Chapter XLVII: Appendix: By the (1)

PUBLISHERS OF

"DOWN THE GREAT RIVER."

ADDENDUM.

The following Appendix to "Down the Great River," by Captain Willard Glazier, is here reproduced in verification of his claim to the discovery of the TRUE SOURCE of the Mississippi.

P. W. Ziegler & Co., Publishers.
720 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, May 10, 1889.

* * * * *

The publishers of Captain Willard Glazier's Works, having recently had their attention drawn to sundry articles in the public prints calling in question his claim to have located the source of the Mississippi, conclude to invite the consideration of the reader to a few of the many press notices, letters of endorsement and other papers placed at their disposal by friends of the explorer, bearing directly upon the subject of the primal reservoir or true source of the Great River. In view of the apparent incredulity of some critics, it is thought expedient to lay this matter before the public in connection with Captain Glazier's latest work, "Down the Great River," which gives a detailed account of his discovery, in order that a sound and enlightened conclusion may be arrived at upon the merits of the claim presented.

I. LETTERS FROM BARRETT CHANNING PAINE.

We commence with the press correspondence of Mr. Barrett Channing Paine, who, at the period of the Glazier expedition, was a reporter on the staff of the Saint Paul _Pioneer Press_, and subsequently Managing Editor of the Saint Paul _Globe_. This gentleman accompanied Captain Glazier to the source of the Mississippi, and thence down the river in a canoe to the Gulf of Mexico. During the entire voyage Mr. Paine was in constant correspondence with the _Pioneer Press_ and leading papers of various cities on the banks of the Mississippi, to which he furnished detailed accounts of the discovery and incidents of the journey. We present only a few of these letters, selected from a large number, for the perusal of the reader. The writer was certainly in a position to know the truth of the matters upon which he so intelligently reports.

_Letter to the Brainerd (Minnesota) Tribune from Channing Paine:_

"Schoolcraft Island,
"_Lake Itasca, Minnesota,_
"July 22, 1881.

"_To the Editor of the Tribune:_

"Captain Glazier's party arrived at this much-talked-of lake last
evening, reaching the south-eastern arm by a three mile portage,
and then paddling down to the Island, where we encamped. We left
Leech Lake on the sixteenth, after cordial farewells with the
gentlemen then at the Agency, especially Mr. Nichols and Rev. Edwin
Benedict, to whose kindness we were greatly indebted. Launching our
little fleet of canoes, three in number, on the billowy surface of
the lake, we started for our first objective, Lake Itasca. After
leaving Leech Lake our way lay up a river called by the Indians
Gabakauazeba. The river broadens out a short distance from the
lake, but narrows again and becomes tortuous and full of snags.
Passing safely through all these, we reached, late in the
afternoon, a fine lake nearly ten miles long, upon the shore of
which we encamped. Next morning we paddled to the upper end of the
lake, and were there introduced to our first real portage. Two
miles and a half over a very rough country--the hardest work we
ever undertook--brought us to another but smaller lake, and then,
for five days, lakes and portages followed each other in rapid
succession, until at length the waters of Itasca burst upon our
view. The talk of our guides, coupled with what we had heard at
Leech Lake, had led Captain Glazier to the conclusion that,
whatever the source of the Mississippi might be, there was
reasonable ground for the belief that Lake Itasca was not. Chief
among the theories advanced by the Indian guides, one of whom,
Chenowagesic, had hunted and trapped for years at the headwaters of
this river, was that there existed a lake of good dimensions and
wooded shores _above_ Itasca, which poured its waters into the
so-called source, and which was itself really the source of the
Great River. They also stated (correctly, as we afterwards learned)
that the stream which flowed from the lake spoken of by Paul
Beaulieu as perhaps the source, contributed much less water to the
main stream at its confluence with it than did the stream from
Itasca. Resolved to explore the lake _above_ Itasca, the captain
started with two canoes, next morning, from Schoolcraft Island, and
pushed up to the head of the lake. Chenowagesic piloted us through
the rushes with which this end of Itasca is filled, and presently
we found ourselves in a small but rapid stream, up which we went,
and after following its windings, paddled again through some
rushes, and then shot out upon the smooth surface of a beautiful
lake. This lake is about two miles long by a mile and a half broad,
and its shape is that of a heart. The shores are beautifully
wooded, and its waters are deep and clear. On its one promontory
our party landed. After exploring its shores, and first slaking our
thirst at a spring of ice-cold water which bubbled up near by, we
were marshalled in line, and Captain Glazier made a few remarks
pertinent to the discovery of the _true source_ of the Father of
Waters. After this six volleys were fired in honor of the occasion,
and then the question of a name for the new lake arose. This being
left for the party to decide, I addressed my companions, and after
alluding to the time, money and energy expended by the leader of
the expedition, proposed that it be named LAKE GLAZIER in his
honor. This proposition was received with applause and carried by
acclamation, and it was further decided that the name and date
should be blazed on a pine tree which stood conspicuously on the
point. After this we re-embarked in our canoes and returned to the
Island."

* * * * *

In the following letter Channing Paine gives a further account of the discovery of the head of the Great River:

"Douglas House,
"_Aitkin, Minnesota_,
"August 11, 1881.

"_To the Editor--Saint Louis Globe-Democrat:_

"Lake Itasca, for many years, has been regarded, both by
geographical societies and map-makers, as well as by the public
generally, as the source of the grandest of rivers--the mighty
Mississippi. But geographical knowledge, like all other knowledge,
is of little consequence if it is not progressive, and in its
history we have seen the firmly-rooted beliefs of centuries torn up
and tossed aside by the explorations and reasoning of intrepid
travellers, who, respecting truth and facts more than mere theory,
have accepted nothing without proof, merely because others have so
accepted it. This is the ground occupied by Captain Willard Glazier
in his explorations in search of the source of the Mississippi.

