Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-12-08
Correspondence ". York Com. Adosrtissr.
Rock ISLAND, (Upper Mississippi, :
CIT 1895

correspondence ~. f0rk COm. [fdoeTttSeT.
Rock ISLAND, (Upper Mississippi. ;
Sept. %, 1885. 5
You see by this that am again vending
my way toward home. Our Eeat little
"dug- out" by the aid of our paddles, has at
length brought my travelling companion and
myself in safety to this place, where we found ,
the river, the shores, ard the plains ccntigu- |
Gus, alive and vivid with plumes, with spears ,
and war clubs of the yelling red men,
We had heard that the whole nation OF
Sacs and Foxes were 90 meet Gov. Dodge
here in treaty al this time, and perve was
given literally to our paddles, which had
brought us from Traverse de Sioux, on the
st. Peters river, and we reached here lucki-
ly in time TO see the parades, the forms and
solemn rites of a savage community, trans
ierring the rights and immunities OF their
natural soil, TO the unsuitable grasp OF pale
faced voraciiy.
After having glutted our curiosity at the
fountain of the Red Pipe, and also with the
sports and Inspirations OF the magnificent
Coteau du Prairie, we drew ourselves off
from its sloping sides with lingering looks,
that of Ten dwelt in sadness and melan-
Choly,on the fair landscape that we were van
ishing from forever. Our horses brough, us
10 its base, and then over the extended plain
that lies between that and the Traverse DE
CIUuk OH tue cteT -, WIN ailpul y udS
travel. Here we met (and passed through
their viilagcs) the bands Of Sioux, who had
made us so much trouble on our way 10 the
Red Pipe. We met and passed them with
out other molesiation than looks Of hatred
and contempt, which were so strongly eN
pressed in their faces and movements as 10
annoy, and sometimes even 10 alarm us.
sullen silence seemed TO pervaGe all classes
and all sizes, except among the children,
who cried at our approach, and the squaws,
who clapped their hands over their mouths,
and backward relreated from our presence,
with looks of distress and groans that were
abhorrent. Their sacred rights had heen
trampled upon-iheir religion invaded and
their Wakons insuled by the ruthless feet Of
white men,
At this place our horses were left, and we
committed our bodies and little travelling
conveniences 10 the narrow compass OF lit
tl0 modest canoe, that must evidently have
been dug out from the wrong side Of the log
that required us and every thing in il, TO
he exactly in the bottom-and then, TO look
straight forward and speak from the middle
of our mouths or il was "t'ciEer side ap'' in
an Instant In this way embarked, with our
paddles used as balance poles and propelIers,
CATER drilling awhile in slInsl water till we
could "get the hang OF i,,') we started Off
upon the bosom OF the ST. Peters, for the
falls Of ST. Anthony. Sans accident we ar
rived, at 10 o'clock AT night oi the I'll day
and sans ST steamboat (Which We were in hopes
10 meet, we were obliged 10 trust 10 our lii
tie tremulous craft, 10 carry us through The
magnificent windings OF the mighty Missis-
sippi and lake Pepin To Prairie On CHEN, a
distance Of 400 miles, which had traversed
last summer in the same river
ooh the drudgery and toll of padding our
al
we can never do il !"
"Ah well, never mind, my dear fellow
we must go it'-there is no other way-but
think of the pleasure OF such trip, ha Our
guns and our fishing tackle will we have in
good order, and be masters of our own boat
we can shove il into every nook and crew
ice, explore the caves in the rocks-ascend
mount IStrombolO, and linger along The
sparkling shores o! Lake Pepin 10 our hearts
content" Nv ell, am perfectly agreed
that's fine, by Jupiter, that's what shall
relish exactly-we will have our own fun,
and truce to the labor and time-ls,'s haste
and be off - So we catered for our voyage
shook hands with our friends, and were again
balanc ing our skitlish bark upon tie green
waters of the Mississippi We encamped
Gas had done The summer before, } along its
lonely banks, whose only music is the echo
ing war song that rises from the s!immering
camp fire of the retiring savage, or tho cries
Of the furnishing wolf that sils aud bitterly
weeps out in tremulous tones his impotence
for the crumbs that are 10 fall 10 his bot
Oh. but we enjoyed those moments, (did
we not, Wood would ask you, in any part
of the world, where circumstance shall throw
this in your way) those nights of our voyage
which ended days of peri! and faigue-w hen
our larder was tull-whcn our coffee was
goed-our mats spread and our musqnito bars
over US, which admitted the cool and fresh
hess Of night, but screened the daw and babe
defiance TO the buzzng thousands OF sharp
billed, winged tortures that were kicking
and humping for admission. ! sneak now
OF fair weather-not of the nights of light
ming and of rain Well pass them ever-we
had all kinds though and az we Ioitered Ten
days on our way, we examined and expeIi.
mented on every thing, ipr the benefit of
mankind. We drew into our harder Tin ad
dilioD TO bass and wild flwls) clans, snnils,
frogs and rattlesnakos-ihe latter of which,
when properly dressed and hroilcd, we fuut!
to be the most delicious food Of The land
We were stranded upon he Eastern shore
Of Lake Pepin where head winds held tie
three days at bay, and, like solitary MaIays
or Zealand peDguins, we S!alled along and
sbou, lis pebbiy shores till we ere Tired.
hefjFe we could, with security, lay our little
trough upon lis troubled surface When
liberated from its wind bound shores. we
hnslly piled our paddles and nimhiy sped cur
way til! we were landed al the f)oi OF "SIt.
5tromholo" Gas the soidierS call I'D hut pro-
perly dennminsted, in French, La Honidgpe
Cnt tTemPe J eau, We assembled il with
nut much trouble-nnd eDinycd from lis ion