The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1853-05-07

ed, we logged on, and tied up for the night at
Walkers Landing at the lower verge Of the
Big Woods Soon the next morning, We pass
ed that noted place Of great water privilege,
Henderson. The inhabitants had deserted their
dwellings, and were abiding in tents
pitched upon wood fiat. We understand
our friend Brown, the proprietor Of Henderson,
gives it as his opinion that the inundation Of
The site is caused by the immense quantity Of
wood he has cut and piled upon the bank-the
ground becoming greatly depressed by the
weight thereof! We hope this theory may
prove true, and that Henderson will be let up
after awhile.
We journey along finely, and are soon at lie
Sueur City. This beautiful and eligible town
site we have frequently alluded to during the
past eighteen months, and right glad were We
to approach it, now that it has donned the ha-
biliments of civilized life and business. 1t is a
place that must ever gladden. the eye of the
traveller as he passes from the thick and mo-
notonous foliage of the big Woods which
skirts either side of the river for miles and
miles below. lie Sueur again comes out to the
rivers bank after We pass bend of bottom
land of mile or two in extent. 1t is only half
a mile, however, across the prairie from the
lower to the upper landing and eventually the
extremes, like the upper and lower ends of St
Paul, will meet, forming one continuous town.
Both landings exhibit the most encouraging
signs of progress and business activity. Set
= toll forp
claims in the vicinity; all going to show that
LIE Sueur has sure thing of becoming
place of note.
At Traverse des Sioux the whole population,
white and red, turned out to welcome the West
Newton, and there were not few of them
when all were arrayed in line along shore. AS
our Traverse correspondent writes at full
length concerning this point we will pass on
with the remark that here we learned the howl
ing Tiger, width left st. Paul the previous Sat-
on her way up she passed up over the line of
the contemplated canal in front of Traverse,
from the landing to Rock Bend, saving some
two or three miles in distance by the opera
ton, and demonstrating that canals are some
times navigable before they are dug. We pre-
sumo our boat could have taken the same track
at this stage of water and come out safe. Rock
Bend has just been laid out into town lots. 1t
is mere extension of Traverse, and a very
handsome and eligible one at that, with good
landing in front.
A few miles further up, we passed Babcock's
Landing, and presently the place where Kasota
is to be. We understand Mr.. B. has his saw
mill in fine order and running, and that houses
are forthwith to he built in Kasota with lumber
therefrom. Our Traverse correspondent also
speaks at length of this place. We understand
also that some eight or ten of the Northampton
colony have settled in the vicinity of Kasota,
and are much pleased with the country. At four
O'Clock p. NJ. we reached Mankato. There are
two Mankatos, as we'll as two LIE Sueurs, lying
side by side. The lower and newest one is the
property of our enterprising fellow-citizen,
Henry McKenty, Esq, and is already not I'M
known to fame. 1t has all the advantages of
the old Mankato, and if one advances the other
must. At the original landing we found p. K.
johnson and family, and many more old St.
Paulers. They say they had a very cold win
ter up there, and that last summer the musqui-
toes killed and nearly devoured a mule.
Wooding at Mankato, we again started out,
and at six o'clock passed the mouth of Blue
Earth river, having been about twenty hours
running time in reaching that point from Fort
Smelling. The boat got on slowly, owing to
the weight she carried and towed, and the time
lost in making short bends. The river very
perceptibly diminishes in width above Blue
Earth, and also becomes more crooked.
By stopping time at dark We were above the
point reached by the Yankee. We are prepar-
ed to state as the deliberate judgment OF all on
board the Newton, as we'll as from our own OBJ
servation. that the character of the country
greatly improves after passing Blue Earth
The soil is better, so is the timber. One of the
richest and most beautiful prairies we ever be-
held, near where We laid by, was named West
Newton Prairie. in honor of the first steamboat
that had ever plowed the blue waters along its
verdant and fOwer-clad margin. If We were
going to make claim we would 20 right up
to that point. The prairie and timber lands
are both of the very best quality-would pass
for No. in any country.
On New Waters.
Wewere now upon portion of the beautiful
Minnesota never rippled by the machinery of
Fulton, until the Tiger passed up the day pre-
vious. Soon We would overhaul and pass her.
and then we would assume the pioneershp.-
Taking an early start, We accomplished this end
before breakfast time. We found the MENACE
rial craft jammed up in short bend of the riv-
er, with Captain and all hands ashore chopping
wood. We shot past her, and the next turn
were out of sight She had been five days
making this distance from Fort Smelling, al
though we have no doubt she took it easy and
leisurly along, and perhaps might have done
better. The Tiger is to be preferred to no
navigable craft at all. The country continues
to improve and the river to grow worse. The
soil is richer and deeper the trees are more