REVIEWS—GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF IOWA. 195 
“They urged strong objections against the Hudson’s Bay Company 
encroaching upon the prairies, and driving away the buffalo. They 
would be glad to see them establish as many posts as they chose on the 
edge of the prairie country, but they did not like to see the plains 
invaded. During the existence of the two companies, all went well 
with the Indians ; they obtained excellent pay, and could sell all their 
meat and pemican. Since the union of the companies they had not 
fared half so well, had received bad pay for their provisions, and were 
growing poorer, and weaker, and more miserable year by year. The 
buffalo were fast disappearing before the encroachments of the white 
men, and although they acknowledge the value of firearms they 
thought they were better off in old times, when they had only bows 
and spears, and wild animals were numerous. I asked Shortstick to 
name the articles he would like to have if I came into his country 
again. He asked for tea, a horse of English breed, a cart, a gun, a 
supply of powder and ball, knives, tobacco, a medal with a chain, a 
flag, a suit of fine clothes, and rum. The talk lasted between six and 
seven hours, the greater portion of time being taken up in interpreting 
Sentence by sentence, the speeches of each man in turn. They 
generally commenced with the creation, giving a short history of that 
event in most general terms, and after a few flourishes about equality 
of origin, descended suddenly to buffalo, half-breeds, the Hudson 
Bay Company, tobacco and rum.” 
These extracts sufficiently illustrate the varied characteristics of the 
Report, which extends to upwards of 200 large donble-columned 
quarto pages, and embraces an Itmerary, with topographical informa- 
tion rendered in the concisest form ; Reports of Progress, by different 
members of the exploring party ; Meteorological and Geological de- 
tails; and a narrative embodying descriptions of scenery, native 
habits, and such incidents of travel as are at once attractive to the 
general reader, and of value to those who are desirous of ascertaining 
the fitness of the region for a scene of emigration, and a future Pro- 
vince of British North America. 
Report of the Geological Survey of the State of Iowa. By James 
Hall, State Geologist, and J. D. Whitney. Iowa: 1858. 
The first part of this Report—dated 1858, and embracing the 
general geology and the paleontology of the State, by Protessor 
Hall, with its physical geography, chemistry. and economie geology 
