HISTOKICAL SKETCH. 47 



1823, Beltrami.] 



named lake of the Pines, " from the immense number of those trees with 

 which it is surrounded." Its outlet is into the series of eight lakes that are 

 discharged by Gravel river. From this lake he made another portage of 

 four miles and reached the Grand Portage river. Ascending this river he 

 passed two lakes which he denominated Manomeny-Kany-aguen, or Wild 

 Rice lakes. These were formed by the enlargement of the waters of the 

 river. The third lake, formed in the same way, the Indians called Puposky- 

 wiza-Kany-aguen, or end of the shaking lands, nearly all the region traversed 

 from the lake of the Pines, being so low and nearly level as almost to float 

 upon the water. About six miles further south the real source of the Bloody 

 river was found. It " springs out of the ground in the middle of a small 

 prairie, and the little basin into which it bubbles up is surrounded by 

 rushes. We approached the spot within fifty paces in our canoe." 



LAKE JULIA. 



Making a short portage from this spring, over a hill, Mr. Beltrami 

 approached a wonderful lake. It is situated on a hill, with no higher land 

 about it, in "the whole extent of the clearest and widest horizon." Mr. 

 Beltrami's florid description is in these words : " All places around it are, 

 on the contrary, considerably lower. I have made long excursions in all its 

 environs, and have been unable to perceive any volcanic traces, of which 

 its banks are equally destitute. Yet its waters boil up in the middle ; and 

 all my sounding lines have been insufficient to ascertain their depth ; which 

 may be considered as indicating that they spring from the bottom of some 

 gulf, the cavities of which extend far into the bowels of the earth; and 

 their limpid character is almost a proof that they become purified by filtra- 

 ting through long subterraneous sinuosities; so that time may perhaps 

 have effaced the exterior and superficial traces of a volcano, and the basin 

 of the lake have been, nevertheless, its effect and its crater. Whither do 

 these waters go? This I conceive may be more easily answered, although 

 there is no apparent issue for them." 



From this lake with no visible outlet he supposes there is a filtration 

 northward so as to supply the water of lake Puposky, thus becoming the 

 source of Bloody river, and also southward, where they appear in a little 

 basin at the foot of the hill, about eighty feet in circumference, thus becom- 



