinion is the true source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From Hon. T. G. Healey, Ex-State Senator, Monticdlo : 
 
 " Have resided in Monticello since 1856. I regard Lake Glazier 
 as the true source of the Mississippi River, and it is now so regarded 
 by the people living in this section of Minnesota." 
 
XxxW APPENDIX, 
 
 From William Tubhs, Postmaster and Ex-County Auditor, 
 Moiiticello : 
 
 " Have resided in Minnesota twenty-nine years. Lake Glazieb 
 is regarded by the people generally of this section as the true source 
 oi'the Mississippi." 
 
 From W. J. Brown, Principal of the High School, Monticello : 
 
 " I consider Lake Glazii;r to be the true source of the Mississippi, 
 and know of no other. I teach the same in the public schools of this 
 {)lace, as also do my assistants." 
 
 From Commander A. H. Fitch, J. S. Cady Post, G. A. P., Depart- 
 ment Minnesota ; Anoka : 
 
 " I am fully convinced that the body of water, known as Lake 
 Glazier since 1881, is the true source of the Mississippi, and not 
 Lake Itasca." 
 
 From J. M. Tucker, M. D., Hastings : 
 
 " I believa Captain Glazier's claim to being the discoverer of the 
 /•eal source of the Mississippi is just, and have never heard it ques- 
 tioned. It must stand as one of the facts of history." 
 
 From Daniel O'Brien, Police Justice, Hastings : 
 
 " I ana satisfied that the lake to the south of Itasca, located by 
 Glazier, in 1881, is the true source of the Mississippi, and. that Cap- 
 tain Glazier is entitled to whatever credit there is in the discovery." 
 
 From J. R. Lambert, Ex-Mayor, Hastings : 
 
 " It has been a generally accepted fact that Lake Itasca was the 
 source of the Mississippi River, and like many others who have pre- 
 ceded me in giving testimonials in favor of Captain Willard Glazier's 
 claim as the discoverer of a body of water now known quite generally 
 as Lake Glazier, and so represented in many of our standard 
 geographical works, I cheerfully admit that Captain Glazier is 
 entitled to credit as the discoverer." 
 
 From S. Westerson, Chairman, Board of County Commissioners, 
 
 Hastings : 
 
 " It seems to be clearly proven that there is a lake— now called Lake 
 Glazier — which is the true source of the Mississippi, discovered by 
 Captain Willard Glazier in the year 1881, and that said Captain 
 Glazier was the first man to make it public. The honor, therefore, 
 in my estimation, is due to him." 
 
 From B. B. Herbert, Editor- The Republican, Red Wing : 
 
 " After a careful examination of the clai.ri made for and against 
 the reputed discovery of the head of the Mississippi, by Captain 
 Willard Glazier, I am convinced that he was the first to question tlie 
 received statement that Lake Itasca was its source; and first to con- 
 
APPENDIX. XXXV 
 
 nect the lake, which some respectable geographers have called by 
 his name, with the Mississippi as its source. Having lived in 
 Minnesota, on the banks of the Mississippi, for nearly thirty years, 
 had any other person claimed to have discovered any other source 
 than Lake Itasca, I should have beea informed thereof." 
 
 From W. W. De Kay, Red Wing : 
 
 "From such information as I have upon the subject, I regard the 
 lake located by Captain Glazier, to the south of Itasca, as the true 
 source of the Mississippi. I have resided in Minnesota for thirty- 
 three years." 
 
 From William Moore, Superintendent of Schools, Lakz City : 
 
 "Knowing the facts in regard to Captain Glazier's discovery of the 
 true source of the Mississippi, as brought out by public discussion, I 
 am convinced that he is justly entitled to be considered the discoverer 
 of the source of the Mississippi River." 
 
 From George C. Stout, Mayor ^ Lake City : 
 
 " I have no doubt that Captain Glazier is fully entitled to the honor 
 of first discovery of the true source of the Mississippi River." 
 
 From D. O. Irwin, Postmaster, Lake City : 
 
 " I am convinced that the actual source of the Mississippi had not 
 been recognized before the published account of explorations by 
 Captain Glazier; and I regard Lake Glazier as the true source of 
 the Great River." 
 
 From H, L. Smith, Editor and Proprietor of the Graphic, Lake City : 
 
 " I am fully convinced that Lake Glazier is the real source of 
 the Father of Waters. Have resided in Minnesota seventeen years." 
 
 From F. J. Collins, Mayor of Wabasha : 
 
 "I have no doubt that Captain Glazier is fully entitled to the 
 credit of having discovered the true source of the Mississippi River. 
 I have resided in Minnesota thirty-one years." 
 
 From Hon, James G. Lawrence, Ex-State Senator, Wabasha : 
 
 " I believe Captain Glazier is certainly entitled to the credit of 
 discovering the true source of the Mississippi, in a lake above Lake 
 Itasca, now named after him, Lake Glazier." 
 
 From D. L. Dawley, Principal of Schools, Wabasha: 
 
 " I believe Captain Glazier to be the real discoverer of the true 
 source of the Mississippi River." 
 
xxxyi APPENDIX. 
 
 From S. B. Sheardown, M, D., Winona : 
 
 " I believe that Captain Glazierisentitled to the credit of discovering 
 the real source of the Mississippi Rirer. I have been a resident oi 
 Minnesota ovei thirty-one years." 
 
 From Judge A. F. Storey, St. Vincent : 
 
 " I have no hesitancy in saying that there can be no question, but, 
 that La££ Glazier is the true and primal soui-ce of the Mississippi 
 River." 
 
 From James A. Thompson, Postmaster, Leech Lake (the nearest 
 post-office to the source of the Mississippi) : 
 
 " I am of opinion that Lake Glazier is the source of the Missis- 
 sippi. I have talked on this subject with some of the Indians who 
 accompanied Captain Glazier on his exploring expedition in 1881, and 
 they all say it is the last lake; that they went all the way in their 
 oanoes, and could go no further. It is the general belief here that Lake 
 Glazier is the true source." 
 
 From Paul Beaulieu, United States Interpreter, White Earth 
 
 Indian Agency : 
 
 " I would respectfully state that according to the ideas of the peo- 
 ple of this section of country, for scores of years past, in alluding 
 to Lake Itasca, which is knoum only as Elk Lake by the original in- 
 habitants of this part of the country, was never by them considered as 
 the head or source of the Father of Running Waters, or May -see-see- 
 be, as it is by them named. I received a map showing the route of 
 exi)loration of Captain Willard Glazier, 1881, and being well 
 acquainted with his chief guide, Chenowagesic, who has made the 
 section of country explored by Captain Glazier his home for many 
 years in the past, and who has proved the truth of his often repeated 
 assertion, when maps were shown him, that a smaller lake above 
 Lake Itasca would in time change the feature of those maps, and 
 proclaim to the world that Lake Itasca cannot any longer maintain 
 Its claim as being the fountain head of Ke-chee-see-ne, or Great 
 River, which is called May -see-see-be, by the Chippewas. The map 
 as delineated by Captain Glazier's guide, Chenowagesic, and published 
 by the Glazier party, is correct ; and it is plain to us who know the 
 lay of this whole country (1 mean, by us, the Chippewa tribe in par- 
 ticular, also the recent explorers for pine) that Lake Glazier is 
 located at the right place, and is the last lake on the longest stream 
 of the several rivers at the head of the great Mississippi." 
 
APPENDIX. xxxvii 
 
 V. 
 
 RECOGNITION. 
 
 THE discovery and final location of the source of the Grreat 
 River of the North American Continent by Captain 
 Grlazier has received general recognition in this country and 
 in Europe, and our aim to place before the reader of this vol- 
 ume, material to assist him in forming his judgment on the 
 validity of the author's claim, would not be attained if we 
 omitted to include in these addenda the following evidence, the 
 nature and weight of which we think should carry conviction 
 to the mind of every impartial critic. 
 
 A report of the discovery was duly sent to Hon. Charles 
 P. Daly, President of the American Geographical Society, 
 New York, and by him forwarded to the Editor of the New 
 Ycrrh Herald^ and published by that paper, accompanied by a 
 map of the region explored, showing the true source of the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 A report was also sent to the Royal Greographical Society, 
 London, England, and the following courteous reply received : 
 
 " KoYAL Geographical Society, 
 " London^ January 12, 1885. 
 " Captain Willard Glazier, New York, U. S. A. 
 
 " Dear Sir : — We owe you an apology for delaying so long com* 
 municating with you on the subject of your interesting letter and its 
 accompanying map ; a delay caused by the long summer vacation of 
 our council, which commenced a little before the arrival of your 
 letter. 
 
 " I am happy to be able to send you a copy of the January number 
 of the Proceedings of our Society, containing your letter and map, 
 and trust you will find no error has crept in. 
 
 "Your discovery was considered a distinct addition to our knowl- 
 edge of the geography of the Mississippi basin, and well worthy of 
 publication by the Society, and I am directed to thank you for hav 
 iDg communicated this brief account of it to us. 
 " Your obedient servant, 
 
 " H. W. Bates, 
 " Assistant Secretary and Editor.** 
 
 George W. Melville, the famed Arctic Explorer, writes : 
 
 ladelphia, Pennsyh 
 " February 5, 18'85 
 
 *' Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
 iDr 
 
 Captain Willard Glazier : 
 
 ** Dear Sir : — Your very interesting paper and map of the disooTeiy 
 
xxxviii APPENDIX, 
 
 of the source of the Mississippi came to hand this morning. Having 
 but a single number of your paper E can form but an inadequate idea 
 of your labor and patience, except by a look at your map, which is 
 a very good one, and shows an immense amount of labor ; in fact I 
 am astonished at the amount of work done in so short a space of 
 time as is shown on your track chart. 
 
