The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-24

pany then held the country, and having carried on
trade with the Indians Illegally, their furs and pei
tries were Justly subject TO seizure. This put them
on their best behaviour with Pike, to whom they
afforded every facility Of passing from post to post
They also furnished him rude maps and informa-
ton of the country, which enabled him, on his re-
turn, with his own notes and journal, to plot the
map that accompanies his Expedition" Agreea-
bly, TO these notes, gathered in the winter, and with
out personal observation, he places the source Of
the Mississippi in Turtle Lake. common error of
the traders going to Red river, who troubled them
selves no further with its exploration than it suited
The purposes of their trade. Nor does il appear
that even down to the present day they ever had
trading post on the main stream above upper Lac
Cedre rouge
such were the sources of the Mississippi as de-
picted by Pike. The information was an immense
advance on any that had before been known nor
was the subject again stirred till years after
the close Of the war of 1872 That war opened
new views TO pioneer enterprise, and population be-
gan to press in every direction. Indiana, Illinois,
and Missouri, were admitted into the Union in
rapid succession, and it became an object with the
Government to push its line of forts and frontier
defences so as to protect from Indian aggression
the outer and expanding line of settlements. In
1878 Mr.. Calhoun, who was then Secretary of
War, authorized series of semi-mlitary and sci
entifc explorations in the west. Major Long set
the Missouri lead mines, &c.
plan for investigating the resources and Indian
population of the northwest, and for tracing the
Mississippi to its source, was prepared and confded
to the executive of Michigan. He was furnished
with small military escort under Lieut.. Mackay,
and, having invited corps of scientific Observers
set out from Detroit in May, 1920, passing to the
head waters of the Mississippi by the way Of Lake
Superior and the river St. Louis. He first struck
It's waters at Comtaguma or Sandy Lake. being
some two hundred and fifty miles (by water) above
the point where Pike had built his bock-house in
1905. Here he encamped his soldiers, and depo-
slted his heavy baggage, and proceeded to trace up
the river in two light canoes to upper Red Cedar
ake-a large and handsome sheet Of water, which
is since often called Cassina, or Cass lake. in au-
sion to his visit. This lake, which Ncolet lays
down in N. latitude 47o 25' 23N was the terminus
of this expedition, which returned by ST. Antho-
ny's falls, &c, to the Lakes.
BY this important expedition, of which SCHOOL,
craft published account early in 1921, the first
outlines of the geology and natural history Of the
Northwest were gven-the channel of the Missis-
sippi had been critically surveyed and traced for
eight hundred and twenty miles above Prairie du
CHEN, and our knowledge Of its general geography
and character was greatly advanced. None of our
earlier expeditions to explore the West had indeed
excited higher degree of interest in the public
mind. Sir Humphrey Davy and Major Kennel
commanded it.
1t is peculiar feature in the history of the Mis-
sissippi, that this stream has been discovered in
sections, at long intervals apart. Spread over so
many degrees of latitude, and made up of so many
and such magnificent tributaries, it has long euded
the explorer. Neither the expeditions of 1905 nor
of 1890 had fixed its actual source above the upper
Red Cedar lake. This point, Mr. Schoocraft, who
had been the historiographer and geologist of the
last expedition, determined to ascertain. In 1892,
the Government required his services in that quar-
ter, in quality Of superintendent of Indian affairs,
and furnished him the necessary means TO explore
the remotest part of the Indian territory. Ii was
the year of the Sank war. He reached the former
point of exploration, at the upper Red Cedar lake.
with his military escort and heavy baggage, twelve
days earlier in July than the prior expedition had
reached the same point, with its light canoes only
The water was also found favorable for prosecuting
the ascent. He formed his depot large island
in this lake. called Colcasspi, or Grand Island
where he also encamped his escort and extra poyo-
gears, furnishing st. Allen and each of the other
gentlemen of his party light Indian hunting canoe,
Of two fathoms, with an Indian guide. Five canoes
Of this kind, provided for short trip, formed the
expedition above this point He led the way, with
the camping apparatus and carrying small flag.
AT four o'clock the next morning, and after dill
gent and arduous ascent for three days, by night
and by day, frapds and portages, and through nu-
merous lakes, and across the summit, he reached
or ltascan fork Of the celebrated rver-on the 18th
July 1892 being sos years after the Spanish first saw
its mouth, and 29l years after the actual discovery
Of its channel by De Soto. BY the account of this
| expedition, which was published by the Harpers,
with maps, at New York, in 1884, the distance OF
Itssca lake from the Gulf Of Mexico is estimated
at 100 miles. Its latitude, as fixed by the French
Academlcian, Nicollet, who visited it four years
later, is 47o 10 So. Its height above the ocean,
| Isis feet. ALGON
NB-The words two hundred" are omitted,
by typographical error, in No. 4, by the insertion
Of which the passage will read 233 miles, as the
distance Of Pike Blockhouse above ST. Anthony's
falls.
The potato rot, which for some years past has
attracted much attention, seems at last likely to
be counteracted, the immediate agent in producing
the disease having been discovered The following
letter from a well-known agriculturist, DIR. Rich
ardson, is extracted from the Baltimore Sun Of the
2lst instant;
| MEssss. EDrroRs; | send you sections Of the po-
tato vine, with the egg and the worm in them; also
the perfect y with the potato in the ncipient state
Of rot; and call your attention particularly 10 the
harsh, rough manner in which the vine cuts exactly
the same as in the potato when the rot comes 10
1
day after the egg is deposited, the worm commences
to cocoon in the vine: experiments are in train to
ascertain what time Afterwards metamorphoss takes
psce-as near can now say four or FIVE days.
After this change they eat nothing-mate, deposit
their eggs and die their eggs are inserted into the
vine, one inch from the ground to the top, generally
about four or FIVE inches from the root. They ope-
rate in the night, commencing directly after sun
down, and appear to be hid and quiescent during
the day. The moment the egg is deposited, the
vine appears as IL poisoned, and declines-the worm
destroys the pith or heart OF the vine, as you will
see. They penetrate the vine with their mouth
and instantsneously deposit their egg The field in
which these potatoes were planted was poughed
late last fall-manured this spring broadcast with
rich earth out Of the yard, which was pIoughed in.
On this was spread one hundred bushels Of quick
lime TO the acre, which was narrowed in, then laid
of four feet by the plough, the potatoes dropped
the furrow filed with manure from the stable, and
covered with the hoe. They are by this insect all
lost. Particular experiments now making, the
result Of which will, IL they promise usefulness, be
published in pamphlet form. I think strict and
accurate knowledge Of the habits Of the ay must be
/ - G. -. -