31st CONGRESS, 1st Session. [HO. OF REPS.] Ex. Doc. GEOLOGICAL REPORT ON THE COPPER LANDS OF LAKE SUPERIOR LAND The geological report on the copper lands of Lake Superior land district, Michigan. MAY 16, 1850. Referred to the Committee on Public Lands, and ordered to be printed. JUNE 14, 1850. 10,000 copies extra ordered to be printed. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SIR: I have the honor to communicate, herewith, a letter from the Commissioner of the General Land Office, transmitting the report of Messrs. Foster and Whitney, United States geologists, on the copper lands of the Lake Superior land district, Michigan. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. HOWELL COBB," Speaker of the House of Representatives. GENERAL LAND OFFICE, April 26, 1850. SIR: I have the honor to communicate, herewith, a report from Messrs. Foster and Whitney, United States geologists, on the "copper lands" of the Lake Superior land district, in Michigan, accompanied by a number of views of the principal features of that interesting region, with diagrams of the mines, &c., illustrating the work. There is, also, accompanying this report, a fac-simile of a map of Lake Superior and the adjacent regions, made by the Jesuit missionaries in 1670 and 1671, and published at Paris in 1672. This report contains a vast fund of valuable information, and the publication of it will be an important addition to the cause of science. It would have been communicated with my annual report, but the time since those gentlemen were appointed was too short to enable them to prepare it in season. It is now submitted as supplementary to that report. and I respectfully request that it may be so communicated to Congress. With much respect, your obedient servant, Hon. THOMAS EWING, J. BUTTERFIELD, Commissioner. Secretary of the Interior. BOSTON, April 15, 1850. SIR: We herewith present to you a report on the "copper lands" of the Lake Superior land district. When it is considered that this district em braces an area of more than sixteen thousand square miles; that nearly the whole of that area is an unbroken wilderness; that we were required to explore considerable portions of it with sufficient minuteness to designate the character of each quarter section; and that, in the accomplishment of this object, our camp equipage and provisions, and even our canoes, were carried for long distances on the backs of men; and that the limited state of our supplies often compelled us to press on without regard to weatherunder these circumstances, we trust we shall be pardoned if it be found that we have fallen into minor errors, or hastily passed some points which were deserving of a more minute examination. In the delineation of the main features of the region, we trust that this report will be found correct With sincere thanks for the aid afforded us in the prosecution of these researches by several of the officers attached to the bureau over which you preside, we subscribe ourselves, Sir, with great respect, your most obedient servants, To HON. JUSTIN BUTTERFIELD, J. W. FOSTER, J. D. WHITNEY, United States Geologists. Historical sketch.-Raymbault and Jogues's voyage to Saut. Ste. Marie.René Mesnard visits Lake Superior.-Alloüez follows.-Dablon and Marquette follow.-Grand Council.--Marquette proceeds to Green Bay-Discovers the Mississippi.-His death.—Alloüez's death.-Early map of this region.-Effect of the Missionary labors on the Indians.Travels of Hennepin; Charlevoix; Henry; Mackenzie.-Expedition of General Cass; of Schoolcraft; of Maj. Long-Dr. Houghton; his labors and death. The treaties by which this district was ceded.-The several acts of the government in reference thereto.-The act authorizing the survey.-Its organization. The first steps towards the exploration of the country bordering on the great chain of North American lakes were taken by the Jesuits of Canada, more than two centuries ago, under the auspices of Count Frontenac, then governor general of that region. On the 7th of September, 1641, Charles Raymbault and Isaac Jogues, two missionaries of the order of Jesus-an order whose memorials are to be found in every quarter of the habitable earth-accompanied by several Hurons, left the bay of Pentanguishene in a bark canoe for Saut Ste. Marie. At the head of this bay they had established a mission. It formed, at that time, the western terminus of the travelled route between. Montreal and Lake Huron, by way of the Ottawa river and Lake Simcoe, and for years afterwards, while the power of France in the Northwest remained in the ascendant, constituted an important link in a chain of posts extending for more than two thousand miles. The route of Raymbault and Jogues lay through the Georgian bay, and thence among the countless islands that stud the channel of the St. Mary's |