USA > Mississippi > History of the upper Mississippi Valley, pt 1 > Part 32
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Mr. Sehooleratt, made an arrangement with Mr. Aitkin for birel-bark eanoes for the transpor- tation of our whole party above, which we will re- eeive at the head of the Portage, and as my meu are entirely ignorant of their management, he has employed three Indians to go with me to Sandy Lake.
Wo embarked in on boats and aseended the river over several rapids two miles farther to the foot of the Grand Portage of Fon du Lae river, the head of boat navigation. From here Mr. S. sent his boat back to the Saut by Canadians whom he had brought for the purpose, and I employed an Indian to take mine back to Bois Brule River, where we proposed to strike the Lake again in returning.
Here a new scene commeneed. Our baggage and provisions for sixty days were to be trans- ported by carrying over a rough portage of nine miles. This was a familiar business with Mr. Schooleraft's Canadians, but entirely new to the soldiers, the manner of carrying being altogether different from anything they had ever experienced.
For this purpose the pork had previously been put in kegs of abont eighty pounds. The mode of carrying is by a leather strap called a "port- age collar," composed of a broad piece that is ap- plied to the forchead, and two long tags which attach to the piece to be carried. "A load" for a Frenchman consists of two pieces," as a keg of pork and a bag of tlonr. The first to which the portage collar is fastened, is adjusted to rest in the lumbar vertebrae or small of the back; and the second, when practicable, as in case of the bag, is placed longitudinally, one end resting on the keg, and the other along the back of the head, so that when the body is stooped, in the manner of car- rying, the weight of the bag is between the shoulders, near the back of the neck; the second piece is also frequently placed transversely on the shoulders, but always, if practicable, in such n
manner as to rest its weight very far off toward the neek; when the load is not so adjusted as to sustain the head against the force of the portage collar to draw it back, it is supported by the hands clasped behind it.
The portage was commenced by ascending a lill one hundred feet high, with an acclivity of about forty-five degrees. No pains had ever been bestowed to make a road of it, and the aseeut is by means of little imperfect steps, just large enough for the toes, that wind up the hill with- ont any regularity as to the direction or relative position. The F'renehmen eommeneed with full loads, but the soldiers, except one or two, were permitted to earry only half loads or one piece, and even this was found to be more than some of them were equal to. One of them, a very strong man, tell ou the hill with a keg of pork and was disabled.
The portage road, after the hill, was rough, nar- row, and erooked, a mere foot path, through bad woods, but we got over three pauses, or a mile and a half of it, and eneamped on the bank of the river, at a place called the Roche Galet, from the tlat saudstone rock over which the river here runs. A number of Indians followed us tror? the Fond dn Lae house, and eamped with us.
June 26. We commeneed carrying at 4 o'clock in the morning, and continued it until uear sun- set, or 8 o'clock in the afternoon, and passed over twelve pauses of nearly half a mile each. The portage road eontinned a little, narrow, crooked path, with bushes erowding it on either side, winding round trees, through marshes, over ridges, and aeross ravines, and presenting all the irregularities and inconveniences of a rude trail through difficult woods. There has been little or no entting to clear it ont, and all the bridging consists of a few small poles, laid in the length of the path, which serve rather to annoy than to as- sist. No idea can be formed of the difficulty of this portage withont witnessing it. The men with heavy loads, are sometimes forced to wade through a swamp of half a mile, full of roots and bushes, and over their knees in mire at every step. And when the road is dry, it is generally over a hill or across a gully, the steep banks of which are worse to cross than the swamps.
When we stopped at night my men, and even the Canadians, were literally fagged ont. Two of the soldiers had snagged their feet and were dis- abled, and all of them were galled in the back by
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
the kegs, in such a degree as to make their load very painful, and yet they have carried only half a load alt the day, whereas the Frenehmen and some of the Indians have earried full loads cach time. It requires an experience of years to hab- itnate men to carrying in this way; and the life and habits of soldiers by no means fit them for Heh labor.
I had four or five Indian women and as many Indian men carrying for me, and withont these I would not have made half the distance. The In- dian women carry better than the men, being less indolent and more accustomed to it. I saw a small young Indian woman at the elose of the day carry a keg of one thousand musket ball eart- ridges for a distance of one mile withont resting, and most of the distance through swamps fre- quently over hex knees; this, too, after having carried heavy loads all day, and when with less exertion than she had made, my stronger men were exhausted.
