87 



A route for a railroad to the Pacific from the neighborhood of St. 

 Paul, by way of the South Pass, would keep on or near the general 

 course of the wagon road latel)'' laid out by Colonel Nobles to the Mis- 

 souri, at Fort Lookout, and thence along the north side of White 

 river, as before indicated. 



Should a route ever be required from the west shore of Lake Supe- 

 rior to the South Pass, it could be located on a very direct and prac- 

 ticable line, via Fort Ripley, Lake Traverse, and the Big Shyenne, 

 and deserves examination. 



But a route from Lake Superior west to the South Pass would prob- 

 ably not compete in advantages with that examined by Governor 

 Stevens near the forty-ninth parallel. It may, however, be question- 

 able whether one of equally as many advantages could not be found 

 by proceeding directly west from the Bois de Sioux to the Missouri at 

 Fort Clark; thence by way of Knife river to the Yellowstone river at 

 the mouth of Powder river. The valley of the Yellowstone then 

 offers a direct route west to the mountains, where Capt. Clark crossed 

 them in 1856, and thence near the route he pursued to the Bitter Root 

 valley. The more direct route would be down the valley of the 

 Salmon river; but the information we possess of this stream indicates 

 its character through the mountains to be one of great difficulty,. 



CHAPTER V. 



Indians — Military posts — Routs for 7nilitary operations, dec. 



I shall here repeat, with some additions, the account of the Dakotas 

 given in my report of explorations in 1855. The Dakotas are scattered 

 over an immense territory, extending from the Mississippi on the east 

 to the Black Hills on the west, and from the forks of the Platte on the 

 south to Devil's Lake on the north. They say their name means 

 " leagued or allied," and they sometimes speak of themselves as the 

 *' Ocheti Shaowni," or " Seven Council Fires." These are the seven 

 principal bands which compose the nation, viz : 



1. The Mde-wakan-tonwans, meaning " village of the Spirit Lake." 



2. Wah-pe-kutes, meaning " leaf shooters." 



3. Wah-pe-tonwans, meaning " village in the leaves." 



4. Sisi-tonwans, meaning " village of the marsh." 



These four constitute the Mississippi and Minnesota Dakotas, and 

 are called by those on the Missouri " Isanties." They are estimated 

 at 6,200 souls. Some of these on the Mississippi have long been in 

 contact with the white settlements, and having sold much of their 

 lands to the government have abandoned many of their former habits 

 and cultivated the soil. Communities have been formed which have 

 made some approach towards civilization ; others of them still live 



