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
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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 1832
Schoolcraft, Henry Rowe
Great Lakes (North America); Mississippi River -- Sources; Northwest, Old -- Description and travel
Inorganic masses are developed, throughout the globe, without regard to
climate. Russia yields the precious metals in great profusion, and there
are no laws governing the distribution of these metals, which forbid the
expectation that they should be abundantly disclosed by the
stratification of the basin of Lake Superior. With respect to the useful
metals, particularly copper and iron, it is undeniably the richest and
most extensive locality of these metals on the globe.[54]
[54] Geological Report, _vide_ Appendix.
CHAPTER VII.
Proceed along the southern coast of Lake Superior from the Ontonagon,
to Fond du Lac--Porcupine range of mountains--Streams that run
from it, at parallel distances, into the lake--La Pointe--Group of
the Federation Islands--River St. Louis--Physical geography of
Lake Superior.
Head winds detained the expedition at the mouth of the Ontonagon, during
the day and the day following that of our arrival from the copper rock.
It was the first of July, at half-past four o'clock, A. M., when the
state of the lake permitted us to embark. Steering west, we now had the
prominent object of the Porcupine Mountains constantly in view. At the
distance of fifteen miles, we passed the Pewabik Seebe, or Iron River.
This stream, after ascending it a couple of miles, is a mere torrent,
pouring from the Porcupine Mountains, over a very rough bed of
grauwakke, which forbids all navigation. At the computed distance of
five leagues beyond this stream, we passed the river called Pusábika, or
Dented River, so called from standing rocks, which resemble broken human
teeth. The Canadians, who, as previously remarked, appear to have had
but a limited geographical vocabulary, called this Carp River,
neglectful of the fact that they had already bestowed the name on a
small river which flows into the bay south of Granite Point.[55] We were
now at the foot of the Kaug range, which is one vast upheaval of
trap-rock, and has lifted the chocolate-colored sandstone, at its base,
into a vertical position. The Pusábika River originates in this high
trap range, from which it is precipitated, at successive leaps, to the
level of the lake, the nearest of which, a cascade of forty feet, is
within three miles of the river's mouth.
[55] Now the seat of the Marquette Iron Works.
Six miles further brought us to the Presque Isle River of the Canadians,
for which I heard no Indian name. It also originates on this lofty trap
range, and has worn its bed through frightful chasms in the grauwackke,
through which it enters the lake. Within half a mile of its entrance,
the river, hastening from its elevations, drops into a vast cauldron
scooped in the grauwackke rock, whence it glides into the lake. Here are
some picturesque and sublime views, worthy the pencil.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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