 " I am gratified at being made the recipient of your favor ; and 
 with sentiments of the highest esteem and regard for a worthy brother 
 in the world of science, " I am, dear sir, very respectfully, 
 
 "George W. Melville, 
 " Chief Engineer, U. S. Navy." 
 
 Geographers and Educational Publishers. 
 
 Many of the geographers and educational publishers of the 
 country have not only made the necessary changes in their 
 maps of Minnesota, but have expressed their recognition and ac- 
 ceptance of the GrLAZiER discovery in letters addressed to friends 
 of the Captain and others interested in arriving at the truth of 
 this important question. Among these may be mentioned : 
 
 Rand, McNally & Company, George F. Cram, and George 
 H. Benedict & Company, Chicago ; Matthews, Northrup & 
 Company, Buffalo ; A. S. Barnes & Company, New York and 
 Cnicago ; University Publishing Company, New York ; Charles 
 Lubrecht, New York ; M. Dripps, New York; W. & A. K. 
 Johnston, ^Geographers to the Queen, Edinburgh, Scotland ; 
 MacMillan & Company, London and New York ; Nelson & 
 Sons, New York and Edinburgh, Scotland ; Gaylord Watson, 
 P. O'Shea and George H. Adams & Company, New York ; W. 
 M. Bradley & Brother, Philadelphia ; School Supply Company, 
 John A. Boyle, Boston ; J. K. Gill & Company, Portland, 
 Oregon ; John Lovell & Son, Montreal, Canada ; Map and 
 School Supply Company, Toronto, Canada ; F. A. Brockhaus, 
 Leipsic ; A. Hartleben, Wein, Austria ; and many others. 
 
 The following extracts are from Barnes' Complete Geog- 
 raphy by the eminent geographer, Professor James Monteith : 
 Page 4. "Record of Recent Discoveries and Events. 
 
 " The source of the Mississippi River is Lake Glazier, a small 
 lake from which water flows into Lake Itasca, which until recently 
 was thought to be its source." 
 
 Page 73. " North Central States ( Western Section), 
 
 " Recent surveys have shown that Lake Glazier is about seven 
 feet higher than Lake Itasca, into which the former discharges its 
 water; and it is now recognized as the source of the Mississipj)! 
 River." 
 
APPENDIX. xxxix 
 
 "Maury^s Manual of Geography, University Publishing Company, 
 
 New York: 
 
 " Page 5Q. Minnesota is crossed by the ridge or ' Height of Land ' 
 •which separates the Valley of the Mississippi from the northern slope 
 of the Great Central Plain. On this elevation, 1,600 feet above the 
 sea, both the Mississippi and the Red River of the North take their 
 rise, the one flowing south and the other north. The crest of the 
 * Height of Land * is crowned with lakes of clear water. Lake 
 Glaziee, one of these, is the source of the Mississippi " 
 
 From Herr F. A. Brockhaus, Geographer and Publisher of 
 
 - Leipsic, Germany : 
 
 " I shall not fail to recognize and call public attention to your im- 
 portant discovery of the True Head of your Great River." 
 
 From Professor J. W. Redway, of Philadelphia, a well-known geog- 
 rapher and scientist : 
 
 "Philadelphia, September 9, 1887. 
 " Captain Willakd Glazier : 
 
 ''My Dear Sir : — . . . You will have the satisfaction of knowing that 
 by your exertions and enterprise an error of more than fifty years 
 standing has been made apparent. The world owes you a debt for 
 determining an important question in geography. 
 " Sincerely yours, 
 
 " J. W. Redway." 
 
 From the Messrs. Harper & Brothers, New York: 
 
 ..." Recent exploration and survey establish the fact that Lake 
 Glazier has the best claim to the distinction of standing at the head 
 of the Father of Waters. School Geographies generally are being 
 corrected to show it." 
 
 From Band, McNally <& Company, Map-makers and Publishers, 
 
 Chicago : 
 
 " As to the source of the Mississippi, we gave it considerable atten- 
 tion in preparing our new map of Minnesota, and finally fixed it as 
 Lake Glazier. This, we consider, has the best claim." 
 
 From George F. Cram, Map and Atlas Publisher, Chicago : 
 
 " I mail you to-day a copy of the corrected map of Minnesota, 
 showing Lake Glazier as the source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From Matthews, Northrup & Company, Art Printers, Buffalo, 
 New York: 
 
 " We regard Lake Glazier as the true source of the Mississippi, 
 and are so showing it on all maps, etc., issued by us." 
 
 From Messrs. Cowperthwait & Company, Philadelphia . 
 
 " We have added Lake Glazier to our School Maps as the soiiree 
 of the Mississippi." 
 
xl APPENDIX, 
 
 From E. A. Lawrence, Univerdty Publishing Company, New Yorkx 
 
 " We think Lake Glazier is important enough to outrank Itasca 
 as the source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From W. M. Bradley & Brother, Philadelphia : 
 
 " Lake Glazier appears on our large Atlas of the World, and on 
 Mitchell's Atlas, as the true source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From John Lovell & Son, Educational Publishers, Montreal: 
 
 " The collection of testimonials from leading citizens of Minnesota, 
 and others, tells convincingly in Captain Glazier's favor." 
 
 From, MacMillan & Company, London and New York : 
 
 " Pray accept our very cordial thanks for your courtesy in sending 
 us the map of the true source of the Mississippi. We are forwarding 
 it on to our London house, who will gladly avail themselves of the 
 information it conveys." 
 
 From Gaylord Watson, Mop and Chart Publisher, New York: 
 
 *' The source of the Mississipj^i is now fully established. It will be 
 shown as Lake Glazier in future editions of my maps." 
 
 From P. O^Shea, Catholic Publisher, New York : 
 
 " I have come to the conclusion that Lake Glazier is the true 
 source of the Mississippi, and intend to give it as the source in the 
 new editions of my geographies." 
 
 From Geo. H. Adams & Son, Map Publishzrs, New York: 
 
 " We recognize Lake Glazier as the True Source of the Missis- 
 sippi River, and believe that Captain Glazier's claim to its discovery 
 is now admitted by all the leading Map Publishers of the country." 
 
 From the Map and School Supply Company, Toronto : 
 
 " We consider Lake Glazier the source of the Mississippi 
 River, and are having it appear on all our latest maps as such." 
 
 From Professor A. N. Busted, State Normal School, Albany, N. Y. : 
 
 "I have been much interested in Captain Glazier's trip to the 
 beginning of the Father of Waters, and feel that he has contributed 
 a valuable item to the great volume of geographical knowledge." 
 
 From Colonel George Soule, President of Soule College, New 
 
 Orleans : 
 
 " I recognize the correctness of Captain Glazier's claim, and shall 
 teach that the source of the Mississippi is Lake Glazier." 
 
APPEI^DIX. xli 
 
 From Rev. L. Abernethy, A. M., D. D.^ President of Rutherford 
 College, North Carolina: 
 
 "I am satisfied that Lake Glazier is the true source of the 
 Mississippi aad that Captain Glazier is entitled to the honor of its 
 discovery." 
 
 From J. L. Smith, Map Publisher, Philadelphia : 
 
 " Having given considerable attention to the merits of the claim 
 presented by Captain Willard Glazier to have definitely located the 
 source of the Mississippi, I am of the opinion that the lake to the 
 south of Itasca should be recognized as the primal reservoir or true 
 fountain-head of that river, and that Captain Glazier is entitled to 
 the credit of having been the first to discover this fact and call public 
 attention to it." 
 
 From G. IT. Laughlin, A. M., Ph. D., President of Hiram College, 
 
 Ohio : 
 
 " Captain Glazier has rendered an invaluable service to the science 
 of geography. I am glad that the school geographies are being 
 corrected so as to indicate Lake Glazier as the source of the 
 Father of Waters." 
 
 From the firm of W. & A. K. Johnston, of Edinburgh, Scotland, 
 Geographers and Engravers to the Queen : 
 
 "You have the satisfaction of having done a great work in settling 
 the vexed question of the source of your mighty river. For this, all 
 interested in geography are indebted to you." 
 
 From Charles Lubrecht, Map Publisher, New York: 
 
 " I shall show Lake Glazier as the source of the Mississippi 
 Kiver in all future editions of my Maps." 
 
 From J. K. Gill & Co., Educational Publishers, Portland, Oregon : 
 
 " I have read Captain Glazier's work on the True Source of ths 
 Mississippi, and regard the newly discovered lake as the fountain- 
 head of the Great River," 
 
 From George H. BeTiedict & Co., Map, Wood and Photo-Engravers, 
 
 Chicago : 
 
 *'Lake Glazier is now acknowledged to be the True Source of 
 the Mississippi, and iu the course of time will appear as such on all 
 maps." 32 
 
xlii APPENDIX, 
 
 From John S. Kendall, President of the National School Fur- 
 nishing Company of Chicago : 
 
 " Chicago, October 6, 1887. 
 " Captain Willaed Glazier : 
 
 " Dear Sir: — Your book ' Down the Great Eiver ' has been received 
 and read with interest. I am glad to see the entire narrative in book 
 form. There is no doubt about you/ expedition having added largely 
 to our rather limited stock of information regarding the country 
 around the headwaters of the Great River, I deem it a graceful and 
 fitting compliment to give your name to the lake south of Itasca. 
 " Thanking you for the book, which I have placed in my library, 
 " Yours very respectfully, 
 
 "John S. Kendall." 
 
 From Frederick Warne & Company, Publishers, London: 
 
 "Pray accept our very cordial thanks. The alteration in the 
 30urce of your great river has been noted, and we shall gladly avail 
 iiurselves of the information to make the correction in our atlases." 
 