We eneamped on the portage near a ereek, which enabled us to wash off a little of the mud of the swanps which we had earried with us all the way. Doetor Honghton had many calls of strains, bruises, and snagged feet this evening.
July 2. The ridge of high land on which we were encamped was but little elevated above the swamps, but was rich and dry, sustaining a heavy forest of angar.maple, birch and pine. It is the dividing ridge of the waters of Lake Superior and the Mississippi. We erossed it in a south west direction perpendienlar to the general range, but it was not broad and in less than half a mile from our encampment we met with deep ugly swamps, ahnost as troublesome as that we had passed yes- terday. We had four miles of the portage before is this morning, and Mr. Schooleraft made great efforts to accomplish the whole of it this day; and my men in emlation of his voyageurs to travel at the same rate, completely exhausted themselves before night. The route was of the worst charac- ter, being mostly through swamps of deep, tough md which it was ditlienlt to walk through unen- cumbered and that could senreely bo deemed prat- ticable with the loads that the men were obliged to carry. They frequently stnek fast in the mid until they abandoned their load, or were assisted out, and before night some of my best and strong- out, men fell by the roadside, unable to proceed farther. I collected them and the baggage on a dry spot half a mile from the portage and encamped
before sunset. Mr. Schoolcraft had his tents taken entirely through and encamped on the banks of the West Savannah river; his men eneamped back with mine. Our journey to-day was three and a half miles, and made the most fatiguing of all our journey since we left home.
July 3. Although it was late in the morning, when the men were required to resume their ear- rying they still showed by a tardy shiggish man- ner that they were poorly recovered from the great fatignes of yesterday. We, however, got through the remaining panse of this horrible portage by twelve o'clock, and embarked on the West Savan- nah river near its source where it was but a few feet broad, and with only water enough to float our ennoes.
From the place of our embarkation to Sandy Lake was eighteen miles. The river in this dis- tanee has a devious course through low, narrow meadows of a little valley between pine hills. Its dircetion is abont twenty degrees west of south, and abont a mile from Sandy Lake it reeeivos a small river from the east, after which it is thirty yards broad. We passed through the length of Sandy Lake which is about five miles, and de- seended its ontlet on Sandy River, a mile and a half to its junetion with the Mississippi, at Mr. Aitkins trading post where we arrived at 4 P. M., und eneamped. The trading house is situated on a long narrow tongue or point which separates the two rivers just beford their junction.
It was proposed to remain here a day or two to make some repairs and alterations in our eanocs, and to change our Indian guides, preparatory to our ascending the Mississippi. We found Mr. Bonduin, one of Mr. Aitkins' clerks, in charge who received ns with great kindness and hospitality, and proffered all the assistance and information in his power.
The situation has long been regarded as a most important one for the Indian trade. It was ocen- pied by the old North West Company, and subse- quently by the American Fur Company to the present time. Mr. Aitkin the present agent of the Company makes this his residence, and central depot for the great district over which he has charge. His establishment at present consists of n largo comfortable dwelling, several storehouses, and barns, stables, etc. He raises corn and pota- toes in fields near the house, and has a good stock of cattle. *
July 9.
A few
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BELANGER'S TRADING POST.
miles further brought us to Big Lake Winnipeg, and to the trading house on the north side of it, where we encamped at 5 P. M., having come to-day fifty miles by our route, and by the Mississippi near ninety miles.
This trading honse is occupied by a trader of Mr. Aitkins, Mr. Belanger, now present who has lived here for several years without going once below. His dwelling and store were situated four or five hundred yards from the Lake, on a little rise of ground, where he had a fine large garden, in which were growing plentifully vines, potatoes, and other vegetables, and among them tobacco, which was remarkable, this being the most north- erly point of all the Missippi. The plant was now small but looked well, and Mr. Belanger said it grew large and fine before the time for cutting it. * * * * The post is of some importance to the Indian trade, eight packs hav- ing been made here last winter, but they were mostly bear skins, and on that account not so val- uable as packs generally are. It is but a short portage from here to a river of Rainy Lake, and this is the route of our traders to that place which is distant five days journey. We obtained from Mr. Belanger much valuable information of the country above, and of our proposed route through it. There were but few Indians here, hence but about one hundred traded at this point.
