flows almost directly north, then takes
a turn to the east, and finally sweeps with ever increasing volume south
to the Gulf of Mexico. At first it quietly pursues its course between
rich meadows, and promises easy and safe navigation, so that our little
band of explorers after leaving Itasca expected to have a quiet and
uneventful voyage until they reached the inhabited part of the country.
Such was not the case, however, for they soon found their progress very
much impeded by drift-wood, snags, rapids, and boulders of every size
and description. They overcame these obstacles in various ways, all
requiring much exertion and endurance, and many a time their patience
was nearly exhausted. Sometimes they forced the canoes under the logs
which lay across the stream, and again cut a passage-way through them.
Now they removed the drift from their path and now were obliged to lift
the canoes over it. A little further on a huge boulder would confront
them, making it necessary to disembark and carry the boats around.
Presently a dangerous rapid would be met, and in shooting it some member
of the party would be precipitated into, the water, or perhaps a hole
stove in one of the canoes. At last they were obliged to make a
portage of about half a mile, and upon launching again, soon discovered
that the principal obstructions had been overcome. This was a great
relief to them, for the intolerable annoyance of swarms of mosquitoes
which came in clouds about them, biting even through their clothing, was
quite enough to bear patiently without having the hardships consequent
upon such rugged voyaging to endure.

[Illustration: Captain Glazier Running Rapids On The Upper Mississippi.]

Laborious, however, as they found this unusually rough canoeing, and
troublesome as were the mosquitoes, both trials sank into insignificance
when compared with their ever present danger of starvation. It will be
remembered how bravely all had decided, when they first made the
startling discovery that their supplies were at a low ebb, to pursue
their investigations even at the risk of running completely out of
rations. The strictest economy had been observed ever since, but despite
all their care they now found that unless they could reach a
trading-post within a couple of days they would be compelled to subsist
on such game and fish as they could capture; rather a precarious means
of existence to say the least, especially as they had but a very few
rou