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Les diagrammes suivants lllustrent la mAthode. f errata d to It le peiure, pon A n 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 • ^ THREE YEARS TRAVELS THROUGH THE INTERIOR PARTS O F NORTH-AMERICA, FOR MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND MILES; CONTAINING An Account of the great Lakes, and all the Lakes, Islands* and Rivers, Cataracts, Mountains, Minerals, Soil and Vegetable Productions of the North- West Regions of that vast Con tinent j WITH A DESCRIPTION OF the BIRDS, BEASTS, REPTILES, INSECTS, and FISHES PECULIAR TO THE COUNTRY. TOGETHER WITH A CSNCISS HISTORY OF THE GENIUS, MANNERS, and CUSTOMS OF THE INDIANS INHABITING THE LANDS THAT LIB A0JACENT lO THE HEADS AND TO THE WESTWARD OP THE GREAT RIVER MISSISSIPPI; A N D A N APPENDIX, Describing THE uncultivated parts of AMERICA that ARE THE MOST PROPER FOR FORMING SETTLEMENTS. i^sm By Captain JONATHAN CARVER, OP the PROVINCIAL TROOPS IN AMERICA. PHILADELPHIA: PuBLiSHio BY KfiV & SIMPSON i~i796. .'>'> A war TO JOSEPH B A N K S, £9/ PRESIDENT O F T H E ROYAL SOCIETY. S I R, When the Public are in- formed that I have long had the Ho- nor of your Acquaintance — that my defign in publilhing the following Work has received your Sanftion — - that the Compofition of it has flood the Teft of your Judgment — and that it is by your Permiflion, a Name fo defervedly eminent in (he Literary World is prefixed to it, I need not iV DEDICATION. be apprehenfive of its Succefs; as your Patronage will unqueftionably give them Affurance of its Merit. For this public ? eftim^ny of your Favor, in which I pride myfelf, ac- cept, Sir, my moll grateful Acknow- ledgments ; and believe me to be, with great Refpe£l, Your obedient, humble Servant, J. CARVER. :\ A N ADDRESS T O T H E U B L I C. JL HE favorable reception this Work has met with, claims the Author's moft grateful ac- knowledgments. A large edition having run ofiF in a few months, and the fale appearing to be ftill unabated, a new impreffion is become neceflary. On this occafion was he to conceal his feelings, and pafs over in filence, a diftindlion fo beneficial and flattering, he would juftly incur the imputation of ingratitude. That he might not do this, he takes the opportunity, which now prefents itfelf, of con- veying to the Public (though in terms inadequate to the warm amotions of his heart) the fenfe he en- tertains of their favorj and thus tranfmits to them his thanks. In this new edition, care has been taken toredify thofe errors vjrhich have unavoidably proceeded from the hurry of the prefs, and liktwife any in- correflncfs in the language that has found its way into it. The credibility offomeofthe incidents related in the following pages, and fome of the ftories intro- duced therein, having been queftioned, particularly VI ADDRESS. >*. £•'*' the ; rognnflication of the Indian pricft on the banks nf Lake Siincrio* and the ftory of the Indian and his rattle inakc,^'tlie author thinks it ncccflary to avail himfclf of the fame opportunity, to endeavour to eradicate any impreflions that might have been made on the minds of his readers, by the apparent improbability of thefe relations. As to the former, he has related it jiifl: as It hap- peneci. Being an eye-witnefs to the whole tranf- adioi\ (and, he flatters himfelf, at the time, free from every trace of fceptical obftinacy or enthufiaftic credulity) he v/as-confcqucndy able todefcribe every circumltance minutely and impartinlly. This he has done ; but without endeavouring; to account for the means by which it was accompli (lied. Whether the predi(5lion was the refult of prior obfervations, from which certain confequences were expecfled to follow by the fagacious prieft:, and the completion ff it merely accidental i or whether he was really endowed with fupernatural powers, the narrator left to the judgment of his readers; wliofe conclufions, he fuppofes, varied according as the mental faculties of ench were difpofed to admit or rejei^t fad:s that cannot be accounted for by natural caufes. The (lory of the rattle fnake was re^-^ted to him hy a French gentleman of undoubted veracity; and were the rciidors of this work as thoroughly acquaint- ed with the fagacity, and in(]:ih«5bive proceedings of that animal, as he is, they would be as well aflTured of the truth of it. It is vvell known that thofe fiiakes which have furvived through the fum:ner the acci- dents reptiles are liable to, periodically retire to the woods, at the approach of winter; where each (as curious obfervers have remarked) take poneflion of the cavity it had occupied the preceding year. As ii)on as the frafon i? propitious, enlivened by the ^ h 7 y- pi ADDRESS. vil invigorating rays of the fun, they leave thefc re- treats, and make their way to the fame fpor, though ever fo diftant, on which they before had found fubfiftencc, and the means of propagating their ipecies. Does it then require any extraordinary exertions of the mind to believe, that one of thefc regular creatures, after having been kindly treated by its mafter, Ihould return to the box, in which it had ufually been fupplied with food, and had met v^ith a comfortable abode, and that nearly about the time the Indian, from former experiments, was able to guefs at. It certainly does not; nor will the li- beral and ingenious doubt the truth of a (lory fo well authenticated, becaufe the circumftances appear ex- traordinary in a country where the fubjedt of it is fcarccly known. Thefc explanations the author hopes will fuffice to convince his readers, that he has not, as travel- lers arc fometimes fuppofed to do, amufcd them with improbable tales, or wifhed to acquire im- portance by making his adventures favor of the marvellous. i^ CONTENTS. I: NTRODUCTION, . i The Author fcts out from Bofton on his Travels, 1 1 Dcfcription of Fort Michillimackinac, 12 — — Fort La Bay - - 13 " the Green Bay, - 14 ■ Lake Michigan - 18 Arrives at the Town of the Winnebagocs, 20 Excurfion of the Winnebagoes towards the Spa- nilla Settlements - -21 Dcfcription of the Winnebago Lake, - 23 Inflance of rcfolution of an Indian Woman 25 Dcfcription of the Fox River, - 26 Remarkable ilory of a Rattle Snake, " 27 The great Town of the Saukics, - 29 Upper Town of the Ottagaumicf, • 30 Dcfcription of the Ouifconfin River, - ib. Lower Town qf the Octagaumies, or. La Prairies Les Chiens, - - "3^ An attack by fomc Indian Plunderers, » 32 Dcfcription of the MiiTiflippi from th^ Mouth of the Ouifconfin to LaRc Pepiu, - 34 « — Lake Pepin ^ - ib. Remarkable Ruins of an ancient Fortification 35 The River Ba.ids of the Naudoweflie Indians, 37 Adventure with a party of thcfe, and fomc of the Chcpeways, - - ib. Pcfcripiion of a remarkable Cave, * 40 CONTENTS. "X F Vl ii Uncommon behaviour of the Prince of the Win- nebagocs at the Falls of St. Anthony, 4% Dcfcription of the Falls, r 43 Extent q{ the Auvhcr's Travels, - 45 Defcription of the R.iver St. Pierre, - 47 Sources of the Four great Rivers of North Ame- rica, - T ib, Rcfle6tions on their Affinity, - 48 The Naudo we flies' of the Plains, with whom the Author wintered in the year 1766, 50 The Author returns to the Mouth of the River St. Pierre, - - $3 Accountof a violent Thunder ftorm, ibJ Speech made by the Author in a Council held by the Naudoweflics at the great Cave, 54 Adventure with a Party of Indians near Lake Pepin, - - 60 Defcription of the Cmmtry adjacent to the River St. Pierre, - - 62 Account of different Clays found near the Marble River, ; i*^. ;:l - 6;^ Defcription of the Chipeway River - 64 Extraordinary effects of a Hurricane, - 6§ The Author arrived at the Grand Portage on the North-wefl borders of Lake Superior, 67 Account of the Lakes lying further to the North- weft : Lake Bourbon, Lake Winnepcek, Lake Du Boi$, Lake La Piuye, Red Lake, &c. - - ib. Account of a nation of Indians fuppofed to have been tributary to the Mexican Kings, 74 ■ the fhining Mountains, - 76 A fingular prediction of the Chief Priefl of the Killiflinoes verified, - 77 Defcription of Lake Superior, - 83 Story of the two Chipeways landing on the Ifland ofMaurepas, - 85 Account of great quantities of Copper Ore, 87 CONTENTS. Defcription of the Falls of St. Marie, ■ Lake Huron, Saganaum and Thunder Bays, XI 89 90 91 Extraordinary phcenomcnon in the Straits of Mi- chillimackinac, - - 92 