ied four boats, and went next. I proceeded in a canoe _allege_ with
ten men, with every appendage to render the trip convenient and
agreeable. Col. McKenney, struck with "the coach-and-six" sort of style
of this kind of conveyance, determined to take a seat with me, and
relying upon our speed and capacity to overtake the heavy boats, we
embarked a day later. The whole expedition, with flags and music, was
spread out over miles, and formed an impressive and imposing spectacle
to the natives, who saw their "closed lake," as Superior was called in
1820, yield before the Anglo-Saxon power. The weather was fine, the
scenery enchanting, and the incidents such as might fill a volume.[45] We
were eighteen days in traversing the lake by its shores and bays. The
distance is about 530 miles, which gives an average of thirty miles
per day.

[Footnote 45: Vide "Sketches of a Tour to the Lakes, of the Character and
Customs of the Chippewa Indians, and of Incidents connected with the
Treaty of Fond du Lac, by Thomas L. McKenney." Baltimore, Fielding
Lucas, 1827; one vol. 8vo., 493 pp.]

On reaching the post of Fond du Lac, of St. Louis, near the point where
that bold stream deploys below the Cabotian Mountains,[46] we found a
large assemblage of Indians from every part of the wide-spread Chippewa
territories. It embraced delegations from the extreme sources of the
Mississippi, the Rainy Lake borders, and Old Grand Portage, besides the
entire American borders of Lake Superior and the Rice Lake region, the
sources of the Wisconsin, Chippewa, and St. Croix valleys. The
negotiations were held under a large bower, supported by posts, and
provided with rude seats. The principles of the treaty of Prairie du
Chien, of 1825, were fully explained and assented to. They ceded the
right to explore and take away the native copper and copper-ores, and to
work the mines and minerals in the country. They agreed to surrender the
murderers still inland, who belonged to the misguided war party of 1824.
They fully acknowledged the sovereign authority of the United States,
and disclaimed all connection whatever with foreign powers. They
stipulated that the boundary lines of the treaty of Prairie du Chien
should be carried out in 1827 with the Menomonies and Winnebagoes, in
the region of the sources of the Fox, Wisconsin, and Menomonee rivers.
They provided for an Indian school at St. Mary's, and made some further
important stipulations respecting their ad