286 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
Lake, the extent of which to the southward we 
could not discern. There is nothing remarkable 
in this chain of lakes, except their shapes being 
rocky basins filled by the waters of the Missi- 
nippi, insulating the massy eminences, and mean- 
ing with almost imperceptible current between 
them. From the Serpent to the Sandy Lake, it 
is again confined in a narrow space by the ap- 
proach of its winding banks, and on the 26th we 
were some hours employed in traversing a series 
of shallow rapids, where it was necessary to 
lighten the canoes. Having missed the path 
through the woods, we walked two miles in the 
water upon sharp stones, from which some person 
was incessantly slipping into deep holes, and 
floundering in vain for footing at the bottom ; a 
scene highly diverting, notwithstanding our fa- 
tigue, We were detained in Sandy Lake, till 
one P, M., by a strong gale, when the wind be- 
coming moderate we crossed five miles to the 
mouth of the river, and at four P. M. left the main 
branch of it, and entered a little rivulet called 
the Grassy River, running through an extensive 
reedy swamp. It is the nest of innumerable 
ducks, which rear their young, among the long " 
Tushes, in security ftom beasts of prey. At — 
_ Sunset we encamped on the banks of the main 
