NEW YORK, August, 1846.

BY A

A KNOWLEDGE of the existence of extensive mines of copper on the shores of Lake Superior, and in other localities in the north-western part of the United States, was obtained from the Indians, at a very early day, by the French Missionaries and traders who ventured among them.

Father Allouez, who established, in the year 1665, the first Jesuit Mission on Lake Superior, at La Pointe, near its western extremity, searched in vain, while on his way thither, for the celebrated mass of native copper of which he had heard from the "Sauteurs," ple of the Saut. It does not appear that he was successful in his researches, although his route lay along the southern shore of the Lake, and in close proximity to some of the richest localities.

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Father Hennepin says that in 1680, while on his voyage upon the Mississippi, the Indians showed him extensive mines of coal, lead and copper, but he does not designate the particular localities. He also mentions, in his account of De la Salle's last voyage, that several pieces of copper had been found in the sands of the Illinois river at low water. The monk Guèdeville, who wrote under the nom de plume of "The Baron La Houtan," was at the Sault Ste. Marie in

1688, and says, in his description of Lake Superior, that upon that lake are found copper mines in abundance, of which the ore is so pure that there is no more than one-seventh loss.

In the beginning of the year 1700, M. d'Iberville having heard of a copper mine on Green River, a tributary of the St. Peters, directed M. Le Sueur to proceed to the country of the Sioux with twenty men, and take possession of the same. Le Sueur had discovered the mine in question in 1695, and is the first traveler that mentions the St. Peters river. He had also, in the same year, discovered a piece of copper weighing sixty pounds, on one of the branches of the Chippewa river.

He set out, with his companions, near the end of April, 1700, and ascended the Mississippi to the Falls of St. Anthony. From thence he paddled up the St. Peters about forty leagues, where Green river joined it on the left. It was so named, because the earth which fell into it from the mines gave it that color. Having proceeded up the latter river about a league, their progress was arrested by ice, although it was not later in the season than the first of October. They were, consequently, compelled to construct a fort for their protection, which they

named Fort Huillier, and remained there in winter quarters.

In the month of April following, they proceeded to the mines, which were less than a league from their fort, and in 22 days they raised over 30,000 pounds of ore, of which they sent 4,000 pounds of the best to France. The mine was opened at the base of a mountainous ridge, about ten leagues long, which appeared to be entirely composed of the same material. The earth from which they raised the ore was of a green color. The copper could be scraped with a knife, after first removing a kind of crust, hard as stone, and black and burnt like charcoal by the vapor which issued from the mine. A combination of circumstances, but principally the want of funds, prevented Le Sueur from further prosecuting this enterprise.

Father Charlevoix, the celebrated historian of New France, who traveled extensively along the Lakes, and their borders, in 1721, has left us some interesting notices of this mineral.

"The large pieces of copper," he observes, "which are found in some places on the shore of Lake Superior, and on some of the islands in the same lake, are the object of superstitious worship on the part of the Indians. They regard them with veneration, as presents from the gods who live under the water. They gather and carefully preserve the smallest fragments, without making any use of them. They say, that a long time since, there was a large rock of that material elevated above the surface of the Lake, and as it has entirely disappeared, they pretend that the gods have transported it elsewhere; but there is reason to believe that the waves, in the progress of time, have covered it with sand and mud. It is certain that this metal has been discovered in many places in large quantities, and under such favorable circumstances, as to save the necessity of much excavation.

"On my first voyage to this region," he continues, "I knew one of our Fathers who had been a goldsmith. He sought for the metal, and by reason of its almost pure state, easily manufactured it into crosses, chandeliers and censers."

Charlevoix also states, that copper had been found near the mouth of the River St. Croix, which empties into the eastern side of the Mississippi, a short distance below the St. Peters.

Alexander Henry, the Indian trader, in

the interesting narrative of his travels and adventures in the North-West, says that the Indians used to manufacture this metal into spoons and bracelets, it being so pure as to be readily beaten into shape. Henry visited the celebrated rock on the Ontonagan river in 1766, the weight of which he estimated at five tons. Such was its pure and malleable state, that he was able to cut off with an axe a portion weighing one hundred pounds. He conjectured that the mass had rolled from the side of a lofty hill, at the base of which it lay.

Henry passed the winter of 1767-28 on the Island of Michipicoten. On his way thither, he found at Point Mamance a vein of lead ore, in the form of cubical crystals, and at other points, on the northern coast, he met with several veins of the gray copper ore. Near Nanibojou, on the eastern side of the Bay of Michipicoten, he found several pieces of virgin copper lying on the beach, many of which were remarkable for their form,-some resembling leaves of vegetables, and others animals, and weighing from an ounce to three pounds.

