Year: 1872

tage-Out Of fTrouble-Into Camp


LITTLE LAKE WISEIPEG,
UPPER MISSISSIPPI, June ~, 1871
The massage of Lake WinnibicOshlsh with its dan
GERS its anxieties and uncertainties, was before
u.s. Tie morning had not fully broken when every
thing was prepared for the start. AT THIS critlcai
moment the Indian declared to the guide that he
would 30 no further, but would start at once FOR
H the lodge Of relative some distance back, near
II the banks Of the Mississippi. II was in vain that
| the guide alternately threatened and supplicated
the savage He was fully apprised of the fact that
he "had us' and was determined to show no
mercy. After finding that the Indian was callous
alike to the welfare or disaster OF the expedition,
the crew of the 'Doiyn gave orders to tighten the
canoe Of everything not absolutely essential and to
PREPARE TO GET UNDER WAY
at once. He abandoned his only trophy OF the In
~. country-a fine pair of snow shoes, the gift OF
Tho ~. Lake Indians. The plate, knife and fork
uena n, -. indian were hurled into the lake; his
n,on.v wos n. led to him and he was from that
momcn, ,gnoreo. The passage Of the lake was
no to pe made by the d vo canoes with single oc-
cunant each. The sa,s.y> OF the birch bark de-
manded that portion of ne 'oau w'A.h - Ia,ieu
should be transferred to the Hoh.s' uno"'".
canoe becomes almost unlA. "n>e ~.
one man II loaded. Everything wy
shape Of novels and newspapers was So
dOned. While 1t was yet hazy toward the e. .'ss'
ward, with no one to see her or nor kind friends
to anticipate her arrival the opposite Shore the
trim little Dolly started down the small inlet to-
ward the great lake. In all things size is only
relative, but the Great Eastern is to the Atlantic
SO Is the Dolly to Lake Winnibcoshish.


About one hundred double strokes Of the Dolly's
engines


CLEARED THR HEADLAND


and left her In the long, Oceanlike SVEN Of the
lake. The morning was cool and clear, with
wholesale breeze from the northwest The main
sail and 1ib were set, and with the prospects Of
delightful sail before him, the crew lighted his
voted his entire attention to keeping the Dolly
east by south, half south This direction could be
held, under the breeze then blowing, running
almost free. 1t was not at all desirable to sail
clOse-hauled


UPON AN UNKNOWN SEA,


miles from any assistance. AS the sun rose the
purple line on the horizon indicated the heavy pine
forest lining the eastern shore. The crew Of the
Dolly felt quite comfortable and happy, and was
chanting


Oh, do feel so jolly when the wind begins to blow,


The wind begins to blow,


Oh, do feel SO jolly when


wind storm broke upon the lake with consider.
before the crew could case OF the main sheet. The
wind had veered more to the westward, and the





beam: Had she been close-hanled capsize would
have been inevitable. 1t was very lively on deck
for few mo moments. The Jib, which had been
as to sail wing and wing, was taken in with the
greatest expedition. The principal reason for this
movement was that the head Of the jib, fastening
the top Of the mainmast renders 1t impossible
to take in the malnsail until the kb is removed.
The crew was anxious to be prepared for worse
weather.


1t soon became impossible to any lollSer carry
sail, and, getting forward on his knees, with one
out OF the deck, threw up the boom, pulled down
the topnast and twisted the whOe-masts srSit
spent in heading the Dolly out OF the trough of the
waves, the sail was ashed under the deck on the
port side, the apron was bent on and the craft


BEGAN THE JOURNEY UNDER PADDLE
over the long. green pillows. The Dolly was now
near the middle OF the lake. Turning anxiously
around, the crew. could not see the boat Of the
guide and several moments OF suspense passed be-
fore his craft rising from hollow Of the
Dre @
as suddenly as 1t rose. The instant sufficient
to satisfy both crews that all was safe, and the
guide could be seen working onward with will.
In the course OF twenty minutes he was within
halling distance
when the splash OF the breakers the shore could
be heard above the whisting Of the wind. The low
into bay, much as Green Bay is separated from
Lake Michigan, was soon seen on on the starb0ard
bow, and the boats course altered q little to the
north Of east. The sea was still running In


WAVES MORE THAN TWELVE FEET HIGH
when the Dolly entered the bay. The bay runs
down towards the southeast, and Is skirted with a
hardwood forest on the eastern shore and by reeds
on the western bank. The long headland soon
gave sufficient protection from the waves
poor guide was thoroughly soaked, and there
was fully o half barrel OF water In his boat, which
lie proceeded to bail out the instant smooth
water was reached. A house was seen across the
bay on the eastern bank. 1t stood back from the
discovered had it not been for the smoke which is
sued from the chimney: The bay is nearly two
miles in width at that points but the prospects of
obtaining provisions at once made the crew of the
Dolly Obvi0us to the prospects OF another rough
pull, and the landing was at length made on the
sions where landing was to be made on the
beach, when the wind was high. the crew had to
e csnoe . ashore @ Words cannot descree tSe re
lief experienced by the crew as


A TALL, GRAY-HEADED WHITE MAN,
greatly brOnZed by exposure, emerged from the
log house and came towards the Shore To our as
tonishment he saluted us in Chippewa. The guide,
with him. He spoke neither French nor English.
He invited the tired canoests to his house, where
we saw


HIS INDIAN WIFE


busily engaged in the preparation OF the midday
meal. In the Indian country very little is known
about the civilized mode OF dining at regular hours.
They seldom rise before nine O'Clock and have as
many meals as they have provisions between that
Impossible to visit Chippewa lodge any hour
found simmerns over ,odSn the fire and some
not acquired French taste sufficiently acute to
discriminate between well done and rare cooked
meats. The old Frenchman came to this place
thirty years ago, having crossed from the Superior
region. He left his native land more than ten
years before since which time lie had never re-
ceived one word OF information from his friends
or relatives. He had come into the upper coun-
try as trader married squaw, settled down upon
q tract of land and subsisted by agriculture and
fishing, lie had forgotten his native tongue,


THE LANGUAGE OF THE FOREST,
and was In every respect on par with the more
civilized Indians. From him we obtained, by repre-
senting our distressed condition, a small piece OF
pork, some sugar and some dry bread. For this we
were very grateful and paid literally.


The wind having subsidized somewhat the Dolly
was launched after dinner and the voyage con-
tnued for three miles down the river, until the