The New York herald., 1849-05-02
Intelligence from Minnesota.

Our accounts from this new territory ire very in
| terestiDg They come to us in the Minnesota Re-
gisfer, published at St. Paul on the 7th ut.
The annexed extracts will give the public some
idea of the country
OUR TERRITORY.
There is not. probably. region in the Union which
is SO well watered as the upper portion of Minnesota
terr ory Independent OF the many streams which ir
rgate the country there numberless lakes of pure
limpd water. which abound in fish, and which
rounded by dense bodies of timber. The soil is adapt
ed to the cultivation of all the cereal grains
gourdseed corn has been raised far north as the
known that large crops Of wheat annually harvest
ed at the British Red River Colony in SO deg North
lakes more than compensaes for the lack of that in
common use as 1T more palitable an affords larger
prol oron of nutriment than the after.
Mort tunatey for Minnesota, the Wisconsin boundl
y includes all OF the southern shore of Lake Superior
leaving to the former only that portion of the northern
shore between Fond du Lac and the line of the British
possessions This may in time prove valuable for a.
fisheries if for nothing else In return for their fish
the hardy inhabitants of this region will receive the
flour and pork Of their Mississippi neghbors There is
avery incorrect impression prevailing the extent
dunn of Wisconsin territory after the State of that
name admitted. In the House of Represe ntat yes
a leading member characterized it as nothing more
than pea patch and unworthy of particular no.
tice. The gentleman was evidently ignorant of the
fact that this pea patch contains more than 10000
square miles and onprses within it's limits as large an
amount OF not only arabic land but land equal in pro-
ductiyeness to any of the Western States 1t is true
Mississippi river whole for the latter contains less
proportion of waste tracts but il is equally true that
the soil OF the really good land not surpassed for
tty.
The summer of 1850 will doubtless witness the OK
tnction of the indian title to that magnificent region
west OF the Great kivcr,n which is in % . i .
OF the Sioux 1t has been the lot OF the
this country hundreds of miles in every direction and
nc can say conscientously that for beauty scenery
Tor excellence in the quality Of the soil for the sau
brty of the climate for the abundance of pure and
wholesome water and tor every other .lcsderatum To
make an earthly paradise, it cannot be exceed It is
principally prairie region, but interspersed with
groves OF all kinds of timber Standing the shore
of of the beautiful lakes and looking across their
wide expanse is almost impossible to believe that
is not gazing at cultivated grounds and viii
lagos, so beautiful is the prospect.
About fifty miles above the mouth Of the ST. Peters
river and yng nearly at right angles with that stream
Is the great woods called by the Canadian the
Bois Franc, or Hard Wood The length of this body of
timber, north and south, Is than one hundred
10 the tributaries Of the Blue Earth of the St Pc
ters Its width is from fifteen forty miles The dense
hckets which skirt it, afford places of resort and con
ceaiment to the deer and other wild animals VIII lie lin.
great bodies Of water embraced within it, are the re-
lrtat OF innumerable wild fowl including ducks geese
ana swan Beautiful groves of maple freauented by
the Indians, at the proper season, for making cha
hampe sugar, while the huge cottonwood is used for
the construction Of their canoes Fine springs of lvn
water swell from the earth aording a rich treat to the
thirsty traveller while he need the presence
OF the deadly rattleMke or reptile to his enjoy
ment.
The Minnesota. or st. Peters river, is nearly
five hundred miles in length taking its rise in the
Catfau de Prairie. One of its branches the outlet of
Lake Traverse. which lake is the height Of land so
that i'll high water 1t has outlet into river of
the north likewise, thus yielding it's feeble tribute
across to the Hudsons Bay and the Gulf of Mexico The
region between this river and the missouri il owned
and inhabited by the Sioux Indians the dread and
terror OF all the surrounding tribes but generally well
disposed towards the whites These sayares are tha
most numerous and warlikc in the terrtorc of the
United States They are well armed and mounted and
live for the most part by the chase Of the buffalo
lille these animals are abundant the Indian camp is
the scene Of con- 1tment and gee when they sud
denly and myseriously disappear is sometimes the
case oriVen away TO great distance either by fire in
the praires, or scarcity Of food then the frolc.
