The Mississippi River And Its Wonderful Valley PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1910 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER X Elk Lake to South-west Pass " DEGREES CHOOLCRAFT in 1832 and Nicollet in 1836, --nobody of record since that time!" exclaimed a New York newspaper correspondent in the Congressional Library, at Washington, one day, after an examination of all reports, official and otherwise, of exploration at the head-waters of the Mississippi River. The time was January, 1872. Forty years had elapsed since Schoolcraft had visited and named Itasca Lake, as "the true source" of the "Father of Waters." Mr. Schoolcraft's official report showed that he had merely paddled from the southern end of the eastern arm of Itasca to the only island in the lake and thence direct to the outlet. That he had overlooked important features was proved by Nicollet's visit, four years later. This capable and scholarly Frenchman had passed four days at Itasca and had examined the west arm of the lake, which Schoolcraft had wholly neglected. Plans for a trip to the sources of the Mississippi took form in the correspondent's mind, which were subsequently carried out. Three months in the open air had been ordered by a physician, to supplement recovery from serious illness, and such an outing afforded opportunity to obey that command. The correspondent financed the expedition himself, although he arranged to send letters to the New York Herald. The best map that Colton, New York's cartographist of the time, could supply, showed the Itasca region as a blank! A journey was made to Troy, and a canoe was ordered from Waters, Balch & Co., to be delivered at Saint Paul the first week in May. When the correspondent arrived at the capital of Minnesota, he visited the State Land Office, in hope that the large Colton map could be supplemented with details sufficiently clear to lay out a...