= 
OF WISCONSIN AND MINNESOTA. 167 
banks of the river are quite low, only twelve to fifteen feet above the water at the 
highest points, and eight to ten of this is soil and drifted materials. This is the 
last locality where I observed any rocks in place on the Upper Mississippi.* All 
above, as far as I was able to discover, along my line of route, is overspread with a 
universal drift of sand, gravel, and erratics, that defy the scrutiny of the geologist 
to penetrate, but the distant outcrops enable him to conjecture upon what rocky 
bases it rests. 
Section No. 7, shows the succession of formations from the Falls of St. An- 
thony to the mouth of Crow Wing River. 
The country on the east side of the Mississippi, north of the Falls of St. Anthony, 
and between that place and the mouth of Rum River, is prairie, with oak openings. 
For about half the distance the growth of timber is very stunted ; indeed, along the 
whole distance we saw no large trees. The dwarfish character of the timber does 
not appear to depend here upon the sterility of the land: it is true, the soil is 
siliceous, having been derived, in a measure, from the destruction of the sandstones 
of F. 2, c; but it is not not deficient in organic matter, and produces better 
crops than its appearance at first view would indicate. 
Approaching Rum River, the oak openings and prairie are interspersed in a 
manner to remind one forcibly of the ancient parks of European countries. 
The width of the Mississippi at its confluence with Rum River, according to a 
trigonometrical measurement by Colonel Whittlesey, is six hundred and seventy- 
five feet. 
Here there are two benches of land, both of which are very suitable for agricul- 
tural purposes. The first is about fifteen feet above the level of the Mississippi; 
the second, from thirty-five to forty feet. Both appear to be composed, beneath the 
soil, of drifted sand and gravel. Both have a good soil, but the first is of superior 
quality ; this bench, however, is of less extent than the second. 
Beyond Rum River, for about four miles, the face of the country is similar to the 
above; the soil, however, is third rate, sandy and gravelly. Here I noticed that 
the most stunted trees grow on the more exposed situations. This seems to indi- 
cate that the strong winds which often sweep over the extensive prairies of the 
North, exercise a considerable influence in retarding, and even suppressing, the 
growth of timber. 
The greater part of the distance between Rum River and the next stream flowing 
into the Mississippi, on the east side, is open prairie. 
On the opposite side of this stream,} the soil improves in quality, and the prairie 
is beautifully interspersed with groves of small timber; the land lying well for 
cultivation. 
The prairies of this portion of the Upper Mississippi are frequented by a small, 
light, and rather elegant species of ground-squirrel, allied to the Souslik or Spermo- 
* Dr. Norwood, whose route extended several hundred miles farther up the Mississippi, reports, that 
between this and the Falls of the Pakegomag, a distance of some two hundred and fifty miles, he saw no 
rocks in place. At that point a ridge of quartzite crosses the valley of the Mississippi. 
+ This stream is known to the inhabitants by the name of Elk River, and is liable to be confounded 
with a stream of the same name, laid down on Nicollet’s map as entering the Mississippi higher up, from 
the west. 
