Rapid advance of spring—­Troops commence a stockade—­Principles of the Chippewa tongue—­Idea of a new language containing the native principles of syntax, with a monosyllabic method—­Indian standard of value—­Archaeological evidences in growing trees—­Mount Vernon—­Signs of spring in the appearance of birds—­Expedition to St. Peter’s—­Lake Superior open—­A peculiarity in the orthography of Jefferson—­True sounds of the consonants—­Philology—­Advent of the arrival of a vessel—­Editors and editorials—­Arrival from Fort William—­A hope fled—­Sudden completion of the spring, and ushering in of summer—­Odjibwa language, and transmission of Inquiries.

CHAPTER XIX.

Outlines of the incidents of the summer of 1823—­Glance at the geography of the lake country—­Concretion of aluminous earth—­General Wayne’s body naturally embalmed by this property of the soil of Erie—­Free and easy manners—­Boundary Survey—­An old friend—­Western commerce—­The Austins of Texas memory—­Collision of civil and military power—­Advantages of a visit to Europe.

CHAPTER XX.

Incidents of the year 1824—­Indian researches—­Diverse idioms of the Ottawa and Chippewa—­Conflict of opinion between the civil and military authorities of the place—­A winter of seclusion well spent—­St. Paul’s idea of languages—­Examples in the Chippewa—­The Chippewa a pure form of the Algonquin—­Religion in the wilderness—­Incidents—­Congressional excitements—­Commercial view of the copper mine question—­Trip to Tackwymenon Falls, in Lake Superior.

CHAPTER XXI.

Oral tales and legends of the Chippewas—­First assemblage of a legislative council in Michigan—­Mineralogy and geology—­Disasters of the War of 1812—­Character of the new legislature—­Laconic note—­Narrative of a war party, and the disastrous murders committed at Lake Pepin in July 1824—­Speech of a friendly Indian chief from Lake Superior on the subject—­Notices of mineralogy and geology in the west—­Ohio and Erie Canal—­Morals—­Lafayette’s progress—­Hooking minerals—­A philosophical work on the Indians—­Indian biography by Samuel S. Conant—­Want of books on American archaeology—­Douglass’s proposed work on the expedition of 1820.

CHAPTER XXII.

Parallelism of customs—­Home scenes—­Visit to Washington—­Indian work respecting the Western Tribes—­Indian biography—­Professor Carter—­Professor Silliman—­Spiteful prosecution—­Publication of Travels in the Mississippi Valley—­A northern Pocahontas—­Return to the Lakes—­A new enterprise suggested—­Impressions of turkeys’ feet in rock—­Surrender of the Chippewa war party, who committed the murders in 1824, at Lake Pepin—­Their examination, and the commitment of the actual murderers.

CHAPTER XXIII.