298 APPENDIX. 



The stream is a mere brook, coming over the shelving sand rock, 

 which is a part of the precipitous range of the Pictured Eocks.] 



Sir A. Mackenzie passed through Lake Superior, on his first 

 voyage of discovery, in 1789. He remarks: "At the Eiver Ten- 

 nagon (Ontonagon) is found a quantity of virgin copper. The 

 Americans, soon after they got possession of the country, sent 

 an agent thither; and I should not be surprised to hear of their 

 employing people to work the mine. Indeed, it might be well 

 worthy the attention of the British subjects to work the mines 

 on the north coast, though they are not supposed to be so rich as 

 those on the south." — Voyages from Montreal through the Continent 

 of North America. 



It is difficult to conceive what, however, is apparent, from the 

 references of Dr. Franklin to the subject, that the supposed mine- 

 ral riches of Lake Superior had an important bearing on the dis- 

 cussions for settling the ultimate northern boundary of the United 

 States. The British ambassadors had, it seems, from an old map 

 which is before me, claimed a line through the Straits of Michili- 

 mackinac and the Illinois and Mississippi rivers, to the Gulf of 

 Mexico. 



The attention of the United States Government appears first 

 to have been turned toward the subject during the administration 

 of President John Adams, when the sudden augmentation of the 

 navy rendered the employment of copper in the equipment of 

 ships an object of moment. A mission was therefore authorized 

 to proceed to Lake Superior, of the success of which, as it has 

 not been communicated to the public, nothing can, with certainty, 

 be stated; but from inquiries which have been made during the 

 recent expedition, it is rendered probable that the actual state of 

 our Indian relations, at the time, arrested the advance of the 

 of&cer into the region where the most valuable beds of copper 

 were supposed to exist, and that the specimens transmitted to 

 Government were procured through the instrumentality of some 

 friendly Indians, employed for the purpose. 



Such are the lights which those who have preceded me in this 

 inquiry have thrown upon the subject, all of which have operated 

 in producing public belief in the existence of extensive copper 

 mines on Lake Superior. Travellers have generally coincided 

 that the southern shore of the lake is most metalliferous, a ad 



