HISTORICAL SKETCH. 81 



1850, Owen. 



for the purpose of impressing the Indians with the power of the government 

 and the necessity of committing no depredations on the settlers, than for 

 the purpose of learning the nature of the country. He left Fort Atkinson, 

 June 3d, and arrived at "Traverse des Sioux" June 22d, having met Lieut. 

 Allen June 13th, about midway between Fort Atkinson and the St. Peter's 

 river. The companies continued together from that time. From Traverse 

 des Sioux they marched to Lac qui Parle, where Capt. Sumner had an 

 important conference with the Warpvton Sioux, whom he distinguishes as 

 the "upper Sioux." He reached Big Stone lake on the 5th of July, where 

 he met in council a large band of Sissitons. He reached " Devil's lake" 

 on the forty-eighth degree of north latitude, on July 18th, where he had a 

 conference with a party of the Winnipeg half-breeds, numbering about 

 one hundred and eighty. He reached Traverse des Sioux on his return, the 

 7th of August; whence he repaired to Fort Atkinson on the llth, Capt. 

 Allen returning to Fort Des Homes. 



THE SURVEY OF D. D. OWEN, 1847^1850. 



The fine quarto volume which resulted from Dr. Owen's survey of Wis- 

 consin, Towa and Minnesota, was a report made in pursuance of instructions 

 from the Treasury Department, Washington, addressed to Hon. J. Butter- 

 field, Commissioner of the General Land Office, and was published by Lip- 

 cott, Grrainbo & Co., Philadelphia, in 1852. While it was not the first of the 

 scientific reports published by the IT. S. government relating to the geology 

 of the territories, it was the first of note conducted and published by other 

 than the Department ot War. It has proved to be the worthy sire of a 

 numerous progeny, the initiation and exemplar of a series of scientific publi- 

 cations by the U. S. government, partly under the War Department and 

 partly by the Department of the Interior, which have caused American 

 science to illumine the whole world. The work of Owen was continued by 

 Foster and Whitney, and revived and extended by Hayden. Dr. Owen's 

 field extended from St. Louis to the British line, and from the west shore ot 

 lake Michigan to the Missouri river. Its primary object was to derive 

 information for the removal of such lands as were valuable for their min- 

 eral resources from sale, in the land office at Washington. Such an inquiry 

 e 



