62 THE GEOLOGY OF MINNESOTA. 



[Catlin, 1837. 



it. As there is no rock in place around here, conjectures only can be formed 

 upon the nature of the subjacent beds. ******* -^ ne Coteau 

 des Prairies, about which very little has been known, is a very broad ridge 

 of land dividing the waters tributary to the Missouri from those which dis- 

 charge themselves into the St. Peter's and into the Red river of lake Win- 

 nipeg. Its general direction is about north-northwest and south-southeast, 

 though in places in appears to be irregular. To the south it comes down to 

 the sources of the Makato, whilst to the north it terminates for a while near 

 the sources of the Psee, where a flat country comes in. intersected by the 

 Shyan and the Goose rivers. Lac du Diable is in this area with Turtle river. 

 Here the Coteau rises again, to the north, but it is called the ' Pembina hills' 

 by the traders; these extend beyond the Assinaboin river and die away 

 about Flat lake, near seventy miles from lake Winnipeg. East of the Pem- 

 bina hills there are salt springs, and from the somewhat vague accounts I 

 received from the Indians, there is coal in their vicinity. A very respectable 

 trader informed me he had once picked up some bituminous coal on the 

 shore of lake Traverse.'' 



GEORGE CATLIN AT THE RED PIPESTONE QUARRY. 



Although Mr. Catlin is best known as an Indian delineator, he has also left 

 a brief geological description of the pipestone country.* He was the first 

 to carry a sample of the red pipestone away with him, and take measures 

 to have it subjected to chemical examination. Such examination was made 

 by Dr. C. T. Jackson, of Boston, who gave the substance the mineralogical 

 name of catlinite.^ 



Mr. Catlin had plans laid for visiting the pipestone quarry in 1835, 

 when at Fort Snelling, but hearing of the expedition of Mr. Featherston- 

 haugh, under government directon to explore the Coteau des Prairies, he 

 abandoned his project. Subsequently hearing that that gentleman did not 





American Journal of Science, First Series, Vol. 38, p. 138. 



