CHAEACTERISTICS OF THE MOUNTAIN AREA. 
283 
The Gallatin Valley is partially settled, mainly by an agricultural 
population. It contains three small towns, Bozeman, Gallatin City, at 
the Forks of the Missouri, and Ilamilton. A large part of the country 
along the streams is already taken up by ranches. The population of 
the valley in 1870 is given in the census report as 1,578 souls ; and this 
is probably but slightly changed at present. 
Proceeding now to the Jefferson Eiver, the third fork of the Missouri, 
we find in its drainage area much less timber and more open, grassy 
country, than in those of the other two forks. The range separating its 
drainage from that of the Madison is timbered near its crest, but its 
foot-hills and lower slopes are devoid of trees and well grassed. The 
valleys of Eed Bock Creek and Beaverhead Eiver, are broad, open, and 
grassy. So with the valley of the Bighole, or Wisdom Eiver, and the 
hills which form the divide between the latter and the Beaverhead. 
The mountaius which stand at the head of the Beaverhead Eiver, sep- 
arating this drainage from the Snake Eiver Plains, are well timbered 
except on the lower foothills. 
All the open country on the Jefferson can easily be burned over. 
Turning now to the Missouri, we find it flowing with a somewhat 
sluggish current through a tolerably broad bottom-land of fine grass and 
groves ot cottonwoods. The country on the west, as far as the base of 
the Missouri Eange, is open and grassy, presenting many of the aspects 
of the plains. This character extends as far north as Helena. 
On the east side of the river, the hills and lower mountains are grass- 
covered, while the higher groups of mountains are clothed with timber. 
Farther to the eastward, between the Missouri and Yellowstone Eivers, 
are the Judith, Snow, and Crazy Woman Eanges, all heavily timbered, 
while the surrounding country is well grassed. 
The large valley at the eastern base of the Wind Eiver Eange, through 
which flow Wind Eiver and the Popo-agies, is, near the mountains, well 
grassed; but as we proceed eastward, away from the mountains, the 
quality and abundance of its vegetation deteriorate, and on its lower 
parts it bears all the aspects of a desert. 
The Wind Eiver Mountains rise west of this valley and separate it 
from the Green Eiver Basin. The peaks of this range rise to heights 
of nearly 14,000 feet. These mountains are heavily timbered from their 
base to the timber line, which in this range is at an elevation of about 
10,000 feet. 
The basin of the Bighorn, in most respects, resembles the valley of 
Wind Eiver. On all sides, near the base of the mountains, is high, lux- 
uriant grass, gradually shading off toward the interior of the basin into 
sage land and even to desert, in some localities. In the small tributary 
valleys of several of the western branches of the Bighorn the grass is 
exceptionally fine, and stock men are beginning to avail themselves of 
the excellent grazing. On the eastern and northern bases of the Big- 
horn Eange, also, the grass is luxuriant, grading off northward and east- 
ward into poor sage land. 
