128 NARRATIVE, &c 



hours, urged our way up rapids and swift channels, made by 

 the broken and angular character of this stratum. We reached 

 the foot of the falls, and encamped there at eight o'clock in 

 the evening. 



The word " falls," as applied here, is but another name for 

 impracticable rapids. The river tears its way through a vast 

 bed of greenstone, whose black and square masses, stand on 

 either side, and in the bed of the stream. Common quartz, im- 

 perfectly chrystalized, is seen in the mass, and is the sole mine- 

 ral apparent, although a more attentive search may disclose 

 others. A portage of four hundred yards is made to avoid the 

 falls. But there is still a series of rapids, extending, with short 

 interruptions, several miles above. 



The physical character of this spot is such as to arrest a passing 

 attention ; but it is inferior to the moral interest arrising out of 

 it. It is the battle groand of Wahb Ojeeg, a celebrated Chippe- 

 wa war chief of the last century, and testifies to an event in In- 

 dian tradition, which is not so remote as to be added to the events 

 of the oblivious years of their residence upon this continent. We 

 have neither time nor space to enter into details of this kind, 

 and can merely advert to the incident we have named. Like 

 most of the incidents of Indian warfare in the region, it is con- 

 nected with the restless spirit, erratic adventure, and ambitious 

 daring of the tribes who are, this season, (1832,) arrayed in hos- 

 tility to the settlements on the Wisconsin. It is one of the links 

 of the curious chain of history, of the Sauc and Fox tribes, who 

 have fought their way from the St. Lawrence, thus far across 

 the continent, and been successively embroiled, with each of the 

 white powers, and, perhaps with some exceptions, with each of 

 the Indian tribes of the north. They appear, by their language 

 and traditions, to be Algonquins, and may be traced, as a start- 

 ing point, to the north shores of Lake Ontario. They appear 

 to have been driven thence for perfidy. They attacked the 

 fort of Detroit, unsuccessfully. They lived long at, and gave 

 name to Sagana. They went to the Fox River of Green 



