The Moreau or Owl, the Grand or Pell, the Cannon Ball, and the Heart rivers occur in the order named, and are mere prairie streams of unusual length. In the dry season they contribute little water to the Missouri, but their beds indicate that, at certain seasons, they are formidable torrents. The banks of these streams are lined with a narrow fringe of cotton-woods. Beyond these, and yet east of the outlying ridge, are two important riversthe Knife and the Chan-cho-ka, or Little Missouri-flowing to the northeast, instead of to the east, as was the case with the others. The Little Missouri rises in the Black Hills, whence it receives a constant and considerable supply of water, and its length is over 200 miles. This stream having more timber upon its banks than its neighbors, is called by the Indians "Chan-cho-ka," or Thick Timbered river. The title, however, is only comparative, and should not create the impression that the valley would be elsewhere considered heavily timbered. THE YELLOWSTONE AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. The foregoing complete the catalogue of the larger streams east of the outlier explored partially or completely by the expedition. Upon crossing the outlier the great valley of the Yellowstone is at once reached. The tributaries of this river-the Powder, the Tongue, the Rosebud, the Big Horn, Pryor's, and Clark's forks-all flow to the north until they reach the Yellowstone. Further west the same is true with reference to the Yellowstone itself, which near its source flows for more than 100 miles to the northward before changing its course to the east. The first stream west of the ridge is Powder river, (which derives its name from the sulphurous vapors rising from burning beds of lignite in its vicinity.) of which the Little Powder is the main tributary from the east. The latter rises near Pumpkin Butte, flows through the "bad lands" for over 100 miles, and joins the main stream in latitude 45° 28'. This stream, when crossed by us in July, 1859, was almost dry. Its valley is wide, and contains the usual growth of cotton-wood. Clear fork is the principal western tributary of the Powder, and leaves the Big Horn mountains, in which it takes its rise, a dashing moun tain torrent. Upon its banks is found considerable pine, which the excellent water-power of the stream will in time convert into lumber for the use of the coming settlers. Crazy Woman's fork and Willow creek are less important tributaries of the Powder, finding their sources in or near the mountains, and emptying into the main stream above Clear fork. The Powder itself rises in the Big Horn mountains, about latitude 43° 25', flows northeast about 60 miles, then turns to the north, and empties into the Yellowstone in latitude 46° 42'. Its valley (which is barren and yields but little grass and an abundance of artemisia) averages a mile in width throughout its entire length, until within 50 miles from its mouth, it becomes narrower and the bluffs more ragged and broken. Travelling in it is greatly impeded by deep and almost impassable ravines which cross it at nearly right angles, and are concealed by the sage until their very edge is reached. These gullies are caused by the action of the water upon the light soil, and are among the most disagreeable features of the country. The bed of the river is mainly a treacherous quicksand, and great care is necessary in selecting fords. The depth of the water is not, however, such as to offer any obstruction, except during freshets. The bluffs bordering the valley are throughout the much-dreaded and barren "bad lands," and this stream must ever remain of little or no value to the country. Tongue river rises in the Big Horn mountains, and is in some respects an improvement upon the Powder. Its valley is narrower, but contains less sage and more grass. The stream flows in the main over a gravel or stony bottom, and thus presents no especial obstructions to crossing. The river bottom is less torn up by gullies, and the bluffs are not as rugged and impassable. Yet the Tongue river valley presents few attractions to the settler. The soil is light, and the timber chiefly cottonwood, and scarce-disadvantages that will for years seriously affect its prospects for settlement and development. The third tributary of the Yellowstone is the Rosebud, which rises in the Chetish or Wolf mountains, and, during our journey in August, 1859, contained no running water. Its valley is narrow, and resembles that of the Tongue. Near its source, however, are some open valleys, that by contrast appear attractive. The Big Horn, which is next reached, is the main tributary of the Yellowstone. It is formed by the junction of the Popo-Azie and Wind rivers, both of which are considerable and noted streams. Thirty miles below the point of junction the river enters the mountains, passing through a cañon 20 miles in length, after which it flows among broken and barren hills, occasionally interspersed with small level valleys. During this part of its course, which is nearly 100 miles in extent, it receives several tributaries, of which the chief are No Wood and No Water creeks on