The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-03-17


oblgiug attentions Of Capt. Rollins. Among the pas
sc ngers, were the Rev. NJ. Chase OF Natchcz Miss.
and several gentlemen and ladies from the Stale Of
New Yo,k--,hree ladies', all in the bloom Of health,
and particularly fine looking women, who stood in /
| relation each other. OF grandmother, daughter,
and grand daughter. Now the boat, with di- /
6culty, passes out between two iands 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 cm,ent Fire UP, /
boys. Dry wood this season; last they had
to bnn green wood. Ii takes hall cold hour to !
run the boat
| For a long distance our right, extends boom,
parallel to the shote, 6y 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 ST. Paul, and Ia I've lifted up
out Of the chasm through which it below the
falls to the level with the shores; rather which
is the fact, there is chasm until The river finds one
after breaking the apron Of rock at Saint An
,hony.
SHORES OF THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI.
There are none of the abrupt bluffs, such as are
seen dow n the liver; but the land comes down, by
easy adHal slope, 10 the very edge Of the water,
and yon look away far back, and the smooth
land now covered with green, gradually rising the
view recedes kom the ,iver-far- Ear away--the
hottest object is swelling idgc Of prairie land, Oh
of oak openings, the III, hand; and the left
a io,est-nothing short Of dense forest Of vigorous
young trees, far can be scotland in the chan
mel, islands, Of them large, covered invariably
with II heavy growth of elm, blackberry, maj fe and
co,ton-n ood and whenever as exception TO the
general aJpe:iance Of the shores, there is ANYTHING
assuming the fosm Of an abrult bluff it is crowded
with pine trees. Occasionally spot Of universal
beauty, bursts upon the view; such the landscape
at the mouth Of Rice Creek-or Itasca P,anir, 0
the eastern shore near Swan river. The land is
evidently very uCh-at lasca, noticed the forma-
ton TO he bed of gravel, upon which rested body
of masl supporting rich sandy loan, not less than
Is inc hes or two feet deep. At various points,
saw extensive fields under cultivation, crops Of oats,
potatoes everything that had been sowcd planted,
giving rich PROMISE and all with whom cOnvcrsed
Bearing full testimony to the excellence Of every kind
of crop that has been tried there The land--feds
the crops speak for themselves and there no room
Tor argument about it. There is no t,ttu land the
ah e ocey Of The Mississippi, than the " hole region
extending b. ON The Falls oi st. Anthony Sank
lta, ids; above which, have not been. We are
informed, that the land is much the above Sank
Rapids which place is northwest Of St. Paul. yearly
one hundfed miles, and noith, less than forty miles.
AT distance of from three Ia fifteen miles iom the
east shore ot the rive,, extends tamarac swamp,
for Immense distance, between ST. ANTHONY and
Sank Raj Ids, designed by nature, would seem ex-
pressy Ia furnish farmers with rails without splitting
them; hint kom Providence, which the settlers up
| there, not slow to comprehend.
AT inter walls along the river. the trees Sc
in this tamarac swamp, visible, far in the back
ground, picturesque forest of tapering masts.-
" hat lies cast beyond that swamp do not know
hu, Benton comfy may well Le with the vast
extent Of fine arabic lands that .ht of the river
stic,ent for 10000 farmers, and S vet unclaimed.
The soil is eracfy ike that OF Rock r,ver--auite as
! little waste Eind-inuch timber and with a
landscape which can recollct noth,ng down the
river 10 conn with, unless it IN, the Shores If the
Mississippi at the lower Rapids, including the back
ground Of Nauvoo and Munuosc The first night
we passed board the boat, at The n,on,h nf Swan
river. (fhe Ramsey does not iun at nish,s.) The
next morning moved onw ard. every mile attract
ing Our attention To now BEAUTIES of scenery. All
seemed surprised, cerainl, wcre the vast ex-
tent OF forests on the west bank Of the river. Every
few rods, we met full Of Winnobago.s re-
turning with their goods from the payment. There
IN "A huge ba X canoe filled with squaws and papooses
ana bales OF goods, comes their head Chief Winni-
oh himself sitting in the stem and steering
Most ot the canoes, the approach oi the steam
boat. slide out into little nook ed.v near the
shoe, until or boat has passed. At shot intervals
we find iarus, some Of them large, and aI.siviny
good promise.
TIRE THOUSAND ISLANDS.
This is an exageration; bat then the islands are SO
many and large. that they have taken res
o'tc possession OF the channel, il to drive the
stream hack, which however, swiftly gIides between
them, giving the boat good exercise 10 brave
the current. We come To the granite formation at
the foot OF the rapids, striking boldly across the
river, TO bar the channel Useless. What obstacle !
viii not the power OF steam oyercomci The boa,
dashes across through ripple and eddy. then ,ackng
suddenly takes another course, baieting the stream,
escaping the rocks, and ridln, in trum h. above and
beyond the chain Of rock. Good, old, primitive |
granite, how familiar YOU look! The very mate,ia
u those dragged mountains amongst whirh we were
born; how ike the familiar faces Of the old
men, does it seem, who toitercd 10 the church where
we worshpped in infancy,
SAUx RAPIDS.
Aud hnro tGcl L..
IN the swift water, like year, beast. Let her rest
while we walk along the shore OF the rapids abou,
three mics, 10 The head thereof We leave the boat /
and warehouse aud the few that arc busy there
With freight and passengers How wide the liver Isl /
Spreading out, over exTansc # q ante frau
'nenisswiti but where precir tous am, evidently
inrassabic for STEAMBOATS,. Bet what a chance for !
building canal on the cast bank, by simply buding
wall OF granite, laid in cement, without cxcavatmg
and without any expense but wall and three or -four
locks! And what an excellent wafer power, ali along
the rapids, without need Of much as dam, unless
perhaps short wing-daml The Indian trade is
row mostly concontia tcd at Watab, which is on a |
dehghtfui pran ie three four miles ia, Their up the
river.
But here is Russclls-at the head of the ri, ids,
Here is good Comfort table house, stables oxen "a,
swine, large enclosures, fields Of OATS and every
thing to Indicate h iii and good living. Here resides
the Judge and The Cleik Of the Couit; and Courts
must and mN have things comfortable The next
of her ropes. at O'Clock, and we swert swiftly
back, through the enchanting scene which we have
above hastily skeched, reached ST. Anthony at 4 F.
NJ, took stage back to deli hiiui ST Paul
aud the labors of the piess, highly delighted. and
more conhden than ever, Of the glorious destiny of
Minnesota.
The GEOGRAPHY OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
between St. Paul and ST. Anthony, may he thus
properly illustrated: Sit at table, with your face
westward aud lay your eit arm ho'izonts! upon the
table, bending Ii at an angle Of As degrees. Your
shoulder will represent the location of ST. Paul;
your elbow the location of Fort Smelling, (,he june
ton OF The NJ ssissipp and Minnesota riyers) and
your hand, the location Of ST. Anthony.
In the forearm, from the oboe to the hand, the
Falls has produced paralysis. That portion of the
river is not navisable Therefore, the shoulder is
nearer the head than the dbow and nearer the head
than paraiyzed forearm can be, that has no power
OF mettn, we say with the utmost truth and reason
that ST. Paul Is at the head Of na'agdtun for such
steamboats, can afford to run in the trade up the
river from st. Louis and Gaena.
TEMPERANCE IN MINNESOTA,