The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-22
CANOE DOLLY WARDEN.
Padding Down the Missis-
sippf River.
A Mystery Of the Itasca country-Ths Bloody
Sioux" and Lake aw-pe-ne-de-ning- Canoe
Life Ashore Marquette River and Lake
Pemidji-Primitive Life on It's Banks

femlQJl-tr1mluvo Nuo On 40 o6uku.
CANOE DOLLY WARDEN,
LAKE PEHIDJI, UPPER MISSISSIPPI,
June IL, 1872
With an open river before of SUFFICIENT size to
noat the canoes without difnculty, the voyage now
became one OF renewed interest. Camp was
broken up early on yesterday morning and the de-
scent Of the river resumed. The Mississippi
pushed itself through the valley Of meadow, alter
nately approaching forests OF pine on the eastern
and Of tamarac ON the western side. Through
just such scenery as this the Dolly passed until
dinner time the river becoming more tortuous with
every mile The first tributary to the Mississippi is
q brook which enters 1t from the westward. about
twenty-five miles below Itasca. Like the great
majority Of the smaller lakes and rivers Of the
ltasca region 1t is without name.
Early in the afternoon, In O bend Of the river,
canoe was discovered, bottom upwards, under
mass Of driftwood. This was an evidence OF life in
the past tense and the crew resolved "the mystery
to explore" After much labor, all disembarking,
the canoe was extricated and hauled upon the
shore.
MYSTERY on THE IrAscA COUNTRY.
It was Of this years. manufacture. The guide.
after o thorough examination, said:-"An Indian
has been up here trapping. know that he was
alone for there IL only one seat, that In the middle
you see them, indicate either that his gun has
bursted or that his powder horn has exploded
The latter is most probable, for the Indians fire.
quently have smudge burning on piece Of sod
In the bow OF their canoes to smoke out the mos
quitoes. A spark from this may have fallen into
the Indians hand as he poured out his powder.
That there has been an explosion of powder In this
boat there can be no doubt. The pain and sur
prise has caused the Indian to spring up so sud-
denly as TO capsize the boat, and gun, ammunition
and provisions have gone to the bottom. The IN
dian could scarcely have been drowned, unless he
was very badly wounded but II his eyes were
blown out, he has crawed out upon the shore only
to die Of starvation. This think very probable,
for an Indian will never abandon his canoe while
living, under any circumstances. 1t never could
have got away from him, for they are always drawn
far out on the bank. The accident may have hap
pened miles above this place. tell you again no
man should ever come alone into the Itasca coun-
try.n
PROVISIONS ALL WET.
The guide cut a large piece OF brch-bark from the
canoe for repairing his own boat This was fortu-
nate for in shooting some rapids encountered
during the afternoon, a sharp-ponted rock broke
hole In the bottom Of the birch-bark canoe, which
let in water fast that all the crackers and -four
were wet before the guide and Indian could get
ashore. Again the crew OF the Dolly Warden was
era IT.
THE VALLEY
became wider with every mile until the river
meandered through great meadow, more than
two and a.haf miles In width, lying between thick
forests a.. and steep nils Late IN the after
Q small stream was pointed out as tho outlet OF
lake: The Dolly pulled up the stream and at the
end Of 1874 double strokes OF the paddle reached
lake about one mile in length. 1t was surrounded
on all sides by high grass.
THE BLOODY SIOUX.
Many years q village or ChippeWaS had been
located upon the northern shore, where they sub
ny
The Sioux, their deadly enemies, came down upon
the Chippewas one night and SO completely had
they surrounded the village that only an old squaw
escaped. The captves, dragged out Of the high
grass where they had hidden, collected In the
after being put to every conceivable torture. The
Chippewas can this body Of water Tsw,pe-ne,de:
our Indian near the outlet OF the lake as
one in which the squaw who escaped took
rs9a E the than she Sena
considered so very remarkable that woman should
af % s%S tire w Us aDass
the fact with solemn gravity. The return to the
Mississippi was made, and the voyage resumed TIL
'cANoE LIFE" ASHORE
In making landings the crew OF the Dolly always
sprang ashore first, and, after pulling the canoe
out OF the water, began building fire to keep the
mosquitoes away. Not until good smoke was had
could any comfort be found on shore The camp then
had to be surrounded with smudges made OF rotten
wood and grass: Then the sperm oil lamp Of the
Meanwhile the guide, thoroughbred cook, pre-
pared q supper, and by the time the log was writ
ten up the evening meal was ready. Then, II the
sky gave promise of rain before morning, the Dolly
was carried up into camp, and the crew turned into
quarters; while, II the night was clear and cold
as rule, the crew slept on the ground before the
fire.
MARQUETTE RIVER.
This morning began with fog The
river in many places encrOached upon steep
hills, leaving banks fifty to sixty feet in height on
these sharp bends of the river developed, in the
forest, scenery OF much beauty. The entrance OF
the 5 locality ty o the maps
This river, the outlet OF Lakes Marquette, La
Sale, Plantagenette and Assawe, enters the Mis-
than that in which 1t loses its identity The Mis-.
sssippi at once doubles In size and assumes the
eighty feet in width, aud the bank on the right be-
comes beautiful grove Of maple, oak and beach.
with growth q scrubby pine, ihterspefsed with
stray hemlock and maple. We knew that the en-
ex IN The ver e wooana S
left bank, and the right merged into swamp OF
reeds cattalls scru5by poplars and hazel bushes
or about two miles padding, brought the Dolly out
into the southern section Of Pemidji.
Is in reality two bodies OF water-tbe larger seven
by four miles and the smaller about two by and
half miles-united by q strait not more than one
lake is entirely hidden from the main portion by
thick forest OF beech and poplar, which has grown
up on the narrow strip OF bottom land which d.
vides the two bodies of water.
This portion OF the lake Is faced on the western
side by dark, plne-cOvered bluffs and away or TO
the eastward the background Is formed by tall
hemlock forest The course OF the Dolly across to
the outlet was due north. The lake was found to
be very shallow, the average soundings being from
six TO nine feet, although In place a depth OF
eighteen feet was reached. The run Is about one
and half mile, but as the wind was adverse and
very light the sails were not spread.
The pull through the channel connecting the
larger with the smaller portion OF the lake. over
Swallowed as It was BY branching beech trees was
great relief after the baking which the crew had
received during the morning. wigwam
seen on the shore. and hastiIv mil.