the east, and Gray Bull and Stinking rivers upon the west. This part of the country, as will be seen from the detailed statements of Lieutenant Maynadier's explorations, is repelling in all its characteristics, and can only be traversed with the greatest difficulty. Below the mouth of the Stinking, the Big Horn again enters the Big Horn mountains, and passes through a second cañon of 25 miles in length, emerging in latitude 45° 10. The peculiar topography of this region, whereby the same river flowing to the north cañons twice through the same mountain range, is well set forth and made plain in the rough language of the guide Bridger, who said: "The Big Horn mountains are just the shape of a horseshoe, and the Big Horn river cuts through both sides, dividing the heel from the toe." The lower cañon must present a series of views of great magnificence. The gorge cannot be less than 3,000 feet in depth, and whether the banks are sloping or perpendicular, the scenery must be grand in the extreme. Bridger, who claims to have once passed through on a raft, declares that for mingled sublimity and beauty this cañon is unequalled by any that he has ever seen. Below this the Big Horn flows some 10° east of north for about 70 miles to its junction with the Yellowstone. The valley is open, and from two to five miles in width, being bounded on either side by high rolling prairie hills. Near the Yellowstone it is crossed by a high spur of the Chetish mountains, on the top of which is found a stunted and straggling growth of pines. The soil improves as you ascend towards the mountains, and near the lower cañon is very fertile, and covered with as heavy and luxuriant a crop of grass as could be found upon the continent. For 30 miles above its mouth the Big Horn flows upon the east side of its valley, but shifts to the other about half the distance to the mountains. The expedition forded the Big Horn without trouble about a mile and a half above its mouth, or about half a mile below the junction of Tullock's creek, and again about 35 miles above. These fords were well marked by Indian trails leading to them, and are the principal if not only crossings, as repeated attempts made at other points by naturalists, hunters, and other members of the party uniformly failed, the depth of water and rapidity of the current deterring the most daring. At these fords the water was only from two to two and a half feet in depth. The river bed, throughout its entire course below the mountains, partakes of the general character of the Yellowstone and Missouri, the stream being crooked and badly cut up by islands and sandbars. Of the tributaries of the Big Horn below the mountains those upon the west were not visited by us, nor are they of much importance. Of those upon the east the first is Tullock's creek, which empties into the main stream about two miles above the Yellowstone. It rises in the Chetish mountains, and flows through a timbered valley about 50 miles in length, so wide that it was mistaken at first for that of the Big Horn or Yellowstone. The stream itself, however, contains but little water, and this in October, 1859, was found only in pools. The second of the eastern branches is the Little Horn, or, taking a literal translation of the Indian name, the "Little Big Horn." This empties into the main stream about 30 miles above Tullock's creek, and flows through a wide bottom towards the north, its length being 60 or 70 miles. Upon its upper tributaries several good camping grounds are found near the base of the mountains. Of the rivers that unite to form the Big Horn, the Popo-Azie is a short stream. formed by the union of several branches which rise in the southern part of the Wind River chain and to the northward of the South pass. These do not unite until near the junction of the Popo- Azie with Wind river. Its drainage is entirely from the mountains and the supply of water is therefore quite constant. Wind river rises near the northwestern extremity of the Wind River range and flows to the southeast parallel with those mountains and between them and the Big Horn range. Its course is such that a glance at the map leads to an inquiry why it does not flow into, and form a continuation of, the Platie, instead of abruptly changing its course and discharging its water through the Big Horn into the Yellowstone. This is at once solved by an inspection of the profile of our route between those streams, by which the point of junction of Wind river and the Popo-Azie is shown to be 200 feet below the level of the Platte at the Red buttes. Wind river is rapid and filled with boulders, and its valley is narrow and unproductive. The mountains upon either side are bold and lofty, and present a constant succession of striking landscapes. At the sources of the stream is a lofty basaltic ridge, rising from 12,000 to 13,000 feet above the ocean, stretching across the head of the valley, and connecting the dividing crest of the Rocky mountains with the Big Horn range. Near this point and on the dividing crest, in latitude 43° 28', a peak rises 13,750 feet above the ocean level, (as determined by angle of elevation taken