Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-09-24
NORTH WESTERN VIEWS.

NORTH WESTERN VIEWS.
From Journal o the march OF tbe III
(, regiment, 10 June, 1919, from Green
Bay 10 Prairie du Chen" by an officer
! OF that regiment.
! Extracted for the National intelligence,
" The Fox River at the Porl.ge. na.
bout l5yards wide, Z or feet deep, and
; running from southern direction. Il,
source is said to lie about miles south Of
the Portage, in small Lake the inter.
mediate country appearing 10 be prairie
interspersed with large clumps OF oaks,
looking like islands, studding an Inm,ue
sea Of verdure. Indeed it may be moe
than mere fancy, that such has Cnce been
their real character. The hrizon IS rye.
ry where skirted with hills, which may
have been the ancient barri.rs of srea.
lake, drained off by the two avenues &! The
Fox and Ouisconsn Rivers, d. these wood.
ed spots were doubtless islands in lis 10.
som. In standing on a knoll on the right
bank Of the Fox River, and looking 10.
wards the w. and 5. w. the eye look, 0.
yer a prairie Of mile and half Or more
IN width, the hther part OF which is seam.
ed by the meanders Of the Fox River, ever
which, IN more westerly direction,
point Of elevated land is seen protrudng it.
self from north-westerly direction, INTO
the prairie, crowned with few scattered
and siunted oaks. TO the S. Z. Of ibis
point, about hail mile distant, stands me
OF those groves OF oak openings decIilet
above through The vista formed by these
two objects range OF dark forest is seen,
above whose sombre shade undulaes the
boider but fainter outlines of elevated bills,
which terminates the prospect. The Oa.
lSCOnSin runs on the east side Of the forest,
but II is moi visible from this point OF view.
The route OF the Portage is about S. 5.
W. over tie 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 described, which is
2 3-4 miles long. The Frenchman's house
who keeps the Portage, is on this route;
he has tour or FIVE teams adapted 10 Tho
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 view of the two rivers, and II
was not without feelings of enthusiasm and
awe that one contemplated the singular aRa
interesting scene. Two rivers apparently
divided by no barrier, running nearly pa
rallel with each other for several miles, d.
ametrically opposite in their courses, Wild
out any visible cause for such conrarIely,
present parodoxical phenomenon, whIcn
the mind is unable TO reconcile with phy-
steal rules: while the recollection Of 'hei'l
widely differing destinations ming les sen1
timent Of wonder with itsperpleAity. Ina
imagination, in its divergent'hight. hover
over the extremes of the ST. Lawrence ahq
the Mississippi, and sees grdle OF wa'eI
encIrcling The U. States, severed only p
the narrow strip Of land on which be stana1
and which leave it an immense penInsu'1
The features Of such scene would seem
clam something bold and striking, ou'
is only an association of ideas which she
any grandeur or interest TO the PORTAGE
Nature is there in her quiescent s!as "a
all her productions appear to have been ~
result of some of her slowest and mos. inI
doIent operations. Prairies and hills "o''
have been left by the subsiding waters 'n
which by their monotony apd nskean',