HISTORICAL SKETCH. 29 



1806, Pike.] 



then make a portage of half a mile Into Otter Tail lake which is a principal source of Red river. 

 The other branch of the river De Corbeau [Long Prairie R.] bears S. W. and approximates with 

 the St. Peters. The whole of this river is rapid, and by no means affording so much water as the 

 Mississippi. Their confluence is in lat. 45 49' 50" N. In this division the elk, deer and buff alo were 

 probably in greater quantities than in any other part of my whole voyage. From thence to Pine 

 river the Mississippi continues to become narrower and has but few islands. In this distance I 

 discovered but one rapid which the force of the frost had not entirely covered with ice. The 

 shores in general presented a dreary prospect of high barren knobs covered with dead and fallen 

 pine timber. To this there were some exceptions of ridges of yellow and pitch pine, also some 

 small bottoms of lynn, elm, oak and ash. The adjacent country is (at least two-thirds) covered 

 with small lakes, some of which are three miles in circumference. This renders the communica- 

 tion impassable in summer, except with small bark canoes. * * * The Pine river bears from 

 the Mississippi north 30 east, although it empties in on that which has hitherto been termed the 

 west shore. It is 80 yards wide at its mouth, and has an island immediately at the entrance. It 

 communicates with the lake La Sang Sue by the following course of navigation: In one day's sail 

 from the confluence you arrive at the first part of Wliitefish lake, which is about six miles long and 

 two wide. From thence you pursue the river about two miles, and come to the Second Whitefish 

 lake, which is about three miles long and one wide ; then you have the river three miles to the 

 third lake, which is seven miles long and two in width (which I crossed on my return from the 



head of the Mississippi, on the of February, and is in 46 32' 32" N. latitude). From thence 



you follow the river a quarter of a mile to the fourth lake, which is a circular one of about five 

 miles in circumference. From thence you pursue the river one day's sail to a small lake ; from 

 thence two days' sail to a portage, which conveys you to another lake ; from whence, by small 

 portages from lake to lake, you make the voyage to Leech lake. The whole of this course lays 

 through ridges of pines or swamps of pinenet, sap pine,* hemlock, &c., &c. From the river De 

 Corbeau to this place the deer are very plenty, but we found no more buffalo or elk. From this 

 spot to Bed Cedar lake the pine ridges are interrupted by large bottoms of elm, ash, oak and 

 maple, the soil of which would be very proper for cultivation. From the appearance of the ice 

 (which was firm and equal) I conceive that there can be but one ripple in this distance. Eed Cedar 

 lake lays on the east side of the Mississippi, at the distance of 6 miles from it, and very near equally 

 distant from the river De Corbeau and lake De Sable. Its form is an oblong square, and may be 

 ten miles in circumference. From this to lake De Sable, on the] E. shore, you meet with Muddy 

 river ,t which discharges itself into the Mississippi by a mouth twenty yards wide, and bears nearly 

 N. E. We then meet with Pike river! on the west, about 77 [17?] miles below Sandy lake, and bears 

 nearly due north, up which you ascend with canoes four days' sail and arrive at a wild-rice 

 lake, which you pass through and enter a small stream, and ascend it two leagues ; then cross a 

 portage of two acres into a lake seven leagues in circumference ; then two leagues of a river into 

 another small lake. From thence you descend the current N. E. [N. W?] into Leech lake. The 

 banks of the Mississippi are still bordered by the pines of the different species, except a few small 

 bottoms of elm, lynn and maple. The game scarce, and the aborigines subsist almost entirely 

 on the beaver, with a few moose and the wild rice or oats. 



Sandy lake river (or the discharge of said lake) is large, but is only six miles in length from 

 the lake to its confluence with the Mississippi. Lake De Sableft is about 25 miles in circum- 

 ference, and has a number of small rivers running into it ; one of those is entitled to particular 

 mention, viz., the river Savanna, which by portage of three miles and three-quarters, communicates 

 with the river St. Louis, which empties into lake Superior at the Fond du Lac, and is the channel 

 by which the N. W. Company bring all their goods for the trade of the upper Mississippi. Game 

 is very scarce in this country. In ascending the Mississippi from Sandy lake, you first meet with 

 Swan river on the east, which bears nearly due E. and is navigable for bark canoes ninety miles to 

 Swan lake. You then meet with the Meadow river,|| which falls in on the east, and bears nearly 

 E. by N., and is navigable for canoes 100 miles. You then in ascending meet with a very strong 

 ripple, and an expansion of the river, where it forms a lake. This is three miles below the falls 

 of Packegamau, and from which the noise of the shoot might be heard. The course of the river 

 at the falls was X. 70 W., and just below, the river is a quarter of a mile in width, but above the 



"Tamarac and baUam fir; but hemlock does not occur. tRice River. J Willow river. gSandy lake. (Prairie river. 



