source of the
Father of Waters were rarely penetrated by white men, or even by
Indians, at any time except in winter, when lakes and rivers were
frozen up, and the whole surface of the country covered with a
mantle of snow.

"He also heard through the interpreter and Indian guides who
accompanied him that the aboriginal inhabitants of these primeval
forests did not regard Itasca as the source; but, while rejecting
it, differed among themselves as to what lake really was the
fountain-head. Some claimed that the stream from Itasca was not
itself the main stream, but flowed into the river proper some three
miles below the lake. The stream to which it was tributary, though
narrower, was, they claimed, deeper and swifter, bringing to the
united streams more water than the one from Lake Itasca.

"Others considered the Itascan stream as the main one, but spoke of
another lake, broad and beautiful, which lay above Itasca and
poured its clear waters into the accepted source through a small
stream which entered the southern arm of Lake Itasca. Captain
Glazier determined to thoroughly examine all this region, and to
settle definitely and forever the true source of the Mississippi.

"Acting in accordance with this resolution, he pushed on toward
Itasca, intending to make it a starting-point for further
exploration. Reaching this objective point after innumerable
hardships, he camped on Schoolcraft Island, and after a day of rest
directed operations toward the lakes and streams of the surrounding
country.

"Thoroughly surveying the stream that the Indians claimed to be the
main one, he found it much inferior in volume to that from Itasca.
This point settled, he closely examined the shores of Lake Itasca
for tributary streams, finding but three of any importance. Of
these three the one by far the largest came in at the extreme head
of the lake, at a point where it is nearly filled with bulrushes.

"Taking two canoes, Captain Glazier ascended this stream, which,
though shallow, is rapid, yet so narrow in places that to jump
across it would be an easy task. Following its windings, he entered
what appeared to be a lake filled with rushes. Pushing through
this barrier, however, the canoes soon glided out upon the still
surface of a beautiful lake, cle