410 TRIBES OF THE UPPER MISSOURI [eth. ANN. 46 



Coal and Mineral Products. — Dr. J. Evans, who lately traveled 

 through this country, can enlighten you on this subject. As for us, 

 we must plead unadulterated ignorance. 



Climate 



The climate is pure and dry and perhaps the healthiest in the 

 world. In the months of May and June, when east winds prevail, 

 much rain falls, but during the rest of summer and fall the season 

 is generally dry and moderately warm, except a short time in July 

 and August, when intensely hot. There are occasionally severe thun- 

 derstorms accompanied by rain or hail ; not more, however, than three 

 or four in a summer, and these in a few hours swell the smallest 

 streams so as to overflow their banks, but with the ceasing of the rain 

 they fall as suddenly as they rise, and do no damage, as there are 

 neither crops nor fences to injure. Tornadoes we have never seen 

 here, although they do happen on the Missouri far below this place. 

 Severe gales are occasionally met with, lasting but a few minutes. 

 With regard to temperature and other natural phenomena I refer 

 you to the accompanying tables. 



Wild Animals 



The most numerous and useful animal in this country is unques- 

 tionably the buffalo, both as regards the sustenance of all the Indians 

 and gain of the traders. Any important decrease of this animal 

 would have the effect of leaving the Indians without traders, no re- 

 turns of smaller skins being sufficient to pay the enormous expense 

 of bringing supplies so far and employing such a number of people. 

 Buffalo are very numerous, and we do not, after 20 years' experience, 

 find that they decrease in this quarter, although upward of 150,000 

 are killed annually throughout the extent of our trade, without taking 

 into consideration those swamped, drowned, calves frozen to death, 

 destroyed by wolves, or in embryo, etc. It yet would appear that 

 their increase is still greater than their destruction, as during last 

 winter (1852-53) there were more found in this quarter, and indeed 

 in the whole extent of our trade, than had been seen for many years 

 before. 



The buffalo is the Indian's whole dependence. It serves him for 

 all his purposes — meat, clothing and lodging, powder horns, bow- 

 strings, thread and hair to make saddles. In the winter season the 

 hides are dressed, made into robes and traded to whites, by which 

 means they are able to buy all their necessaries and even some lux- 

 uries. Robes are worth about $3 each, and although the number 

 sent to market is great, yet the high price paid for them to Indians 

 and the danger of transportation is such that fortunes are more 



