REPORT ON DEAD COLT HILLOCK LINE. 223 



James river below the mouth of Grizzly Bear creek, there is no obstacle to a railroad line 

 worthy of notice. 



Thence, only gradually rising and falling surfaces occur on our line to the Wild Rice river, 

 between the valley of which and that of the James river but moderate grades will be necessary. 



On the 2d of July we camped on the right bank of the former stream, which was apparently 

 somewhat swollen by recent rains. Its banks are sparely wooded with oak and elm, and rise 

 from ten (10) to twenty (20) feet above its bed. This stream was kept to our right until the 

 morning of the fourth, when we crossed it, leaving it some distance to the left. 



The Jarnes river is about forty (40) yards wide, and pursues a sinuous course, with a sluggish 

 current, through a broad, deep valley. 



Below a small hillock known as Butte des Os, a very little wood is to be found ; but opposite 

 that point, and from the amount of drift upon the banks, probably above there, oak is quite abund 

 ant. The western bank gains its whole rise of about eighty (80) or ninety (90) feet above the bed 

 of the stream within two miles, and extends back in broad &quot;undulations, having but slight differ 

 ences in general level to the Coteau of the Missouri. Near the James river there occur many 

 deep ravines, some of which have small streams of water in their bottoms, and upon their banks 

 some scattering oaks. They extend back from the river some three or four miles. 



The Coteau, so called, which I struck in forty-three (43) miles from Butte des Os, on a course 

 of north 52 30 west, consists of broad ranges of high bluffs, thrown up without any particular 

 order, to the height of about one hundred (100) feet above the general level of the broad plateau 

 at its base. The country gradually becomes higher and more rolling as these bluffs are ap 

 proached, and the actual point of change from rolling to bluffy can hardly be distinguished. 

 For nearly thirty (30) miles on the line which I pursued after first striking the Coteau, this 

 bluffy character prevails ; after which it gradually falls down to rolling for about six (6) miles, 

 when the trail again struck a point of bluffs. But all of this heavy country, after the first twenty 

 (20) miles of the Coteau, can be avoided by deflecting four or five miles to the left of the line 

 of march between camps July 10th and July llth, and crossing to the right about six (6) miles 

 from camp July llth, and keeping around the bluffy points crossed by the trail on the 12th July, 

 and within some four or five miles of the trail, in the same general direction, to the main branch 

 of James river, which at this point is very small. The valley of this stream can be followed up, 

 with but a slight deflection from the direct course, to near the head of one of its branches, about 

 twenty (20) miles. 



From thence to Mouse river the country is gently rolling. Following up the valley of the 

 Mouse river, the same general topographical character is found to exist, as far as my recon 

 naissance extended, and this high bluffy country extends nearly in a general northwesterly direc 

 tion as far as the 49th parallel of latitude, though its character becomes less abrupt as more 

 northing is made. With regard to the soil, wherever deep cuts are necessary it has been found 

 to consist of small rolling stones and gravel, intermixed with upland soil, and, as a general thing, 

 such as to be easily worked. Granite and sienitic boulders, from a ton s weight downwards, 

 are frequently found, but not in sufficient quantity to be of service as a building material. Sand 

 is found in abundance at but one point, viz: Lightning s Nest, a series of sand-hills of several 

 miles in extent, which would supply an inexhaustible amount for ballasting. Wood was not 

 found in any quantity, ex;cept on the Mouse river, which is quite heavily timbered with maple, 

 ash, and elm. 



I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 



C. GROVER, 



Second Lieutenant 4?A Artillery. 

 His Excellency ISAAC I. STEVENS, 



Chief N. P. Railroad Exploring Expedition. 



