IV INTRODUCTION. 



for present information, and possess only the value of a past 

 year's almanac ; the fate necessarily of books of mere details. 



The country of which the present volume treats is one of 

 great interest intrinsically, and especially at this time vi^hen 

 two new sovereignties are about to be established within its 

 limits. And the object of the wTiter has been, to put 

 together some notes upon it, in such form as will be inter- 

 esting to persons seeking general inform.ation in relation to 

 the United States, and of such a kind as will be more per- 

 manent than the usual chapters of detail. 



The physical geography of a country will, of course, re- 

 main unchanged, while the descriptions of towns given 

 to-day will hardly apply to the same place wdien the earth 

 shall come again to the same place in its orbit. 



The same is true of the history of a country. What has 

 transpired will not be effaced by a new page, but what is 

 once written will remain. 



The other portions of the work are not of so permanent a 

 nature, yet a considerable portion of the remaining three 

 parts will not very soon become obsolete. The population 

 and municipalities, the state of society, and the pursuits of 

 the people, wall undergo modifications. They are, however, 

 made to occupy a subordinate place in the w^ork. 



The physical description of the country has been drawn 

 almost exclusively from two sources : the writer's own ob- 

 servation, and the very excellent and graphic report of Mr. 

 Nicollet to the Topographical Bureau of the War Depart- 

 ment of the United States : from which, being the only pub- 

 lished description of a considerable portion of this country, 



