INTRODUCTION. 



XXV11 



was not only a region of country remote from civilization, known to be uninhabited 

 except by Indians, but noted also as a contested hunting-ground ; a sort of " debate- 

 able land," between the Sioux and their enemies, the Chippewas ; the usual theatre 

 of their forays and their battles. It was well known, also, that the Sioux had, 

 some months before, committed certain depredations on the Chippewas ; and the 

 voyageurs feared to encounter the war-parties of the latter tribe, who, it was sup- 

 posed, were then lying in wait, bent on retaliation. 



After the refusal of the first engaged voyageurs, I hired another set, but with no 

 better success. As the time appointed for starting approached, one after another 

 was found missing, deterred by the expected dangers of the way. And I was finally 

 obliged to leave the post, with no more effective force than a pilot, who would not 

 promise to go beyond Otter Tail Lake, and three young, inexperienced men, whom 

 we had brought with us from Prairie du Chien and St. Paul's, who knew nothing 

 of the route before us, and but little more of the management of a birch-bark canoe, 

 than did we ourselves. 



Under these unpropitious circumstances we commenced our voyage up Crow 

 Wing River. After poling up this stream for a few hours, we were hailed, from 

 the rear, by Dr. Norwood, who had followed after to apprise us that he had suc- 

 ceeded, after our departure, in engaging the services of another young voyageur, 

 who had just arrived from one of the northern posts, and who agreed to follow 

 after us on foot the next day, so as to join us at a portage which leads to a lake on 

 the north side of Crow Wing River. Here we promised to await him. 



The whole of the next day was passed in hourly expectation of the arrival of 

 our expected recruit ; but we had the vexation of seeing the sun set without his 

 making his appearance ; and the following morning we proceeded on our route, in 

 the full belief that he also had, on maturer deliberation, repented of his engage- 

 ment. Much to our surprise, however, at eight o'clock in the morning of the next 

 day, he emerged from a thicket on the north bank of the river, a few yards above 

 our canoes. He had missed, as it appeared, the place of rendezvous, and had been 

 wandering for two days in the woods bordering the river, in hopes of discovering 

 something of us, having eaten nothing for a day and a half. After refreshing 

 himself, he took his position in the bow of one of the canoes, and we proceeded on 

 our journey, congratulating ourselves upon this new acquisition to our force, the 

 rather as the young man had exhibited so much perseverance and determination in 

 following us up thus far. Our congratulations, however, proved to be premature. 

 When we reached the outlet from Otter Tail Lake into Red River, the point where 

 our pilot had conditioned to leave us, the prospect of entering an uninhabited 

 wilderness, which the Indians themselves are fain to avoid, unless prepared for 

 war, proved too much for the young voyageurs nerves ; so that, when the parting- 

 was about to take place between nephew and uncle (for it appeared that this 



