DBNIO] THE ASSINIBOIN 409 



grass is dry (the only time it will burn), and the most severe pen- 

 alties short of death are imposed on any person, either white or red, 

 who even by accident sets the prairie on fire. A good thrashing with 

 bows and sometimes tomahawking is in store for the poor traveler 

 who has been so forgetful as not to put out his camp fires and they 

 extend to the plains. These fires are made mostly by returning war 

 parties, either with the view of driving the buffalo out of their 

 enemy's country or as signals to their own people of success in their 

 expedition, though sometimes they originate in accident or petty 

 malice of individuals. With regard to its injuring the soil it has no 

 such effects ; on the contrary, the next crop of grass is more beautiful 

 than the other, as the undergrowth and briars are by that means 

 destroyed. The same, unfortunately, is not the case with the timber. 

 There are no forests on the plains to burn, though where the fire 

 passes through the bottoms of the Missouri it consumes and kills 

 great quantities of timber, which dries and decays and is only re- 

 placed in time by younger saplings. Fruit bushes are also destroyed, 

 though they recover its effects in three or four years. 



Waste Lands. — In this section there are no deserts or barren land 

 of any extent; though there are some marshes, pools, and swamps 

 which, however, are not so close together or extensive as to form 

 any formidable obstruction to roads. Even if they could not be 

 drained or otherwise disposed of, they could be left on either side 

 of the way. Neither do these appear to affect the health of any of 

 the Indians more than being the cause of producing hosts of mos- 

 quitoes, which are very annoying to man and beast. 



Effects of Volcanic Action. — We are not aware of any remark- 

 able appearances of this kind, 3 neither are there to be found exten- 

 sive sand plains or other tracts entirely destitute of herbage. The 

 cactus is found everywhere, but not in such quantity as to destroy 

 herbage or be a hindrance to animals traveling. A mile or two 

 may occasionally be found where herbage is comparatively scarce. 

 Still, even in these places there is sufficient for animals for a short 

 time. 



Saline Productions.— We do not feel ourselves competent to state 

 the properties of the mineral springs so common throughout all 

 this country. Some of them no doubt contain Glauber salt, as they 

 operate as a violent cathartic; others have the taste of copper, sul- 

 phur, etc. What the country would produce in the way of gypsum, 

 saltpeter, etc., we can not say, never having witnessed any geological 

 or mineral researches and being personally completely uninformed 

 regarding this branch of science. 



* There are portions of pumice stone and othor things occasionally picked up that have 

 undergone volcanic action ; also burning hills, but nu eruptions. 



88253°— 30 27 