from route,) which may justly be considered as the topographical centre of North America, the rain which falls upon its sides being drained into the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi, the Gulf of California through the Colorado, and the Pacific ocean through the Columbia. I have designated this mountain on the maps as "Union_peak." West of the Big Horn, the other tributaries of the Yellowstone are Pryor's river, Clark's fork, the Big Rosebud, and Beaver river. These streams are com paratively short and small, find their sources in the mountains, and flow to the north. Beyond these is the valley of the upper Yellowstone, which is, as yet, a terra incognita. My expedition passed entirely around, but could not penetrate it. My intention was to enter it from the head of Wind river, but the basaltic ridge previously spoken of intercepted our route and prohibited the attempt. After this obstacle had thus forced us over on the western slope of the Rocky mountains, an effort was made to recross and reach the district in question; but, although it was June, the immense body of snow baffled all our exertions, and we were compelled to content ourselves with listening to marvellous tales of burning plains, immense lakes, and boiling springs, without being able to verify these wonders. I know of but two white men who claim to have ever visited this part of the Yellowstone valley-James Bridger and Robert Meldrum. The narratives of both these men are very remarkable, and Bridger, in one of his recitals, described an immense boiling spring that is a perfect counterpart of the Geysers of Iceland. As he is uneducated, and had probably never heard of the existence of such natural marvels elsewhere, I have little doubt that he spoke of that which he had actually seen. The burning plains described by these men may be volcanic, or more probably burning beds of lignite, similar to those on Powder river, which are known to be in a state of ignition. Bridger also insisted that immediately west of the point at which we made our final effort to penetrate this singular valley, there is a stream of considerable size, which divides and flows down either side of the water-shed, thus discharging its waters into both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Having seen this phenomenon on a small scale in the highlands of Maine, where a rivulet discharges a portion of its waters into the Atlantic and the remainder into the St. Lawrence, I am prepared to concede that Bridger's "Two Ocean river" may be a verity. Had our attempt to enter this district been made a month later in the season, the snow would have mainly disappeared, and there would have been no insurmountable obstacles to overcome. I cannot doubt, therefore, that at no very distant day the mysteries of this region will be fully revealed, and though small in extent, I regard the valley of the upper Yellowstone as the most interesting unexplored district in our widely expanded country. The general course of the Yellowstone itself, after leaving the mountains, is a little north of east through four and a half degrees of longitude, and then northeast to its junction with the Missouri. Throughout its entire length it flows through a wide, open valley, bounded by high, rolling hills. This valley has long been the home of countless herds of Buffalo and consequently the favorite hunting ground of the Indians. When my party first reached the bluff overlooking the Yellowstone, the sight was one which, in a few years, will have passed away forever. I estimated that about 15 miles in length of the wide valley was in view. The entire tract of 40 or 50 square miles was covered with buffalo as thickly as in former days, in the west, (when cattle were driven to an eastern market,) a pasture field would be, which was intended ouly to furnish subsistence to a large drove for a single night. I will not venture an estimate of their probable numbers. And here I would remark, that the wholesale destruction of the buffalo is a matter that should receive the attention of the proper authorities. It is due first and mainly to the fact that the skin of the female is alone valuable for robes. The skin of the male, over three years old, is never used for that purpose, the hair on the hind quarters being not longer than that on a horse, while, on the fore quarters, it has a length of from four to six inches. The skin is also too thick and heavy to be used for anything but lodge coverings, while the flesh is coarse and unpalatable, and is never used for food when any other can be had. The result is that the females are always singled out by the hunter, and consequently the males in a herd always exceed the females, iu the proportion of not less than ten to one. Another, but far less important, cause of their rapid extinction is the immense number of wolves in the country, which destroy the young. The only remedy that would have the slightest effect in the case would be a prohibition of the trade of buffalo robes and a premium upon wolf skins. I fear it is too late for even this remedy, and notwithstanding the immense herds that are yet to be found, I think it