The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-10-31

regular London fog covers the whole city.
Correspondence Of tile Mnnesotian:
A Trip to the Sank Valley.
Fairy Lake-Ashley River-The Great Sank Lake.
SEPTEMBER, 1857.
MEssRs. EDITORS We came, as I stated
in my last, to the shores of as lovely lake
as the eye ever rested on; gentle ripples
broke the otherwise perfect quiet of the
scene, and kissed the bright and many color
ed pebbles and golden sand that margined
this queen of Minnesota lakes.
The shores around were in some cases bold
and abrupt, in others velvet sward gently
sloped to the waters edge
Here fine grove of thrifty oaks, there a
prairie, and here again heavy forest diver
sified the scenery, while the waters them
selves, pure as the crystal fount of Calypso's
isle, mirrored the pearly clouds that foated
above them. In short nothing could be i'm
agined more beautiful of its kind, and we
were all in a perfect extacy of delight.
Rambling along the beach we picked up
many pretty specimens of cornelian, and then
regretfully turned back to our camp to feast
on something more substantial than scenery
however charming it might be.
In the afternoon we launched our boat
which we had brought with us, and deter
mined to explore as far as possible all the
bays and recesses of the lake.
We found that for some distance from
shore the water deepened very gradually for
a distance of about hundred feet, when it
suddenly became exceedingly Deep and let
ting out trolling line few minutes only
elapsed before a large pickerel was dancing
along the surface, and was soon safely landed
on board. Soon another bite proved that
there were fish in the lake, and fine lively
bass was hauled into the boat.
By this time we had approached what ap-
peared to be the termination of the lake, but we
found an outlet, very narrow and very shall
low leading into second lake, not so attract.
i've as the first, being entirely surrounded by
woods, and having grassy instead of gravel
shores; yet it was quite a pretty sheet oil
water, and fuller of fish than any lake 1 ever
saw. Pike, pickerel, bass, sunfsh, &c., re-
warded our piscatorial labors and after row.
ing mile we came to quite high bluff al
the foot of which was spring evidently re-
sorted to by deer, whose tracks by the bye
we saw in abundance around the shores Of
Fairy Lake.
From the summit of this bluff we could
see into another lake beyond the one we were
in as we'll as the first we had left, thus look
ing upon three at the same time. The views
were very extensive and beautiful
Proceeding on we soon came to another
narrow passage into the third lake, very much
like the second, and proceeded as far as our
time would permit. Whether this last com
municates with the great Sank Lake we were
not able to determine, but the probabilities
are that it does. A thick growth of rushes
and grass prevented US from penetrating far.
Their, but there is little doubt that if we had
had more time we could have found more
lakes.
Back we returned to our camp, highly
pleased with our explorations and good luck
in fishing, and a glorious supper we had that
night.
The next morning we rambled off in the
various directions, exploring the country
around and especially the valley of the Ash.
ley Ricer.
The soil was excellent in every part, espe-
cially the groves on the south side, while
along the riveritseif stretched splendid mead
ows at varying widths of from fifty to two
hundred feet wide.
The views from different points we're very
pleasing and nothing seemed wanting but a
few farm houses and fences to make it look
like an old settled country.
Occasionally among the woods on both
sides high mounds project out on the prairie
their sides clothed with young and thrifty
trees, while on the north or northeast side
stretch the Big Woods extending through to
the Mississippi river, breadth of about thir
ty-6ve or forty miles, this affording an mex
haustible supply of all kinds of timber fol
fire wood, fencing and lumber.
All sorts of trees are found here except
pine, and that 1 have since been told Las
been discovered within distance of not more
than six miles. But this fact, (f it be q
fact) l will not vouch for, as did not see
it myself; still have good reason to believe
in its truth.
On the whole every one was delighted with
the country and its surroundings and it,
advantages in every point of view are not t.
be surpassed by any portion of Minnesota.
In the evening two of our party who had
spent less than three hours in fishing on the
Lake, returned with the largest haul eve1
saw in my life. 1t was just as much as they
could do to carry theirload strung on pole
in manner similar to a picture l once saw
of the Hebrew spies returning with the fruits
of Canaan on their shoulders.
We could scarcely believe our senses wher
the pile of fish was thrown on the ground
Pike of immense size, pickerel and black
bass, few weighing less than three or four
pounds, and many of them as much as ten OF
twelve, might we'll indnce our two fishermen
to declare that it was the greatest sport they
had ever known in the whole course of their
Waltonian experience. Did we not have a
right royal feast that evening!
The next day some went in one direction
and some in another; while myself and Mr.
NJ determined to ascend the Sank Ric-
er and find out what the Great Sank Lake
looked like.