at intervals along a steep ridge from which the forest had been only
partially cleared, houses of the smallest possible limits growing out of
a reedy marsh, which lay between lake and ridge, tree-stumps and lumber
standing in street and landing-place, the swamps croaking with bull-frogs
and passable only by crazy looking planks of tilting proclivities--over
all, a sun fit for a Carnatic coolie, and around, a forest vegetation in
whose heart the memory of Arctic winter rigour seemed to live for ever.
Still, in spite of rock and swamp and icy winter, Yankee energy will
triumph here as it has triumphed else where over kindred difficulties.

"There's got to be a Boss City hereaway on this end of the lake," said
the captain of the little boat; and though he spoke with much labour of
imprecation, both needless then and now, taking what might be termed a
cursory view of the situation, he summed up the prospects of Duluth
conclusively and clearly enough.

I cannot say I enjoyed a stay of two days in Duluth. Several new saloons
(name for dram-shops, gaming-houses, and generally questionable places)
were being opened for the first time to the public, and free drinks were
consequently the rule. Now "free drinks" have generally a demoralizing
tendency upon a community, but taken in connexion with a temperature of
98 degrees in the shade, they quickly develop into free revolvers and
freer bowie-knives. Besides, the spirit of speculation was rampant in the
hotel, and so many men had corner lots, dock locations, pine forests, and
pre-empted lands to sell me, that nothing but flight prevented my
becoming a large holder of all manner of Duluth securities upon terms
that, upon the clearest showing, would have been ridiculously favourable
to me. The principal object of my visit to Duluth was to discover if any
settlement existed at the Vermilion Lakes, eighty miles to the north and
not far from the track of the Expedition, a place which had been named to