July 10. Started at 4 A. M., and crossing Lake Winnipeg in the direction of its length, which is about fifteen miles, we again got into the Missis- sippi from the south-west end of the Lake. This lake is nearly round, is without islands, and is deep and clear, excepting near its shores, where for a great part of its circumference, the grass is grown ont one or two hundred yards. Fine hills were seen all around the lake, a short distance back.
From Lake Winnipeg to Cass Lake a distance of twenty miles, the Mississippi is very sensibly diminished in breadth and quantity of water. At the entrance to Cass Lake, by the site of an old village, we were met by a number of Indians, who fired their usual sahte and conducted us to their village, which is situated on the large island of the lake, Grand Island, two miles from the entrance. We camped near the village on a long narrow point of the island running out to the north, and elevated about one hundred and fifty feet above the lake. * * * * *
Five or six miles south-east of this is a little high island called Red Cedar Island, from which the
lake took its former name, Red Cedar Lake.
The Cass Lake band of Indians number one hundred and fifty-eight of whom about twenty are warriors. This country or hunting ground is rich with large game, deer and bears, which with their garden vegetables, and fish of the lake afford them a plentiful subsistance.
This trader is one of Mr. Aitkins' clerks, who was not now present, but whom they give ann- nually a good quantity of furs, beaver, marten, otter and bear; and he in return seems to supply them well withr the usual Indian goods.
They are not much at war in the field, but from their vicinity to their natural enemies, the Sionx, it can never be said of them that they are at peace. Some of the young men were now absent at Leech Lake, where they had just returned from an excur- sion against the Sioux, with the Lecel Lake Indi- ans, under the Leech Lake Chiefs. Two or three that went from here had got home bringing news of their success, and of the loss in battle of one of the Cass Lake Indians, the only Chippewa killed in the excursion.
They gave us information of the whole proceed- ing. The party was one hundred strong consist- ing almost entirely of the Leech Lake band, and was led by Flat Mouth, their principal chief by whom it had been raised to chastise the Sioux for mimerous aggressions on this band, or their hunt- ing grounds west of Crow Wing River.
They met a war party of the Sioux of inferior strength on these grounds, near their western boundary, and defeated them, killing three and wounding two or three more, but lost one of their own men, as before stated. The Sioux fled and tho Chippeways returnod immediately, but. so mmeh elated with their success that one would have supposed, from their manner of relating the story, and the character of their rejoicing, that they had defeated the whole. Sioux tribe, and killed half of them. The party had been gotten up after the Indian manner, with so much pomp, preparation and ceremony, that the whole country had been excited; and in their great anxiety and solicitude for the result of the campaign, a single victory and paltry success was viewed as a mon- strous achievement.
A portion of one of the Sioux scalps taken had been brought to Cass Lake, and the Indians here regaled us with a scalp dance, soon after our ar- rival. They Ind two other scalps taken at former periods, and all were exhibited on this occasion,
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
stretched by means of thongs in the center of wooden hoops a foot in diameter, profusely orna- mented with fenthers. Staves or handles four or five feet long were attached to the hoops, and in the dance each was carried above her head by an Indian woman, who sang and danced incessantly. The other Indians around, men, women and chil- dren, all engaged in the singing and kept time on the Indian drum, and by beating anything; bnt the dancing was done entirely by the women who carried the sealps.
