NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 251 



CHAPTER XXY. 



The expedition proceeds to strike the source of the great Crow-Wing River, by the 

 Indian trail and line of interior portages, by way of Leech Lake, the seat of the 

 warlike tribe of the Pillagers, or Jlukundwa. 



Having, wliile at Sandy Lake, summoned the Indians to meet 

 me in council at the mouth of the L'aile de Corheau, or Crow-AVing 

 River, on the 20th of July, no time was to be lost in proceeding to 

 that place. The 15th, being the Sabbath, was spent at the island, 

 where the Rev. Mr. Boutwell addressed the Indians. The next 

 day, I met the Cass Lake band in council, and, having finished 

 that business, rewarded the Indians for their services and canoes 

 on the trip to Itasca Lake, distributed the presents designed for 

 them, replied to a message from Nezhopenais of Red Lake, and 

 invested Ozawindib with the President's largest silver medal and 

 a flag, and was ready by 10 o'clock A. M. to embark. Dr. 

 Houghton employed the time to complete his vaccinations. I 

 rewarded Mr. Default for taking charge of my camp during the 

 journey to Itasca Lake. As well to shorten the line of travel as 

 to visit an entirely unexplored section of the country, I resolved 

 to pursue the Indian trail and line of interior portages from Cass 

 to Leech Lake, and from the latter to the source of the great Crow- 

 Wing fork. 



Passing southwardly across the lake, between Red Cedar and 

 Garden Islands, we have a prolonged bay running deep into the 

 land, toward the south. This bay is in the direct line to Leech 

 Lake; and as it had been crossed on the ice in January, 1806, by 

 Lieutenant Pike, in his adventurous and meritorious journey of 

 exploration, I called it Pike's Bay. It was twelve o'clock, meri- 

 dian, when we debarked at its head. The portage commenced 

 on the edge of an open pine forest, interspersed with scrub oak. 

 The path is deeply worn, in the sand-plain, and looks as if it had 



