The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-15
Correspondence Of the Evening Postl
NORTHWEST EXPLORING EXPEDITION

there IS recorded some notable event, signalling
every day in the year, and by whatever event July
18th is thus marked we celebrated it by arriving at
four O'Clock in Pembna.
On most maps with which have been familiar,
Pembina is placed upon the east bank of the Red
River of the North, opposite the mouth of the Penn
pima river, at or near the forty ninth parallel the
international boundary line. 1t is however, on
the west bank of the river, just below q. c. north
of the mouth of the Pembina, and therefore in
Dacotah territory. The few Indian and halfbreed
lodges which are upon the east side of the Red
River, opposite Pembna, constitute the town of St.
Vincent the terminus dd guem of the Minnesota and
Pacific Railroad, and the place where, at election
times, the present administration finds such valiant
supporters, every man outnUmsering score of the
ordinary kind. Two items more of geography, and
will resume my itinerary at the point where it
closed in my last letter, Alexandria. Thirty or
hirtytwo miles west of here in st. Joseph another
and larger half-breed settlement on the Pembina
river, and about seventy miles north on the Red
River, at the junction OF the Assinibone in British
America, of course, is the Sekrk's settlement Fort
Garry its centre. Less than hundred miles further
north the Red River empties into Lake Winnipeg
Our route, then, has been from the upper woters
OF the Mississippi, northwest through the vail of
one OF its minor tributaries, and across the lake
region OF Minnesota to the head waters of the Red
River of the North, and down its valley to the in
ternational boundary line. An itinerary would
thus divide itself naturally into three parasitic
first pertaining to the Mississippi; the second to
the lake region; and the third to the Red River
valley.
What has been told regarding the richness of the
valley OF the Sauk river we found amply confirmed
in passing from its mouth to its head waters Du-
ring every days journey, of from twenty to
twenty-five miles, we passed numbers of log houses
surrounded by well-tilled fields and claims -shantes
thickly dotted the intervening distances Perhaps
some one may read those words who was as ignor-
ant as was of their meaning. The pre-emption
laws required of settlers making new claim the
building OF house, actual occupation for a certain
Perod, and the tlllage OF certain amount of land
in the one hundred and sixty acres Honest and
dishonest claimants fulfil the letter or evade the
spirit OF the law by laying few logs four square,
calling it house, and sleeping there few nights
Tl1ese are claim-shanties. Sometimes the actual
settler finds it more convenient to live in a neigh
bor's house, but often the whole proceeding is an
evasion of the law, by which spectators get hold
OF the land, or others their choice of rich
lands in different places, to the detrment of those
desiring to settle and build at one These shanties
however, serve the traveller good turn sometimes,
by furnishing wood ready cut to boil his tea and
fry his pork.
The immediate vicinity of the Sauk is we'll
wooded, though there wide reaches of open rol-
ling prairie on either side of the stream before you
reach timber again. We crossed the river twice
boating the provisions and swimming our animals
The soil is dark sandy loan, capable of producing
splendid crops, and this added to the fact that it
Is part of the Messrs. Burbank Co. s new stage
and mail route from st. Pauls to the head of nav-
CATION on Red river, makes it quite certain that its
growing line of settlements will be one of the first
and strongest links in the chain to connect South
ern Minnesota and the east with the great north
western areas.
terrific thunder storm, in which we were
caught one afternoon while travelling over the Sauk
Prairie reminds me of the peculiarity of the Min
nesota climate. The rains generally fall at night,
and in the summer are accompanied by the most
superb displays of electrical phenomena. The
thunder to roll in terrible crashes around the
whole circuit of the heavens, and the lightning to
flash from zenith to horizon. At times half hem
isphere of sky will be ilumined bv flashes of light
through which, as it were of fire, the sharper
lightning dashes with intense brightness and
with every variety of line, from the straight and
forked to the zigzaggedst.
Minnesota is not only the geographical but also
the hydrogropical centre of the North American
continent. Within her boundaries arise the
streams which afterwards flow into the northern and
middle Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico She is
the centre of the three great river systems of the
Continent or rather the point in which they meet
that of Lake Winnepeg, Of the great lakes and Of
the Mississippi. The waters of the Red River of the
North, which join those of the Saskatchewan from
the Rocky Mountains in Lake Wnnepeg and flow
thence by Nelson's river into Hudson's Bay, take
their rise but five miles from the highest point of
the Mississippi and all interlock with the streams
which flow into Lake Superior and the St. Law
renee. This easily accounts for the innumerable
lakes with which the whole area of Minnesota is
dotted, and in which these various streams head
They are indeed numberess and of every size from
little ponds without any apparent outlet to the
larger bodies of water which stretch over miles and
miles of country
Lake 0sakis, which is about halfway between
the Mississippi and Red River, is fair example Of
the larger lakes. In two days man might walk
around 1t. 1t has white sandy beach for its en-
tire circumference, sprinked with cornelian agate
and other pebbles, and making perfect setting for
its beauty, like the delicate line of cOrnea Just visi
Bile around large blue eve. Four or five feet
above its level is the level of the surrounding land
which near the lake is covered with a thick growth
OF timber of every variety. We camped in the
vicinity of this lake, and caught a splendid mess of
hsh-princpally bass, wall-eyed pike and sun fish.