Defcription of Lake Sf.. Claire, ' - 94 — — the River, Town and Fort of Detroit, ^^ Remarkable rain at Detroitj - 96 Attack of Fort Detroit by Pontiac, 97 DefcriptioD of Lake Erie, •- 105 — ■^— the River and Falls of Niagara, 106 ' Lake Ontario and Lake Oniada, 107 — Lake Champlain, and Lake George, 108 Acsount of a traft of land granted to Sir Ferdi- nando Gorges, and Captain John Mafon, 109 The Author's Motives for undertaking his Tra- vels, - - 112 CHAPTER I. The origin of the Indians, - 115 Sentiments of various Writers on this point, 1 16 ' Monfieur Charlevoix, - 122 James Adair, Efq. - 128 the Author of this Work, - 132 Corroboracicn of the latter by Dr. Robertfon 138 CHAPTER II. Of the perfons, drefs, &c. of the Indians, 140 An account of thofc who have written pn this Subjed, - - ib. Defcription of the perfons of the Indians, 142 their Drefs, - 144 *^'.:, 9'-c ■; ' I tfONTE^JTS. the Drefs of the Ottagaumics, the Drefs of the Naudowcifies, The manner in which they build their tents and huts, 148 Their domeftic utenfils, • 149 CHAPTER m. Of the manner^ qualifications, &c. of the Indi- ans, 151 Peculiar cuftotiis of the women, - i^z The circumfpe6b and iloical difpoiition of the men, - - 153 Their amazing fagacity, * 155 The liberality of the Indians, and their opinion rcfpeding money, * 158 CHAPTER IV. Their method of reckoning time, &c» 160 The names of which they didinguiih the months, ib. Their idea of the ufe of figures, * . .162 CHAPTER V. Of their government, &c. - 164 Their divifion into tribes, - ib. The Chiefs of their bands, - 165 The members that compofe their councils, 167 «ONTENTS. 3U^ CHAPTER VI. Of their feafts, • • 169 Their ufual food , • - ib. Their manner of dreffing and eating their visu- als, * - 17^ CHAPTER VII. 172 ib. Of their dances, * - The manner in which they dance. The pipe or calumet dance, - ^74 The war dance, - •« ib. The Paw w aw dance, - 175 An uncommon admiflion into a fociety among the Naudowe flies, - ib. The dance of the Indians on the banks of the Mifllflippi, referred to in the Journal, 180 The dance ot the facrifice, - 184 CHAPTER Vm. Of their Hunting, - - - 184 Their Preparation before they fct out, 185 Their manner of hunting che Bear, - 186 ' — Buffaloe, Deer, &c. ib. ■ Beaver^ - 188 CHAPTER IX. Of their Manner of making War, &c. 191 iAt CONTENTS. The Indian Weapons, - - i^i Their Motives for making War, - 193 Preparations before they take the Field, 1 95 The Manner in which they folicit other Nations to become their Auxiliaries, . - 198 Their Manner of declaring War, - - 199 The Method of engaging their Enemies, 201 An Inftance of the Efficacy of it in the Defeat of General Braddock, - - 202 A detail of the Maffacre at Fort William Henry in the Year 1757, - - 203 Acutenefs and Alacrity of the Indians in the pur- fuing their Enemies, - - 212 Their manner of Scalping, - - 21 J The manner in which they retreat, and carry off their Prifoners, - - 214 A remarkable Inftance of Heroifm in a Female Prifoner, - - - 215 Treatment of their Prifoner, - - 2 1 S The Origin of their felling Slaves, - 225 ■ CHAPTER X. Of their Manner of making Peace &c. 228 Account of an Engagement between the Iro- quois and the Ottagaumies and Saukies, 229 Manner in which they condudl a Treaty of Peace, 233 Defcription of the Pipe of Peace, - ib. . — , Belts of Wampum, 235 CHAPTER XI. Of their Games, The Game of the Ball, — Bowl or Plarter, 237 ib. 232 CONTENTS. XT itions at of [cnry 19! 193 198 199 201 202 203 epur- rry off 212 213 :male 214 215 21S 225 228 Ire- nes, 229 'cace, 233 ib. 235 237 ib. 238 CHAPTER XII. Of their Marriage Ceremonies, - 240 The Manner in which the Tribes near Canada celebrate their Marriages, - . 241 The Form of Marriage among the Naudowcflies, 244 Their Manner of carrying on an Intrigue, 246 Of the Indian Names, -.• - 248 CHAPTER XIIL Of their Religion, Their Ideas of a Supreme Being, 1 — Future State, 249 ib. 251 ib. Of their Priefts, - ". . " . The Sentiments of others on the religious Prin- ciples of the Indians oppofed, ^ - 253 CHAPTER XIV. O •o: Of their Difeafes, &c. - - 255 The Complaints to which they are chiefly fubjeft, ib. The Manner in which they conftrudt their Sweat- ing Stoves, - - 256 The methods in which they treat their difeafes, 257 An extraordinary Inftance of the Judgment of an Indian Woman, in a defperate Cafe, 259 CHAPTER XV. The manner in which they treat their Dead, 261 A Specimen of their Funeral Harangues, 262 Their method of burying their Dead, - 263 A fingular Inftance of parental Affedion in a Naudoweffic Womati, - - 264 rvi CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVI. A concife Charafter of che Indians, - 268 Their perfonal and mental Qualifications, 269 Their public Gharaftcr as Members of 4 Com- mynity, - - - 270 CHAPTER XVII. Of their Language, Hieroglyphics, &c. 273 Of the Chipe way Tongue, - - ib. Dcfcriptivc Specimen of their Hieroglyphics, &c. 275 Vocabulary of the Chipeway Language, 278 > ■ ■■ Nagdowcific Language, 2S8 CHAPTER XVm. Of tb" Beafts, Birds, Fiflies, Reptiles, and In- Icdbs, which are found in the Interior parts of North-America, * - 294 BEASTS. I The Tiger. The Bear, -. - 295 The Wolf The Fox. Dogs. The Cat of the Mountain, - - 296 The Buffalo. The Deer. The Elk, - 297 The Moofe. The Carraboo, - 298 The Carcajou. The Shunk, - 299 The Porcupine, - - ^ 301 The Wood-chuck. The Racoon. The Marten. The Mufquafh, r - 302 Squirrels. The Braver, r ^ 304 The Otter. The Mink, - - 308 CONTENTS. fiCVIl BIRDS. The Eagle. The Night Hawk. The Whip- perwill, - - . J09 The Fifh Hawk. The Owl. The Crane, 311 Ducks. The Teal. The Loon. The Partridge, 312 The Wood Pigeon. The Woodpecker. The Blue Jay. The Wakon Bird, - 313 The Black Bird. The Red Bird. ThcWhctfaw, 315 The King Bird. The Humming Bird, - ib. FISHES. The Sturgeon, The Cat Fifh. The Carp. The Chub, 316 317 SERPENTS. The Rattle Snake, - - 318 The Long Black Snake. The Striped or Gar- ter Snake. - -• - 321 The Water Snake. The Hiffing Snake. The Green Snake, - - - 322 The Thorn- tail Snake. The Speckled Snake. The Ring Snake. The two-headed Snake. The Tortoife or Land Turtle, r 323 LIZARDS. The Swift Lizard. The Slow Lizard. The Tree Toad, - ». - 324 c XVIU CONTENTS. m. INSECTS. The Silk Worm. The Tobacco Worm. The Bee. The Lightning Bug or Fire Fly, 325; The Water Bug. The Horned Bug. Locuft, 327 •>. CHAPTER XIX. Of the Trees, Shrubs, Roots, Herbs, Flow- ers, &c. - - - 328 TREES. The Oak, ... ib. The Pine Tree;, The Maple. The Afh, 329 The Hemlock Tree. ' The Bafs or White Wood. TJie Wickopick or Suckvvick. The Button Wood, - - - „ 33.1^ N U T T R E E S. The Butter or Oil Nut. The Beech Nut, Ths Pecan Nut. The Hickory, 332 333 j 3i; i. FRUIT TREES. The Vine ... 234- The Mulberry Tree. The Crab Apple Tree. The Plum Tree. The Cherry Tree. The Sweet Gum Tj-ee, - - ib. CONTENTS. ate SHRUBS. The Willow. Shin Wood. The Saflafras, 3^6 The Prickly A(h. The Moofc Wood. The Spood Wood. The Elder, - 337 The Shrub Oak. The Witch Hazel. The Myr- tle Wax Tree. Winter Green, 338 The Fever Bulh. The Cranberry Bufh. The Choak Berry, - - 339 ROOTS AND PLANTS. Spikenard. Sarfaparilla. Ginfang,. - 346 Gold Thread. Solomon's Seal. DeviPs Bit. Blood Root, - - 341 HERBS. Sanicle. Rattle Snake Plantain, - 343 Poor Robin's Plantain. Toad Plantain. Rock Liverwort. GargitorSkoke. Skunk Cab- bage or Poke. Wake Robin, - 344 Wild Indigo. Cat Mint, 9 * - 345 FLOWERS, - - . 