The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-06
FupIorat,ons IN the Far West.

COL fhirH's sEcoysoIsAscE OF MILITARY ROADS
IN rHs sAus RIVER AND PEMBIsA gseIos.
W en- - sstsn DIM } Northern derAd.
From Mr.. N. N. Flax we learn The particulars Of
- progress of Col Smiths train.
The object OF the expedition, we learn, was one OF
recon DoissaDce, for the purpose Of examining The
county ~ith eye TO roads and Tor she selection OF
sites for new military posts.
They left Fort Smelling under the command OF Col.
o. y. Smith, U. 5. A., guided by the well known
Peter BuItneau, xho has often travelled over and
from childhood been intimate with the wild intrica
eses Of the Northwest. The command consisted OF
80 hundred and fifty men, all told, embracing two
eoDpan e. Of United States troops differed by Cap
tsin Gardner, Lieutensnts CLIFTON, Bryan, Carney
and J. H. Forney, the last mentioned acting ss Guar
trmasfer Of the train, besides tbirsyfour wagons
and about two husdred animals.
The train crossed the Mississippi by the Middle
Perry, at 81 Cloud and penetrated the wilderness Of
oe Wee, by ascending Ssuk rver.
TIE expedi;iUn crossed sank river three miles
shove its junction with the mississippi and eighteen
miles above again crossed IL. and passed by Lake
Henry, forty miles and half from 81. Cloud by the
sosoometer thence across the north fork OF Grow
Wing river, by Lake McCl0ud, which, like Lake
Henry, IL reported ~ be small, clear and deep.
Along their line 81 travel, and around these lakes,
the land IL excellent, alternating with woodland
snd prairie, covered With uxurant grasses and the.
ferests Astounding With healthy growth OF The
r,sus hard mood tmDe-s peculiar 70 this Latitude.
At Lake McClUud they saw and passed the last lone
settlers hardy pioneer on the very verge and edge
Of civilization. AfteT leaving this place. they crossed
the Chippeway river, the timber gradually growing
they prooeeced, and tae prairiss larger.
PsssiDg Pornme de lay, aro1nd which there are
some beausiiui rolling p@aires lnterspersed With nu-
merous lovely little emerald lakes al shoandinc In
oehciols rsh, over which toe tai grass
waves 20 the breeze Ike TIE ocean 20 the
ssdc winds, tsey came to Lighting Lake,
around efich there is very superior farming land,
Wood riV.r, fourteen miles further on. Here
My found country vuly beautiful. with lovely
merry, worthy of the painters effort and the pil
grimage OF the tour s.. I1cy crossed tne r1ver With
pcn,on wagons, ard next day camped az Grsham's
Point, 90 tue western bank Of Red river Of the
North. and a. he supposed head Of s.eameoat ma
yigsiion o tast RIVER. This Is probably destined 70
he very important point Three days travel
trough. them 20 Wild Rice river, which runs in %
Red river irUm the west Here, in the unbroken
sshindes Of The ~dernezs they buried one OF thsir
eomisdss, VINO nad DIED ~,th the brain fever-s
private IN one OF their companies. His name vas
Towns. The next stream they passed on tn ir road
north ard was the Shyanna Oju; t1s tsey crossed
by building te nporary nige. Thence eighteen
miles ~ Maple river, wDere umber be ame more
plesty, and the land excellent. Thence they TIA.
yelled "a miles ~ Goose river, where they killed
their FRS; buffalo. fpeir guide broke down bis horse
an cbassg the same. and had 20 abandon hi n; but
Subsequently hid the good fortune 10 get bin. Along
here they encountered more or less buffalo every
sy
zen, or Devils Lake, large salt water lake, sur.
rounsed with poor land destitute Of timer, an 4
ecant of vegetation Along here they travelled tour
days without wool. Ninety niles brought them 70
- Joseph, on the PemBna river, which IL the
new town built since the great freshets 10 Red river
and is situated on an emDence on t1e bank OF the
Pempna thirty miles above iSs confluence ~ith Red
river, where in tbe low bottom, subject TO overflow
stands the old hslfbreed tosn Of Pc ubiaa. s. 10
eeph contains about two hundred poorly cuil,
bcuses, q Catholic chapel, and ffeeu hundred
French and kree hslfbreeds. They next proceeded
70 P.moina, -hch was ths furthes point reached
ky the expedition. This 20 wn IL sitp.ted aOout q
k<.undzrv line.