SYNOPSIS OF PROCEEDINGS. 365 



of their Indian guide found a stream entering tlie south-west arm, 

 through which they passed into a lake to the south, known to the In- 

 dians as Po-keg-a-mea. This lake the party, after a thorough explora- 

 tion, determined to be the primal reservoir or true source of the great 

 river, and in honor of Capt. Glazier named it Lake Glazier. The 

 Captain does not pretend to have discovered this lake (neither did 

 Schoolcraft discover Itasca) but was the first to publish to the world 

 that the magnificent body of water, having a surface of 255 acres, and 

 a perennial stream of good depth and width flowing from it into Itasca, 

 is without doubt the true head of the river. It was to settle this much 

 mooted question that the second expedition — by far the largest ever 

 assembled for a like purpose — was organized. 



Fourteen gentlemen responded to the invitation, assembling at Min- 

 neapolis, and on Monday, August 1 7th, commenced our journey by 

 rail to Park Rapids, stopping at all important towns en route. To give 

 a detailed description of our journey, which was full of pleasant sur- 

 prises and enjoyment, would consume much time and be unimportant 

 in this report. At Park Rapids three days were consumed in prepar- 

 ation for the journey through the wilderness. Teams being provided, 

 and canoes, tents, provisions and other necessary camp equipage loaded, 

 the start was made on Saturday morning, August 22. The road, or 

 trail, from here to the head waters winds among the pine, and was as 

 bad as could be imagined, up and down steep inclines, over boulders 

 and fallen trees, through marshes and bogs, requiring the combined 

 strength of horses and men to pull through the mire or iip the steep 

 inclines, and at all times the watchful care and utmost exertion of all 

 the party to save our caravan from destruction. All the difficulties, 

 however, were compensated for by the beauty of the forests and pic- 

 turesqueness of our train. On arriving at the shores of Itasca we em- 

 barked in our canoes to Schoolcraft's Island, in the midst of Lake 

 Itasca, where we camped for the night. All of next day was occupied 

 in moving and preparing a permanent camp on the high land separ- 

 ating Lakes Itasca and Glazier. One incident of our camp-life was 

 the delivery of a sermon in front of the tents on Sunday afternoon by 

 Mr. John C. Crane, who was a licensed preacher of the Baptist faith. 

 It was without doubt the first religious service held at the headwaters. 

 During our stay we assisted the surveyors in measuring all the affluents 

 flowing into the south-west arm of Lake Itasca, and all those empty- 

 ing into Lake Glazier. In order to give details of the explorations as 

 briefly as possible I will copy the following report, which was made 

 upon our return to Park Rapids and signed by all of the party who 

 were engaged in the actual surveys and measurements : 



Park Rapids, Minnesota, September 2, 1891. 

 " To W/10//1 it May Concern : 



" The undersigned were among the members of a party who visited the 

 region around Lake Itasca with Captain Willard Glazier for the purpose of 

 mvestigating it and ascertaining the facts concerning the head-waters of 

 the Mississippi" River. The party, while invited by Capt. Glazier, were un- 

 der no obligations to him, directly or indirectly, and their purpose was (and 



