OF THE FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY. 895 



ence of level between the place of disembarking and that of re- 

 loading, is stated by Pike to be fifty-eight feet, which is probably 

 very near the truth ; the whole fall to the foot of the rapids, 

 which extend several miles down the river, may be estimated as 

 not far short of one hundred feet." 



In 1835 the Palls were visited by G. W. Peatherstonhaugh, an 

 Englishman commissioned as " United States Geologist ;" and his 

 account of them is given in a ' Report of a Geological Reconnais- 

 sance made in 1835 from the seat of Government to the Coteau des 

 Prairies.' " An island about 450 yards long divides the Mississippi 

 into two parts at the Falls of St. Anthony, which have a very 

 irregular outline, owing to the soft sandstone being washed out 

 unequally in places, and the superincumbent strata of limestone 

 falling down in large blocks ; these are piled up in large quan- 

 tities on the bed of the river immediately at the foot of the Palls. 



" That part of the river on the north side of the island is about two 

 hundred and twenty yards in width. There is a very smooth sec- 

 tion of the rocks here to the water, about 90 feet. I should think 



the fall would not average more than twenty feet On 



the south side of the river the line of the Palls is a very irregular 

 curvature, and measures about 450 yards to the island. The height 

 of the fall does not appear so great on this side, owing perhaps to 

 the bed of the river being so much choked up with the fallen slabs. 

 It is a wild rocky scene, but deficient in interest as a waterfall on 

 account of its want of height." 



In addition to these, we have the account of Beltrami, written 

 in 1823 ; but his description does not give much information useful 

 in this connexion. 



The above statements may be summarized, and the following data 

 arrived at : — 



Hennepin, 1680. — Pyramidal rocky island dividing the fall near 

 the middle. Height of the fall, 50 or 60 feet (or " 40 or 50 

 feet"). 



Carver, 1766.— Width of river 250 yards (or " about 600 feet"); 

 height of the fall 30 feet ; a small island in the middle of the fall 

 40 feet broad, and " somewhat longer," with hemlock and spruce 

 trees, and another of an acre and a half a little below the Palls, with 

 great quantities of eagles' nests ; an island also above the Palls ; an 

 oblique rock in the brink of the Palls, halfway between the island 

 and the east shore, " about five or six feet broad, and thirty or forty 

 long." 



Pike in 1805. — The waterfall 16^ feet ; width of the river above 

 the Palls 627 yards, below 209 ; portage 260 poles. 



Long in 1817. — An island, five hundred yards long, separated the 

 cataract into two parts, extending also above and below the Palls ; 

 the fall on the west side three times as wide as that on the 

 east ; but one third part of the water descends the east channel. 

 A small island, 50 yards by 30, just below the cataract in the west 

 channel. These islands are rocky, with the same formation as in 

 the banks, " and nearly as high ; " two others, of fallen fragments 



