Volume 1

148 FORT ABERCROMBIE—PELICAN RIVER.
This small stream takes its water by several branches in the
environs of Montagne de Chef ; its course is very crooked,
running through a fine open country, with partially wooded
banks. Beavers are numerous here ; Charlo informs me he
saw plenty two summers ago, on a war excursion, when they
crossed this river southward in search of the enemy. Beyond
this small river wood soon ceases on both sides of Red
river; for about 15 leagues only stunted willows are seen.
The country is beautiful, level, and open ; the soil barren
and sandy, with some stones. Montagne de Chef is on the
W.; it here takes that name, but it is the same ridge, running
in the same direction as the Hair hills ;
only the latter
loses its wood at Park river, and is all barren ground until it
reaches this well-wooded mountain.
Soon after reaching wood again on Red river, we arrive
at Pelican river," from the E. This is navigable for small
canoes, and even large ones have ascended it in the spring.
It receives its water from several considerable lakes, the
principal of which are Pelican lake, Lac de Bois Blanc
navigation, " in the vicinity of a place known as Graham's Point, Minn." The
position is nearly opposite places now called McCauleyville and Kent, Minn.
The Chic, Milw. and St. P. R. R. runs through the site. The name stands
" Ambercombie " on a map before me. Lt. Col. J. J.
Abercrombie arrived on
the spot Aug. 28th, 1858, and the troops were quartered for the winter of 1858-
59. The post was abandoned July 25th, 1859 ; re-occupied July, i860 ; attacked
by Sioux, Sept. 3d and Sept. 6th, 1862 ; building finished in Feb., 1863 ; it was
operative in 1873, when I last heard of it.
*^ Pelican r. is present name of that branch of Red r. which runs S. from
Pelican and other lakes in Becker and Otter Tail cos. , and falls into Red r.
a little W. of Fergus Falls. But this does not seem to be exactly the stream
which Henry means, and there is some further difficulty in following out the
remainder of the account of Red r. which Henry gives, as will be remembered,
upon hearsay evidence. For example, I do not know what " Lac de Travers"
he mentions in this connection ; or what his " Riviere aux Schaitake" can be,
unless it be present Pelican r. ; or how Red r. can be said to have a " direct
course," " due N." from Otter Tail 1. to Lake Winnipeg, considering the fishhook
bend we have traced, note'". Waiving some such points as these, which
do not seem clear, we find Henry presenting a good outline of the traverse /ar
I'aile de corbeau from the Otter Tail waters of Red r. to the Crow Wing branch,
of the Mississippi ; and we may take his account on this main understanding
without further criticism in detail.