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settlement Des Peres, which is situated at the rapids of the Fox river.
Formerly they were called the Rapids des Peres, from a Jesuit college
which had been established there by the French. Our course lay along
the banks of the Fox river, a beautiful swift stream pouring down
between high ridges, covered with fine oak timber.

The American Government have disposed of all the land on the banks of
this river and the Lake Winnebago, and consequently it is well settled;
but the Winnebago territory in Wisconsin, lately purchased of the
Winnebago Indians, and comprising all the prairie land and rich mineral
country from Galena to Mineral Point, is not yet offered for sale: when
it is, it will be eagerly purchased; and the American Government, as it
only paid the Indians at the rate of one cent and a fraction per acre,
will make an enormous profit by the speculation. Well may the Indians
be said, like Esau, to part with their birthright for a mess of pottage;
but, in truth, they are _compelled_ to sell--the purchase-money being a
mere subterfuge, by which it may _appear_ as if their lands were not
wrested from them, although, in fact, it is.

On the second day we continued our march along the banks of the Fox
river, which, as we advanced, continued to be well settled, and would
have been more so, if some of the best land had not fallen, as usual,
into the hands of speculators, who, aware of its value, hold out that
they may obtain a high price for it. The country through which we
passed was undulating, consisting of a succession of ridges, covered
with oaks of a large size, but not growing close as in a forest; you
could gallop your horse through any part of it. The tracks of deer were
frequent, but we saw but one herd of fifteen, and that was at a
distance. We now left the banks of the river, and cut across the
country to Fond du Lac, at the bottom of Lake Winnebago, of which we had
had already an occasional glimpse through the openings of the forest.
The deer were too wild to allow of our getting near them; so I was
obliged to content myself with shooting wood pigeons, which were very
plentiful.

On the night of the third day we encamped upon a very high ridge; as
usual studded with oak trees. The term used here to distinguish this
variety of timber land from the impervious woods is _oak openings_. I
never saw a more beautiful view than that which was afforded us from our
encampment. From the high ground upon w