in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. BOSTON: 16 Devonshire Street. PREFACE. THE main object of the excursion, the results of which are given in the following pages, was a purely scientific one, viz. the study of the Natural History of the northern shore of Lake Superior. Another end proposed by Professor Agassiz, was, to afford to those of the party who were unaccustomed to the practical investigation of natural phenomena, an opportunity of exercising themselves under his direction. The party was composed of the following gentlemen: Prof. Agassiz and Dr. William Keller, instructors, and Messrs. George Belknap and Charles G. Kendall, students, of the Lawrence Scientific School; Messrs. James McC. Lea, George H. Timmins, and Freeman Tompkins, of the Dane Law School; Messrs. Eugene A. Hoffman, Charles G. Loring, Jonathan C. Stone, and Jefferson Wiley, of the senior class of Harvard College; Messrs. Joseph P. Gardner and J. Elliot Cabot, of Boston; Drs. John L. Le Conte and Arthur Stout, of New York; and M. Jules Marcou, of Paris. Interspersed throughout the Narrative are reports, carefully made at the time, of the. Professor's remarks on various points of Natural History, that seemed to him likely to interest a wider circle than those more particu larly addressed in the second part of the book, which consists of papers on various points connected with the Natural History of the region, written, where not otherwise specified, by Prof. Agassiz. This portion of the work, however, does not aim at a mere detail of facts, but is intended to show the bearing of these facts upon general questions. The Landscape Illustrations are taken from sketches made on the spot, by Mr. Cabot. Those of the Second Part were drawn and lithographed by Mr. Sonrel, a Swiss artist of much distinction in this branch, and formerly employed by Prof. Agassiz at Neuchatel, but now resident in this country. BOSTON, MARCH, 1850. BOSTON TO THE SAULT DE ST. MARIE. Boston to Albany-Lecture from the Professor-Valley of the Mo- hawk-Population of German descent-Wild scenery of Western New York-Niagara-Remarks by Prof. Agassiz on the Geology and Botany of this Region-Lunar rainbow-The suspension bridge-Rattlesnakes -Peculiar color of the water-Steamer to the foot of the Falls- Buffalo-Steamer for Mackinaw-Botanical Lecture-The Great Lakes- Boat in distress-Cleveland-Detroit-Lake St. Clair-Flats-Lake Hu- ron-Northern character of the scenery-Meteorological phenomenon- Mackinaw-Fishing party and Lecture on Fishes-Boat for the Sault- Les mouches-First experiment of camping out-The Detour-St. Jo- seph's Island and the Major-Passage up the St. Mary's Straits-Mus- CHAP. II. The Sault-Dissolute character of the population-Lecture on Fishes The fur trade-Climate-The fisheries-Our voyageurs-Terraces-Riv. 31-89 The Pâté-Remarks by the Professor on the Distribution of Animals and Plants-Prince's Location-Minerals-Spar Island-the Victoria Islands-The Professor's remarks on Mineral Veins-Swell on the lake -Structure of the Pâté-Varieties of the lake trout-Spawning of the various fishes of the lake-Gulls breeding-Sails of birch bark-Neepi- gon Bay-Cape Gourgan-Deserted mining location-Prof. Agassiz on the Outlines of Continents-The miner's huts—Conjectures as to their winter life-Scudding before the wind-"Dirty Water"-Head winds -Remarkable trap dyke-Terraces measured-Black River-Intricacy of the woods-Falls of Black River-Lecture on the Drift Formations of the Lake-The brown bear-Drift wood-Habits of the grouse-An Esquimaux dog-A port in a storm-Degradés-Lake contrasts-La Vielle-A sweating house-Difference in vegetation-Trap dykes- Half breeds-A calm on the lake-Foxes-Trout fishing-Michipicotin again-Moisture of the atmosphere-Indian dogs-Excursion to Michi- picotin Falls-Features of the country-The Portage-The Falls- Paleontological pot-holes-The Sandy Islands-A fox in exile-"Fran- çais" and "Sauvages"-Difficult embarcation-Gros Cap-White flow- ering raspberry-The outlet of the lake-Arrive all together-Shooting CHAP. IV. Description of Lake Superior-Steamer for Sturgeon Bay-Scenery of |