"Starting for the headwaters of this great river in July last, he
learned that the dense forests which surround the source of the
Father of Waters were rarely penetrated by white men, or even by
Indians, at any time except in winter, when lakes and rivers were
frozen up, and the whole surface of the country covered with a
mantle of snow.

"He also heard through the interpreter and Indian guides who
accompanied him that the aboriginal inhabitants of these primeval
forests did not regard Itasca as the source; but, while rejecting
it, differed among themselves as to what lake really was the
fountain-head. Some claimed that the stream from Itasca was not
itself the main stream, but flowed into the river proper some three
miles below the lake. The stream to which it was tributary, though
narrower, was, they claimed, deeper and swifter, bringing to the
united streams more water than the one from Lake Itasca.

"Others considered the Itascan stream as the main one, but spoke of
another lake, broad and beautiful, which lay above Itasca and
poured its clear waters into the accepted source through a small
stream which entered the southern arm of Lake Itasca. Captain
Glazier determined to thoroughly examine all this region, and to
settle definitely and forever the true source of the Mississippi.

"Acting in accordance with this resolution, he pushed on toward
Itasca, intending to make it a starting-point for further
exploration. Reaching this objective point after innumerable
hardships, he camped on Schoolcraft Island, and after a day of rest
directed operations toward the lakes and streams of the surrounding
country.

"Thoroughly surveying the stream that the Indians claimed to be the
main one, he found it much inferior in volume to that from Itasca.
This point settled, he closely examined the shores of Lake Itasca
for tributary streams, finding but three of any importance. Of
these three the one by far the largest came in at the extreme head
of the lake, at a point where it is nearly filled with bulrushes.

"Taking two canoes, Captain Glazier ascended this stream, which,
though shallow, is rapid, yet so narrow in places that to jump
across it would be an easy task. Following its windings, he entered
what appeared to be a lake filled with rushes. Pushing through
this barrier, however, the canoes soon glided out upon the still
surface of a beautiful lake, clear as crystal, with pebbly bottom,
and its shores covered with a thick growth of pine. This lake is
formed in the shape of a heart, having but one marked promontory.
Its greatest length is about two miles and its width a mile and a
half.

"Captain Glazier found that this fine lake was fed by three
rivulets, which rose in swamps a few miles from the lake, and
thoroughly convinced that this body of water was the true source of
the Mississippi, he proclaimed it as such. Without waiting for
discussion, the members of the party decided unanimously to call it
Lake Glazier in his honor. Modestly expressing his thanks for this
mark of their appreciation, Captain Glazier said that, though he
firmly believed this lake to be the source of the river, he should
relax none of his vigilance on the trip through the unknown part of
the stream, but would carefully examine all water flowing into the
Mississippi, in order to be positive as to the main stream."

* * * * *

On reaching Hastings, Captain Glazier and his fellow-voyagers were hospitably entertained by some of the leading citizens and Mr. Paine addressed the following letter to the Editor of the _Hastings Gazette_:

"Foster House,
"_Hastings, Minnesota_,
"September 5, 1881.

"_To the Editor of the Gazette:_

"For many years the source of the Mississippi was as much a mystery
as is at present that of the Nile. But when in 1832 Schoolcraft
made his official exploration of the headwaters of this great
water-course, and after a long and arduous journey up the stream
reached a lake which he named Itasca, and pronounced it the head of
the river, the matter was considered settled, and speculation was
no longer rife in regard to this point. Now, however, it has been
proved by Captain Willard Glazier beyond doubt that the lake which
has so long enjoyed the honor of being the source of our greatest
river had an honor it did not merit.

"Going thither with the object of visiting the head of the river,
Captain Glazier was led to suspect by the talk of his guides, one
of whom, Chenowagesic, had hunted and trapped for years in the
region around the source, that Lake Itasca had really no greater
claim to be considered the head of the river than Cass Lake, or
Bemidji or Winnibegoshish, all larger and finer lakes than Itasca.
Above and beyond Itasca lay another lake. This, with its feeding
springs, was the source of the mighty river, and this lake, if it
existed, Captain Glazier resolved to visit and explore. After a
long and severe journey he reached it, being the first white
traveller to float upon its surface; and after thoroughly examining
its feeders and the narrow stream through which it flowed into
Itasca, he felt that he had found the _true source_ of the
Mississippi. Nevertheless, he continued his explorations along the
river below Itasca after passing through that lake, and satisfied
himself thoroughly that the new lake was at the head of the main
stream. In speaking of the source of the Mississippi, therefore, we
should henceforth call it LAKE GLAZIER instead of Lake Itasca."

The following description of Lake Glazier from the pen of Channing Paine appeared in the _Dubuque Herald_ of September sixth, 1881:

LAKE GLAZIER.

"The new-found source of the Mississippi is a sparkling little gem
of a lake, situated above and beyond Lake Itasca. It nestles among
the pines of an unfrequented and wild region of Northern Minnesota,
many miles from the nearest white settlement, and just on the
dividing ridge which forms the great watershed of North America.
Within a few miles of it can be found lakes and streams, whose
waters are tributary to the Red River of the North and the
Yellowstone, thus reaching the sea thousands of miles from the
mouth of the mighty Mississippi, which flows in a limpid brook from
LAKE GLAZIER. This lake, discovered to be the source of one of the
greatest rivers of the world, by Captain Willard Glazier, on the
Twenty-second of July, 1881, is about two miles in greatest
diameter, and would be nearly round in shape but for a single
promontory, whose rocky shores give it in outline the form of a
heart. The waters of the lake are exceedingly clear and pure,
coming from springs, some being at the bottom, but the three most
prominent rise a few miles back, in low, wet land enclosed by
sand-hills, and flow into the lake in little rills. On the very
point of the promontory is a spring whose waters are as cold as
ice, and at which the Glazier party slaked their thirst while
exploring the shores of the new lake. So lonely is the region
around the lake that for fourteen days not even a red-skin was
seen, and wearied by the hardships of this rough country, yet with
a feeling of having added something to geographical knowledge, the
Captain and his party were glad to return to civilization."

