NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 249 



vigorous growth of wild rice, reeds, and rushes. It is called 

 ^lonoraiua,* by the Chippewas. By this accession, the width and 

 depth of the river are strikingly increased. The Indian reed first 

 appears at this spot. 



While passing through this part of the river, I observed a sin- 

 gular trait in the habits of the onzig duck, which, on being 

 suddenly surprised by the traveller, affects for the moment to be 

 disabled; flapping its wings on the water, as if it could not rise, 

 in order to allow its brood, who are now (July) unfledged, to 

 escape, when the mother instantly rises from the water, and wings 

 her flight vigorously. We observed, sailing above the marshy 

 areas of this fork, the falco furcatus, the feathers of which are 

 much esteemed by the Indians, for this is considered a brave 

 species, as its habit is to seize serpents by the neck, who twist 

 themselves around its elongated body, while it flies off to some 

 convenient perch to devour them. The deer is also noticed along 

 the Itascan fork. Ozawindib landed a little below the junction 

 of the Chemaun, to fire at one of them, which he discovered 

 grazing at some distance ; but, although he carefully landed and 

 crept up crouchingly, he failed in his shot, either from the dis- 

 tance or some other cause. Immediately, he put a fresh charge of 

 powder in his gun, and threw in a bullet, unwadded, and fired again 

 before the animal had made many leaps, but it held its way. 



We descended about eighteen miles below the Piniddiwin, and 

 landed to encamp. The day's descent had been an arduous one. 

 Lieut. Allen estimated it at seventy-five miles. We had now 

 fairly followed the Mississippi out of what may be denoted its 

 Alpine passes. All its dangerous rapids had been overcome. It 

 was now a flowing stream of sixty feet wide. Immediately on 

 landing, one of the Indians captured an animal of the saurian 

 type, called ocaut-e-hinalic,\ eight inches in length, striped blue, 

 black, and white, with four legs of equal length. The colors 

 were very vivid. 



Having reached a part of the stream which could be safely 

 navigated, I resolved to re-embark after supper, and continue the 

 descent by night. We were now about fifteen miles above the 



* From Monominakauning, place of ■mid rice. 

 I From ocaut, a leg, and kinabic, a snake. 



