HISTORICAL SKETCH. 87 



1850, Pope.] 



was White Bear lake, with an average width ot two miles, and a length ot 

 perhaps eight or ten miles east and west, seventy-five miles from Sauk 

 Rapids. "The heavily timbered highlands that range parallel with the 

 Mississippi and back some distance from it, edge upon this lake. * * * 

 On the north of the lake the prairie is broken and irregular, but the east, 

 west and south borders lie handsomely for cultivation." The lakes are all 

 described as having abundance of excellent fish. Fourteen miles from 

 White Bear lake he reached Pike lake, and twelve miles further crossed 

 the main branch of the Chippewa river. After passing Elk and Elbow lakes 

 he came to Rabbit river, then Otter-tail Lake river flowing south of west. 

 At the ford of the latter stream he states the bottom of the river is "rocky", 

 the banks are good, water two to three feet deep and some fifty yards wide. 

 Twenty-two miles further he crossed the Red river again, ten or fifteen 

 miles below the mouth of the Bois des Sioux river. The rest of his journey 

 was in Dakota, and he returned by the same route. Respecting the country 

 west of the Red river he says it is "a level, marshy region back about thirty 

 miles to Pembina mountain, which rises into a high peak near the forty- 

 ninth parallel and ranges off nearly south, forming the western border of 

 the valley of the Red river, and connects with the highlands extending out 

 from lake Traverse near the headwaters of the St. Peter's river." 



CAPT. POPE'S REPORT OF THE PEMBINA EXPEDITION. 



Capt. Pope's report of the same expedition was addressed to Col. J. J. 

 Abert, of the corps of topographical engineers, and was dated February 5, 

 1850, transmitted from St. Louis, Missouri, and printed by order of the Senate, 

 Ex. Doc. No. 42, 31st Congress, first session. Instead of returning to Fort 

 Snelling by the route by which the expedition went out, Capt. Pope organ- 

 ized a party which ascended the Red river of the North from Pembina to 

 Otter-tail lake in canoes, and thence reached the Mississippi by Leaf and 

 Crow Wing rivers, for the purpose of further exploration of the country. 

 He places the head of navigation at a point in the vicinity of the mouth ot 

 the Sioux Wood river, distant forty miles from the St. Peter's. The Pomme 

 de Terre river he mentions under the name Tipsenah, or Potato river. 



" The valley of the Red river is entirely alluvial in its formation, no 



