CHAPTER LI.

Trip to Detroit—­American Fur Company; its history and organization—­American Lyceum; its objects—­Desire to write books on Indian subjects by persons not having the information to render them valuable—­Reappearance of cholera—­Mission of Mackinack; its history and condition—­Visit of a Russian officer of the Imperial Guards—­Chicago; its prime position for a great entrepot—­Area and destiny of the Mississippi Valley.

CHAPTER LII.

Philology—­Structure of the Indian languages—­Letter from Mr. Duponceau—­Question of the philosophy of the Chippewa syntax—­Letter from a Russian officer on his travels in the West—­Queries on the physical history of the North—­Leslie Duncan, a maniac—­Arwin on the force of dissipation—­Missionary life on the sources of the Mississippi—­Letter from Mr. Boutwell—­Theological Review—­The Territory of Michigan, tired of a long delay, determines to organize a State Government.

CHAPTER LIII.

Indications of a moral revolution in the place—­Political movements at Detroit—­Review of the state of society at Michilimackinack, arising from its being the great central power of the north-west fur trade—­A letter from Dr. Greene—­Prerequisites of the missionary function—­Discouragements—­The state of the Mackinack Mission—­Problem of employing native teachers and evangelists—­Letter of Mr. Duponceau—­Ethnological gossip—­Translation of the Bible into Algonquin—­Don M. Najera—­Premium offered by the French Institute—­Persistent Satanic influence among the Indian tribes—­Boundary dispute with Ohio—­Character of the State Convention.

CHAPTER LIV.

Requirements of a missionary laborer—­Otwin—­American quadrupeds—­Geological question—­Taste of an Indian chief for horticulture—­Swiss missionaries to the Indians—­Secretary of War visits the island—­Frivolous literary, diurnal, and periodical press—­Letter of Dr. Ives on this topic—­Lost boxes of minerals and fresh-water shells—­Geological visit of Mr. Featherstonehaugh and Lieut.  Mather—­Mr. Hastings—­A theological graduate.

CHAPTER LV.

Rage for investment in western lands—–­Habits of the common deer—­Question of the punishment of Indian murders committed in the Indian country—­A chief calls to have his authority recognized on the death of a predecessor—­Dr. Julius, of Prussia—­Gen. Robert Patterson—­Pressure of emigration—­Otwin—­Dr. Gilman and Mr. Hoffman—­Picturesque trip to Lake Superior—­Indians desire to cede territory—­G.W.  Featherstonehaugh—­Sketch of his geological reconnoissance of the St. Peter’s River—­Dr. Thomas H. Webb—­Question of inscriptions on American rocks—­Antiquities—­Embark for Washington, and come down the lakes in the great tempest of 1835.