 From Marcus Ward and Company, Map and Atlas Publishers, 
 London, England : 
 
 " We are having the necessary alterations made in all our maps, 
 ftnd future editions will give Lake Glazier as the source of the 
 Mississippi." 
 
 From M. Dripps, Map and Atlas Publisher ^ New York : 
 
 " I will avail myself of Captain Glazier's discovery by showing on 
 my future maps of the United States its True Source in Lake 
 
 GLAZIliK." 
 
 From T.' L. Floody Editor, The Chautauquan, Meadville, 
 Pennsylvania : 
 
 " Judging from the vast amount of evidence I have no hesitation 
 in saying that I believe Lake Glazier to be the source of the 
 Mississippi." 
 
 From William Collins, Sons & Company, Publishers, Glasgow, Lon- 
 don and Edinburgh : 
 
 "We shall give effect to the discovery of the True Source of the 
 Mississippi in the next issue of our maps." 
 
 From H. L. Turner, President, Western Publishing House, Chicago 
 
 and New York : 
 
 " We shall at once modify our representation of the Mississippi's 
 source on our maps of the country, for the reason that we fully accept 
 Captain Glazier's report and claim." 
 
 From J. R. Spaulding & Company, Miip Publishers, Boston: 
 "We think Captain Glazier's claim as to the source of the 
 
APPENDIX. xliii 
 
 Mississippi is correct, and Lake Glaziee will appear as the True 
 Source hereafter in our publications." 
 
 From John B. Alden, Publisher of "Alden^s Manifold Cyclopcedia " 
 and "ITome Atlas of the World," New York: 
 
 "Lake Glazier is considered the head of the Mississippi River, 
 and is being taught as such in our public schools." 
 
 From Professor John Jasper, Superintendent of Schools, New York 
 
 City: 
 
 " Our teachers are beginning to accept Lake Glazier as the 
 source of the Mississippi." 
 
 From E. H. Butler & Company, Educational Publishers, 
 Philadelphia : 
 
 "We would State that in our own new series of Geographies just 
 published we make Elli Lalie, south of Lake Itasca, the source of the 
 Mississippi. We also recognize the fact that tliis lake is called Lake 
 Glazier, and we presume that the latter title will eventually be 
 established." 
 
 From T. Elwood Zell, Publisher of Zell's Encyclopedia, 
 Philadelphia : 
 
 " Captain Glazier has discovered the True Source of the Mississippi 
 
 in a lake now bearing his name It would seem that his 
 
 claim is undoubted." 
 
 From Professor James Monteith, Author of Barnes' Complete 
 Geography, etc.. New York : 
 
 "The lake known as Lake Glazier is, in my opinion, the source 
 of the Mississippi, and not Itasca Lake. Caj)tain Willard Glazier 
 deserves great credit for demonstrating this lake to be the True 
 Source. It is sometimes called Elk Lake, but I prefer to call it 
 Lake Gla.zier." 
 
 From the Moses King Corporation, Map Publishers, Boston : 
 
 "There is a large amount of testimony in favor of Lake Gla- 
 zier. Rand, McNally & Co., the map makers of Chicago ; Mat- 
 thews, Northrup & Co., of Buffalo, with whom we are connected, 
 and others, incorporate LAKE Glazier into their maps as the source 
 of the Mississippi ; and we incline to the belief that the balance of 
 opinion is in favor of this lake as the True Source." 
 
 From Herr F. A. Brockhaus, Geographer and Publisher, Leipsic, 
 Germany. Extract from a letter to Captain Glazier : 
 
 " I shall not fail to recognize and call public attention to your 
 important discovery of the True Head of your Great River." 
 
xliv APPENDIX, 
 
 From Serr A. Hartlehen, a leading Publisher of Germaiiy : 
 
 "I congratulate Captain Glazier on his important discovery of tlie 
 source of the Mississippi River, and shall have great pleasure in 
 bringing the subject to the notice of our Geographical Society." 
 
 From "Alden^s Manifold Cyclopcedia,^' New York: 
 
 " Glazier Lake (Indian name Pokegama), a small body of water in 
 Northern Minnesota, the source of the Mississippi River, which flows 
 from it as a stream a few feet wide and connects it with Lake Itasca, 
 which lies to the northward. LAKE GLAZIER is in latitude about 
 47° N. ; is 180 miles in a direct line northwest from Minneapolis, 
 and not far from a mile and a half in greatest diameter. It is 
 estimated to be 1582 feet above sea-level, and 3184 miles from the 
 river's mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. Itasca was long deemed the 
 source, until the discovery of the lake beyond by Captain Willard 
 Glazier (born in Fowler, St. Lawrence Co., New York, August 22. 
 1841 ; great-grandson of a Massachusetts Revolutionary soldier, and 
 hirjself a soldier in the war against secession). Having heard from 
 the Indians of lakes beyond Itasca, he explored the region, and in 
 his canoe entered Lake Glazier, July 22, 1881. Thence he traversed 
 the entire length of the Mississippi in canoes, from its source to the 
 Gulf of Mexico." 
 
 From W. Dundas Walker, Editor, Chambers^ Encyclopoedia, 
 Edinburgh, Scotland: 
 
 " I will ^e glad to take advantage of the information so kindly 
 placed at '^y disposal, and congratulate Captain Glazier on his im- 
 portant diooovery." 
 
 From Professor D. L. Webster, Editor, Webster's Encyclopcedia, 
 
 Chicago : 
 
 "The Glazier Expedition resulted in the location of the True 
 Source of the Mississippi. That ' Truth is mighty and will prevail,' 
 was never better evidenced than in the event which has placed the 
 fountain-head of the Great River in the lake beyond Itasca." 
 
 The following extract from the "International Encyclo- 
 paedia" places Lake GtLAZIEr first in the chain of lakes 
 which constitute the head-waters of the Mississippi : 
 
 " Mississippi River. The sources of this great river are LAKES 
 Glazier, Itasca, Traverse, or Bemidji, . . . lying among hills of 
 drift and bowlders in the midst of pine forests and marshes." 
 
 From American Supplement to the Encyclopcedia Britannica : 
 
 " The Mississippi has its source in Lake Glazier, south of Lake 
 Itasca, Minnesota, 47° 34' N. lat., 95° 2' W. long. The greatest 
 width of this lake is a mile and a half, and it is deeper than Itasca, 
 with which it is connected by a shallow stream about six feet wide " 
 
APPENDIX. xlv 
 
 From Appleton's Anmud Encyclopoedia, 1885 : 
 
 "Lake Itasca, which has been distins^uished as the head of the 
 Mississippi for fifty years, must, it seems, yield that distinction to a 
 smaller lake about a mile and a half in length by a mile in width, 
 lying further south, discovered by Captain Willard Glazier in 1881, 
 and named for him Lake Glazier." 
 
 From Armstrong's Encyclopmdia, Published by F. J. Schulte, 
 
 Chicago : 
 
 " The necessary changes in regard to the source of the Mississippi 
 will be made in the next edition of my Encyclopaedia." 
 
 Several of the Passenger Agents of our great railways whose' 
 lines run through Northern Minnesota have signij&ed their in- 
 tention in future to give Lake GJ-lazier its proper place on 
 their railway maps and illustrated time-tables. The following 
 are a few of the number : 
 
 From E. A. Ford, General Passenger Agent, Pennsylvania Lines 
 West of Pittsburg : 
 
 " I have instructed our advertising clerK to call the attention of 
 our engravers to the fact that the source of the Mississippi River 
 should hereafter be shown as Lake Glazier, instead of Lake 
 Itasca." 
 
 From J. 8. Tebbets, General Passenger Agent, Union Pacific 
 
 Railway : 
 
 " I thank you for the information in regard to our railway map, 
 and have sent instructions to our engravers to make the necessary 
 corrections in the next issue, showing Lake Glazier, as the source 
 of the Mississippi." 
 
 From J. B. Wood, General Passenger Agent, The Pennsylvania 
 Railroad Company: 
 
 " We will make the correction in the next issue of the maps issued 
 by this company which will cover the points mentioned by you, 
 namely, Lake Glazier the true source of the Mississippi. Please 
 accept our thanks." 
 
 From .7. E. Hannegan, General Passenger Agent, Burlington, 
 Cedar Rapids, and Northern Railway : 
 
 " I shall arrange to have our map plates corrected so as to show 
 the true source of the Mississippi River, and am glad you have called 
 my attention to this matter." 
 
xlvi APPENDIX. 
 
 VI. 
 
 NOTICES OF THE PRESS. 
 
 THE Press, as the most important indication and expres- 
 sion of public opinion, has been almost unanimous, since 
 1881, in sustaining Captain Grlazier's claim, more especially 
 the Press of Minnesota ; while the majority of the leading 
 papers of the East have pronounced strongly in his favor. 
 We can insert here only a few notices, taken chiefly from the 
 journals of the Northwest. 
 
 Saint Paul Dispatch. 
 
 "Captain Glazier lias just published the record of his experiences 
 in his undertaking to establish that the true source of the Missis- 
 sippi is not that wliieh geographers liave heretofore accepted as such, 
 to wit : Lake Itasca. It is indisputable that Captain Glazier did pro- 
 ceed to a higher point than any reached by previous explorers, and 
 that the body of water located by him and now known as Lake 
 Glazier, is a direct feeder of the generally accredited head of the 
 Mississij)pi. The Dispatch has always claimed for the writer of this 
 book the honor of being the discoverer of the true source of our Great 
 Hiver. There certainly is a great deal in his work to substantiate his 
 claim, and to sustain the attitude taken by the Dispatch. 
 
