The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-01-23

4
ipgs with houses. The view from Bench
Street is commanding and beautiful. The
river glistens in channel one hundred feet
below you, for distance of three or four
miles. The view south looks over the top
of the forest growing upon the bottom lands
on the other side of tho stream, and extends
along against the bluff Of the upper prai-
rie east of the river and in line with the
river, for a distance Of some ten miles.
The smoke Of the steamer shows its cloud
in this direction an hour before the arrival
at St. Paul. The view on the opposite
side of the upper stream is limited to
pron,ontory rising Immediately from the
channel
The land upon which St. Paul stands was
once covered with oak-openings. But the
French, who were the first occupants, have
cut them all away. The plain, or rather
plains, Qor the Upper and Lower towns are
not upon the same Ievel,) extend north
about half mile. You then ascend an.
ether bench of land seventy-fve or one
hundred feet high, which pitches immedi-
ately back into wooded and rather chaotic
country. Here is frequent alienation Of
hills and dales and little, bright, gravely
lakes. | counted nine of those ponds in
riding distance Of six miles from town.
In northwest direction, towards St. An
thongs FaIls,'you emerge from the wood
about mile from the upper landing iato
most lovely prairie some six miles in diam
e.er, each way. The road from the'upper
town up the river, leads to Fort Smelling.
! The distance is six miles. About half the
distance is clear prairie, and hall, oak-open-
ings. The road passes over the belly of a
CAVE. which may be regarded rs one Of the
natural wonders Of America. 1t opens at
an accessible point, with magnificent arch
way high and wide enough for ton of
hay to enter. A rellucid little stream upon
bottom of hard white sand, issues from
It's mouth.
Passing within the cave in a winding d.
rection a distance Of some fifty feet, you
come to C. POOL. 1T this point you hear dis
,inctly TIE roar ofa perfect, though small
cascade, which seems to be at consdera-
bic distance within. Its sounds are so i'm
proved by the arch through which they pass,
that they have the effect, III miniature, Of a
grand cataract. At some future day, this
place may lie q retreat, in the noontide Of
summers heat. for the elegance and fash
ion of St. Paul This cave is not the his
torical "Carver's Cave" that opens upon
the rivers side mile below St. Paul. Since
Mr.. Carver awaked the genius Of that cave,
an avalanche OF gravel has closed the en-
trance. But we pledge our spirit OF discov-
cry, that new things shall yet be told of
that cave, as well as old. Immediately
upon the rivers bluff, over the latter cave,
commences a succession Of mounds, some
twenty in number. They are Of the same
origin, probably, of the other monuments
Of this class in the Mississippi valley.
The population Of St. Paul is about 800.
tits of mixed character. Probably more
of its people are from New England than
from any other section of the Union. The
inhabitants are intelligent in high degree.
We have never heard our vernacular spo-
ken with more universal proprety than in
St. Paul. a.