The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-10-27
GOLDEN LETT E r 8.
Frsm Our Special Correspondent.

DIVIDING RIDGE NEAR LAKE VKRNILLIoH,
81. LOUIS COUNTY, MIMI, Oct 1866.
Editor 81. P0na Pioneer: ,vr s.s 81
From the junction of East Swan River with
the Upper st. Louis, (where our last letter
was dated), we continued oor canoe voyage up
the latter stream about fifteen miles throagh q
tortuous channel and numerous rapids, until
we came to the mouth of Tawasua River, de-
irving its name from an Ottawa sqnaw who
was found here many years ago subsisting ON
fish and such roots and herbs as she could
gather in the dead of winter.
The Chippewas think she was aided in her
struggle for life by the Great Spirit, and have
therefore much reverence for the stream. The
"good nen" of the tribe never shoot bears or
trap for furs on its banks. r-r.ra.rs ..-
We often see extensive pine barrens ia this
vicinity, and We pass beneath thousands of
noble Norway and white pines, which IN time
viii command the highest price for first class
lumber. ~
As we ascend the St. Louis, the rough stony
rapids, though fewer in number, continually
increase in velocity and peril and we are OBJ
iged often to get out and help Lift the canoe
with poles over the sharp rocks in order to
make the slightest progress. -..
About twenty miles above the Tawaaua, we
reach the mouth of Two Rivers, coming IN, as
do nearly all the tributaries of the st. Louis
from the northwest. Just before reaching
this point, we find the river 30 crooked that by
making portage in one place of an eighsh of
mile, we save distance Of nearly II miles
of water navigation. -0.'
We are now on the 47th parallel line of latir
tude, and find the air peculiarly clear and in
vigorating. The physical system has moree en-.
durance with less fatigue, than in any other
part of the globe we have ever visited. The
air both day and night is exceedingly clear and
transparent, and the brilliant pyroteehnics of
the Northern Lights surpasses everything we
have ever before witnessed. Brilliant cones
are formed with the rapidity of magic; and
after vomiting forth sheets of lurid fame, and
myriad balls of burning fire, for perhaps forty
or fifty seconds, the scene Is instantly changed
to one vast sea OF boiling, seething fame
licking, swallowing and consuming stars, plan
cts and floating shadows. No pencil can
truthfully portray the brilliant, the grand, the
awful subhmity of the magnificent Aurora b.
reals, witnessed in this latitude.
From this point up to the moath of Otter
River, measuring about fifteen miles, we make
the entire distance over difficult end dangerous
rapids ;-evezy man constantly on the alert to
protect himself from daeking, and the canoe
from instant destruction. The river is con-
stantly becoming narrower, crookeder, with
sharp, jutting banks, and the numerous rapids
sleeper and more dangerous
Continuing our journey up the perilous and
tortuous stream about sixteen miles,-passing
the mouth of Cedar River on our left, we reach
the Upper Embaras!
Where this river and the st. Louis unites,
the former is decidedly the largest, and is no
doubt honestly entitled to the htter's name.
The st. Louis is the tributary in this case, and
comes in from Seven Beaver Lake at the north
east-draining the southern slope of the Mas
sahba Washes, "a high range of iron and gran
lite mountain-about fifteen miles wide and ex-
tending from the northeast to the southwest
for about sixty or seventy miles.
The Nassahba Washoe, the Giant Mountain,
1--WE spell it as it is pronounced by the Indians)
ID noble looking old mountain, and is said to
abound in wild game Of the choicest kinds,
such as bear, corrabon and marten.
Taking leave Of the ST. Louis at this point,
but keeping in the channel Of the largest body
of water, we follow up the Upper Embarras
River for three miles and obtain our first view
in the distance of the Dividing Ridge-separat-
ing the waters Of Lake Superior from those OF
Hudson Bay. e- f7'1- s.
The timber In this vicinity u generally small
and consists of tanarack, elder aud high bush
cranberry, with light sprinkling OF son n.a.
pie and balm Of gilead.
A voyage of about twenty miles on the Up
per Embarrss River brings us TO the com
increment of . chain of lakes seven in num-
Der, connected by short strong and powerful
rapids.977t 0| r
z The water in these Lakes Is al lighter co.or
than that running IN ali The surrounding
streams, which leads us TO infer that they are
principally fed BY living springs
These lakes are generally designated by their
uUAuckhN uaLuc, uuuUcE Ouc Utluk VIC lOWSE
or southern lake. To the eye of painter or
poet this chain of infantile sheets presents q
scene as lovely as 1t Is rare. They range from
q quarter of q mile to three and half miles in
length, and are from one-quarter to half mile
apart.
Number one, being the first we enter, is
known to the Chippewas as Esquagama-Sarg-
aragar, which, like the large majority of In
dian names, possesses an appropriate meaning;
Sargaragar being lake. and Esquagama mean
ing the beginning or commencement Thus
Esquagame Sargaragar means the first or com
mencement of this chain of beautiful lakes
The fourth lake is the smallest, being but about
a quarter of a mile in length. The fifth is the
more picturesque of the chain, and is sur
rounded by The highest hills and finest scenery.
We here obtain our first view of granite and
other peculiar rocks offering their silent but
unmissakable testimony that we are on the d.
rect route to the gold mines.