f a
beautiful heart-shaped lake, which proved, upon careful
exploration, to be the true source of the Father of Waters. After
examining the shores, the party landed on a rocky point, and
Captain Glazier made a short speech, expressing his confident
belief that they had found the true source of the Great River, and
added something to the geographical knowledge of the country. He
was followed by Mr. Paine, who, after a few introductory remarks,
moved that the new lake be called LAKE GLAZIER, in honor of the man
by whom it had been discovered. This motion was adopted by the
Captain's companions, and after drinking from a spring of ice-cold
water which bubbled up at their feet, the party re-embarked. LAKE
GLAZIER is about two miles in greatest diameter, with clear, deep
waters and wooded shores, being altogether a prettier lake than
Itasca and both wider and deeper, to whose honors, as source of the
mighty Mississippi, it succeeds.

"_Reporter._--Then which way did you proceed?"

"_Mr. Paine._--From LAKE GLAZIER the descent of the river began.
Below Itasca it runs in a northerly direction for a hundred miles
or more, and then swings round to the eastward, finally bending
toward the south, which general direction it afterwards maintains.
For the first few miles it runs between rich meadows, and the
canoeists expected from this that the voyage would be easy and
agreeable. Such was not our fortune, however, for we soon found the
river to be obstructed by snags, drift-wood and boulders of all
sizes. Huge trees had in many places fallen completely across the
river. These obstacles were surmounted in different ways. Sometimes
the canoes could be pressed down and made to go under the logs;
again, they would have to be carried around; sometimes the drift
would be removed, and sometimes the canoes would be lifted over. At
last they had to be carried across a portage for half a mile, then
launched again, until at length the obstructions were passed.
Meanwhile, and all through the journey, the mosquitoes hovered
around us in clouds, making life a burden, and causing all the
members of the expedition to forget their early Christian training.

"Leaving the obstructions behind, we sped smoothly between the
waving meadows once more lining the river. But a new