 " . . . . Captain Glazier set out to test the correctness of the gen- 
 erally accepted theories of scholars as to the place of the rise of 
 this Great River; he made the test and found, as we believe, that 
 those theories were not correct. He has given to the world the record 
 of that work, and has done much to perpetuate his own name 
 thereby." 
 
 Minneapolis Spectator. 
 
 "'Down the Great River,' by Captain Willard Glazier, gives an 
 account of the discovery of the lake now generally asserted to be 
 the source of the Mississippi; also a description of a canoe voyage 
 during the summer of 1881, from the source to the mouth of the 
 Father of Watfci:s. A journey of over three thousand miles by canoe, 
 and on a single stream, is in itself an arduous and remarkable under- 
 taking, and one seldom, if ever, paralleled. Captain Glazier presents 
 not only rensonable evidence to support his claim as the discoverer 
 of the true source of the Great River, but gives an entertaining and 
 instructive narrative of his researches and adventures, thus aifording 
 a graphic history and description of the Mississippi." 
 
 Brainerd Dispatch. 
 •Down the Great River,' by Captain Willard Glxizier, is aa 
 
APPENDIX. xlvii 
 
 account of the author's voyage in 1881, from the source to the mouth 
 of the Mississippi Eiver in a canoe. It is a very interesting and in- 
 structive narrative from beginning to end; the descriptions of the 
 scenery through which the river passes being unusually fine. In 
 this volume the Captain presents his claim of having discovered 
 beyond Lake Itasca another lake which is connected with Itasca by 
 a well-defined stream, and consequently is the true source of the Mis- 
 eissippi." 
 
 Northwestern Presbyterian, Minneapolis. 
 
 " All who live in the valley of America's greatest river will be 
 especially interested in knowing something of its source, its course, 
 and the cities that line its banks. Since De Soto first discovered the 
 Father of Waters in 1541, many eminent explorers have been associated 
 with its history. Marquette, Joliet, La Salle, Hennepin, La Hontan, 
 Charlevoix, Carver, Pike, Cass, and Beltrami preceded Schoolcraft. 
 The last named discovered a lake which he supposed to be the source, 
 but the Indians and the missionaries said there was a lake beyond. A 
 learned few believed them. It remained for some explorer to make 
 further investigation and publish the truth more widely to the world. 
 This was done by Captain Glazier in 1881, who visited the lake, ex- 
 plored its shores and found it to be wider and deeper than Itasca." 
 
 Winona Republican. 
 
 " Captain Glazier, who has won fame as the discoverer of the true 
 source of the Mississippi, has recently published a good-sized volume 
 entitled * Down the Great River.' . . . Very few persons realize that 
 a man who passes from the source of the Mississippi to its mouth ex- 
 periences a greater variety in scene, in populations, and in climate, 
 than would an explorer going from the source to the mouth of any 
 other river in the world. . . . The narrative of Captain Glazier is 
 interesting, because it gives a panoramic view of the Mississippi from 
 its source to its mouth, describing the appearance of the river wher- 
 ever tributaries enter, and noting the character of the Indians, fur- 
 traders, pioneers, frontiersmen, and the agricultural and commercial 
 communities along its course. There is, too, a spice of personal ad- 
 venture in such a journey, because for the greater part of the trip 
 the Captain was accompanied by only one other person, and the 
 novelty of riding in a canoe over every mile of one of the greatest 
 rivers in the world, in itself gives a peculiar character to the record 
 of the journey. The story is simply the narrative of life in a canoe 
 floating down the Mississippi, supplemented by such historical recol- 
 lections and reminiscences as have seemed appropriate to one who 
 is an enthusiast in the history of exploration " 
 
 Minneapolis Star-News. 
 
 " On the 22d day of July, 1881, the traveler and author. Captain 
 Willard Glazier, discovered a silvery lake nestled among the 
 pineries of Northern Minnesota and situate about a mile and a half 
 to the south of Lake Itasca. He also discovered that a swift current 
 flowed continuously from his new-found wonder to what was supposed 
 to be the source of the F.-ther of Waters. The lake is known to the 
 Indians as Pokegama, and when it was reached by th« Glazier party 
 
xlviii APPENDnu 
 
 they were mncfe surprised by Chenowagesic, an ludiaa chief, wko 
 had accompanied tbem as guide, addressing Captain Glazier as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 " ' My brother, I have come with you through many lakes and rivers 
 to the head of the Father of Waters. The shores of this take are my 
 hunting ground. Here I have had my wigwam and planted corn for 
 many years. When I again roam through these forests, and look on 
 this lake, source of the Great River, I will look on you.' 
 
 " Captain Glazier was induced to explore the true source of the Mis- 
 sissippi by Indian traditions which he had picked up while traveling 
 across the continent and which denied Schoolcraft's theory of Itasca. 
 . . . Fortified with the idea that Schoolcraft was in error he set out 
 to discover the true source of the Father of Waters, and how he suc- 
 ceeded forms the subject of the first five chapters of his very interest- 
 ing book. The remainder of the book, an interesting and instructive 
 volume of nearly five hundred pages, is devoted to a trip 'down the 
 Great River' to the Gulf of Mexico. To Captain Glazier is due all 
 the honor and glory of discovering to modern geographers the true 
 source of our great river." 
 
 Detroit Commercial Advertiser. 
 
 "*I>own the Great River' is Captain Willard Glazier's interesting 
 record of his expedition in 1881 in search of the source of the Missis- 
 sippi River. It is a very exciting narrative from beginning to end, 
 is profusely illustrated and will be especially interesting to students 
 of geography, as well as to all interested in matters of exploration 
 and discovery. Captain Glazier undoubtedly accomplished a great 
 work. The source of the Mississippi had ever been an unsettled 
 question, unsatisfactory attempts at discovery having been made and 
 various ill-founded claims put forward ; but the subject for the last 
 half century has been constantly agitated. It remained for Captain 
 Glazier to finish the work begun by De Soto In 1541, and positively 
 locate the true fountain-head. . . . That the lake from which the 
 Great River starts, known by the Indians as Lake Pokegama, should 
 be re-named Lake Glazier, seems an appropriate honor for the 
 resolute explorer " 
 
 La Crosse Republican and Leader, 
 
 " ' Down the Great River' is the title of a book just issued which 
 possesses many claims to popular favor. No one on the North 
 American continent will be at a loss to identify the river by its title ; 
 the Amazon undoubtedly discharges a larger volume of water into the 
 sea, and the Volga is claimed to be longer. No river in the Old or 
 New World is surrounded by so many associations, or is so identified 
 with the memories of discoverers and adventurers, warrior-priests and 
 saintly soldiers, peaceful pioneers and devastating armies, as the 
 Mississippi. .... For half a century Lake Itasca has been accepted 
 as the fountain-head of the Great River, but Captain Glazier having 
 had reasons for doubting the correctness of that theory, undertook, in 
 1881, to verify or disprove it, and the book treats of his adventures 
 on that mission and his subsequent voyage by canoe down its entire 
 length from its source to its mouth, a distance of three thousand one 
 hundred and eighty -four miles. . . . The voyage, embracing as it 
 does over seventeen, degrees of latitude, furnishes material for the 
 description of strojgly contrasted scenery and greatly diversified 
 
APPENDIX. x]Jx 
 
 industries, and in depicting these the Captain has the pen of a ready- 
 writer, simple and concise. . . . ." 
 
 Michigan Christian Advocate. 
 
 "'Down the Great River' is a book of great current interest. It is 
 packed full of things people ought to know. Not only is there a full 
 and well-written account of the finding of the true source of the Mis- 
 sissippi, but a wonderful amount of fact and Incident picked up along 
 its shores from its headwaters clear down to New Orleans and the 
 Gulf of Mexico." 
 
 Detroit Tribune. 
 
 "This interesting work gives an account 3f the discovery of the 
 true source of the Mississippi River, by the author. From the first 
 page to the last the book teems with information and topographical 
 and geographical data to be found nowhere else. Captain Ghizier 
 carries his readers along with him from the source of the mighty 
 river down through a stretch of over three thousand miles clear 
 into the salt Avaters of the Gulf of Mexico. The author made the 
 trip in an open canoe, and as he proceeds downwards discourses 
 pleasantly upon the features of the landscape, the characteristics of 
 the people and the important towHs upon the banks of the Great 
 River." 
 
 Grand Eapids {Michigan) Leader. 
 
 Lake Itasca has been the accredited head of the Mississippi for 
 fifty years, and the author's desire to pursue further investigations 
 into the great north country was due to conflicting reports^ published 
 by other navigators and explorers of discoveries made in that region. 
 He decided to investigate the matter personally. The author de- 
 scribes in an entertaining manner the incidents of each day a» the 
 journey proceeded towards Lake Itasca. Here a careful survey of 
 the lake was made for feeders, several of which were found, and 
 up the largest of which the party forced their way through a strong 
 barrier of rushes. After a short passage a body of water was ion ml 
 which the Indians called Lake Pokegama, but which the CajUain's 
 companions named Glazier in honor of the head of the ex|)e(li- 
 tion. They then floated down the river in their canoes to the Gulf, 
 and the events of each day form very interesting and often thrilling 
 chapters as they are described by the author." 
 
 New Bedford Standard. 
 
 "In 1881 Captain Glazier made a canoe voyage of over three 
 thousand miles from the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf 
 of Mexico, and this book gives an interesting account of the voyage, 
 together with a description of the cities and villages along the 
 river banks, not omitting important historical events or quaint bits 
 of legendary lore. While the book is of special value to the young 
 student of geography and history, it is none the less valuable to all 
 who are interested in geographieal science, partieularly in the 
 question of the source of the Mississippi River " 
 
1 , APPENDIX. 
 
 Madisonensis, Madison University, Neio York. 
 
