The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-08-27

W. one way and some another. lhls swamp
= .;de extending from one river 10 the DINER near
=, "or,b and south Onlhe east side oil TINS swamp
IA parallel with it, are found the range OF pune
Ma by the sides, and over the submits OF whicn
nv .o,,,De oath crosses Still 10 the East OF this
h I.l' r,nSe Of hills, is small lake, which empues
sn so ne river Bru,e at some distance below the
NV n"s.se called by the voyageurs White-fsh lake.
H. ,be head of streams of the ST. Croix river is
Ireaa, 4, Croix lake, TO which our portage path
,l.rsnded al the northeast corner, descending to II
,a' ,he southern side Of the hills spoken Of being
w. nil4a from the place of debarkatlon on the
sust IRE Soutces Of thess rivers are laid down
= Mr.. Nicollet's map as bling hlhe hundred. feet
,hoys The Atlantic. They are also said TO betwo
hundred and seventyhve feet above the level OF the
'a hut am inclined to believe that they are high
han s,aed-especally so above the level OF
~ lake if the high land we crossed be included In
,%o estimate Most ofthe maps are in error about
iss sSoorophy of this part of the country, both
,,b resrd 10 thb heading ofthe rivers; as well as "a
their size and course. .l1.
= nortb.nouhwest from the portage to the lake,
Ils;og comparatively a small river. The course OF
,hs 4, Croix, from its head TO the Mississippi, is
..oulh.southwest, and is by no means so crooked
bS doom rs represented. u u so large, Tor hty or
.".u,y.6ve miles above the falls az 10 compare very
svoraIlv with the Ohio; which, at some points, Il
Inch resembles. L., and its tributaries, have a
|deal Of 6ne pine timber growing along It's banks;
II sdob heal Of which has been cut, TO supply the
nils below. Mr. Nicoilst's map which is general
=, vsry correct laws down hills between the waters
&c me 'I,rule and ST. Croix where none exist. be-
eye he did not visit the portage in person. but re-
lied on the information of voyageurs.
/, was an agreeable reflection to know, when stand
id III he RSlies. port Of hills on the portage, that
So ffay 80
,wav 10 the north on its vast journey TO the Gulf Of
INV 81 Lawrence; while to the south were seen the
wa,erp of the st. Croix Just gathered into pretty,
ole lake, from s eonslomefate ofsprings near by,
about 10 speed its waters TO the Mississippi and
down il TO the Gulf of Mexico. and when once
there perchance gathered in the Gulf stream and be
aoan waited by il to the banks Of Newfoundland,
where it may again unite with the water Of its kim
|dred Brule
What a wonderful continent is this Of ours! What
vast rivers and lakes intersect i'll I'd appreciate
their lengths, magnitude, scenery &c. they must be
travelled over to be understood. In June, was at
line Falls of Niagara; n few days shall probably
Ire AT the Falls of St. Anthony--passing from one
70 the other by water, with the exception of three
|miles!
Having on August the %, succeeded in getting
|hterybins oter The portage, including canoes, lug
cage, Sc.; ard it being towards shutdown; we con-
|cuded to camp and get readyfot an early Start next
morning. Sunday morning, the Sd OF August,
Hound US descending the beautiful upper lake ST.
|Croix, bordered in the distance with rolling pine
hills
We soon began to meet large parties of Indians in
Their canoes, bound TO La Pointe, to be present at
1.-The payment. As Mr. Hays (the Indian agent at
Liza Pohtel had told us that he expected the Rev
mr. Ely, who had charge Of Presbyterian mis-.
|sionarg station ON the Percagaman, OF Snake river
10 be over at the payment, and Thought 1t probable
|tha, we might meet him. and learning that some of
1.-THE Indians we met were from Snake river, asked
them il they knew whether Mr.. Ely had left, They
told me he had, and that he was at his camp down
The river, which we would soon reach.
We continued on amidst fields of wild rice in full
bloom which covered the lake for acres upon acres
On each side Of the channel. This wild rice (rizenia
aquaca) is of great Importance to the Indians, who
gather large quantities OF il when ripe, in autumn, for
their winter food. Its soft stem and waiery roots
are immersed about to q feet under water; while
the blades, head, and stalk reach about foot to
foot and a half above water. In towering, its heads
present singular appearance Its plstis, or grain
part Of the flower, are clustered on long, sharp
pointed spcula, terminating in sharp cone at the
very head Of the stalk; while the pollen appears at
tached to the stalk below the head.
Why could not this rice be sown and cultivated
in the lakes of western New York and in New Eng
land Besides the value of the grain for poultry and
various other purposes, its tops or blades would
make the richest and sweetest fodder for cattle. !
chewtd tht blades, and found them tender, and as
sweet as the terider blades of green corn The ex-
pertinent might be worth the trial.
About the middle Of the afternoon we reached the
first rapids in descending the ST. Croix, now con-
tracted from lake into narrow river, strewed here
and there with black boulders of trap. We here
had the pleasure Of finding Mr. Ely encamped on
the west bank of the river, who had remained
still all day, as il was Sunday. He had in comp6.
ny with him the Rev. MIR. Rossee, young clergy
man from Ogdensburg, New York, to whom he in
troduced me Mr.. Rosselle informed me that he
had been to the falls of St. Anthony, from whence
he had gone on a steamboat "Stl-water," at the
head OF the lower Lake st. Crolx, and from thence
to the missionary station on the Percagaman, or
Snake river, where he concluded to accompany the
Rev Mr. Ely to La Pointe, and be present at tire
Indian payment. From La Pointe he expected to
make his way home by the Saut st. Marie, Macki-
nae, &c. Mr.. Ely had some Indians along with
HIM, who were evidently attached to the mission.
he said the success of the mission had been inter-
tered with, to some extent, by the dread in which the
Chlppewas held the Sioux in that part Of the coun-
try; that in constant fear of their natural enemy,
they dislked making permanent settlements and to
improve them. After some other general CONVERSE
non' we continued our journey over rapids till near
high,, when we camped Gas was often the case) on
an OLD Indian camping ground, and saw lying about
US dog bones, on the meat of which the Indians had
easted' An lnnumerable swarm of horsefies sur
rounded our tent and campfire, which the voya-
geurs at hrst mstook for humble bees, whose nest,
hey conceived they had disturbed, and, for fear of
oeng sung they fed; but, on ascertaining they
were r, merely noisy flies, they came back again.
we made an esrly start next morning, to resume
our descent over rapids dashng over trap and gram
ne bouders We met a hali-breed and his wife,
VINO mad keg Of whiskey in his canoe. They
were gong to La Pointe, where Mr.. Hays suffers
no liquor to land. The man offered to treat my
poyostms, one of whom was known TO him. | con-
sened mat they might take one dram each, but no
n more This being given them, we thanked him,
anu proceeded on our journey. About noon, we
passed me last severe rapids, and the mouth Of a
large tributary from the east, called the .Macagon,
ABOUT ~ iVO miles above the falls and within 50 miles
Of Snake river.
Inc ST. Croix, from this point down, became a
rpser, more beautiful, and more interesting stream
,ne bottoms, too, became wide and rich, but sub
~ ~ inundaiion at very high water. The strait
a'u leu sandstone was TO skirt the margins of
me nver, all along the rapids; while bouders Of
ond granite were strewn over the centre of the
.aalnei But, as we approached Kettle and Snake
saa we began to notice the appearance Of white
on the shores Of the river, which contin-
~ appear TIL near the falls, and again rose in
Ign c'is below them, and continued to the Mssis-
=, APE AT night, we camped on high pine bluff on