There are several small lakes in the district of country we are now examining, the largest of which is Winnebago. It is situated 30 or 40 miles south of Green Bay,--is about ten miles long, and three broad, and is full of wild rice. Fox river passes through it. Kushkanong is six or eight miles in diameter, with some swamps and quagmires in its vicinity. It is on Rock river, between Catfish and Whitewater.
The _Four lakes_ are strung along on a stream called Catfish, which enters Rock river 25 or 30 miles above the boundary of Illinois. They are 6 or 8 miles long, abounding with fish, and are surrounded with an excellent farming country.
Green Bay settlement and village is 230 miles north of Chicago, 220 north-east from Galena, 120 from Fort Winnebago, and in N. latitude 44° 44'. _Navarino_ is a town recently commenced in this vicinity, with an excellent harbor, grows rapidly, and bids fair to become a place of importance. Property has risen the last year most astonishingly.
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.