346 FARINACEOUS and LEGUMINOUS ROOTS, &c. Maize or Indian Corn. Wild Rice, Beans. The Squafli, ib, 349 snf CONTENTS. APPENDIX. The Probability of the interior parts of North- America becoming Commercial Colonies, 351 The Means by which this might be efFcdted, 352 Tradbs of land pointed out, on which Colonies may be eftablifhed with the greateft Ad- vantage, - . - - 354 Diflcrtation on the Difcovery of the North-weft Paffage, - - 358 The moft certain way of attaining it, ib. Planpropofed by Richard Whiteworth, Efq. for making an Attempt from a Quarter hi- therto unexplored, - 352 The Reafon of its being poftponed, - 360 >,» s INTRODUCTION. ^ i^ O fooncr was the late war with France concluded, and peace cftablifticd by the treaty of Verfailles in the year 1763, than I began to confider (having rendered my country fome fervices during the war) how I might continue (IHl ferviceable, and contribute, as much as lay in my power, to make that vaft acquifition of territory, gained by Great- Britain in North-America, advantageous to it. It appeared to me indifpenfably needful, that govern- ment fhould be acquainted, in the firll place, with the true (late of the dominions they were now be- come pofieffed of To this purpofe, I determined, as the next proof of my zeal, to explore the moll unknown parts of them, and to fpare no trouble ©r cxpence in acquiring a knowledge that promifed to be fo ufeful to my countrymen. I knew that many obftru6lions would arifc tomy Icheme from the want of good maps and charts j for the French, whilfl: they retained thsir power in North-America, had taken every artful method to keep all other nations, particularly the Englilh, in ignorance of the con- cerns of the interior parts of it : and to accemplilh this defign with the greater certainty, they had pub- lifhed inaccurate maps and falfe accounts; calling the different nations of the Indians by nicknames they had given them, and not by thofe really apper- taining to them. Whether the intention of the French in doing this, was to prevent thefe nations from being difcovered and traded with, or to con- . A II I N r R O D U C T I O N. 1 ccal tl:cir ciircouiTf, vvlicn iht-y talknl to tach othcf ofil.c Iiivlian c( nurns in lIk ii j.iticnn-, 1 will not clcttrr..iiu'i Lut vslijcll ivtr v.a^ the caiilc iiuin v.l.ich* it aiolc, it ttntlcd to iiiiiiriid. Ar> ii proof that rl;e I'-rolHh liad been greatly c!c- ccivt\l l)y tlic fo hccomus, an.i that their Inovvlcilgc 1 dative to Canada i....l ufu.iliy lifcn very conhii- fdi— i)ttbre tiic foi.qutil oi Ciown-i'oiiu in 1759, ic had bttD ifltcii.td an in pic^^nabic tcitieisi luit no foont r was it taktn, than \vc wtri- ctinvincfd that it had acqiiirtd its girattll Itcurity fr( m falfc re- ports, [liven out by its poflclllr:., and n.ight have been battered down with a few four pounders. Even i!s fituacion, which was reprcfcntcd to be fo very advantageous, was found to owe its advantages to the fame fource. It cannot be denied but that fome inap'Sof thcic countries Lave been publiflied by the French witli an appt'arance of accuracy; but thefe are of io fmall a fize, and drawn on fo. minute a fcale, that they are nearly inexplicable. The fourccs of the JVlifiifii| pi, I can aiTert from my own cxpcri- <;ncc, are greatly mifplaced i fcr v.hcn I had explored them, and compared tlieir fituation w^ith the French, charts, I found them very erroneoufiy reprcfented^ and am fatistied that thefe were only copied from the rude fketchti, of the Indians. Even fo lately as their evacuation of Canada, they continued their fchenies to tleceivej leaving no tra- ces by which. acy knowledge might accrue to their conquerors; fc: though they were well acquainted with all the lakes, particulaily with lake Superior, having co.iftantiy a vef.el of confiderable burthen therc( n, yet tlieir plans of them are veiy incorrect. \ difcovercd n)any errors in the cifcriptions given therein of its illands and bays, during a progrefs of tKven hunuicd miles that I coafted i: ia cinoes^ I N T R O D U C T 1 O N. »'i They llkewifc, on givinp;iip ihc pofil fPions of t^fr.i, took care to leave the plates ihiy hail occnpicil, in the iamc unculr.iv.itcil llarc they had foui.d rhcni; at tlu' lame time drllroying all their naval force. I oblervcil myfclf part (4'ihe hulk ota vety lar<:;e vcf- iVl, burnt to the watei 's etig'*, jiiit at the opcninf]^ f.om the Straits of St. Marie intc» the Lake. Tlxrfe difficulties, however, were nor i'ufllcicnt tv'> deter me from the uiuiertakinjr, and I made prepa- rations for fettinj^out. Wh.itl ci. icily had in view, after gaining a knovvledge of the manners, culloms, languages, U;il, arvd natural produ-^lifuis of the dif- ferent nations that inliabit the back of the Mifiifiippi, was to afcertain thj breat'th of that vail continent, which extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, in its broaded part between 43 and 46 de- grees northern latitude. Had I been able toaccom- plilh this, I intended to have propofed to govern- ment to cllablilh a poll in feme of thofe parts about the Straits of Annian, which, having been firft dif- covered by Sir Francis Drake, of courfc belong to the Englilh. This I am convinced would greatly facilitate the difcovery of a north weft pafiage, or a communication between Hudfon's Bay and the Pa- citic Ocean. An event fodefirable, and v/hich has been fo often fought for, but without fucccfs. Be- fides this important end, a feitlcment on that extre- mity of America would anfwer many good pur- pofcs, and repay every expence the cllabliniment of it might occafion. For it would not only difciofe nrw fources of trade, and pri^mote many wCciXA difcoveries, but v/ould open apafPage for conveying intellio-ence to China, and the Englilh fcttkments In the Eait Indies, with greater expedition than a tedious voyage by the C.ipe of Good Hope, or the §tr3its of Magellan will allow of. 11 Vf I N T R O D U C 1' I O N. How far the advantages arifing from fuch an cn- tcrprizc may extend, can only be afcertained by the favorable concurrence of future events But that the completion of the fcheme, I have had the honor of firft planning and attempting, will fomc time or other be effeded, I make no doubt. From the unhappy divifions that at prefent fubfift between Great-Britain and America, it will probably be loine years before the attempt is repeated j but whenever it is, and the execution of it carried on with pro- priety, thofe who are fo fortunate as to fuccced, will reap, exclufive of the national advantages that muft enfue, emoluments beyond their moft languinc ex- pe6lations. And whilll their fpirits are elated by their fuccffs, perhaps they may bellow fome com- mendations and bieiTmgs on the perfon who firft pointed out to them the way. Thefe, though but a fhadowy recompence for all my toil, I fhall receive with pleafure. To what power or authority this new world will become dependant, after it has arifen from its pre- sent uncultivated ftate, time alone can difcover. But as the feat of empire from time immemorial has been gradually progrelTive towards the weft, there is no doubt but that at fome future period, mighty kingdoms will emerge from thefe wiidcr- neffes, and ftateiy palaces and folemn temples, with gilded fpires reaching the Ikies, fupplant the Indian huts, whofe only decorations are the barbarous tro- phies of their vanquifhed enemies. As fome of the preceding paflages have already informed the reader that the plan I had laid down for penetrating to the Pacific Ocean, proved abortive, it is neceiiary to add, that this proceeded not from its impracticability (for the further I went the more convinced I was that it could certainly be accom- INTRODUCTION. h an cn- ained by It? But e had the will fomc It. From t between T be I'oine whenever with pro- ceed, will that muft guinc ex- elated by jme com- who firft hough but all receive vorld will m Its pre- difcover. imcmoria! the weft, •e period, e wiidcr- plcs, with le Indian arous tro- e already 3 down for abortive, not from : the more e accom- pliftied) but from unforefccndifappointments. Hnv - . ever, I proceeded fo far, that I v/as able to make fuch difcovcries as will be ufcful in any future at- tempt, and prove a good foundation for fome more fortunate fucceflbr to build upon. Thefe I Ihall now lay bcfcre the public in the following pages; and am fatisfied that the greatefl part of them have never been publifhed by any pcrfon that has hi- therto treated of the interior nations of the Indians; particularly, the account I give of the Naudowcffies, and the fituation of the heads of the four great rivers that take their rife within a few leagues of each other, nearly about the centre of this great conti- nent; viz. The river Bourbon, which empties itfelf into Hudfon's Bay; the waters of Saint Lawrence; the MiiTilTippi, and the River Oregan, or the River of the weft, that falls into the Pacific Ocean, at the Straits of Annian, The Impediments that occafioned my return, be- fore I had accompliftied my purpofes, were thefe. On my arrival at Michillimackinac, the remoteft Englifh poft, in September 1766, I applied to Mr. Rogers, who was then governor of it, to furnifh me wiuh a proper afibrtmcnt of goods, as prefents for the Indians who inhabit the track 1 intended to * purfue. He did this only in part; but