Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-07-29
COPPER HiRBon,
Lake Superior, June q, 1913.


Lake Superior, June "a, 1913
lam happy in this opponulity to write sou by
the schooner Algonquin, which is expected here
to-day from La Points. wroie toyoI from Saul.
81. Morie. also from Mackinaw and Milwaukee,
which hope ere this you have received. We az
rived here in fifteen days from the Saut. all safe
and in good health. We were four weeks out from
Mineral Point to this place Out of the last fifteen
DAYS we have had nine days rain, and head winds
10 contend with Ga our arrival here, we found
nine tents. ava aging six TO n tent, which makes
quite society We went yesterday to Hough-
TOMS large COZ jer vein, which terminates he
wanna Point; the vein is eighteen feet wide, as
described in Eoughton's Report; but | had almost
forgotten to say that il consists OF stone, yeTdgr
and SPAR and the black oxid OF copper, but SO
largely ImpTegnited with tie former OF these in
gradients as to Je totally worthless for practical
purposes; we PIT bias, Of powder into it, and
threw up about ton of the common mass, out of
which we were ,ble to realalize the existence of
copper in the substance of black oxide Copper
Ilarbor is not he point for copper ore it IS true
that yirgin coppr is found here in small quantities.
attached 10 the rocks; near this wien, while we
were here, eli off several pieces in different
places oil less than one-tourtn of an ounce This
is found OF the surface. Some persons viii doubt
less try tbs vein during the summer, which will
test the f;et whether malable copper and the ore
to any extent exists in the same vein. We have
had proposition by a com ,,any who were here bs-
fore us, D sink shaft upon the range of this ven,
three mics from the lake; the point being narrow,
aud the probability of the distance throwing US into
the owlaids, which is an impeneirable white &C.
dar swamp; we have declined, and concluded 10
continue our examination on the coast as high as
the Montreal river, and perhaps as far as La Point;
at the sane time to examine all the intermediate
points IL rivers in our progress up the lake
There is 1t this time large company here from
Boston a,d New York. lioughton is expected
here daily with large company. Several COM
panes arr this morning trying to organize 10 cut
road path to the highlands. Small parties
have tres to make the hills. buthave failed in con-
sequence Of the white cedar swamps they had to
encounter in this vicinity. l cannot find com
pafason or the lake shore so apt the idea have
formed Of the swamps in Florida; for not only the
low lands, but the high mountains are SO denssly
covered with all the different species OF pine, au-
rel, &c, that single man cannot penetrate the
country without hatchet to cut the limbs from the
trees. The country has never been burned within
the recollection of the eldest French Or half breeds
do not hazard the truth when l say, thar the fall
len and decayed timber and underground, such as
laurel moss, &c, lies upon the ground from six 10
ten feet in depth in many places. have in
many places gone To my knees in moss and decom-
posed vegetable matter, on dry ground.
Gen. Cunningham and company arrived here
one week before we did. We shall leave here to-
morrow on our voyage up the lake; party OF six
from Vinegar Hill viii travel in company with
US; our party is six in number, maa."g the two
parties Twelve in number to go in two boats.
This point is only rendezvous for organization
ofparties to explore, and place of depot You
will readily conceive that country OF this tharac-
ter viii require great deal of labor and privation,
as well as capital, aud al least two years to deter
mine lie character as copper region.
Yours, respectfully.