GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 261 



river on eacli side. The soil is coarse gravel near the Mils, but becomes 

 finer as the immediate channel of the river is approached. On the east 

 side of the valley several canons give egress to wooded streams of con- 

 siderable size, and afford the means apx^arently of almost unlimited 

 irrigation. 



Meadow Creek, which joins the Madison at the upper end of the canon, 

 traverses a comparatively small valley; containing some ten or twelve 

 sections of level land. This valley well deserves its name, for it is cov- 

 ered with a dense carpet of fresh, tall, green grass, and is traversed by 

 several sparkling brooklets, which, uniting, form Meadow Creek. Ail 

 the terraces bordering this little valley are susceptible of irrigation and 

 cultivation. There are now residing here some fourteen families, and 

 others were expected before the close of the season. 



That part of the valley of the Madison below the canon is some 

 twenty-five or thirty miles long, and varies in width from one to ten 

 miles. From the canon the river flows in a northerly course, its banks 

 being only 6 or 8 feet high, yet not subject to overflow. The average 

 width of the river is about 80 yards, the current swift, flowing over 

 bowlders and gravel. The valley lies mostly on the east side, being 

 somewhat narrow near the canon, but expanding as it approaches its 

 junction. The soil is good, and the valley well adapted to farming pur- 

 poses, the greater part of the valley proper being already settled, and 

 for the most part under cultivation. The high table-lands that rise 

 from 200 to 300 feet above the level of the valley on the east side, and 

 forming the back of the river on the west, are unexcelled for grazing 

 purposes, fine buffalo and bunch grasses growing in abundance. Unless 

 the canon should interpose an insuperable barrier, which, I think, is 

 not probable, it will be possible, not only to irrigate the valley level, 

 but also a great part of this plateau, the supply of water being sufficient 

 to water a large breadth. It is very probable that ere long a good 

 wagon-road will be made up this stream and its tributary, Fire-Hole, 

 fromx the vicinity of Virginia City to the geysers, hot springs, and other 

 wonderful scenery around Yellowstone Lake. 



The Gallatin River is formed by two streams, called East and West 

 Forks. The East Fork flows for some distance through a caiion, which 

 ceases about twenty miles above its junction with the West Fork. 

 From this point it flows in a northwesterly direction, being 50 or 60 

 yards wide, but shallow, its banks high and not subject to inundation. 

 The bottom-lands on the east and w^est sides taken together have an 

 average width of about three miles, a large portion of which is under 

 cultivation. On the east side the bench-land is about 20 feet above the 

 bottom, and is well grassed over. This extends eastward for seven or 

 eight miles to Mill Creek, or the right fork of the Gallatin. This might 

 be irrigated with moderate expense and trouble, and made as productive 

 as the bottoms which it flanks, so noted in the Territory on account of 

 the heavy crops they yield. Mill Creek runs northwest through Boze- 

 man, where it connects with East Fork. 



Timber is scarce in these valleys, nothing but cotton-wood being found 

 on West Fork, and that in small groves, except near its junction with 

 East Fork, where there is a considerable quantity of large cotton-wood. 

 The greater part of the tiuiber used in this valley is hauled from the 

 mountains south. There is a large amount of stock raised here, the graz- 

 ing being good. A flouring-mill has been erected on Mill Creek, near 

 Bozeman, and another will probably soon be built. 



East Fork, coming from the Grosloot Hills, northeast of Bozeman^ 

 flows iu a westerly course for six or eight miles, thence nortliwest to its 



