Fort Winnebago is a military post, at the bend, and on the right bank of Fox river, opposite the portage. From thence to the Wisconsin, is a low wet prairie, of three fourths of a mile, through which, a company has been chartered to cut a canal. On this route, the first explorers reached the Mississippi in 1673. The Wisconsin river, however, without considerable improvement, is not navigable for steamboats, at ordinary stages of the water, without much trouble. It is full of bars, islands, rocks, and has a devious channel.
The streams that rise in the eastern part of this Territory, and flow into lake Michigan, north of the boundary of Illinois, are in order as follows: Pipe creek, a small stream, but a few miles from the boundary,—Root river next,—then Milwaukee, 90 miles from Chicago. It rises in the swampy country, south of Winnebago lake, runs a south-easterly course, and, after receiving the Menomone, forms Milwaukee bay. Here is a town site, on both sides of the river, with a population of six or eight hundred, which promises to become a place of business. The soil up the Milwaukee is good, from 6 to 32 inches in depth, a black loam and sand.
Passing northward down the lake is Oak creek, 9 miles below Milwaukee,—thence 21 miles is Sauk creek, a small stream. Seventy miles from Milwaukee is Shab-wi-wi-a-gun. Here is found white pine, maple, beech, birch and spruce, but very little oak: the surface level and sandy. Pigeon river is 15 or 20 miles further on, with excellent land on its borders;—timber,—maple, ash, beech, linden, elm, &c. Fifteen miles further down, is Manatawok. Here commences the hemlock, with considerable pine. This stream is about 40 or 50 miles from Green Bay settlement. Twin rivers are below Manatawok, with sandy soil, and good timber of pine and other varieties. From Milwaukee to Green Bay, by a surveyed route, is 112 miles;—by the Indian trail, commonly travelled, 135 miles. North of the Wisconsin river, is Crawford county, of which Prairie du Chien is the seat of justice. From the great bend at Fort Winnebago across towards the Mississippi is a series of abrupt hills, rising several hundred feet, and covered with a dense forest of elm, linden, oak, walnut, ash, sugar maple, &c. The soil is rich, but is too hilly and broken for agricultural purposes. There is no alluvial soil, or bottoms along the streams, or grass in the forests.
The Wisconsin river rises in an unexplored country towards lake Superior. The coureurs du bois, and voyageurs represent it as a cold, mountainous, dreary region, with swamps.
West of the Mississippi, above Des Moines, and extending northward to a point some distance above the northern boundary of Illinois, and for 50 miles interior, is a valuable country, purchased of the Indians in 1832. Its streams rise in the great prairies, run an east or south-eastern course into the Mississippi. The most noted are Flint, Skunk, Wau-be-se-pin-e-con, Upper and Lower Iowa rivers, and Turkey, Catfish, and Big and Little Ma-quo-ka-tois, or Bear creeks. The soil, in general, is excellent, and very much resembles the military tract in Illinois. The water is excellent,—plenty of lime, sand and freestone,—extensive prairies, and a deficiency of timber a few miles interior. About Dubuque, opposite Galena, are extensive and rich lead mines. Burlington is a town containing a population of 700, at the Flint hills opposite Warren county, Illinois. Dubuque is situated on the Mississippi, on a sandy bottom, above high water, and 14 miles N. W. from Galena. It has about 60 stores and groceries, 2 taverns, 2 churches, and about 1000 inhabitants, and we have before us the prospectus for the "Dubuque Visiter," a weekly newspaper. Peru is in the vicinity, and contains about 500 inhabitants. The New Purchase, as this district of country is called, is divided into two counties, Dubuque, and Des Moines, and contains a population of 8 or 10,000. The whole Wisconsin Territory is estimated by its legislature, now in session, to contain 30,000 inhabitants.
Hitherto, for civil purposes, this region has formed a part of Michigan Territory, and still its legislature acts under that name; but a bill is before Congress to organize a territorial government under the name of Wisconsin, which doubtless will be effected in a few weeks. Not many years will elapse before two new States will be formed out of this district of country, the one on the eastern, and the other on the western, side of the Mississippi.