The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-06-20
Written for the Patriot. |
BURLINGTON, 10. June, 1873

My DEAR FRIEND
Iowa, as in the euphonious Indian
tongue this word, all-yowel, is pronoun-
! ced, with the accent on the second sylla-
bic and a heightened aspiration and rest
upon the ow:. though according to the
general and very ungraceful English prac-
tice of accenting the first syllable we have
converted sounding Iowa into jingling
II-o-wa-being at this time an object of
/ some public regard and interest as well as
of your private curiosity, will endeavor
to describe it to you through the public
channel of all useful and curious informa-
ton the press.
! In latitude about 400 35m line due
east and west from the Des Moines River
or as called by the Indians, Keosauqua,
to the Missouri makes the southern boun-
dairy, except in the small space east of the
eastern termination of that line, whence
the channel of the Des Moines is the
boundary to its mouth. From this point
where keosauqua meets the Mississippi
the channel of the last majestic stream
forms its eastern boundary TO its principal
fountain Winnipeg, whence the line con-
tinucs due north to the Lake of the
! Woods in lat. 400, which makes the
northern boundary to White Earth River,
The White Earth and Missouri make it's
western limit till the last enters the de-
gree of latitude first mentioned. This
country may in former times have been
the resort or residence of many of the
tribes that now inhabit the upper Missou-
ri, as well as some that are extinct, but
since known to us the eastern portion has
been claimed only by the Dacotahs, (call-
ed by the French, Sioux Saucs and Fox.
es, and Iowas, in all about 35, GOO.
This territory containing the best land
of the country, without any waste, beside
the two great streams that embrace it on
the east and west, has the Keosauqua,
Checagua, Iowa, and Cedar, Wabepesip-
pimecorl, Macquoquetois, Turkey, Upper
Iowa, and st. Peters, and some smaller
streams flowing into the Mississippi; s
Red River, rising near the last and flow
ing north into Hudson's Bay, and the
James river, principal branch Of Mis-
souri, flowing with others into that river.
The sources of Red River almost touch
st. Peters, branches of which and indeed
the main stream is not far distant from
the sources Of the Des MONIES and Iowa;
and it may perhaps be very feasible, when
we become rich and populous state, as
must be at some future and not remote !
time, to have by connecting these streams
an internal canal and river communication
through the heart of the whole country.
The breadth of this country from river
to river at its southern boundary is little
less than 200 miles, reckoning 40 miles
to degree which l suppose to be nearly
accurate in latitude 400. In lat. 40 the
Missouri trends west, and in 40 north,
the territory has 80 of breadth from the /
confluence of Wisconsin and Mississippi
to Missouri, or about 800 miles. The
Mississippi however flowing much more
westerly in its higher course narrows the |
distance between the two rivers above St.
Peters 70 space less than the southern
portion of the territory. Perhaps the
mean breadth may be assumed at about
$50 miles. From south to north the ter
ritory occupies 80 25m or 500 miles
nearly.
About the year 1870 the French in Can
ada, conceiving that western passage to
the Pacific existed, and being informed by
the indians that there was great river in
the west, determined on investigating the
truth of their information and theory.
Marquette and Joliet conducted an expe-
dltion by the lakes, Green Bay and Fox
River to the Wisconsin, which they de-
scended and followed the Mississippi as
far as the Illinois, up which they turned
their course and by which Joliet returned
to Canada. Marquette continued among
the Illinois Indians who, consisting Of
eight tribes, occupied the Illinois country
and portion west of the Mississippi.
One Of these tribes, called Mascotin.
may have given its name to the island
now called Muscatine. A few years af-
ter company of 80 or 40 men under the
enrdllcf &c L.