ITINERARY OF ROUTE FROM ST. PAUL TO FORT UNION. 
355 
June 27.—Undulating prairie, rich soil, covered with a heavy growth of grass, 
with small ponds and marshes; woods continue in sight a short distance on the left 
to Elbow lake, a well wooded take, of form indicated by its name. 7f 
Rolling prairie, with two bad sloughs, to Rabbit river, which is crossed with the 
wagon with but little difficulty, where it issues from a small lake; it is a small 
stream, but spreads out from one hundred to three hundred feet, with marshy 
borders ; camp on the small lake, with good grass, wood, and water. 6 
June 28.—Rolling ground, with small ponds and marshes, to a small brook twelve 
feet wide ; the Bois des Sioux prairie, a smooth, flat prairie, without knoll or un- 
dulation—an immense plain, apparently level, covered with a tall, coarse, dark- 
colored grass, and unrelieved with the sight of a tree or shrub ; firm bottom, but 
undoubtedly wet in spring ; small brook when the train made a noon halt. Ilf 
Same smooth prairie as above to Bois des Sioux river, sometimes soft and miry; 
camp on river bank ; wood and grass good—river-water fair; many catfish caught 
in the river. 10 
June 29.—Cross Bois des Sioux river; river 70 feet wide, 4 to 7 feet deep; muddy 
bottom; steep and miry banks; goods boated over ; wagons hauled through, light, 
with ropes; bad crossing, but passable; smooth, flat prairie, as on the east side of 
Bois des Sioux, occasionally interrupted with open sloughs to Wild Rice river, and 
camp with wood, water, and abundant grass. 
June 30.—Wild Rice river about 40 feet wide, 5£ feet deep, with muddy and 
miry bottom and sides, flowing in a canal-like channel, some twenty feet below 
prairie level; river skirted with elm ; river bridged from the steep banks, being too 
miry to sustain the animals, detaining the train but little more than half a day; 
small brook, without wood, flowing in a broad channel cut out through the prairie; 
crossing miry, but made passable for the wagon by strewing the bottom with 
mown grass... 2f 
Firm prairie to camp on edge of above small stream ; good grass and water; no 
wood; elk killed by hunter. 2\ 
July 1 .—Smooth prairie extending to Shayenne river; sand-knolls, ponds, and 
marshes frequent as the river is approached; the marshes were not miry—firmer 
bottom; good wagon road; night encampment on bank of river; sufficient grass 
for train; wood abundant; river-water good; many catfish caught in river. 
July 2.—Shayenne river 60 feet wide, 14 feet deep; river had been previously 
bridged by Red River train, from the poplars and other trees growing on the river, 
and this bridge we made use of in crossing our wagons; camp on the west bank of 
the river ; water, wood, and grass good... 
July 4.—Prairie undulation, interrupted with marshes and small ponds and oc¬ 
casional small rivulets, to Maple river, about 25 feet wide, 3J feet deep, firm 
bottom, and easily passed by the wagons; river tolerably well wooded, and the 
camp on its edge is furnished with water, wood, and good grass. 
The rich black soil of the valley of this stream is noticeable. 
July 5.—To a small stream 30 feet wide, 2 feet deep, clayey bottom, easily 
crossed by the wagons; prairie high, firm and almost level for some thirteen miles, 
becoming more rolling and with small ponds in the last seven miles of the march; 
on the edge of some of the ponds are salt incrustations; camp on the river; water 
good ; grass good; no wood, and the “bois de vache” is used for fuel. 
13f 
27 
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26 i 
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