PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY. 33 



his third journey, in 1700, names llie St. Peter's as familiarly- 

 known and acknowledged l)y traders. As for my part, I liave 

 no hesitation in assigninii; its origin to a Canadian by the name 

 of Dc St. Pierre, who resided for a long lime thereabouts. 

 Carver, in referring to the supposed fortifications which lie 

 visited below Lake Pepin, mentions a Mr. J)e St. Pierre; but 

 this was sixty-four years after the travels of Lesueur. How- 

 ever, waiving any further inquiry into the origin of this name, 

 it is desirable that it sliould not be changed, because it is an 

 important link in tiie liislory of the geogi*aphical discoveries 

 made in this region, as well as a constant point of reference 

 by travellers over it ; so tliat any change would throw addi- 

 tional obscurity upon the early history of the country. 



"The name which the Sioux give to the St. Peter's River is 

 Mini-sotah ; and to St. Peter's as a station, Mdote-mini- 

 sutah. The adjective sotah is of diihcult translation. Tlic 

 Canadians translate it by a pretty equivalent French word, 

 hrouille — perhaps most properly rendered into Englisli by 

 blear; as, for instance, nmii-sotah, blear water, or tlie entrance 

 of the blear water. I have entered upon this explanation 

 because the word sotah really means neither clear nor turbid, 

 as some authors have asserted ; its true meaning being found 

 in the Sioux expression, islita sotah, blear eyed. After the 

 same manner they call the Falls of St. Anthony rara, from 

 Irara, to laugh, descriptive of the imitative sound they arc 

 supposed to produce. The Chippeways are more accurate ; 

 by them the Falls are called Kakabikah, or severed rock ; and 

 the St. Peter's River Ashkibogi sibi, the Green Leaf River." 

 — Nic, pp. 68, 69. 



*' From actual measurements made by Mr. H. Sibley and 



myself, the width of the St. Peter's at the crossing-place, 



above its confluence, is 320 feet ; that of the Missisippi, 



below Fort Snclling, and outside of the gorge whence it issues, 



3* 



