Geographical account of Leech Lake--History of its Indians, the
Mukundwas--The expedition proceeds to the source of the Crow-Wing
River, and descends that stream, in its whole length, to the
Mississippi.
Leech Lake is a large, deep, and very irregularly-shaped body of water.
It cannot be less than twenty miles across its extreme points. I
requested the chief to draw its outlines, furnishing a sheet of
foolscap. He began by tracing a large ellipsis, and then projecting
large points and bays, inwardly and outwardly, with seven or eight
islands, and that peculiar feature, the Kapuka Sagotawa, which I
apprehend to originate in gigantic springs. The following eccentric
figure of the lake is the result.
This lake has been the seat of the Mukundwa, or Pillagers, from early
days. The date of their occupancy is unknown. The French found them here
early in the seventeenth century, when they began to push the fur trade
from Montreal. They were the advance of the Algonquin group, who, when
they had reached the head of Lake Superior, proceeded still towards the
west and northwest. Two separate bodies assumed the advance in this
migratory movement, one of which went from the north shore, at the old
Grand Portage, north-northwest, by the way of the Rainy Lakes, and the
other went northwest from Fond du Lac. The former soon earned for
themselves the title of Killers, or Kenistenos,[180] and speak a
distinct dialect; the other, whose language continued to be, with little
variations, good Odjibwa, acquired in a short time the name of Takers,
or Mukundwa. The Kenistenos advanced, through the Great Lake Winnepeck,
and up its inflowing waters, to the Portage du Trait, of the great
Churchill or Missi-nepi (much water) River, where they sent up a
skinned frog, in derision of the feebler Athapasca race, whom they here
encountered. _Mackenzie's Voyages_, p. lxxiii. _Hist. Fur_ _Trade_. The
Odjibwas were led from Chegoimegon, in Lake Superior, by two noted
chiefs, called Nokay and Bainswah, under whom they drove the Sioux from
the region of Sandy Lake and the source of the Mississippi.
(_Ethnological Researches_, vol. ii. p. 135.)
[180] Called by the French _Crees_.
[Illustration: Leech Lake.--_a_, Rush Bay; _b_, Leech Lake River; _c_,
Three Points; _d_, Boy's River; _e_, Bear Island; _f_, Pelican Island;
_g_, Two Points; _h_, Ottertail Point; _i_, Chippewa Village; _j_, Sugar
Point; _k_, Carp River; _l_, Old N. W. House; _m_, Goose Island; _n_,
Encampment, July 16; _o_, Trading House Am. P. Co.; _p_, Flatmouth's
House; _q_, Chippewa Village; _r_, Encampment, July 17; _s_, _s_, Route
to Crow-Wing River; _t_, Sandy Point; _u_, Big Point; _v_, Sandy Bay
River.]
Another party of this Algonquin force, which conquered the country lying
round the sources of the Mississippi, proceeded through the Turtle River
to Red Lake, and thence descended into the valley of the Red River of
Hudson's Bay, where their descendants still reside. Large portions of
these mingled with the Canadian stock, forming that remarkable people
called Boisbrules. These advanced parties pressed into the buffalo
plains, along the Rivers Assinabwoin and Saskatchawine, which is the
ultimate western area of the spread of the Algonquin language. And to
this migration the Blackfeet are believed to be indebted for the
intermixture of this language which exists, and which Mr. Gallatin has
erroneously supposed to arise from original elements, in the Blackfeet
tongue.
This lake yields in abundance the corregonus albus, a fish which is
unknown to the Mississippi, and which delights only, it appears, in very
limpid and cold waters.
I found the population living at this lake to be eight hundred and
thirty-two souls, under three chiefs, the Guelle Plat, Nesia, or the
Elder Brother, and Chianoquet, or the Big Cloud, the latter of whom is
exclusively a war chief. Having dined these chiefs at my tent, and
finished my business, and the vaccinations and very numerous cases of
odontalgia being got through with, I directed my canoes to be put in the
water, with the view of going a few miles down the shore, in order to
get a quiet night's encampment, and be ready for an early start on the
morrow. It was near the hour of sunset before we could embark.
Aiskebuggekozh came down to the boat to take leave of me. He was
dressed, on this occasion (having been in Indian costume all the
morning), in a blue military frock coat, with scarlet collar and cuffs,
white underclothes, a ruffled shirt, shoes and stockings, and a
citizen's hat. He was accompanied by Nesia and other followers, and it
appeared to me if there ever was a person who had popular and
undisputable claims to imperial sway, notwithstanding this poor taste in
costume, it was he.
We went about five miles in the general direction towards the source of
the L'ail de Corbeau, and encamped. Dr. Houghton, who had been left
behind with Lieut. Allen, to complete the vaccinations, rejoined me
about seven o'clock. Guelle Plat had promised to send me guides, to
cross the country to the Crow-Wing River, early the next morning (18th),
but, as they did not arrive, I proceeded across the arm of the lake for
the main shore without them. After reaching it, some time was spent in
searching for the commencement of the portage path. It was found to lie
across a dry pine plain. The Canadians, who are quick on finding the
trail of a portage, wanted nothing more, but pushed on, canoes and
baggage, without any further trouble about the Indian guides. A portage
of 1,078 yards brought us to the banks of a small, clear, shallow lake,
called Warpool, which had a very narrow, tortuous outlet, through which
the men, with great difficulty, and by cutting away acute turns of the
bank with their paddles, made way to force the canoes into Little Long
Lake, which we were twenty-four minutes in crossing. The outlet from
this lake expanded, at successive intervals, into three pond-like lakes,
redolent with the nymphæ valerata; the series terminating in a fourth
lake, lying at the foot of elevated lands, which was called the Lake of
the Mountain. At the head of the latter, we debarked on a shaking bog.
