The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1853-08-04
From the New York Evening Post.
A trip up the Minnesota.

ST. PAUL. June ID, 1853.
On Tuesday last went down to The lower anding
aud got board the Clarion. small stern-w hee led
boat, which Is engaged IN navigating the waters OF
the Minnesota. She was advertised 10 start at four
ocock in the afternoon, bu, account OF the great,
quantity OF freight TO be loaded unable TO get o
that day. Upon the morning of the next, when |
awoke, | discovered under way; hastily
jumping ont of my berth ] hurried upon deck, and
found opposite "The Cave" This is
some three miles from ST. Paul, and is iavorite
resort for the Minnesota visitor. 1t is form
ed, from all appearance, by the action of running
stream upon the soit, rotten sandstone Of which the
bluff is composed. The entrance is high and broad
but it continues 10 diminish you advance the walls
very white aud smooth. and pierced with holes,
by the swallows, who assemble here in the summer
time in great numbers A. YOU proceed few yards,
Won will perceivs little stream flow ing down from a
hole in the wall, whose waters are is clear crystal.
and far within yoI can catch the ruuhling sound of
a cascade. At the is the boom o, the Missis-
sippi Boom Company. A boom. is line Of spars,
coupled together and stretched across river to catch
the logs which are thrown in above, in order that
they may be RATED and sent down To the cities below
An immense amount Of logs is often collected in
these booms which are built very strong on account
of the great preSsu they receive hut notwIth,tand
ing all the avi<hed upon them they often break
away. and ruin the owners whose sole capital is IN
vested IN them.
sides having thee barges in tow, tugs man'''Iy
gainst the current, and we soon arrive IN sight of
FORT SMELLING.
This or is situate upon tall bluff ot the junction
Of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, and com
u1and. "A fine view Of the Minnesota valley. The
site pu chased Of the Indians IN 1905 hy Lieu-
tenant Pike, who was sent out on an expedition to
explore the head waters Of the Mississippi. Ever
since then il has been occupied As military post
l.. doian -i,l L,.,f
pieces Of cannon; and account Of the weakness
oi it's walls would not stand regular siege against
well disciplined troops; but 1t seems well fitted for
the purpose for which It intended, namely, that
il can be defended with a small body Of men a. ainst
the Indians who not furnished with the munitions
of war. II will probably be abandoned after the de-
parture of the Indians from this par, Of the Territory
Directly opposite tie fort is
MENDOZA,
Some seven miles from ST. Paul by water, and nearly
the same by land and is the present head Of ga
ton upon the Mississippi. IL contains some twenty
houses, and from 100 TO $50 inhabitants. The
country around it is well adapted TO farming, !,
nearly the whole Of the Territory and is fast settling
up, and will soon be under cultivation. There is a
large quantity of freight lying upon the evee for Ta-
verse des Sioux. None Of US passengers could
here il could be slowed, bot the capa ms ingenuity
finds place; some is piled upon the hurrcane-deck,
and the rest heaped high upon the barges. La about
a minute more boat is under way, and we enter
the mouth of the Minnesota, its sky-tinted waters
contrasting beautifully with the deep blue Of the
..Father Of Rivers" This formerly called the
ST. Peters, in honor Of one Mons ST. Pierre, an old
French voyageur: bet Congress changed its name to
that of Mnnesota-our legislature memorislizing
them to that effect. As proceed visible change
is maniies, in the aspect of the country. The river
is verv serpentine in its COURSE and the bluffs become
smaller and are much farther away. Long, low
meadows extend for miles along the river, covered
10 summer with long prairie-iike grass; but some
times narrow lakes take the place of these meadows,
whose still waters Contrast vorsby with the rivers
,urbulsn, current. No sound bseaks the stiffness of
nature save the putting Of our steamboat: and the
earth, though seeming to the eye far cultivated
than the rugged soil Of the east, all unoccupied,