150 The Missouri River. — Broadhead. 
include a total descent of 574 feet, including Black Eagle falls, 
26 feet. Rainbow falls, 20 feet, and Great falls, 90 feet. 
Above the falls, the stream is generally too rapid and curves 
too sharply for steamboat navigation, but from personal ob- 
servation, I think that a channel depth of three feet can be se- 
cured on most of the rapids to Three Forks, certainly to 
''Gates of the Mountains." On this part of the stream there 
are practically no sandbars but the shoals are chiefly ob- 
structed by rocks of various sizes mingled with some sand. 
Below Atlantic canon is Half-Breed rapids, one and a half 
miles long, and our time through it in a skiff was 4 minutes. 
Other sharp bends are Whirlpool rapids and Mandible point, 
-the latter just below "The Gates of the Mountains" where the 
stream flowing in one direction for 3 miles makes a detour 
parallel with its former course for 3 miles, separated only by 
a narrow ridge. There are estimated to be 33 rapids from 
Three Forks to "Long Pool." The Long pool is a quiet reach 
of 40 miles from Ulidia to the Great falls. 
The upper portion of the river is flanked chiefly b}' rocky 
cliffs, generally approaching near the water on one side, and 
retreating a little on the other, with grassy front. At "Gates 
of the Mountains" are cliffs 2,000 to 3,000 feet high for four 
miles on each side. At this place is a prominent point called 
"Bear Tooth" mountain, 2,500 feet high, a prominent feature 
for 20 to 40 miles away. Other prominent points on the upper 
river are Red Rock canon, 1,000 feet, Black Rock 800, El Do- 
rado 800 and Helena 800 feet high. Copper rock 1,000 feet, 
Atlantic Cannon 700 to 900 feet. For 50 miles below "Gates of 
the Mountains" the scenery is grand, the mountains high and 
clothed with scattering pines, the water clear, and the rocks 
weathered into many curious and striking forms as "Copper 
rock," DeLacy's point, Eddy rock 1,200 feet high at entrance of 
Atlantic canon, Black Rock, Robber's castle, "Man and Wo- 
man," and Big rock 1,100 feet high. The .area drained by the 
Three Forks is estimated to be 12,500 square miles and the 
rise at their junction never over 6 feet above low water mark. 
Ice gorges do cause a local rise a little higher and the snow 
melting in May causes the discharge to be 4 times the normal 
amount, and at the lowest 1-5 less. Roberts estimated the 
discharge to be : 