promifed to fupply me with fuch as weie neccfiary, when I reached the Falls of Saint Anthony. I afterwards learned that the governor fulfilled his promife in ordering the goods to be delivered to me ; but thofe to whole care he intrufted them, inftead of conform- ing to his orders, difpofed of them elfewhcre. Difappointed in my expectations from this quar- ter, I thought it neceffary to return to La Prairie Le Chien; for it v^ras impoftlble to proceed any fur- *ther without prefents to enfure me a favorably re- VI INTRODUCTION. ceptlon. This I did in tlie beginning of the year 17 jy, and tiiiding my progrcfs to the welhvard thus rtL irded, I determined to dire(!il my courfe north- ward. I took tins Hep with a view of finding a C(.ir,n u rication from the heads of the Miflifllppi, in;-' Lake Superior, in order to meet, at the grand P .fcige on the north-vvtft fide of that lake, the tra.h r.s that ufually comr, about this feafon, from MirhiiJimackinac. Of thefe I intended to purchafe goods, and then to purliie my journey from that quarter, by way of the lakes du Pluye, Dubois, aiid Ounipique to the heads of the liver of the v/eft, which, as I have faid before^ falls inco the Straits of Annian, the teimination of my intended progrefs. I acccmpliilied the former part of my defign, and reached Lake Superior in prop'*r time; but unluc- kily the traders I met the'e, acquainted me that they had no goods to fpare -, thofe they had with them being barely fufficient to anfwer their own demands in thrfe remote p:.rts. Thus difappointed a fecond time, I found myfelf obliged to return to the place from whence 1 began my expedition, which I did after continuing fome months on the north and eafl: borders of Lake Superior, and exploring th.e bays an.i rivers that empty themklve5 into this large body of water. As it may be expe6led that I fliould lay before the public the rcafons that thefe difoveries, offo jm'ich importance to everyone' who has any con- ne-^tioos with America, have not been imparted to thrin before, notwithilandlng they v/cre made up- wards of ten years ago, I will give them to the world in a plain and candid manner, and without mingling with them any complaints on account of the ill treat- n)ent I have received. INTRODUCTION. Vll' On my arrival in England, I preftntfd a petition to his majeily in council, praying tcr a iciniburfc- ment of thole funis 1 had cxj-cndcd in tlie fervice of government. This was rcicrrcd to the lords com- niilhoners of tiadc and plantatic.-nc. 1 htir icrdlhips from the tenor of ic thought the inteijioence 1 coukl give, of i'o much in.p;)rtance to tlic nation, that ihey ordered me to appear before the board. This meifage I obeyed, and underwent a long examina- tion j much I believe to the i'ani'a(^l:ion of every lordprefcnt. \V lien it was finilLe'J, 1 rcquefied to l;now what I fiiould do with my p-apcrs; v/ithouc liefication the firll lord replied, liiai I mi^i^iii: pnb- liih them whenever I plcafed. In confcquence of this permilTion, 1 difpolcJ of them to a bookfciler; but when they were nearly ready fjr the prefs, an order was iffued from the council board, requiring me to deliver, witliouc delay, into the plantation office, all my charts and journals, v/ith every paper relative to the difcoveries I had made. In order to obey this command, I was obliged to re-purchafc them from the bookfciler at a very great expence, and deliver them up. This fiefii cifbii-fcment I endeavoured to get annexed to the account I had al- ready delivered in; but the requeil was denied nie, notVr'irhllanding 1 had only acted, in the difpofal of my papers, confomiably to the permiflion I had- r-cceived from the board of trade. This lofs, which amounted to a vtry confiderabie fiim., I was obliged' to bear, and to rclL faiiii^hed with an indemnincation for my other expencrs. Thus fituatcd, my only expcftations are ficm the favor of a generous public; to whom I fiiall now communicate my ph^ins, journals, and cbfervations, of which I luchiiy kep.t copies, v/jien I delivered the originals into tliC [.lactation office. And this 1 do the moi c itadiiv,. as I hear thcv are' ir.iiiaivl ; and '*] v£i INTRODUCTION. ¥" '■ft ' there is no probability of their ever being publilhcd. To t ho fe who arc intereftcd in the concerns of the interior parts of North-America, from the conti- guity of their pofleflions^ or commercial cngage- raencs, they will be extremely ufeful, and fully re- pay the fum at which they are purchafcd. To thofe, who, from a laudable curiofity, wifh to be acquaint- ed With the manners and cuftoms of every inhabitant of this globe, the accounts here given of the various- nations that inhabit fo vaft a tradl of it, a country hitherto almoll unexplored, will furnifh an ample fund of amufement, and gratify their moft curious expe6tations. And I flatter myfclf they will be as favorably received by the public, as defcriptions of iflands, which afford no other entertainment than what arilcs from their novelty; and difcovcries, that fcem to promife very few advantages to this country, though acquired at an immenfe expence. To make the following work as comprehenfible and entertaining as poflible, I fliall firft give my readers an account of the route I purfued over this immenfe continent, and as I pafs on, defcribe the niiuiber of inhabitants, the fituation of the rivers and lakes, and the productions of the country. Having done this, I fhall treat, in diftindt chapters, of tlie manners, cuftoms, and languages of the In- dians, and to complete the whole, add a vocabulary of the words moftly in ufe among them. And here it is necefiary to befpeak the candor of the learned part of my readers in the perufalofit, as it is the produdion of a perfon unufed, from op- pofite avocations, to literary purfuits. He therefore begs they would not examine it with too critical an eye; efpeciully when he afiurcs them that his atten- tion has been more employed on giving a juft dcf-' criptionof a country that promifts, in fome future INTRODUCTION. U period, to be an inexhauftible fource of riches to that people who Ihall be fo fortunate as to DofTefs it, than on the ftyle or compofition j and more careful to render his language intelligible and explicit, than fmooth and florid. B JOURNAL OF THE TRAVELS, WITH A DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY, LAKES, &c. JLn June 1766, I fet out from Bofton, and proceeded by way of Albany and Niagara, to Mi- chillimackinac i a fort fituated between the Lakes Huron and Michigan, and diftant from Bofton 1300 miles. This being the uttermoft of our factories towards the north-weft, J confidered it as the moft convenient place from whence I could be^in my in- tended progrefs, and enter at once into the regions I defigned to explore. Referring my readers to the publications already extant for an account of thofe parts of North- Ame- rica, that, from lying adjacent to the back fettle- ments, have been frequently defcribed, I (hall con- liacmyfeifto adefcriptionof the more interior parts 14 ♦carver's travels. of it, which, having been but feldom vifitcd, arc confequcntly but little known. In doing this, I (hall in no inftance exceed the bounds of truth, or have recourfe to thofc ufelcfs and extravagant exaggera- tions too often made ufe of by travellers, to excite the curiofity of the public, or to iticreafe their own importance. Nor Ihall I infcrt any obfervations, but fuch as I have made myfelf, or from the credi- bility of thofe by whom they were related, am ena- bled to vouch for their authenticity. Michillimackinac, from whence I began my tra- vels, is a fort compofed of a ftrong ftockade, and is ufually defended by a garrifon of one hundred men. It contains about thirty houfes, one of which belongs to the governor, and another to the com- miflary. Several traders alfo dwell within its for- tifications, who find it a convenient fituation to traffic with the neighbouring nations. Michillimac^ kinac, in the language of the Chipeway Indiansj, fignifies a Tortoifej and the place is fuppofed to receive its name from an ifland, lying about fix or feven miles to north-eap-, within fight of the fort, which has the appearance of that animal. During the Indian war that followed foon after theconqueft of Canada in the year 1763, and which was carried on by an army of confederate nations, compofed of the