Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-08-15


hoodst" asked one Of the surveyors.
The are many good-sizad lakes in the
upper river VALLEY. said the pilot, and
in the rainy season the banks OF those
lakes often get washed out, and the water
comes down like a cl0udburst into the
next river, bringing DOM torn-np trees
enough to carry everything before IT, and
change the looks Of the lagoons In a way
that you would not know your old landing
place the next day.
The south branch Of the Sumasinta
proved to be muah narrower than the north
channel, but by the skill Of a pilot the boat
was steered safely through all its windings
for three days, thanks also to q considera-
bic rlse, there having been week OF heavy
rains IN the hill country OF the upper river
valley. Five CT six times during that sixty
hours voyage the explorers battered them
selves with tie hope of having gained the
broad waters of the main stream, but every
time hat hope was batti I'd by the discovery
that the supposed river was merely deep
lagoon hemmed in by mud banks all
around, except at a point where the current
found a narrow outlet into the unknown
wilderness of the swamp forests further
east.
One Of those lagoons, however, appeared
to have no outlet at ALL and an hour be-
fore the sunset of toIlsome day the ex-
Tlorer could no longer resist misglving
that they had got into another trap, and
would have to retrace their way the be st
they could They campel on dry land
that night and by the advice of their In
dian boatmen built large fire to scare off
the panthers that had left their tracks IN
the sand at the water edge. Wild beasts
OF some sort or other certainly seemed to
prowl about the camp, for again and
again their dog started up growing and
with all hos hair bristlng. Stealthy
steps could be heard IN the thicket. and
one Of the surveyors banged off hts rifle at
random, but that only made matters
worse, for the echo of the shot was an
swercd by the deafening screams of a
monkey troop IN the treetops of the
neighboring forest. The unucky rifle was
put out of sight, and they all spoke In
whisper for the next ten minutes, but
those monkeys refused to be quoted, and
kept up their screams till sleep seemed out
OF the question.
As a last remedy the travellers tried the
plan Of letting their FIRE 90 out, bat an
hour after they had to light it again, for
during the interval of darkness the mos
quito plague mad become absolutely intol-
cradle "Gnats of all sizes and shapes
come down like shower of hot ashes, y
saws the report of tue chlef surveyor, tand
they seemed to find their way through
every opening left tor breathing purposes,
and the night was so warm that person
would have been sutfocated In trying to
a ! n
quito screens are of no use az all in
those river swamps, many variety OF night
gnats being so small that they would
60 through like rats through a rail
fence.
The incessant screams of the monkeys
had awakened a sw rm Of water fowls IN
the fans of the lagoons, and when the
moon rose thousands of cranes and swamp
geese took wings, screaming till the noise
spoiled the chance of sleep, even for the
natives, whose ideas had become mosqjto
proof. Large fire flies lowered about the
bushes: fire beetles wheeled around in
weird circles and altogether it was the
strangest night the travellers had ever
passed in the woods
Anothers hours exploration confirmed
their suspicion the next morning; the la
COON bad no outlet that could possibly be
passed by boat, and only a days hard
work enabled the exulJrers to regain a
point where they could at least use their
sail They had taken the precantion to
fasten their baggage on a separate raft, or
they would have lost all their instruments,
for the boat clp.ized twice and was right
el only by the skill of the Indian swim
mprs. On the following dav 4 long
desired ea.t wind sprlng up, but when
they at last got back to LIS Cascades their
weary ooatmen refused food to indulge in
/ tie m re needed luxury of good. long
sleep. and the surveyors were so comp.et-
Il exhausted that they could hardly get
mp the steps at the landAg- place; and
they ali now agree with the storekeeper
| that the score of the Lower Sumasinta
river will remain unsolved for many years
to come.