Wisconsin Historical Collections, Volume VII (1876)

              northern wisconsin in 1820 by hon james duane doty detroit september 27 1820 to his excellency } lewis cass sir — the following information received at sandy lake during your absence to red cedar lake in answer to your interrogatories i have the honor of communicating to your excellency it was obtained from persons who have traveled over and resided in the country almost from their infancy no opportunity was afforded of obtaining it from better or more enlightened sources than those improved and i think in general it may be relied upon as correct there are three chief places of residence of the indians in this country the first and principal is leech lake the next sandy lake and the third pond du lac of lake superior at leech lake there are more than two hundred men at least three hundred and fifty women married to them and about eleven hundred boys and girls their hunting ground is around the lake and extends north to round lake west to the red river south to the sioux and east until they meet the indians of sandy lake their game is deer bear beaver otter muskrats marten fisher rackoon and a few red and gray foxes the only buffalo they kill is on the border of the sioux country the beaver is hunted par ticularly on the river st peters and its tributaries a few are found in other parts most of the small rivers abound in otter the other game is found throughout their country none of the western waters are as abundant in white fish as leech lake there are great numbers also in lake winnepec red cedar and cross lakes but the rivers are destitute of them