Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian., 1859-01-01


hone ofwhich could be seen from the crossing
though some II or 10 miles above, the timber
becomes abundant
From this crossing to the ford, 8 miles be-
low Breckenridge, distance of % miles,
stretches most dreary and uninviting prai-
RE. Not solitary pond, tree, or shrub is
found in traversing this desoiate tract, over
which it is necessary to carry both wood and
water ...
From the appearance of the soil it is evil
dent that this plain is submerged fora certain
time each year, though whether this arises
from the overflow of the river, or the extreme
uniformity of its surface, which offers no chance
of escape to the water in the spring, | cannot
| say, though | am inclined to believe the latter
to. be the case.
The Red River, at the second crossing or
ford above mentioned, is about 40 yards wide
and thirty inches deep, with rapid current
The bottom is in most places rocky, and
| such as, in my opinion, at any other time
than very high water, would render navigation
very precarious. .-E ~. !,
Below Graham's Point, two and one half
miles from the ford, the water is deep at all
seasons, and there is no obstruction to naviga-
ton. --.
The town of Breckinridge is situated miles
1
Bois des Sioux and Otter Tail Rivers, on the
east bank of the Red River. The site consists
mostly of prairie, with little bottom timber
skirting the river. On thew side stretches
a dead level prairie, without timber or water.
| The soil is rich and good, but the want of
timber will prove great drawback to the ear
" settlement of that district.
! Sort ADCI .Jl..Go 40 sICa.s.v,u lll.,ca ueioHs
| the crossing, in bend of the river, afford
ing very good winter quarters for the
! troops.
! OTTER TAIL LAKE.
| Otter Tail Lake is a noble sheet of water,
about 10 miles long by broad. The land is
Of good quality and well adapted 10 farming
purposes, being very different from that south
Of the Lake.
| AT Otter Tail City we obtained some valua
bic information from the deputy surveyor, to
whom we delivered our letters from the
! Surveyor Generals Office We learned from
| him the locality of two salt springs which
| he had discovered, and this information PROV
cd the means of our finding others. We al
so, through Mr.. Bottineaus knowledge of the
Chippewa language, derived important inior-
nation from the Indians who were encamped
| at this point This information proved to be
of the greatest value in our explorations, and
! in no one instance did We find that the Indi-
| ans misled US.
| From Otter Tail City, the party proceeded
on the Grow Wing and Red River, to Lac
Detroit and Eagles Nest Lake. From this
point they diyerged from the trail, and tray
elled westward to Buffalo River passing
! through country heavily timbered with pine.
Leaving ssthis stream to the east, the party
continued their journey.
SALT SPRINGS.
We were now in the vicinity of salt re-
gion, descriptions of which had been given us
by the Indians, and at once began a search
! for springs. Following the creek last men
toned for about - miles, we reached the
| crossing Of the trail. Here dividing the par
| ty We instituted thorough search, and soon
| discovered salt lakes, one and half miles
| distant. and bearing northwest from the eros
! sing. These were so situated, as each TO car
| ry with it its sections of land without in
terfering one with the other. Encamping
| here, we prepared to make the necessary ex
| aminations and surveys.
| These lakes we ascertained to have neither
inlet or outlet and to be decidedly Of saline
character. In every instance they were fed
| by springs situated near TO, and communicat
| ed with the lakes. These springs varied
| from 8 to 80 feet in diameter, and their wat
| ers were much more highly impregnatcd with
| salt than even those of the lakes which they
fed thus clearly proving their distinctive cnar-
! acter as salt springs. The lakes themselves
| were from 10 10 80 acres, as nearly as could
| be determined without actual measure
| ment.
! The soil around was the richest had yet
seen, being level prairie with fine growth of
| grass, but entirely without timber, although
| miles to the westward extended long ridge,
well wooded along its crest. Beginning on the
morning of October 18th, proceeded to lay
fout the land accompanying the springs, as
per letter Of Instructions from your Excellen-
| cy, and closed up the survey on the evening
of the 18th having run in all about 81 miles
of line.
From this region, the party proceeded
southwest, over magnificent and fertile prai
ris, to point near the junction Of the But
fao and Shayenne rivers with the Red Riy-
er.
| THE SHAyENNE COUNTRY.
| Here we encamped and remained for "a
hours, which / employed in cxaming the
| country on both the east and west hanks Of
| the Shayenne river. The conformation of
this tract is singular, and one which particu-
larly adapts it to agricultural purposes. Five
rivers here divide and furnish ample timber
for the district The Red RIVER as the main
artery flows northward. On: the: u..t: SIDE
the Upper Wild Rice and the Sha;y ye:pe' are
tributary channes: ::Ehe ::atns. Office is rem
dercd on the east tsni.. .as The: :Basaloe aid i:
the Lower Wild Rice rivers. The :celrse. sc
the Shayenne for distance of 80 miles above
its mouth is mainly parallel with that Of the
Red River the two streams being about 4
miles asunder. Twenty miles above the
mouth OF the Shayenne, the Upper Wild
Rice comes, in, after pursuing course paral-
lei with both rivers, dividing the strip of land
living between them.
On the eastern shore, the Buffalo empties
into the Red River miles below, and oppo-
site the mouth of the Shayeune, after flowing
from the south, and parallel at an average dis
I! tance of from 3 to 4 miles, with the main riv-
er, for a distance of 20 miles, Lower down,
the Wild Rice a similar strip over 10 miles in
length and 8 in width.
The land is thus cut up into long strips of
prairie, bordered on either hand by rivers, the
banks of which are heavily tinbered, thus
affording unusual advantages to settlers. The
sod is of the richest character, and very Deep
There are no signs of inundation here: indeed
the whole formation would preclude the idea
The prairie is high above the level of the
streams, and beyond the reach of any stage
of water i have no hesitation in pronouncing
this the finest district seen On this expedi-
ton.
From the last named point, the Commits
sioners proceeded to the locality known as
| Leaf Mountain, where there are numerous
Salt Springs. The springs are very abundant
in this neighborhood
SALT AND OTHER SPRINGS.
/ The next dav We discovered the SPRINGS re.