* * * * *

The Saint Louis _Post-Dispatch_ published the following, with several other communications, from Mr. Paine:

"1310 Olive Street,

"_Saint Louis, Missouri,_

"October 10, 1881.

"_To the Editor--Post-Dispatch:_

"Lake Itasca has been considered to be the source of the
Mississippi for so many years that any man who disputes its title
to that honor is looked upon as a radical and one bent upon
upsetting all our preconceived geographical ideas. Still it is a
fact that Lake Itasca is _not_ the source, and has no greater claim
to being called so than has Cass Lake or Lake Bemidji or Lake
Pepin. This fact was discovered beyond all doubt by Captain Willard
Glazier, who equipped an expedition last July and started for the
headwaters of the Mississippi. Reaching Lake Itasca after a journey
of great hardship, he camped on Schoolcraft Island, and, using this
as a base of operations, he thoroughly explored the lakes and
rivers which contribute their waters to the infant Mississippi. The
various theories and stories heard from his Indian guides were
considered as clues and faithfully followed up until their truth or
falsity was ascertained. Success at length crowned his efforts, for
a beautiful lake was found above Itasca, and in the direct line of
the course of the river below Itasca, which lake proved to be the
farthest water--the extreme head of the Mississippi. The lake,
which the members of the expedition voted to call LAKE GLAZIER, in
honor of their leader, is about two miles in diameter, with clear
and beautiful water, fed by springs, and altogether one of the
prettiest lakes of its size in Minnesota. The stream which flows
from it into Itasca is quite rapid, though so narrow that in some
places one can easily jump across it."

The following account of an interview with Mr. Paine is extracted from the New Orleans _Democrat_ of November twentieth, 1881:

"There arrived at the Jetties on the fifteenth a tiny cedar canoe,
bearing aloft at the bows a pennant with the inscription _Alice_,
and at the stern a United States flag. Its officers and crew
consisted of Captain Willard Glazier, a distinguished writer, and a
reportorial companion, Mr. Barrett Channing Paine, of the Saint
Paul _Pioneer Press_, who had come all the way down the
Mississippi, from its source, in this frail bark. Great, indeed,
was the joy of the voyagers as they glided down to the mouth of the
river, and saw the salt spray of the Gulf dash high over the
seaward wall of the Jetties. After clambering up by the beacon, and
standing gazing at the broad expanse of water, toward which they
had been paddling for the last four months, until they were
drenched by an unusually heavy wave, the two men again descended
slowly, scarcely conscious that their long voyage was finished.
Hailing a passing boat, they boarded her, and the light canoe was
made fast behind and towed back to Port Eads, where the travellers
were most hospitably entertained until the arrival of an inward
bound steamship to bring them to New Orleans.

"As this is by far the longest canoe voyage ever made, and extended
the whole length of the Great River, some account of the
expedition, its aims and incidents, cannot fail to be of interest.

"A representative of the _Democrat_ had the pleasure of meeting
Barrett Channing Paine, who accompanied Captain Glazier, and from
him learned the following particulars of the voyage:

"Captain Willard Glazier is a serious, soldierly-looking man, and a
military author of repute. Among his best known works are 'Soldiers
of the Saddle,' 'Capture, Prison-Pen and Escape,' 'Battles for the
Union,' 'Heroes of Three Wars,' and 'Peculiarities of American
Cities.' The Captain does not look like a man of thoughtless,
adventurous disposition, and it seems strange at first that he
should have made the voyage in the manner he did; but it looks
sensible enough when his reasons are taken into consideration. The
Captain made the trip avowedly for the purpose of study and
observation, as he did his horseback ride across the continent,
from Boston to San Francisco, in 1876. He wished to thoroughly
understand the people of the great valley, their social conditions,
industries and modes of life. He also expected to obtain much
enjoyment from the changing scenery and climate. Had he travelled
by steamboat or railway, he would have been whisked through the
country in a week or so, and would have had absolutely no
opportunity for obtaining an inside view of the condition of
affairs. In addition to seeing the country, the Captain designed
delivering a lecture prepared specially for the purpose on the
'Pioneers of the Mississippi,' in all the important towns on his
route. The lecture treated chiefly of the early explorers--De Soto,
Marquette, La Salle, and Hennepin.

"Actuated by these motives, he procured a fine cedar canoe of the
Rushton model, which he shipped to Aitkin, the most northerly point
on the river reached by rail. He then went forward, himself, to
Saint Paul, accompanied by his brother, where he was joined by his
present companion, and there made final preparations for the long
voyage.

"At Brainerd the party left the line of the Northern Pacific
Railroad, and proceeded by wagon over a road, which was hardly more
than a trail, to Leech Lake, where the Government has an Indian
Agency. The country traversed was exceedingly wild, being almost
without inhabitants, and covered with a growth of jack-pines. It
being the blueberry season, quite a number of Indians were seen
picking that fruit, which grows there in abundance. As a rule the
braves lay in the shade, smoking or sleeping, while the squaws and
children did the picking. At night they found a stopping-place at
Pine River, and the following afternoon arrived at the Agency,
where there are two trading-posts and a number of white men.

