_Council with the Chippewas at Cass Lake.—Speeches of Oza
Windib, Neezh Opinais, and Wai Wain Jeegun.—Distribution
of presents.—Geographical and Geological notices of Cass
Lake.—Colcaspi Isle.—Allen’s Bay.—Pike’s Bay.—Heights and
distances.—Tributary of Turtle River.—Turtle Lake.—Portage from
Cass Lake to Leech Lake.—Hieroglyphic marks.—Moss Lake.—Reach
Lake Shiba.—The source of the River Shiba flowing into Leech
Lake.—Traverse Leech Lake at night, and encamp at Guelle Plat’s
village.—Received by the Indians with respect.—Description
of Leech Lake.—Its population and principal Chiefs.—Warlike
character of the Pillagers.—Efforts made by them to defend the
Chippewa frontiers.—Their warfare defensive._
Health, and a peaceable intercourse with the natives, had, under
Providence, preserved our party at the island in Cass Lake, and we
rejoined them in their encampment, with mutual pleasure. The day
following our arrival, being Monday, was devoted to the formalities of
a council with the Indians. I stated to them the objects of my visit
to the region, so far as these related to them—the desire felt by
the Government for their welfare, and its anxiety to cultivate their
friendship—and endeavored to impress upon their minds, the importance
of terminating their warfare with their hereditary enemies, the Sioux.
Oza Windib spoke in reply. Thanks, he said, were all they had to
offer me, and through me, to the Great Chief of America, for the
charitable feelings which had led to my visit, and the good counsels
he had received. He should remember these counsels. They would be
kept in his heart. He would endeavor to act by them. And although not
himself a Chief, or the son of a Chief, he would exert the influence
he possessed, to induce his people to live in peace, and to listen to
the voice of counsel. He rejoiced to see the American flag displayed
at this remote point, and should the master of life preserve him
till another year, it was his fixed purpose to visit the Agency at
Michilimackinac.
The son of Neezh Openais, or the Twin Birds, followed him. He said
his father had received his medal from the American Chief, (the
present Secretary of War, Hon. Lewis Cass.) who had visited, this
lake, thirteen summers before. His father was now at Red Lake, but in
going there, he had carried with him his friendship for the American
Government, and he had directed him to express it to me, and to unite
in the promotion of any good measure proposed. He assented to the
sentiments uttered by Oza Windib. He approved of the advice. He would
act by it. He thanked me, as being the bearer of it, and he looked to
me to direct the Chippewas in their affairs, and to make them prosper.
A deputy from the band at Red Lake, then delivered a peace pipe, with
its garnished stem, decked with feathers, from Wai Wain Jeegun, a War
Chief of that lake. He had sent it, it was declared, as a token of
his friendship—his remembrance of the power that permitted traders to
come into their country to supply them with goods, and his hope and
expectation, that his remote position, and limited authority, might not
operate, to render his present unwelcome. It had been prepared by his
own hand. Although he had wielded the war club, it was in self defence,
and to prevent others from saying he is a coward. The peace pipe he
offered, he smoked, however, with his heart.
The distribution of presents to the promiscuous assembly of men,
women, and children, the payment of those who had furnished canoes,
and the rewarding of the guides, closed the business of the council. I
invested Oza Windib with a flag and the President’s medal, delivered
a flag into the hands of Neezh Openais, for his father, and sent a
message, with an acknowledgment and presents, to Wai Wain Jeegun. These
things dispatched, we prepared to embark for the portage to Leech Lake.
But previous to quitting this lake, it may be proper to subjoin a few
particulars respecting it, which, from a desire to gain a more perfect
knowledge of it, were omitted, on first entering it.
Cass Lake occupies a position on the American continent, and
particularly in relation to the Upper Mississippi, which makes it
desirable to acquire more accurate details and observations than it
fell to our lot to be enabled to make. But in the absence of such
data, such facts as our means permitted, may be substituted. We were
impressed with its extent, the picturesque character of its islands,
and the diversified appearance of its very irregular woodland shores.
Its geological features are similar to those of Leech Lake and Lake
Winnipec, being a basin of diluvial formation, spotted with islands,
occupying a position on the great marine sand district of the Upper
Mississippi. This district abounds in pure springs, and is so
impervious in its lower strata, that it has probably retained to the
present day, more water in the character of lakes, large and small,
than any other part of the world. The greatest expanse of the lake
appears to lie in the direction from north to south. Its length is from
northeast to south-west. From the time consumed in passing through it,
it cannot fall short of sixteen miles. It has four islands, the largest
of which Colcaspi or Grand Island, which is itself of a most striking
shape, occupying a large area in its centre and presenting its green
forests of elm and oak in striking contrast with the bright expanse of
waters. Allen’s Bay[9] is, properly the head of this lake, receiving
the Mississippi from the west. Nothing, however, in the mere figure of
the lake, is so characteristic as the noble bay which puts out from its
southern shore, presenting an expanse of clear and deep water which
we were an hour, with every exertion, in crossing transversely. This
bay was visited on the ice by the late General Pike, in his search
of the sources of the Mississippi in the winter of 1806, and it may
be appropriately named after a man, who, both as a traveller and a
soldier, has so fair a claim to remembrance.
