The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-08-23

| ride to the Fort is pleasant. The dis
lance is just far enough for an agreeable
ride on horseback. The scenery on the
way and in the perspective is varied and TO
our eye, unsurpassed in beauty. After
leaving St. Paul. you soon emerge, from q
slight sprinkIing of oak-openings, upon a
lovely little prairie, bright as looking glass.
A slopng bench-land frames it upon the
right, and the wooded rivers bank. on the
left. Ambling a!ong--for the Hoosier amble
is the contemplatve gait--you drop over a
short descent to lower bench. For some
two miles along this, or nearly this grade of
of . ihicket, oak-openings, and clear prai-
RE. Here again we course along upon the
brink Of the first table above the Mississippi
bottoms. The top of the rather heavy for
est presents Il horizontal surface of dense
foliage at your feet, below the plane of the
ground upon which you tread Some two
miles from town you pass over the belly of
the cave, which some authorizes n,antain,
to be the famed Carver's cave-the one Me
used TO read about in Morse's geography
BY the way, had St. Paul been located here,
AS some persons Of taste would have in
sisted that it should have been, were it not
for the incubus Of military reservation-what
place the cave would have been for Mr..
Fahrenheit to keep saloon ip 1t would
have been as good some OF the sly re-
treats about the White Mountains, where
the COWS give Ice creams IN the hottest Of
weather. Passing along near the base OF
the slope, your feet, IN the stIrrups, almost
trail in the tall rich grasses OF long stretch
of natural moving. Here is scene OF
hay making. Here Messrs. Steele & Find
ley have dotted Il wide area with hay cocks,
Which are to be put up IN stacks Tor the use
of the Fort .stsb.ss. Some 500 tons they
have co''lracted,l y put up--a part Oh the
east side OF the Mississippi, paIt on the
west side at Mendotah, and a part al the
stables. We now come IN sight uf Mendo-
tab, across the river. Its the place OF outfit
tor the great Fur Company, rich look
ing establishment, consisting of large stone
warehouses aud dwelling houses, made of
the same material. The establishment has
something of al ancient aspect; the ground
upon the bank of the river where it sits.
and the rising ground in the rear is smooth,
reminding one Of the well colnbe,l hills Of
New Hampshire. This Indian trading post
Is the Residence, and under The direction of
Hon. II. II. SiDley, the first Delegate from,
idinnesota 10 Congress, and who is now re-
elected for IA second term. Now we come in
sight OF the St. Peters river, and the far
stretching lands, upon its banks. The land
scape upon the 81. Peters, W hich is spread be-
fore The eyeat this point aud Il, IT. Smelling,
surpaases The beauty of the Connecticut val
iey,as viewed from Mi. HoIyoke. 1 he ground
rises, with slight aud gradual ascent, from
lands, probably from one 10 four miles, be-
fore the horizon is lost TO sight The scene
up the river, which 10 our purpose is inter
ninable, lies open to the behouer for some
twenty miles. The Immediate intervale,
watch Is from one 10 two miles wide, is
graced and enllvened with tall sweeping
einls. as on the old hay meadows of the
East. The part OF the higher grounds adj
Jacene 10 the ,Ieadow--a strip OF something
like a halt Il mile in wlth-is proper prai-
fIe. his Is irIHged III The rear with nat
ural park OF oaks, staining apart at short
distances, aud admitting the suns rays upon
the grass benealh. Not shrub or bush
lchokes the grass. or obstructs the horsemun.
In the contemplation of this scene from Ft
Smelling, one is Wished with "a desire to
get upon 1t; and 10 appropriate il lille do
main tor his home. Ii has the look of
home. How can the Sioux ever consent to
part with these lands! There are thou
sands of other scenes in the Prairie-Wes
delightful To the eye, but most OF them are
IN unhealthy localities, while the valley oi
the 81. Peters Is eAhiIirated by as healthtul
breezes as sweep the hills of New England.
On another OCCASION we shall gise-so.ne
statistics about the Fort.
i R On Sunday last, the Rev. Mr., NElLL
and lady OF ST. Paul, were overturned in a
buggy, IN driving down the hill from this
side 10 The ferry at Fort Smelling; but were
proveieniialiy only slightly injured. The
same day, soldier from the forf, named
Robert Downing, was going down the same
hill with a cask OF whiskey on his shoulder,
Hell down. and the cask faIIiDu unon him