BOARD OF GAME AND FISH COMMISSIONERS 
57 
chiefly birds that have been favored by a decrease in their natural enemies and 
fall easily into new ways without having especially attracted the cupidity of man. 
The narratives of such early voyageurs into this region as Hennepin, La 
Hontan, Carver and others who were here previous to 1800 contain references to, 
and even lists of, the more conspicuous birds observed, but the statements are 
brief and couched in such general terms that they are of little value except to 
suggest the wealth of animal life that existed at that time. The first work that 
contains really important information in regard to the birds is Keating’s Narrative 
of an Expedition to the Source of St. Peter’s River, which, in 1823, explored the 
country (now included in Minnesota) from Ft. Snelling to Lake Traverse and 
thence northward to the International Boundary. Thomas Say, the well known 
entomologist, was a member of the party and to him are due the numerous and defi¬ 
nite bird notes scattered through the two volumes. No fewer than fifty-four species 
are referred to, many of them by their technical names. Among these are mentioned 
the Whooping and Sandhill Cranes, Ducks of several kinds, the Woodcock, the Up¬ 
land and Golden Plovers; and the abundance of Wild Pigeons at Pembina in early 
August, 1823, is commented upon. On the evening of July 15, 1823, the party 
camped on Swan Lake (Nicollet County) and County Beltrami (after whom Bel¬ 
trami County is named), who was attached to the expedition, relates in the book 
that he wrote his disappointment that Major Long’s haste would not permit their 
remaining long enough to shoot some of the Swans, old and young, that floated 
on the surface of the lake. Keating gives the Sioux Indian name of this lake as 
Manha tanka otamenda, meaning Lake-of-Many-Large-Birds, referring to the great 
number of Swans that were ordinarily to be found there. 
Schoolcraft’s accounts of his two trips (in 1820 and 1832) in search of the 
source of the Mississippi River contain numerous bird notes, some of which are of 
special interest. 
The writings of Pike, Nicollet and others contain but little bird-lore as these 
men seemed to be more interested in the main objects of their quests. 
In the summer of 1835, G. W. Featherstonehaugh, an English geologist, made 
a trip to Lake Traverse and back by way of the Minnesota River and published 
in 1847 a two volume account of his journey entitled A Canoe Voyage up the 
Minnay Sotor. The first volume especially contains numerous statements in regard 
to the game birds of the region traversed. He ascended the river in September 
and returned in October; and it is a story first and last of “an incredible quantity 
of wild ducks.” He comments in one place on the abundance of the “gaudy wood 
duck.” The flocks of wild geese coming and going served to indicate the course 
of the river. On October 4th, not far from Lake Traverse “immense numbers 
of white wild ducks with black-tipped wings” (Snow Geese) were seen; and on 
the afternoon of October 7th. he “descended again from the prairie, about a mile 
from the south end of the lake (Big Stone) where it was covered with tens of 
thousands of wild fowl, that made a noise like thunder when they rose. I never 
saw greater numbers together.” On October 10th. as they were descending the 
river some distance below Lac qui Parle, “The left bank of the river was literally 
alive with Tetrao coming to feed and drink from the burnt prairie; they were so 
large and fat that they looked like barn door fowls.” Elsewhere he speaks of 
the abundance of the grouse on the uplands rising “screaming in every direction.” 
One of the most pleasing passages is under date of October 23rd. when he was 
