Editor's Note:
The Indian guides and hunters took an active interest in this day's mineralogy: "…the Indians attached to the expedition," Schoolcraft wrote, "on being shewn the substances we were anxious to procure, also undertook the search, and with such good success, that I am indebted to them for some of the finest specimens I have from that locality.
"This is not the first attention they had manifested to the subject, for on a former occasion they assisted me in chizzeling organic relics from the rock, and seemed to take a delight in being serviceable in that way, although unable to comprehend the object of these collections. It was impossible to find corresponding words in their language to signify the benefit to be derived from geological studies, although they were anxious to be informed, and made repeated enquiries. There is a general impression among the Indians that we possess the skill of turning all minerals either into money or medicine.
"My attention to this subject had struck them upon the third or fourth day after our departure from Detroit, when they bestowed upon me a name, at least characteristic of my situation in the expedition -- Paw-gwa-be-can-e-ga, The Destroyer of Rocks, or He Who Employs Himself among the Rocks."
Location: modern Oskar, Mich.
View Doty's handwritten manuscript of this page
View page in the 1895 printed edition
This morn I rose at 4, and walking on the shore of the lake found several fine specimens of cornelian and agate. A piece of copper was found by Mr. S [Schoolcraft]. Most of the stones on shore indicate they are in the neighborhood of copper. This piece was embedded in stone.
