PART I.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

THIS Country (west of Lake Michigan) was almost unknown to geographers twenty years ago. The report of Rev. J. Morse to the Secretary of War, in 1821, states that in 1819 there were but three families settled from the mouth of the Illinois up two hundred and forty miles, and Darby, in his Gazetteer (2d edit., 1827), says, "of this immense region" (included between Lakes Michigan and Superior, Rivers Missisippi and Red, the State of Missouri and the northern boundary of the United States) "much remains unknown, and of those parts that have been explored, our information is generally imperfect." [Verb. Michigan.] Galena was settled in 1828; and in 1833, after the Black Hawk war, settlements began on Rock River and the northern parts of Illinois and in Iowa, upon the tract purchased of the Sacs and Foxes. In the list of rivers flowing into the Upper Missisippi, in the same work, are several defects and errors. On the right side, Root and Wabsipinicon and Checagua (or Skunk) are omitted; and that now known to the inhabitants of Iowa as Tête des Morts, is called Galena. On the left, some considerable streams are not named. The falls of St. Anthony are placed, in the same authority, in latitude 44°, which is one degree south of their true situation.

It is said that the list is given mostly on the authority of Schoolcraft, and they are also more minutely detailed from the

circumstances that the valley of the Missisippi is yet imperfectly known, of great importance in the geography of the United States, and that the source of intelligence is recent and respectable. Mr. Darby well said that the knowledge of this region was imperfect; for we are informed by Mr. Schoolcraft, to whom he refers as a a source recent and respectable, that the Rock River Rapids extend six miles up the river. Their length is, in fact, fifteen miles. Another striking instance of the errors in regard to this country, is in the statement of Mr. Brackenridge, that the St. Peter's enters the Missisippi forty miles below St. Anthony, and is navigable one thousand miles to its source-when, in fact, it is nine miles from the falls, and its whole length is less than five hundred miles. In some maps of this country, still more recent, published within twelve years of the time of writing this, there also appear similar inaccuracies. It is, in fact, only since the termination of the Black Hawk war, and the settlement of the country consequent thereon, that it has become known to geographers and to the world.

The country which is here intended to be included in the name of the Northwest, or the Upper Missisippi valley, is bounded on the east and southeast by the Lake Michigan and the waters connecting it with Lake Superior, and by Illinois River; on the south, southwest, and west, by the Missouri River; and on the north by the line separating the territory of the United States from the British Possessions. It comprehends about 10° of latitude, from 39° to 49°, and 14° of longitude, from 87° to 101° (10° to 24° from Washington), and contains about 300,000 square miles. A large part of this tract, consisting of the northern portion, is still held by the Indians; and the Notes, excepting those relating to the geography, history and climate, will, for the most, apply to its remaining or southeastern portion.

This country has some very peculiar natural features. The most remarkable of these is the innumerable multitude of lakes that spangle its northern surface, the remains, no doubt, of a vast sea that once covered the whole country extending north from the Gulf of Mexico, and perhaps reaching to Hudson's Bay.

Besides this, there are two great natural features belonging to the Valley of the Upper Missisippi, which perhaps are never fully realized but by actual inspection. The first consists in the uniformity of elevation, and the shape of the surface. The country, from the outlets of the Illinois and Missouri to St. Peter's, and from the Lake Michigan to Council Bluffs, and beyond that point westerly, is a vast plain, slightly inclining, ascending to the north and to the west. By observations taken between the Missisippi and the Lake, the elevation above the Atlantic has been found a little exceeding 500 feet: and west of the river, in the same parallel, toward the Missouri, something over 700 feet. At St. Peter's it is about 700. Nicollet states, as the result of over one hundred observations taken at Camp Kearney, near Council Bluffs, that that point is 1037 feet above the Gulf; and the elevation of Rock Island, in the same latitude, on the Missisippi, he says, is 528; and the height of Fort Pierre Chouteau, on the Missouri, he states at 1456; and the lower end of Lake Pepin, in the same latitude (44° 24′), 710. The mouth of St. Peter's, in about latitude 45°, 744 feet. There are a few elevations above the general range, called mounds: but with the exception of these, the surface is marked only by ravines running from the general level down to the beds of the streams, which are usually from 100 to 200 feet lower.

The other remarkable prominent feature is the vegetable covering of the surface. There are large tracts of country

wholly destitute of tree or shrub, and covered only with a luxuriant growth of wild grass, and beautifully interspersed with flowers of every hue and variety, each successively making the prairie to look gay with their presence from April to October. This beautiful natural meadow is not more pleasant to the eye, than it is genial to the culture and grateful to the toil of man. It consists of a very dark brown vegetable mould, in appearance like a mixture of the light feathery part of ashes with a rich ooze. It is mellow beyond the conception of those who are acquainted only with the hard, stiff soils of the Atlantic slope, and as rich and productive as it is mellow. It is turned over by a prairie plough running on wheels and set to cut the turf in a regular and uniform parallelogram, about three inches thick, and fifteen or eighteen inches wide. This ploughing should be done during the springing of vegetation, or one of the three summer months; though May would usually be considered better than August for the operation. If done in May or June, it will, in some cases, be ready for a fall sowing, the same year. This mould is from one and a half to two feet deep usually, and sometimes more than that; and for whole sections, for several townships of six miles square in extent, a person could not find more gravel in the same quantity of mould than in his flour barrel. Below this rich mould is a subsoil, which seems not unsuitable to cultivation, being similar in appearance to the soil of the timbered lands, a yellow light clay, or clay loam. The country is a limestone formation. The timber is only on the streams, and consists of elm, ash, black walnut, butternut, maple, mulberry and iron wood on the bottoms, and on the upland white, red, black, and burr oak, shell bark and common hickory, with occasionally linden, birch, wild plum and cherry, locust, and some other. On the Wisconsin and St. Croix are heavy

growths of pine, and for several years past a great business has been carried on upon the Missisippi in getting lumber down from those regions to the towns along the river.

The best portions of this Upper Missisippi Valley are upon the western shore of Lake Michigan, including the eastern portion of Wisconsin; the Illinois and Rock rivers, and their tributaries; the Missisippi on both sides; and generally the whole of Iowa. In Iowa the prairies are less extensive than in Illinois, and the proportion of wood is greater. In the southern portion of Iowa, below the Iowa River, the soil is more stiff than to the north of that river, where, by a slight admixture of fine sand, it is made more friable and mellow. By reason of this quality, and being also, for the most part, more level, the land south of that river retains its moisture later in the spring, and the soil thus loses the advantage of time which the climate would give in the difference of latitude.

The soil of the prairie is deeper, and is said also to be richer at a distance from timber than in its vicinity. By scientific examination, it has been found that carbonate of lime enters into its composition in proportion of from twentyto forty per cent. In timber lands the proportion is much less. The first settlers, however, take the timber land for the convenience of fuel and making improvements. Thus the best land is actually the last taken. The soil is of such fertility, that in a few years, if the fires are kept out, there will be an abundant growth for all purposes. In the Gazetteer of Missouri, by Dr. Beck, published in 1823, it is stated that St. Louis county is generally prairie: yet, in fifteen years after that date, it was almost wholly covered with a thrifty growth of timber. The same is the case with other places.

The following statement of the geological structure of that