Transcription

here with their Furrs, in order to meet the Traders, when the Chiefs in Council order matters so that they either trade here, or go to Luissiana, or Michillimackinac, just as their interest or inclination leads them. The Mississippi at the entrance of the Ouisconsin, is about half a mile wide, with a pretty large Mountain opposite rising close on the banks of the River, but against the Town last mentioned, it appears to be much more than a mile wide, and full of Islands, the soil extraordinary rich, and but lightly Timbered, a little above on the West side, a small river falls into the Mississippi, called by the French, [[foreign:French]] Jaune [[/foreign]] or as in English, Yellow River; here the traders that came in Company with me, took up their residence for the Winter, where I bought a Canoe and took two men for servants and proceeded up the Mississippi, and on the 1st. of November arrived at Lake Pepin, about two hundred miles from the Ouisconsin; The Mississippi from the Ouisconsin flows with a gentle Current, but very uncertain in its width, some places upwards of a mile wide, and in some others not more than a quarter, it has a range of Mountains on each side all the way, in some places near, and at others farther of; the land on the side of the Mountains, mostly covered with grass, with some groves of Trees, where every now and then were large droves of Deer and Elk feeding; in many places Pyramids of rocks, appeared like old stacks of Chimneys, at others most amazing Precipices of rocks, on sides of Mountains in part, where on the other part were the finest herbage gradually quite to the top, which afforded prospects pleasant beyond description, here were seen [[catchword]] beautiful [[/catchword]]