Cass Lake has been estimated to be within a few miles of 3,000 from the
Gulf of Mexico, and to lie at an elevation of 1,330 feet above that
point of the Atlantic waters; its distance northwest of Sandy Lake, is
about two hundred and seventy miles, and of Fond du Lac, four hundred
and twenty miles. Estimates make it one hundred and eighty-two miles
below the true source of the Mississippi in Itasca Lake, and sixty
south of Red Lake. It receives Turtle River on its northern shore.
This river is ascended through eleven small lakes, a distance of about
thirty-eight to forty miles to its origin in Turtle Lake, once deemed
to be the source of the Mississippi.[10] There is a portage from the
lake, for light packages of goods, across the summit level of the
Mississippi valley into Red Lake, and the fertile valley of Red river.
The latter embraces the settlements planted by the Earl of Selkirk,
the inhabitants of which maintained their existence for several years
against the strenuous opposition of the North West Company, and they
appear now to be in a state of comparative prosperity under the
direction of a local governor, council, and clergy.
The portage from Pike’s Bay, (where we arrived at twelve o’clock in
the morning, after a two hours journey from the island,) commences
on the edge of an open pine forest, interspersed with shrub oak. The
path is deeply worn, and looks as if it might have been used by the
Indians, for centuries. It lies across a plain presenting the usual
aridity of similar formations, and exhibiting the usual growth of
underbrush and shrubbery. I observed the alum root, harebell and sweet
fern, scattered through the more prevalent growth of wortle berry, L.
latifolia, &c. Markings and hieroglyphic characters were pointed out to
us on the pines, some of which were said to be so ancient as to have
been made by the people who occupied the country before the Ojibwais.
Of the truth of this assertion there did not appear to be any certain
means of judging. A blaze on the pinus resinosa, if made upon a matured
tree, may be considered as comparatively permanent, from the fact that
the outer bark is not apt to close over it, while the gum that exudes
over the wounded surface, has some of the properties of a varnish. How
long the rude drawings of birds and animals, made with charcoal would
thus be preserved, is mere matter of conjecture, and must depend upon
observations which we had no means of making.
A portage of nine hundred and fifty yards brought us to the banks
of a small lake, called Moss Lake, which we were but a short time in
crossing. The water being clear, large masses appeared to rise from
the bottom, which had very much the aspect of boulders. On reaching
down, however, the men brought up on their paddles, a species of moss
of a coarse fibrous character. And this moss seemed to be quite a
characteristic trait of the lake. There is a slight relief, to both
mind and body, in these changes from land to water transportation,
even where the distance is very short; and the men resume their labor,
in carrying, with greater alacrity. We found it so on the present
occasion. No change however appeared in the general character of the
country. We crossed a bog of perhaps fifty or sixty yards in extent,
where the water appeared to have some motion towards the left. All the
rest of the way consists of an unvaried sand plain, which is sometimes
brushy, but generally open, presenting facilities for travelling. A
walk of four thousand and one hundred yards, or about two and a half
miles brought us out to the edge of Lake Shiba,[11] a body of clear
water, of moderate dimensions, which has its outlet into an arm of
Leech Lake. There is a portage path from its southern side which the
Indians use when they are passing with light canoes.
The day was well nigh spent, by the time the men brought up all the
baggage to the banks of this lake. And the fatigue of the route itself
might have justified our encamping. But whoever has a definite point
to reach in a given time, will find that the loss of a single hour, or
half hour of an evening’s journey, on sundry days, will soon combine
to waste an entire day, which may be the exact time necessary to
accomplish the route. Besides, when the question of going on, is at a
spot where a _land_ is to be exchanged for a _water_ journey, there
is a sensible relief to the men, in the position of sitting and being
freed from the pressure of the head-strap, or _apicun_, by which they
carry. And north-men thus embarked, in a state of fatigue, will soon
resume their strength and gaiety. I felt this, on the present occasion,
and directed them not to lose a moment in getting afloat. We crossed
the lake, with but little effort, and entered its thread-like outlet,
so tangled and wound about, in a shaking savannah, covered with sedge,
that every point of the compass seemed to be alternately pursued. In
this maze it was joined, from the right by a tributary of its own size,
very welcome for its accession of waters, but not aiding to straighten
the channel. Another tributary flows in directly opposite the Indian
portage before referred to. This tributary appears to be the outlet of
a contiguous, narrow and long lake, which can be, in part observed. The
channel is suddenly enlarged by it, and it is soon after still further
swelled by a similar inlet. Both these inlets are referred to by the
Indians, by the phrase, “Kapucka Sagitowag.” The stream is so enlarged
by them, as not only to assume the character of a river, but it is a
river of handsome magnitude, broad and deep but without strong current.