Hurons, Miamies, Chipeways, Qtcowaws, Pontpwattimies, Miffiffauges, and fome other tribes, under the direftion of Pontiac, a ce-, lebrated Indian warrior, who had always been in the French intcrcft, it was taken by furprize in the following manner: The Indians having fettled their plan, drew near the fort, and began a game at ball, a paftime much ufed among them, and not unlike tennis. In the height of their game, at. which feme of the Englifh officers, not fufpefting CARVER'S TRAVELS. »J any deceit, ftood looking on, they ftruck the ball, as if by accident, over the ftockadc j this they re- peated two or three time, to make the deception more complete i till at length, having by this means lulled every fufpicion of the centry at the fouth gate, a party ruihed by him > and the reft foon following, they took poflcflTion of the fort, without meeting with any oppofition. Having accompliflicd their defign, the Indians had the humanity to fpare the lives of the greateft part of the garrifon and traders, but they made them all prifoners, and carried them off. However, fome time after they took them to Montreal, where they were redeemed at a good price. The fort alfo was given up again to the En- glifh at the peace made with Pontiac, by the com- jnander of Detroit the year following. Having here made the necelfary difpofitions for purfuing my travels, and obtained a credit from Mr. Rogers, the governor, on fome Englifh and Canadian traders, who were going to trade on the Miffiflippi, and received alfo from him a promife of a frefli fupply of goods when I reached the falls of Saint Anthony, I left the fort on the 3d of Sep- tember, in company with thefe traders. It was agreed that they Ihould furnifli me with fuch goods as I might want, for prefents to the Indian chiefs, during my continuance with them, agreeable to tlie governor's order. But when I arrived at the extent of their route, I vvas to find other guides, and to de- pend on the goods the governor had promifed to fupply me with. We accordingly fet out together, and on the i8th arrived at Fort La Ray. This fort is fituated on the fouchern extremity of a bay in Lake Michigan, termed by the French, the bay of Piiants ; but which fir^ce the Englifli have gained poffeiiiun of all I# C A R V E R*s TRAVELS. I the fettlemcnts on this part of the continent, is called by chcnj, the Green Bay. The realbn of its being thus denominated, is from its appearance j for on leaving Michillimackinac in the fprinc feafon, though the trees there have not even put forth their buds, yet you find the country around La Bay, not- vvithftanding the pafTage has not exceeded fourteen days, covered with the fineft verdure, and vegeta- tion as forward as it could be were it fummcr. This fort is alfo only furrnunded by a ftockade, and being much decayed, is fcarcely dcfenfible againft fmall arms. It was built by the French for the protedlion of their trade, fome time before they were forced to relinquifh it j and when Canada and its de- pendencies were furrendered to the Englifli, it was immcdiattly garrifoned with ar officer and thirty men. Thefe wtre made prifoners by tlie Menomo- nies foon after the furprife of Michillimackinac, and the fort has neitlier been garrifoned nor kept in repair fmce. The bay is about ninety miles long, but differs much i^i its breadth j being in fome places only fif- teen miles, in orhers from twenty to thirty. It lies nearly from north-caft to fouch wefl. Ac the en- trance of it from the lake are a llring of iflands, extending from north to fouth, called the Grand Traverfe. Thefe are about thirty miles in length, and ferve to facilitate the paffage ^f canoes, as they iheker them from the winds, which fometimes come with violence acrofs the Lake. On the fid€ that lie:s to the fouth-eafl: is the nsareft and bell na- vigation. The iflands of the Grand Traverfe are moflly fmall and rocky. Many of the rocks are of an amazing fize, and appear as if they jiad been fafhi- e A R V £ R's T R A V E t S. f; oncd by the hands of artifts. On the largeft: and bcfi of thcfc iflands ftands a town of the Ottawaws, at which I found one of the nnoft confiderablc chiefs of that natron, who received me with every honour he could poflibly (how to a ft ranger. But what appeared extremely lingular to me at the time, and muft do fo to every perfon unacquainted with the cuftoms of the Indians, was the reception I met •with on landing. As our canoes approached the Ihore, and had reached within about threefcore rods of it, the Indians began a fcu-de-joy ; in which they fired their pieces loaded with balls j but at the fame time they took care to difcharge them in fuch a manner as to fly a few yards above our heads : during this they ran from one tree or ftump to another, lliouting and behaving as if they were in the heat of battle. At firft I was greatly furprifed, and was on the pomt of ordering my attendants to return their fire, concluding that their intentions were hoftilc ; but being undeceived by fome of the traders, who informed me that this was their ufual method of re- ceiving th'c chiefs of orther nations, I confidcred it in its true light, and was plcafed with the refpc6t thuij paid me. I fcitiained here one night. Among the prefcnts I made the chiefs, were fome fpirituous liquors i with which they made themfelves merry, and all joined in a dance, that Lifted the greateft part of the night. In the morning when I departed, the chief attended me to the ftiore, and, as foon as I had embarked, offered Up, in an audible voice, and with great fo- lemnity, a fervent prayer in my behalf. He prayed " that the great fpirit would favor me with a prof- perous voyage j that he would give me an unclouded fky, and fmooth waters, by ddy, and that I might lie down, by night, on a beaver blanket, enjoying uninterrupted fleep, and pleafant dreams; and alfo t6 CARVEA's TRAVELS. i 'I that I might find continual protcdliou under the great pipe of peace." In this manner he continued his petitions till 1 could no longer hear them. I muft here obferve, that notwithftanding the inhabitants of Europe are apt to entertain horrid ideas of the ferociiy of thefc favagcs, as they arc termed, I received from every tribe of them in th«5 interior parts, the moft hofpitable and courteous treatment i and am convinced, that till they arc contaminated by the example, and fpirituous liquors of their more refined neighbours, they retain this friendly and inoffcnfive condudb towards ftrangers. Their inveteracy and cruelty to their enemies, I acknowledge to be a great abatement of the favora- ble opinion I would wifh to entertain of them; buc this failing is hereditary, and having received the fanftion of immemorial cuftom, has taken too deep root in their minds to be eafily extirpated. Among this people I eat of a very uncommon kind of bread. The Indians, in general, ufe but little of this nutritious food: whilft their corn is in the milk, as they term it, that is, juft before it be- gins to ripen, they (lice ofl^ the kernels from the cob to which they grow, and knead them into a, pafte. This they are enabled co do without the ad- dition of any liquid, by the milk that flows from them i and when it is efi^efted, they parcel it out into cakes, and enclofing them in leaves of the baflwood tree, place them in hot embers; where they are foon baked. And better flavored bread I never eat in any country. This place is only a fmall village containing about twenty-five houfes and fixty or fcventy warri- ors. I found nothing there worthy of further re- mark. r CARVER'* T R A VsE L S. »7 The land on the fouth-eaft fide of the Green Bay, ts but very indifferent, being overfprcad with a heavy growth of hemlock, pine, fpruce, and fir trees. The communication between Lake Michi- gan and the Green Bay, has been reported by lomc to be impracticable for the paflagc ot any vcffels lar- ger than canoes or boats, on account of the fhoalg that lie between the iflands in the Grand Traverfc; but on founding it I found fufficicnt depth for a vefTcl of fixty tons, and the breadth proportionable^ The land adjoining to the bottom of this bay is very fertile, the country Sn general level, and th<. perfpcCtivc view of it pleafing and cxtcnfivcrf A few families live in the fort, which lies oft thej weft fide of the Fox River, anid oppofite to it, on the eaft fide of its entrance^ are fome French fet- tlers who cultivate the land, and appear to live very* comfortably. The Green Bay or Bay of Piiants is one of thofe! places lo which the French, as I have mentioned in the introdudion, have given nicknames. It is termed by the inhabitants of its coafts, the Mf no- monie Bay; but why the French have denominated it the Puan'c or Stinking Bay, I know not. The reafon they themfelves gave for it is, that it was not with a view to miflead ftrangers, but that by adopt- ing this method, they could converfe with each other concerning the Indians, in their prefents, without being underftood by them. For it was re- marked by the perfons who firft tra^ded among them, that when they were fpeaking to each other about them, and mentioned their proper names, they inftantly grew fufpicious, and concluded that their vifitors were cither fpeaking ill of them, or plotv C i8 C A R V E R ' 3 TRAVELS. ting their deftruftion. To remedy this they gave tiitm lomc other name. 