The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1847-09-23
A CARAVAN FROM THE sELKlRK SET.
ELEMENT.


ELEMENT.
On tho 10th ofJuIy, there arrived II the
village Of St. Paul, near 81. Peters and the
Falls Of 81. Anthony, on the Upper Mis-
sissippi, the most novel and original look.
ing caravan that has ever appeared since
Noah's Ark was evacuated. Our readers
are aware ths. there 10 On isolated settle
ment Of several thousand inhabitants on a
high latitude of British America known a.
the s'Selkirk Settlement" Cut OF from
the commerce of.hs world, they rely en-.
iirciy upon their own resources, their farms
their fishing, and Aocks Cor suppor,-bcing
community, 30 TO speak, Of Robinson
Csusoes. Their crops having failed the
two last seasons, they have been C"rced to
break out Of the wiids again and seek food
in the great brawling world. Formerly
their chief point Of contact with commerce,
was ut Toronto: but now owing TO the in
crcnse Of supplies on the Upper Mississippi,
and tho abundance Of game and forage on
the route, they trade At ST. Paul the bond
If steamboat navigation ON the Mississippi
River. Into 81. Paul they came, on the
10Th Of July, a caravan Of one hundred and
twenty carts in single file, weariIy moving
along by moonlight. Long afier the head
Of the caravan had reached the village, tho
heightened train Of followers could be seen
moving over the undulsling prairie, Wis
lille and partly hidden, between the bllowy
ridges Of the extended plain, crawling on
ward like some huge surpent, the extreme
rear still invisible and partly hidden, in the
dmness Of distance. They had travelled
southwark over the prairics six hundred
miles, having been nineteen days on ,heiI
way, through region Astounding in buila-
Ices; cncamping, Al night, 10 . tent, around
which the carts were arranged in a circle,
10 fence in the cattle. They wcrc hinder
ed considerably in crossing a s,ream-and
in many places found scarcity IL fuel,
and even the dry cxcremcnt Of the buffalo,
which they used. They often suffered im
want Of water-as many Of The smaller
streams were 90 strongly imprcgua,ed
with the excrement Of the buffalo 40 10 be
unwholcsome. They brought along large
elk, bear, and some other animals, which
the. .ptured on their way--and many p .ck.
ages Of furs. They hada vcr, chu'cc ios d
hufialo robes, we'll dressed, which they sold
az ST. Paul, By the LOT, ut $3.50 each.
They had with them, also, IN abundance
of specie, and waited Few days ut 81. Paul
tor the arrival Of steamboat loud of -four
md groceries. The caravan was made up
"f men Of all ages, kindreds, tongues aud
complications, including large proportion
Of Gnmbos. Their dresses were NJ various
ns could be imagined, being uniform in on
~ single article Of apparel-sll wore
,noccasins. The carts were mndc wholly
Of wood and hides, the hubs being covered
with bsndnges Of green hide, drawn on
while soft, aud there shrinking until they
become nearly rs tight as iron. Sumo Of
these odd two wheeled vehicles were drawn
by little horses, and others BY oxen, each
animal, Nurse or ox, being gsarcd in hsr-
ness green hide. They are now on their
way bnck again 10 the froxen wilds Of the
north, many Of them, probably, never again
to commune with the great worId.-Wis.
coasin (Grant cossty) Herald.