Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-10-30
Fnom THE NATIONAL IyTELLIsENcER,
H-WESTERN VIEWS.

<@-Sffutt JiOW u -'SOufHutV t'c m@ie'i
Of the sth Regiment, IN June 1919,
from Green Bay to Prairie du Chen !"
By an officer efthat Regiment.
"The Fox river at the portage,is about
IS yards wide, z or feet deep, and run
ming from southern direction. Its
source is said to be about 9 miles south
of the portage, in small lake; the in
termediate country appearing to be prai-
RE, interspersed with large clumps of
oaks looking like islands, studding an
immense sea of verdure. Indeed it may
be more than mere fancy, that such has
once been their real character. The
horizon is every where skirted with hills,
which may havs been the ancient barriers
of great lake, drained off by the two
avenues ofthe Fox and Ouisconsin rivers,
and these wooded spots were doubtless
islands in its bosom. In standing on
Knoll on the right bank of the Fox river,
and looking towards the w. and S. w.
the eye looks over a prairie of mile
and half or more in width, the hither
part of which is scanned by the meanders
of the Fox river, over which in more
westerly direction, point of elevated
land is seen protruding itself from north
westerly direction, into the prairie, crown
edwith few scattered and stunted oaks.
To the S. E. of this point, about half a
mile distant, stands one of those groves
OF oak openings described above thro
the vista formed by these two objects
range OF dark forest IS seen, above whose
sombre> shade unduiates the boider but
fainter outlines OF elevated hills, which
terminate the prospect. The Ouisconspln
runs on the east side OF the forest, but II
is not visible from this point OF view
The route ofthe portage is about S.o.W.
over the marshy prairie, $500 yards
long, low, and generally wet. Boats and
baggage are now altogether taken over
by this route. There is another route
leading over the point OF land above de-
-scribed, which is 3-4miles long. The
Frenchman's house who keeps the por-
tage, is on this route; he has four or five
teams adapted to the transportation of
baggage and boats. The first time we
went across the portage we took, by
mistake, the longest route. When on
the apex Of the point, the eye embraced
a view of the two rivers, and it was not
without feelings of enthusiasm and awe
that one contemplated the singular and
interesting scene. Two rivers appa-
,rently divided by no barrier, running
nearly parallel with each other for sew
eral miles, dramatically opposite in their
courses, without any visible cause for
such contrariety, present paradoxlcal
phenomenon, which the mind is unable
to reconcile with physical rules while
the recollection OF their widely differing
destinations, mingles sentiment OF Won
der with its perpiexlty. The magma
ton, in its divergent flight, hovers over
the extremes OF the st. Lawrence and
the Mississippi and sees glrdle OF wa
ter encircling the United States, sever
ed only by the narrow strip OF land on
which he stands, and which leave II an,
immense peninsula. The features OF
such scene would seem to claim some
thing bold and striking, but it is only an
association of ideas which gives any gran
deur or interest to the portage. Nature
IS there in her quiescent. states and all
her productions appear to have been the
result OF some OF her slowest and most
indolent operations: prairles and hills,
which have been lett by the suos1dlng
waters, and which, by their monotony
and nakedness, would appear still to ask
the friendly covering OF their ancient