NARRATIVE OF 1853. 89 
my party. Lieutenant Grover arrived the next day, and on this and the following day, after 
much reflection, I determined to change the programme decided upon at Fort Union. There 
were difficulties in the way of organizing properly two parties, providing each with the neces- 
sary number of hunters, guides, and spare horses, and I became satisfied that no good result 
would follow from sending а large party along the general line of the divide between the 
Missouri and the Saskatchawan. It was obvious to my mind that everything desired could be 
accomplished by occasionally sending small detached parties off the line, if we pursued the 
route of the Milk river with the whole party. Accordingly, the whole command was brought 
together at the Big Muddy, Lieutenant Donelson put in charge of the camp and line of march 
as executive officer, and the other gentlemen assigned to duty in their respective fields. I relied 
upon Mr. Lander and Mr. Tinkham to make examinations of the route, in connexion with the 
line of the main train, in order to exhaust our knowledge of the adjacent country in reference to 
the question of railroad practicability, and Mr. Grover could be placed in charge of detached 
parties. Before leaving the Big Muddy I had a long conversation, already alluded to, with the 
White Man’s Horse, (see sketch,) the chief of the war party of Blackfeet. He had 
frequently visited the Bitter Root valley, and stolen horses from the Flatheads. He observed, 
«T take the first Flathead horse І come across; it is sure to be a good one." He and one of 
his men had just returned from the Flathead country, and they gave a very favorable description 
of the route, assuring me (pointing to my wagons and Pembina carts) that there would be no 
difficulty in taking them through the mountains. They left the Big Muddy with us, and moved 
ahead to carry the news of our coming to their brethren. І now sent forward my express to 
Fort Benton, with instructions to Lieutenant Saxton, and letters from Mr. Culbertson to the 
officers at the post at Fort Benton, to have animals and everything arranged against our arrival. 
The country between Fort Union and this point (the Big Muddy) is broken and rolling, with 
occasional formations of the mauvaise terre and outcroppings of sandstone. The country is 
well grassed for all purposes of voyaging, and there are many tracts and swales of land on and 
in the vicinity of the Little Muddy well adapted to cultivation. On the Big Muddy there is 
quite a large and open valley of a very good soil and excellent grass, with a heavy growth of 
cottonwood near its junction with the Missouri. | 
Whilst encamped at the Big Muddy Mr. Stanley examined some buttes opposite our camp, and 
made some sketches, one of which deserves more than a passing notice. On the top of a butte 
jutting out from the main plateau, he found what at first appeared to be a drift of saw logs, 
but which, upon examination, proved to be a sandstone formation, lying out full upon. the 
surface, and resembling regular cuts of round timber. They were disposed in two parallel lines, 
running east and west. The most southerly contained thirteen lengths, besides several displaced 
pieces; the length being from one to six feet. Embedded in these stone logs were small particles 
of oxide of iron, the size of buckshot. On the butte he gathered several much larger specimens, 
many as large as canister shot. 
Other buttes in this locality are composed of clay, 
varying in thickness from one to six feet, in many p 
distinctive evidence of the action of fire. 
Half a mile further north there was a 8 
being three feet in diameter, but were less regular in their disposition. 
12s 
surmounted by a stratum of sandstone, 
laces discolored by iron, and showing 
imilar formation, where the logs were much larger, 
The butte was washed 