On an island near by, Indian tradition had located the sepulchre of Nanibojou, or the Great Hare, and his spirit was supposed to make that his constant residence, presiding over the Lake, and over the Indians in their navigation and fishing. Tobacco, kettles, broken guns, and other articles, were found deposited on the projecting rocks, as propitiatory offerings from the rude savage to this imaginary deity.

In the spring of 1768, Henry met with a Mr. Alexander Baxter, who had come out from England to examine the ores abounding in the country. Henry communicated to him his observations, and exhibited his specimens, and they soon laid the foundation of the first Mining Company of Lake Superior.

Henry passed the next winter at Michipicoten, and on his voyage thither encamped, as usual, on the Island of Nanibojou. Having omitted the customary offerings to the presiding deity, they were visited by a furious storm, which detained them twelve days, and destroyed their nets. Having consumed all their provisions, they would have been in great danger of starvation, but for the timely discovery of some tripe de roche.

In the spring of 1770, Mr. Baxter, who had gone to England, returned, with the papers constituting Henry, Baxter, and a

Mr. Bostwick, joint agents and partners in a company of adventurers for working the mines of Lake Superior. Having constructed a sloop of 40 tons, they embarked early in May, 1771, from their ship-yard, at Point aux Pins, three leagues above the Sault, on the Canada shore. They steered first for the "Island of Yellow Sands," and landed on its beach, fully prepared to meet the guardians of the gold, and do battle with the serpents and demons, with which Indian superstition had peopled it. After a vain search for three days, no gold, nor even yellow sands, were found, and no demons nor serpents appeared. They then sailed for Nanibojou, on the shore of which the miners found several veins of copper and lead. Specimens having been procured, they returned to Point aux Pins, where they erected an air furnace, and assayed the ores. They found the lead ore contained silver, in the proportion of forty ounces to the ton; but the copper ore only a very small proportion. They subsequently crossed to Point Iroquois, on the American shore of the Lake, where Mr. Norburgh, a Russian gentleman, acquainted with metals, and holding a commission in the 60th Regiment, chanced to find a semi-transparent mineral substance, of a blue color, weighing eight pounds. This specimen he carried to England, where it yielded pure silver, at the rate of 60 per cent., and was deposited in the British Museum.

Our adventurers found no further indications of the metal until they reached the Ontonagan, where they discovered great quantities imbedded in stone. There they built a house, and sent to the Sault for provisions. They commenced their operations at a place where a stream of green-colored water, tinging iron a copper color, called by the miners" a leader," issued from the hill. In digging at this point, they frequently found masses of copper, some of which weighed three pounds.

Having left the miners with everything provided for their subsistence during the winter, the parties returned to the Sault. Early in the spring of 1772, a boat, loaded with provisions was dispatched to the miners, but it returned to the Sault on the 20th of June, bringing, to the great surprise of the agents, the whole establishment of miners. In the course of the winter they had penetrated forty feet into the hill, but when the first thaw came, the clay, which they had neglected to

support, settled into their drift, and put an end to their labors.

In the month of August following, the miners were transported to the northern side of the Lake. But little was done until the summer of 1773, when they penetrated thirty feet into the solid rock, which was blasted with great difficulty. The vein having thinned out from four feet to four inches, the work was discontinued; and after a fruitless exploration along the northern shore, as far as the River Pic, the sloop was sold, and the miners discharged.

The great distance from civilization, the difficulty of procuring and maintaining laborers, and the heavy expense of transporting the ore to market, induced the proprietors to abandon the enterprise.

Thus ended the labors of the first Company formed to work the mines of Lake Superior. The partners in England were his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester, Mr. Secretary Townsend, Sir Samuel Tutchett, Baronet, Mr. Baxter, Consul of the Empress of Russia, and Mr. Cruik shank. Those in America were Sir William Johnson, Alexander Henry, Mr. Bostwick, and Mr. Baxter. A charter was obtained in England for the company, but from the ill success of the enterprise was never taken from the seal office.

The failure of this attempt was alluded to by a Chippewa Chief from the Ontonagan river, who was present at a Council held under Governor Cass at Fond du Lac, in August, 1826. Speaking of the celebrated copper rock, he says: "It is the property of no one man. It belongs alike to us all. It was put there by the Great Spirit, and it is ours. In the life of my father, the British were engaged in working it. It was then about the size of that table, (pointing to the one at which the commissioners were seated.) They attempted to raise it to the top of the hill, and they failed. They then said the copper was not in the rock, but in the banks of the river. They dug for it, and while working under ground by candle-light, the earth fell in upon them, and killed three of their men. It was then abandoned, and no attempt has been made upon it until now."

It being generally supposed from Hennepin's statement, and other sources, that mines of copper existed on the banks of the Illinois, Mr. Patrick Kennedy, with a company of coureurs de bois, set out from Kaskaskias on the 23d day of July, 1773, with the design of discovering their local