"Here three birch-bark canoes were purchased, and the services of
an equal number of Indian guides procured, one of whom also acted
in the capacity of interpreter. All of these were required to reach
the source of the river, which was a matter of great difficulty and
some danger. Lake Itasca, which was then supposed by most people to
be the source of the Mississippi, lay five days' journey away,
through an almost impassable wilderness. Indeed, it was well-nigh
impossible to find even an Indian who had visited it. But at last
one was found in the person of Chenowagesic, a Chippewa brave, who
consented to pilot the party to that lake.

"On July seventeenth everything was in readiness, the three birch
canoes were launched on Leech Lake, and the voyage had fairly
commenced. After crossing Leech Lake the voyagers pushed up the
Gabecanazeba River, which was filled with rushes and wild rice.
Laboriously paddling through these, they reached another lake, and
encamped for the night. Next morning this lake was crossed, and the
first real hardship of the expedition confronted them in the shape
of a portage. The provisions and luggage were taken out of the
canoes and transported on the backs of the Indians across the
country, a distance of three miles, through underbrush so thick
that they could not see ten feet in advance. Five days were spent
in this manner--first paddling across a little lake, and then
making a long portage, until at last Lake Itasca was reached, and
the party encamped on Schoolcraft Island. By this time the Captain
felt convinced from the talk of the guides, particularly of
Chenowagesic, the chief guide, whose words were translated to him,
that Itasca was not the source of the Great River.

"Determined to ascertain the truth, he proceeded at once to make a
thorough exploration of the headwaters of the river, guided in a
great measure by Chenowagesic, who had hunted and trapped for years
in this region. Various streams joining the infant Mississippi were
examined, and found to contain less water than that stream, thus
establishing the fact that Itasca is on the main stream. Then a
thorough exploration of the shores of the lake itself was made.
Several creeks were found to enter it, the chief of which came in
at the southern end of the south-western arm of the lake. Itasca,
at this point, is filled with bulrushes, through which, with great
difficulty, the explorers forced their way, but were rewarded by
finding themselves in a clear, swift-running stream, having an
average depth of about ten or twelve inches, and a width of about
five feet. Up this tortuous stream the canoes were pushed and
dragged, and finally the voyagers shot out upon the surface of a
beautiful heart-shaped lake, which proved, upon careful
exploration, to be the true source of the Father of Waters. After
examining the shores, the party landed on a rocky point, and
Captain Glazier made a short speech, expressing his confident
belief that they had found the true source of the Great River, and
added something to the geographical knowledge of the country. He
was followed by Mr. Paine, who, after a few introductory remarks,
moved that the new lake be called LAKE GLAZIER, in honor of the man
by whom it had been discovered. This motion was adopted by the
Captain's companions, and after drinking from a spring of ice-cold
water which bubbled up at their feet, the party re-embarked. LAKE
GLAZIER is about two miles in greatest diameter, with clear, deep
waters and wooded shores, being altogether a prettier lake than
Itasca and both wider and deeper, to whose honors, as source of the
mighty Mississippi, it succeeds.

"_Reporter._--Then which way did you proceed?"

"_Mr. Paine._--From LAKE GLAZIER the descent of the river began.
Below Itasca it runs in a northerly direction for a hundred miles
or more, and then swings round to the eastward, finally bending
toward the south, which general direction it afterwards maintains.
For the first few miles it runs between rich meadows, and the
canoeists expected from this that the voyage would be easy and
agreeable. Such was not our fortune, however, for we soon found the
river to be obstructed by snags, drift-wood and boulders of all
sizes. Huge trees had in many places fallen completely across the
river. These obstacles were surmounted in different ways. Sometimes
the canoes could be pressed down and made to go under the logs;
again, they would have to be carried around; sometimes the drift
would be removed, and sometimes the canoes would be lifted over. At
last they had to be carried across a portage for half a mile, then
launched again, until at length the obstructions were passed.
Meanwhile, and all through the journey, the mosquitoes hovered
around us in clouds, making life a burden, and causing all the
members of the expedition to forget their early Christian training.

"Leaving the obstructions behind, we sped smoothly between the
waving meadows once more lining the river. But a new hardship now
threatened us--our rations gave out entirely, and most of the
ammunition having become wet, starvation stared us in the face. To
buy anything in that wild country was, of course, impossible. This
danger was barely averted by the marksmanship of our leader, and
the dexterity of the Indian guides, who would occasionally kill a
duck with their paddles. We got down at last to 'hard pan,' and had
gone without any breakfast or supper the day we reached Lake
Bemidji. Here we were lucky enough to meet an Indian, who had a
little flour and pork, and having replenished our larder, we
crossed the lake and continued our course down the river.

"A new danger now beset us in the shape of rapids which would occur
every few miles, rendering canoe navigation extremely hazardous.
Several times holes were stove in the thin birchen canoes, and a
number of times we were precipitated into the water, but no one was
dangerously hurt, and the guides were very deft in repairing the
canoes.

"A half-day's journey from Lake Bemidji is Cass Lake, a fine sheet
of water, twenty miles in length by ten wide. The next day,
Winnibegoshish, the largest lake of the Mississippi, was reached.
It is twenty miles in diameter, and greeted us with a heavy sea,
which nearly swamped us as we paddled across the corner to a few
scattered wigwams which form the little Indian village on its
banks. Two days we were wind-bound, getting away on the morning of
the third. That night our camp was invaded by a number of hostile
Indians, but, owing to our vigilance, bloodshed was avoided.

