46 



eluding thus some late unpublished maps kindly furnished from the 

 Interior Department,) an acknowledgment of all of which is made 

 thereon. It was necessary to indicate on this map a considerable por- 

 tion of the country not examined by me in order to give it the greatest 

 practical value, and to show the, relation of the parts I have ex- 

 plored to those surrounding them. My design was to make the map 

 a complete representation of all the region occupied by the Dakotas, 

 and the best routes by which to approach and traverse it, and along 

 which to conduct military operations to the best advantage ; in other 

 words, to make it a " military map of Nebraska and Dakota/' which 

 is the title I have given it. It is on a scale of 1 to 1,200,000, and 

 embraces all the country from the 94th to the 106th meridian, be- 

 tween the 38th and 50th parallels. In its northeast corner is the Lake 

 of the Woods, in the southeast Fort Leavenworth, in the southwest 

 Pike's Peak, and in the northwest the junction of Milk river with the 

 Missouri. A number of rivers are put down on this map which have 

 never yet been explored, except at their mouths ; these are the Knife 

 river. Heart river. Cannon Ball river^ and Moreau river. As the ex- 

 peditions under my command have gone almost around the section 

 through which they flow, and determined with a great degree of 

 certainty that it is an open prairie, and have gained some knowledge 

 of their lengths and directions from the Indians, they are probably 

 represented with a considerable degree of exactness. 



On the small map accompanying this report the southern branches 

 of the Yellowstone river have also been represented with an approxi- 

 mation to correctness, by using information furnished by the expedi- 

 tions of Captains Lewis and Clark, and Captain Bonneville^ and also 

 from sketches, &c., obtained by me from traders and trappers. This 

 section of country, however, has much practical importance in rela- 

 tion to routes through it by which to reach Utah from the navigable 

 parts of the Missouri and Yellowstone, and deserves a thorough explo- 

 ration. This examination I have always had a great desire to make, 

 and in my previous expeditions have taken much pains to ascertain 

 the best means of conducting it. In this I have been fortunate in 

 meeting with Mr. James Bridger, Mr. Alexander Culbertson^ Mr. 

 Robert Campbell, and others well acquainted with the character of 

 the country from personal experience, and have the assurance of the 

 services of Mr. Bridger if the exploration should be ordered. 



On account of the great distance of the region to be examined from 

 the settlements it. is necessary to provide the expedition with the 

 means for remaining two summers, the intervening winter to be passed 

 at seme suitable point on the Yellowstone or Big Horn rivers. It 

 would be difficult for an expedition to do more than go anfl. return in 

 the same season, so that then little or no time would be allowed to 

 explore. The country is principally occupied by the Crow Indians, 

 and, as I know them to be friendly, I think a military escort can be 

 dispensed with, which is a material consideration under the present 

 excessive requirements of the military service. The method I propose 

 instead is^ to go well provided with goods and presents by which to 

 purchase of the Indians permission to pass through the country and to 

 employ them as guides. In this way much expense can be prevented, 



