The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-02-06

had to sustain them during the same
period
The usual winter route, by the valley
of the Minnesot brings the traveller
within the succor of trading posts not
very far apart; but this new, and shorter
route affords no such hospitality; and
the distance is too great to make towards
the old road in the event of disaster
The only alternative is to keep onward
towards the "grand bois" which crosses
the Minnesota at the Rapids twenty
five. miles from Mendoza. Here the
travellers first met with succor from a
camp of Indians; not having seen a
hunter. or even wild animal, but few
prowling wolves, in distance of 100
miles which occupied twelve tedious
days.
North westward as far as the Chey-
cnnc river the usual limit of the Sisseton
buffalo hunting ground during the winter
season, the weather since November
has been very severe and snow has fall
len to an unusual depth. The prairies
on the upper st. Peters having been
burnt over last autumn to the amazing
extent of three to four hundred miles
square, the buffalo have abandoned
their usual range, and have almost en-
tircly disappeared from the whole extent
of the hunting grounds of the Wahpa
ton and Sisscton Sioux, and the conse
quence will be most disastrous if not
fatal to great numbers of these poor peo-
pie, whose principal reliance for food,
and the means of procuring clothing has
long been the hunting of buffalo; there
being no deer, and scarcely any Of the
small fur animals in the country.
They raise some corn, which is always
cached near TIE summer villages when
they 60 away in the fall on their hunt,
and the movement of the buffalo have
always been 50 irregular and uncertain
that sometimes they have to go to such
distances as renders it next to impos-
sible for them to get back to their sup
plies of corn during the severity of
winter. Such is the extremity to which
the greater number of the Sissctons are
now reduced, and the last report brought
in from their camp, high up on the Chey-
enne river, is that they had eaten up all
their dogs, and undrcssed skins, and
would have soon TO resort TO their horses
for food, if the faint hopes which they
still have of finding few buffalo to pro-
tract their existence until the snow
melted a little, arc not realized. Some
stragglers and small parties who had
not gone to such distance had succeed
cd IL Il
utmost state of restitution. One party
had actually to kill horse, when not
more than twenty miles from their desi-
nation, being prevented from travel
ling with their feeble women and help
less children by unfavorablc weather.
Even should they all atlength (Which
seems exceedingly doubtfuD succeed in
getting into their corn 'caches' in their
tamishcd state, it will soon be devourcd
up, and in the spring, always bad sea-
son among Indians, there will be innu-
merable cases Of extreme want and suf
fering among them; unless they receive
some relief through the Intervention of
the Government, and those interested
in their fate. NJ. Nj.
MENDOZA, FEB. !, 1850.
Gland Banquet to the POtatoe.
That highly respected vegetable, the Pota-
to, being now, it is hoped, thoroughly re-
established in health, it was determined by
a few leading members Of the Vegetable
Kingdom to offer banquet to the worthy
and convalescent root on his happy receive
ry. The arrangements for the dinner were
Oh a scale of great liberaliiy, and the guests
included all the princ pal vegetables. The
invitations had been carried out by an eff
cient corps of Scarlet Runners, and the On
ion occupied the chair. He was supported
on his right by the head Of the Asparagus
family, while Salad occupied bowl mt the
other end of the table, aud was dressed IN
/ his usual manner. The Potatoe, though
just out of his bed, was looking remarkably
well, and wore his jacket, there being moth
ing to mark his recent illness, except per-
haps little apparent bIackneSs around one
of his eyes. After the cloth had been re-
moved,
The Onion got up to propose as toast,
"The Potato, their nuch-reSpected guest"
Immense cheering.) lie, the Onion, had
known the Potato from infancy; and, though
they had not always been associated in life,
they mad frequently met at the same table.
They had sometimes braved together the
same broils, and had found themselves often
together in such stew Che alluded TO the
hrish ste,c) as had brought them, for the
time being, into an alliance of the very
closest kind. He, the Onion, was delighted
to see the Potato once more restored to his
place in society, for he, the Onion, could
say, without fattery, that society had en-
deavored to supply the place Of the Potato
in vain. (Here, here.) They had heard
of Rice having been suggested to take the
PLACE of his honorable friend, but the sug-
|, gcstion was ridiculous. Risum teneatis,
amici, was all that he, the Onion, had to
say to that. cloud laughter, an 'chtch all
Lut the Melon joined) He, the Onion.
would ''nol detain rhem longer, but would
conclude by proposing health, long life, and
prosperity to the Potato.''
The toast was received with enthusiasm
by all but the Cucumber. whose GOODNESS
seemed to excite much disgust among his
brother vegetables. The Onion had, in fact.
affected many of those present to tears, and
the Celery, who sat next to the HOrseradiSll,
. hung down his head in an agony of SEN
sibiity. When the cheering had partially
tt,rf