[ 237 ] 108 



But Mr. W. W. Malher, late of tlie United States army, and at present one 

 of the geologists of the State of New York, was the first to institute a reg- 

 ular survey, when he accompanied Mr. G. \V. Featherstonhauoh in his 

 '= Geological Reminiscences" through the region of the great lakes, to the 

 CoteciU des Prairies. I have made (again assisted by Lieut. Fremont) sur- 

 veys of this same river, from its junction with the Mississippi up to its 

 sources; which are not, as was supposed, at the foot of the Coteau des 

 Prairies, but among a magnificent group of lakes upon the plateau, and at 

 the very head of the Coteau itself. 



Tlie surveys of the rivers Des Moines and Wazi-oju were made, under 

 my directions, by Mr. Fi6mont ; those of the St. Croix by Messrs. Henry 

 R. Schoolcraft and Allen, (lieutenant U. S. A..) in 1S32, and by myself in 

 1837. 



The reconnoissance of the Mississippi has been well executed by these 

 same gentlemen, in their expedition of 1832, from Itasca lake to Sandy 

 lake. 1 do net differ from them, so far as the details are perceptible on the 

 map, over this long route, except as regards the distance between the em- 

 bouchures of Leech Lake and Pagadewan rivers. This distance, which 

 they make to be at least ten miles, I have made only three miles. The 

 error, probably, is in the information given to these geographers ; they hav- 

 ing left the Mississippi at the entry of Pagadewan river, (or Lacrosse river,) 

 to get to lake Winibigoshish ; while 1 had the advantage of returning by 

 Leech Lake river, of visiting the junction of both rivers with the Missis- 

 sippi, and of taking an approximate position of the first of the two, before 

 encamping upon the point of the great savannah which the Chippeways call 

 Kichi bitohig. There remains still a short portion to the west of Pagadewan 

 river, which neither of us has explored. But a traveller cannot see every- 

 thing; he has often to yield to circumstances which he cannot influence or 

 control. 



In point of fact, there are, in this northern part of the United States, 

 portions of country more unknown now than they were formerly. For ex- 

 ample : the districts watered by the Vermillion Lake river and St. Louis 

 river, were, from time immemorial, the way of communicating with the in- 

 terior as long as the Indian trade was in the hands of the French or the 

 British. But, since the United States have taken possession of the terri- 

 tory south of Rainy river, the intercourse between the Americans and the 

 British traders has entirely ceased. That small region is still a complete 

 wilderness,- very little known, and of difficult exploration. It is now laid 

 down from the best information that the Indians could furnish, or the sur- 

 veys for settling the north boundary could procure. The same may be said 

 of Otter-tail lake and the sources of the Red river of the North, that are in 

 a country formerly occupied by Indian traders, whom the turbulence of the 

 Chippeways has forced away. As it is still a permanent theatre of the wars 

 of these last with the Sioux, the guides to be procured from either of these 

 tribes refuse to conduct one thither, lest they themselves might fall in v/ith 

 enemies. 



I have twice had opportunity of making surveys of the Mississippi 

 from Sandy lake down to St. Peter's, and thence to Prairie du Chien and 

 the Kipi saging, or ^^ obstructed mouth" (in allusion to the mouth of the 

 Wisconsin,) of the Chippeways, which is below this growing town. As 

 to the first portion, I find it very different from the representations given 

 in existing maps. I suppose that in this the geographers (my predeces- 



