ASCENT WESTWAED IF NOETH DAKOTA. 39 



des Prairies, lying in South Dakota. The north end of this highland, 

 called the Head of the Coteau des Prairies, is about 35 miles west-northwest 

 of Lake Traverse and the south end of Lake Agassiz. Within 5 or 6 miles 

 farther north there is a descent of nearly 800 feet to a level only about 

 1,200 feet above the sea. Along the continuation of this line northward, 

 instead of such a prominent massive ridge, bordered by much lower land 

 on each side, there is a more gradual ascent, attaining a third or half as 

 great elevation above the valley on the east, with only slight descent or 

 none thence westward to the Sheyenne and James rivers. 



ASCENT FROM THE KED RIVER VALLEY IN NORTH DAKOTA. 



From the Head of the Coteau des Prairies for 140 miles north to the 

 latitude of Larimore and Devils Lake the highland bordering the west side 

 of the Red River Valley rises by such gentle slopes that it is not generally 

 seen conspicuously from the flat plain of this valley. Standing on the 

 upper beach of Lake Agassiz, the observer sees a smoothed surface 

 descending very slowly eastward within the area of this lake, and a 

 moderately undulating or rolling surface rising slowly toward the west. 

 Along most of this distance, however, the slope both to the east and west 

 is so slight that the view in each direction reaches only a few miles. 



On the line of the Fargo and Southwestern Railroad the highest land 

 crossed between the west sliore of Lake Agassiz and the Sheyenne River 

 is 1,190 feet above the sea; and between the Sheyenne and James rivers it 

 is about 1,400 feet above sea-level, or 500 feet above the central part of 

 the Red River ^"alley at Fargo. 



The Northern Pacific Railroad attains a height of 1,440 feet between 

 the area of Lake Agassiz and the Sheyenne River, and the highest land 

 between that stream and the James River is approximately 1,500 feet, 

 being thus 600 feet above Fargo. By each of these lines the descent to 

 the James River is only about 1 00 feet. 



Between Larimore and Devils Lake, at the northern end of this extent, 

 where the highland west of the Red River Valley rises less prominently 

 than in the Coteau des Prairies on the south or in Pembina Mountain on 

 the north, there is a slightly greater ascent than on the two preceding rail- 

 roads which ci'oss its southern half. At Larimore, near the highest Avestem 



