66 



The National Geographic Magazine 



THE FATHER OF WATERS. BY HON. THEO- 

 DORE BURTON 



The name "Father of Waters," or 

 "Father of Running Waters," was first 

 given by the Chippewa Indians, located 

 south and west of Lake Superior, because 

 they regarded the river as the greatest 

 in the world. The French explorers ac- 

 cepted this name, May-see-see-bee, and 

 since that day this appellation has been 

 regarded not as a local exaggeration of 

 the aborigines, but as a correct desig- 

 nation for this mighty river. 



It is not only customary but appropri- 

 ate to speak of the Mississippi in super- 

 latives. True, it is surpassed in some 



ESKIMO COOKING POT MADE FROM STONE, 

 AT KING WILLIAMS LAND 



particulars by other streams. Its drain- 

 age area is not so large as that of the 

 Amazon or the Nile, and is equaled if 

 not excelled by those of the Obi, the 

 Congo, and the Rio de la Plata. There 

 are perhaps ten or twelve rivers that 

 carry to the sea a greater volume of 

 water than does the Mississippi. In the 

 population of the area tributary to it it 

 is exceeded by the Ganges and by at least 

 one river of China. The traffic that is 

 borne upon its waters is far exceeded by 

 that of the Rhine, the Volga, and by 

 other minor rivers of Europe and of the 

 United States. But in all the essential 

 qualities which belong to a great river 

 and a great river valley, as well as in 



those which make for modern progress, 

 the Mississippi far excels them all. 



The most notable characteristic of the 

 Mississippi is its infinite variety, mani- 

 fested alike in products, climate, soil 

 and population. This is partially due to 

 the fact that, unlike most of the other 

 leading rivers of the earth, it flows from 

 north to south, and nearly in a direct line. 

 This same variety is exhibited in the 

 motives and great events which are 

 chronicled in the history of its discovery 

 and the early settlement of the valley. It 

 has been sometimes said that Vespucius, 

 in the year 1498, passed by the mouth of 

 the Mississippi, but the records of his 

 voyages are of such uncertain au- 

 thenticity that we cannot rely 

 upon them. Other Spanish ex- 

 plorers — Pineda in 15 19, Nar- 

 vaez and De Vaca in 1528 — saw 

 the mouth of the Mississippi, but 

 did not enter the promised land. 

 The first expedition to cross the 

 river or travel extensively upon 

 its waters was that of De Soto ; 

 his included the flower of the 

 Castilian youth, and was actuated 

 by cupidity, the discovery of the 

 Mississippi in early May, 1541, 

 being a mere incident. 



Entirely different in nature 

 were the French explorations of 

 132 years later. Father Marquette, in 

 1673, was moved by religious zeal, 

 and when ordered to proceed toward 

 the river wrote of "the happy neces- 

 sity of exposing his life for the sal- 

 vation of those nations, and particu- 

 larly for the Illinois." He passed down 

 from the mouth of the Wisconsin to 

 the mouth of the Arkansas, starting 

 out with the supposition that the 

 great northerly portion of the river 

 flowed to the Gulf of California 

 or the Pacific Ocean. His expedi- 

 tion may be termed a discovery, be- 

 cause it established the identity 

 between the northerly and southerly 



