The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-04-15

ata gerry croOKed; suitable only for short
boats in any stage Of water; and very like
iy IN low water, not navigable at all, With
out Improvement, above the Rapids, thirty
miles above its mouth.
The Saint Louis river, emptying into the
west end OF Lake Superior, is navigable to
the Falls, twenty miles, for large vessels.
The Saint CrOix, is navigable from its
mouth nearly TO the Falls of ST. Croix, so
miles; but is shallow above Saltwater
Boats such AS now navigate the Mississippi,
therefore seldom go above Saltwater
Minnesota abounds in lakes. Between
the St. Croix and the Mississippi, they
seem to lie innu,nerable, and they are also
plenty west of the Mississippi. Their
shores are chiefly OF gravel or pebbles, and
| usually one or the other side OF the lake, is
covered with q growth Of timber. The
water is rather shallow, clear, cool and en-
tirely destitute of the qualities Of the toggy
marshes and sloughs of the South; many Of
the lakes are covered with wild rice and are
alive with water fowl. Frequently, the lake
opens at one end, into Il tamarac swamp,
filled with young tamaracs, Ga tree resenl-
bling the spruce y as thick as they can stand
Through this swamp the water then passes
out into another basin, a little less elevated,
which it fills, and makes another lake, and
thus there is formed, often, succession of
many lakes, connected hy a spring stream
that runs thrOug b them all.
MOUNTAINS.
! We have never yet seen a mountain, west
of the Allegheny ridge; and Of course none
in Minnesota. Near Lake Superior. we
! leor, thpre - mn t.lev ofiou Of land hat n
proaches the dignity of a mountain; but the
nearest approach to mountains elsewhere,
is in the towering bluffs along the shores of
the Mississippi; and from Dubuque TO St.
Paul, these bluffs are really the grandest
feature of western scenery. Except these
bluffs and the dense forests of the great
woods, there is no portion OF this vast Ter
ritory, where loaded wagon may not be
driven; provided the streams can be crossed.
| Viewed from a distance, the ranges of
bluffs, IN Minnesota, have the irregular out
line of mountains. seen in other States. But
the very apex of the highest of them may
always he reached, on one side, 10y an easy,
gradual slope. We do want mountain see
merry, here, as well as every where, in the
valley Of The Mississippi river; and have
often thought we could afford to give away
one of our smooth, fertile counties, for one
of the White Hills, to he planted down in
the middle of Minnesota.
CLIMATE.
The whole world cannot produce eli
mate more salubriOus than that Of Mime
sofa. We have never yet known ease Of
fever and ague in it; nor any unwhoies ONE
water, either in wells, springs, lakes or
streams. IL is for our cool, Acalthfui CHI
mate, that braces up the human frame for
rigorous erertion, physical and mental, that
we regard Minnesota incomparably supe-
riOr to any other new State or Territory in
North America. They may raise more corn
| in Illinois, more wool in Ohio, more pork
in Iowa, more cotton in Mississippi, but
Minnesota can beat them all at raising men.
In our coolest weather, when the mercury
congeals, men perform as much labor out Of
doors, as at any time in the year. The air
is then still as death--the smoke from the
chimneys falls to the ground; every human
body creates around itself an atmosphere
of warmth. The stiffness and dryness of
the atmosphere and the vigorous health we
enjoy, account for the comfortable enjoy
ment here, of degree Of cold that would
he intolerable in St. Louis. In summer, we
have few days intensely hot; but with fire.
quent showers, from spring until harvest,
! and most Of them in the short nights. At
midsummer, the sun scarcely seems to go
down in the West to lave his golden axle
ia the Pacific, before we behold again his
blazing chariot in the East. At nine o'clock
] i'm the evening, it is then scarcely too dark
for your wives and daughters to he sewing.
Our frequent showers, multiply mosquitoes.
| hese insects, which at first were terrible
annoyance, have about &c ased to be trouble
some in ST. Paul We male no use Of
musquito bars, last season. Autumn, in
deed often until the middle Of December, is
a season Of delightful, sunny days, rising
by degrees into the rigor Of winter; and
winter in Minnesota, is the most social,
comfortable season of the year. We ex-
perience no chilling winds and shlvering,
drizzling rain storms, usually. |, Is very
uncommon to have a winter as open as the
past has been. Sleighng generally contin-
ues good here, through all the winter
months. ! he past winter, we have had but
very little snow, but one hundred miles
further up the river, and everywhere north,
they have had from two to three feet of
snow The river generally closes about the
18th Of November and opens the last Of
March, and boat may generally be expect
ed early in April.
INDIAN PAYMENTS.
Supplies are brought up the river, for the
seini-anuual payment to the Sioux, Chippe-
wa and Winnebago annuities. All these
Indians are paid in Minnesota. The aggre-
gate amount Of annuities paid them, in cash
and goods, including what the Sioux win
receive under the treaties To- lie ratified, and
the cost Of transportation, amounts to sew
eral hundred thousand dollars. These pay
ments and the supplies furnished TO Fort
Ripley and Fort Smelling, and the goods
and provisions and the goods furnished by
the traders to the Indians, constitute mnch
the largest share of the business heretofore
done by the steamboats,, at the port of St.
Paul. For many years past, immense sup
plies of goods have been furnished to the
Sioux Indians, on credit, to meet their alb
solute necessities; for which supplies these
Indians are largely indebted. Traders with
the Chippewa Indians and with the Winnie
| bagocs also credit those Indians with large