Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1847-09-11
4 Caravan from the ssikssk ss,tI~msns.
On the lOth Of July there Srtiyed Al ithe vii.

O6TNvan from tue SetNNk Seste"enN
On the iOth Of July there Srtved at the vii
re of st. Pau, near st, Peters and the Falls
ri St Anthony. on the Upper Mississippi the
',ost novel and original looking Caravan that
9'seyer appeared since Noahs srk wss evecu.
ed Our readers ave ware thst there s au'iso.
tied settlement of seversl thousand inhabitants
IA, high latitude Of British North America,
known ss the "Selkirk, Settlement" Cut off
from the commerce Of the world, they rely en-.
treIy upon their own resources. their farms,
their -Aocks. and fishing and hunting for support
being community, go TO speak, OF Robinson
Crueoee. tfs. ..t....
Their crops having failed the two last eea.
sons, they have been forced to break out Of the
wilds sgsio and seek food iu the market Of the
grea, brawling world. Formerly their chief
poin, ofcontact with commerce was at Toron.
to- bu, now, owing to the increase of supplies
on the Upper Mississippi and the abundance Of
game and forage on that route. they trade at st.
Paul. the head Of steamboat navigation on the
Mississippi river Into ST. Paul there came on
the 10Th Of July, a caravan Of one hundred snd
twenty rarts, in single ile, NEARLY moving a
long by moonlight. Long after the head Of the
caravan had reached the village. the heightened
train Of followers could be seen moving over the
undulaiiDp prairie, partly visible and partly hid.
den between the bIowy ridges of the extended
plain, crawling on ward like come huge serpent,
the extreme rear being still invisible, and part
ly hidden in the dinners Of distance.
They had travelled southwark over the prai.
rie six hundred miles, having been nineteen
days on their way, through region aboundng
in buffaloes; encamping at night in a tent a.
round which the carts were ranged in circle
10 fence in the cattle. They were hindered
considerably in crossing some of the streams,
mud in many places found a scarcity ei fuel, and
even the dry excrenent OF the buffalo, which
they use for fuel. They often suffered for the
want of water, as many of the smaller streams
were go strongly impregnated with the eScre'
ment of the buffalo as to be unwholesome. They
brought along large elk, bear, and some
ther animals which they had captured on their
way, and many packages Of furs. They bad a
very choice lot of 6ufialo robes, well dresscd 4,
which they sold at st. Paul by the lot at So SO
each .....-. ....f u. ..r.,..s
They had with them also an abundance Of
specie, and waited few days at ST. Paul for
the arrival OF a steamboat load Of -four and gro.
ceries. The caravan was made up of men and
boys Of oil ages, kindreds, tongues and complex.
ions. including large proportion Of GumSos.
Their dresses were &c various ns could be ina.
gined. being uniform in only single article Of
upparel-all wore moccasins. The carts were
made wholly Of wood and hides, the hubs being
covered with bandages of green hide, drawn on
while soft, and there shrinking until they b..
came nearly as ,igh, as bands Of iron. Some Of
these odd wheeled vihclcs were drawn by
little horses, and others by oxen, each anima
horse or OK, being gteared in q harness Of green
hide. They are now again on ,heir woy back
to the frozen wilds of the North, many Of then,
probably never again to commune with the grea,
world Wisconsin, Herald.