The National tribune., 1898-11-24

side OF the river, from j une b 10 10, making
oaly few miles each day. The rain poured
down almost without intermission, not only
to our personal discomfort, but greatly Il
the increase of the difficulty of moving a,
alt
On the 18th, however, we reached Sank
Rapids, the first on the river above those OF
81. Anthony. Just above Sank Rapids there
WAS at that time ferry across the river and
Jog house. both the property of a settler
named Gilman. Here we recrossed to the
west side of the river, having been forced to
the east side from Smelling to Sank Rapids
by the heavy timber and difficult ground On
.he west side
AtSauk Rapids also we left the Mississippi
end pushed directly out toward the bend of
the Red River of the North where it leaves
the rolling and comparatively elevated region
on its head waters and turning due north de-
sends into the vast level plain. or rather
prairie, which extends 300 miles to Pembina
without an elevation of 10 feet above the
ground anywhere on its surface.
The region of country upon which we
entered after leaving the Mississippi is that
embraced between that river on the east the
Red River to its bend on the north and the
Minnesota on the south 1t is slightly
elevated above the general level of the vast
prairie south OF the British line. and is net
work of lakes great and small, with swift
running streams connecting them, which are
the small tributaries of these three large
rivers The surface is gently undulating,
and in general prairie country, but the
lakes and small streams wherein the water is
as clear as crystal, are surrounded in part by
open oak groves and other forest trees SO
grouped that one cannot avoid the idea that
be is travelling in an old-settled country.
l think this the most beautiful and attract
i've champaign ] ever saw, and the fertility
of its soil, the abundance of fine water and
If excellent timber make it a sort of garden
spot for the emigrant 1t was named be-
cause of its physical features the "Undine
region u by Mr.. Nicollet, who explored it in
1886.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.
From June Is to July II we marched
across this country, the beauties of which
we're greatly marred to our view by the con-
tinuous and heavy rains which poured down
npon Us day after day, attended by such ter
rife thunder and lightning as / never heard
pr saw elsewhere. The whole party was
struck by lightning one afternoon while we
were in camp on couple of small lakes,
which / named Lightning Lakes and which
retain the name to this day. While no one was
killed several of the men and two of the Off
Ders were so seriously injured that they did
not recover for months; indeed, one of them
never did entirely get over it.
Before we had left the Mississippi a week
we had become very uneasy about the
lightning, and none of US yentured to re-
main IN our tents during one of these
storms, and as they were almost continuous,
night and day, it may be imagined we did
not suffer from drought. To add TO our happi-
ness the musketos attacked both ourselves and
our animals in such numbers and with such
ferocity that in truth we should have utterly
Euccumbed to them but that we protected
ourselves in manner which gave Us almost
as much discomfort as the musketos Each
Of Us wore double vail, like bag open at
both ends, the upper end being fastened to
the top Of the hat, the lower drawn close
around the neck. These with heavy gatnt-
Lets which came up TO the elbow saved us
from the musketos, but subjected us to the
danger Of being suffocated. The animals
refused to eat under the attacks of these
rabid insects, and stood huddled together in
the smoke OF heavy fires built at several
points in the camp and which were partially
smothered to give as much smoke as possible
1t was not until we had sent back and
obtained bolts of unbleached domestic to
wrap the animals in that we were able to
proceed with any certainty that our stock
would not give out under these attacks before
we had fairly begun our journey.
can readily imagine that thin-skinned
animals unaccnst5med TO that region might
very well be driven wild or actually killed
by these vast swarIns Of voracious insects
Just before reaching the first crossing Of
The Red River we met a small party OF Eng
Iish going into ST. Paul with train of carts,
such as j have described, and shortly after
ward we met Mr.. n. w. Kittson with
much larger train on his way also TO ST.
Paul with peltries for the American Fur
Company, of which he was the agent at
Pembina
When he resumed his journey south he
placed his house at Pembina at our disposal
On Aug. II. the main Red River where it
aebouches into the plain at the mouth of
its principal tributary, the Bois DIES Sioux
River, the outlet Of Lake TraYers Here at
point few miles below we spent several
days, and settled upon a point on the left
bank of Red River 20 miles or so below as the
site of the proposed military post on Red
RiEer The post was afterwards built there
and kept up for many years, but it should
have been placed at Penbina; it was never
Of any service where it was established.
-- SHOOTING BISON.
From this place re again moved north
Along the Red River, The vast plain which
we trayeTsed furnished nothing OF interest
beyond the muliitades Of wild flowers which
everywhere adorned It's surface and the oc-
casional small herds OF buffalo which we
came upon from tine 30 time AS they were |
the first | had ever seen they of course in
terested me
AS IL seemed TO be considered essential to !
hisrespeetability that anyone who adyentured
In these remote regions should be able truth |
fully To say that lie bad killed a buffalo. we |
ali started out on horseback TO perform this
chiHairic duty on the first herd we met 4
succeeded IN separating one old bull from the
herd and chased him down into the bed of
a snail swampy stream. From weakness
and old age he mired down, and lighting a
cigar Shutdown OF the steep bank just above,
and killed him deliberately after a long
fnlsiilade. This fulfilled the requirements
OF frontier opinion. and hunted buffalo no
more. To call such work sport is absurd. 1t
was neither more dangerous nor more difficult
tl,al 10 chase and shoot 80 many domestic
cattle.
At last, on Aug. J. we arrived at Penlbina
ard completed one of the hardest, most I'M
comfortable and most trying marches ever
l.of e. ~