 *' Captain Glazier has commanded the attention of educated men 
 generally by asserting and satisfactorily proving that he has al last 
 discovered what De Soto, Marquette, La Salle, Schoolcraft, and other 
 explorers, were unable to lind — the true source of the Mississippi. 
 The journey of exploration is here minutely described, and the ac- 
 count is enlivened with bright narratives of personal experiences. 
 The author is an able writer, and a keen critical observer, and the 
 information collected, pertaining to the people and country along 
 the course of the Great River, from its headwaters to the Gulf of 
 Mexico, is of value to everj' student of our country's history. The 
 book is more than a mere description of an expedition — it is an 
 epitomized collection of historical, geographical and commercial 
 matters interesting to all." 
 
 Hamilton, New York, Republican. 
 
 ..." The important fact brought out is, that Lake Itasca, diseoy« 
 ered by Schoolcraft in 1832, and by him located as the fountain-head 
 of the river, has no just claim to that title. Glazier's expedition has 
 brought public notice to another lake at a remoter distance from tlie 
 mouth than Itasca, which is united to the latter by a constantly 
 flowing stream. . . . It now seems that the prominence Itasca has 
 had so long must hereafter be given to Lake Glazier." 
 
 Davenport Tribune. 
 
 " This work embraces an account of the discovery by the author of 
 the true source of the Mississippi. It is an interesting tale of how 
 Captain Glazier and his party pursued a voyage in canoes up the 
 stream which flowed into Itasca, and finally located the real source of 
 the river in a new lake, which was named by his companions Lake 
 Glazier. The work is a valuable one and highly instructive, and 
 should be read by all residents of the Mississippi Valley." 
 
 Daily Eagle, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 
 
 ... "It seems most surprising that it should have been reserved 
 for so recent a date as 1881 to discover the true source of the greatest 
 river of our continent, especially within the borders of a territory 
 that has been a State for nearly forty years. But such is the 
 fact, and to Captain Glazier belongs the honor of the discovery among 
 iT^hite men." 
 
 Telegram-Herald, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 
 
 ... " Captain Glazier, in his search for the true source of the 
 Miesissippi, has corrected a geographical error of half a century, and 
 located the fountain-head in a lake above and beyond Lake Itasca. 
 He discovered this lake on the twenty -second day of July, 1881, 
 Chenowagesic, a Chippewa brave, being his guide. The lake, out of 
 which flows the infant Mississippi, is about two miles in its greatest 
 diameter. Its Indian name is Pokegama, but Glazier's companioni 
 insisted on naming it after their leader." , . » 
 
''' '. 'V^^L ^* Until Ciajr^ traced back from "Lake^Itasc^ the 
 
 peretinial stream that stipplted- it from a more distant lake, called by^ 
 the Ihdians PoX-eg'ama, and beybild which there is no further supply' 
 to the^ Father of Waters, Itasca was considered its source. . . . July^ 
 twelfth; 1881, Glazier left Bjaln'erd," Minnesota, on his mission, reach- 
 ing Leeeh Lake July Seventeenth. Thence the expedition proceeded 
 we^twaird 'by little l^kes iarid' streams and portage on the 
 
 twenty -first they carajjed on Schoolcraft Island, in Lake Itasca, and" 
 then "paddling through this lake away, as supposed, from the Mis-, 
 sissippi, ail's by Eagle C>-eek,ihe next aa;y they found what is' now, 
 and will hfereafter be known as, Lak!e GlaziER, the ultimate source 
 of |the mighty Mi§sis§ij?M/ 
 
 Youngstown (^OMo) Telegram. 
 
 "A pamphlet, entitled ^the -True- Source of the Mississippi,' by 
 Pearce Giles, has reached'tis.' ' 'li proves very clearly that not Lake 
 Itasca but LAKE' QlazieEj? a; lake just to the south of it, is the true 
 source of the mighty central river. The best part of the discovery 
 seems to be that Captain Glazier so explored the. country about this 
 lake that thete is no possibility of another discovery of a connecting 
 lake beyond it/; OneJik:es to have such matters settled definitely." = 
 
 ^aU6n(^tM^puoUcan,W ;, 
 
 ■ . . . " "the birfhplape of the Father of Waters is not Lake Itasca, 
 as generally received, but LAKE GlazieIi, iU its vicinity, which, by 
 asmall stream, flo^^s'iii to Itasca. Lake Glazier, so named from 
 its discoverer. Captain Willard'Glazier, has three feeders. Eagle, Ex- 
 celsior, ahd Deer creeks. This latest geographical claifn is supported 
 by ample testimony from highest and widespread authorities. Th^ 
 story of adventures during the exploration "which had'so important a 
 feSult, is exti'emely interesting." 
 
 ^ubkqueTi'ad6 Journal. 
 
 " On July twenty-second, ISSlpGaptain Willard Glazier dispelled 
 the geographical error of half a. century which has placed Lake Itasca 
 on the maps as the source of the Mississippi. Strange as it may seem, 
 tHere is scarcely a .'wilder region on this continent than exists in 
 Northern Minnesota, arid it hAs so remained in spite of the explora- 
 tions of Beltrami, ISichbolcraft^:andKiicollet, who, perhaps, ought to 
 have been. a littlemore e'xhanstive in: their efforts when on the same 
 depeuded the designatioii; of the actual.:;: source of a great river. 
 Nevertlieless, at the date above imentioiiedy Captain Glazier, at the 
 head fef a small but indomitable band, emerged from Lake Itasca, and 
 theb'rch-ljark canoes of the party wsere u^rged^ against a strong current 
 arid a .bulwark; of rAishes,; through; a-stream seven feet wide and three 
 deep, until the clear waters of another lake came in view. The great- 
 est diameter of this new body of water is about two miles, its feeders 
 are traceable to q^rings bnly, -and hence it is unquestionably the 
 primalsouree whence the Fathecof Waters-starts on kis long journey 
 of;8,184 miles tO'tlieJSulf ©flMe^co»?'^^^->♦: ,- - - ^ -. '^ .....?.._; 
 
m 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 Burlington Hawkeye. 
 **In the summer of 1881, Captain Willard Glazier, well known as 
 ft popular writer, made a remarkable canoe voyage from th« source 
 of the Mississippi down its entire length to the Gulf of Mexico. Prior 
 to starting on this unprecedented voyage, he organized and led an 
 expedition to the headwaters of the river in Nortliern Minnesota, with 
 a view of setting at rest the vexed question as to the true source of the 
 mighty river. Captain Glazier and his party left Saint Paul, duly 
 equipped with canoes and commissariat, July Fourth, 1881, and 
 arrived at Lake Itasca July twenty-first. Thence, by the aid of his 
 Indian guides, he penetrated to another lake beyond Itasca, and 
 connected therewith by a s'treaui which is a continuation of the Mis- 
 sissippi, and at that point is simply a narrow creek. The lake thus 
 entered by Captain Glazier he claims to be the true source of the 
 Father of Waters. Lake Glazier now appears on the maps as the 
 source of the Great River." 
 
 Saint Paul Times. 
 
 . . . "Captain Glazier's claims are supported em phaticallv by the 
 overwhelming testimony of thousands of the most dlstiiignished and 
 competent authorities in the Northwest. Glazier undoubtedly ex- 
 pended much time and treasure in investigating not only the source 
 of the Mississippi, but the geography and history of the entire river, 
 from its source to the Gulf. . . . The leading map publishers have 
 endorsed his claims, and do so in a way that leaves no doubt that thev 
 place implicit confidence in him as a careful and trustworthy 
 geographer and historian. Rand, McNally & Co., and George F. 
 Cram, of Chicago; Matthews, Northrup & Co., of Bufialo; A. S. 
 Barnes & Co., of New York ; University Publishing Company, of New 
 York; W. & A. K. Johnston, of Edinburgh, Scotland; MacMillan & 
 Co., London and New York; W. M. Bradley & Brother, Philadel- 
 phia, and many others of the leading publishing houses, who have a 
 heavy personal interest in investigating the accuracy of everything 
 they publish, acknowledge Captain Glazier's claims by accepting his 
 views, and reproducing them in their books and maps. The press, 
 bar, pulpit, and legislature of the State of Minnesota give unqual- 
 ified assent through many of their leading members, to the position 
 of Captain Glazier " 
 
 Chicago Time*. 
 
 " The most interesting portion of Captain Glazier's * Down the 
 Great River' is the beginning, where the author gives the details of 
 nn expedition made in 1881 by himself with five companions, when 
 he claims, with good grounds, to have fixed the actual, true source 
 of the Great River. His attention was called in 1876 to the fact that, 
 though everybody knows the mouth of the stream, there was then 
 much uncertainty about the source. In 1881 he found time to or- 
 ganize the expedition named, and crossing th« country to Itasca, em- 
 barked and pushed through that lake up a stream flowing into it, 
 and came uf>on another considerable body of water fed by three 
 streams originattwg in springs at the foot of a curved range of hills 
 some miles further on. This lake he fixed upon as the true source, 
 and since his published accounts many geographers and map-workers 
 have modified their works according to his discoveries, fie does not 
 
APPENDIX. liii 
 
 rTaim to be the actual discoverer of the lake, as snch, but oaly to 
 have beeu the first to discover and establish the fact that it is the 
 highest link in a chain in which Itasca is another; or, in other words, 
 the true source of the river. The Indian name of the lake is Pokf' 
 gama, and this, the author says, he would have retained, but was 
 overruled by ,th6 other five, who insisted on calling it Lake 
 Glazier. For the particulars of the interesting story the reader 
 must be referred to the volume itself. Captain Glazier is an old 
 traveler i^nd a practised writer. The manner of his journey down 
 the Mississippi enabled him to see well all there was to see, and he 
 enables his readers to see also." 
 
