Feather stonhavgWs Geological Report. 129 



the right hank, and not from the east, the intervening space 

 being occupied by the present main channel. From the top of 

 Trernpe ct Veau, its whole history is seen at a glance : the 

 eastern bluffs are distant at least five miles from it, and in one 

 part recede still more; an extensive prairie, having few or no 

 trees, extending east and west about twenty -five miles, and 

 from five to six miles wide, north-by-east, by compass, sep 

 arating this out-lier from those bluffs to the east. It is evident 

 that the Mississippi has once passed north of this out-lier, 

 has covered the prairie, then a lake, and has coasted the dis 

 tant eastern bluffs. This affords another incontrovertible 

 instance of that remarkable reduction of the fresh-water level 

 of this continent, before alluded to, at which period the con 

 tracted channel left the then lake, and cut off the Trempe a 

 Veau from the right bank. Ompedo Wakeen, brother to 

 Wabeshah, a celebrated chief of a neighboring band of Naco- 

 tahs, told me, on the evening of the day 1 visited the place, 

 that the Indians called it Minnay Chonkahah, or Bluff in the 

 water, and that they resorted to it at the beginning of the 

 wild-geese season, to make offerings to Wakon, or the deity, 

 for success in hunting. 



A few miles higher up, there is another prairie on the right 

 bank, where Wabeshah s band have their lodges ; and about 

 half way from this place to Lake Pepin, is another, on the same 

 side of the river, still more extensive, and bordered with cedar 

 trees. Having a copy of Carver s Travels with me, and having 

 always found his descriptions deserving of very great confi 

 dence, I had been anxious to discover a remarkable locality 

 he speaks of,* and which, from the doubts expressed by other 



* &quot; One day, having landed on the shore of the Mississippi, some miles below 

 Lake Pepin, whilst my attendants were preparing my dinner, I walked out to take 

 a view of the adjacent country. 1 had not proceeded far before I came to a line, 

 level, open plain, on which I perceived, at a little distance, a partial elevation, that 

 had the appearance of an intrenchmcnt. On a nearer inspection I had greater rea 

 son to suppose that it had really been intended for this many centuries ago. Not 

 withstanding it was now covered with grass, I could plainly discern that it had 



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