having traversed about four hundred miles. There they procured canoes of a larger size than those in which they left Detroit. From Mackinac they proceeded to the Saut of Ste. Marie, where Governor Cass negotiated with the Chippewas for a cession of sixteen square miles of land, as instructed by the Secretary of War, for the purpose of establishing a military post. This was an important acquisition; one absolutely necessary for the preservation of good feeling and amity on the part of the Indians inhabiting the upper country.

Persons hostilely disposed towards our government, and jealous of the influence which it was gaining over the numerous tribes of Indians, were in the habit of resorting to this point from the British outposts and trading stations, for the purpose of exciting by false tales, and by bestowing presents, the minds of the Indians against our officers. By evil counsel and the most corrupt means, they partially succeeded in throwing difficulties in the way of treaty negotiations. The cession above spoken of, preparatory to the establishment of a military force there, to overawe the inimical and hostilely disposed savages and prevent the visits of British emissaries, was in the highest degree advantageous to the country. The Saut Ste. Marie was the key to the country around and north of Lake Superior. It was the thoroughfare through which the Indians passed to receive their presents and medals at the British post on Drummond's Island, near the mouth of the river St. Mary. Its importance to the United States, could not be over estimated. It was on the occasion of effecting this treaty, that Gov. Cass displayed, at the peril of his life, that personal courage and indifference to danger, by which singly and unarmed, he vindicated the insulted dignity of his country, and overawed by moral force, a band of armed and angry chiefs. A gentleman who accompanied the expedition, gives the following narrative of the occurrence:A chief who was called the "Count," appeared in the council at Ste. Marie, in the full dress of a British officer of rank, and during the conference, showed the greatest aversion to the Americans. When the chiefs were about to retire, this fellow, standing by the presents which laid in the centre of the marquee, where the council was held, with great contempt kicked them aside, and rushed out of the marquee. In a few minutes the British flag, and not an

American one, was seen flying within thirty rods, and in front of the Governor's camp, and in the midst of the Indian lodges. Immediately the Governor, unattended by any of his party, walked to the lodge where the flag was raised, and by which the chiefs who had been in the council were standing, and seizing the flag, dashed it to the ground and trampled it under his feet. The Indians appeared to be panic struck by this daring act. The Governor called to the interpreter and remonstrated with the chiefs upon the impropriety of their conduct, and upon the hostile feelings which they displayed by this act towards the United States. He also stated to them the inevitable result to which such conduct must lead, and that a repetition of it, while he was there, would not pass unpunished. In less than fifteen minutes, the squaws belonging to the lodges, with all their children, had abandoned their camp, and were safely landed on the British shore, and appearances indicated an immediate attack by the Indians upon the party. On the part of the exploring party, preparations were instantly made for defence against any attack which might be made by the Indians. But the firmness of the Governor effected what had been nearly despaired of. In a short time the old chiefs sent to the Governor and disavowed the act. They attributed it to their young men, and expressed their sincere regret at its occurrence. They also requested a renewal of the council and professed their readiness to make the cession of land asked for by the United States. The council was renewed and in a short time the treaty was consummated.

These same Indians, acting under the influence of British emissaries, had, before this event, insulted American officers who visited the Saut. They were aware of the object of our government in desiring to obtain this cession of land, which doubtless made them more reluctant to part with it, than otherwise they would have been. Had not Governor Cass met the emergency precisely as he did, intimidating the Indians by his heroism, the object would not have been accomplished at that time.

From the Saut Ste. Marie, the party coasted along the southern shore of Lake Superior to the Fond du Lac; ascended the St. Louis to one of its sources; and descended a tributary stream of Sandy Lake to the Mississippi river; thence ascending to the Upper Red Cedar Lake, the principal tributary of the Mississippi,

From this they descended the Mississippi fourteen hundred miles to Prairie du Chien, passing on the route the post of St. Peter's. They then navigated the Wisconsin river to the Portage, entered the Fox river and descended it to Green Bay. At this point a portion of the party separated from Gov. Cass, intending, for topographical exploration, to coast along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan to Mackinac. The Governor returned to Detroit by way of Chicago. He arrived at the latter place on the 11th of September, having been traveling since the 20th of the preceding May, during which time he traversed over five thousand miles of frontier in his canoes; held various treaties with the Indians; obtained valuable accessions of territory; explored a hitherto unknown region of country; procured additional knowledge of the feelings, views, disposition, character, customs and numbers of the Indians, and a more accurate topography of the vast country watered by the Great Lakes. The proposed objects of his expedition were fully and satisfactorily accomplished.

