should ever see their faces in peace while they countenance or connive at such dastardly war parties, who went in quest of a foe, and not finding him, fell upon a friend.  He said he had not forgotten this.  Even now, I continued, a chief of the Sauks was trying to enlist the Indians in a scheme of extreme hostilities.  It was a delusion.  They had no British allies to rally on as in former wars.  The time was past—­past forever for such plans.  We are in profound peace.  And their Great Father, the President, would, if the scheme was pursued by that chief, order his whole army to crush him.  I requested him to inform me of any messages, or tobacco, or wampum they might receive, on the subject of that chief’s movement, or any other government matter.  And to send no answer to any such message without giving me notice.

At three o’clock on the morning of the next day (12th July), Dr. Houghton, Mr. Johnston, Lieut.  Clary, and Mr. Woolsey, with nine Canadians and one soldier, set out in my canoe to visit the copper rock.  Konteka sent me a fine carp in the morning.  Afterwards he and the other chief come over to visit me.  The chief said that his child, who had been very ill, was better, and asked me for some white rice (waube monomin) for it, which I gave.  I also directed a dish of flour and other provisions to enable him to have a feast.

INDIAN TOMB.—­One of the Indians had a son drowned a few days before our arrival; the grave was neatly picketed in.  On the west side of the river is a grave or tomb above ground, resembling a lodge, containing the coffin of a chief, who desired to be thus buried, as he believed his spirit would go directly up.

Konteka has a countenance indicative of sense and benevolence.  I asked him the number of his band.  He replied sixty-four men and boys, women and girls.  Sixteen were hunters, of whom thirteen were men grown.

KAUGWUDJU.—­The Porcupine Mountains, which first loomed up after passing Puggedawa Point, were very plainly pictured before us in the landscape.  I asked Konteka their Indian name.  He replied Kaug Wudju.  I asked him why they were so called.  He said from a resemblance to a couching porcupine.  I put several questions to him to ascertain the best place of ascent.  He said that the mountain properly faced the south, in a very high perpendicular cliff, having a lake at its bottom.  The latter was on a level with Lake Superior.  To see this lake it was necessary to go round towards the south.  It was a day’s journey from the lake to the top of the cliff.  To the first elevation it was as far as to the Red Rocks—­say three miles, but through a cedar thicket, and bad walking.

VISIT TO THE COPPER ROCK.—­The party returned from this place on the 13th, late in the afternoon, bringing specimens of the native copper.  They were nine hours in getting to the forks, and continued the rest of the day in getting to the rack, where they encamped.  They had been four hours in descending what required nine in going up.  The doctor brought several fine and large masses of the pure metal.