 Chicago Inter-Ocean. 
 
 "Readers of 'Soldiers of the Saddle,' 'Capture, Prison-Pen and 
 Escape,' and other writings of Captain Glazier will require no urg- 
 ing to read the entertaining volume * Down the Great River.' It is 
 an account of the discovery of the true source of the Mississippi 
 River, with pictorial and descriptive views of cities, towns and scenery 
 gathered from a canoe voyage from its head waters to the Gulf. 
 For fifty years American youth have been taught that ' the Missis- 
 sippi rises in Lake Itasca,' until Captain Glazier, in this memorable 
 journey of one hundred and seventeen days in his canoe, demon- 
 strated the error and mapped the facts so accurately as to settle the 
 question for all time. Leading geographers and educational pub- 
 lishers have already made changes in their maps and given due 
 credit to Captain Glazier and his new lake. To say the Mississippi 
 rises in Lake Glazier is only doing simple justice to the intrepid 
 explorer and hero of many battles. The book is charmingly writ- 
 ten, mainly in the form of a diary, and contains facts of great value, 
 80 interwoven with incidents and fine descriptions and novel adven- 
 tures as to be as interesting as the best romance. One could scarcely 
 find better history or finer descriptions or be more fully impressed 
 with the breadth and length and grandeur of American possessions 
 than by journeying with Captain Glazier in his canoe down the 
 grand river of the continent. The voJume is handsomely printed 
 and bound and well illustrated." 
 
 Chicago Evening Journal. 
 
 " However the knowledge may aflFect the world at large that the 
 Bource of the mighty Mississippi is other than generations of geog- 
 raphy students have been taught that it was, there is little doubt left 
 in the reader's mind, after perusing Caj>tain Willard Glazier's ' Down 
 the Great River,' that we have all been in the wrong about it, and 
 that this most peerless river was born, not in Itasca's sparkling 
 springs, but in another wider and deeper lake that lies still further 
 south and bears the name of its discoverer, the author of this in- 
 teresting volume of exploration and adventure. There is somethirug 
 charming in the simple thought of an expedition such as the one 
 undertaken by Captain Glazier. Imagine long, silent days of abso- 
 lutely unbroken communion with Nature! Slipping aloag in a frail 
 canoe, without the sound of an uncongenial human speech, of clang- 
 ing bells or grating wheels, through circling hours of unbroken 
 calm, with only the swish of bending reeds and lapping waters to 
 break the hush and remind one of a sentient world. Perhaps th« 
 
Atithor an^' bis liidiajl guided* occasiotiMly @xeM'n|ed, a \t'6rd/ or iftfe; 
 two white companions aiid himself iifdtilgediii -ar liSifil^H tliat started; 
 the rattling echoTes of the hills, but there was no chatter, no twaddle, 
 no dissensions. The 'narrative> rea^s like a stAry. 'Keadirig it, one 
 longs to start foi^ LAKE Glaziek to-morrow, and thence qlesce;i-di rig, 
 haltnot in his l^ng course until 'his faithful canoe slips out into the* 
 waters of the Southern Gulf, three thousand miles^ away. A man 
 With '* soul' in~ him W(3uld I'athef tdke sUch a^ trip Hvith all its hard- 
 ships and its perils than go^pn a hundred ' cut-and-dried trips to; 
 Europe, t The book i&ii'kuJ^mely bound jand well illustra,ted." ^ ; 
 
 r^QMiOfga SefttMi 
 
 .f^''^ 
 
 "For half a century dr iaov^ it tol'Beeii undeMood'thftt La&e 
 Itasca was the source of the Mississipipl ' Ri'yer, but Captain Willard; 
 Glazier has exploded this theory by a canoe voyage undertaken in ■ 
 1881. The results of his investigations were given to geographers at; 
 the time and accepted as satisfactory; and compl'ete. Maps were at- 
 once changed by the map publishersy and Lake Glazier, a tribu-J 
 tary of Lake Itasca, was set down as the true source of the 'Father 
 of Waters.' The story of Captain Glazier's adventures is told by"' 
 him in a book entitled 'Down the Great River,' which is entertaiil- 
 ing as well as being of importance as a contribution to the geog-' 
 raphy and history of this country. Together with two companions; 
 and several guides, Glazier first discovered that the lake now bearing' 
 his name was the true source of the Greai River, and then journeyed 
 by canoe from that point to the mouth of the Mississippi, a distance" 
 of 3,184 miles. This trip occupied one hundred and seventeen days^ 
 and was attended with various haps and mishaps and numerous ad- 
 ventures of an exciting clmracter. It is hot easy from a mere book" 
 deseriptioji to realize the extent and importance of such a trip as; 
 that mad« by ■Captain Glacier. More than a hundred days of rough- 
 ing it along Jone*!;%f; the* greatest Waterways in tlie World could not 
 fail to be productive of much that Would interest even a casual' 
 reader, and as Captain Olazief is an e^xperienced traveller and a* 
 skilled writer, he has made the most of liis opportunities." '- ■' 
 
 Springfield {Ohio) Times. 
 
 "The latest book from the pen of Willard Glazier, the well-known 
 soldier-author, is entitled ' Down the Great River.' It is a work of great 
 geographical and historical value, and settles beyond perad venture 
 the disputed qnestion of the true source of the Mississippi. Aside; 
 from its scientific value, the work is a charmingly entertaining nar- 
 rative of the thrilling adventures and amusing ihcidents of a canoe 
 trip over the whole length of the Mississippi from its source in the 
 cold regions of the North to Where it rolls .nto the ocean over the' 
 burning sands of the Gulf coastv It is highly instructive and inter- 
 esting in its graphic descriptions and character sketches, depicting 
 the varied human nature, local customs, and folk-lore that find habita- 
 tion aloBg the banks of the Great River. The book is well worth 
 the perusal of every one, and an American;library without it would ,: 
 be incomplete" - - ..;-■;.■«:/« ^? -a «^;..-^ ...... ,-i\ .,..,..,.«., i ... , 
 
APPENDIX. Iv 
 
 Ohio State Journal. 
 
 " It seems strange that for nearly fifty years up to 1881, no new 
 thing had been discovered concerning the great Mississippi, whose 
 iource in the vast wilderness of the Northwest was supposed to be in 
 Lake Itasca. In that year, however. Captain Willard Glazier, ari 
 adventurous spirit, determined to finally solve the mystery of the 
 source of the ' Father of Waters,' and also to navigate its entire 
 length from source to sea. Accordingly he traced with infinite hard- 
 ship the narrowing stream above Itasca until its true source was 
 finally reached in what is now known as Lake Glazier. Then, 
 turning about, he floated down the constantly growing stream until 
 its mighty volume was emptied into the Gulf of Mexico. Of this 
 great trip, replete with adventure and abounding in incident, he has 
 given a most graphic and interesting account under the title of 
 'Down the Great Kiver.'" 
 
 The Wheeling Intelligencer. 
 
 " Captain Glazier's name is familiar to the reading public of 
 America through his earlier works, * Soldiers of the Saddle,' * Capture, 
 Prison-Pen and Escape,' * Battles for the Union,' * Heroes of Three 
 Wars,' ' Peculiarities of American Cities,' and ' Ocean to Ocean on 
 Horseback." His latest book, * Down the Great River,' is his most 
 important essay in the field of literature, and is in several respects 
 unique. It is a very interesting account of a remarkable cauoe voy- 
 age from the head waters of the Mississippi to the Gulf; but its 
 iTnportance comes from the fact that, until this voyage was made, the 
 .source of the Mississippi was universally placed in Lake Itasca, 
 whereas Glazier and his party demonstrated that a higher basin, now 
 put down in all the new maps and geographies as Lake Glazier, is 
 really the primary reservoir of the Mississippi. It seems almost 
 incredible, but is nevertheless true, that for over forty years previous 
 to 1881, when Captain Glazier made his discovex'y, it was accepted as 
 settled that Lake Itasca was the remotest body of water from the 
 mouth of the Mississippi. The falsity of this theory, however, has 
 been established and an important discovery given to the geographi- 
 cal world. No discovery rivaling this in interest and importance has 
 been made on the American continent for half a century." 
 
 Philadelphia Public Ledger. 
 
 " By the discoveries of Captain Willard Glazier, made in 1881, 
 Lake Itasca is dislodged from its former eminence as the source of the 
 Mississippi, the real head- waters of that mighty stream being traced 
 to Lake Glazier, a distance of 3,184 miles from the Gulf of 
 Mexico." 
 
 Brooklyn Eagle. 
 
 "Captain Glazier's very clear map of the Great River shows the- 
 True Source to be south of Lake Itasca, accepted by Schoolcraft in 
 1832 as the head- waters in disregard of the stream entering its south- 
 western arm. ... To Captain Glazier belongs the identification of 
 the fountain-head of the Mississippi." 
 
Ivi APPENDIX, 
 
 Philadelphia Times, 
 
 " Captain Willard Glazier has lately discovered the True Source 
 >f the Mississippi, which is not in Lake Itasca, hut in another lake to 
 ihe south of it, and succeeds in proving his discovery to the satisfac- 
 tion of the most competent judges, to wit, the geographers and 
 educational publishers of the country. These accept the new source 
 by placing it on their maps and calling it after its discoverer, 
 * Lake Glazieb.' " 
 
 New York Observer. 
 " To Captain Glazier is undoubtedly due the honor of tracing the 
 Father of Waters, the great American river, up to its real source in 
 the network of lakes that occupies the central and northern portion 
 of the State of Minnesota." 
 
