6 EXPLORATION OF THE COUNTRY BETWEEN 
muddy and difficult to ford. 
In the’ sandy region the rain that falls sinks into the surface and 
does not run off suddenly nor evaporate; pure water in small lakes, 
springs, and clear running streams are the consequence, but they are 
not numerous. The streams and lakes have sandy bottoms and are 
easy to ford. 
The grass in the clay region, is, as a general thing, superior to that 
in the other, being finer and more nutritive ; but along the banks of 
the streams, where the clay and sand in either region are mixed, there 
is not much difference. Wood generally exists along the banks of all 
the streams where it has not been destroyed by fire, or by the Indians 
for forage and fuel. Pine timber is found on |’Eau qui Court, on the - 
southern branches of White river, and in the Black Hills. From my _ 
; | 
observation, I think that continuous settlements cannot be made in 
Nebraska, west of the 97th meridian, both on account of the unfavorable 
climate and want of fertility in the soil. 
Grasshoppers occasionally devastate the country, stripping it in 
places of almost.every green thing. 
The Black Hills of Nebraska are believed to be composed of primitive 
_ rock, and are the eastern portion of the great mountain belt. They 
are in somewhat detached ridges, ranging NW. to SE. and probably 
have their continuation in Snowy, Bears Paw, and Little Missouri, 
mountains of the upper Missouri and the Cyprus mountains, &c., in 
the British possessions. 
Bear Peak, between the forks of the Shyenne, as well as Raw Hide 
' Peak, a little west of north from.Fort Laramie, is a detached portion 
of this range, and both believed to be of primitive rock. All the 
other hills, peaks, or buttes to the east of these are stratified rocks, 
the remains of vast denudation. The rocky precipices and rid 
generally soft calcareous stone or marloccasionally capped with hard 
I 
| ast along the 
jJatter stream as far as the forks. They belong to the tertiary period. 
Dr. Hayden thinks that the Bijou Hills are a part of the same forma- 
tion; and I should think, from thir appearance, the Dog’s Ears and 
t rm é i hey lie in an extended ridge, 
coming from the direction of the Bad Lands of White river, and have 
similar lithological character. i 
examination to detect any fossil remains. 
through the Mauvaises Terres from ite 
river, the surface is, in many places, covered with chalcedon 
hard ; in others it is clay, and in wet weather very soft. T 
White river, between it and l’Eau qui Court, and on the Platte, aré — 
I did not, however, make sufficient 
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