NARRATIVE ОҒ 1853. 119 
Butte and the Rattlers, prominent landmarks west of Sun river, and visible at a great dis- 
tance.—(See sketch.) This is a favorite resort of deer, antelope, and bighorn. They were 
present to-day in very large numbers. All through this country the grass is exceedingly 
nutritious. This is shown by the resort of animals and their condition. Continuing on, we 
came in view of the Bird Tail rock, so called from its peculiar appearance. Immediately to 
the west, in a line near it, is another landmark, known as the Piegan’s Tear. After making 
some forty miles, we found a camp a little off our route, in a most delightful valley, a spring of 
water gushing out near by, and the remains of an old camp of the Blackfeet at hand, furnishing 
us with fuel already prepared to our hands. On our way to camp our guide pointed out to us 
an excellent wagon road to the south of our trail. 
DIVIDE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS. 
September 24.—Started as usual very early this morning, and in four miles came to Beaver 
creek, a very beautiful stream of water. This stream is now full of beaver, and is much 
obstructed by their dams. Тһе country is somewhat more broken to-day than it was yesterday ; 
timber comes in view on the tops of the mountains, and the scenery becomes more grand each 
mile we proceed. Three miles beyond Beaver creek, a high peak, called the Goose’s Neck, 
comes in view to the south of us; at the southern foot of which equally as good a road is found, 
though some two days longer, as the one now being travelled by us. It is a branch of the 
present trail, and is usually pursued by the Flatheads on their way to buffalo. That trail is 
called the Flathead, and our own the Blackfoot trail. 
We now crossed several mountain streams in the course of a few miles, and in sixteen miles 
we struck the Dearborn river. At noon, we moved forward to the dividing ridge, which was 
reached at 4 o’clock. To this point our road, from near the Dearborn, lay over sideling hills 
and through timber. As we ascended the divide a severe, pelting rain and hail-storm, accom- 
panied with high wind, thunder and lightning, suddenly came upon us, and did not abate until 
we had reached the summit. The wind blew very violently, and the mist resulting from the 
storm prevented our getting a very clear view of the country before us. It was with great 
gratification that we now left the plains of the Missouri to enter upon the country watered by 
the Columbia; and it was the more especially gratifying to me as, looking to my future duties 
in the Territory, I felt that I could welcome to my future home and the scene of my future 
labors the gentlemen of my party, which I did very cordially and heartily. I will observe 
that the scenery throughout the day’s march, up to the divide, has been picturesque in the 
extreme; and the latter portion of it, from the entrance proper to the Tae our road passed 
between hills on every side covered with timber, on the sides of -— we are anti 
travelling; while many feet below are to be seen the small upper tributaries of the Missouri, 
flowing from their source ina valley that is very wide for so small a channel, and lined with 
verdure and the foliage in yellow leaf. АП this made a combination full of interest to the eye 
of one who could appreciate the beauties of nature. и (0 ! 
"The ascent from the eastern base on the Indian trail is somewhat steep, though, in 1855, I 
gained the summit by a large, wide, open ravine north of the Indian trail, by a very gradual 
ascent and without much increase of distance; I was a good deal surprised to find how small an 
obstacle this divide was to the movement of a wagon train. Had we gone on with our wagons 
there would not have been the slighest interruption, up to the entrance of the pass, to making 
the usual journeys each day. | 