Its shores assume a low and marshy character, and they are fringed
with extensive fields of wild rice. Amidst these, the river opens
into an arm of Leech Lake. The last glimpses of day light here left
us. We pursued our way by moonlight for a time. The sky was overcast
before we effected our first traverse. Sometime previous to landing
it became quite dark. Even with the knowledge of an Indian guide, it
was necessary to fire guns, to ascertain the position of the principal
village. It was ten o’clock, on our landing, and it was an hour later
before the military canoes came up. Salutes were separately fired by
the Indians through the top openings of their lodges. In the morning,
(17th,) a more formal salute was given. Fresh fish and wortle-berries
were brought in: and an invitation to breakfast sent from the presiding
chief.
Leech Lake is one of the most irregular shaped bodies of water that
can be conceived of. It is neither characteristically long, spherical,
or broad, but rather a combination of curves, in the shape of points,
peninsulas, and bays, of which nothing short of a map can convey an
accurate idea. The Indians, whom I requested to draw a sketch of it,
began by tracing an oblong as large as half a sheet of foolscap would
admit of. They filled it up by projecting points inwardly, or extended
it by tracing bays outwardly. Ten islands were drawn in different
parts of it, and seven rivers and creeks made to enter it. Its outlet
is called by them the great river, and is towards the northeast. The
lake cannot be less than twenty miles across the extreme points of
the waters. Its principal peninsula resembles in shape the letter
T. Ottertail Point is a part of its northern shore. Its waters are
deep and clear in all its central parts, and yield the white-fish and
other species. Its numerous and extensive bays abound in wild rice,
and attract in the proper season, a great variety of water fowl. The
pelican, swan, brant, and cormorant, are the largest of the species
that annually visit it. Its shores yield the deer and bear. Beavers
were formerly abundant, but they have, in a great measure, disappeared.
The muskrat and marten are now the principal items of its fine furs.
The subjoined sketch is from the notes of Lieut. Allen.
[Illustration: LEECH LAKE]
“My intercourse with the Indians at this lake occupied the day
after my arrival. The population was reported at eight hundred and
thirty-two souls. Seven eights of this number, are of the band called
Mukkundwais, or Pillagers, a term derived from occurrences in their
early history. The remainder are locally denominated the Bear Island
Indians. The principal chiefs are Aish Kibug Ekozh, or The Gueule
Plat, and The Elder Brother, and Chianoquot. This band appear to have
separated themselves from the other Chippewas, at an early day, and to
have taken upon themselves the duty which Reuben, Gad, and Menasseh
assumed, when they crossed the Jordan. They have “passed armed before
their brethren,” in their march westward. Their geographical position
is one, which imposes upon them the defence of this portion of the
Chippewa frontier. And it is a defence in which they have distinguished
themselves as brave and active warriors. Many acts of intrepidity are
related of them which would be recorded, with admiration, had white men
been the actors. Perfectly versed in the arts of the forest, they have
enjoyed the advantage of concealment in the progress of a war, which
has been directed against the Sioux, a powerful assemblage of tribes,
who live essentially in plains, but who aim to make up the disadvantage
of this exposure, by moving habitually in larger bodies. It seems,
however, indisputable, that, with fewer numbers, the Chippewas have not
hesitated to fall upon their enemies, and have routed them, and driven
them before them, with a valor and resolution, which in any period of
written warfare, would have been stamped as heroic. It is not easy, on
the part of government, to repress the feelings of hostility, which
have so long existed, and to convince them, that they have lived into
an age when milder maxims furnish the basis of wise action. Pacific
counsels fall with little power upon a people situated so remotely
from every good influence, and who cannot perceive in the restless
spirit of their enemies, any safeguard for the continuance of a peace,
however formally it may have been concluded. This fact was adverted to
by one of their chiefs, who observed that they were compelled to fight
in self defence. Although the Sioux had made a solemn peace with them
at Tipisagi in 1825, they were attacked by them that very year, and
had almost yearly since, sustained insidious or open attacks. He said,
“his own son, his only son,” was among the number, who had been basely
killed, without an opportunity to defend himself.”