The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-11-25
MINNESOTA.
MINNESOTA. Et
Trip from La Point to Still Water, via
Lake Superior, BruIe, and st. Croix

J
part Of Lord Se!kirk's Community, very interest
ing ard prosperous people indeed. Ia letter No. l.,
! gave brlet digest Of facts concerning the 1Tdrrse
DIES Sour count at present the great cent? attrac-
ton for foreign migrants, and of the most lovely
countries in the world, where rich rolling praries al
ternate with ridges of heavy timber, and through
which navigable streams wind their way for humid
reds of miles, ready to bear off the rich agricultural!
treasures to a ready Southern market. In letter No.
z, hastily sketched the country from lake Superior
to St. Paul on the Mississippi spoke of the mineral
Indications, vast forests Of pine, and farms as APP
proach ST. Anthony; and now will glance at IA long
strip of country, through which, yet, but few tray
eleis have found their way.
1t was beautiful bright afternoon in August, that
with two hired hafbrecd ageurs in birch canoe
provsioned for Is days, left La Point and struck
out INTO the clear, smooth deep waters oil Lake Su-
rerior The coast scenery, that from SautS st. Mare
to this point, had been very duh and monotonous,
now suddenly changed, reaching through all the de-
grees OF beauty from gentle Slopes, rolling hills, t.
widely romantic, broken mountains. Ii is here that
the Porcupinc Mountains set ia towards the shore,
and in places come out boldly, as if in the act Of
crossing the lake, but were Hud lenv split down ver-
tcally, forming a mural escarpment, perpendicular
from the waters edg9, hundreds OF feet high, as
smooth and solid as the masonary Of vast fortress
The strata Of the old Red Sandstone, of a fine
compact texture, and never in the world qrrries
81 handsomer stone lie found than those Blocks from
l X
brick, lay disjointed ready for shipment.
Many Of these bold mountain masses project over
the water from IL to 20 feet, supported at the outer
edge by perfectly formed columns, worn 50 By long
action Of the waves. These columns are of very
curious workmanship indeed. We passed under
many OF these rocky arches, like majestic gatc-ways,
and examined more than a dozen columns OF various
dlametcrs and nights, and all appearing if drawn
after more well propOrtioncd architectural models.
The journey now before was about $50 miles,
80 Of which lay along this coast up the mouth Of
Brue River Fortunately for the voyageur at this
season, there is scarcely hc shadow of niaht upon
the lake. At 10 O'CLOCK we could still read distinct
~, and at ~ there were soft crimson penciilings
upon the western horrson, oil that gorgeous twilight
which makes the summer evenings here SO enchan-
ing. have seen night here tranccnden,Iy beau-
tiiul, with its bright stars and sycry moon; lis at
mJsphcre transparent, that the arch of Heaven
looked more serene and heavenly. more like the
abode OF spiritu beings; and the clear blue ether
more like the dlapery that garnish poetic i'm
agncry, than real world. As We cded aIon. in the
stness Of the night, our moving SO lightly "a
not to ruic the polished surface, the scenic picture
was all that the most enthusiastic novelist could de
sire. On one side, some miles distant, lay hong
string of conica islands, covered thichy with green
forest trees, and the main shore at equal dis
tance, wrapped in >hadowy gloom, lay green slopes,
or in suiien grandeur hung bold peaks and cliffs Of
( mountains. Not IA sound was heard, except for a
IN fom the top of The nights dashng down from
rock to rock, It's bright spray daucns upon the
beams and enyelopng the dwaIicl pines in an eternal
sheet Of mist. We had left far behind us all
Of civilization, aud were trayorsng spot prim-
tive in its features rs when the ssstars first sang to-
gethcr and all the of God shouted for Joy the
new creation. The scenery is gracd at all times,
but IN the Stiffness Of night. lighted up by a Lake
superior moon, masnilccnty picturesque beyoud
description.