In the year 1825, Governor Cass and Governor Clarke, of Missouri, were appointed commissioners on the part of the United States, to meet the Indians of the extreme northwest, at Prairie du Chien, to negotiate a treaty of peace between the hostile tribes inhabiting that region. Wars for many years had been carried on between the Chippewas and Sioux; the Sacs and Foxes and the Sioux; and the Iowas and Sioux. This existence of hostilities within the jurisdiction of the United States, if permitted to continue, would in a short time have been productive of incalculable evil. Its influence upon the other tribes on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and on the lakes, would have been to involve them all in general warfare; retarding the advancement of the country and creating new obstacles to their removal beyond the Mississippi. Accordingly, to promote peace among the several tribes, and to establish boundaries among them, and remove all causes of future difficulty, they were invited to assemble at Prairie du Chien to accomplish these objects. The invitation was generally responded to, and large deputations of the Sioux, Chippewas, Sacs, Foxes, Winnebagoes, Iowas, and Menominees, attended in the month of August, 1825, and were met by the commissioners. Many of the Indians came from points a thousand miles distant from the treaty

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ground. The objects of this assemblage occupied the attention of the council for several days. The difficulties attending a negotiation of this kind were formidable. The entire nature of the transaction being different from an ordinary treaty, where lands were to be given up on one side and a consideration paid therefor by the other. Here there were no tangible inducements; no glittering gold and showy presents, to persuade the warriors to listen to the advice of his white brother. The consideration of their concessions was entirely a moral one; one little understood and doubtless quite as little appreciated by them, as oftentimes it is by the more civilized and educated. Besides, it was asking the turbulent and war-seeking Chippewa; the brave and daring Sioux, to lay down the tomahawk and extend the hand of peace and friendship to one another, while each held the unavenged trophies of valor, obtained in deadly combat. To effect, under such circumstances, the purpose of the conference, required the utmost caution and prudence. It should be borne in mind, too, that the Indian evinces great acuteness in defining his rights, and no less pertinacity in maintaining them. In a conflict of claims between them, it is no easy task to reconcile their differences, and induce concession and relinquishment. In spite, however, of all obstacles, and they were by no means few in number, or light in influence, the commissioners accomplished the purpose of their mission.

A treaty was concluded and signed on the 19th of August, 1825, whereby it was agreed that there should be a firm and perpetual peace between the contending tribes: boundaries to their territory were fixed. One principal cause of hostilities, was the invasion by one tribe, of the hunting grounds claimed by another; this cause was removed by an agreement, that no tribe would hunt within the acknowledged limits of another, without their assent.

To give solemnity to this treaty, the commissioners omitted none of the ceremonies usual on such occasions, and to which the Indians attached so great importance. This token of respect for their reverence for their time-honored usages and customs, operated in holding them more faithfully to the fulfilment of their agreements. At the conclusion of the treaty, the commissioners entertained the whole assemblage of Indians with a feast, having a peculiarity attending it which was truly novel and unusual to the

guests. The occasion was made use of to explain to them the evils they suffered from their indulgence in ardent spirits; and the terrible consequences which would inevitably ensue to them, if they continued the baleful practice. To convince them that the government was not actuated by a desire to save the cost of the liquor they might consume, and which it had been accustomed to distribute among them at treaties, but which in the present instance was omitted, the commissioners caused an ample supply of whisky to be brought in among them. When their attention was awakened to the subject, Gov. Cass ordered the vessels containing the liquor to be overturned, and the contents wasted upon the ground. The Indians were greatly disappointed and much astonished by this novel temperance lecture.

In 1826, Gov. Cass negotiated a further treaty with the Chippewas at Fond du Lac, on Lake Superior; a treaty with the Pottawatomies on the Wabash, in Indiana; and a treaty with the Miamis, also on the Wabash, These several treaties were all of importance to the country; accomplishing peaceably and legally the extinguishment of Indian title, and preparing the minds of the Indians for removal beyond the limits of civilized settlements.

At the treaty of Fond du Lac, more than two thousand Indians assembled. This point was an old Indian trading establishment, on the St. Louis river, and distant from the Saut Ste. Marie five hundred miles. The voyage was accomplished in bark canoes, and occupied eighteen days, during which much tempestuous weather and high seas were experienced. Having arrived there, a treaty was negotiated and signed. The chiefs who were there, appeared at the council with the British flag and with British medals suspended from their necks. After the conclusion of the treaty, Gov. Cass directed one of his attendants to take the medals and flag from the chiefs. This being done, the Governor placed the medals and flag under his feet, and told the chiefs that when he returned he would give them the kind of medals and flag they were to use. This was a bold act on the part of the Governor, but it impressed the Indians with his courage, and made them listen fa vorably to his advice.

At the treaty with the Pottawatomies and Miamis on the Wabash, in Indiana, in 1826, Gov. Cass delivered the following speech