274 



CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY 



then our way lay through swamps and wet meadows for some distance. About ten 

 miles further on, a succession of maple ridges were passed, with a deep rich soil. 

 This strip of land, however, is believed to be narrow. 



Beyond these ridges the sandstone again comes to the surface, and shows itself, 

 at intervals, for the space of several miles. It is covered, generally, by a soil equal 

 to any in the Lake region. 



About sixteen miles southwest of Kettle River, I passed through a fine pinery, 

 which extends as far as Lake Pokegoma. A great portion of this pinery remains 

 untouched ; many fine trees, however, have been cut on the small tributaries of 

 Snake River. Some of the valleys in this region are literally covered with boulders, 

 while the ridges bear a dense groAvth of birch, linden, box-elder, and fir, with large 

 pines. 



At two o'clock, p. jr., on the 12th, we reached Lake Pokegoma, having been seven 

 days in traversing a country, which, I have been told, has been passed over by 

 Indians in thirty-six hours' constant travel, when the lakes and swamps were frozen. 

 Our route, so far, was an exceedingly winding one, having often been turned aside 

 from our course by lakes and swamps, and compelled to walk many miles to avoid 

 them. 



When we reached Pokegoma, my sick packman was entirely exhausted, and he 

 was left on the north shore of the lake, while I went on to the Indian village for 

 the purpose of procuring a canoe to transport him across the lake. After conside- 

 rable delay, the Indians all being drunk, a canoe was obtained, and we crossed the 

 lake to a house belonging to Mr. Russell, who was formerly government farmer at 

 this place. Mr. Russell's agent supplied me with pork, flour, and potatoes. 



Next morning I procured a passage in a canoe about to descend Snake River for 

 my sick man, and having hired a half-breed youth to carry a part of his pack to 

 the mouth of Sunrise River, while I added the remainder to mine, at two o'clock, 

 on the 13th, we entered on the trail to St. Croix River. The country between 

 Pokegoma and the St. Croix, along this route, is an excellent one. The principal 

 timber is sugar maple, poplar, oak, ash, walnut, elm, hornbeam, and some birch and 

 pine. Between some of the low ridges wet meadows occur, but most of them are 

 sufficiently dry, at the proper season, for mowing. 



Four or five miles south of the crossing of Reed Creek, small prairies began to 

 appear, interspersed with occasional wet meadows; the high intervening prairie 

 lands supporting a thin growth of oak timber. About five miles before reaching 

 the mouth of Sunrise River, the character of the country is entirely changed ; and, 

 from the nature of the soil and vegetation, I judge this to be on the northwestern 

 boundary line of the country, described in Chapter I., as included in the second 

 division. 



At the mouth of Sunrise River I met Mr. A. Randall, a member of the Geologi- 

 cal Corps, on his way to Lake Superior. He returned with me to the Falls of the 

 St. Croix, from which point I hastened to meet you at Stillwater. 



After receiving further instructions from you at Stillwater, I crossed the country 

 to St. Paul, and thence by way of St. Peter and the Falls of St. Anthony, for the 

 purpose of making barometrical observations. I returned to Stillwater on the 25th 



