Chippewa village at the mouth of the Ontonagon--Organize an expedition
to explore its mineralogy--Incidents of the trip--Rough nature of
the country--Reach the copper rock--Misadventure--Kill a
bear--Discoveries of copper--General remarks on the mineral
affluence of the basin of Lake Superior.
A small Chippewa village, under the chieftainship of
Tshwee-tshweesh-ke-wa, or the Plover, and Kundekund, the Net Buoy, was
found on the west bank of the river, near its mouth, the chiefs and
warriors of which received us in the most friendly manner. If not
originally a people of a serene and placid temperament, they have been
so long in habits of intercourse with the white race that they are quite
familiar with their manners and customs, and mode of doing business.
They appeared to regard the Canadian-Frenchmen of our party as if they
were of their own mode of thinking, and, indeed, almost identical with
themselves.
The Ontonagon River had, from the outset, formed an object of
examination, from the early and continued reports of copper on its
borders. It was determined to lose no time in examining it. Guides were
furnished to conduct a party up the river to the locality of the large
mass of this metal, known from early days. This being one of the
peculiar duties of my appointment, I felt the deepest interest in its
success, and took with me the apparatus I had brought for cutting the
rock and securing proper specimens.
The party consisted of Governor Cass, Dr. Wolcott, Captain Douglass,
Lieutenant Mackay, J. D. Doty, Esq., and myself. We embarked in two
canoes, with their complement of men and guides. It was six o'clock,
when, leaving the balance of the expedition encamped at the mouth of the
river, east shore, we took our departure, in high spirits, for the
copper regions. A broad river with a deep and gentle current, with a
serpentine channel, and heavily wooded banks with their dark-green
foliage overhanging the water, rendered the first few miles of the
trip delightful. At the distance of four miles, we reached a
sturgeon-fishery, formed by extending a weir across the river. This weir
consists of upright and horizontal stakes and poles, along the latter of
which the Indians move and balance themselves, having in their hands an
iron hook on a pole, with which the fish are caught. We stopped a few
moments to look at the process, received some of the fish drawn up
during our stay, which are evidently the _Acipenser oxyrinchus_, and
went on a couple of miles higher, where we encamped on a sandbar. Here
we were welcomed, during the sombre hours off the night, with a
pertinacity we could have well dispensed with, by the mosquitos.
We resumed the ascent at four o'clock in the morning. The river is still
characterized for some miles by rich alluvial banks, bearing a dense
forest of elm, maple, and walnut, with a luxuriant growth of underbrush.
But it was soon perceived that the highlands close in upon it and narrow
its channel, which murmurs over dangerous beds of rocks and stones.
Almost imperceptibly, we found ourselves in an alpine region of a very
rugged character. The first rapid water encountered had been at the
Indian weir, on the 27th. These rapids, though presenting slight
obstacles, became more frequent at higher points. We had been in our
canoes about three hours, the river having become narrower and more
rapid, when the guides informed the party that we had ascended as far
into the mountainous district as was practicable; that there was a
series of bad rapids above; and that, by landing at this spot, the party
could proceed, with guides, to the locality of the copper rock.
Accordingly, arrangements were made to divide the party; Governor Cass
placed at my service the number of men necessary to explore the country
on foot, and carry the implements. Dr. Wolcott and Captain Douglass
joined me. I took my departure with eight persons, including two Indian
guides, in quest of the mineral region, over the highlands on the west
bank of the river; while the Governor, Major Forsyth, and the other
guides, remained with the canoes, which were lightened of half their
burden, in hopes of their being able to ascend the stream quite to the
Rock. Starting with my party with alacrity, this trip was found to be
one of no ordinary toil.
