Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-11-25
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TIE FAR WEST,

NaE&GRiE,zllA NaSGS.
TIE FAR WEST
The following letter vas received by a gentleman o!
this city, from The talented American Artist, Mr.. Geo
Can. Believing il Will prove Interesting to our nn'
mcrous readers, we give it an insertion Should Mr..
Catn succeed in rescung the name oil the Red man
from that oblivion to which il is fast Fastening, he Will de-
the gratitude of every American and MI! yin Tor
himself more enduring Than marble monuments
could preserve for him. Success attend him IN his praise
worthy undertaking -EnBa'0 JOu1nai. ~
PnAIKIE Dc CHEN, Oct. l, 1s3G.
Dear Sir-Since left you have been through I va
riety of scenes Of tolls and hardshps yet of pleasure
and satisfaction The Red Pipe Mountain, which told
you Of The principal objects of my summer
campaign, have seen: and from II I'm TOW vending
my way back again. and with good luck shall 5e able
70 reach your beautiful city in lew days alter the receipt
Of this letter 1T that time can give more Of detail,
but at present. in brief few ideas OF this strange aln
,nay in nature and the mode in which we approached
it, ksean the Pipe Stone Quarry, on the Cuuteau du
Prafffa-anomaous, inas.nuch it is the only locality
Of This mineral known OF, and located on the summit OF
the Coucau du Praie-one Oh the sublimeSt scenes III
nature-at the distance of about lS0 miles D. W. of the
Fails of ST. Anthony; which distance re ci almost
entire prairie and the richest soil We commenced rising
the grand swells Of the Coueau-and for the distance
Of forty miles, gradually rose: swell above SWELL and
terrace above terrace where for the whole distance
tree, bush, nor weed. was to he seen a beau
ul green turf the whole distance, the grass OF
which is not more than or inches in height, and green
and soft to the eye as velvet When lifted TO its very
extremity, 10 stand almost in the clouds, and
behods around him the most extended and magnificent
panorama Of countless hills snd monnds and palms. that
multiply and diminish in distance TO inhnity The whole
Of this landscape is without tree herbage the
grass, which every thing like carpet Of green
velvet.
On the very top Of this ridge which divides the waters
of ST. Peters from the Missouri, is situated 10y some
freak of nau.c which it is difficult to unde.sand the
quarry Of the Red Pipe Stone. There is something SO
exceedingly pretty and picturesque III the appearance OF
the place ITSELF that cannot be described which, toge.
Their with exquisite beauty of the stone, and the IN
eresiing tales mysteries, and traditions relating 10 1t,
will be rich subjects for the coil: oi my brush and pen
which may hereafter for the instruction and enter
lainment OF the world. The quantity of stone that
might be procured is almost without limits, and ITS eX
cceding beauty only be known by the examination OF
specimens which shall bring with me. That part which
the Indians iand which only they will uSr) Is deep
red, entirely interior in beauty and richness TO those
paris which yargaicd with almost all the cosors OF
the rainbow
The singular appearance of precipice, two miles in
length, and &c feet high, in the middle of this smooth
stoneeSs region VI green fields is OF ITSELF stIlk-
ing object to look upon and when that perpendicular
ledge contemplated and viewed it is, of ak coiors
and polished by the action Of the air upon it, as If H.
Guild glazing had been poured it, stands filled
with wonder and admiration.
The Indians iden that this red stone is part
Of their lesi that they created from Ill and that
it would BE- sacrcgous and npious to convert it 10
any other use than the pipe, which is used for peace
making and concilialng HE Great Spirit.
These feelings wrought upon them, that when we
Traverse De Lox, $50 ,nes trca the quarry they as
sembed in numbers around US, and made prisoners,
lavished their threats upon Us IN every possible turu-
telling US, that the Sioux had altogether III council re.
solved that white should 60 there. They
threatened 10 xii! our hases and ourselves, if
undertook to GO We persisted, however, in the de-
Termination TO go al the risk Of lives which
we did, (acr being detained os some lme lhough they
sent expresses ahead u US, and gathered around u.s.
making us trouble and rcxation by their threats, and
cries, and groans, at every village through which VIC
passed. They considered it an invasion OF their re
gious privileges, and consequently were greatly dis
tresSed We SAID every thing could 10 convince them
that views were friendly, and that we went to graft
fly curiosity, instead Of going (as they sally TO see
what it worth. We did satisfy them. but we
reached the place with much difficulty, and satisfied our
selves for all the trouble and toll OF summers CAM
paign shall III some form or other give the speeches
of these Cloths and Vundais as they thrown in
faces and also many other of their traditions and super
stions, which will be curious.
In haste, your friend
GEO. CATLlN.
We find The following interesting article relative 10
The source OF the Mississippi, in the ST. Louis Bulletin
of the 24th ult:
tcian, Mr. J. y Nco!let now engaged in of sci.
entc observation through The different States and Ter
rtores Of the Union, has recently visited the Northern
regions of the United States and succeeded in penetnt
inc further into the interior, with view of maxine the
discovery Of the true o. the great "Faur of
Waters" than Inns been before accomplished Air.
Peters
about three months SINCE and at great expense and from
ble transported his splendid set of astronomical and
other instruments through country offering obstacles
at every STEP taking advantage of every opportunity 10
ascertain ATTITUDES, ongludes, the magnetic variation
and Dips the intensity of the force of gravity geological
aud meteorological examination and indeed every other
observation connected with the science, which be
considered useful not only to himself and the various
scientific and literary societies in Europe and the United
States which he belongs, but 10 the whole scientific
world.
In this short space Of time Mr.. n has made more than
iwo thousand astronomical observations, besides noting
many other important facts, calculated 10 enable him TO
carry out fully ard satisfactorily the important objects
of his expedition To tie source OF the Mississippi His
maps and charts have been examined by correspond.
Of ours whose knowledge of the greater portion Of
che country through which Mr. N passed. is general and
accurate, and pronounced TO be most perfect They iu!
ly establish the latitude and longitude of many Of the
remarkable places in the Northwestern region of
the U. S. by the important discoveries of Mr. ~, we
are nut in possession Of the valuable information that
the source Of the Misssspps not Gas heretofore stately
in the La Beasch Lake, which Mr. Schoolcraft denom
mated the slasca but that Rrsrs the true source,
and not the lake in question ..- .s-..