'I'he only bad confcqucnce ariiing from the pra61:icc then introduced is, that Engiiih and French geographers, in their plans of the Interior parts of America, give different names to the fame people, and thereby perplex thofc who have oecafion to refer to them. Lake Michigan, of which the Green Bay is a party is divided on the north-eaft from Lake Huron by the Straits of Michiilimackir.aci and is fuuated be- tween forty-two and furty-fix degrees of latitude,, and between eighty- four and eighty-fcven degrees ci wefc. longitude, its greateft length is two hun- dred and eighty miles, its breadth al:)out forty, and its circumference nearly fix hundred. There is a- rernarkable llring of fmall iflands, beginning over againft Afkin'sfarm, and running about thirty miles fouth-weft into the Lake. Thefe are called the Beaver Ifiands. ^"heir fituation is very pleafant, but the foil is bare. However they afford a beauti- ful prolpc they each encamp on tiieir own dominions, at a few yardi duhnce from the iiockade. The country adjacent either to tl>e eafi: or weifi: fide of this lake, is cornpofcd but of an indilfercn: foil, except where fmall brooks or jivexs empty thenirdves into it^ on the banks of tlicfe it is ex- tremely fertiitr. Near the borders of the lake grow a rr^at number of land cherries, which are not lefs remarkable for their manner of growth, than for their exquifite flavor. They grow upon a fmall fhrub, not more than four feet high, the boughs of which are (o loaded that they lie in cluHcrs oh the fand. As they grow only on the fand, the warmth of which probably contributes to bring fhem to fuch periedlion; they are called by the French, cherries dc fable, or fand cherries. The fize of them docs not exceed that of a fmall mufket ball, but they are reckcned fuperior to any other fort for the purpofe of ftceping in fpirits. There alfo grow around the lake, goofeberries, black cur-^ rants, afltl an abundance of juniper, bearing great -quantities of berries of the fineft fort. Sumack likcwife grows here in ^reat pknty-j the leaf of which, gathered at Michaelmas, whc-n i: turns red, is much efbeemed by the natives.. They mix about an equal quantity of it with their tobac^ CO, wiiich caufes it to fmoke plcafandy. Near this lake, and indeed about all the great i.ikf s, is found a kind of willow, termed by the French, bcis rouge, in Englilh, red wood. It. baric, wnen only of one years growth, is of a line fcariei: coiour, ana appears .'f^ry beautiful; but jis it grows oLUr, is: changes into a mixture of i2;rev and red. Tlie Itaiks of this forub grow many of them together, and rife to the iieight of fix or eight feet, the largeit not exceeding 10 CARVER'S TRAVELS. ^n inch diameter. The bark being fcraped from fhe fticks, and dried and powdered, is alio mixed by the Indians with their tobacco, and is held by them in the higheft eftimation for their winter fmok- jng. A weed that grows near the great lakes, in rocky places; they ufe in the fummer fcafon. It is called by the Indians, Segockimac, and creeps Jike a vine on the ground, fometimes extending to eight or ten feet, and bearing a leaf about the fize of a filver penny, nearly round j it is of the fub- ftance and colour of the laurel, and is, like the tree it refembles, an evergreen. Thefe leaves, dried and powdered, they likcwifc mix with their lo- baceoj and as faid before, fmoke it only during the fummer. By thefe three fuccedaneums, the pipes of the Indians arc well fupplied through every fea- fon of the year; and as they are great fmokers, they are very careful in properly gathering and pre- paring them. On the 20th of September I left the Green Bay, and proceeded up Fox River, ftill in company with the traders and fome Indians. On the 25th I arrived at the great town of the Winnebagoes, fituated on a fmall ifland, juft as you enter the eaft end of Lake Winnebago. Here the queen who prelided over this tribe inftead of a Sachem, received me with great civility, and entertained me in a very jdiftinguifhed manner, during the four days I conti- fiued with her. The day after my arrival I held a council with the chiefs, of whom I alked permiiTion to pafs through their country, in my way to more remote nations, on bufinefs of importance. This was rea- dily granted me, the requeft being eftecmed by them as a great compliment paid to their tribe. The queen f4t in the council, but only afked a few CARVETl's TRAVELS. XI lore remote lis was rea- queftions, or gave fomc trifling dircftions in matters relative to the fiatc ; for women are never allowed to fit hi their councils, except they happen to be inyeited wich the fuprcme authority, and then it is not cuftomary for them to make any formal fpccches as the chiefs do. She was a very ancient woman, fmall in Itaturc, and not much diftinguifti- ed by her drefs from feveral young women that at- tended her. Thefe her attendants feemed greatly plcaltd whenever I fhowed any tokens of refpedt to their queen, particularly when I falutcd her, which I frequently did to acquire her favour. On thefe occafionii the good old lady endeavoured to afTume a juvenile oraiety, and by her fmiles Ihowed fhe was equally pleafedwith the attention I paid her. The time I tarried here, I employed in making the beft obfervations polTible on the country, and in colle<5ling the moil certain intelligence I could, of the origin, language, and culloms of this people. From thefe enquiries I have reafon to conclude, tliat the Winnebagoes originally refided in fome of the provinces belonging to New Mexico, and being driven from their native country, either by inteftinc divifions, or by the extenfions of the Spanifh con- quells, they took refuge in thefe more northern parts about a century ago. My reafons for adopting this fuppofition, are, Firft, from their unalienable attachment to the Nsudowelfie Indians (who, they fay, gave them the earliell fuccors during their emigration) noiwith- ftanding their prefent refidcnce is more than fix hundred miles dillant from that people. Secondly, that their dialed totally differs from every other Indian nation yet difcovered; it being A very uncouth, guttural jargon, which none of their neighbours will attempt to learn. They con- T.2 CARVE R's TRAVELS. verfe with other nations in the Chipeway tongue, which is the prevailing language throughout all the tribes, from the Mohawks of Canada, to thofc who inhabit the borders of the Mifliflippi, and from the Hurons and Illinois to fuch as dwell near liud- fon's Bay. Thirdly, from their inveterate hatred to the Spa- niards. Some of them informed me that they had many cxcurfionsf to the fouth-weft, which took up feveral moons. An elderly chief more particularly acquainted nie, that about forty- fix winters ago, he marched at the head of fifty warriors, towards the fou'h- weft, for three moons. That during this expedition, whilft they were crofling a plain, they difcovered a body of men on horfeback, who be- longed to the Black People ; for fo they call the Spaniards. As foon as they perceived them, they proceeded with caution, and concealed themfclves till night came onj when they drew fo near as to be be able to difcern the number and fituation of their enemies. Finding they were not able to cope with fo great a fuperiority by day-light, they waited till they had retired to reft; when they ruflied upon them, and, after having killed the greateft part of the men, took eighty horfes loaded with what they termed whicc ftone. This I fuppofe to have been filver, as he told mc the horfes were Ihod with it, and that their bridles were ornamented with the lam?