NARRATIVE OF 1853. 41 
class, inured to hardships, and used to encounter all sorts of difficulties in their journeys 
between different posts of the fur companies. They must be treated with kindness anda 
certain degree of familiarity, and, their confidence and affections being secured, they are the 
most obedient and hard-working fellows in the world. This morning I learned that Lieutenant 
Grover and his steamboat party had landed late last evening about five miles below Sauk river, 
and had there encamped. In the afternoon, accompanied by Boutineau, I crossed the Mississippi 
to find him, and went three miles in a drenching rain without reaching his position. 
He had not succeeded in moving his camp to the Red river trail that day, in consequence of 
having only two wagons to transport four loads from the boat. 
I despatched Henry Boulieau in search of Lander, and he returned with the information that 
Lander was about eighteen miles ahead, at Cold Spring, and that he had made there-a good 
crossing for wagons. 1 
June 9.—I went to Mr. Landers camp and examined the crossing, which I found to be 
practicable, and the work well done. Cold spring, though only a stream of ten feet width 
and one foot deep, is bordered on each side by a slough full two hundred feet wide. Over this 
Mr. Lander had constructed a causeway of logs, filling in with willows, saplings, and mowed 
grass, thus forming a good wagon road across it. After dinner we rode forward to the crossing 
of Sauk river, which we found not at all difficult, a small party being sufficient to make it 
passable in a few days. 
. Mr. Tinkham joined Mr. Lander in the course of this day, and having decided to leave the 
Red river trail as soon as possible, north of White Bear lake, I issued the necessary directions 
for the movements of their parties in the morning. 
CAMP DAVIS, 
June 10.—I returned to Lieutenant Grover's camp, which was beautifully situated on the 
north bank of the Osakis or Sauk river, about two miles from its mouth. The grass was 
indifferent and backward, but, with half rations of oats, abundant for the animals; water 
excellent. In honor of the Secretary of War we named it Camp Davis. 
Lieutenant Grover, with his party, reached Itasca at 91 p. m. of the day he left St. Anthony, 
(June 6,) where the boat laid by until daybreak. About 7 р. ш. of the Tth, they were obliged 
to disembark on the west side of the river, about five miles below Sauk Rapids, on account of 
the low state of the water in the river channel. As it was late in the day, camp was imme- 
diately pitched. The landing point was on a narrow bottom, covered with a scraggy under- 
brush of scrub oak, vines, &c., at the base of a bluff of some 29 feet rise, also covered with 
the same growth, which extended back nearly a mile, and was of such a nature, that it was 
necessary to cut a road to the open prairie. This, together with the necessity of making two 
trips a day in order to push forward the stores in his charge, so delayed him that he only 
reached the right bank of the Sauk, near its mouth, where he encamped on the 8th in a driving 
rain. He crossed the Sauk the following morning at a very good ford, the only difficulty being 
the necessity of unloading the wagons and letting them down a very steep bank by hand. He 
reached camp Davis with his party safely on the 9th of June. "The topography of the route 
was sketched in by Mr. Lambert, and observations were made by the several observers. 
Lieutenant Du Barry arrived this afternoon with his party, as did the small trains of Doty and 
68 
