SOURCE OP ST. Peter's river. 345 



the party was approaching to a primitive formation, and 

 that certainly the valley of the St. Peter had been one of 

 the channels through which the primitive boulders had 

 been removed from their original site. This assertion 

 was fully substantiated two days afterwards by the disco- 

 covery of the primitive rocks in situ. A very considera- 

 ble swell between the river and the right bank of the val- 

 ley, was supposed to be formed by the primitive rocks 

 rising to a greater level than usual. If it be occasion- 

 ed by an accumulation of fragments and boulders, as the 

 nature of its surface might lead to believe, it is a very in- 

 teresting feature in the valley. 



We passed soon after two Indian lodges, in one of which 

 was the chief Wamendetanka, (War Eagle,) generally 

 known by the name of the Black Dog. He rules over the 

 small village of Oanoska, situated near the mouth of the 

 St. Peter. He is not a man of note, neither is he acknow- 

 ledged as an independent chief, but being the head of an 

 extensive family, he separated from his tribe some years 

 ago ; he leads about forty warriors. We stopped but a 

 short time at his lodge, to exchange a few words with him ; 

 we admired much the appearance of his sons and daugh- 

 ters, who are tall, graceful, and well-formed. He is about 

 fifty years of age, and has much dignity in his appearance. 



The journey of the 18th of July, being across the prairie, 

 offered but little interest. The monotony of a prairie coun- 

 try always impresses the traveller with a melancholy, 

 which the sight of water, woods, &c. cannot fail to remove. 

 During that day we enjoyed no view of the river, and the 

 great scarcity of springs, and wood for cooking, made the 

 ti'avelling uncomfortable ; to these we must add a tempera- 

 ture of about 94°, exhibited by the thermometer when in the 

 shade, and protected against all radiation of heat. But the 



Vol. I. 44 



