350 FROM FORT BENTON TO CANTONMENT STEVENS. 



determined to examine the country immediately along the Missouri from Fort Benton to the point 

 where I crossed the Missouri in my examination from the Muscle Shell across the Rocky mountains, 

 in September, 1S53, which up to this time had remained unexplored, save partially by Mr. Tink- 

 ham, in November, 1853. My working party consisted of a half-breed Cree, who was my 

 interpreter, and four of my own men. My route to Fort Benton lay up the Hell Gate river to 

 its junction with the Little Blackfoot, thence up the Little Blackfbot across the mountains. Arri 

 ving at the forks of the Little Blackfoot, I found the snow ten inches deep; and knowing there 

 were two passes, one to each fork, I took the more southern of the two. I thence struck for the 

 Missouri river, and examined the line of bluffs along its left bank, that extend from about thirty 

 miles above the falls to near the three forks of the Missouri. I found these bluffs very rough 

 and rugged, affording us a very difficult road even for my pack-train. In a word, it is one 

 immense bed of mountains, extending along the Missouri for one hundred and fifty miles, and 

 fifteen miles wide, necessitating the case of a road being to their north. These bluffs are mostly 

 well wooded with an abundant and large growth of pine. The rock found through them is mostly 

 granite. At this point the Missouri flows mostly through a mountain defile with a rapid current, 

 and in many places verj^ deep and narrow. Leaving the bluffs, through which I travelled three 

 days, we crossed the Missouri, in order to avoid the numerous and difficult coulees extending 

 along the left bank of the Missouri from the bluffs to Fort Benton. But I found the country 

 to the south immediately along the Missouri but little, if any, better than that to the north. In 

 places it is much cut up by very deep and rugged coulees, that are impracticable for anything 

 save a pack-trail. I arrived at Fort Benton. on the morning of the 14th. On the morning of the 

 17th I started on my return to this valley, bringing with me a wagon, with a four-mule team. 



I saw that by keeping on the high table-land between the Teton and Missouri rivers, I might 

 avoid the many coulees that make from each of these rivers, and thus gain an excellent wagon 

 road. This turned out to be the case, and from Fort Benton to the Sun or Medicine river I 

 f ,tmd a perfectly level prairie road. My route thence to the Dearborn river lay a very few 

 miles to the south of that followed and examined by Lieutenant Donelson, in September, 1853. 



Presuming that officer has already reported upon the general character of that section, I pass 

 over it, simply remarking that I found a beautiful road for my wagon. 



From the Dearborn river my course lay more to the south of west than that followed by 

 Lieutenant Donelson; and at a distance of fifteen miles from the Dearborn struck a stream that 

 rises in the main chain of the Rocky mountains, and is known among the Indians by the name 

 of the Small Prickly Pear creek. 



The country between these two streams is a rolling prairie, which afforded us an excellent 

 road. The valley of the Small Prickly Pear creek, which is half a mile wide, I found well 

 wooded with the cotton-wood and willow. Here the fallen timber was the first obstacle met with 

 from Fort Benton, a measured distance of one hundred and twenty-four miles. I found it 

 necessary to remain in camp to-day, and with my party make the road. In eight hours every 

 obstacle was removed, and resuming our march, the day following we found the road very 

 excellent. At this point you will observe, from the accompanying map, that my trail left the 

 river, tending to the north. This was not necessary, as an excellent road lay up the valley of 

 the stream ; but, as it would have been necessary to make a road through the timber, which 

 would probably have delayed me another day, I preferred leaving the river rmd following an 

 Indian trail that led to the northwest, and which fell upon the river a second time. A large 

 party, however, would find it to their advantage to follow up the valley of this stream, for when 

 striking the stream a second time, I found that my route on this day would have been shortened 

 by six or eight miles; and on the next day the same thing occurred, when I again left the river 

 and followed for a few miles in a southwesterly direction, when, by following the river valley, my 

 route would have been more direct for the mountain pass, and would have shortened my distance 

 twelve or fifteen miles. There are two parallel low mountain ranges, or bluffs, through which 



