26 THE GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



[Morrison, 1804. 



MORRISON DISCOVERS ITASCA LAKE IN 1804. 



The country of the upper Mississippi was pretty well known to the 

 coureurs des bois of the various fur companies probably, before the advent of 

 Pike, but there is almost nothing preserved of all their explorations. 

 Mr. William Morrison, however, has given in a brief letter to the Minnesota 

 Historical Society* a statement of his own discovery of Elk lake (now called 

 Itasca) in 1804, mentioning also Cross lake, (Pemidji lake), Red Cedar lake 

 and Leech lake for the first time. He also states that he wintered at Rice 

 lake, tributary to Rice river, a branch of the Red river of the North, in 

 1803-4. In order to reach it he made a portage from the Mississippi, a short 

 distance below Elk lake, westward, known as the Portage of the Height of 

 Land, or the dividing ridge that separates the waters of the Mississippi from 

 those that empty into the Red river of the North. 



LIEUT. Z. M. PIKE. 



Reaching the falls of St. Anthony Lieut. Pike made a careful survey, and 

 wrote a description of the portage route in his journal, and a brief description 

 of the falls in a letter to General Wilkinson at St. Louis. He added nothing 

 of value to the natural history and geography of the Mississippi valley 

 below the falls of St. Anthony. With twenty soldiers he attempted to reach 

 Leech lake, but by stress of weather and early snow was compelled to erect a 

 winter stockade on the west side of the Mississippi a short distance below Pike 

 rapids. Here having deposited the most of his baggage and supplies, he 

 pushed forward in midwinter, with indefatigable energy and industry, with 

 a foot-party, as far as Sandy lake. Thence he proceeded toward Leech lake 

 (then denominated lake La Sang Sue) by way of the Willow river valley and 

 Pokegama lake, where he arrived February 1st, 1806. A few days later, 

 having visited the N. W. Co.'s station at Red Cedar lake and ascertained its 

 latitude (47 42' 40"), where he found a hospitable Canadian named Roy, 

 he set out on his return to his stockade, by a different route, traveling south- 

 eastwardly by way of lakes to Whitefish lake, which he states may be 

 considered the main source of Pine river, reaching the Mississippi at the 

 mouth of a creek about nine miles above the mouth of Pine river. Making 



Minnesota Historical Collections, Volume I. p. 417. 



