THE LANDSCAPE. 137 



ranged at speed on a good active horse up to the side of 

 such a furious and phalanxed herd as this, and to have 

 used my handy little breech-loading carbine ; it was 

 with difficulty that I wrenched my mind from such 

 reflections to the scene of the passing hour. 



The landscape on the Missouri river, in the districts 

 through which I passed, was generally flat and mono 

 tonous, for the most part through woods and between 

 low banks of unvarying aspect. The Missouri is navig 

 able from St Louis for 2300 miles, or as far as the 

 mouth of the Yellow Stone river, which again for 250 

 miles further is navigable up to the gorges 'of the Rocky 

 Mountains. The " Big Flat Kiver," the " Little and 

 Big Sioux river," the " Big Cannon Ball," and the 

 " Little and Big Missouri," all join the Missouri, and 

 render it the mighty, though for the most part shallow 

 and treacherous stream it is. For some hundred miles, 

 and higher up than where I was, the banks of this river 

 have no wood, but they are clothed with the prickly 

 pear, and there being in those localities no growth of 

 timber, the waters are free from the terrible snags which 

 render the rest of the navigation so dangerous and diffi 

 cult. The last " city " on the Missouri a very few tene 

 ments or huts are often dignified with that at all events 

 civilized appellation is the " Sioux city." After that 

 city a line of forts, held by the troops of the United 

 States, is supposed to keep the red men in check, and 

 assure the interests of trade. That these forts, though 

 to some extent they open a line of communication, do 

 not keep the red men in sufficient check, I have had an 

 opportunity of knowing, as will appear in subsequent 

 narration. 



The first meal which I partook of on board the " Sky- 



