The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1851-06-12

laslies, al in the bloom OF health, and par
tcularly fine looking women, who stood in
The relation to each other, of grandinosher,
daughter, and granddaughter. Now the
boat, with some difficulty, passes out be-
tween two islands, into the main channel
and heads up stream, the water swift, Oh,
how swift being just at the head Of the
falls. A feeble boat could not stem The cur
rent. Fire up, boys !, Dry wood this sea-
500; last season they had to burn green
wood. 1t takes half a cord an hour, to run
The boat. .s sae s sr
For a long distance on our right, extends
a bo.,T,,, parallel TO the shore, by which mill
logs from above are turned down between
the island and the east shore, into the mill
pond. The river looks much smaller than
al SAINT Paul, and seems to be lifted up, out
of ihe chas,n through which il runs below
the falls, to level with the shores;-or
rather, " hich is the fact, there is no chasm
until the river finds one, after breaking over
the apron of rock at Saint Anthony
"a SHORES OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI. 81
There are none of the abrupt bluffs. such
as are seen down the river; but the land
&C ines down, hy an easy, gradual slope, to
the very edge of the water, and as you look
away far back, ani see The smooth land,
now covered with green, gradually rising as
the view recesles from the river--far-tar
awsy-ihe rcmotest object is a swelling
ridge Of prairie land, or of oak openings, on
the right hand; & on the left, a forcst-noth-
ing short of dense forest Of vigorous young
trees, as far rs can be seen-and in the
channel, islands, some Of them large, cover
ed invariably with heavy growth of elm,
blackberry, maple aud cottonwood and
whenever, as an exception to the general
appearance of the shores, there is any
thing assuming the form Of an abrupt bluff,
it is crowned with pine iIees. Occasional
liy spot Of unusual beauty, bursts upon the
view; such as the landscape at the mouth of
Rice Creek--er ltasca prairie, or the east
ern shore near Swan river. The land is
evidently very rich--at Itasca, We noticed
the formation to be, bed OF gravel, upon
which rested body Of mari, supporting a
rich sandy loan, not less than IS inches or
two feet deep. At various points, we saw
extensive fields under cultivation, crops of
oats, potatoes, every thing that had been
sowel or planter, giving rich promise and
all with whom we conversed bearing full
testimony to the excellence Of every kind of
crop that has been tried there. The land
the fields, the crops, speak for themselves,
and there is no room for argument about it.
There is no better land in The rhole valley
of the Mississippi, than the whole region
extending from the falls of ST. Anthony to
Sank Rapids; above which, we have not
been. We are informed, that the land is
much the same, above Sank Rapids; which
place is northwest of St. Paul, nearly one
hundred miles, and north. less Than forty
miles. At distance Of from three miles to
fifteen miles, from the east shore of the riv-
er, extends tatnarac swamp, for an inn
mense distance, between ST. Anthony and
Sank Rapids, designed by nature, it would
seem, expressly to furnish farmers with
rails without splitting them; hint from
Providence, which the settlers up there, are
not slow to comprehend. aA ,.f ..
J. At various intervals along the river, the
trees, &C., in this tarnarac swamp, are Wis
] lille, far in the battle-ground, picturesque ms
u distant forest Of tapering n,asts. What
lies cas-; beyond that swamp, we do know;
but Benton county nny wei! he content with
the vast extent Of fine arabic lands, that are
in sight Of the river--sufficient for COCO
farmers, and as yet unclaimed. The soil il
Exactly, like that Of Rock river quite as lit
tie waste land--much more timber; g. with a
landscape which we can recollect nothing
down the river, to compare with, unless j,
be the shores of the Mississippi a, the Low
er Rapids, including the back ground Of
Nauvoo and Montrose. The first night, we
passed on hoard the boat, at the mouth o.
Swan river. ('fhe Ramsey does not run
4 nights.) The next morning we moved on.
1 wani, every mile attracting our attention tc
new beauties of scenery. All seemed sur
I prised, we certainly were, at the vast ex
tent of forests on the west bank Of the riv.
er. Every few rods, we met canoe ,fui
4 of Winnebagoes. returning with their good,
from the payment. There, in huge barb
canoe filed with squaws and papooses ant
8 bales Of goods, comes their head chief
.l'WinHishik, himself sitting in the stern ant
steering. - go 99ads 81
!, Most Of the canoes, on the approach 0
the steamboat, slide out intg. ssme lis,j,
nook or eddy near the shore: u.tl gu: boz
has passed. A. shsst intervals we fin
farms, some Of ttfsu large: and :all .g;yin,
good promise. 80 4 y"
THE THOUSAND ISLANDS.
This is an exaggeration; but then the is
lands are SO mnny and SO large, that the