Emerging from St. Anthony, the undulating aspect of the country ceases, and we enter upon an almost unbroken plain.  A leading characteristic of the scenery is the thin forests of oak, commonly called oak openings.  The soil appears to be rich.

Seven miles from St. Anthony is a tidy settlement called Manomin, near the mouth of Rice river.  But the first place of importance which we reached is Anoka, a large and handsome village situated on Rum river.  It is twenty-five miles from St. Paul.  The river is a large and beautiful stream and affords good water-power, in the development of which Anoka appears to thrive.  A vast number of pine logs are annually floated down the river and sawed into lumber at the Anoka mills.  The settlers are principally from Maine.  By the treaty of 22d February, 1855, with three bands of the Chippewa Indians, an appropriation of $5000 was set apart for the construction of a road from the mouth of Rum river to Mille Lac.  The road is half completed.

We took an early dinner at Itasca, having come thirty-two miles.  Itasca is quite an unassuming place, and not so pretty as its name.  But I shall always cherish a good-will for the spot, inasmuch as I got a first-rate dinner there.  It was all put upon the table before we sat down, so that each one could help himself; and as it consisted of very palatable edibles, each one did help himself quite liberally.  We started on soon afterwards, with a new driver and the third set of horses; but with the disagreeable consciousness that we had still before us the largest part of the day’s journey.  In about three hours we came to Big Lake, or, as it is sometimes called, Humboldt.  The lake is anything but a big lake, being the size of a common New England pond.  But then all such sheets of water are called lakes in this part of the country.  It is a clear body of water, abounding with fine fish, and has a beautiful shore of pebbles.  Several similar sheets of water are passed on the journey, the shores of which present a naked appearance.  There is neither the trace of a stream leading from or to them, nor, with few exceptions, even a swamp in their vicinity.

Sauk Rapids is 44 miles from Itasca, and it was late when we reached there.  But, late as it was, we found a large collection of people at the post office waiting for the mail.  They appeared to have had a caucus, and were discussing politics with much animation.  There is at Sauk Rapids a local land office.  That is of more advantage to a place than being the county seat.  In a short time, however, some of the land offices will be removed further west for the convenience of settlers.  The village is finely situated on rising ground, and contains some handsome residences.