"In three days more Pokegama Falls were reached, and we saw the
first white man since leaving Leech Lake. Making a portage around
the falls, we shot Grand Rapids a few miles below, and slept that
night beneath the shelter of a roof. Nothing worthy of mention
occurred between this point and Aitkin, which we reached in four
days, and at last found ourselves within the bounds of
civilization, and bade farewell to our Indian guides. Captain
Glazier tried to induce these dusky sons of the forest to accompany
him to the Gulf, but the stories they had heard of the alligators
and snakes of the Sunny South terrified them, and they refused. A
short rest was taken at Aitkin, and then we re-embarked in the
pretty modern canoes which awaited us there. The descent of the
river in these canoes was easy and pleasant. At all the principal
towns the Captain delivered his lecture, 'Pioneers of the
Mississippi,' which was listened to with great interest.

"Between Aitkin and Saint Paul numerous and dangerous rapids were
met, all of which were shot in safety; and the Falls of Saint
Anthony reached without accident. Below Saint Anthony Falls the
scenery is very beautiful, high bluffs arising with more or less
abruptness from the water's edge.

"Among other points of especial interest along the Upper
Mississippi, Lake Pepin occupies the most prominent position after
Saint Anthony Falls. Environed by majestic bluffs and with a length
of thirty miles it forms a very beautiful sheet of water. But
though beautiful it is treacherous, and the winds sweeping down
between the high bluffs frequently make navigation on its waters
perilous. In the morning when we reached its upper end we found to
our dismay that the elements had possession, and the waves ran so
high that a number of river steamers had been compelled to tie up
and wait for the storm to subside. Captain Glazier, however, having
a lecture appointment at Lake City, half way down the lake,
determined to keep his appointment despite the weather, and
ventured forth regardless of the warning of the river men. It took
us all day to paddle a distance of sixteen miles, and many times it
seemed that our frail boats would be engulfed by the waves which
dashed over them; but the danger was passed in safety.

"From this point things went smoothly until the canoe fleet was
just below Winona, when a sudden and violent squall struck the
boats and came near sending us to the bottom. Fortunately, this too
was weathered, and then the only drawbacks encountered were the
continuous and strong headwinds and the seas consequent upon them,
which tried our nerves so frequently that they came at length to be
naturally expected. While on the Keokuk Rapids the wind blew so
strongly that it actually carried the boats up stream, and it was
only by the hardest paddling that any downward progress could be
made.

"At La Crosse the expedition was reduced in number to the Captain
and myself, who proceeded to the Gulf in the _Alice_. Some days
were spent in all the principal towns. On October eighth Saint
Louis was reached, and we were welcomed by the various boat-clubs
of the city and congratulated on having completed the first great
section of the navigable river. On October tenth we re-embarked and
pushed on towards the mouth of the river. Everywhere we were
received with the greatest cordiality. Cairo, Memphis, Vicksburg,
Natchez and Baton Rouge were the chief halting places, but
frequently night overtook us near some plantation house, and then
we were the guests of the planters, and were entertained with true
Southern hospitality.

"Special occasion was taken by Captain Glazier to investigate the
cotton and sugar crops, the relations of the white and colored
races, and the future possibilities of the South; and with very
gratifying results. At last New Orleans was reached.

"As it was so near his journey's end, and as it was his intention
to return as soon as he had passed through the Jetties, the Captain
determined to pass the city on his downward trip without halting.
This was accordingly done, and three days' paddling brought us to
Captain Eads' great work. Remaining there a day we returned to the
city.

"Thus far Mr. Paine; and thus ended the longest canoe voyage ever
made, and one which perhaps entailed more hardships on those who
made it than any other on record. Starting from the cold springs at
its source Captain Glazier followed the windings of the greatest
river on our continent from the pine forests and the wheat lands of
the extreme Northern States, through all the varying phases of
climate and industries, to the cotton and sugar-cane section of the
South; past the orange and banana groves, and on to the broad Gulf.
Such a journey is full of interesting and strange experiences,
pleasures and hardships intermingled, and has, Captain Glazier
thinks, fully repaid the cost in time, money and labor of the
undertaking.

"The canoe in which this long voyage was made has been presented by
the Captain to the New Orleans Academy of Sciences.

"It may be well to mention that no one else has ever traversed
either in canoe, steamboat or otherwise more than two-thirds of the
course of the Mississippi; and when it is taken into consideration
that the distance is considerably over three thousand miles, and
that the upper portion is filled with rapids, logs and other
obstructions, it is not to be wondered at."

II. RECEPTION AT NEW ORLEANS AND SAINT LOUIS.

On his return to New Orleans from the Gulf, with the purpose of viewing the great maritime city of the South, Captain Glazier was met by Dr. J. S. Copes, President of the New Orleans Academy of Sciences. This gentleman introduced him to Mayor Shakespear, and arrangements were at once made for a public reception by the Academy. The following interesting account of the ceremony is taken from the New Orleans _Picayune_ of November twenty-first, 1881, and shows the estimate placed on the Captain's exploratory labors by many of the most prominent residents of the Crescent City:

"The termination of the exploring expedition and canoe trip of
Captain Willard Glazier, extending from his new-found source of the
Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico, culminated, after a voyage of
one hundred and seventeen days, in a very general and complimentary
recognition and ovation on the part of the officials and citizens
of New Orleans. In company with Dr. J. S. Copes, President of the
Academy of Sciences, Captain Glazier was presented to His Honor,
Mayor Shakespear was warmly welcomed, and the freedom of the city
tendered him.

"In appreciation of the generous hospitality extended to him, the
Captain expressed a wish to present his beautiful canoe, which had
safely carried him through his long voyage, to the Academy of
Sciences, and the following letter accompanied the presentation:

"'Saint Charles Hotel,
"'_New Orleans, Louisiana_,
"'November 21, 1881.

