47 



and, with prudent management, danger to the expedition can be 

 avoided ; besides, valuable information will be gained from the Indians 

 which would be withheld if we entered their country in a hostile 

 attitude. 



The expedition should be completely organized and equipped for the 

 field by the Ist of May, 1859, and remain in the field vmtil the 1st of 

 December, 1860, nineteen months. 



There should be thirty men, at $30 per month, and eight assistants, as 

 topographers, collectors, guides &c., at $125 per month. This would 

 require $38, 000. Their provisions would cost about $7, 000. Animals 

 and outfit $10, 000. Indian goods $4, 000. Contingencies $3, 000. To- 

 tal $G0, 000. Of this amount about $35, 000 would be required the first 

 year. The bulk of the stores and goods required should be contracted 

 for, to be delivered at Fort Laramie or the Platte Bridge. 



The expedition itself should proceed by the Missouri river to Fort 

 Pierre, where the necessary animals for a pack train should be assem- 

 bled. At this point we should meet with some of the principal men 

 of the Dakotas, and overtures should be made to secure their assent to 

 our proceeding westw^ard up the Shyenne and its North Fork, and 

 thence to the source of Powder river, thus exploring a new route. 

 Should this consent be withheld, and it should not be considered safe 

 to proceed without it, the party could take the route by way of White 

 river to Fort Laramie and thence to the source of Powder river. 

 The exploration should then be conducted along Powder river to its 

 mouth, thence up the Yellowstone to the mouth of Tongue river, up 

 which stream a detachment should be sent to its source. The remain- 

 der of the party should ascend the Yellowstone to the mouth of Big 

 Horn river, and up this latter stream to the point where it leaves the 

 mountains, where it should be joined by the detachment which ex- 

 plored Tongue river. 



The approach of winter might require the party to pass that season 

 in this neighborhood, or, if time sufficed, the expedition might ascend 

 the Big Horn river to Wind river, where a very favorable wintering 

 place could be found. Either of these places would be sufficiently 

 convenient to the supplies on the Platte. Under circumstances not 

 foreseen it might be best for the expedition to Avinter near Fort 

 Laramie. 



The next season should be spent in examining the mountain region 

 about the sources of the Yellowstone and Missouri, to ascertain the 

 character of the routes leading south and west from the navigable 

 parts of these rivers. On returning, one portion should descend the 

 Missouri, the other the Yellowstone, to their junction, where a Macinac 

 boat should be in readiness, by which all could proceed to the settle- 

 ments. 



These explorations would determine the practicability of all the 

 routes marked on the accompanying map as deserving examination, and 

 would require much activity on the part of those conducting them. 

 Pack trains should alone be used, as wagons greatly retard the opera- 

 tions of a party and vastly increase the difficulty of defending it against 

 attack. The abundance of game in mucli of this region would render 



