46 THE GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



[Beltrami, 1813. 



that he traveled almost due south from Red lake to Red Cedar lake. But 

 in fact Red Cedar lake is considerably to the eastward of Red lake, and his 

 course of travel was necessarily about southeast. The river which he first 

 struck in traveling from " Pembinar" was the Thief river. His map names 

 it Valeuse, and his book Robbers' river. His Indian guides found here their 

 canoe which they had secreted for a murderous foray on the Sioux the 

 previous week. Before reaching Red lake he was attacked by the Sioux, 

 and one of his Chippewas was wounded in the arm. This caused them to 

 desert him and pursue the route by land to Red lake. Then he started 

 alone to drag the canoe containing his baggage to the lake by a cord, being 

 unable to paddle it in the manner of the Indian. Meeting a party of Indians 

 descending the " Bloody" river, he prevailed on one of their number to con- 

 duct him to the lake. Employing there a bois bruU, he ascended the stream 

 that led him to Turtle lake, first making a long portage, to avoid an exten- 

 sive wind-fall which had thrown many large forest trees across the stream. 

 To the southwest of Red lake he visited and named a series of eight small lakes, 

 which all communicate with each other, of which Gravel river (Kahasini- 

 lague) is the outlet into Red lake. These he named Alexander, Lavinius, 

 Everard, Frederica, Adela, Magdalena, Virginia and Eleonora, names of a 







family to which he was " united by the most cordial friendship." On the 

 western side the lake receives the river Broachus (Kinongeo) and that of 

 the Great Rock (Kisciacinabed). The next, on the south shore, are the 

 Gravel river and the Gold Fish river (Kiogokague), also the Great Portage 

 (Madaoanakan). On the southeast is the Cormorant river (Cacakiscin). 

 The northern portion of Red lake receives the Sturgeon river (Amenikanions) 

 which communicates by means of two portages, with lake Superior and the 

 waters of Hudson's bay. He regarded the Great Portage river as the real 

 continuation of the Bloody river and cites the opinion of the Indians to 

 that effect. "According to the theory of ancient geographers the sources of 

 a river which are most in a line with its mouth should be considered as its 

 principal sources, and particularly when they issue from a cardinal point 

 and flow to one directly opposite." For the purpose of ascending this river 

 he was compelled to make a portage of twelve miles, beginning on the lake 

 between it and Gold Fish river. A small lake, about half way on this 

 portage, he styled Avernus, and another near the end of the portage he 



