OF THE UPPER MISSOURI. 
115 
This district may be said to commence as soon as we leave the Mississippi westward, the 
ascent being gradual but continually on the increase until we arrive at the foot of the 
mountains. Leaving St. Louis westward we gradually ascend, passing over a prairie 
region for the most part, for the distance of nearly 800 miles, when we have reached an 
elevation of 6000 feet and come abruptly to the lofty rugged mountain peaks which com¬ 
pose the upheaved ridges. To illustrate this statement, let us examine the profiles across 
the country from the Mississippi westward, which have been constructed by the War De¬ 
partment. Glancing at the general map of the country west of the Mississippi, also pub¬ 
lished by the War Department, we will observe that the immediate Rocky mountain 
region is not composed of merely a single lofty upheaved ridge extending across the conti¬ 
nent, but a vast series of ridges or ranges, which taken individually do not seem to have 
any definite trend, but when viewed in the aggregate extend across the map in a direction 
nearly northwest and southeast, forming a zone or belt 500 to 1000 miles in width from 
east to west. From long. 96° westward to the foot of the mountain ridges the country 
traversed exhibits the true typical prairie, no timber being found to any extent, except that 
which skirts the streams. From thence to the Pacific coast we have what may be called 
the true mountain portion, which is composed of a vast number of ridges of elevation, 
interspersed with beautiful valleys, many of which are remarkable for their fertility. Some 
of the valleys are quite large and are surrounded by mountain ridges as by gigantic walls. 
If we look at the barometrical profile constructed by Gov. Stevens, from St. Paul’s, 
Minnesota, to the foot of the mountains westward, we find that the former locality is 828 
feet above the sea. Near the mouth of the Yellowstone, 670 miles to the westward, we 
find that the elevation is 2010 feet above the sea, and that we have made a gradual ascent 
in that distance of 1172 feet. As we approach the base of the mountain ridges the ascent 
continues to increase, and when we reach the valley of Dearborn river, 448 miles farther 
west, we ascertain that this locality is 4091 feet above the sea level, and that in that dis¬ 
tance of 448 miles we have ascended 2081 feet, or nearly 5 feet to the mile. The valley 
of Dearborn river is just at the foot of the mountains, and to that point the country tra¬ 
versed belongs to the true type of the western prairie. 
Again, if we examine the profile commencing at Council bluffs on the Missouri river, 
we find the elevation at that point to be 1327 feet above the sea level. Thence proceed¬ 
ing westward to the sources of Lodge Pole creek, at the base of the Laramie range of 
mountains, we have made an ascent, while thus passing over the prairie region, of nearly 
5000 feet. We thus see that in the distance of 550 miles we have reached an elevation 
3000 feet higher than our starting point, by an ascent of 5 feet to the mile. 
Again glancing at the profile extending from Fort Leavenworth westward, we observe that 
at the Missouri river the elevation is 904 feet above the sea. At the base of the Laramie 
