Volume 1

Marshall Co.,
RED LAKE RIVER—BLACK RIVER. 12/
where the railroad now crosses], and directed
our course S. E. over an open level plain toward an island
of wood [islette de bois—clump of trees], which we could
scarcely discern. Here we found a herd of buffalo, but we
could see no wood, excepting that of the little river and of
the island ahead of us.
some rising ground and barren hillocks,
On approaching the latter we found
between which laysmall
lakes and marshes. Islands [clumps or patches] of
poplar and willows were now very frequent. At twelve
o'clock we came in sight of the tall wood of Red Lake river,
commonly called Riviere du Lac Rouge.'" We now had an
ugly country to pass, overgrown with small poplars, willows,
and long grass.- Red deer were very numerous, and for the
first time we saw numerous tracks and roads of the fallow
deer or chevreuil [^Cariactis virginianus], which we soon perceived
jumping in every direction. We crossed Black river
[present name] a few miles from its entrance. This small
river takes its water from several marshes to the N. E.,
but
at no great distance, and runs a winding course through a
country of wood and meadow until it empties into Riviere
" Issuing from the W. side of the lower one of the two great divisions of Red
1. ,
this river runs very crookedly, but on the whole little N. of W. through the
present Red Lake Indian reservation, to a place which rejoices in the name of
Moose Dung, Polk Co., but little S. of the S. boundary of Marshall Co. Here
it is joined from the N. by Thief r. ; Thief River Falls at their junction. Red
Lake r. then turns S., flows past St. Hilaire, and curves E. to the junction of
Clearwater r., its main fork, at the place called Red Lake Falls. Continuing
E. the river receives Black r., from the N., at a place called Huot. It continues
past Gentilly and on to Crookston, county seat of Polk, where the railroads
now cross the river, and then curves N. W. past Fisher and Mallory to fall
into Red r. at East Grand Forks, opp. Grand Forks, N. Dak.—a place where
five railroad tracks now concenter. Grand Forks is a term which translates F.
Grandes Fourches ;
the name dates back to very early times ; it is supposed to
have been given by Verendrye's people, about 1734, to the highest point to which
they then ascended Red r. Henry seems to have crossed Black r. at or near present
town of Wylie.
On reaching the confluence of the Clearwater with Red Lake
r., he notes an " old wintering establishment." This was J. B. Cadotte's house.
I have before me notes on Thompson's journey through these parts. He left
Roy's house on Red r. near what he calls Salt rivulet. Mar. 23d, 1798 ; crossed
Red r. from W. to E. ; crossed and re-crossed what he calls Swamp r. (compare