The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-19
A MINNESOTA PLEASURE EXCURSION.


conducted newspaper published at st. paui-oi
the 18th utimo, contains long account OF an ex-
cursion up the Minnesota river undertaken ny
select party of gentlemen and ladies, which seems
to have combined the ordinary pleasures OF sum-
mer picnic and the adventure and excitement OF
a voyage of discovery
st,p.,., ~, resi.sl 81 the Territory Of Min
nesOta, lies as most of our readers so@S''eSs
ST. Peters river and the Mississippi. 1t has
rival in the enterprising town which has grown
up as by magic, just above at the great Falls OF
st. Anthony, whose roar, softened by distance,
may be heard even at St Paul The denizens Of
of ST. Anthony having opened steam navigation to
the Sank Rapids, and demonstrated the practica-
bility of running small boats six hundred miles
above, to the upper falls Of the Father Of Waters
their neighbors Of St Paul, unwilling to be out
done in enterprise, have been exploring the hith-
erto unknown region above them, watered by the
Minnesota A small steamboat, named appropri-
atey enough the Yankee, with stern wheel, and
light of draft, was procured, and a company Of
ladies and gentlemen, the elite Of the new settle
ment embarked on board of her on the afternoon
of the 22d of the 9TH month last. Touching at
Fort Smelling, six miles above st. Paul, they took
on board part of the musical band Of the sixth
regiment and, leaving the Mississippi, entered
the Minnesota channel At midnight, they lied
up the boat near the Rapids and the Skies village
of Indians. On the early morrow the voyage was
resumed The scenery on the river grew more
beautiful-a varied landscape of woodlands and
rolling prairie-the river itself broad equal
stream, without sand-banks or tributaries mean
dering Enthusiastically through the rich table-lands,
with occasionally dangerous snags and logs in its
short bends. At length the missionary post of
Traverse des Sioux appeared-three white mis-
SION houses, fanked by Indian huts and lodges on
theswell of prairie-amidst fields of corn, beans,
and potatoes, and heavy sheaves Of newly reaped
wheat. On the further and opposite side of the
river, on the level bottom, were the unfenced In
dian corn-felds-the hills closely planted solid
mass and jungle Of dark green vegetation, BIOS
soming from its countless spindles. In the back
ground Of this rich valley rose circle of hills
heavy with forest. Across peninsula formed by
an abrupt bend in the river, some painted Sioux
horsemen came galloping to the bank and claimed
tribute They were satisfied by the present of
some corn.
The second evening found the adventures at
the upper end Of high prairie The boat was
secured, and the company, disembarking under
the light of q glorious sunset, made their way to
the top of the bluff overlooking a vast expanse Of
prairie, belted and fringed with woodlands stretch
ing far to the south. A moonlight as clear and
serene as that which Moore sung of in his Even
ings in Greece" succeeded the brilliant summer
day. and the gay exploring party danced on the
e.~--o"ard RI tho MINGLED mnsi" 80 .'-" bod
from Fort Snelling and the mosquitoes from the
adjacent 4" timber" At sunrise they were again
in motion. Passing through dense forests and
vast savannas, a high bluff or mound, looming
across the prairie level, announced, at length,
their approach to the confluence Of the Blue Earth
river and the Minnesota. The tributary is nearly
half as wide as the main river-shallow, rapid, and
incapable Of navigation to any extent 1t opened
delightful valley to the view Of the voyagers
up which about six miles were the ruins Of the
trading post of the French adventurer La C0ur,
erected in 1893. They found raspberries and
other fruits in abundance, in the wild region into
which they we're now penetrating - the Great
Woods, an immense belt of timber, twenty or
thirty miles wide, stretching from Crow Wing,
on the Mississippi, one hundred and fifty miles,
in southerly direction, across the track of the
Minnesota The heat in the woods was almost
insupportable. The supply of ice failed, dry fuel
began to be scarce of the ladies were greatly
depressed by the intolerable heat, and the next
morning majority of the party voted in favor of
returning They had nearly reached the Cotton
Wood river, above which they had been told that
the country became exceedingly beautiful, the
river itself widening into lake. Two hundred
miles above, and, as they believed, accessible by
steam navigation, was the famous Lac qui Parle.
But the extreme heat, the lack of ice and dry
fuel, and the fear Of sickness among the women
and children, were deemed conclusive reasons
against farther prosecution of the voyage. The
boats head was accordingly turned down stream.
Fragments OF coal, believed to be of the kind
called camel were discovered on their return
At an Indian village which they passed, the chief
and hundred Of his tribe came on board. Lit
tary, made long speech. He demanded presents
for Wharfage he must be paid for having his
cornfelds trodden down, although he admitted
that his corn was not very valuable, damaged as
it was by the freshets, which, however, some said
were judgments sent upon them by the Great
Spirit, on account Of steamboats, coming up the
river They reached st. Paul on the evening Of
the 9th, having been absent five days
The distance trsversed in this expedition was
about 300 miles. The historian Of it in the Pho
neer speaks of the fertility Of the soil and the
excellence of the timber in strong terms, and with
due abatement for the enthusiasm Of a traveller,
who while writing his narrative seems to have
been still under the influence of the pleasurable
excitement which such voyage could not fail to
awaken, it may be safe to believe that the new
Territory of the Northwest is scarcely inferior
to Illinois and Wisconsin in agricultural promise
Nicolet says Of the region "The whole country
embraced by the lower st. Peter and the Undine
region Tor valley of the Blue Earth or Msnksto
river exceeds any land of the Mississippi above
the Wisconsin river, as we'll in the quantity and
quality of its timber as the fertility of its soil"
The dryness OF the summer, as compared with
that of the Atlantic States, and the early period
in the autumn at which severe frosts are often
experienced, may possibly present serious obsta-
Giles to the successful cultivation Of the northern
portion of the Territory The cold Of mid
winter is intense, the mercury falling lower than
in Vermont or in the hill country Of New Hamp-
shire, although the stiffness Of the air renders it
more endurable than a temperature many degrees
less cold, in connection with high wind. From