PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS. 10 



CHAPTER II. 



Farther observations on the exploration of the Upper Mississippi, an I 

 the tliscovt n/ of its sourer. — An e xp e di tion authorised hi/ th>: United 

 states gove rnm ent, in L832. — Its organization, objects, and route, — 

 Leave* St. Mary, and proceeds through Lake Superior. — Sketch of 



this lake. — Xotice of the murder of Brunei, by an Indian, in 1881. — 

 Mission at Lapointe, or ChagOimegOn* — The importance of this point 

 in Indian history. — Mongoxid, \Yuhbojeeg. — Meet Ozawindib, at the 

 lirulc. — Route to Sandy Lake, on the Upper Mississippi. — Portagee 

 on the St. Jjouis. — The Savanna portage — Sandy Lake. — Assassina- 

 tion of Mr. Kay. 



Early in 1832, the plan of visiting the source of the Mississip- 

 pi, was resumed. And a memoir for its execution, accompanied 

 by estimates, forwarded to the Department of War, which recei- 

 ved the sanction of the Hon. L. Cass, then placed at the head 

 of that department. An expedition was accordingly organized, 

 consisting of thirty persons, including an officer of the army, 

 detached, with ten men, for topographical duty, a surgeon and 

 geologist, an interpreter of the language, and a missionary to the 

 north-western Indians, who was invited to accompany the explo- 

 ring party. This expedition was based on a renewal of the 

 effort to effect a permanent peace with the two principal Indian 

 nations, who inhabit that region, and whose continued feuds, 

 not only weaken and harrass each other, but embarrass the trade, 

 interrupt the execution of the intercourse laws, and involve the 

 lives and property of the frontier inhabitants. Additional weight 

 WIS given to these considerations, by the unquiet state of the 

 Indians on the Upper Mississippi, which broke out in open hos- 

 tility during the year. These reasons were connected with the 

 supervision o£ the trade, the acquisition of statistical facts, and 

 the carrying into effect an act of Congress of that year, for exten- 