The lake fishing of Minnesota, judging by the lakes
of the ''undine" district, through which | have
passed, is unequaled by the fishing in any lakes of
which | ever heard spOrtsmen tell. Two or three
days after leaving Lake Osakis we passed chain
of lakes, the larger of which, visible for a dis
tance of six eight miles, is called Pelican Lake
from the large numbers of that bird found in
its vicinity. 1t observed its name. In the few mo.
ments while was occupied in sketchinp its bpou-
tiful outlines, saw thousands of pelican. shoal
in its centre, which in the distance seemed the white
crest of long breaker received its strange
ance from the white feathers of the bird which had
collected in thick masses upon it. Now and then
fragments of this white island would appear 70
break away from the main body and then disinte.
grating into smaller pieces arise in the air Large
tlocks were flying hiher and thither about its banks
and as | mounted my horse to overtake the train
high up in air sweeping in slow circles the distance
transforming all their ungaininess into grace
On the 4th day of July saw the waters of the
Red River of the North. BY some the stream which
we crossed is called the Otter Tail River from n
lake of the same name higher up, but Owens and
Nicollet unite in calling it the Red River and if it
is not that, then there is no Red River above the
junction of the Otter Tail and the Bos de Sioux.
an unreasonable nomenclature which cuts off the
head and source from the main channel of the
stream. Its general shape from Lake Winnppeu ia
the Otter Tail Lake is that of a fish hook the barb
turned to the east. 1t over the barb at DAYTON
Waseata, p. o., that we crossed it first and after
wards at Cheyenne, the head of navigation and the
place where the first steamboat on the river the
AnsOn Northup, built. While crossing the
level prairie held thus in the course of the river
we met and conversed with Sir George Simpson,
the President of the Hudson's Bay Company who
was returning to st. Paul from his annual round of
visits to the company's posts. He appeared a
hale, ruddy- checked old gentleman quite capable
of taking another "Overland journey around the
world" He wore long white doe-skin capote, n
round-topped, wide brimmed hat, also white, and
was driving himself in an open buggy, which
looked as though it might have served for Abel's
trundle-wagon. DR.. Rae, the wel-known Arctic
explorer was with his party.
They were accompanied by a few carts and a re-
lay of horses. So that instead of twenty miles a
day, the ordinary rate of travel for the Red river
carts, he is in the habit of making forty and forty
five miles. The day before we had met on the
prairie train Ofeighty Red river on their way
to st. Paul. to get the goods which the Hudsons Bav
Company has hitherto transported by way of Hud-
sons Bay and York Factory. This long and tedi-
GUS route, L understand, is to be abandoned and
most Of the furs and supplies of the company will
hereafter, pass through the valley of the Red river
by the way of st, Paul and New York. This single
fact is ample confirmation of all the views which
have been advanced in your columns regarding the
three hundred miles of navigable water within our
own territory, which link to the northwest and
its reaches of navigable water that extend to the
shadows of the Rocky Mountains and the Medter-
ranean of the future
Moreover, it is currently reported to be the in
tention of the Hudson's Bay Company to establish
a bank at ST. Paul, and permanent central bust
ness post. Sir George Simpson, Mr.. Edward e.
lice and other directors, in visiting ST. Paul last
year, had these questions under Judgment.
The event shows a decision which must be greatly
to the profit of the United States, and which will
be of as much service an emigration society, in
directing the march of future settlement
Instead of going directly to the crossing at the
mouth of the Cheyenne, friend and myself made
detOur by Graham's Point, the site of Fort Aber-
| crombie where Capt. N. H. Davis, of the Second
Infantry, is in command. Ia addition to his uood
qualities as an officer and gentleman, he is con
slant reader of the Erening Post. In consequence
of the order for the abandonment of the post issued
two or three months ago, there was but one com.
pany at the fort and this was only waiting for
means of transportation to go to Fort Ripley Can't
Davis informed us that new site for military nnst
was to be selected farther down the river Pembina
or st. Josephs is probably the spot that will be
chosen, the latter being the most eligible there is
hardly a doubt.
The Red River trails follow the general course of
the river. There several ofthem each side
of it, and according to the height of water in the
tributary streams which intersect them and in the
cOrlees and marshes of the prairie, they choose
those which are more or less remote from it Two