At this spot commences the portage _Plé_, which lies over a woodless and
bleak hill. It is short and abrupt, and terminates on the banks of a
deep bowl-shaped lake, where we took breakfast at twelve o'clock. We
were now at the foot of elevated lands. Here began the mountain portage,
so called. Its extent is, first, nine hundred and ten yards, terminating
on the shores of a little lake, without outlet, called the Lake of the
Isle. There is then a portage of 1,960 yards to another mountain lake,
without outlet. We were now near the apex of the summit between Leech
Lake and the source of De Corbeau. Another portage of one onwaybee or
about a thousand yards, partly through a morass, carried us quite across
this summit, and brought us out on elevated and highly beautiful grounds
overlooking the Kaginogumaug, or Longwater Lake, which is the source of
the Crow-Wing River. Here we encamped (18th).
There is no rock stratum seen in place, on the De Corbeau summit. Its
surface is purely composed of geological drift and boulders. The journey
had been a very hard and fatiguing one for the men, who were on the
push and trot all day, embarking and debarking continually on lakes, or
scrambling, with their burdens and canoes, over elevations or through
morasses. It was particularly severe on the soldiers, who are
ill-prepared for this kind of toil.
The chief Guelle Plat, with some companions of the Mukandwa band, had
overtaken us, at the Lake of the Isle, and came and encamped beside us.
I invited him to sup with us, and the evening was passed in conversing
with him on various topics. I found him a man of understanding and
comprehensive views, who was well acquainted with the history of his
people. It was twelve o'clock before these conversations ended, when he
got up to go to his camp fire. With him there sat Majegabowee,[181] a
tall, gaunt, and savage-looking man of Red River, who scarcely uttered a
word, but sat a silent listener to the superior powers of conversation
and reflection of his chief. But I could not look at this person without
a sense of horror, when I reflected that in him I beheld the murderer of
Gov. Semple, of the Hudson's Bay Territory, a circumstance which I have
previously adverted to, while at Leech Lake.[182]
[181] The Fore-standing man. From the verb _maja_, to go, _ninabow_,
I stand, and _izzee_, a person or man.
[182] For an account of this transaction, _vide_ Reports of the
Disputes between the Earl of Selkirk and the Northwest Company, at
the assizes held at York, Upper Canada, Oct. 1818. 1 vol. 8vo. pp.
664. Montreal, Casie & Mower, 1819.
Bidding adieu to the Leech Lake chief the next morning at sunrise (4 h.
45 m.), after giving him a lancet, with directions to vaccinate any of
his people who had been overlooked, I embarked on the Kaginogamaug. This
is a beautiful lake, with sylvan shores and crystal water, some four or
five miles long. We were just forty minutes, with full paddles, in
passing it. The outlet is narrow, and overhung with alders. The width is
not over six feet, with good depth, but the turns are so sudden, and the
stream so thickly overhung with foliage, that the use of the axe and the
paddle as an excavator were often necessary. It then expands into a
lake, called Little Vermilion, which is fringed with a growth of birch
and aspen, with pines in the distance. Its outlet is fully doubled in
width, and we had henceforth no more embarrassment in descending. This
outlet is pursued about eight miles. I noticed the tamarack on its
banks, and the nymphæ odorata, scirpus lacustris, and Indian reed on the
margin. It expands into Birch Lake, a clear sheet, about one mile long,
with pebbly bottom, interspersed with boulders. A short outlet, in which
we passed a broken fish-dam, connects it with Lac Plè. This lake is
about three and a half miles long, exhibiting a portion of prairie on
its shores, interspersed with small pines. From it, there is a portage
to Ottertail Lake, the eastern source of Red River. This is the common
war road of the Mukundwa against the Sioux.
On coming out of Lac Plè, freshwater shells began to show themselves,
chiefly species of naiades, a feature in the natural history of this
stream which is afterwards common; but I observed none of much size, and
they are often greatly decorticated. Four or five miles lower, we
entered Assowa Lake, and about a mile and a half further, Lac Vieux
Desert, or Old Gardon Lake, so called from the remains of a trading
station, where we halted for breakfast. On resuming the descent, just
twenty minutes were required, with vigorous strokes of the paddle, to
pass it. It has an outlet about two miles long, when the stream again
expands into a lake of considerable size, which we called Summit Lake.
Thus far, we had been passing on a geological plateau of the diluvial
character, extending southwest. But from this point the course of the
river veers, at first towards the east and northeast, and, after a wide
circuit, to the southeast, and eventually again to the southwest. From
this point, rapids begin to mark its channel. The river, consequently,
assumes a velocity which, while it hurries the traveller on, increases
his danger of running his frail bark against rocks or shoals. We had
been driven down this accelerated channel two hours and fifteen minutes,
when it expanded into a sheet called Long Rice Lake. This is some three
miles in length, and, at a very short distance below it, the river again
expands into a considerable lake, which, from the circumstance of Lieut.
Allen having circumnavigated it, I called Allen's Lake. He found it the
recipient of a small river from the north. It is, apparently, the
largest of this series of river lakes below the Kaginogumaug. While
crossing it, we experienced a very severe and sudden tempest of wind and
rain, accompanied by most severe and appalling peals of thunder and
vivid lightning. Broad ribbons of fire, in acute angles, appeared to
rend the skies. Before the shore could be reached, the tempest had
subsided, so sudden was its development. A short distance below this,
the river makes its tenth evolution, in the shape of a lake, on which,
as my Indian maps gave no name, I bestowed the name of _Illigan_.[183]
[183] From _ininéeg_, men, and _sugiegan_, lake, signs of a war party
having been discovered at this place. In this derivative, the usual
transition of _n_ to _l_ of the old Algonquin is made.