NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 185 



There is a Winnebago village, under IIoo Tshoop, or Four Legs, 

 at the point of outlet, where we landed, and as the first rapid 

 begins at that point, creating a delay, I took the occasion to ex- 

 amine its geology more closely, by procuring fresh fractures of the 

 masses of rock in the vicinity. This process, it appeared, was 

 narrowly watched by the Indians, who wondered what such a 

 scrutiny should mean. The French, said the chief to one of 

 our interpreters, formerly held possession of this country ; and, 

 afterwards, came the British. They contented themselves with 

 common things, and never disturbed these rocks, which have 

 been laying here forever. But the moment the Americans get 

 possession of the country, they must come and knock off pieces 

 of the rock, and look at them. It is marvellous ! 



A brilliant mass of native copper, weighing ten or twelve 

 pounds, was found by an Indian, some years ago, on the shores 

 of this lake. The moment he espied it, his imagination was fired, 

 and he fancied he beheld the form of a beautiful female, standing 

 in the water. Glittering in radiancy, she held out in her hand 

 a lump of gold. He paddled his canoe towards her, furtively 

 and slow, but, as he advanced, a transformation gradually ensued. 

 Her eyes lost their brilliancy, her face the glow of life and health, 

 her arms disappeared; and when he reached the spot, the object 

 had changed into a stone monument of the human form, with the 

 tail of a fish. Amazed, he sat awhile in silence; then, lighting his 

 pipe, he offered it the incense of tobacco, and addressed it, as the 

 guardian angel of his country. Lifting the miraculous image 

 gently into his canoe, he took his seat, with his face in an oppo- 

 site direction, and paddled towards shore, on reaching which, and 

 turning round to the object of his regard, he discovered, in its 

 place, nothing but a lump of shining virgin copper. 



Such are the imaginative efforts of this race, who look to the 

 eyes of civilization as if they had themselves faces of stone, and 

 hearts of adamant. 