Not only was the country exceedingly rough, carrying us up and down
steep depressions, but the heat of the sun, together with the exercise,
was oppressive, nor did our guides seem to move with a precision which
betokened much familiarity with the region, if they did not feel,
indeed, some compunction on leading whites to view their long
superstitiously concealed mineral treasures. At one o'clock we came to
an Indian path, leading directly to the place. The guides here sat down
to await the party under Governor Cass, who were expected to join us at
this spot. The thermometer at this hour stood at 90° in the shade of the
forest. We had not been long seated when the other party made their
appearance; but the Governor had been so much exhausted by clambering up
the river hills, that he determined to return to his point of landing in
the river. In this attempt he was guided by one of the Ontonagon
Indians, named Wabiskipenais,[51] who missed his way, and wandered about
he knew not whither. We leave him to thread his way back into the
valley, with the Executive of the Territory, wearied and perplexed, at
his heels, while the results of my excursion in search of the copper
rock are detailed. After the reunion at the path, my mineralogical party
proceeded some five or six miles, by estimation, farther, through a more
favorable region, towards the object of search. On approaching the
river, they passed some antique excavations in the forest, overgrown
with saplings, which had the appearance of age, but not of a remote age.
Coming to the brink of the river, we beheld the stream brawling over a
rapid stony bed, at the depth of, perhaps, eighty or a hundred feet
below. Towards this, its diluvial banks, charged with boulders and
pebbles, sloped at a steep angle. At the foot, laid the large mass we
were in search of, partly immersed in the water. Its position may be
inferred from the following sketch:--
[51] From _wabiska_, white (transitive animate), and _penasee_, a
bird.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.]
The rock consists of a mass of native copper in a tabular boulder of
serpentine. Its face is almost purely metallic, and more splendent than
appears to consist with its being purely metallic copper. There is no
appearance of oxidation. Its size, roughly measured, is three feet four
inches, by three feet eight inches, and about twelve or fourteen inches
thick in the thickest part. The weight of copper, exclusive of the rock,
is not readily estimated; it may be a ton, or a ton and a half. Old
authors report it at more than double this weight. The quantity has
been, however, much diminished by visitors, who have cut freely from it.
I obtained adequate specimens, but found my chisels too highly tempered,
and my hammer not heavy enough to separate large masses. Having made the
necessary examinations, we took our way back up the elevated banks of
the river, and across the forest about six miles, to the final place of
debarkation of Gov. Cass and his party. But our fears were at once
excited on learning that the Governor, with his guide, Wabishkepenais,
had not reached the camp. It was already beginning to be dark, and the
gloom of night, which is impressive in these solitudes, was fast closing
around us. Guns were fired, to denote our position, and a light canoe
was immediately manned, placed in charge of one of the gentlemen, and
sent up the river in search. This canoe had not proceeded a mile, when
the object of search was descried, with his companions, sitting on the
banks of the river, with a real jaded air, with his Indian guide
standing at no great distance. Wabishkepenais had been bewildered in his
tracks, and finally struck the river by the merest chance. The
Governor, on reaching camp, looked as if he had been carried over steeps
and through gloomy defiles, which had completely exhausted his strength,
and he was not long in retiring to his tent, willing to leave such rough
explorations for the present, at least, to other persons, or, if he ever
resumed them, to do it with better guides. Poor Wabishkepenais looked
chagrined and as woebegone himself as if he had encountered the bad
influences of half the spirits of his Indian mythology; for the fellow
had really been lost in his own woods, and with a charge by whom he had
felt honored, and employed his best skill to conduct. The camp-fires
already threw their red glare among the trees as night spread her sable
pall over us. The tents were pitched; the canoes turned up on the shore
to serve as a canopy for the men to sleep under. Indians and Canadians
were soon engaged at their favorite pipes, and mingled their tones and
hilarious conversation; and we finally all slept the sounder for our
eventful day's toils and misadventures. But deeply printed on our
memory, and long to remain there, are the thrilling scenes of that day
and that night.
At five o'clock the next morning, the entire camp was roused and in
motion, when we began to descend the stream. We had descended about ten
miles, when the Ontonagon Indians stopped the canoes to examine a
bear-fall, on the east bank. It was a fine open forest, elevated some
six or eight feet above the water. It was soon announced that a bear was
entrapped. We all ascended the bank, and visited the locality. The
structure had been so planned that the animal must needs creep lowly
under a crib of logs to get at the bait, which he no sooner disturbed
than a weight of logs fell on his prostrated legs. The animal sat up
partially on his fore paws, when we advanced, the hinder being pressed
heavily to the earth. One of the Indians soon fired a ball through his
head, but it did not kill him, he still kept his upright position. Dr.
