Canada. Adding to all this the necessary preparatory
labor attending his contemplated voyage in search of the true source of
the Mississippi, and it will be seen that the years elapsing between his
journey from ocean to ocean and his latest expedition were actively and
well employed.

At length, however, all his tasks were accomplished, and the month of
May, 1881, found him stopping for a few days at Cleveland, Ohio, in his
journey westward from New York. Leaving Cleveland on the first day of
June, he proceeded to Chicago, and without further tarrying went from
that city directly to St. Paul, Minnesota, intending to make this the
first point for gathering his forces and collecting the material needed
for his coming exploration. Here he was joined by his brother George and
Barrett Channing Paine, of Indianapolis, Indiana. The month of June was
spent at St. Paul in collecting tents, blankets, guns, ammunition,
fishing tackle and all the various paraphernalia necessary for a six
weeks' sojourn in the northern wilderness.

Finally, all arrangements being completed, the party left St. Paul on
the morning of July the fourth, to go to Brainerd, about a hundred miles
above St. Paul, which was to be the point of immediate departure for
Leech Lake and thence to Lake Itasca. Brief stoppages were made at
Minneapolis, Monticello, St. Cloud and Little Falls on their way up the
river, until Brainerd was reached July the seventh.

Brainerd is an enterprising little village at the point where the
Northern Pacific Railroad crosses the Mississippi, near the boundary of
the Chippewa Indian Reservation, and is the nearest point, of any
consequence, to Lake Itasca. Here Captain Glazier stopped for some days
that he might further inform himself upon the topography of the country,
in order to decide on the most feasible route to his destination, and
also to provide such supplies of food as were necessary. After
consulting maps it was concluded that although Schoolcraft and others
had found Itasca by going up the river through Lakes Winnibegoshish,
Cass and Bemidji, the most direct course would be by way of Leech Lake
and the Kabekanka River. It was therefore decided to take wagon
conveyance to Leech Lake over what is known in Northern Minnesota as the
Government Road. This road stretches for seventy miles through trackless
pine forests and almost impenetrable underbrush, the only habitations to
be seen along its line being the half-way hous