SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES 53 



draw, and Cedar draw. Nearer the head of the river are 

 Hat creek, Old Woman creek, Lance creek, and others. 

 Three streams rising east of the Big Badlands and north of 

 the Great Wall flow eastward between Cheyenne river and 

 White river and form the head of Bad river. These are 

 Cottonwood, White Water and Buffalo creeks. The White 

 river tributaries from the north are short, and of these Cain 

 creek, Cottonwood creek, and Spring creek rising near the 

 heart of the Big Badlands are the most important. The 

 White river tributaries on the south are numerous, and of 

 considerable size. Well known ones within the Pine Ridge 

 Indian reservation, are: Pass creek, Eagle Nest creek, 

 Bear in the Ledge creek, Corn creek, Pumpkin creek, Yel- 

 low Medicine creek, Medicine Root creek, Porcupine creek, 

 Wounded Knee creek, and White Clay creek. Little White 

 river is the most important of all the streams flowing into 

 White river. It rises west of Manderson in the southern 

 part of Pine Ridge reservation and flows eastward and 

 northward into and through the Rosebud Indian reserva- 

 tion. Many valuable fossils have been found among the 

 outcrops exposed along its valley. 



The southern slopes of Pine Ridge are drained by Nio- 

 brara river. This river rises in Wyoming and flowing east- 

 ward approximately parallels Pine Ridge and the South 

 Dakota-Nebraska state line. It may for our purpose here 

 serve to mark the southern limit of the area described. 



In addition to the streams certain features need men- 

 tion because of their commanding position. These are Pine 

 Ridge, Porcupine Butte, Eagle Nest Butte, Sheep Mountain, 

 and The Wall," the latter being more fully designated by 

 the various local names : Sage creek wall, White Water 

 wall, and Big Foot wall. Besides these, the following passes 

 or natural roadways, well known to all the travelers within 

 the Big Badlands, are of historic importance and of physi- 

 ographic significance: Sage Creek pass, Big Foot pass, 

 Cedar pass, Chamberlain pass, et cetera. 



Less noted in the literature, but of much importance, 

 are the numerous mesas or tables. They stand at various 

 heights up to three hundred feet or more above the basins or 

 valleys. Some of these are of n "ge size and those east of 

 the Cheyenne river have been given individual names by the 



