The M'laxoxirl River. — Ih'oadhcail. 149 
lowstone takes its rise and passes through that wonderful and 
beautiful sheet of water, Yellowstone lake, 7735 feet above the 
sea, thence through rhyolitic canons and over grandly beau- 
tiful falls for over 200 miles, at last seeking the ]»luins ; and it 
at length unites with the Missouri. The lower half of the Yel- 
lowstone passing through the ''Bad lands" ])artakes of the 
general character of the Missouri. 
Of the Missouri, 2,51S miles are navigable by steamboats from 
its mouth to Ft. Benton. It can be navigated to the foot of 
the falls, 2.") miles above Ft. Benton, or 2,543 miles from the 
mouth. The entire stream includes 2,350 miles of sandy river 
and 416 miles of rocky river. The general character of its 
channel, current, banks, and width and its variable character 
of ciiannel, current, banks and width do not difFur from its 
mouth to the Yellowstone, 2,000 miles. It is decidedly mud- 
dy to the mouth of Milk river, 80 miles further up and not en- 
tirely clear until we pass the mouth of Marias river, 20 miles 
below Ft. Benton. It really gradually changes its character 
from the mouth of the Mussel-Sliell to Milk river, where it 
cannot be distinguished in its general character from the river 
far below. 
The banks in many places, to within 200 miles, of Ft. Ben- 
ton, resemble those of the lower river, and below that point, 
Cottonwood trees are often seen falling in and the banks cave 
as they do on the Lower river. Bird's Rapids, 100 miles below 
Ft. Benton, is practically the last rapid. Below this to Bis- 
mark are numerous sandbars and as the river falls after the 
summer rise the channel at first is considerably spread out 
and is unreliable. 
Carroll is 2,350 miles above the mouth, and from that place, for 
1,300 miles down stream, the river seems annually to be sub- 
ject to changes by channel shifting and banks and trees falling 
in, and in this distance there are no solid rock ledges available. 
Between Ft. Benton and Bird's Rapids, or for 100 miles there 
are 24 serious rapids. 
The river bed is considered rockv onlv from its head to Car- 
roll. 
The GuK.VT iwLLs.with intervening rapids and cataracts, ex- 
ten<l for 15 miles up stream, or from the mouth of Belt creek 
to the head of the rapids below the mouth of Sun river, and 
