Descent of the west, or Itascan branch--Kakabikoñs Falls--Junction of
the Chemaun, Peniddiwin, or De Soto, and Allenoga Rivers--Return
to Cass Lake.
Itasca Lake lies in latitude twenty-five seconds only south of Leech
Lake, and five minutes and eleven seconds west of the ultimate northerly
point of the Mississippi, on the Queen Anne summit; it is a fraction
over twelve minutes southwest of Cass Lake. The distance from the latter
point, at which discovery rested in 1820, is, agreeably to the
observations of Lieutenant Allen, one hundred and sixty-four miles.
On scrutinizing the shores of the island, on which I had encamped,
innumerable helices, and other small univalves, were found; among these
I observed a new species, which Mr. Cooper has described as planorbis
companulatus.[168] There were bones of certain species of fish, as well
as the bucklers of one or two kinds of tortoise, scattered around the
sites of old Indian camp fires, denoting so many points of its natural
history. Amidst the forest-trees before named, the betula papyraceæ and
spruce were observed. Directing one of the latter to be cut down, and
prepared as a flagstaff, I caused the United States flag to be hoisted
on it. This symbol was left flying at our departure. Ozawindib, who at
once comprehended the meaning of this ceremony, with his companions
fired a salute as it reached its elevation.
[168] Appendix.
Having made the necessary examinations, I directed my tent to be struck,
and the canoes put into the water, and immediately embarked. The outlet
lies north of the island. Before reaching it, we had lost sight of the
flagstaff, owing to the curvature of the shore. Unexpectedly, the outlet
proved quite a brisk brook, with a mean width of ten feet, and one foot
in depth. The water is as clear as crystal, and we at once found
ourselves gliding along, over a sandy and pebbly bottom, strewed with
the scattered valves of shells, at a brisk rate. Its banks are overhung
with limbs and foliage, which sometimes reach across. The bends are
short, and have accumulations of flood-wood, so that, from both causes,
the use of the axe is often necessary to clear a passage. There was also
danger of running against boulders of black rock, lying in the margin,
or piled up in the channel. As the rapid waters increased, we were
hurled, as it were, along through the narrow passages, and should have
descended at a prodigiously rapid rate, had it not been for these
embarrassments to the navigation. Its course was northwest. After
descending about ten miles, the river enters a narrow savanna, where the
channel is wider and deeper, but equally circuitous. This reaches some
seven or eight miles. It then breaks its way through a pine ridge, where
the channel is again very much confined and rapid, the velocity of the
stream threatening every moment to dash the canoe into a thousand
pieces. The men were sometimes in the water, to guide the canoe, or
stood ever ready, with poles, to fend off. After descending some
twenty-five miles, we encamped on a high sandy bluff on the left hand.
The next morning (14th), we were again in our canoes before five
o'clock. The severe rapids continued, and were rendered more dangerous
by limbs of trees which stretched over the stream, threatening to sweep
off everything that was movable. We had been one hour passing down a
perfect defile of rapids, when we approached the Kakabikoñs Falls.
_Kakábik_,[169] in the Chippewa, means a cascade, or shoot of water over
rocks. _Oñs_ is merely the diminutive, to which all the nouns of this
language are subject. How formidable this little cataract might be, we
could not tell. It appeared to be a swift rush of water, bolting through
a narrow gorge, without a perpendicular drop, and Ozawindib said it
required a portage. Halting at its head, for Lieut. Allen to come up,
his bowsman caught hold of my canoe, to check his velocity. It had that
effect. But, being checked suddenly, the stern of his canoe swung
across the stream, which permitted the steersman to catch hold of a
branch. Thus stretched tensely across the rapid stream, in an instant
the water swept over its gunwale, and its contents were plunged into the
swift current. The water was about four feet deep. Allen and his men
found footing, with much ado, but his canoe-compass, apparatus, and
everything, was lost and swept over the falls. He grasped his manuscript
notes, and, by feeling with his feet, fetched up his fowling-piece; the
men clutched about, and managed to save the canoe. Fortunately, I had a
fine instrument to replace the lost compass, though wanting the nautical
rig of the other.
[169] Kakábik. _Abik_ is a rock. The prefixed syllable, _Kak_, may be
derived from _Kukidjewum_, a rapid stream. _Ka_ is often a prefix of
negation in compound words, which has the force of a derogative.
We made a short portage. Two of the canoes, with Indian pilots, went
down the rapids, but injured their canoes so much as to cause a longer
delay than if they had carried them by land. Below this fall, the river
receives a tributary on the right hand, called the _Chemaun_, or Ocano.
