Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/86

 56 HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY ex-post facto, and had a retrospective effect, I conceived it would certainly be dispunishable now. I did not think it proper, how- ever, to inform him so. I here received a letter from Mr. Kollet, partner of Mr. Cameron, with a present of some brandy, coffee, and sugar. I hesitated about receiving those articles from the partner of the man I intended to prosecute; their amount being trifling, however, I accepted of them, offering him pay. I assured him that the prosecution arose from a sense of duty and not from any personal prejudice. My canoe did not come up in conse- quence of the head wind. Sent out two men in a canoe to set fishing lines ; the canoe overset, and had it not been for the timely assistance of the savages, who carried them into their lodges, un- dressed them, and treated them with the greatest humanity and kindness, they must inevitably have perished. At this place I was informed that the rascal spoken of as having threatened my life had actually cocked his gun to shoot me from behind the hills, but was prevented by the others. 'April 14. Monday. — Was invited to a feast by the Roman Nose. His conversation was interesting, and shall be detailed hereafter. The other Indians had not yet arrived. Messrs. AYood, Frazer, and myself, ascended a high hill called the Barn, from which we had a view of Lake Pepin, the valley through which the .Mississippi by numerous channels wound itself to the St. Croix ; tlie ( 'annon river, and the lofty hills on each side. "April 15, Tuesday. — Arose very early and embarked about sunrise, much to the astonishment of the Indians, who were en- tirely prepared for the council when they heard I had put it off; however, after some conversation with Mr. Frazer, they acknowl- edged that it was agreeable to what I had said, that I would sail early, and that they could not blame me. I was very positive in my word, for I found it by far the best way to treat the Indians. The Aile Rouge had a beaver robe and pipe prepared to present, but was obliged for the present to retain it." From this time onward all the early celebrities of Minnesota passed this way on their journey to Fort Snelling and other set- tlements that were afterward made. That many of them stopped with the Indians at Red Wing occasionally is not unlikely. In 1823 the first steamboat, the "Virginia," from St. Louis, came up the river, and up to May 26, 1826, fifteen steamers had passed Barn Bluff. After that they became more frequent. Major Long was ordered by the War Department in the sum- mer of 1817 to proceed west and. examine sites on the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers suitable for the location of fortifications. "Minnesota in Three Centuries," on page 363, Vol. I, gives an account of Major Long's visit at Red Wing: 'The next day, on Julv 18, Long similarly examined the country adjoining the