The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1859-04-28

A1tbo4y ~ uhheh Axftveo on ~
day AMER lsft Lake PsPin. 10 remarkable cave
Of amazing depth. The Indians term il wakon-
tssbs (wskan.tpi) that d The dwelling OF the
eods. The arch within u near 6fesn feet high
and about thirty feet broad the bottom consists
Of ins clear sand About thirty feet from The
entrance, begins lake, The water Of which
transparent, and extends to an unsearchAbls dis
lance, for the darkness Of the cave prevents oil
attempts 10 acquire knoWlsdgs of IL threw
. small pebble towards the interior part Of II
with my utmost strength; could hear that II
fell into the water, and nOtwithstsnding II was
Of small sire, il caused m Astonishing and ter
ribie noise, that reverberated through all those
gloomy regions. ! found in this cave many In
dian hisrogl yphics, which appeared very ancient,
for time had 90 covered them with moss, that
Il wss with difficulty could trscs them. They
we're cut in rude manner upon the insds Of
the wall, which was composed Of stone 20 ex-
trsmely soft that 1t might Be- easily penetratsd
With knife; . stone everywhere " be found
near the Mississippi
AT little distance from this dreary cavern,
s the burying- place Of several bands Of the
Eaudowessie Indians Though these people have
no fixed residence, being in tents, and seldom
but few months in one SPOT yet they always
bring the bones Of the dead To this place, which
they take opportunity Of doing when the chiefs
meet TO hold their councils, and TO settle the pub
lie Affairs for the ensuing summer"
Trophoneus has dried up. The dwelling
of the Gods" or what remains Of it, is now
. root-house, where Mr.. Dayton will, we
doubt not, be glad to show the curious vsi-
tor to what base uses we may come at last.
The brittle wall has crumbled and broken
under the frosts Of q century, till little Of the
original cave was left before the gods gave
place to vegetables. In 1907. the present
mouth Of the cave was SO covered up, says
Mr.. Neil, that Major Long was obliged
to creep in on all fours.' 10 1887, the
mouth being closed by sandstone debris.
Nicollet worked for two days to effect an
entrance, and confirmed the accuracy OF
Carver's description.
"A Chippeway warrior made long ha-
rangue on the occasion, threw his knife into
the lake as an offering to Hdkdntibt, the
Spirit Of the Grottoes.' Indian photographs
still remain, grey with age, upon portions
Of the wall not covered by debris and
should be accurately copied for the liisto-
rical Society.
ST. PAUL THE CAPITAL OF MINNESOTA IN l166.
Carver explored the country above ST.
Anthony as far as Francis River and made
voyage of two hundred miles up the ST.
Pierre, and on the first Of May, 1867, re-
turned TO the Great Cave, saint Paul.
where he ofiiciatcd as the first representative
Of the Anglo Saxon population in the great
annual legislative session Of the Dakota
bands, and made the first speech ever deliv
cred by Yankee in st. Paul, aud great
deal better one than has been delivered by
any Yankee since. AT this season." says
Carver, these bands 90 annually TO the
Great Cave before mentioned, TO hold
grand council nth oil the other bands rhere
IN they settle oil Their operations Of The ensu-
ing year
BU- Thus early was Saint Paul the cap
ital OF Minnesota
Nothing could be more significant of the
geographical centrality Of Saint Paul than
this fact, never noticed before as we know
Of, that from immemorial time il has been
the political centre Of the scattered bands Of
the Dakota nation.
"When we arrived says Carver at the cave
and the Indians had deposited the remains Of
their deceased friends in the burial place that
stands adjacent to it, ION Dayton's bluff they
held their great Council into which was ad-
mitted, and at the same time had the honor 10
DO admitted az a Chief Of one Of their bands
The mounds still exist on Dayton's bluff
and Mr.. Neil few years ago had one Of
them, which was els feet in circumference
at the base, and eighteen feet high, opened
lie found the remains Of skulls and teeth at
the depth Of three or four feet.
THE FrRsT LAND SPECULATION ~ SAINT PAIL.
II was here, too, at this great cave
that according to the traditions OF the Car.
yer family, although 70 mention Is made OF
il in Carver's book. the first conveyance Of
land M, made, and the first deed s,gned IN
M,nnesot1 This was the instrument upon
which the beirs Of Carver founled their title
TO Caryers tract, which contained -. An
thony Saint Paul, and a large portion OF
Wisconsin. The document is curious and
runs 10 this wise
DIED PURPoaIIsG TO HAVE BEEN GIVEN AT
THE CAVE IN TUE BLUFF BELOW ST. PAUL.
ITO Jonathan Carver, q Chief under the met
mighty and potent George the Third, king u
the English, and other nations, the fame u ~bose
warriors has reached our ear nAs been Dow fally
told a. BY our rood brother jonathan, Aforesaid,
whom We rejoiee 70 have come among us, and
bring u. god new. from bis country
We Chiefs Of the Saadoue.ies, who have
hereunto set our Esals, DO by these presents, for
ourselves and heirs forever In return for the aid
and other good services aoss by the said iona
49, .lf,xs