 Minneapolis Journal. 
 "... That what is now known as Lake Glazier is the True 
 Source of the Mississippi River ; and that to Captain Glazier is due 
 the credit of firat placing the fact before the public by accurate chart 
 and maps, is unquestionably true." 
 
 Philadelphia North American. 
 
 "The True Source of the Mississippi is settled beyond controversy. 
 Glazier's name will hereafter be classed with those of De Soto, La 
 Salle, and Hennepin, whose names are forever associated with the 
 Great River which divides the United States." 
 
 Philadelphia Inquirer. 
 
 ^'Several years ago Captain Glazier, while meditating upon the 
 exploits of De Soto, Marquette, Father Hennepin and La Salle, the 
 heroic old explorers, who led the way to the Great River of North 
 America, regretted that, although its mouth was discovered by the 
 Chevalier La Salle nearly two hundred years ago, there was still 
 much uncertainty as to its True Source. . . . The discovery and 
 final location oi the source of the MJBsissippi has now received gen- 
 eral recognition in this country atid Europe, and there certainly 
 seems to be no doubt of the validity of Captain Glazier's claim. 
 His account of the discovery is very entertaining reading." 
 
 Brooklyn Citizen. 
 
 " In this work,* Down the Great River,' dedicated to Hon. Charles 
 P. Daly, President of the American Geographical Society, Captain 
 Glazier gives the story of his journey in a canoe from tlie head- 
 waters of the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of 3184 
 miles, dur ng tlie summer and fall of 1881. He claims also to have 
 discovered the True Source of the * Father of Waters,' which was 
 for many years supposed to be Lake Itasca, in Northern Minnesota. 
 He found another lake beyond Itasca, connected with the latter by 
 a narrow stream (the infant Mississippi/, and this lake being without 
 a name, his companions christened it Lake Glaziek, after their 
 leader. The two lakes are not far apart, but the author claims that his 
 lake receives the contributions of more streams than Itasca, and tlie 
 
APPENDIX, Ivii 
 
 latter is, therefore, clearly not entitled to the credit of standing at the 
 head of the river. 
 
 " The Captain is a careful observer.and a clear and pleasing writer. 
 He tells his story in a straightforward manner without undue orna- 
 mentation. He has studied the accounts of previous voyages, and 
 also the history of the country through which the great stream runs. 
 The wars of Indians, English, French and Spanish along its banks 
 come in for their due share of attention ; the cities and towns are 
 described, and much miscellaneous information is given." 
 
 New York Daily Graphic. 
 
 "It will probably be news to a great many people that the source 
 of the Mississippi has, up to a very recent date, been a subject of 
 controversy between those best informed on the subject. Yet such is 
 the case, and here is a volume putting the matter at rest for ever. It 
 is * Down the Great River,' by Captain Willard Glazier, and dedi- 
 cated to Hon, Charles P. Daly, LL. D., President of the American 
 Geographical Society. Some few years ago Captain Glazier carried 
 out a long cherished plan for tracing to its source the Mississippi 
 River, being convinced that the generally accepted Itasca lake was 
 not, properly speaking, that source." 
 
 Philadelphia Leisure Hours. 
 
 " * Down the Great River ' is not only a very entertaining work, 
 but an important addition to the geographical history of the western 
 and southern portion of the United States. The discovery of the 
 Mississippi is very generally ascribed to Ferdinand De Soto. The 
 True Source of the Great River seems to be fully proved, and many 
 able authorities are quoted, showing that Captain Glazier's claim to 
 have properly located it U well established. We believe that a 
 sound and enlightened conclusion, after a careful reading of the 
 work, will be given in favor of the discovery that the True Source 
 of the Mississippi is in LAKE Glaziee, 3184 miles from its mouth, 
 in the Gulf of Mexico." 
 
 New York Christian Weekly, 
 
 " * Down the Great River.' The great significance of this book is 
 in the fact that it establishes the claim of Captain Willard Glazier 
 as the discoverer, in 1881, of the True Source of the Mississippi 
 River., That source, so long supposed to be in Lake Itasca, is now 
 conceded by the press and by geographers and educational pub- 
 lishers, to be in a lake to the south of Itasca, now known and 
 printed upon the maps as Lake Glazier, in honor of its discoverer. 
 Canoeists will enjoy the story for its own sake, but a large portion 
 of the reading public will take marked interest in this compara- 
 tively recent discovery, which is corroborated by the declarations 
 of Indians and pioneers, and is of value to the entire geographical 
 world." 
 
 New York Home Journal, 
 
 " When, in 1832, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft made his exploration 
 33 
 
Iviii APPENDIX, 
 
 of the headwaters of the Mississippi, and located its source as Lake 
 Itasca, no further work of exploration was deemed necessary. In 
 1881, however, the question of the fountain head of the Great River 
 was revived, and the author of this volume, on a journey of explo- 
 ration, discovered the True Source to be a hitherto unrecognized lake 
 to the south of Itasca. This lake is about a mile and a half in 
 diameter, its altitude 1585 feet above the ocean, and is described as a 
 charming little body of water. Against Captain Glazier's protest, 
 his companions formally christened it by his name in recognition 
 of his services. The discovery has met with the wide attention and 
 consideration it deserves. Steps have been taken by the chief educa- 
 tional publishers to correct the error which their maps have hitherto 
 borne. * Down the Great River ' is dedicated to the Hon. Charles P, 
 Daly, LL. D., President of the American Geographical Society." 
 
 Popular Science Monthly. 
 
 " In ' Down the Great River * Captain Glazier relates the story in 
 full of his journey in 1881, by the aid of an Indian guide, 'Across 
 Country,' from Brainerd, Minnesota, to * Lake Glazier,' south of 
 Itasca lake, and his determination of it as the real source of the 
 Mississippi River. . , . Lake Glazier is in latitude about 47° 
 N. ; is 1585 feet above the level of the sea, and is 3184 miles from the 
 Gulf of Mexico. Its area is less than that of Lake Itasca, but it is 
 deeper and contains more water than the latter. ... The story 
 of the explorer's journey is very pleasantly narrated." 
 
 Boston Commonwealth. 
 
 " Captain Willard Glazier, whose writings are so widely and 
 favorably known, achieved probably the most lasting reputation in 
 1881, when he made his expedition to the source of the Mississippi. 
 The results of that expedition he put in a book called 'Down the 
 Great River.' Starting from St. Paul on the 4th of July, 1881, 
 equipped with canoes and accompanied by Indian guides, he set 
 forth with the object of ascertaining if, Lake Itasca were really the 
 source of the ' Father of Waters,' as had been so long supposed. 
 He reached Lake Itasca, and after a careful examination of this lake, 
 discovered that it was not the head of the river, but that there was a 
 lake still higher up, to which he pushed on with his canoes through 
 a narrow inlet. This lake has since been known by the name of 
 its discoverer, * Lake Glazier,' and has been accepted by geograph- 
 ical authorities as in reality the True Source of the great American 
 River." 
 
 New York Students* Journal. 
 
 "All interested in the geography of our country will enjoy read- 
 ing ' Down the Great River,' by Captain Willard Glazier — discoverer 
 of the True Source of the Mississippi River. This discovery is one 
 of the most important contributions to the geography of this country 
 during the past half century. It seems marvellous that, up to the 
 year 1881, the geography of one of the States of the Union was so 
 poorly known that it had hitherto been supposed that Lake Itasca 
 was the source of the great ' Father of Waters.' The narrative of the 
 
APPENDIX. lix 
 
 canoe trip from Lake Glazier to the Gulf of Mexico is told in an 
 exceedingly interesting style, and will repay the reader of the five 
 hundred pages." 
 
 New York Christian Intelligencer. 
 
 " Captain Glazier knows the charm there is in records of personal 
 adventure, and so, in order to write of the Great Eiver, the Missis- 
 sippi, he sailed its length, and by beginning at its source, and making 
 the voyage in a canoe, he has combined novelty and personal experi- 
 ence with description and statistics, and produced a most interesting 
 narrative. In carrying out this plan of exploration from the source 
 to the mouth of the Great River, he has further -established that tlie 
 Mississippi has its source, not as the geograpliies state, in Lake 
 Itasca, but in a more distant lake, called by the Indians, Pokegama, 
 and which is now known as Lake Glazier, after its discoverer. The 
 discovery was made in July, 1881, and is now well established. The 
 volume which tells of it, and of the history and shores of the 'Father 
 of Waters," down which the Captain paddled, is, like all his books, 
 of fascinating interest and full of information." 
 
 New YorJc Christian Nation. 
 
 " Strange as it may seem, the True Source of the Mississippi was 
 not known until 1881, but was erroneously supposed to take its rise in 
 Lake Itasca, until that well-known traveler and popular writer, 
 Captain Willard Glazier, took it into his head that the first end of 
 the long river was not really known. And as Columbus resolved to 
 discover a new world, so Captain Glazier determined to find the real 
 source of the Mississippi. He set forth in the month of IMay, 1881, 
 from New York to the ' far west' to put his long cherished theory to 
 the test, and with what result the world was made acquainted at the 
 time by the public press. Many men have worked and schemed for 
 years to gain fame, but Captain Glazier, iu the heroic discharge of a 
 self-imposed duty, in 117 days made his name immortal. His book, 
 * Down the Great River,' gives a most graphic and readable descrip- 
 tion of the journey from source to sea, or in other words from Lake 
 Glazier to the Gulf of Mexico." 
 
 Boston Home Journal. 
 
 " It has remained for an intrepid explorer of these days of great 
 scientific discoveries, to correctly solve the problem of the source of 
 the * Father of Waters,' and the result of his adventurous expedition 
 he has given to the world in a volume of remarkable interest, entitled 
 * Down the Great River.' The author of this book and hero of the 
 discovery is Captain Willard Glazier, late of the Second New York 
 Cavalry, and author of several very popular books about the War of 
 the Rebellion, in which he made a brilliant record, and suffered 
 much in the prison-pens of the South. . . . The claim of Captain 
 Glazier to have been the discoverer of the source of the Mississippi is 
 now fully established." 
 
