will afford desirable information as to the climate of a

country hitherto very little known.

NOTE. On the 19th July, near the Falls of Packagama, the elevation being about 1200 feet above the level of the sea, 'the night was so cold that water froze upon the bottoms of the canoes, and they were incrusted with a scale of ice of the thickness of a knife blade. The thermometer stood at 36° at sunrise. There had been a heavy dew during the night, which was succeeded by a dense fog in the morning, and the forenoon remained cloudy and chilly."

From Sandy Lake to St. Peters, July 25 to Aug. 1,
Chicago,.

January,

15° N. W. & S. W.

Population. It has been stated that this territory is at present politically connected with Michigan, and the population is included in the statistical table of that territory accordingly; but the settlements may be noticed here for the sake of convenient reference.

Green Bay Settlement is situated at the outlet of Fox River, and contains 952 inhabitants. Fort Brown is situated on the north side of Fox River, at its entrance into

the bay; and three miles up the river, on the south side, is Camp Smith, where it is intended to build a new fort. The settlement is organized into a county called Brown.

Prairie du Chien Settlement is situated in Crawford county, at the outlet of Ouisconsin River into the Mississippi, and contains 492 inhabitants.

It may be proper to remark at the close of this article, that though this territory is for the present politically connected with Michigan Territory, yet there is no probability that the connexion will be permanent. Michigan Territory, within the lakes, is such an elegant compact country that there is no doubt but that when it has sufficient population to become a state, it will be so constituted within its original limits. From this view it was deemed expedient to retain the name of the North West Territory, and to describe it separately; and this explanation has been given to guard against any misapprehension.

Boundaries.-On the north, the British Possessions; east, the North West Territory, Illinois, and Missouri; south and south-west, the Spanish Possessions; west, the Western Territory.

Face of the Country.-The eastern part is generally undulating and hilly, interspersed with prairies of vast extent; the western part rises to a great elevation and terminates in lofty mountains.

Mountains.-The Rocky Mountains, the largest within the United States Territory, are in the western part of this

district; and nearly all that is known concerning them has been described in the general view. The Gates of the Rocky Mountains were alluded to in the general view of the United States as a curiosity. They may be more particularly mentioned here, as the subject serves to throw some light upon this mountainous region. The Gates of the Rocky Mountains is a singular passage of the Missouri River, situated above Dearborn's River. "Here," Lewis and Clark observe, "the rocks approach the river on both sides, forming a most sublime and extraordinary spectacle. For 5 and miles these rocks rise perpendicularly from the water's edge, to the height of nearly 1200 feet. They are composed of black granite near the base, but from its lighter colour above, and from the fragments, we suppose the upper part to be a flint of a yellowish brown and cream colour. Nothing can be imagined more tremendous than the frowning darkness of these rocks, which project over the river, and menace us with destruction. The river, of 150 yards wide, seems to have forced its channel down this solid mass, but so reluctantly has it given way, that during the whole distance the water is very deep even at the edges, and for the first three miles there is not a spot except one of a few yards, in which a man could stand between the waters and the towering perpendicular of the mountain. The convulsion of the passage must have been terrible, since, at its outlet, there are vast columns of rock torn from the mountain, which are strewed on both sides of the river, the trophies as it were of the victory." The mountains at a distance appeared very lofty, and the tops were covered with snow on the 19th July, although on the day before, the thermometer on the river stood at 84°.

A ridge of high land called the Black Hills, extends from the great bend of the Missouri east of Yellow Stone

River, south-west upwards of 400 miles; and there is a considerable swell of land between the Missouri and Mississippi, called by the French Coteau du Prairie.

Rivers. The greater part of the rivers have been already described. The Mississippi bounds the territory on the east; the Missouri and its waters run through the central part, and the Arkansas is the southern boundary. The principal waters flowing into the Mississippi in this territory are

River de Corbeau, St. Peter's River, Canon River, Upper loway River, Turkey River, Lower loway River, and the River des Moines.

River des Corbeau rises near Otter Tail Lake, and running a south and then east course, it falls into the Mississippi at its most western bend; and by it there is a passage to Otter Tail Lake, a branch of Red River of Lake Winnipeg.

St. Peter's River rises near the head of Red River, and runs a south-east course 250 miles. It then turns northeast, and after running in that direction nearly 100 miles, it falls into the Mississippi, at the Falls of St. Anthony.The river is at its outlet 150 yards broad, and from ten to fifteen feet deep, the water being very pure. It is the largest of all the tributary streams of Mississippi Proper, except Illinois River.*

River des Moines is a large stream which rises in the high lands near St. Peter's River, and running a south

An exploring party was sent in 1823, by order of the United States -government, under Major Long, who penetrated to the head waters of the St. Peter's, and descended the Red River to the Lake Winnipeg, and returned by Slave Falls to Lake Superior. The scenery on Winnipeg River, surpasses in variety and magnificence, any other in this section of country.

east course of more than 300 miles, it falls into the Mississippi 150 miles above St. Louis.

The principal tributary streams of the Missouri are noticed in the general view of that river, pages 27 to 29; but for the sake of convenient reference the following table may be inserted here:

Red River of Lake Winnipeg rises near the head of St. Peter's River, and runs nearly 200 miles in a northern direction, to where it passes the territorial line in the British Possessions. Its principal branches are Red Lake River, which rises in Red Lake beyond the head of the Mississippi; and Mouse River, which rises within a mile of Missouri, beyond Fort Mandan.

Arkansas River was noticed in the general view, page 38, but in consequence of a new view which is afforded of this river, the result of the researches of Major Long