318 ROFJTE FROM FORT BENTON TO ST. MARY S VALLEY. 



left bank, finding good grass, wood, and water ; our camp being where the main party camped 

 on the night previous. The night was cool, with a heavy frost. 



September 30, 1853. Commences misty and cool, but towards ten o clock becomes a beautiful 

 bright day. 



We resumed our journey, at 7.30 a. m., up the Bitter Root valley, by a very excellent road, 

 crossing several small tributaries coming in from the west, making one crossing of the Bitter Root 

 river about ten miles from our camp of last night. At a distance of six or seven miles farther 

 we halted on a small stream from the east, about three miles below the St. Mary s village, the 

 sight of which we all greeted with feelings of joy. We were visited here by several Flathead 

 Indians, who informed us that &quot; Suryarpees&quot; arrived yesterday, meaning thereby the expedition. 

 Resuming our march, we reached the village at 3 p. m., on the twenty-second day from Fort 

 Benton. Here we were met by the Governor and several members of the expedition, who had 

 expected us in much sooner. Mr. Lander s party, whom we started in search of, arrived safely. 

 Our Indian delegation was presented to the Governor, who talked with them as the represent 

 atives from their tribe, setting forth the good intentions of the government, &c. We were glad 

 to find ourselves at our journey s end. 



Taking now a retrospective view of our route from Fort Benton, we saw we had made a great 

 bend, when leaving the Missouri, to the south-southeast, over a line of one hundred and thirty 

 miles, to the Muscle Shell river; thence southeast, over a line of sixty miles; thence westward, 

 across the main chain of the Rocky mountains, to the Bitter Root valley, over a distance of two 

 hundred and twenty-five miles, crossing in the interval the source from whence flow both the 

 waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In addition to crossing several small streams which 

 empty their waters into the Missouri, we had followed to its head one of its principal tributaries 

 namely, the Muscle Shell river crossing the ridge of the mountains from which it receives its 

 source; crossing the Missouri far to the south, near to the gate of the mountains (the great land 

 mark of the country) through which it issues; and thence, across the main chain of the mountains, 

 to the headwaters of Clark s fork of the Columbia. From the dividing ridge of the mountains, 

 and even for thirty miles to the east, I can say, from actual examination, that the route travelled 

 by my party down the Little Blackfoot fork, and thence by the Hell Gate river to the Bitter Root 

 valley, is perfectly practicable for wagon trains. There are, it is true, some obstructions at 

 present, such as timber and loose rocks and stones ; but with very little labor it can be made not 

 only a practicable, but a beautiful wagon road. The valley of both the streams mentioned affords 

 the greatest abundance of rich and nutritious grass, and their borders are all well timbered with 

 an abundant supply of wood; thus affording the two great requisites on a wagon road. 



Most of the road is over a beautiful prairie valley, which Nature herself seems intentionally to 

 have formed for the passage of wagon trains. It is true that the mountain-streams have to be 

 crossed quite often, but there is a ford at every crossing. The banks are low, and the beds are 

 all hard and covered with pebbles and gravel ; thus affording every facility for the passage of 

 wagon trains. There are no mountains to cross no sloughs, no coulees, or other obstructions. 



With regard to the connexion from Fort Benton to within thirty or forty miles of the dividing 

 ridge on the east, I cannot express an opinion from what I saw; but, from information gathered 

 from the hunters and trappers of the mountains, it is said that &quot;there is a practicable wagon road 

 from Fort Benton to the mountains, and across the mountains by the route we travelled,&quot; which 

 road crosses the Missouri twice, both places giving an excellent ford with a hard bottom. 



Here, therefore, exists in the mountains a broad open pass, through which it is possible that, 

 ere many years shall have passed, a broad emigrant trail will lead from the Atlantic to the Pacific 

 Can it be otherwise ? Can the advantage possessed by the Missouri river, flowing as it does 

 through the very heart of our country, proved by actual experiment to be navigable for a dis 

 tance of twenty-two hundred miles, and which from reliable authority is said to be navigable for 

 light-draught steamers to the foot of the mountains can it be, I say, that, when we have steam- 



