EXPLORATIONS FROM A. D. 1832 To A. D. 1844. Al 
flattering invitation from the War Department and Topographical Bureau to repair to Wash- 
ington. The result of my travels was made known to these departments, upon which they 
thought proper to intrust me with the command of an expedition to enable me to complete, to 
the greatest advantage, a scheme which I had already projected on my visit to the far west, 
namely, the construction of a geographical and MM np of the "m explored.” 
This was in the spring of 1838. = 
The years 1838 and 1839 were cubi Siu assisted by Liott. Fitment 
Mr. Nicollet had nearly completed the map, and written a portion of his report, when death 
put an end to his labors before he was enabled to finish it, or to revise what had been previously 
written. The report does not, therefore, do justice to the surveys, and it is impossible to 
specify the routes he pursued except for the years of 1836, 1838, and 1839, and somewhat 
imperfectly for these, even though I have consulted his original notes in the Topographical 
Bureau. The reconnaissances of these years are the ones which, topographically, have at 
present the greatest value, as nearly all the others made by him have since been replaced by 
more accurate surveys under the General Land Office. Wherever Mr. Nicollet went he was 
indefatigable in the use of the telescope for observing occultations and eclipses, and of the 
sextant, with which he was very skilful; with these, a pocket chronometer, artificial horizon 
of mercury, and ‘barometer, he obtained results WM remarkable dum for the means 
employed. 
On the 26th of July, 1836, Mr. Nicollet "-— from St. — near Fort Snelling, a ath 
ascended the Mississippi to the mouth of Crow apis Leaving the latter stream unt 
distance of three miles from its mouth, he ascended the Gayashk or Gull river, d 
the lake of this name, and proceeded as p as: Pine river, taking occasion to visit Lake Kadi- 
komeg, (White Fish lake;) then di t fork of Pine river, he reached the K wiwison, 
or Little Boy river, which he descended EPO lakes and over small rapids to 
Leech lake. After crossing several small lakes, he reached the one called Kabekona; follow- 
ing up the river of this name to its source, he made a short portage of five miles, which brought 
him to the river La Place, which he ascended to Assawe lake. From this point he crossed over 
to Lake Itasca, and examined in detail the streams unica it, and determined the one 
which ‘‘is truly the infant peo dudit Mr. Nicollet's 
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In nelling, and on an 
excursion to the northeast by way of the St. € Orpix river. to-Madeli ; island; thence to Fond 
du Lac, and up the St. Louis river to the portage: across to-Sandy debes thence he returned to 
the mouth of the Saint Peter's. — 
In 1838 Mr. Nicollet, now for the first time in the service of the government, started from 
Fort Snelling, accompanied by Lieut. Frémont; they ascended the St. Peter's or Minnesota 
river to the mouth of the Waraju, and passed up the valley of this river to its source in the 
Cóteau du Prairie. Continuing to the westward, they examined the source of the Des Moines 
river, and the Indian red pipe stone quarry; thence turning north they examined Lake Benton; 
travelling west Seen hiv point they struck the Big Sioux river, crossed over and ex nined 
1 , Preston, Poinsett, ana Abert; and leaving th "ei Sioux P ENE. a Le او‎ 
of Redwood k, took a northeasterly e to Lake Tizaptona: و مدمه‎ veceded 
down the Intpah to loc qui Pale. Å “They now ascended the St. و وود‎ ne Osey 
