ier's diary furnishes one of his vivid pen-pictures in an
admirably conceived criticism upon the mental attributes and general
character of the distinguished Indian chief, White Cloud, the orator of
the feast.

"I was much gratified on this occasion by the presence of White Cloud,
whom I had been told was the most respectable man in the Chippewa
country; and if the term were applied to his intellectual qualities and
the power of drawing just conclusions from known premises, and the
effects which these have had on his standing and influence with his own
tribe, it is not misapplied. Shrewdness and quickness of perception most
of the chiefs possess, but there is more of the character of common
sense and practical reflection in White Cloud's remarks than I have
observed in most of the chiefs I have hitherto met. In his early life he
was both a warrior and a counselor, and these distinctions he held, not
from any hereditary right, but from the force of his own character. I
found him quite ready to converse upon those topics which were of most
interest to him, and the sentiments he expressed were such as would
occur to a mind which had possessed itself of facts and was capable of
reasoning from them. His manners were grave and dignified, and his
oratory such as to render him popular wherever heard."

Upon the return of Chenowagesic and other Indians, a council was held
and Captain Glazier stated his object to them. They were asked to
provide maps of the country and to furnish an interpreter, guides and
canoes. Of course, it was impossible to conclude any such important
negotiations as attended an expedition involving the veritable source of
the noble red man's mystical stream without the characteristic Indian
speech. Accordingly, Chenowagesic arose, and with much dignity,
extending his arm towards Captain Glazier, said:

"My brother, the country you are going to visit is my hunting ground. I
have hunted there many years and planted corn on the shores of Lake
Itasca. My father, now an old man, remembers the first white chief who
came to look for the source of the Great River. But, my brother, no
white man has yet seen the head of the 'Father of Waters.' I will myself
furnish the maps you have requested, and will guide you onward. There
are many lakes and rivers in the way, but the waters are favorable. I
shall talk with my friends about the canoes, and see who will step
forward to supply them. My own canoe shall be one of th