ilderness. Wheat in bulk, and
flour in bags and barrels, were brought down from St. Joseph's, through
the straits of Michigan, this fall; which is the first instance of the
kind, but one, in the commercial history of the country. Beef and wheat
were brought from the same post last season.

_Nov. 13th._ A remarkable display of the aurora borealis was observed
last night. The Indians, who call this phenomenon _Jebiug nemeiddewaud_,
or dancing spirits, describe it as radiating balls, streams of fire or
falling stars from the zenith into the lake.

Mr. Wm. Johnston, who was at Leech Lake, on the sources of the
Mississippi, describes the changing phenomena as wonderful. "The
weather," he says (13th Nov.), "is still very pleasant, with very little
frost at night. About two or three o'clock in the morning one of the men
came and awoke me. 'Come and see a strange sight,' he said. We went to
the door, where we saw, every now and then, stars shooting or falling.
The centre from whence they first appeared to the eye was, to us, nearly
in a direct line above our heads--from whence they went in all
directions, to all points of the compass. Most all our village people
were looking at them with fearful astonishment, and they were making
their remarks as their feelings caused them. We went in the house, and
each smoked his pipe, and we could not say much about the cause of what
we had seen, but only expressed our astonishment to each other.

"Before going to bed, we thought we would take another look at the
heavens. What a sight it was! The whole heaven appeared to be lit with
the falling stars, and we could now more plainly see, as it were, the
centre from whence they would shoot. The night was calm, the air clear;
nothing to disturb the stillness, but the hushed breathings of the men.
The stars were accompanied with a rustling noise, and, though they
appeared to fall as fast and as thick as hail, above them, now and then,
we could see some of the fixed stars, shining as bright as ever. But
these (falling stars) appeared to be far below them. I can compare it to
nothing more comprehensive than a hail storm. The sight was grand beyond
description. Yet I must confess that my feelings were awed into a
perfect silence. We stood and gazed, till we saw the bright streaks of
day appearing, and the stars began gradually to be less in number, till
the light of the sun caused them to disappear."

_28th_. I resumed the old traditions. Mrs. Mi