"'_Joseph S. Copes, M. D._,
"'_President--New Orleans Academy of Sciences:_

"'Dear Sir:--I have just concluded upon the border of the State of
Louisiana a voyage of observation, exploration, and discovery; and,
as you have expressed considerable interest in the results, and
manifested a desire to possess the canoe in which the voyage was
made, I find pleasure in presenting it to your honorable society as
a souvenir of my expedition.

"'During this canoe journey of over three thousand miles, beginning
at the headwaters of the Mississippi and extending to the Gulf of
Mexico, I had the satisfaction of locating the source of the Great
River which we have traversed, and feel a pride in having corrected
a geographical error of half a century's standing.

"'I will not now enter into a detailed account of my explorations
on the upper Mississippi, but shall take the earliest opportunity
of transmitting to your Secretary a complete narrative of the
voyage, which will be issued in book form as soon as the matter
can be prepared for publication.

"'Very respectfully yours,
"'Willard Glazier.'

"A special meeting of the Academy of Sciences was held--Dr. J. S.
Copes, President, in the chair--for the purpose of receiving from
Captain Glazier the handsome cedar canoe _Alice_, with which he had
navigated the Mississippi from Aitkin to the Gulf.

"By invitation, Captain Glazier gave an account of his explorations
on the Upper Mississippi, and especially of that section of country
beyond Lake Itasca, a body of water which has hitherto been
considered the fountain-head of the Great River.

"Dr. Copes, in the name of the Academy, thanked Captain Glazier for
his valuable gift, which would be highly prized, and then
congratulated him upon his contribution to American geographical
knowledge. In the course of his remarks, the learned doctor said
that De Soto penetrated the continent of North America in pursuit
of gold, and accidentally discovered the Mississippi. Marquette,
the zealous missionary, traversed the river from the mouth of the
Wisconsin to the mouth of the Arkansas. La Salle pursued his
explorations from the mouth of the Illinois to the Gulf, his sole
aim seeming to be the conquest of North America in the name of the
King of France. Hennepin explored but a small section of the
stream, extending from the mouth of the Wisconsin to Saint Anthony
Falls; while Willard Glazier had made the discovery of its primal
reservoir, and traversed its entire length from source to sea.

"The members of the Academy listened with great interest to Captain
Glazier's account of his explorations and discovery, and also to
the historical address of the President.

"Dr. J. R. Walker then offered the following resolutions:

"'_Resolved_, That the thanks of this Academy are due, and are
hereby tendered, to Captain Willard Glazier for the donation of his
beautiful canoe, _Alice_, and for the brief narrative of his
explorations at the source of the Mississippi River, and of his
voyage thence to the Gulf of Mexico.

"'_Resolved_, That this Academy not only gratefully accepts this
handsome gift, but promises to preserve and cherish it as a
souvenir of Captain Glazier's high qualities as an explorer and
contributor to the increase of American geographical knowledge.'

"Mr. H. Dudley Coleman then moved that a copy of the resolutions be
appropriately written and framed, and presented to Captain Glazier;
and that a committee of three be appointed to prepare the same.

"The resolutions were unanimously adopted, when Dr. Copes appointed
as the committee Messrs. Coleman, Walker, and Blanchard.

"At the conclusion of the meeting, Mr. Coleman escorted Captain
Glazier to the Washington Artillery Arsenal, and introduced him to
Colonel J. B. Richardson, commanding the battalion, who extended to
Captain Glazier the hospitalities of the battalion during his stay
in the city."

* * * * *

BEFORE THE MISSOURI HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Captain Glazier returned to Saint Louis from New Orleans, having engaged to deliver a lecture in that city on the "Pioneers of the Mississippi." On his voyage down the river and visit to the city, he was unable to remain long enough to fulfil the engagement, as winter was rapidly approaching, and it was expedient to reach the Gulf as soon as possible. Moreover, he wished to present one of his canoes--the _Itasca_--to the Missouri Historical Society, in return for the hospitality he had received during his previous brief visit; and it was arranged that the presentation should take place on the night of the lecture. Accordingly, on the evening of January fourteenth, 1882, an audience consisting of members of the Historical Society, the Academy of Sciences, clergy, officers and teachers of the public schools, and the several boat clubs of the city, assembled at Mercantile Library Hall, to listen to his lecture on the pioneer explorers of the Great River, and to witness the presentation of the _Itasca_.

At eight o'clock, Captain Glazier, accompanied by Judge Albert Todd, Vice-President of the Historical Society, appeared on the platform, and the Judge introduced the lecturer in the following terms, as reported in the local press:

"Mark Twain wrote that in his Oriental travels he visited the grave
of our common ancestor, Adam, and, as a filial mourner, he
copiously wept over it. To me the grave of our common ancestress,
Eve, would be more worthy of my filial affection, but, instead of
weeping over it, I should proudly rejoice by reason of her
irrepressible desire for knowledge. She boldly gratified this
desire, and thereby lifted Adam up from the indolent, browsing life
that he seemed disposed and content to pass in the 'Garden,' and
gave birth to that spirit of inquiry and investigation which is
developing and elevating their posterity to 'man's pride of
place'--'a little lower than the angels'--by keeping them ever
discontented with the _status quo_, and constantly pressing on to
the 'mark of their high calling' beneath the blazing legend
'Excelsior.' It is this ceaseless unrest of the spirit, one of the
greatest evidences of the soul's immortality, that is continually
contracting the boundaries of the unknown in geography and
astronomy, in physics and metaphysics, in all their varied
departments. Of those pre-eminently illustrating it in geography
were Jason and his Argonauts; Columbus, De Gama, and Magellan; De
Soto, Marquette, and La Salle; Cabot and Cook; Speke, Baker,
Livingstone, and Franklin; and our own Ledyard, Lewis, Clarke,
Kane, Hall, and Stanley. And this evening will appear before you
another of these irrepressible discontents who would know what is
still hidden, at any risk or privation.

