GEOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR. 
CHAPTER XIII 
WATER LINES.—EASTERN AND WESTERN SLOPES.--MOUNTAIN RANGES.—NAVIGABILITY OF THE UPPER 
MISSISSIPPL—RED RIVER OF THE NORTH.—COUNTRY WEST OF THE SHYENNE TO MOUTH OF YELLOW- 
STONE.—MISSOURI AND ITS TRIBUTARIES. 
GENERAL REMARKS ON THR ROUTE NEAR THE FORTY-SEVENTH AND FORTY-NINTH PARALLELS.— WATER LINES ON EASTERN SLOPE: THE 
MISSOURI; THE YELLOWSTONE; THE SASKATCHAWAN; THE PEACH River; THE Rep River оғ THE Nortu.—On THE WESTERN 
SLoPE: THE COLUMBIA j; THE SNAKE AND Fraser’s RrvER.—IMPORTANCE OF THE Great LAKES.— MOUNTAIN RANGES DIVIDING THE 
TRIBUTARIES OF THE COLUMBIA AND Missouri: THE ROCKY, BITTER Root, Cœur г Ат.Емв, AND KourENAY MOUNTAINS; THE Cas- 
CADE MouxrAINS.—NavicABILITY OF THE UPPER MississrPPr.—FaLLs or Saint ANTHONY.—SAUK RAPIDS.— WESTERN BRANCHES 
or THE МіззізвіРРІ: Crow Wine River, SANDY LAKE, AND PAKEGON FaLLs.— THE LAKES BETWEEN Mississippi AND Rep Rivers— 
EASTERN BRANCHES OF Mississippi: Rum River; THE SAINT CROIX; тне MiwNESOTA.— WATER LINE BETWEEN Fort WILLIAM, ON 
LAKE SUPERIOR, AND LAKE WINNEPEG.—ADYANTAGES OF MINNESOTA FOR RAILROAD AND WATER COMMUNICATION; ABUNDANCE OF 
TIMBER; FERTILITY.—RED RIVER оғ THE NonTH.—lrS TRIBUTARIES : THE SHYENNE; Witp Rice River; Bois DE Sioux River.— 
THE CÖTEAU DES PRAIRIES Phatreav.—Deap Сот HinLock.— Tug REGION OF THE Bois DE Sioux, THE SHYENNE AND THE RED 
River er THE Ковтн.--ТнЕ COUNTRY WEST OF THE SHYENNE TO THE MOUTH OF THE YELLOWSTONE; THE CÓTEAU DU MISSOURI; 
Mintwakan LAKE.—SALT Laxes.—Movse RIVER AND ITS VALLEY.— THE WESTERN PART OF THE CÓTEAU.— MOUTH OF THE 
YELLOWSTONE.—MISSOURI River.—Its ORIGIN.— GATE or THE MouxTAINS.— THE Great FALLS.—FoRT BENTON.— CHARACTER- 
ISTICS OF THE RIVER.—ITS TRIBUTARIES ON THE NORTH AND WEST БНОВЕ.--Тне Big Muppy River —MILK River.—Tue Brar’s 
Paw.—Lirtiz Rocky MoUNTAINS—MARIAS RIVER AND Irs VALLEY.—THE Teton.—Sun River.—Dearzorn River —LiTTLE 
Pi Pear С THE JEFFERSON, MADISON, AND GALLATIN FORKS.—lrS TRIBUTARIES ON THE SOUTH SHORE.— MUSCLE SHELL 
RIVER.—JUDITH River.—Arrow RIVER.—SHONKIN River.—Hianwoop River —БВкт MOUNTAIN Creexs—Suira’s River — 
LANDMARKS: HIGHWOOD, GIRDLE, AND JUDITH MouxTAINS.— BuTTES.— SOIL OF THE PLATEAU.—PRAIRIES AT THE THREE FORKS. 
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUNTRY DESCRIBED IN THE MEMOIR. 
I now propose to present the following geographical memoir of the country along and in the 
general vicinity of the field of exploration of the northern route. Some significant facts will 
also be presented as regards the country both to the north and the south of this field. If we 
examine a map of the country we shall be struck by the fact that the line of the forty-seventh 
parallel is central to a vast region of the temperate zone, extending from the water line of the 
great lakes to the shores of the western ocean; that north of this route there is a vast area 
which, in similar latitudes in Eastern Europe and in Asia, is habitable, productive, and, at this 
very moment, increasing in population. Besides these advantages, it is intersected by the only 
streams flowing either side of the water sheet of the continent of which any considerable use | 
can be made for purposes of navigation. On the eastern slope, the Missouri, having its rise in 
many tributaries so graphically and truthfully described by Lewis and Clark, in about latitude 
forty-four and forty-five, with other tributaries flowing from different points of the rocky ridge, 
as far, nearly, as our northern boundary; its principal tributary being the Yellowstone, which, 
with numerous branches, has its rise in the Wind River and lower mountain ranges to the 
east, their combined water flowing eastward and southward to its junction with the Mississippi 
until they find their final outlet in the Gulf of Mexico. The Saskatchawan, flowing eastward also 
in two main branches having their source in about parallels fifty and fifty-two, with tributaries 
coming а short distance from within our own borders, runs a great distance eastward, until, 
forming one stream, they flow into the waters of Lake Winnepeg, connecting northward with 
Hudson Bay. The Peace river, having its rise also near the parallel of fifty-three, flows 
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