90 THE GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



[Reno, 1853 



On the 19th of September we made a portage of one mile toward the east, to a small round 

 lake about one and a half mile in diameter. This lake is completely isolated, having no apparent 

 outlet or inlet. From the dip of the land, and the evident marks of an artificial obstruction (said 

 to be a beaver dam) I am quite satisfied that this lake at one time discharged its waters into Otter- 

 tail lake. The evidences of this kind of obstruction are numerous throughout this region of country, 

 and, whatever may be the theory as to the original extent of the waters, it is quite certain that the larg- 

 est of the lakes lias been divided into several smaller ones by the occurrence of these artificial dams. 



The small lake on which we again embarked ia our canoe is about ten feet deep, the water 

 very clear, and no doubt containing abundance of fish. 



A second portage of about twenty yards, over a dam of the same character, brought us to 

 another lake of about the same size; a third portage of about half a mile through dwarf oak, 

 brought us at the western extremity of Leaf lake, the source of Leaf river, which is a tributary of 

 the Crow Wing. We had thus, in two hours, passed with our boat and baggage from the waters 

 of the Red river of the North, which flow into the Hudson's bay, to the waters pouring into the 

 gulf of Mexico. 



The tributaries of the Red river of the North, and those of the Mississippi overlap each other 

 to such an extent that I suppose there are a thousand places where a portage even shorter would 

 have enabled us to pass from the waters of one into those of the other. 



CAPT. EENO S ROAD FROM THE BIG SIOUX RIVER TO MENDOTA. 



In 1853 Capt. J. L. Reno executed a survey for a military road trom the 

 mouth of the Big Sioux river to Mendota. The carefully prepared and very 

 full map transmitted with his report, seems not to have been published. 

 After crossing the Des Moines river and traveling ten miles further, he 

 entered Minnesota. This was in the vicinity ot lakes which he names 

 Spirit, Okamanpidan, and Omanhu, being, as he supposed, in the Undine 

 region of Nicollet. He crossed the Chaniushkah and Perch rivers, the 

 former a branch of the Blue Earth and the latter of the Watonwan. The 

 route chosen lay along the west side of the Blue Earth to its union with the 

 Minnesota, thence to Mankato, and thence on the Shakopee stony terrace to 

 Babcock's mill near Kasota. Here the road left the river and ascended to the 

 table-land, nearly 300 feet above the Minnesota, and entered the " Big Woods," 

 owing to the discontinuance of the "second bottom." Opposite Traverse 

 des Sioux Capt. Reno encountered Capt. Dodd of Minnesota, who had antici- 

 pated the government and had recently constructed a road from St. Paul to 

 Rockbend (a short distance above Traverse des Sioux), thus much aiding 

 Capt. Reno in getting through the unexplored labyrinth of lakes and marshes 

 which there characterize the Big Woods. Passing by way of Eagle lake, 

 Lakeville and the western border ot the Vermilion prairie to the Mendota 

 and Cannon river road, he followed it for six miles into Mendota. 



