These Are The Waters Which I
Consider To Be The Utmost Sources Of The Mississippi.
Those that flow
from the southern side of the same heights, and empty themselves into
Elbow Lake, are the utmost sources of the Red River of the North; so
that the most remote feeders of Hudson's Bay and the Gulf of Mexico
are closely approximated to each other."
Of the country above Crow Wing, he makes the following observations,
which are not less interesting than instructive: "Over the whole route
which I traversed after leaving Crow Wing River, the country has a
different aspect from that which the banks of the Mississippi above
the falls present. The forests are denser and more varied; the soil,
which is alternately sandy, gravelly, clayey, and loamy, is, generally
speaking, lighter excepting on the shores of some of the larger lakes.
The uplands are covered with white and yellow pines, spruce and birch;
and the wet lowlands by the American larch and the willow. On the
slopes of sandy hills, the American aspen, the canoe birch (white
birch), with a species of birch of dwarfish growth, the alder, and
wild rose, extend to the very margin of the river. On the borders of
the larger lakes, where the soil is generally better, we find the
sugar maple, the black and bar oaks (also named overcup white oak, but
differing from the white oak), the elm, ash, lime tree, &c. Generally
speaking, however, this woodland does not extend back farther than a
mile from the lakes. The white cedar, the hemlock, spruce, pine, and
fir, are occasionally found; but the red cedar is scarce throughout
this region, and none, perhaps, are to be seen but on islands of those
lakes called by the Indians Red Cedar Lakes. The shrubbery consists
principally of the wild rose, hawthorn, and wild plum; and
raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and cranberries are abundant.
"The aspect of the country is greatly varied by hills, dales, copses,
small prairies, and a great number of lakes; the whole of which I do
not pretend to have laid down on my map. * * * * The lakes to which I
have just alluded are distributed in separate groups, or are arranged
in prolonged chains along the rivers, and not unfrequently attached to
each other by gentle rapids. It has seemed to me that they diminish in
extent on both sides of the Mississippi, as we proceed southwardly, as
far as 43 degrees of north latitude; and this observation extends to
the Arctic region, commencing at Bear's Lake; or Slave Lake, Winnipeg
Lake, &c. It may be further remarked that the basins of these lakes
have a sufficient depth to leave no doubt that they will remain
characteristic features of the country for a long time to come.
Several species of fish abound in them. The white fish (Corregonus
albus) is found in all the deep lakes west of the Mississippi and,
indeed, from Lake Erie to the Polar Sea. That which is taken in Leech
Lake is said by amateurs to be more highly flavored than even that of
Lake Superior, and weighs from three to ten pounds.* * * Of all the
Indian nations that I have visited, the Chippewas, inhabiting the
country about the sources of the Mississippi, are decidedly the most
favored. Besides their natural resources (to which I have already
referred) of fish, wild rice, and maple sugar, with the addition of an
abundance of game, the climate is found to be well adapted to the
culture of corn, wheat, barley, oats, and pulse. The potato is of
superior quality to that of the Middle States of the Union. In a
trading point of view, the hunt is very profitable. The bear, the deer
and elk, the wolf, the fox, the wolverine, the fisher raccoon,
muskrat, mink, otter, marten, weasel, and a few remaining beavers, are
the principal articles of this traffic." (pp. 58, 64.) To those who
are desirous of perusing this valuable report, and who have access to
the congressional documents, I would say that it may be found in
Senate Document 237, 2d Session of 26th Congress.
LETTER X.
VALLEY OF THE RED RIVER OF THE NORTH.
Climate of Minnesota The settlement at Pembina St. Joseph Col.
Smith's expedition Red River of the North Fur trade Red River
Settlement The Hudson's Bay Company Ex-Gov. Ramsey's
observations Dacotah.
CROW WING, October, 1856.
A CELEBRATED geographer of the first century wrote, "Germany is indeed
habitable, but is uninhabited on account of the cold." I am not so
certain, but some people have a similar idea of the upper portion of
Minnesota. If there are any, however, thus distrustful of its climate,
they probably live out of the territory. I have no means of knowing
what the climate is here in winter, except from hearsay and general
principles. It seems to be an approved theory, that the farther we
approach the west in a northern latitude the milder becomes the
winter. The stage-drivers tell me that the snow does not fall to such
a depth as in the northern part of New England; that the weather is
tolerably uniform; and that the roads are at all times kept open and
much travelled. After all, it is a great way before we come to the
home of the Esquimaux, and the desert of ice where Sir John Franklin
perished.
I will here subjoin the following extract from a letter addressed to
Gov. Stephens by the Hon. Henry M. Rice, the able delegate from
Minnesota. It is dated 3d June, 1854:
"Navigation of the Mississippi River closes from the 10th to the 25th
of November, and opens from the 1st to the 10th of April. That of the
Red River of the North closes from the 1st to 16th November, and opens
from 10th to 25th April. I have often travelled in the winter from St.
Paul to Crow Wing, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles, with a
single horse and sled, without a track, and have never found the snow
deep enough to impede my progress.
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