Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
July 25, 1820: Down the Mississippi from Sandy Lake
Editor's Note:
The canoes and barge carrying Doty. Schoolcraft, Cass, the scientists, the soldiers, and the Ojibwe emissaries will race downstream with the aid of the current and favorable weather. From both Doty's and Schoolcraft's comments in recent days, it's also possible their speed was motivated by eagerness to see the comforts of civilization once again.They had been underway for more than eight weeks and had only reached the half-way point of their trip.
Location: modern Big Sandy Lake Reservoir, Minn.
View Schoolcraft's complete description in his 1821 Narrative
[For the next several days Doty again neglected his journal, so we continue excerpts from Schoolcraft's as the expedition travels downriver to the site of modern Minneapolis-St. Paul:]
The expedition embarked at the Fort at twelve o'clock, in three canoes and a barge on its descent to the falls of St. Anthony, accompanied by embassadors of peace from the Chippeway tribes to the Sioux of St. Peter's. These occupied a separate canoe.
It is three miles from the Fort [at Sandy Lake] to the Mississippi. The current of the river below the outlet of Sandy lake, and the natural appearances, are similar to what it exhibits for a hundred miles above... Among the forest trees, pine appears to predominate on the lands which lie a distance off the river, but elm is most abundant along the shore: maple and birch less so, and black walnut and oak sparing. The colour of the water on looking into the river resembles that of chocolate, but on dipping up a cup full, it appears colourless and clear. The weather remained fair and pleasant during the day, but clouded up towards evening.
|