Two of them were young, but sueli was their exeitement on this occasion that they seemed to have forgotten the peculiar modesty of Indian women of their nge; holding their heads erect, casting tierce and wild glanees on all around, and showing an expression of countenance at times al- most fiendish. A like enthusiasm seemed to ani- mate the aged and children, and an observer of these eeremonies, when he reflects on their fre- quent oeeurrenee, will not be at a loss to account for the irrceonciliable hatred which exists in the breasts of these Indians for their enemies. They had been daneing here for many days previous to our arrival, and they continued now, without the least cessation, until after twelve at night. They expcet during this danee, when strangers are pres- ent, to rceeive presents for the benefit of their warriors who may have perished in battle, and our men and voyageurs were liberal in the observance of this custom. **
July 11. All proper arrangements for onr further journey being completed the previous evening, we made in early start. I left my man und baggage in charge of my corporal, and took one of Mr. Schooleratt's voyageurs and an Indian to eonduet my canoe, as I would not entrust the management of so small and delieate a craft to any of my men. These very small canoes require a care and skill to conduct them safely only known to those long accustomed to the use of them. 'They are used by the Indians of this country be- cause the streams are all small, and because in many of their routes there are mmerons portages, where it is a great objeet to make the carrying 'as light as possible. These reasons have determined us to adopt them on this occasion; for we expect to ascend a small branch of the Mississippi, and to make a long portage from its head to the source of the larger branch. * ** * ** * July 13. We aseended the river in our canoes to a little lake ( Usaw-way or Perch Lake), about two
miles long and half a mile broad; the river was very narrow and crooked through a low, narrow meadow, and a little above this lake we left, see- ing that we had now traeed this small branch of the Mississippi into the very swamps and mead- ows, from the drainage of which it takes its rise.
From here we set off overland, in a northwest direction, to reaeli Lae La Biehe, represented as the source of the larger branch. Our canoe and baggage being very light all was transported at one load, one man carrying the eanoe and the other the baggage of each of the party. In this way we made a portage of six miles in four hours, and struek the lake, the object of our search, near the end of its northeastern bay. The first mile of the portage was through a tamarack swamp, and the remainder, excepting a little lake of 300 yards diameter, was pine ridges of the poorest character imaginable. The soil was almost pure sand and the pine was stunted, mostly of the serb species, whieli, hung as it was with liehens, and no other growth not even a bush or shrub mixed with it, presented a picture of landseape more dismal and gloomy than any other part of this miserably poor country that we had seen. Not a bird or animal, searce even a tly, was to be seen in the whole dist- anee of this portage, and it would seem that no kind of animal life was adapted to so gloomy a region.
From these hills, which wero seldom more than two hundred feet high, we came suddenly down to the lake, and we embarked and passed nearly through to an island near its west end, where we renmined one or two hours. We were now sure that we had renched the true source of the great. river, and a feeling of great satisfaction was mani- fested by all the party. Lac La Biche | now Itasen | is nbont seven miles long, and from one to three broad, but is of an irregular shaps, conform- ing to tho bases of pino hills, which form a great part of its circumference, rise abruptly from its shores. It is deep, and very clear and cold, and seemed to be well stocked with fish. Its shor, s show some bowlders of primitive rock, but no rock in place, and are generally skirted near the water with bushes. The island, the only one of the lake, und which I have called Schoolcraft Island, is one hundred und fifty yards long, fifty yards broad, und twenty or thirty feet elevated in its highest part; a little rocky in bowlders, and grown over with pine, spruce, wild cherry and olm. There can be no doubt but that it is the true source and
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189
ARRIVAL AT LAKE ITASCA.
fountain of the longest and largest branch of the Mississippi. All onr information that we had been able to collect on the way, from traders and Indians, pointed to it as such, and our principal Indian guide, Yellow Head, who has proved to us his close intelligence of the country, represents the same. He has formerly hunted all around it, and says there is a little creek, too small for our little canoes to ascend, emptying into the sonth bay of the lake, and having its source at the base of a chain of high hills which we we could see not two miles off, and that this is the only stream of any description running into it. *
* * We left Lac La Biche from its northern boundary, having coasted nearly its whole circumference, and found the Mississippi at its very egress from the lake a respectable stream; its channel being twenty feet broad and two feet deep, and current two miles an hour. Its course was northwest, and soon ran through a chimin of high pine hills, when the channel contracted very much, and numerous rapids occurred of very great full over bowlders of primitive rock, the river running in a deep ravine. We descended twenty-five miles and encamped."
The lake described by Lientenant Allen was
called Itasca. The Rev. W. T. Bontwell, still liv- ing near Stillwater, who accompanied the expedi- tion, states that Mr. Schoolcraft asked him the Latin word truth, and he replied veritas; he then asked a Latin word which signified head, and was told caput. It was quite a surprise to find that Mr. Schoolcraft, by dropping the first syllable of veritas, and the last three letters of caput, had in- vented the word ITASCA.
