92 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



interest since they show some of the conditions existing in Northern Indiana 

 nearly 90 years ago. He was ordered to examine and compare the two route.s 

 described as follows : 



1. — "The first, starting from Lake Michigan, would ascend the valley 

 of the St. Joseph River (^^of the lake) to leave it at a convenient point near 

 to the Kankakee River; then it would cross to this stream to descend its 

 vallej' down to the mouth of Yellow River- thence up the same to a point 

 from which a cross canal could be run to Ti]ipecanoe River. From hence the 

 route descends this stream, and then the Wabash, to the head of steamboat 

 navigation. 



2. — "The other would ascend the vallej' of the St. Joseph River (of the 

 lake) up to one of its head branches; from thence to the fork formed by the 

 St. Joseph of the Maumee and St. Mary's rivers, then from that point through 

 the valley of Little River, to the Wabash River, as far down as the head of 

 steamboat navigation." 



The first of these routes he designated in liis report as the "Southern 

 route," stated that most of the territory through which it passed was included 

 within the Indian boundary lines, had never been explored and that none of 

 the lands belonging to the Government had been surveyed. He says that 

 along the greater parts of both routes there was a great scarcity of stone, and 

 that all locks, dams, aqueducts, etc., would have to be constructed of wood. 

 The St. Joseph River near South Bend was gauged at a very low stage on 

 July 2o, 1829, and found to have a flow of 1,395 cubic feet per second. 



The .soil of the wet prairies near the Kankakee, "after penetrating the 

 turf with which they are <'Overed, is found to consist of quicksand and soft 

 mud, in most instances of great fluidity and considerable depth. Embank- 

 ments will l>e required to pass the canal over them, the earth for which, 

 consisting of a mixture of sand, clay, and pretty coarse gravel, is generally 

 convenient." 



While surveying the line from Yellow River to the Tippecanoe, a distance 

 of nine and two-thirds miles, he learned from the Indians that upon the 

 summit of the water shed betAveen these streams was a large lake which they 

 called Mek-sin-kuk-keek and whicli it was stated would supi)ly all the water 

 that was needed for that section of tlie canal. He therefore I'an lines from 

 Yellow River to the lake, found that the route was practicable but that the 

 lake lay ten miles to tlic left of the direct course and w<mld require some 

 deep cuts. He states tiiat "this route was therefore abandoned for the more 

 direct one on which we found that another lake lay immediately in our way 

 which although not as large as the former, was nevertheless fully capable, 

 together with Yellow River, to furnish the needed supply of water. This 

 route is termed the "Devil Lake Route" from the name of the lake on its 

 summit, which was found to contain 7,313,883 square yards." This so 

 called "Devil Lake" of the Stansbury report is now the well known "Bass 

 Lake," a noted resort for Chicago and Indianapolis citizens during the sum- 



