The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-10-04

on McDeod's lake-a sheet of water three
miles inv length by one in width, with a
gravelly shore and high banks all around.
There -is~a large body ofwoeis here, .sutiic-
lent, As we are informed, to furnish the
aaeighborlood : for many miles around With
fire wood and timber. We have no doubt
that in less than twelve month the claims
wiilall be taken for five or six miles around,
many farms opened, and mills and trading
houses erected on the town site. Harms.
City is not far from the centre of Mcleod
county, and may at some future day become
the seat of justice. o.a aa ~ 81 3aass
I In the afternoon We continued our march
nearly due west over the high rolling prairie
for about twelve miles, and encamped in an
oak grove on large lake,a little before sun
down. This. prairie, like all that we have
passed over since leaving the Big Woods, is
of the richest kind, as the high grass every
Were attcsted. A number of our party
who have resided in the best portions of IL
lin is pronounce this soil fully equal to the
best that can he found in the prairie State.
There are three or four lakes in this neigh
borhood, with thrifty groves Of oak upon, the
banks of all Of them. Some, enterprising
town proprietor, we understand, has laid out
a town site between two of these lakes, in
most commanding situation. One or two
houses are visible, but they are not occupied.
1t is a very pretty place fora town, and there
may be one here at no distant day, for it is
Gel tain that the country is rich and extensive
enough to contain one but there is a serious
drawback to the starting of a new place in
absence Of a supply of timber, for with the
exception of the groves before spoken of
there is none nearer. than the Big Woods,
which must be many miles distant. saa3sl
Our party, after eating their supper around
the camp fire and dis cussing the affairs of
the nation in general, and of the events of
the day in particular--how we ought to have
killed that fine deer we saw few miles back,
and about our chasing doy, thinking it was
a wolf, the party retired to rest early, some
in tents and some rolled up in blankets
around the fire. @
The next day we were on our journey be-
fore seven O'clock going from our camp for
some distance due north course to get
around the lake, and at the crossing of the
inlet we came upan myriads of ducks, enough
of which for good supper: our hunters soon
succeeded in killing, but considerable diff
Guilty was encountered in getting them from
the stream. Our course during the whole
day was to the northwest, over the great
Northwest Prairie. There was not the yes
tige of a road or trail to follow. The prairie
is rolling and beautiful the grass green and
abundant. We this day saw the finest grass
meadows we had eveibefore bcheld. Large
boulders of granite are scattered ab ut with
some liberalty all over the prairie, and even
IN the softcst meadows where our animals
could scarcely stand they would be found.
In the afternoon we hove in sight of large
groves of timber both to the right and in
front Of us, which our guides assured us
were on the north side of the South Fork,
but keeping to the left of all of them we
did not come to Il grove till near night, whe':'
we came to the south shore of lake Lii
liam. - 49,. .,.4 g.. ... Il
e Here we encampcd for the night, and the
next morning Saturday the boat was
launched under the command of General
(now COm,nodore) Harms, and the teams
moves! round to the north side, crossing the
outlet or head Of the South Fork on the east
side This lake is about three miles in
length and two in width and is almost
entirely surrounded by smaller lakes and
marshes. 1t was the object of the boat par
ty, to which we were attached, to find the
inlet of the lake and see if we could pass
into the Kandiyohi. We soon found it on
the west side and rowed up about 200 yards
when our progress was arrested by the tall
coarse grass that had grown up across the
channel. We endcavered to SET it on FIRE,
but it was yet too green to be got rid f in
that way. That there was channel be-
tween the two lakes we had every reason to
believe, and subsequent explorations con-
firmed, but we were unable to get through
for the lrea sons before indicated; so putting
back to the lake we continued along the
shore.on the west side till we reached the
camp about two o'clock, where we reported
progress to our commander-in-chief Horse
men had been sent out to find a passage
over dry road to the east side Of the Kan
diyohi, who did not reach the camp till night
and reported that road could be found by
going distance of eight orten miles further
to the west and crossing one or two marshes.
There are most dense groves or small forests.
on the banks of all these. lakes, that have
been protected from the annual fires by the
marshes that in most instances entirely sur
round them. E.,-.., 100
| Our hunters had been very fortunate to-
day, for they came into camp at night with
three enormous geese, one measuring six
fleet three inches from wing to wing, a water,
turkey, and ducks of different varieties, by,
the score. Dr. Anderson killed a pelican
that measured eight feet five inches across
the wings. Mr.. Mcleod SHIT a swan, the
largest bird in America, but was unable to,
get it on account of its falling in a lake. sinn,