*. When they had fatiatcd their revenge, they carried off their fpoil, and being got fo far as to be out of the reach of the Spaniards that had efcaped their fury, they left the ulclcfs and ponderous bur- then, widi vvhich the horfes were loaded, in the woods, and mounting themfelves, in this manner returned to their friends. The party they had thus defeated, I conclude to be the caravan that annually conveys to Mexico, the filvcr which the Spaniards^ CARVER'S TRAVELS. H find in great quantities on the mountains lying near the heads of the Coleredo River : and the plains where the attack was made, probably, fome they were obliged to pafs over in their way to the head* of the River St. Fee, or Rio del Nord, which falls into the Gulf of Mexico, to the weft of the Miffiffippi. The Winnebagoes can raifc about two hundred warriors. Their town contains about fifty houfesy which are ftrongly built with pallifades, and the ifland on which it is fituated, nearly fifty acres. It lies thirty -five miles, reckoning according to the courfe of the river, from the Green Bay, The river, for about four or five miles from the bay, has a gentle current; after that fpace, till yoir arrive at the Winnebago Lake, it is full of rocks and very rapid. At many places we were ob- liged to land our canoes, and carry them a con- fiderable way. Its breadth, in general, from the Green Bay to the Winnebago Lake, is between^ fcventy and a hundred yards ; the land on its bor- ders very good, and thinly wooded with hickory,, oak, and hazel. The Winnebago Lake is about fifteen miles lo»g from eaft to weft, and fix miles wide. At its fouth- eaft corner, a river fails into it that takes its rife near fome of the northern branches of the Illinois River. This I called the Crocodile Kiver, in con- fequence ofafl:ory that prevails among the Indians, of their having dcftroyed, in fome part of it, an ani- mal, which from their dcfcription mull: be a croco-' dilc or an alligator. The land adjacent to the Lake is very f?rtile,- abounding with grapes, plumbs, and other fruits,. *4 CARVER'S TRAVELS. which grow fpontancoufly. The Winncbagocs raifc on it a great quantity of Indian corn, bcansy pumpkins, fquafhcs, a::d water melons, with fome tobacco. The Lake itfelf abounds wich fifh, and in the fall of the year, with geefe, ducks, and teal. The latter, which refort to it in great numbers, are remarkably good and extremely fat, and are much better flavored than thofe that are found near the fea, as they acquire their exceflive fatnefs by feeding en the wild rice, which grows fo plentifully in thefc parts. Having made fome acceptable prefents to the good old queen, and received her blefllng, I left the town of the Winnebagoes on the 29th of September, and about twelve miles from k, arrived at the place were the Fox River enters the Lake on the north fide of it. We proceeded up this river, and on the 7th of Odlober reached the great carrying place, which divides k from the Ouifconfin. The Fox River, from the Green B^y to the Car- rying Place, is about one hundred and eighty miles. From the Winnebago Lake to the Carrying place the current is gentle, and the depth of it confiderable ; notwithftanding which, it is in fome places with difficulty that canoes can pafs though the obftrudi- ons they meet with from the rice ftalks, which are very large and thick, and grow here in great abun- dance. The country around it is very fertile, and proper in the higheft degree for cultivation, except- ing in fome places near the river, where it is rather too low. It is in no part very woody, and yet can fupply fufficient to anfwer the demands of any num- ber of inhabitants. This river is the greateft reform, of wild fowl of every kind, that I met with in the whole courfe of my travels j frequently the fun would be obfcured by them for fom.e minutes together. C A R V E R's TRAVELS, i; About forty miles up this riyer, from the great town of the Winnebagocs, ftftnd? a fimallc;? town be*- longing to that nation. Deer and bears arc very numerous in thefe p?.rt^, and a great many beavers and other furs are taken on the ftrcams that empty themfclves into tiiis river. The river J am treating of, is remarkable for hav- ing been, about eighty years ago, the refidence of the united bands of the Ottigaumies and the Saukies, whom the French, had nicknamed according to tjieir wonted cuftom, Dcs Sacs and Des Reynards, the Sacks and the Foxes, of whom thp foliowipg anecdote was related to me by an Indian, About Hxty years ago, the French miflionarie^ 9Jid traders having received many infults from thefe people, a party of French and Indians, under the command of captain Morand marched to revenge their wrongs. The captain fet out from the Green Bay in the winter, when thp y were unfufpicious of a vifit of this kind, and purfuipg his route over the fnow to their villages, which lay about fifty ipiles up the Fox River, came upon them by furprife. Unprepared a$ they were, he found them an eafy conqueft, and confcqucntly killed or pok prifoners the grcateft part of thcnj. On thp return of the French to the Green Bay, one of tl>e Indiaq chiefs in alliance with them, who had a confiderablc band of the prifoners under his care, ftoppcd to drink at a brook ; in the mean time his conjpanicns went on : which being obferved by one of the wonien whom they had made captive, fiae fuddenly ieized him with both her hands, whilft he ftooped to drink, by an cxquifitely fufceptible part, and held him faft |i}l )ie expired on the fpoF. As th^ chief f^rom the ^ CARVER'S TRAVELS. extreme torture he fuffered, was unable to call out to his friends, or to give any alarm, they pafled on without knowing what had happened ; nnd the wo- man having cut the bands of thofe of her fellow prifontTS who were in the rear, with them made her efcape. This heroine was ever after treated by her nation as their deliverer, and made a chiefefs in her own right, with liberty to entail the fame honor on her defcendants ; an unufual diftin6lion, and per- mitted only on extraordinary occafions. About twelve miles before I reached the Carrying Place, I obfervedfev^ral fmall mountains vi^hich ex- tended quite to it. Thefe indeed would only be cfteemed as, molehills, when compared with thafe on the back of the colonies, but as they were the firft I had feen fince my leaving Niagara, a track of nearly eleven hundred miles, I could not Icgve them unnoticed. The Fox River, where it enters the Winnebago . Lake, is about fifty yards wide, but it gradually dc- creafes to the Carrying Place, where it is no more than five yards over, except in a few places where it widens into fmall lakes, though ftill of a confidera- ble depth. I cannot recolleft any thing elfe that is remarkable in this river, except that it is fo Terpen- tine for five miles, as only to_gain in that place one quarter of a mile. v .* The Carrying Pkce betwcrn the 'Fox awil Ouif- confin Rivers is in breadth not more than a mile and three quarters, though in fame maps it is fo de- lineated as to appear to be ten miles. And here I cannot help remarking, that the maps oi thefe parts, I have ever feen, are very erroneous. The rivers in general are defcribed as^runningin different fjjrcdions from what they really do i and many CARVE R's TRAVELS. «7 branches ofthcm, particularly of the MilTiflippi, omitted. The diftanccs of pla€es,likcwifc, arc great- ly mifrcprercnted. Whether this is done by the French geographers (for the Englilh maps are all copied from theirs) through defign, or for want of a juft knowledge of the country, I cannot fay ; but I am faiisficd that travellers who depend upon them in the parts I vifited, will find thcmfelves much at alofs. Near one half of the way, between the rivers, is a marais overgrown with a kind of long grafs, the reft of it a plain with fome few oak and pin« trees growing thereon. lobfcrved here a great number of rattlc-fnakes. Monf. Pinnifance, a French tra- der, told me a remarkable ftory conccrniog one of thefe reptiles, of which he faid, he was an eye-wit- nefs. An Indian, belongmg to the Menoiiponic na- tion, having taken one of them, found means to tame