Wolcott then requested permission to fire a shot, which was aimed at the
heart, and took effect about that part, but did not kill him. One of the
Indians then dispatched him with an axe. He was no sooner dead than one
of the Indians, stepping up, addressed him by the name _Muk-wah_, shook
him by the paw, with a smiling countenance, saying, in the Indian
language, that he was sorry they had been under the necessity of
killing him, and hoped the offence would be forgiven, as one of the
shots fired had been from an American.[52]
[52] Chemoquiman, from _gitchee_, great, and _moquiman_, knife.
This act of the Indian addressing the bear, will be better understood,
when it is stated that their mythology tells them, that the spirit of
the animal must be encountered in a future state, when the enchantment
to which it is condemned in this life, will be taken off.
On passing down the river, an Indian had promised to disclose another
mass of native copper, near the river, and we stopped at a spot
indicated, to enable him to bring it. Whether he repented of his too
free offer, agreeably to Indian superstition, or feared some calamity to
follow the disclosure, or really encountered some difficulty in finding
it, I know not, but it is certain that, after some time spent in the
search, or affected search, he came back to the river without producing
it.
Soon after this incident, we reached the mouth of the river, and found
the party left encamped at that point, in charge of Mr. Trowbridge and
Mr. Doty, well, nothing having occurred in our absence. The wind was,
however, adverse to our embarkation, had it been immediately desired.
A council of the Ontonagon Indians was summoned, which met in the after
part of the day; speeches were delivered, and replied to, and presents
distributed. A silver medal was presented to Wabishkepenais.
Head winds continuing, we were farther detained at this spot the
following day. While thus detained, an Ontonagon Indian brought in a
mass of native copper, from the banks of this river, weighing eight or
nine pounds. This mass was of a flattened, orbicular shape, and its
surface coated with a green oxide. At a subsequent part of my
acquaintance with this river, another mass of native copper (still
deposited in my cabinet) was brought to me, from the east fork of the
river, which weighed from forty to fifty pounds. This mass, of a
columnar shape, originally embraced a piece of stone which the Indian
finding it had detached. It was also coated with a dark green oxide of
copper. Both of these masses appeared to have been volcanic. Neither of
them had the slightest traces of gangue, or vein-matter, nor of
attrition in being removed from the parent beds. The following sketches
depict the shapes of these masses.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.]
[Illustration: Fig. 3.]
With respect to the general question of the mineral character of this
part of the country, and the probable value of its mineral and metallic
deposits to the public domain, the entire class of facts, from which a
judgment must be formed, are favorable.[53] Salts and oxides of copper
are not only seen in various places in its stratification, but these
indications of mineral wealth in this article are confirmed, by the
subsequent discovery of masses of native copper, along the shore, and
imbedded in its traps and amygdaloids. In addition to the opportunities
of observation furnished by this expedition, subsequent public duties
led me to perform seven separate trips along its shores, and each of
these but served to accumulate the evidences of its extraordinary
mineral wealth. Indications of the sulphurets, arseniates, and other
ores of this metal are found in the older class of horizontal rocks; but
it is to the trap-rocks alone that we must look for the veins of native
metal. Some of these masses contain silver, in a state of combination.
Traces of this metal, chiefly in the boulder form, are found in the
metalliferous horizontal strata. Nor is there wanting evidence, that
there are localities of virgin copper, which do not promise a
considerable percentage of the metal. A mass of steatite, imbedding a
heavy mass of pure native silver, which had been probably carried from
the northwest, with the drift stratum, was found cast out quite into the
Huron basin; and this rock, in its intimate associations with the
serpentine formation of Lake Superior, should be closely scrutinized.
There is also a formation of slate and quartz in the primitive district,
which is entitled to particular attention.
[53] _Vide_ Reports in the Appendix: 1. Report on the Copper Mines of
Lake Superior, November 6, 1820. 2. Report on the Value of the
Existing Evidences of Mineral Wealth in the Basin of Lake Superior to
the Public Domain, October 1, 1822.
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.