It contributes to double its volume, very nearly, and hence its savanna
borders are enlarged. Conspicuous among the shrubbery on its shores are
the wilding rose and clumps of the salix. The channel winds through
these savanna borders capriciously. At a point where we landed for
breakfast, on an open pine bank on the left shore, we observed several
copious and clear springs pouring into the river. Indeed, the extensive
sand ranges which traverse the woodlands of the Itasca plateau are
perfectly charged with the moisture which is condensed on these
elevations, which flows in through a thousand little rills. On these
sandy heights the conifera predominate.
The physical character of the stream made this part of our route a most
rapid one. Willing or unwilling, we were hurried on; but, indeed, we had
every desire to hasten the descent. At four o'clock P. M., we came to
the junction of the Piniddiwin,[170] or Carnage River, a considerable
tributary on the left. On this river, which originates in a lake, on the
northeastern summit of the Hauteur des Terres, I bestowed the name of De
Soto. It has also a lake, called Lac la Folle, at the point of its
junction with the Mississippi, whose borders are noted for the abundant
and vigorous growth of wild rice, reeds, and rushes. It is called
Monomina,[171] by the Chippewas. By this accession, the width and depth
of the river are strikingly increased. The Indian reed first appears at
this spot.
[170] From the term _Iah-pinuniddewin_, an emphatic expression for a
place of carnage, so called from a secret attack made at this place,
in time past, by a party of Sioux, who killed every member of a lodge
of Chippewas, and then shockingly mangled their bodies.
[171] From _Monominakauning_, place of wild rice.
While passing through this part of the river, I observed a singular
trait in the habits of the onzig duck, which, on being suddenly
surprised by the traveller, affects for the moment to be disabled;
flapping its wings on the water, as if it could not rise, in order to
allow its brood, who are now (July) unfledged, to escape, when the
mother instantly rises from the water, and wings her flight vigorously.
We observed, sailing above the marshy areas of this fork, the falco
furcatus, the feathers of which are much esteemed by the Indians, for
this is considered a brave species, as its habit is to seize serpents by
the neck, who twist themselves around its elongated body, while it flies
off to some convenient perch to devour them. The deer is also noticed
along the Itascan fork. Ozawindib landed a little below the junction of
the Chemaun, to fire at one of them, which he discovered grazing at some
distance; but, although he carefully landed and crept up crouchingly, he
failed in his shot, either from the distance or some other cause.
Immediately, he put a fresh charge of powder in his gun, and threw in a
bullet, unwadded, and fired again before the animal had made many leaps,
but it held its way.
We descended about eighteen miles below the Piniddiwin, and landed to
encamp. The day's descent had been an arduous one. Lieut. Allen
estimated it at seventy-five miles. We had now fairly followed the
Mississippi out of what may be denoted its Alpine passes. All its
dangerous rapids had been overcome. It was now a flowing stream of sixty
feet wide. Immediately on landing, one of the Indians captured an animal
of the saurian type, called _ocaut-e-kinabic_,[172] eight inches in
length, striped blue, black, and white, with four legs of equal length.
The colors were very vivid.
[172] From _ocaut_, a leg, and _kinabic_, a snake.
Having reached a part of the stream which could be safely navigated, I
resolved to re-embark after supper, and continue the descent by night.
We were now about fifteen miles above the primary forks. Lieut. Allen
determined to remain till daylight, in order to trace the river down to
the point at which it had been left in the ascent. Nothing of an
untoward nature occurred. A river of some size enters, on the left hand,
about six miles below the saurian encampment, which originates in a
lake. This stream, for which I heard no name, I designated _Allenoga_,
putting the Iroquois local terminal in _oga_ to the name of the worthy
officer who traced out the first true map of the actual sources of the
Mississippi.[173] We passed the influx of the east fork, about half-past
one A. M. on the 15th, traversed the Lake of Queen Anne, and descended
the whole series of the Metoswa rapids, to Lake Andrúsia, by the hour of
daybreak, and reached the island of my primary encampment, in Cass Lake,
at nine o'clock in the morning. We had been eleven hours and a half in
our canoes, from the time of re-embarkation at the camp above Allenoga.
Lieut. Allen did not rejoin us till six o'clock in the afternoon. He
estimated the entire distance, _out_ and _in_, at 290 miles, it being
125 miles to Itasca Lake, and, as before intimated, 165 miles from
thence to Cass Lake. He estimates the length of the Mississippi, above
the Falls of St. Anthony, at 1,029 miles. Taking the distance from the
Gulf of Mexico to the Falls at 2,200 miles,[174] this would give to this
stream a development of 3,229 miles, which exceeds my prior estimates
more than fifty miles.
[173] Lieut.-Col. James Allen, U. S. A. This officer graduated at
West Point in 1825. After passing through various grades, he was
promoted to a captaincy of infantry in 1837. He was lieutenant-colonel
and commandant of the battalion of Mormon volunteers in the Mexican
war, which was raised by his exertions, and died at Fort Leavenworth,
on the Missouri, on the 23d of August, 1846.
[174] Doc. No. 237.