80 



dred and eighty miles, the Niobrara is in every respect a peculiar 

 stream, and there is none that I know of that it can be compared with. 

 It flows here between high rocky banks of soft white and yellowish 

 calcareous and silicious sandstone, standing often in precipices at the 

 water's edge, its verticality being preserved by a capping of hard grit. 

 It is here impossible to travel any considerable distance along its 

 immediate banks without having frequently to climb the ridges which 

 rise sometimes perpendicularly from the stream. As you approach 

 from the north or south there are no indications of a river till you 

 come within two or three miles of the banks, and then only by the 

 trees whose tops occasionally rise above the ravines in which they 

 grow, so completely is it walled in by the high bluffs which enclose its 

 narrow valley. It seems as if it had resulted from a fissure in the 

 earth's crust, and now flows at a depth of about three hundred feet 

 below the general level of the prairie. The soft rock which forms the 

 bluffs is worn into the most intricate labyrinths by the little streams, 

 all of which have their sources in beautiful gushing springs of clear 

 cold water. In these small deep valleys the grass is luxuriant ; pine, 

 ash, and oak are abundant. To the agriculturist this section has, 

 however, comparatively little attraction, and that between longitude 

 09° 20' and the mouth, an extent of about ninety miles, is perhaps 

 far more valuable. Here the bottoms will probably average a width 

 of a quarter of a mile, are susceptible of cultivation, and cottonwood, 

 oak, walnut, and ash will furnish settlements with all the timber and 

 fuel they will need. The river banks seem to present no good building 

 stone, nor did we, though searching diligently, discover any signs of 

 coal or other valuable minerals. 



In describing the tributaries to the Niobrara, I shall begin at the 

 mouth and take the north side first. The Ponka river, which has a 

 very fine, well-wooded, and fertile valley, runs into the Missouri 

 about five miles north of the Niobrara, in latitude 42° 48' north. Its 

 course is parallel and near to that of the Niobrara as far up as the 

 mouth of Turtle Hill river. 



Turtle Hill river (Keya Paha Wakpa) is the main branch of the 

 Niobrara, and is about one hundred and twenty miles long. Prior to 

 the publication of my report and map of reconnaissances in 1855 this 

 branch was represented erroneously as being equal to the main river, 

 in size, above their junction. 



I crossed it in 1855, 60 miles below its mouth, and it has a very 

 fine valley one-half to three-quarters of a mile wide, with good soil 

 and a limited quantity of cottonwood timber. The bed of the stream is 

 sandy, and its waters are clear and sweet ; width at the mouth fifty 

 yards. The first 20 miles of the space between this branch and the 

 main river is occupied by sand hills. 



The next northern branch which joins tlie Niobrara, in longitude 

 100° 23', is named Mini-cha-duza- Wakpa, or Ptapid creek. At its 

 mouth it is about eight yards wide, with a valley about a quarter to 

 half a mile wide, and a soil quite fertile, the banks are scantily fringed 

 with small trees. It forms about the eastern border of the sand hills 

 on the north side of the Niobrara, as far as we could see. Its length 

 is about 50 miles. 



