I 237 ] 72 



passing through the upper portion of Wisconsin, reaches the State ol 

 iVIichigan. 



The two natural caves which I have mentioned above, are on the left 

 banic of the Mississippi — one four miles below St. Peter's, and the other 

 eight miles. Both are in the sandstone, but at different elevations. The 

 former is on a level with the river, and is reached through a short ravine, 

 along the limpid streamlet that issues from it. Many authors have thought 

 this to be the cave described by Carver, but erroneously. It would, in 

 fact, be only necessary to compare the locality with Carvers description, 

 to be at once convinced. The cave now referred to is of recent forma- 

 tion. The aged Sioux say that it did not exist formerly. They attach 

 no consequence to it. It has to them no ceremonial association. They 

 scarcely ever visit it, and there are none of their hieroglyphics upon its 

 sides or floor. It owes its formation to the dislocation and decomposition, 

 of the upland limestone, which have left sloughy places; the waters of 

 which have penetrated into the sandstone, wearing it away, and giving 

 origin to the streamlet that issues from it. Tiie location of this cave is on 

 my map designated as the iiew cave. 



The second, four miles below the former, is that described by Carver. 

 Its entrance has been, for more than thirty years, closed by the disintegra- 

 ted debris of the limestone capping the sandstone in which it is located. 

 On the 3d of July, 1837, with the assistance of Messrs. Campbell and 

 Q.uinn — the former an interpreter for the Sioux, the latter for the Chip- 

 peways — 1 set about clearing this entrance ; which, by-the-bye, was no 

 easy work, for on the 5th we were about abandoning the job, when, 

 unexpectedly, we found that we had made an opening into it ; and al- 

 though we had not entirely disencumbered it of its rubbish, I saw enough 

 to satisfy me of the accuracy of Carver's description. The lake mentioned 

 by him is there ; but I could only see a segment of the cave, a portion of 

 its roof being too near the surface of the water to enable me to proceed any 

 farther. A Chippeway warrior made a long harangue on the occasion ; 

 throwing his knife into the lake, as an offering to Wakatiiibi, the spirit of 

 the grottoes. 



The ascent to the cave is by a rapid slope : and on the rocks that form 

 a wall to the left, there are a number of ancient Sioux hieroglyphics, that 

 mean nothing more than to indicate the names of Indians that have at 

 various times visiied this natural curiosity. 



On leaving the cave and reaching the river, a stroll of a few yards to 

 the left, by keeping close to the rocks, brought us upon a sweet, limpid, 

 and copious sjjring, which had remained for a loncj time unknown, in 

 consequence of the shingle and brush that conceal its outlet. This is 

 evidently the issue of the waters of the Grotto lake ; and their abundance 

 indicates that the lake is v/ell fed, and doubtless occupies a considerable 

 space within the mountain. On the high grounds above the cave there are 

 some Indian mounds, to which the Indians belonging to the tribe of Mdewa- 

 kantoniauus formerly transported the bones of the deceased members of 

 their families. 



I regret that I cannot, in this place, and at this time, introduce some 

 irovel and interesting details concerning the seven tribes that compose 

 this great nation of the Sioux. But want of health principally, together 

 ■with want of lime on this particular occasion, prevent me. I have, then, 

 no more to do to close this report, than to submit some special considera- 



