NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 87 



break the line of rock into quadrangles. A species of dark 

 red clay overlies this formation, wliich has been carried by the 

 rains over the face of the cliffs, where, uniting with the atmo- 

 spheric sand and dust, it gives the whole line a pictorial ap- 

 pearance. We almost held our breath in passing the coast; 

 and when, at night, we compared our observations around the 

 camp-fire, there was no one who could recall such a scene of 

 simple novelty and grandeur in any other part of the world ; and 

 all asfreed that, if a storm should have arisen while we were 

 passing, inevitable destruction must have been our lot. We 

 came to Grand Island at a seasonable hour in the evening, and 

 encamped on the margin of its deep and land-locked harbor. Our 

 camp was soon filled with Chippewas from a neighboring village. 

 They honored us in the evening by a dance. Among these 

 dancers, we were impressed with the bearing of a young and 

 graceful warrior, who was the survivor of a* self-devoted war- 

 party of thirteen men, who, having marched against their ancient 

 enemies the Sioux, found themselves surrounded in the plain by 

 superior numbers, and determined to sell their lives at the dearest 

 rate. To this end, they dug holes in the earth, each of which 

 thus becoming a fortification for its inmate, who dared their ad- 

 versaries till overpowered by numbers. One person was selected 

 to return with the news of this heroic sacrifice ; this person had 

 but recently returned, and it was from his lips that we heard the 

 tragic story. 



My mineralogical searches along the shores this day rewarded 

 me \nth. several water-worn fragments of agate, carneliau, zeolite, 

 and prase, which gave me the first intimation of our approach to 

 the trap and amygdaloidal strata, known to be so abundant in their 

 mineral affluence in this quarter. 



We left Grand Island the next morning at six o'clock, and 

 passing through a group of sandstone islands, some of which had 

 had their horizontality disturbed, we came to the mouth of 

 Laughing-fish Eiver, where a curious flux and reflux of water is 

 maintained. From this place, a line of sandstone coast was 

 passed, northwardl}'', till reaching its terminus on the bay of 

 Chocolate Eiver. This is a large and deep bay, which it would 

 have required a day's travel to circumnavigate. To avoid this, the 

 men held their way directly across it, steering N. 70° W., which, 



