CROW WING AND 8ST. LOUIS RIVERS. 297 
about forty-six miles above Crow Wing, and is the largest stream in that distance. 
It is navigable for canoes three days’ journey. 
About eight miles above Pine River, Rabbit Portage begins. It is about three 
hundred yards long, and leads over a ridge of drift, to Rabbit Lake, a large sheet of 
water, which discharges through four smaller lakes and Rabbit River, into the Mis- 
sissippi twenty-four miles below. The distance from the portage to the mouth of 
Rabbit River, is eight miles, and the Indians, who travel in small canoes, are accus- 
tomed to take this route, especially when going north, as sixteen miles travel up 
stream is thus saved. There is also a portage from this lake to Red Cedar Lake, a 
distance of six miles, over tolerably good ground. East of Rabbit Lake, maple 
ridges begin, and, with alternations of swamp and meadow-land, extend to the 
cluster of small lakes northwest of Mille Lacs. — 
Three or four miles beyond Rabbit Portage the river bottoms become wider, and 
are densely wooded. The trees, among which are many good pines, are large, and, 
with the exuberant undergrowth, indicate a rich soil. These bottoms lie from six 
to eight feet above the present level of the river, and are occasionally intersected by 
ridges of drift, from ten to fifteen feet high, and covered with small birch and aspen. 
As you ascend, the bottoms gradually become lower, until, two miles below Red 
Cedar River, the Mississippi is bordered for some distance, on the east side, by low 
meadows. The last good pine was seen about ten miles above Rabbit Portage, 
while the soft maple grew more abundant than at any point lower down. 
The day before leaving Crow Wing, a large caterpillar, resembling the “army 
worm” somewhat, appeared there in considerable numbers, and, as we ascended the 
river, became more and more abundant. When we reached the bottom lands just 
described, we found the forest so completely stripped of foliage by this insect, as to 
give to the landscape more the aspect of winter than of summer. They appeared 
to spare no trees, except the pine and butternut. 
Above the mouth of Pine River, the Mississippi is exceedingly crooked. Ac- 
cording to the best.estimate I could make, the distance by water from the mouth of 
Pine River to Red Cedar River, is twenty-five miles, while, in a direct line, accord- 
ing to the statements of voyageurs who know the country well, the distance is not 
over ten miles. Above the Red Cedar, up to the outlet of Sandy Lake, its course 
is still more tortuous. Across many of the bends the Indians have established re- 
gular portages, in ascending the river with loaded canoes, most of which may be 
passed over in from three to five minutes, while from three-quarters of an hour to 
an hour is required for a canoe to pass up by the river. 
About thirteen miles above the mouth of Red Cedar, Mud River comes in from 
the east. This river heads in the vicinity of Mille Lacs, and is the route usually 
pursued in summer by the Indians, in passing from Sandy Lake, and places still 
further north, to Mille Lacs. In winter, when the lakes and swamps are frozen, 
the route between the two lakes leads in a direct line south from Sandy Lake. 
Between the mouth of Mud River, and that of Big Willow River, the Mississippi 
winds through wide alluvial bottoms, covered with a dense forest of oak, elm, ash, 
hard and soft maples, white and red birch, and linden, with a few small pines and 
balsam firs at one or two points. About ten miles above the mouth of Big Willow, 
38 
