568 APPENDIX. 



claims to be looked up to as a public benefactor. I here met the 

 superintendent of the mines (Captain Legate), and after spending 

 some time in conversation on the resources and prospects of the 

 country, and partaking of the hospitalities politely offered by 

 Colonel D. and his intelligent family, we pursued our way. The 

 village of Dodgeville lies at the distance of four miles. Soon after 

 passing through it some part of our tackle gave way, in crossing 

 a gully, and I improved the opportunity of the delay to visit the 

 adjacent diggings, which are extensive. The ore is found as at 

 other mines, in regular leads, and not scattered about promis- 

 cuously in the red marl, Masses of brown oxide of iron were 

 more common here than I had noticed them elsewhere. Among 

 the rubbish of the diggings, fragments of hornstone occur. They 

 appear to be, most commonly, portions of nodules, which exhibit, 

 on being fractured, various disco] orings. 



Night overtook us before we entered Porter's Grove, which is 

 also the seat of mining and smelting operations. We are in- 

 debted to the hospitality of Mr. M., of whom my companion was 

 an acquaintance, for opening his door to us, at an advanced hour 

 of the evening. Distance from Willow Springs, twenty-five 

 miles. 



There is no repose for a traveller. We retired to rest at a late 

 hour, and rose at an early one. The morning (19th) was hazy, 

 and we set forward while the dew was heavy on the grass. Our 

 route still lay through a prairie country. The growth of native 

 grass, bent down with dew, nearly covered the road, so that our 

 horses' legs were continually bathed. The rising sun was a very 

 cheerful sight, but as our road lay up a long ascent, we soon felt 

 its wilting effects. Nine miles of such driving, with not a single 

 grove to shelter us, brought us to Mr. Brigham's, at the foot of 

 the Blue Mound, being the last house in the direction to Fort 

 Winnebago. The distance from Galena is sixty-four miles, and 

 this area embraces the present field of mining operations. In 

 rapidly passing over it, mines, furnaces, dwelling-houses, mining 

 villages, inclosed fields, upland prairies (an almost continued 

 prairie), groves, springs, and brooks, have formed the prominent 

 features of the landscape. The impulse to the settlement of the 

 country was first given by its mineral wealth ; and it brought 

 here, as it were by magic, an enterprising and active population. 



