the lecturer dwelt upon the zeal
with which he preached the Gospel to the benighted Indians, and his
premature death and burial in the wilderness. La Salle was then
presented as an intrepid pioneer, pushing down the mighty river to plant
his banner on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and taking possession of
the country through which he had passed in the name of the King of
France. The exploits of Hennepin, Joliet, and others were then
recounted, and the lecturer gave evidence of great familiarity with the
lives of these heroic pioneer explorers of the Mississippi. The
following letter was then read:

"1310 Olive Street,

"_Saint Louis, Missouri_,

"January 14, 1882.

"_Edwin Harrison, Esq.,_

"_President Missouri Historical Society_:

"Dear Sir:--In my recent canoe voyage down the Mississippi it was
my good fortune to receive many courtesies at the hands of the
press, boat clubs, and citizens of Saint Louis. This, coupled with
the fact that you have expressed considerable interest in the
result of my explorations, inclines me to present to you the
_Itasca_, one of the canoes used in the expedition, for the museum
of your Society, as a memento of my voyage and discovery.

"During this tour of observation, extending from the headwaters of
the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico, I had the satisfaction
of locating the true source of the mighty stream down which we
paddled our canoes to the sea.

"I am not now able to give you a detailed account of my voyage, but
shall avail myself of the earliest opportunity to transmit to your
Secretary a complete history of it, which will be issued in book
form as soon as the material can be put in proper shape for
publication.

"Very truly yours,

Willard Glazier."

Captain Silas Bent, late of the U. S. N., accepted the canoe for the
society, in the following words:

"Captain Glazier:

"It becomes my pleasant duty to accept, for the Missouri Historical
Society, this beautiful canoe, which has itself become historic by
reason of the service it has rendered you. It shall be deposited
with other treasured relics in our museum.