REPORT ON DEAD COLT HILLOCK LINE. 
223 
James river below the mouth of Grizzly Bear creek, there is no obstacle to a railroad line 
worthy of notice. 
Thence, only gradually rising and falling surfaces occur on our line to the Wild Rice river, 
between the valley of which and that of the James river but moderate grades will be necessary. 
On the 2d of July we camped on the right bank of the former stream, which was apparently 
somewhat swollen by recent rains. Its banks are sparely wooded with oak and elm, and rise 
from ten (10) to twenty (20) feet above its bed. This stream was kept to our right until the 
morning of the fourth, when we crossed it, leaving it some distance to the left. 
The James river is about forty (40) yards wide, and pursues a sinuous course, with a sluggish 
current, through a broad, deep valley. 
Below a small hillock known as Butte des Os, a very little wood is to be found ; but opposite 
that point, and from the amount of drift upon the banks, probably above there, oak is quite abund¬ 
ant. The western bonk gains its whole rise of about eighty (80) or ninety (90) feet above the bed 
of the stream within two miles, and extends back in broad undulations, having but slight differ¬ 
ences in general level to the Coteau of the Missouri. Near the James river there occur many 
deep ravines, some of which have small streams of water in their bottoms, and upon their banks 
some scattering oaks. They extend back from the river some three or four miles. 
The Coteau, so called, which I struck in forty-three (43) miles from Butte des Os, on a course 
of north 52° 30' west, consists of broad ranges of high bluffs, thrown up without any particular 
order, to the height of about one hundred (100) feet above the general level of the broad plateau 
at its base. The country gradually becomes higher and more rolling as these bluffs are ap¬ 
proached, and the actual point of change from rolling to bluffy can hardly be distinguished. 
For nearly thirty (30) miles on the line which I pursued after first striking the Coteau, this 
bluffy character prevails ; after which it gradually falls down to rolling for about six (6) miles, 
when the trail again struck a point of bluffs. But all of this heavy country, after the first twenty 
(20) miles of the Coteau, can be avoided by deflecting four or five miles to the left of the line 
of march between camps July 10th and July 11th, and crossing to the right about six (6) miles 
from camp July 11th, and keeping around the bluffy points crossed by the trail on the 12th July, 
and within some four or five mdes of the trail, in the same general direction, to the main branch 
of James river, which at this point is very small. The valley of this stream can be followed up, 
with but a slight deflection from the direct course, to near the head of one of its branches, about 
twenty (20) miles. 
From thence to Mouse river the country is gently rolling. Following up the valley of the 
Mouse river, the same general topographical character is found to exist, as far as my recon¬ 
naissance extended, and this high bluffy country extends nearly in a general northwesterly direc¬ 
tion as far as the 49th parallel of latitude, though its character becomes less abrupt as more 
northing is made. With regard to the soil, wherever deep cuts are necessary it has been found 
to consist of small rolling stones and gravel, intermixed with upland soil, and, as a general thing, 
such as to be easily worked. Granite and sienitic boulders, from a ton’s weight downwards, 
are frequently found, but not in sufficient quantity to be of service as a building material. Sand 
is found in abundance at but one point, viz: Lightning’s Nest, a series of sand- hills of several 
miles in extent, which would supply an inexhaustible amount for ballasting. Wood was not 
found in any quantity, except on the Mouse river, which is quite heavily timbered with maple, 
ash, and elm. 
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 
C. GROVER, 
His Excellency Isaac I. Stevens, 
Chief N. P. Railroad Exploring Expedition. 
Second Lieutenant dth Artillery. 
