60 LETTER FROM LIEUTENANT MULLAN. 
land’’ crossing. On my route from the Missouri I crossed the headwaters of the Shonkee 
creek, or Shonkee river, Arrow river, Judith river, and Hammell Island creek, before striking 
the Muscle Shell river. All of these ieee referred to are tributaries of the Missouri from the 
south, but lose their importance when compared with the Muscle Shell river. This last men- 
tioned stream I found to be one of the most important tributaries of the Missouri. It takes its 
rise in the main chain of the Belt or Girdle mountains, a chain of the Rocky mountains east of 
the Missouri. This river winds through a very beautiful, level valley, well wooded along the 
borders of the stream from its headwaters to the point where I struck it, a distance of sixty 
miles, and I have every reason to believe that it is well wooded thence to its mouth. The 
valley through which it flows is about one mile wide, bounded on the east side by low prairie 
bluffs. There are two trails across the mountains by this river—one by the northern, and the 
other by the southern fork of the river. In coursing the southern fork of the Muscle Shell river 
you cross the headwaters of the Missouri; in crossing along the northern fork you pass though 
the Girdle mountains, by a very excellent pass, to the Missouri. 
I did not fall upon the Flathead trail when I first struck the river, but found it four miles 
above, which I saw tended towards the east. This trail I followed for a distance of twenty 
miles toa ford. I thence followed it southeast to the Muscle Shell, for a distance of twenty 
miles farther, over a very rough, rugged, and difficult road. There I found that the Flatheads 
were five days ahead of me, and that it would be perfectly impossible for me to overtake them 
with my pack animals. Therefore I deemed it advisable to go into camp—which I left in charge 
of Mr. Burr—to go in search of the Flatheads, with my Indian guide. To this effect the Indian 
guide and myself, mounted on two of my best horses, followed on their trail for a distance of 
sixty or seventy miles, and found them encamped in a very beautiful valley. Here I was 
received by them with the greatest hospitality and kindness. I explained to the principal men 
of the camp, in detail, the object of my visit. I told them that I came among them to secure a 
delegation of their most intelligent and reliable men to accompany me across the Rocky mount- 
ains, to meet you at the St. Mary’s village. I told them that you had visited the camp of the 
Blackfeet Indians, and that your intention and determination was to bring all the tribes, both 
east and west of the mountains, into one general peace; that your determination was to protect 
them from the incursions of the Blackfeet Indians, who for years have been their enemies to the 
knife; that your determination was to build anew the village of St. Mary’s, and cause the 
valley, where had been their homes for years, again to teem with beauty; that, in the beautiful 
valley of St. Mary’s, a foundation had been laid, and that upon it you intended to build, if 
possible, a superstructure that all the Indian tribes of North America could look upon and 
imitate, and that would be a monument which our government could view with feelings of pride 
and credit. After much persuasion, the chief of the tribe delegated five of his principal men 
to accompany me, to be their representatives to you. Four of them accompanied me to this 
village, and I am compelled to bear witness, on an occasion, to their noble and Christian 
character. Did what Father De Smet has told of the Flathead Indians need confirmation, 
I am ready and willing to add my evidence in the behalf of these interesting children of the 
mountains. 
From the Flathead camp I followed up the Muscle Shell river to. its headwaters, by its north- 
ern fork, I there fell upon the headwaters of Smith river, flowing into the Missouri from the 
south, and running in a northwester ly course by a very excellent prairie road across the 
dividing ridge. This river takes its rise in the same range of mountains as the Muscle Shell, 
and flows in the opposite direction. This river winds through a very beautiful prairie allen 
well wooded. The current of the stream is rapid, bed rocky, and water about eighteen inches 
deep. This valley I followed down for many miles, and, finding it to take a course too far to 
the north, I left it and crossed to the Missouri by a very excellent road. Here I found the Mis- 
souri to be five feet deep and about thirty yards wide, and flowing with a very rapid current 
towards the north, The water here is perfectly clear and limpid. From the point where I 
