St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-04


Manomin lake, through which the
Piniddiwin takes it's course, revealed
meager signs only of the migratory
pathway of the mound builders. but
enough to satisfy us that they had
formerly occupied the premises. Pass
ing down the river, which meanders
through the extensive meadow to the
eastward, we passed to the first plateau
below the mouth of Cow Horn creek
and landed for a monday lunch at
the fractional northwest quarter of
section 20, township 146, range 81, Bel
trami county. Here we discovered the
evidences. of a former large village
site of mound builders. Numerous pot
terry shards, spalls and arrow-points
were found on both sides of the river.
A search for the moundsi of the locality
being unsuccessful, we proceeded on
our way and camped for the night
on the north bank of the river, at
lot /, section q, township. -146,
range "a. Proceeding upon ours .yoy-
age, we discovered
NUMEROUS EVIDENCES
at the extensive sand bank upon sec
ton Is, and afterWard it was learned
that there was a large mound in the
same neighborhood. At Carrs field,
at the mouth of Naiwa river, where
the same unites with the Mississippi,
at the fractional southeast quarter of
section 20, township 146, range SO,
numerous evidences of a large, pre-
historic village site were selected from
the upturned earth in the cultivated
field there situated. We sailed up
Naiwa river through the first lake and
camped on the east shore of the sec
ond handsome body of water, first
north from the picturesque Plantage-
net, which is the Resting lake of
Aliens map. On May II, with varying
winds, we reached an encampment at
Bemidji lake, on the east bank of the
Mississippi, at its entrance into this
magnificent body of water. Our en-
campment was the site of the encamp-
ment of prehistoric man, for on every
hand and on either side of the river
we gather promiscuously the relics
and remnants of the mound-bui1ding
race of men, including a perforated
cowry shell (cypraea annulus.) We
learned that the mounds of this local
ity were situated at an eminence west
of Lake Irving. I explored the unique
geological ridge between Lakes Irving
and Bemidji, and entertain some
reasons for believing that modified
mounds are to be found on this ridge,
which has been variously occupied by
the Ojibways for a hundred years or
more. At the outlet of Bemidji lake,
on both sides of the Mississippi, relics
of the mound builders were picked up
and a large mound discovered i'm
iaf n1x 81 fI0
bank of the river and east of the lake
at the base of very old oak tree
This mound was excavated and found
to be of black sandy loan, containing
the remains of original interments
only one of which was removed, in a
fair state of preservation. In passing
down the river the most northerly course
of the Mississippi at my camp of the
year previous, known as
CAMP BOUTWELL,. -
was reached and passed, and the fair
stage of water in the river gave us
great pleasure in voyaging over and
down the numerous rapids extending
from the Bemidji outlet to the locality
of the Tascodfac. Here I take issue
with DR.. Coues, who, in 1.-The An
nails of Iowa" for April last, deplores
the low water and impossible rapids
of this portion of his voyage of 1884,
That was a season of drouth, and now
this particular portion of the Missts-
sippi is the most romantic and pic
turesque of the entire upper basin of
the river, easy to navigate and inter-
esting to explore. The night of May Il
found us encamped at a limited plateau
on the west bank of the river, .oppo-
site a small grassy island, about three
miles above Tascodiac lake. Pottery
shards were found at our landing place
Proceeding on the morning of the, Nth,
we soon went into camp, on acconntaof
rain, at the edge Of the Taseodiac
meadows and within sight of the lake.
Having discovered four extensive, effigy
mounds, at the summit of the hills
on the north bank of the river, the
18th Of May was the time. allotted
to survey and excavate this curious
group. They seem to have been con.
structed for some unknown purpose
tains over 100 tons of earth. An ex.
cavation of the most southerly mound
Of the group, to the original surface,
brought nothing tc light bearing upon
the question of purpose in the con-
struction of these old earthly effigies.
Subsequently the village sites and
mounds of prehistoric Tascodiac man
were located on both sides of the
Mississippi at the outlet of the lake,