NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION". 253 



half miles, when we reached an elongated body of clear living 

 water, haxning its outflow into Leech Lake. Embarking on this, 

 we crossed it, and entered a narrow stream, winding about in a 

 shaking savanna, where it was found difficult to veer the large 

 five-fathom canoes in which we now travelled. This tortuous 

 stream was joined by a tributary from the right, and at no remote 

 distance, entered an elongated duplicate body of water, named by 

 the Indians KapiJm Sagatmcag, or the Abrupt Discharges.'^ 

 Below the junction of these lakes, which appear to be outbursts 

 from the Hauteur de Terre range, the stream is a wide-flowing 

 river. Its shores abound in sedge, reeds, and wild rice. The last 

 glimpses of daylight left us as this broad river entered into 

 Leech Lake. Moonlight still served us, as we began the traverse 

 of this spreading sea, but it soon became overcast, and it was in- 

 tensely dark before we reached the recurved point of land of the 

 principal chief's village. It was now ten o'clock at night, and it 

 was eleven before the military canoes, under Lieutenant Allen, 

 came up. In the morning a salute was fired by the Indians, who 

 welcomed us. Aishkebuggekozh,f or the Flat-mouth, the reign- 

 ing chief, invited me to breakfast. As this chief exercises a kind 

 of imperial sway over the adjacent country, it was important to 

 respect him. Having sent a dish of hard bread before me, I took 

 my interpreter and went to his residence. I found him living in 

 a tenement built of logs, with two rooms, well floored and roofed, 

 with two small glass windows. At one end of the breakfast-room 

 were extended his flags, medals, and warlike paraphernalia. In 

 the centre of the floor, a large mat of rushes, or Indian-woven 

 apuTcica was spread, and upon this the breakfast and breakfast 

 things were arranged in an orderly manner. There were teacups, 

 teaspoons, plates, knives and forks, all of plain English manufac- 

 ture. A salt-cellar contained salt and pepper mixed in unequal 

 proportions. There were just as many plates as expected guests. 

 A large white fish, boiled, and cut up in good taste, occupied 

 a dish in the centre. There was a dish of sugar made from 

 the acer saccharinum. There were no stools, or chairs, but 



* From the viord puJca, abrupt phenomenon, and the verb saitji, outflowing, 

 f From Aizhenagozze, countenance, and kozh, a bill of a bird, or snout of an ani- 

 mal. The word is appropriately translated guelU by the Canadians. 