"Impelled by this spirit of enterprise, in search of truth, Captain
Willard Glazier has discovered, at last, the true source of our
grand and peerless river, the 'Father of Waters,' down which he has
floated and paddled in frail canoes, a distance of more than three
thousand miles, to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. One of these
canoes is now placed here in your view, and will be presented
to-night by its navigator to our Historical Society. Nearly two
hundred years ago La Salle discovered the mouth of the Mississippi,
yet only now in this year of grace, 1881, was ascertained its true
fountain source.

"This, the latest achievement of Captain Glazier, is only in the
natural course of his antecedents. Born as late as 1841, he has
already gone through the experiences of the Adamic labors of a
tiller of the soil, the hard toils of the student and of the
successful teacher; of the dashing and brilliant cavalry officer in
the Union army through the whole period of our late war, from its
disastrous beginning to its successful ending; of the sufferings of
capture and imprisonment in the notorious 'Libby,' and other
prisons, and of a daring and perilous escape from their cruel
walls; of an adventurous tourist on horseback through the most
civilized and savage portions of our continent, beginning with the
feet of his horse in the waters of the Atlantic, and ending with
their splash in the waters of the Pacific. He delivered lectures
along his route wherever a civilized audience could be collected,
and suffered capture by the Indians, with all its sensational
romance and hideous prospects.

"From the material of these antecedents he has written and
published several books of singular interest and national value.

"From this brief sketch we would naturally expect to see a stalwart
man, massive and powerful in form and muscle. Our conceptions of
men of big deeds is that they are also big. But David was a
stripling when he slew Goliath of Gath. Napoleon was characterized
by the society ladies of the period of his early career as 'Puss in
Boots,' Our own Fremont and Eads would seem at sight capable of
only the ordinarily exposed duties of life. Of like physique is the
subject of this introduction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my pleasant privilege to introduce
to your acquaintance Captain Willard Glazier as the lecturer for
the evening."

Captain Glazier then delivered his interesting historical lecture on the "Pioneers of the Mississippi." The adventures and discoveries of De Soto, Marquette, La Salle, Hennepin, Joliet, and others, including the more recent explorers, Pike, Beltrami, Schoolcraft, and Nicollet, were intelligently discussed, and the attention of all present absorbed by the interest of the subject. He spoke of the ambition of De Soto to found an empire like that of Cortez in Mexico; of his arrival on the banks of the Great River, and finally of his death and burial in its depths. Concerning Father Marquette, the lecturer dwelt upon the zeal with which he preached the Gospel to the benighted Indians, and his premature death and burial in the wilderness. La Salle was then presented as an intrepid pioneer, pushing down the mighty river to plant his banner on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and taking possession of the country through which he had passed in the name of the King of France. The exploits of Hennepin, Joliet, and others were then recounted, and the lecturer gave evidence of great familiarity with the lives of these heroic pioneer explorers of the Mississippi. The following letter was then read:

"1310 Olive Street,

"_Saint Louis, Missouri_,

"January 14, 1882.

"_Edwin Harrison, Esq.,_

"_President Missouri Historical Society_:

"Dear Sir:--In my recent canoe voyage down the Mississippi it was
my good fortune to receive many courtesies at the hands of the
press, boat clubs, and citizens of Saint Louis. This, coupled with
the fact that you have expressed considerable interest in the
result of my explorations, inclines me to present to you the
_Itasca_, one of the canoes used in the expedition, for the museum
of your Society, as a memento of my voyage and discovery.

"During this tour of observation, extending from the headwaters of
the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, I had the satisfaction
of locating the true source of the mighty stream down which we
paddled our canoes to the sea.

"I am not now able to give you a detailed account of my voyage, but
shall avail myself of the earliest opportunity to transmit to your
Secretary a complete history of it, which will be issued in book
form as soon as the material can be put in proper shape for
publication.

"Very truly yours,

Willard Glazier."

Captain Silas Bent, late of the U. S. N., accepted the canoe for the society, in the following words:

"Captain Glazier:

"It becomes my pleasant duty to accept, for the Missouri Historical
Society, this beautiful canoe, which has itself become historic by
reason of the service it has rendered you. It shall be deposited
with other treasured relics in our museum.

"I have also to express to you the high appreciation in which the
Society holds the valuable contribution to geographical knowledge
resulting from your explorations among the headwaters of the
Mississippi River, and your discovery of the remotest lake that
contributes to the perennial birth of this hydra-headed 'Father of
Waters,' whose genesis near the Arctic regions gives it a length of
more than three thousand miles to the tropical gulf, to which it
bears upon its ample bosom in safety the freightage of an empire.

"I desire, too, to thank you for the interesting lecture just given
us upon the achievements of the heroic old explorers, who have, in
centuries past, preceded you in investigations of the
characteristics of this river. But whilst past investigations have
made us familiar with the general character of the stream, and the
peculiarities of its many mouths, yet we know very little of its
source; and should be gratified, I am sure, if you could give us,
this evening, a brief account of the circumstances attending your
explorations in that direction, and of the difficulties you had to
encounter in the accomplishment of your object."

In compliance with Captain Bent's request that he would give some account of the events connected with the expedition to the source of the Mississippi, Captain Glazier then briefly narrated the leading incidents of his voyage and explorations. At the conclusion, several gentlemen came forward to congratulate him upon the practical results of his undertaking and expressed their appreciation of the work he had accomplished. The _Itasca_, which occupied a prominent position on the platform, was duly inspected, and afterwards removed to the rooms of the Historical Society.