Mr. Schoolernft's account is in these words: "I inquired of Ozawindib { Yellow Head ] the Indian name of this lake; he replied Omushkos, which is the Chippewa name of the elk [ La biche in French ]. Having previously got an inkling of some of their mythological and neeromantic no- tions of the origin and mutations of the country, which permitted the use of a female name for it, I denominated it ITASCA."
"William Morrison, as has been stated in nnother chapter, in 1802-3 wintered at Lake Itasca. Bel- trami in 1823 stated that the westermnost sonrees would be found at Lac la Biche, or Elk River, now Itasca. In chapter thirty-eight it will be seen tha t in 1836 Nicollet went beyond Schooleratt."
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
EVENTS OF IMPORTANCE FROM THE YEAR A. D. 1833 TO THE CHIPPEWAY TREATY OF A. D. 1837.
SURVEY OF CHIPPEWAY BOUNDARY .- NOTICE OF J. N. NICOLLET. -- IIIS ARRIVAL AT LEECII LAKE. -ALFRED AITKIN KILLED .- TRIAL OF AITKIN'S MURDERER. - TREATY FOR PINE LANDS EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. -- BOUNDARIES OF LANDS CEDED.
In the year 1835 Major J. L. Bean commenced the survey of the Sioux and Chippeway boundary line, under the treaty of 1825. A military escort under Lientenant William Storer accompanied him, and he proceeded as far as Otter Tail Lake, but the Indians annoyed him by frequently pull- ing up the surveyors' stakes.
On the second of July, 1836, Jean N. Nicollet arrived at Fort Snelling in a steamboat from Saint Louis for scientific research, and became the gnest of Major Taliaferro, the Indian Agent. Ile was born in 1790 nt Cluses, France, and his parents being
poor, he was obliged before he was ten years of age to become a strolling musician to obtain food. Ile afterwards worked for a watchmaker until he was eighteen years old, when he opened a small shop for the repair of watches, at the same time study- ing mathematics. About the yenr 1820 he turned his attention to astronomical studies, and the next year he discovered a comet. In the year 1825 he received the decoration of the Legion of Honor.
Having met with peenniary reverses, in 1832, he camo to the United States and devoted himself to scientifie research.
The following entry is from the dinry of the Indian Agent under date of 12th of July : "Mr. Nicollet, on a visit to the post for scientific re- search, and at present in my family, has shown me the Inte work Henry R. Schooleraft, on the discov- eties of the source of the Mississippi, which claim is ridienlous in the extreme."
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HISTORY OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
On the 27th of July, 1836, he left Fort Suelling with a Frenchman named Fronchet, to explore the Upper Mississippi. While at the Falls of St. Anthony, the Sioux pilfered some of his provi- sions, but writing back to the Fort, he received n fresh supply. He ascended the Mississippi with his telescope in n trustful child-like spirit, and hoped with Sir Isaac Newton to gather a few pebbles from the great ocean of truth. Entering Crow Wing River, by way of Gull River and Lake, he reached Leech Lake, the abode of the Pillager Chippeways. When the savages discov- ered that he was only a poor scholar, a mere man of science looking through a tube into the skies, with neither beef nor medals, nor flags to give away, they were quite unruly.
The Rev. Mr. Boutwell whose mission house was on the opposite side of the Lake, hearing the shouts and drumming of the Indians, erossed over, as soon as the wind which had been blowing for several days, would permit the passage of his canoe.
The visit was appreciated, and Nicollet, in his report, writes : "On the fourth day he arrived, and although totally unknown to each other pre- viously, a sympathy of feeling arose, growing out of the precarious circumstances under which we were both placed, and to which he had been mneli longer exposed than myself. This feeling from the kind attention lie paid me, soon ripened into affectionate gratitude."
Leaving Leech Lake with an Indian guide, Fronchet, and Francis Brunet, a trader, who was a man six feet three inches in height, a giant of great strength, and at the same time full of the milk of Inunan kindness, he proceeded towards Itasen Imke. With the Sextant on his back, sus- pended likon knapsack, a cloak and barometer on his left shoulder, a portfolio on his arm, and a basket in hand, containing compass, thermometer and chronometer, he followed his guide over the tiresome portages. After the usual trials of an inexperienced traveler he pitched his tent on Schooleratt's Island in Lake Itasea.
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