The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-19
For the True Northerner.
From the Upper .UfssOuri.


In little while, when | had begun to get
used to this mode OF travelling, / began to
study my fellow passengers. There we're on
board army officers, who make it their partic-
ular business to keep the Indians hostile TO
the whites There were miners and adventur
ers. There were three clergyman, each Of
whom believed himself right and the other
wrong. Both card players and Bible readers
in fact all kinds and all grades. One young
fellow that went by the name of Buckskin the
name probably being derived from the suit he
wore was returning to the gold mines from
which he came last fall with the sum of five
thousand dollars aud upwards, which he had
accumulated and of which he was robbed by a
New York sharper, again to gather precious
metal which he thinks he will be able to retain
at another time, for wisdom is born Of ex-
perience." We we're yet new on the river, and
The first tumult Of our Impressions had hardly
subsidized. Our senses were wide awake to
catch every characteristic of the scene, and
seemed if 1 may use the expression, rather
baked at first by the fewness OF the scenes
that presented themselves to our notice. Per-
haps the most remarkable feature of the river
margin ls the line OF hills that stretch along
the whole distance, except where 1t is broken
through by a narrow strip OF bottom land,
often covered with cottonwood timber. On
the night Of the sixth we had made about sixty
miles, and on the seventh OF April passed a
little town called Vermillion, and situated at
the mouth Of q small river Of the same name.
l may mention here once for all that the speed
Of the steamer is exceedingly slow, when a
long distance of two thousand miles is con-
sdered. not moving at a rate of more than ten
miles an hour; sometimes 1t falls much below
this, especially when some of the sand bars
with which this river Is filed, obstructs our
passage, and at other times when the channel
is clear we reach twelve and even fifteen miles
per honr. / shall not mention any remarkable
variation in our speed, requesting the reader
for the present to imagine us proceeding at
something less than ten miles an hour.
On the morning OF April Sth, the boat was
in motion as usual at an early hour, but owing
to the inclemency Of the weather little pro-
gress was made during the day. A northwest
Wluu, COlu anu cuJtluR, Camo WnIsJluB over Tue
tops Of the hills, and seemed to be sucked
down into the hollow through which we were
slowly propelled in opposition to its mighty
strength. On all sides perpendicular masses OF
rocks reared themselves, looking like vast
ruined walls enclrcllng Us.
On the following morning the weather some
what sbated. and we we're able to make good
distance up the river. Large numbers OF ducks
were seen while flJcks OF wild geese aud swans
were no uncommon sight. April 10Th a blus-
tering snow storm set in which lasted till the
following morning. The waves ran i,gh and
the Ida Rees after laboring for some time was
brought to aud tied near the shore where she
remained until the fury OF the wind, passed
away. The 11th was fair day, which re-
minded US that April is one OF the changesble
months OF the year. Snow clad hills presented
themselves on both sides OF the river, while In
front might DO seen large hocks OF wild geese
raising from the water generally flying to the
ton OF some distant hin, there TO rcr, IN until
we passed by. A few Indians presented them
selves on the river bank, who / was told we're
OF the Sioux and Yankton tribes.
We passed Fort Randall on the 18th OF April.