Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
July 13, 1820: Sandy Lake, At Last
Editor's Note:
Today the lake is shown on maps as Big Sandy Lake Reservoir.
Schoolcraft: "We were aroused between four and five o'clock by a shower of rain, and after taking our customary breakfast of dried beef and biscuit, pursued the Indian trail towards Sandy Lake, which we reached after travelling fourteen miles, at 12 o'clock…
"The Indian name for this lake is Kom-tong-gog-o-mog, -- the Canadians call it Lac du Sable: both are significant of its sandy shores. It is about five miles long, by four in breadth, and twelve in circumference, -- of a very irregular shape, with innumerable islands, -- bays, -- and points, some of which project into it half its width. Strewed along its shores, we find detached fragments of granite, and other rocks, together with carnelian, agate, jasper, and hornstone. The adjoining lands are hilly and covered with pine. The islands are characterized by oak. It has an outlet by which, at the distance of two miles, it communicates with the Mississippi river."
Location: modern Big Sandy Lake Reservoir, Aitkin Co., Minn.
View Doty's handwritten manuscript of this page
View page in the 1895 printed edition
View this page in Schoolcraft's 1821 Narrative
Before sunrise we commenced our march though some were complaining of lame knees, & others of blistered feet. One of my own was blistered from the toes to the heel, notwithstanding which I kept my pace with the rest of the party. We steered west 10 miles to a small lake, the borders of which was covered with wild rice. We passed along on the borders of this about 1 mile when we struck upon another small one, or perhaps nothing more than a pond, which was nearly divided in the middle by a sand bank. From thence on, our course was N. W. 4 miles to Sandy Lake where we arrived at 12 o'clock. We struck the Lake about 50 rods below the mouth of the little Savannah.
We fired several guns to bring some one from the Establishment on the opposite side of the Lake. In about an hour and a half the 2 gent, who have the care of the Est. Mr Ashmen & Mr Fairbanks came over in a canoe, in which they were polite enough to take us across.
It is 4 miles to the Establishment, which is the length of the lake. Its average breadth may be 2 miles. Thus our journey instead of being light and easy and capable of being performed in less than 2 days had proved one of the most fatiguing marches I ever underwent, and even far beyond any idea I ever entertained, and had also redoubled the proof of the little faith and reliance which may be placed on the generality of Indian guides. I here learn that the path on which we started continued the whole distance & went entirely over dry land. Perhaps the guides thought to take us by a shorter route!
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