GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 305 



bly shores being frosted over with the alkaliue deposit. Lake Eekelson, 

 whicli is some six or eight miles long, and from one-fourth of a mile to 

 one mile wide, is the largest in this immediate section; its waters are 

 brackish, ap|)arently more saline than alkaline. 



Here we also meet with a phenomenon which leaves a very unfavora- 

 ble impression ui)ou the mind in regard to the climate in this section. 

 I allude to what are called " dry lakes," the dry basins where lakes for- 

 merly existed, but which have in a few years past dried up from some 

 cause not yet fully explained. As 1 have before stated, the fact should 

 be borne in mind that 1872 — the time of my visit to this region — was 

 unusually wet. 1 mean by this expression simply to state that tlie 

 amount of rain which fell during the spring and summer was more than 

 the average amount. 



Not only did I find these dry lakes entirely devoid of water, but the 

 surface of the sediment which had been deposited by the water was 

 dry and powdery and strongly alkaline. Even the lakes which contain 

 water appear to be getting lower and lower, if we judge by the water- 

 lines along the shores. And this calls to mind another fact bearing 

 upon the condition of the climate, indicated by the facts stated, and that 

 is that all through this section of country I noticed numerous evidences 

 of former swampy spots where the grass still is more luxuriant than 

 that surrounding it, but the water has disappeared from the surface. 

 For some time 1 sui)posed that these were points where water accumu- 

 lated and remained longest in the spring of the year; although this ex- 

 l>lanation will suffice for the condition of many, yet there are some things 

 connected therewith which I can only explain by the supposition that 

 they are gradually growing drier. 



After passing Lake Eckelson the surface of the country, although 

 gradually ascending, is tolerable level until we reach the large coulee 

 where there appear to be two depressions or broad ravines running north 

 ami south, with an intervening ridge. Perhaps no better illustration of 

 the Arabian tcady is to be found on the western continent than these 

 coulees. This very broad, dry ravine was evidently once the channel of 

 a considerable stream, the shiftings and fluctuations of which may yet 

 be detected ; why is it no more filled with water? Beyond this the sur- 

 face is slightly undulating, but somewhat more in the terrace-form to 

 and west of James Kiver until we reach the coteau of the Missouri. 

 The valley of the James is narrow, not more than from one-half to one 

 mile wide, with very little timber of any kind. The surface of the coteau 

 is very irregular, being broken into ridges and hillocks, with here nnd 

 there an occasional sn)all lake; and from the best information I could 

 obtain it ai)pears to be true, although strange, that there is generally 

 no difficulty in obtaining good water on this elevated plateau by digging 

 wells to a moderate depth. I know this to be true in regard to some of 

 the elevated plains in the southern part of the Territory. The section 

 where the greatest difficulty is experienced in obtaining water appears 

 to be in Red River Valley and those areas underlaid by the heavy clay 

 deposits. 



Although the country west of the second crossing of the Cheyenne 

 is well adapted to grazing and pastoral pursuits, yet I am satisfied that 

 the average rain-fall is not sufficient for profitable agricultural operations. 

 There may be seasons when the sui)ply may be sulficient to produce 

 moderately good crops of the cereals, but I think these will form the 

 exceptions instead of the rule. It is true no sufficient experiments have 

 been made to test this question, and it is due to the welfare of the Ter- 

 ritory and those who are largely interested in this matter that I should 

 20 G s 