it j and when he had done this, treated it as a Deity j calling it his Great Father, and carrying ic with himj in a box, wherever he went. This the Indian had done for feveral fummers, when Monff- Pinnifance accidently met with him at his carrying place, juft as he was ietting ofFfor a winter's hunt. The French gentleman was fupprifed, one day, to fee the Indian place the box which contained his god, on theground, and opening the door, give him his liberty J telling him, whilft he did it, to be fure and return by the time he himfelf fhould come back^ which was to be in the moath of May following. As this was but Qdober, Monficur told the Indian, whofe fimplicky aftonilhcd him, that he fancied he might wait long enough when May arrived, for the arrival of his great father. The Indian was fo con- fident of his creat«rt€'s obedici?ce, ^hsLt he offered ta lay the Frenchman a wager of^ two gallons of rum, that at the time appointed'he ^^ould come and crawl iotohis box. This was- agreed on, and the fccond g$ CAftVER's TRAVELS. week in May following, fixed for the determination of the wager. At that period they both met there again j when the Indian let down his box, and called fcr his great father. The fnake heard him not ; and the time being now expired, he acknowledged that he had loft. However, without fecming to be difcouraged, he offered to double the bet, if his great father came not within two days more. This was further agreed on -, when behold on the fecond day, about cnc o'clock, the fnake arrived, and, of his own accord crawled into the box, which was plac- ed ready for him. The French gentleman vouched for the truth of this ftory, and from the accounts I have often received of the docility of thofe crea- tures, I fee no reafon to doubt his veracity. I obfervcd that the main body of the Fox River came from the fouth-weft, that of the Ouifconfin from the north-eaft j addalfo that fomc of the fmall branches of thefe two rivcrs,in dcfccnding into them, doubled, within a few feet of each other, a little to the fouth of the Carrying Place. That two fuch Ihould take their rife foneareach other, and after run- ning different courfcs, empty themfelves into the fca, at a diftance fo amazing (for the former hav- ing paffed through fcvcral great lakes, and run up- wards of two thoufand miles, falls into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the other, after joining the Mif- fiflippi, and having run an eqwal number of miles, difcmbogues itfelf into the Gulf of Mexico ) is an inftahce fcarcely to be met in the extenfive conti- nent of North- America. I had an apportunity the year following, of making the fame obfcrvations on the affinity of various head branches of the waters of the St. Lawrence and the MiffilTippi, to each other j and now bring them as a proaf, that the opinion of thofe geographers who affcrt, that rivers taking their rife fo near each other, mirft fpring from the fame CARVE R»s TRAVELS. 29 fourcc, is erroneous. For I perceived a vifibly dif- flinA reparation in all of them, notwithftandng, in fomc places, they approached fo near, that I could have Kepped from the one to the other. On the 8th of Oftober we got our canoes into the Ouifconfm River, which at this place is more than a hundred yards wide ; and the next day arrived at the Great Town of the Saukies. This is the largeft and bed built Indian town I ever faw. It contains about ninety houfes, each large enough for feveral families. Thefe are built of hewn plank, neatly jointed, and covered with bark fo compa(5tly as to keep out the moil: penetrating rains. Before the doors are placed comfortable iheds, in which the in- habitants fit, when the weather will permit, and fmoke their pipes. The ftreets are regular and fpa- cious ; fo that it appears more like a civilized town, than the abode or lavages. The land near the town is very good. In their plantations, which lie ad- jacent to their houfes, and which are neatly laid out, they raife great quantities of Indian corn, beans, me- lons, &c. io that this place is efteemcd the bcft mar- ket for traders to furnilh themfclves with provifions, of any within eight hundred miles of it. The Saukies can raife about three hundred war- riors, who are generally employed every fummer in making incurfions into the territories of the Illinois and Pawnee nations, from whence they return with a great number of flavcs. But thofe people frequent- ly retaliate, and in their turn, cicftroy many of the Saukies, which I judge to be the reafon that they increafe n6 fafter. :r^r. Whiift I (laid here, I took a view of feme moun- tains that lie about fifteen miles to the fouthward, and abound in lead ore. I afcended on one of the s« CARVE R's TRAVELS. Iiighcft' of thefc, and had an cxtcnfivc view of the country. For many miles nothing was to be (ecn hut leder mountains, which appeared at a di(V&ncc like haycoclcs, they being free from trees. Only a few groves of hickory, and ftunccd oaks, covered fomc of the valUcs. So plentiful is lead here, that I faw large quantities of it lying about the ftreets in the town belonging to the Saukics, and itfccmcd to be as good as the produce of other councrics. On the loth of Oftober we proceeded down the river, and the next day reached the firft town of the Octigaumies. This town contained about fifty houfes, but we found mofl of them deferted, on account of an epidemical diforder that had lately raged among them, and carried off more than one half of the inhabitants.^ The greater part ofthofe who fur- vived, had retired into the woods, to avoid the con- tagion. On the 15th, we entered that extenfive river the Miflifijppi. The Ouifconfm, from the Carrying Place to the part where it falls into the MIlTiflippi, flows with a fmooth, but ftrong current ; the water of it is exceedingly clear, and through it you may perceive a fine and fandy bottom, tolerably free from rocks. In it are a few iflands, the foil of which appeared to be good, though fomewhat woody. The land near the river alfo ftemed to be, in gene- ral, excellent j but that at a diftancc is very full, of mountains, where it is iaid there are many lead mines. About five miles from the junftiocs. 32 CARVER'S TRAVELS i The MifTifllppi, at the entrance of the Ouifconfin, near which Itands a mountain of confiderable height, is about half a mile over i but oppofite to the Ja(l mentioned town it appears to be more than a mile wide, and full of ifljinds, the foil ofwhich is extraordinary rich, and but thinly wooded. A little further to the weft, on the contrary fide, a fmall river falls into the Mifliflippi, which the French call Le Jaun Riviere, or the Yellow River. Here the tri:ders who had accompanied me hither- to, took up their rcfidence for the winter. I then bought 3 canoe, and with two fervants, one a French Canadian, and the other a Mohawk of Canada, on thie 1 9th proceeded up the Miffiffippi. About ten days after I had parted from the trad- ers, 1 landed as 1 ufually did, every evening, an4 having pitched my tent, I ordered my men, when night came on, to lay themfelves down to fleep. By a light that I kept burning I then fat down to copy the minutes I had taken in cht courfe of the pre- ceding day. About ten o'clock, having juft finifh-r ed my memorandums, I fteppcd out of my tent to fee what weather it was. As I caft my eyes to- wards the bank of the river, I thought I faw by the light of the ftars, which Ihone bright, fomething that had the appearance of a herd of beafts, coming down a defcent at fome diftance j whilft I was wonder- ing what they could be, one of the number fuddenly fprung up, and difcovered to me the form of a man. In an inftant they were all on their legs, and I could count about ten or twelve of them running towards me. I immediately re-entered the tent, and having awakened my men, ordered them to take their arms, and follow me. As my firft apprehenfions were for roy canoe, I ran to the water's fide, and found a party ;? € A R V E R's TRAVELS. 81 of Indians (for fuch I now diicovered them to be) on the point of plundering it. Before I reached them, I commanded my men not to fire till I had given the word, being unwilling to begin hofl-ilities iinlefs occafion abfoiutely required. I accordingly advanced with rcfolution, clofe to the points of their fpears, they had no other -rveapons, and brandifh- ing my hanger, afl