OF THE UPPER MISSOURI. 59 
seen many of its most favored spots, we have met with no country combining more attrac- 
tive features than Kansas territory. Her geographical position gives her a comparatively 
mild and genial climate, intermediate between the extremes of heat and cold, while the 
rich virgin soil of her beautiful prairies is admirably adapted to the growth of all the great 
staple grain and root crops of the West. 
It is true that in some districts there is rather a deficiency of timber, but as a general thing 
there is along the streams sufficient for the immediate wants of the country. In addition 
to this, the wonderful rapidity with which forests are known to have sprung up on similar 
prairie lands in Missouri, as the country became settled so as to keep out the annual fires, 
shows that the present scarcity of timber should not be regarded as presenting any serious 
obstacle to the settlement of the most extensive prairie district in Kansas. 
Before going out into the interior of the Territory, we had expected to find the whole 
country immediately west of Fort Riley comparatively sterile; on the contrary, however, 
we were agreeably disappointed at meeting with scarcely any indications of decreasing 
fertility as far as our travels extended, which was about sixty miles west of Fort Riley. 
Here we found the prairies clothed with a luxuriant growth of grass, and literally alive 
with vast herds of buffalo, that were seen quietly grazing as far as the eye could reach in 
every direction. Even on the high divide between the Smoky Hill and Arkansas rivers, 
south of this, we found the soil rich and supporting a dense growth of grass ; and from all 
we could learn from persons who have gone further out, the same kind of country extends 
for a long distance beyond this, towards the west. Hence we infer that the belt of un- 
productive lands between the rich country on the east, and the eastern base of the Rocky 
mountains on the west, is much narrower than is generally supposed; and even this so- 
called desert country is known to possess a good soil, which may be rendered fruitful by 
artificial irrigation. | 
In regard to the mineral resources of Kansas, we have at present only time and space 
to say a few words. As already stated, coal is known to exist, though its extent is not 
yet fully determined, at several localities in the region of Leavenworth city, while the 
geological structure of the country, as well as discoveries already made, warrant the con- 
clusion that this important and useful mineral abounds at many localities south of there. 
Limestone suitable for building purposes, and the production of quicklime, exists through- 
out large areas, while inexhaustible beds of gypsum are known to occur at several places 
not far west of the mouth of Solomon’s river. Near this place we likewise saw in the 
lower Cretaceous rocks crowning the summits of the Smoky hills, deposits of iron cre, but 
were unable to determine, in the limited time at our command, whether or not it exists in 
large quantities. 
Of the discoveries of gold in the mountains on the western borders of Kansas, much has 
