162 NAKEATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION. 



CHAPTEE XIV. 



Descent of the river from the site of Little Crow's Village to Prairie du Chien — In- 

 cidents of the voyage, and notices of the scenery and natural history. 



The next morning we embarked at 5 o'clock. On descending 

 tlie river six miles, we passed the mouth of the St. Croix.* This 

 stream heads on high lands, which form a rim of hills around the 

 southern and western shores of Lake Superior, where it is con- 

 nected with the River Misacoda, or Broule of Fond da Lac. The 

 Namakagon, its southern branch of it, is connected with the 

 Maskigo,! or Mauvais River of La Pointe, Lake Superior. Im- 

 mediately above its point of entrance into the Mississippi the St. 

 Croix expands into a beautiful lake, which is some twelve miles 

 long, and about two in width. The borders of the Mississippi 

 about this point assume an increased height, and more imposing 

 aspect. In many places, as the voyager descends from this spot 

 to Lake Pepin, he observes the calcareous cliffs to terminate in 

 pyramids ; the crest of the hills frequently resemble the crumbling 

 ruins of antique towers. At 12 o'clock we came to the vicinity 

 of an isolated calcareous cliff, called La Grange, which may be 

 regarded as one of those monuments resulting from geological 

 denudation, which constitute a striking feature in the St. Peter's 

 region. The top of this cliff affords a fine view of the scenery of 

 the Mississippi for a long distance above and below it. It has 

 been found to be three hundred and twenty-two feet above the 

 river.ij: 



* This river was explored by me in 1832. Vide Schoolcraft's Expedilion to Itasca 

 Lake. 1 vol. 8vo. p. 307—1834: N. Y., Harpers. 



f In 1831, this river was ascended by me with a public expedition, dispatched 

 into the Indian country to quell the disturbances which eventuated the next year in 

 the Sauk war. Vide Schoolcraft's Thirty Years in the Indian Country. Lippincott, 

 Grambo, & Co., Philad. : 1 vol. p. 703, 1851. 



X Doc. 237. 