L. was a dangerous though io turElte gale, on the
second da>, that carried about ten miles an hour
for eight hour, to the mouth Of the river designed
to ascend We reached the delta. foimed 10y sand
and drift wood at dusk, and cncamped. The next
moaning the canoe was wei pitched the :.oi.ht uni
frny disposed along the bottom uy place being
a pile of coats and blankets amid-Ships, Whcn old
CnARoN aud assistant took their positions, dcn,dcd
of all clothing, except their breech-coth and s, ;
fore and aft. The Brule is narrow, Wild, roaring,
rocky stream. Looking up the mouth Il comes rush
ing down a woody mountainous gorge, loaping over
huge trap and granite bowiers, apparently dcfl ing
all forms OF nav CATION. THIS tunuiuous. whiiliug
current We assembled 100 n,lcs, averaging p miles
per day, in a light bark canoe, p feet long, by five
nid-shipS, taperng sharp the ends, turning up
like Chinese Junk, f.eightcd with about POE lbs.
Tn, boat is set up the rapids by poles, and where
the rocky walls cncroach upon the bed of the river
crowding il into a narrow channel, and this further
Interrupted by reefs and bowders the passage is at
tended with great difficulty and danger. The boat
men are naked that should they miss stroke with
the pole, Ike flash they dart into the stream, hold
ing llul, the canoe, towing shoal water. other
WIS it woall be dashed Instantly to pieces by the
force of the current agaIn>, thu rocks. No no
has not Travelled with these fellows form any idea
Of their cxpcr;icss in managing a boat among the
rapids. take time to speak If the mode and dan
ger of ascending this stream, romantic persons
have signiGcd determination 70 make the tip next
summer, ana shou they fail T. get good experienced
yuya, cuys, they will stand fir chance Of E,ns left
in the wilderness some hundreds OF miles from any
white settlement, with the pleasing prospect of a
long cropping through one # the most im,perct,abl,
forests III the world. Men who have been in thu
service of the American Fur COMPANY, understand
the streams and rapids the best.
The country reaching south from the Lake 100
miles is rouCh, cheCrc>s, yc.cd " th pines, ,ln,s,
tanarac cedars, Sc. The rocks OF ingenious orr sin,
which form the mineral region in Michigan, extend
across Wisconsin, and reach Minnesota, fv what a,-
pears singular dislacation, throwing thea nearly
POO miles south. Copper is found the Brula in
Wisconsin, and when reached the Falls of Saint
Croix, specimens were exhibited, coming from the
trap range which here makes its appearance.
The Brulc in odcn times WAS great trapping
ground. We saw the remains OF large beaver dams
and well beaten paths, which the rappcrs call pota-
ScS. They are across long sharp roais, where the
riyci makes sudden bend. 1t through this
stream that the numerous trapping posts the 81.
Croix aud tributaries, the 81. Pete, and other trils-
tarics of the Upper Mississippi, were supplied tom
the large fW Company post at la Point There are
no logger beaver or ottcr found here; but rats
numerous, and some martin.
After passing the ridge of highlands, on the third
day the country is level, ma1sh, and nun,erou. lakes
covered with ducks, and alive " it'll spcchIrd
trout of a good size and delicious flavor. There
are several hard portageS, IN places where :hc rap
ids too dan crous; and when, the fourth eve
mig, we reached lie Grand Portage, at the head %
the Brulc we hailed it with lo,,ul delight. This was
the portage the ridge which divides the south
ION the north running srcams--irom the Brrle to
the head waters of the st. CroX. From toilsome
up hill polling. we would now descend smoothly with
the cmrcn. under sail. with light cars.
"PACKING."-I had often listened to what
considered c>uavagant stories Of the feat and strength
Of "Pack-mcn," and now witnessed what, AS at
tempt to relate, can scarcely credit. The portage
now to make was three mics up and down hill, over
hot, sunburni barren heath. The afternoon was
swclterng the dry sands rejecting scorching, sui-
locating heat, aud the thick forest wh,ch hcmned in
the trail cut off every motion OF the air. Tho
taken ashore, and the freight made up into acb-
ages. strong leather strap, about four Yards long
four inches wide in the cent.e, taporing gradually to