Page 93 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

REPORT ON TIIE PICTURE GALLERY. 89
road leading to Fort Winnebago and Navarino,* and soon
afterwards got into one of the most exquisitely beautiful regions
I have ever seen in any part of the world. The prairie that had
hitherto been distinguished by a regular rolling surface, here
changed its character, and took the form of ridges somewhat
elevated, which frequently resolved themselves into masses of
gracefully rounded hills, separated by gentle depressions, that
occasionally became deepened valleys. In these, some of the
heads of a stream called Sugar River, a tributary of Rock River,
took their rise. In whatever direction our eyes were turned,
the most pleasing irregularities of surface presented themselves.
But that which crowned the perfection of the view, and imparted
an indescribable charm to the ahole scene, from the knoll where
we stood to the most distant point where the alternate hills and
vales blended with the horizon, was the inimitable grace with
which the picturesque clumps of trees, that sometimes enlarged
themselves into woods, embellished this rural landscape from tho
hand of nature.
* * * * * * > k * *
"The aspect of this lovely country at once accounted for so
great apopulationflocking to the lakes, on whose enchanting banks
those cities were founded of which we had heard so much, and to
which we were now advancing. Four noble lakes, in the centre
-
of a region of such unrivalled beauty, must constitute perfection
-
itself. Our expectations were exceedingly raised; every moment a
produced a new excitement; thc occasional glimpse of the shy
deer, with their elegant fawns, and the more frequent flushing
of the prairie-hen from her nest, gave animation to the still
beauty around us. Enraptured with all I saw, I could not but
occasionally reflect on the oddity of seaen large cities, each
capable of containing a population of half a million of people,
having congregated so close together. There was Madison City,
which was the metropolis. Adjacent to this was the City of
the Zour Lakes. A short distance beyond this was the city of
*A name applied for o time, to Green Buy, or a portion of it, but which ha
long since gone into disuse. L. C. D.
llm