NARRATIVE OF THE EXPEDITION, 165 



and long has been, a noted look-out station for Chippewa war 

 parties, who descend this stream, against the Sioux. It commands 

 an extensive view of Lake Pepin. This lake was thought to be 

 two miles wide opposite our last night's encampment ; it narrows 

 to probably less than half a mile at its mouth. The west shore 

 along this portion of the lake consists of singularly striking, pic- 

 turesque, level, and elevated prairie lands. 



Carver, in 1768, places his remains of ancient circumvallations 

 in this vicinity, but "some miles below Lake Pepin."'" This Avas 

 a period when no attention had been directed to the subject of 

 antiquities in the L^nited States, and his mind appears to have 

 been impressed strongly by what he saw. As opportunities did 

 not allow me to land, nor was the precise spot, indeed, known to 

 any of our guides or men, reference can only be made to the ob- 

 servations of a man w^ho is known to have been the first Ameri- 

 can traveller that has called attention to our western antiquities. 

 Mr. H. Y. Hart, long a resident of this region, verball}^ assures 

 me that he has visited these works.f 



Chippewa Eiver, just referred to, comes into the Mississippi on 

 its left bank, within half a mile of the foot of Lake Pepin. It is 

 a tributary of prime volume, draining the Chippewa territories 

 lying around the south and west shores of Lake Superior. Origi- 

 nating on the sandy tracts extending over the elevated central 

 plains of the Wisconsin, it brings a large deposit of sand into the 

 Mississippi, the navigation of which is visibly more embarrassed 

 below this point Avith sand-bars, willovv^, and cotton-wood islands. 



At four o'clock in the afternoon we reached and landed at 

 "Wabashaw's village. It is eligibly seated on the west shore, 

 and consists of four of the large elongated Sioux lodges before 

 mentioned, containing a population of about sixty souls. The 

 usual intercourse and speeches of congratulation by the Indians, 

 and acknowledgment of the American authorities were made, and 

 we again embarked, after a detention of forty minutes. A few 

 miles below Wabashaw's village, we came to a high rocky or 

 mountain island, called La moniaigne qui trompe dans Veau, a term 

 which is shortened by western phraseology into Trompledo mount- 



* Carver's Travels, p. 30. 



f Mr. G. W. Featherstonehaugli, in Lis Gcolorjkal Rcconnoissance, in 18:34, landed 

 at the location of these antiquarian remains, and is disposed to recognize their au- 

 thenticity. 



