Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
July 22, 1820: Turning Toward Home
Editor's Note:
With this journal entry the expedition turned homeward, as Schoolcraft and his companions started downriver. Over the next 10 days, as the parties re-united at Sandy Lake and then headed south to the site of modern St Paul, Doty made only one brief entry in his own diary, so we continue to rely on Schoolcraft's account for details.
Location: northwest of Pokegama Lake, Minn.
View Schoolcraft's complete description in his 1821 Narrative
[Schoolcraft:] Quiting our encampment before day light, we reached lake Winnipec at eight o'clock, and performed the traverse against a strong head wind. This occupied two hours, during which our canoes were violently tossed upon the waves, and the voyageurs manifested some apprehensions for our safety. Entering the outlet of this lake which is the Mississippi, we left our encampment of the 20th on our right, and successively passing little Winnipec or Rush lake, and the confluence of Leech lake river, we descended to within ten miles of the spot of our encampment on the 19th, having progressed altogether a distance of ninety-eight miles.
In the course of the day we passed nine Indian canoes on their ascent. They were freighted with rolls of birch bark, of the kind employed for canoes, and with bundles of rushes of which they manufacture matts for bedding and for covering their wigwams. The weather continued cloudy, with wind, and occasional showers of rain.
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