172 EXPEDITION TO THE 



CHAPTER V. 



Hock river. Meno77iones. Geology of the country west of 

 Lake Michigan. Prairie du Chien. Sauks and Foxes. 



HAVING spent a few days in Chicago, the party left that 

 post on Wednesday, June 11th. By the instructions re- 

 ceived from the War Department, Major Long had the 

 option of striking the Mississippi at Fort Armstrong, or at 

 Dubuque's lead mines, and then ascending that river to 

 Prairie du Chien. It appeared to him, however, that if the 

 direct route to Prairie du Chien, across the prairies, was 

 practicable, it would save several days; but upon inquiry 

 no person could be found who had ever travelled through, 

 in that direction ; and although from the description of the 

 country, the route was supposed to be very practicable, 

 yet from the impossibility of procuring a guide, it would 

 have been relinquished, had not an old French engage, by 

 the name of Le Sellier, undertaken to direct the party. 

 This man, who had lived for upwards of thirty years with 

 the Indians, had taken a wife among the Winnebagoes, 

 and settled on the head waters of Rock river ; knowing the 

 country as far as that stream, he presumed that he could find 

 his way thence to Fort Crawford, situated on the Missis- 

 sippi near the junction of the Wisconsan. Under his 

 guidance the party proceeded on the first day of their jour- 

 ney, in a general direction nearly west, for about seventeen 

 miles. The first stream passed, on that day, was the Chicago 

 river, which we crossed about half a mile above the fort, 

 and immediately above the first fork, (or Gary's river) ; the 