some mood OF the members of the great family turned
to the very verge Of starvation and death Who can
say what s eventually to become OF these thousands
Mho can conjecture when the buffalo and other game
shall have been destroyed what will be the fate Of many
thousand human beings who now depend for subsis-
tence entirely upon the fruits Of the chase
RED RIVER OF THE NORTH SETTLEMENT
Within the limits OF the territories of the Hudson
Bay Company there resides class Of men, who ground
down by the tyranny Of that huge monopoly, seek to
place themselves under the protection Of the United
States These men known the Red River half
breeds. They are generally speaking of mixed Indian
and English, Scotch or French blood Brought IN
earliest youth to feel that their subsstence viii
depend upon their skill horsemsn and hunters,
they accustom themselves every exercise and prva
ton which can tend to harden their muscles and pre-
pare them ior their vocation As matter Of course
the whole body Of these hunters capital
and amazingly expert in the Of fire arms Depend
ing entirely upon the Hudson Say Company ammu-
nition and arms they must submit any and ali the
arbitrary rules imposed them and they hear
tiIy tired OF these exactions
Twice each year, these hunters four or Eve hundred
in number start for the American territories after the
buffalo, with from a l0VO TO 12Oo carts. drawn by
holses or oxen, which are driven by the women and
children The men are governed by liked rules while
ut the hunt, which be ntringed under severe
penalties They all leave the camp together with the
exception OF lew who are left guard and when
cerne surround Of buffalo has taken place the
and children sent for to assist n butcherinp
and drying the meat Of the slain animals Each cart
will contain the pemcan Tor dried pounded and
melted tallow poured over it, Of ten bualoes that
hp nf
upwards Of ZOO annually The meat thus prepared
purchased AZ small price by the Hudson Bay Compa-
and 10 used to provision the inland trading posts
An attempt has on one occason been made to prevent
the ncui sions Of these people within boundaries
but without effect Many OF these mixed boods desire
now to remove to Pembina winch is on the American
side OF the line, and settle there, If permission
Obtained from our government. They would consti-
tute formidable and ehcent defence to northern
honter in case of Indian disturbances, as they are
much feared by all the different tribes The British
settlement at Red river, in the vicinity of Fort Gary
numbers about hve thousand souls.
THE RUM RIVER COUNTRY
The geologists and we'll traders speak
highly Of the country about Mile Lac, Lake Saga
gong which is the head VI Rum river Many also
present the tract to the embracing the lands Of
SHAKE ana hete rivers as region where cultivation
may be prOhtaby carried
All these streams have pine upon their banks in large
bodies IL appears To us from the best information
our possession That the best land is the heads Of
these streams. On Kun river the pine lands first
seen near where the prairie say twenty five
miles north Of it's mouth and for twenty miles further
up stream. the timber Is principally pine There
great obstacle to rafting however, by the foodwood Of
the middle part Of the river and The crooked
O 1t course. The river distance from Of
the prairie 10 the Mississippi must be about four
the direct distance
Here ind deer in abundance; In he fall this
is notorious for Wild but mas little
water IL has sufficient descent force to drive mills
however. at ts lowest stage The hill land of Rum
River and about the heads OF FIX river ana the waters
Of Mckay aie represented not good the Snake
River lands, thore 10 no pine the Mckay. AS you
approach the Mississippi from the interior the
try boidering the river is beautiful open PRAIRIE but
on the west bank Of the great you see a timber
region coming down TO he water "a
vith the smoothness o the prairie meadow cast
| thOrc
IL Ii uppsrant therefore that there is good country
enough IA AihDehota, now owned United sLntes
TO support htavJ asrcuii urai population The
RAJ range extending from Michigan westward. may
prove 10 be as attractive that
Montr' iNoi Of tho range know bat ttic a. vet
although iho government has mad go corps IN The
L IL 4 L...- ..-u- x--u.- - 4 49, -