NARRATIVE OF 1853. 53 
the йй were mired and wagons stalled; but we were agreeably disappointed in having, 
comparatively, a very comfortable day’s journey. 
From our morning’s camp I sent Lambert to Red river, with four men, to reconnoitre along 
its course to the Bois de Sioux, and thence along the latter stream to our evening’s camp; and 
from Rabbit river I despatched Mr. Doty and two men to follow the Babbit river some eight or 
ten miles, thence, crossing on a line about parallel to our trail, to the Bois de Sioux, to follow 
down the latter stream to camp. 
Numerous large catfish were caught this afternoon, some ‚эмде from 12 to 20 pounds. At 
115 p. m. we sat down to a supper of ducks, catfish, and coffee, and all the men were in fine 
spirits. The Bois de Sioux had been a great point to reach—the end of bad roads and the com- 
mencement of the buffalo country. It is quite a large stream, is well lined with wood, and the 
drift deposits on its banks indicate that during spring freshets a considerable portion of the 
prairie is submerged. 
Here we may make a general review of the country passed over since leaving St. Paul. 
Between Camp Pierce and Sauk Rapids, 79 miles, the road passes through beautiful prairies 
and oak openings, with occasional meadows, wet at this early season, and, at some distance to 
the right, groves of tamarack, varying the landscape with their light and feathery foliage. 
The entire country on the east side of the Mississippi, from St. Paul to Little Falls, presents 
facilities for railway construction seldom, if ever, exceeded; one hundred and twenty miles of 
level or slightly rolling gravel prairie supersedes all necessity for ballasting, &c. 
From the crossing at Sauk Rapids to Lightning lake, where the party was divided, most of 
the country is rolling prairie, with the wooded banks of Sauk river on the south, and numerous 
small ponds and lakes, with trees on their banks, abundant and excellent pasture, and swarms 
of water-fowl supplying plenty of fresh provisions. 
A similar delightful country continues to the Bois de Sioux river, with some decrease in the 
amount of timber, until the banks of that river are reached. 
After leaving Lightning lake the country seems to change its character; no longer a flat undi- 
versified surface, or with gentle undulations scarcely attracting notice, it has gradually changed 
to a heavy rolling prairie, and, at White Bear lake, becomes broken up into hills, valleys, and 
basins. Boulders and smaller stones are numerous. А+ a distance of thirty miles toward the 
north of our line the route from Little Falls to the Bois de Sioux is represented as passing 
over high sandy plateaux, broken by low ridges and interspersed with shallow swamps; the 
upland country is well timbered with the eastern pine, and the swamps well filled with excel- 
lent cedar.. 
This whole dividing e then, separating the waters of the Mississippi from those of the 
Red river, which flow into Hudson Bay, is not the lofty range of mountains which might be 
supposed to separate the sources of two such great bodies of water, flowing in opposite directions 
and to outlets so widely distant, but is a gently undulating and exceedingly rich prairie country, 
abundantly wooded and watered, having a width of one hundred miles, and an elevation not 
exceeding 600 feet above the river and about 1,600 above the sea. There is a very slight rise 
in the general level in going westward, the Bois de Sioux being, at the crossing, only 31 feet 
higher than the Mississippi at Sauk Rapids. Undulating and level prairies, skirted by woods of 
various growth, and clothed everywhere with rich verdure; numerous and rapid streams, with 
