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Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820: Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe

History

Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820: Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832

Name: Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820: Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832
Author: Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe

Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe

Great Lakes (North America); Mississippi River -- Sources; Northwest, Old -- Description and travel

The Fox River, after having displayed itself in the lake, leaves it, at
its northern extremity, flowing by a succession of rapids and falls over
horizontal limestones to the head of Green Bay. There is a Winnebago
village, under Hoo Tshoop, or Four Legs, at the point of outlet, where
we landed, and as the first rapid begins at that point, creating a
delay, I took the occasion to examine its geology more closely, by
procuring fresh fractures of the masses of rock in the vicinity. This
process, it appeared, was narrowly watched by the Indians, who wondered
what such a scrutiny should mean. The French, said the chief to one of
our interpreters, formerly held possession of this country; and,
afterwards, came the British. They contented themselves with common
things, and never disturbed these rocks, which have been laying here
forever. But the moment the Americans get possession of the country,
they must come and knock off pieces of the rock, and look at them. It is
marvellous!

A brilliant mass of native copper, weighing ten or twelve pounds, was
found by an Indian, some years ago, on the shores of this lake. The
moment he espied it, his imagination was fired, and he fancied he beheld
the form of a beautiful female, standing in the water. Glittering in
radiancy, she held out in her hand a lump of gold. He paddled his canoe
towards her, furtively and slow, but, as he advanced, a transformation
gradually ensued. Her eyes lost their brilliancy, her face the glow of
life and health, her arms disappeared; and when he reached the spot, the
object had changed into a stone monument of the human form, with the
tail of a fish. Amazed, he sat awhile in silence; then, lighting his
pipe, he offered it the incense of tobacco, and addressed it, as the
guardian angel of his country. Lifting the miraculous image gently into
his canoe, he took his seat, with his face in an opposite direction, and
paddled towards shore, on reaching which, and turning round to the
object of his regard, he discovered, in its place, nothing but a lump of
shining virgin copper.

Such are the imaginative efforts of this race, who look to the eyes of
civilization as if they had themselves faces of stone, and hearts of
adamant.




CHAPTER XVII.

  Descent of the Fox River from Winnebago Lake to Green
    Bay--Incidents--Etymology, conchology, mineralogy--Falls of the
    Konomic and Kakala--Population and antiquity of the settlement of
    Green Bay--Appearances of a tide, not sustained.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820: Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe

History

Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820: Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832

Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe

Great Lakes (North America); Mississippi River -- Sources; Northwest, Old -- Description and travel

The Fox River, after having displayed itself in the lake, leaves it, at
its northern extremity, flowing by a succession of rapids and falls over
horizontal limestones to the head of Green Bay. There is a Winnebago
village, under Hoo Tshoop, or Four Legs, at the point of outlet, where
we landed, and as the first rapid begins at that point, creating a
delay, I took the occasion to examine its geology more closely, by
procuring fresh fractures of the masses of rock in the vicinity. This
process, it appeared, was narrowly watched by the Indians, who wondered
what such a scrutiny should mean. The French, said the chief to one of
our interpreters, formerly held possession of this country; and,
afterwards, came the British. They contented themselves with common
things, and never disturbed these rocks, which have been laying here
forever. But the moment the Americans get possession of the country,
they must come and knock off pieces of the rock, and look at them. It is
marvellous!

A brilliant mass of native copper, weighing ten or twelve pounds, was
found by an Indian, some years ago, on the shores of this lake. The
moment he espied it, his imagination was fired, and he fancied he beheld
the form of a beautiful female, standing in the water. Glittering in
radiancy, she held out in her hand a lump of gold. He paddled his canoe
towards her, furtively and slow, but, as he advanced, a transformation
gradually ensued. Her eyes lost their brilliancy, her face the glow of
life and health, her arms disappeared; and when he reached the spot, the
object had changed into a stone monument of the human form, with the
tail of a fish. Amazed, he sat awhile in silence; then, lighting his
pipe, he offered it the incense of tobacco, and addressed it, as the
guardian angel of his country. Lifting the miraculous image gently into
his canoe, he took his seat, with his face in an opposite direction, and
paddled towards shore, on reaching which, and turning round to the
object of his regard, he discovered, in its place, nothing but a lump of
shining virgin copper.

Such are the imaginative efforts of this race, who look to the eyes of
civilization as if they had themselves faces of stone, and hearts of
adamant.




CHAPTER XVII.

  Descent of the Fox River from Winnebago Lake to Green
    Bay--Incidents--Etymology, conchology, mineralogy--Falls of the
    Konomic and Kakala--Population and antiquity of the settlement of
    Green Bay--Appearances of a tide, not sustained.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820: Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832

Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820: Resumed and Completed, by the Discovery of its Origin in Itasca Lake, in 1832

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