Source of fin' ^l!ssi.sf<ij>jH Jin'tr. — Iiroii','1-. 295 
official records of the riiit('(l States government and otherwise, 
witli the following result: 
From the gulf of ]Me.\ico, at the southwest pass, up the chan- 
nel of the river to city of New Orleans 111.00 
From city of New Orleans to mouth of Ohio river 1165.50 
From mouth of Ohio river to city of St. Louis 182.00 
From city of St. Louis to citv of St. Paul 728.75 
•From city of St. Paul to falls of St. Anthony 13.00 
From falls of St. Antliony to AVinnibigoshish lake 432.50 
From Winnibigoshish to range 3(i west of tifth principal me- 
ridian* .....' '. 00.50 
From range IJC west of tifth principal meridian to foot of 
Itasca lake 17.37 
Total 3,540.52 
Thus it ai)peared tliat the main river of tlie Mississippi liasiu 
extends from the gulf of Mexico to the Itasca basin, a limited, 
permanent depression ui)on the surface of the earth at the ulti- 
mate source of the river. 
The geoh)gic and natural features })redicating this conclusion 
are so well known and established that no reference to them 
seems necessary in this communication, excepting the possibility 
that the ^Missouri rivei'. remotely suggested by occasional in- 
quirers, might be called the nuiin river: but inasnuich as it is a 
confluent branch of the main stream, coming in at one side, sim- 
ilar to the Ohio and lied rivers. 1 see no good reason for discus- 
sing that (piestion at this time, nor do 1 deem it necessary to fol- 
low the historic data, however interesting, which has brought to 
our notice and knowledge the existence of the main rivi'r extend- 
ing from the gulf to the Ttasca basin, where it takes its rise, for 
there can be no well-foumled disagreement as to that fact, be- 
cause the discovery of the Mississippi, by piecenu'al. is co-ex- 
tensive with the discovery of the coast line of North America, 
and the facts are indisi)utable. in conseciuence of which I must 
base my reply to your executive communication upon the facts as 
they have been found to exist at ami above Itasca hd<e. which has 
been for so many years recognized as the true soui'ce. To defin- 
itely determiiu' those facts it became my official duty to ascertain 
whence came the waters of Itasca lake. This jvcjuiri'd a line of 
•iTlie otticial .-;iirvi'.\> of thf fnittMl Stnti's exti'iid, ii|)<pii tlif iiiiiiii river, oiil.v to tin- 
[joint where mill,'!' .3(1 west (jf tin' tiftli priiicipiil iiici-i(li;iii iiitersi-cts the ch.-iimi'l of tin- 
river to . '111(1 Im'voimI ltM>c,i l;iki'. Tin' fructioiinl miles jiri- t;iki'ii fioiii the lecord iis it 
•exists.) 
