76 EXPLORATION OF THE COUNTRY BETWEEN 
the large and valuable collections which have already been ag to 
the States by Mr. A. Culbertson, Captain Van Vliet; Dr. Evans, and 
others, and furnished the wiaherial for the magnificent wot of Profes- a 
sor Leidy, ‘‘The Ancient Fauna of Nebraska, ’? published by the — 
Smithsonian Institution. We spent five days at this locality, and 
with the mammalian remains <i collected in other places, our 
carts were loaded to their utmost. I noticed one peculiarity in peers 
dition. In passing out of the Bad Lands our carts were much im- _ 
peded by the mud, but when we ascended upon the plateau above, the 
storms ceased, and thirty miles east of that point we could see no indi- 
cations of its having rained for several weeks. From Bear creek we 
ade an ascent of two hundred feet to a broad plateau, extending, 
. with little interruption, to the head of Teton river, a distance of about 
fifty miles. The formation upon which this plateau rests is a ane 
affords a fine pasture cian for numerous iii of ante 
On the night of the 30th, we camped at Sage creek, so ae among 
voyageurs and travellers, for the Purgaly qualities ‘of its water. I 
stopped here several days i in the summer of 1853, with my friend, F. 
B. Meek, esquire, and both ourselves aad horses experienced its weak- 
ening effect. This creek rises in the Bad Lands, and taking a north- 
east course, empties into the Shyenne. It is somewhat noted for the 
abundance of fine Cretaceous fossils that are found along its banks. 
For about four miles east of Sage creek the road is very rugged, until 
we again ascend to the table land. Twelve miles distant is Bull cree ek, 
also a tributary of the Shyenne, and takes its rise in the Bad Lands. 
e dividing ridge egress the Shyenne and White rivers, forms 
the goat elevaiad porti of the Bad Pan Fifteen miles east of 
Bul eek inon’s fain, a noted camping place pomong voya- 
me ‘ies one of the very few good springs of water on the road 
gous a t Pierre and Fort Laramie. — It is the head of the Teton 
nd is o called in the Sioux language. It runs in an. opposite 
direction | to the creek before mentioned, for about four miles, then 
passing through the eastern portion of the Bad Lands, eae the 
Teton, takes a due east course, and empties into the Missouri four 
below Fort Pierre. Near this spring is an elevated i BO com: of 
white aluminous and calcareous marl, containing slabs and Ba 
fully charged with fossil shells of the genera Lymnea, Planorbis, Physa 
nae. &e., also seeds of Chara and fish remains, oak of the shells 
ve alread: Besy described by Drs. Evans and Shum ard. It isa 
curious fact, that though these shells are of extinct species, living 
shells of the same genera, and plants of living Chara, are now existing 
ied tr runs at the base of the ridge. The remainder of 
u Dae 27 pr heads of the other as of the same 
ih very Tittle wood and poor water, and at this time the — 
yy was so parched that very chic ae a: rass could be sbikined for 
animals. On June 6 we arrive ort Pierre pay having | 
ty days. 