III. LETTERS PERTINENT TO THE SUBJECT.

A letter from Captain Glazier which appeared in the Saint Paul _Pioneer Press_ in December, 1886, and was copied into several Eastern papers, is here introduced as an epitomized narrative of the discovery. The journey to the headwaters of the Mississippi, the launch of the canoes on Lake Itasca, the search for its feeders and the finding of one larger than the others which the Indian guides said flowed from another lake to the south of it; the passage of the canoes up this feeder and the entrance of the explorers upon a beautiful lake which they ascertained by sounding and measurement to be wider and deeper than Itasca, and _the veritable source of the Great River_; all this is succinctly told in the following letter of the leader of the expedition, and we respectfully commend its perusal to the reader:

"_To the Editor--Pioneer Press, Saint Paul, Minnesota_:

"I solicit the favor of replying through your columns to articles
in one or two New York dailies calling in question my claim to have
definitely located, in 1881, the true source of the Mississippi
River.

"When my attention was first drawn to the articles of those who
seem so much exercised by my expedition to the headwaters of the
Mississippi, I had no intention of replying, but have finally
yielded to the reasoning of friends who feel that longer silence
might possibly be construed to my disadvantage.

"I am well aware that I assume grave responsibility in locating the
source of the greatest river of North America and correcting a
geographical error of half a century's standing, especially since I
follow in the footsteps of such eminent explorers as Pike,
Beltrami, Schoolcraft and Nicollet; and in view of the fact that I
have presumed to pass the limit of their explorations.

"For many years prior to 1881, I had been of the opinion that Lake
Itasca occupied an erroneous position in our geography. In fact I
had become satisfied through conversations with straggling
Chippewas in the Northwest, that the red man's ideal river did not
rise in the lake described by his white brother, but that there
were other lakes and streams beyond that lake and that some day the
truth of their statements would be verified.

"Thoroughly convinced that there was yet a field for exploration in
the wilds of Northern Minnesota I resolved, in 1876, to attempt a
settlement of the vexed question concerning the source of the
Mississippi at an early day. Finding the opportunity I sought in
1881 I proceeded to Saint Paul in June of that year accompanied by
Pearce Giles, of Camden, New Jersey. Here I was joined by my
brother George, of Chicago, and Barrett Channing Paine, then an
attache of the _Pioneer Press_.

"Having completed arrangements we moved from Saint Paul on the
morning of July Fourth with Brainerd as our immediate objective.
Short stops were made at Minneapolis, Monticello, Saint Cloud and
Little Falls on our way up the river. Brainerd was reached July
seventh. This enterprising town is situated near the boundary of
the Chippewa Indian Reservation and is the nearest place of
consequence to Lake Itasca. Here I again halted to further inform
myself concerning the topography of the country; to decide upon the
most practicable route to our destination, and to provide such
extra supplies of rations and clothing as might be considered
adequate to the requirements of our undertaking.

"After consulting our maps I concluded that while Schoolcraft and
Nicollet had found Itasca by going up the river through Lakes
Winnibegoshish, Cass and Bemidji, a more direct course would be by
way of Leech Lake and the Kabekanka River.

"A careful study of the route to Leech Lake, with a few valuable
suggestions from Warren Leland, of Brainerd, one of its oldest
pioneers, led us to seek conveyance to the former place over what
is known in Northern Minnesota as the Government Road. This road
stretches for seventy-five miles, through immense pine forests, and
the only habitations to be seen from it are the 'half-way houses'
erected for the accommodation of teamsters who are engaged in
hauling government supplies; and the occasional wigwams of
wandering Indians.

"While at the Leech Lake Agency it was our good fortune to meet the
post-missionary, Rev. Edwin Benedict; Major A. C. Ruffe, the Indian
Agent; Paul Beaulieu, the veteran Government Interpreter;
White-Cloud, chief of the Mississippi Indians; Flat-Mouth, head
chief of the Chippewas, and others well known at the Agency.
Through conversations with these parties I learned that pioneers of
that region were of the opinion that the lake located by
Schoolcraft was the source of the Mississippi, but that the Indians
invariably claimed that the Great River had its origin above and
beyond Itasca, in a beautiful lake known to them as Pokegama,
signifying the 'place where the waters gather.'

"Beaulieu, who is perhaps the best authority in Minnesota, having
lived for more than sixty years within its borders, said that
Chenowagesic, who afterwards became my chief guide, was the most
intelligent Chippewa of his acquaintance, had made his home for
many years in the vicinity of the headwaters of the Mississippi,
and that he had always asserted, when maps were shown him, that a
lake above Itasca would in time change a feature of those maps and
confirm his statement that Lake Itasca could not longer maintain
its claim to being the fountain-head of the Great River.

"Three days were spent at Leech Lake, during which time we secured
an interpreter, Indian guides and birch bark canoes. Everything
being in order we launched our canoes on the morning of July
seventeenth. Wishing, as previously explained, to approach Itasca
by a different route from that adopted by Schoolcraft and Nicollet
who went up the Mississippi from Lake Winnibegoshish, I crossed
Leech Lake and ascended the Kabekanka River, thence proceeding in a
direct westerly course through twenty-one lakes, alternated by as
many portages, reaching Itasca between two and three o'clock on
the afternoon of the twenty-first. The region traversed, we were
told by the guides, had never before been trodden by white men; and
considering the nature of the country it is not to be wondered at,
as swamps, floating bogs, and dense undergrowth were encountered
throughout the entire journey.