is more than probable that another generation will witness almost the entire extinction of this noble animal. THE UPPER MISSOURI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. Beyond the upper Yellowstone, and immediately at the foot of the maindivide of the Rocky mountains, lies the valley of the Upper Missouri and of the Three Forks. The Missouri is formed by the junction, in latitude 45° 56', of the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson rivers, streams which take their rise in the Rocky mountains and have a general northerly course. Their order, in relative importance, is the reverse of that in which they are named above, the Gallatin being the least and the Jefferson the greatest, although the difference in size is not marked. The soil in the valley of the Three Forks is good, the grass fine, and the streams are all bordered by fringes of trees that add great beauty to the landscape. The neighboring mountains are well timbered, and will, therefore, furnish an abundance of lumber for the future settlers, and there is no part of the field of our exploration that on the whole presents greater natural advantages than this. Standing upon the bluff north of the junction of the three rivers, and looking to the south, the eye rests upon a charming picture of level and fertile valleys, environed by gently-sloping and grass-clad hills, and divided, to appearance, into immense parks by the hedge-like fringes of trees lining the river banks. In the distance snowy ranges of mountains fill the horizon upon all sides, and furnish the delightful landscape with a pure and appropriate setting. Below the Three Forks the Missouri flows nearly north for two and a quarter degrees of latitude, passing through the gate of the mountains and over the Great Falls, and then changes its course to nearly due east, keeping this general direction through eight degrees of longitude, ultimately bending to the southeast and mingling its waters with those of the Mississippi on their way to the Gulf of Mexico. The tributaries of this great river, between the Platte and the Yellowstone, have been already described. Of the branches between the Three Forks and the Yellowstone I can speak but briefly. Of those flowing from the north and west the chief are the Sun, the Teton, Maria's river, and Milk river. The two latter are large and important rivers; but none of these were visited by my expedition. Of those which flow from the south the prin cipal are Smith's river, the Muscleshell, and Big Dry creek. Smith's river is a mountain stream, flowing through a narrow valley, which would not be capable of supporting a large population. Its passage through the mountain gorge is marked by numerous scenes of striking and romantic beauty. The Judith rises in the Judith mountains and flows northward into the Missouri. Near its head there is a small tract of fertile country, but, as we approach the Missouri, the river becomes less important, and at the mouth there is but little water in dry seasons within its banks. Some little doubt has arisen as to the identity of the Muscleshell. Lieutenant Mullan, of the artillery, in 1852 reached it in a journey to the southeast from Fort Benton. He describes it as a stream from two to four feet deep, and with a rapid current, and judged from its banks that, at high water, it was 120 yards in width. This so much exceeded previously conceived ideas of its size, that Lieutenant Warren concluded that Lieutenant Mullan had reached the Yellowstone. Lieutenant Mullins, of the dragoons, who commanded my escort, however, crossed the Muscleshell some 50 miles below where Lieutenant Mullan saw it, and found only a stream of 30 or 40 yards in width. The day before Lieutenant Mullins reached its banks I passed its mouth and found there no running water. I think, therefore, there can be no reasonable doubt that Lieutenant Mullan was correct in saying that he had reached the Muscleshell, and that after leaving the mountains the stream gradually sinks in the earth, growing less in size and importance as it approaches the Missouri. The evidences at its mouth, however, prove that at times it must be a mighty torrent draining a vast area of country. Of the Big Dry but little is known, aside from the general fact that in the wet season it is a pretentious river and at other times but little else than a dry channel. NAVIGABLE STREAMS. The Missouri has been navigated to Fort Benton, and doubtless boats can ascend the short distance from that point to the foot of the Great Falls, but this has only been accomplished during high water, and the first steamer that reached Fort Benton, was warped over several of the rapids above the mouth of the Yellowstone. Lieutenant Maynadier, in his report on the Yellowstone, expresses the confident conviction that at no distant day boats will ascend that stream to the mountains. The attempt has not yet been made, and it is hazardous to predict that science cannot overcome any obstacles that may be presented, but when the tables of altitudes, prepared from barometric measurements, are examined the showing is far from favorable to the realization of Lieutenant |