The Unpublished Works of Joseph Le Conte. 237 



When twenty-one years of age, the year before his degree as 

 Doctor of Medicine was conferred, the subject of this sketch 

 made his first noteworthy geological excursion. In his autobi- 

 ography this prospecting and exploring expedition to the now 

 famous mining district of the south shore of Lake Superior, is 

 dwelt upon with keen pleasure as being the means of leading the 

 young student into the field of science in which he gained dis- 

 tinction. In this expedition, which was the first of its kind, 

 the travelers cruised in boats from the lower lakes to Keewe- 

 naw Point, where they had many adventures in the prospec- 

 tors' camp. From this place Le Conte and his cousin went 

 with the gold hunters and some Indians on a long canoe vo}'- 

 age along the south shore to the present site of Duluth, and 

 thence to the upper waters of the Mississippi and down to the 

 Falls of St. Anthony. The part of the country along which 

 they traveled was entirely uninhabited, and upon the site of 

 the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul not a cabin was raised. 



Dr. Le Conte began the practice of medicine in Macon, 

 Georgia, in 1845. In 1847 he married Caroline Elizabeth 

 Nisbet. They had four children. Two married daughters 

 are now living in Georgia, while a daughter and a son lately 

 married are living in Berkeley with Mrs. Le Conte. 



In 1850 attracted by the fame of Agassiz, Le Conte decided, 

 almost within a day, to give up medicine, which had never 

 been a congenial profession to him, and so leaving their newly 

 built home, Mr. and Mrs. Le Conte went to Cambridge, where 

 their second child was born in an old historic house upon the 

 campus of Harvard, This child during subsequent visits to 

 the home of Agassiz, became the playfellow ot the great in- 

 terpreter of nature, and Professor Le Conte used to tell with 

 much amusement of his discovery of the great Agassiz upon 

 his hands and knees, playing horse with the little girl. In 

 1857, with Agassiz, Dr. Le Conte made a study of the keys 

 and reefs of Florida. Late ia this same year, having received 

 the degree of B. S. at Harvard, he returned to Georgia and 

 was elected to the chair of natural science in Ogelthorpe 



