The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-02-19

New Road TO Long prairfe Discovers
.--Fir,t Exploratien Of the country
By Whites. BIT
SAux Rapids, Saturday, Feb. 1852.
D.nr Sir. The bug-b+ar Of the upper
country. since the removal ofthe Winneba-
GOES. mas been the road to their Agency at
Long Prairie, from, the Mississippi at Swan
River. extending thirty miles inland ana
westward. Mud, water and mosquitoes
are the almost formidable obstacles which
travellers and tea,nsters every summer en-
counter. And besides this, 10 get 10 TINS
road. bad as il H., we have 10 proceed near
~ due nortI, for about so miles above pau.
Rapids. and then crossing the MISSISSIPPI,
90 nearly due west for about 50 miles mo,e
to tho aAgeHcy--thus making right angie
and greatly extending the distance. new
and more direct road has been often talked
of, and one or two imperfect attempts maze
to explore route for one. But the lakes,
ta,narack swa,pps. and grass marshes wnic.
more or less cover the region above w atao
river, have hitherto rendered all such at
tennis unsuccessful; until at last u began
20 lie thought no other road than that tsom
Swan River could be made. Still many
believed il curious il q road hit upon by az
cident and without previous exploration,
like the presept route, should be tue only
po,sible one. Among those who douhtei
the souudness Of this position, was Lieut..
Simpson, the efficient head Of the U. States
ropographical operations in this quarter
no wing the anxiety Of the government, ~
a matter of sound policy, that the Winnie.
bagoes being on the Mississippi. should
have a road TO their sgency, entirely IN
their own country, so that in going to and
from "payments'' they would not he expos
ell to the whiskey harpies by necessity, as
now ira cling on the east side Of the river,
he set on foot an expedition to-explore the
country across in direct line nearly north
west to strike Long Prairie, or Round
Prairie. 54t
Securing for guides the noted old Chippe-
wa Of Crow Wing, sWhiie Fisher" and
MIR. Johnson, the Yankee-educated Grippe
wa, Of the same neighborhood, an excellent
man, party Of four men, besides the guides,
with two horse team, started from Sank
Rapids ut noon. on Monday the ID Of Feb
ruary, inst; and after an absence Of twelve
days and half, three Of which were spent
in camp, about halfway, waiting for pro-
visions, they returned TO this place this
evening, in high spirits. reporting having
discovered a practical route for pretty
good road-as good at the start as the
Swan River road was ut the start--aDd ca
pable Of being made, al all seasons, a much
better one. This they plainly marked out
and partially cut out, sufficient TO get their
team through, though not, rs yet, SO that
loaded teams can travel it. Some addition
al work will be needed upon it before il
can he used, even as a winter road; and
stili more, Of course, before it can be trav-
eIled in summer.
But Of its practicahi,ty there can be no
doubt; and if no better Than the Swan Riv-
er route, it has the recommendation Of be-
ing not over SO or 40 miles in length; SO
that teams can go through in day and a
half, and return in one day to the steamboat
landing ut the foot of the Rapids.
After: overcoming some obstacles AT fbe
passed through an interesting region Of
country, probably never before visited by
white men--finding it much better than
from reports and imagination! they were
prepared to expect. A brief description Of
their route may not be embarrassing.
On Monday, the d, they started and got
about three miles, reaching the edge Of the
timber, and eDcaunping on the north side Of
tesy, hut You might as well entitle Trout
brook below ST. Paul, a river. A a5 feet
bridge will make it passaI,le al all seasons,
though il 10 hardly ever in condition not
to be readily forded. The next day, Tues
day, they commenced cutting into the TIM
Der, on pretty high ground for a mile or so !;
when they came to the first obstacle; the
neck Of q marsh, which they calculated 40
feet Of log way would make solid. They
now passed into tiinbered country, quite
level, and perhaps wet; but it il IL, they
found u way to avoid il, in a high ridge q
little to the left, which curved around as
they proceeded west by north, and this ridge
their route shortly struck; after which, high
rolling land presented itself. They then
came to the great tamarack swamp, which,
the bug bear Of all previous explorers, has
been supposed an insuperable obstacle to
any road 10 Long Prairie, in that direction.
Ii is more than ten miles in length, and
some miles across, in many places. II
makes great bend, like an elbow, at right
angles, and feeds two or three tributaries
Of Watab river, and indeed is probably, at
its northern extremity, the source of that
stream. But big Elbow Swamp was over
come with comparatively little difficulty,
for White Fisher and Mr.. johnson, their
guides, took them gradually around it, by
curviDg little northward, not losing more
than mile by the operation. In curvins
al ound, they came upon high ridge, and
passed through beautiful groves or woods
of sugar maple, bass wood, white and black
oak, with great deal Of iron wood inter-
mingled. They saw some white oaks four
feet III diameter! The sugar naples were
exceedingly thrifty ,-the largest and tales.
trees showing no signs in their tops, Of the
characteristic decayed or deadened limbs
They saw enough sugar trees to make sugar
for the whole Winnebngo nation. On
Wednesday, the. third day, they continued
to 'axe" their way through heavy timber,
and came to meek OF Big Elbow Swamp.
that hydra-headed npobister.. They found
here. also, weak spot in the cri,ter, and
curvng, SO as to lose a quarter Of mile,
crossed at spot where one hundred feet
OF log-way will strange il effectually.--
They now assembled quite hill, and ,rav-
eied over maple tract similar to that Just
passed, only higher, then by u sort of natu-
enI Ia - n