NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 197 



ginica, and T. liatris, and squarrosa scariosa * Bj scrutinizing the 

 wave-moved pebble-drift along shore, it is evident that inferior 

 positions, in the geological basin of Lake Michigan, contain slaty, 

 or bituminous coal, masses of which were developed. 



The next day's journey, 28th, carried us forty miles, in whicb 

 distance, the most noticeable fact in the topography of the coast, 

 was the entrance of the Racine, orEoot River ;t its eligible shores 

 being occupied by some Pottawattomie lodges. Having reached 

 within ten or twelve miles of Chicago, and being anxious to make 

 that point, we were in motion at a very early hour on the morn- 

 ing of the 29th, and reached the village at five o'clock A. M. 

 We found four or five families living here, the principal of which 

 were those of Mr. John Kinzie, Dr. A. Wolcott, J. B. Bobian, and 

 Mr. J. Crafts, the latter living a short distance up the river. The 

 Pottawattomies, to whom this site is the capital of their trade, ap- 

 peared to be lords of the soil, and truly are entitled to the epithet, 

 if laziness, and an utter inappreciation of the value of time, be a 

 test of lordliness. Dr. Wolcott, being the U. S. Agent for this 

 tribe, found himself at home here, and constitutes no further, a 

 member of the expedition. Gov. Cass determined to return to 

 Detroit from this point, on horseback, across the peninsula of 

 Michigan, accompanied by Lt. Mackay, U. S. A., Maj. Forsyth, 

 his private secretary, and the necessary number of men and pack 

 horses to prepare their night encampments. This left Capt. 

 Douglass and myself to continue the survey of the Lakes, and 

 after reaching Michilimackinac and rejoining the party of Mr. 

 Trowbridge, to return to Detroit from that point. 



The preparation for these ends occupied a couple of days, which 

 gave us an opportunity to scan the vicinity. We found the post 

 (Fort Dearborn) under the command of Capt. Bradley, with a 

 force of one hundred and sixty men. The river is ample and 

 deep for a few miles, but is utterly choked up by the lake sands, 

 through which, behind a masked margin, it oozes its way for a 



* Dr. J. Torrey, Am. Joiirn. Science, vol. 4. p. 56. 



I R.^ciSE. — This is now the second city in size in the State of Wisconsin. By 

 the census of 1850, its population is 5,110. It has a harbor which admits vessels 

 drawing twelve feet water; it has fourteen churches, a high school, college, bank, 

 several newspapers, three ship-ynrds, and exhibits more than two millions of im- 

 ports and exports. The settlement was commenced iu 1835. 