Ix APPENDIX, 
 
 Boston Traveller. 
 
 " In 1881 Captain Willard Glazier determined to test his theory 
 and that of several other geographers, that Lake Itasca was not the 
 real source of the Mississippi, and undertook an expedition fraught 
 with innumerable hardships, but successful in establishing the 
 correctness of his belief. For beyond Lake Itasca and connected 
 with it by a stream, he found another lake nearly as large as Itasca, 
 and which proves to be the True Source of the Great Eiver." 
 
 Biddeford Standard. 
 
 " * Down the Great River * is an interesting record of an expedition 
 made in 1881, in search of the source of the greatest river on the 
 North American continent. Captain Glazier has undoubtedly ac- 
 complished a great work. The True Source of the Mississippi has 
 for a long time been an open question, various attempts having been 
 made to discover it, and numerous ill-founded claims having been 
 put forward. From the evidence given in this record of his expedi- 
 tion, and the testimony of those acquainted with the matter, there 
 can be no doubt of the validity of Captain Glazier's claim." 
 
 Albany Argus. 
 
 " Captain Willard Glazier, known as the writer of a number of 
 popular works, made an expedition in 1881, in search of the source 
 of the Great Mississippi. He started from Brainerd on the Missis- 
 sippi and crossed the country to Leech Lake. Here on July 17, he 
 launched his canoes and paddled through the Portage River and a 
 chain of small lakes lying to the west of Leech Lake. With a few 
 detours he reached Lake Itasca, which had heretofore been popularly 
 assumed to be the source of the river. Coasting around this for 
 tributaries he found a creek due south that connected with a lake 
 about a mile and a half in diameter. To this, the only feeders were 
 three little streams that scarcely deserved the name of creeks, which 
 rose in the sandhills five or six miles away. As this seemed to meet 
 the geographical requirements, being the most distant portion of 
 tributary water from the mouth, it was accepted as the True Source, 
 and the Indian name, Pokegaraa, changed to Lake Glazier. 
 Many maps have adopted this nomenclature. After having settled 
 the primal object of the expedition to his satisfaction. Captain Glazier 
 and his companions began a cruise down the mighty river to its 
 mouth in the Gulf, occupying 117 days in the journey of 3184 miles." 
 
 Waverley Magazine. 
 
 " , . . A careful investigation of the lakes and rivers which con- 
 tribute their waters to the infant Mississippi convinced Captain 
 Glazier that Lake Itasca must waive its claims in favor of another 
 lake further south. . . . This lake, which was named after its dis- 
 coverer, is described as being one of the gems in nature's diadem. A 
 mile and a half in length by a mile in width, its shores present fine 
 wooded steeps, picturesquely broken by a rocky promontory. The 
 waters of the lake are supplied by tributary streams or feeders, 
 named in the order of their importance, Eagle, Excelsior and Deer 
 Creeks. By uniting these in one common reservoir, Lake Glazier 
 
APPENDIX, Ixi 
 
 has «o fully established its right to be recognized as the True Head 
 of the Mississippi, that geographers and scholars have adopted its 
 discoverer's belief." 
 
 Kennebec Journal. 
 
 ** . , . To Captain Willard Glazier belongs the honor of having 
 located the True Source of the Mississippi in 1881, in a lake beyond 
 or to the south of Lake Itasca. The companions of his expedition 
 named the newly discovered source Lake Glazier, which it now 
 retains in our maps and geographies." 
 
 St. Louis Christian Evangelist. 
 
 " ' Down the Great Eiver ' is not only interesting but is highly 
 instructive, . . . The author of this work has found the True 
 Source of the Mississippi, which is named by the map loakers, Lake 
 Glazier. . . , The story is full of information and of thrilling 
 incidents." 
 
 Quincy Journal. 
 
 " The author of ' Down the Great River,* Captain Willard Gla- 
 zier, has discovered the real source of the Mississippi River in one 
 of the lakes near its supposed head — Lake Itasca. . . . The dis- 
 coverer has established the correctness of his claim by Actual 
 Survey." 
 
 Louisville Courier-Journal. 
 
 "'Down the Great River' records the discovery by the author, 
 Captain Willard Glazier, of a lake to the south of Lake Itasca, 
 which he argues with much plausibility is the True Source of the 
 Mississippi." 
 
 Muscatine Tribune. 
 
 "'Down the Great River * embraces an account of the discovery 
 of the True Source of the- Mississippi River by the author, in 1881. 
 For many years the geographies have designated Lake Itasca as the 
 source of the Father of Waters, but Captain Glazier was not satis- 
 fied with the statement and determined to investigate the matter. 
 He found that the source of the Great River was in a lake beyond 
 Itasca — since named Lake Glazier. The book is of great interest 
 to all Americans." 
 
 Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch. 
 
 , . . "In 1832 Henry Rowe Schoolcraft reached Lake Itasca, 
 but failed to search for its feeders and thus missed the discovery of 
 the True Source of the Mississippi. Jean Nicolas Nicollet readied 
 the same point four years later, and was satisfied that his journey was 
 successfully concluded. Nothing further was done for forty-five 
 
Ixii APPENDIX, 
 
 years, during which time it was believed that Lake Itasca was the 
 source ; but Captain Glazier pushed his explorations further, and by 
 following a feeder of Lake Itasca was rewarded by discovering, to rhe 
 south of Itasca, a beautiful body of water a mile and a half wide. 
 This was the True Source. His labors were promptly recognized by 
 various learned societies and by scientists and geographers, and to- 
 day, the lake, which bears the name of the discoverer, is acknowl- 
 edged to be the primal reservoir of the Great Eiver." 
 
 The Geographical News, Chicago. 
 
 " Mississippi River. . . . The real facts in the case are that all 
 the investigations made since Captain Glazier's discovery tend to 
 show very conclusively that the True Source of the river is in the 
 lake lying a short distance south of Itasca ; and that Glazier was the 
 first who discovered and proclaimed the source to be in that lake. 
 This being the case, it seems but just that the honor of the discov- 
 ery should no longer be withheld from him. At all events oui 
 school geographies should teach the truth as to where the source 
 really is." 
 
 Philadelphia Evening Telegraph. 
 
 " It appears quite clear that Lake Itasca never possessed any title 
 to the honor conferred upon it by Schoolcraft, in 1832, of giving 
 birth to our magnificent river. One reason alone is given to account 
 for our ignorance of its True Source, namely: it was outside the 
 usual track of the fur-traders, and in a region scarcely ever visited 
 by Indians or white men. Schoolcraft had pronounced Itasca to be 
 the source, and no one up to the date of Captain Glazier's explora- 
 tions felt sufficiently interested in the matter to investigate or dis- 
 pute its claim. ... 
 
 " It was long suspected that the Mississippi had its fountain-head 
 higher up than Lake Itasca, and in July, 1881, an expedition led by 
 Captain Willard Glazier discovered a lake to the south of Itasca, a 
 mile and a half in diameter, and falling into the latter by a perma- 
 nent stream. Beyond this there is no water connected with the river, 
 and hence Lake Glazier is now recognized as the True Source or 
 the Mississippi." 
 
 Davenport Tribune. 
 
 " * Down the Great River ' embraces an account of the discovery of 
 the true source of the Mississippi, which it will be remembered 
 replaced Lake Itasca in 1881, as the fountain-head of the Great 
 River. It is an interesting tale of how Captain Glazier and his party 
 pushed their canoes up a narrow stream which flowed into Itasca, 
 and finally discovered the real source of the river in a lake which 
 was named by his companions Lake Glazier. The book describes 
 the Indians of the days of yore, and the source of the Father of 
 Waters. Then begins a very interesting narrative of a canoe voyage 
 down the Great River, and a description of the cities that dot its 
 shores. Minneapolis, St. Paul and Fort Snelling are sketched, fol- 
 lowed by pen-pictures of Lake Pepin and La Crosse. Davenport 
 comes in for considerable attention, and among the mjiny fine illus- 
 
APPENDIX. Ixiii 
 
 trations is one of the magnificent railway bridge here. The yarious 
 points of merest, including Black Hawk's Watch Tower, are depicted 
 iu detail. Then the tour continues down the river, and Burlington 
 Cairo, Memphis, Vicksburg, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the 
 trult as far as Port Eads, are each described and illustrated. 
 
 Down the Great River ' is dedicated to Judge Charles P. Daly 
 President of the American Geographical Society, and the discovery 
 ot the true source of our Great River is authenticated by the highest 
 geographical authorities in this country and Europe " 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 The reader who is interested in the question discussed ia 
 this Appendix has, we venture to assert, found ample evi- 
 dence to justify the author of "Down the GtREAT Kiver " in 
 his claim to have been the first to locate the veritable source 
 of the Mississippi. The testimony is of such a character that 
 it is impossible for an impartial critic to arrive at any 
 other verdict than that the fountain-head of the Father of 
 Waters is not in Lake Itasca, but in the lake to the south of 
 it, now known as Lake Glazier. The declarations of the 
 Indians and pioneers in the vicinity of the source of this river 
 are altogether corroborative of Captain Grlazier and his com- 
 panions ; the press of Minnesota speaks with but one voice, 
 while geographers and educational publishers are almost unani- 
 mous in their recognition of the facts developed by his expe- 
 dition. 
 
 HUBBARD BROTHERS, 
 Publishers of ''Dovm The Great Ewer J* 
 
 Philadelphia, April 30, 1888.