FROM THE FLATHEAD CAMP TO ST. MARY’S VALLEY. 
313 
September 22, 1S5-3.—Commences very mild and warm. We resumed our march at 6 a. m., 
continuing down the ravine ot’ the mountains, in which we have encamped for a distance of three 
miles; the geological formation of the ravine or mountains on each side being first a blue, which 
lower down changes into red slate, and finally into a greenish gray slate, till, reaching the end of 
the ravine or cation, the slate character becomes completely lost, and changes into a rugged, 
rough, weather-beaten, cream-colored rock. Where the small portions of rock have been broken 
off and fallen into the ravine, it made the travelling very bad for our animals. At the end of 
this canon we came in view of the valley of the Missouri, which was eight miles wide, and a 
most beautiful, well-grassed prairie bottom, this extending on each side of our route as far as the 
eye could reach. Far to our left lay a high ridge of the Rocky range, and in the rear of it a 
snow-clad range, which in the bright sunshine glistened like a mountain of silver. Far to our 
right lay another rough and rugged ridge of the Rocky range, while to our front lay a third, 
bounding the left bank of the Missouri. Crossing this prairie by a very excellent road, we fell 
upon the main stream of the Missouri, which we found to be a rapid, clear, and tortuous stream, 
near two hundred yards wide, the channel water being six and eight feet deep. The river being 
shut in by the mountains on the west and hills on the east, becomes in places exceedingly rapid; 
its banks are wooded in places with the cotton-wood; the willow, however, occurs very abund¬ 
antly along its banks, on both sides. Not being able to find a ford when striking the river, our 
course tended down it for a distance of six or eight miles, when we nooned on the right bank of 
the Missouri, finding here good grass and water, but no wood. This prairie bottom is covered 
with rich grass, but also with an abundance of prickly pear. From our halt at noon, we travelled 
four miles farther down the stream, where we found a ford, taking advantage of a point in the 
river where two islands formed in the channel. Here the water was two and a half feet deep; 
bottom gravelly and rocky, and current so very rapid that our animals were carried down the 
stream in crossing. Fortunately, we forded the stream with everything dry and safe. On one 
of these islands we succeeded in killing a large fat elk, weighing from six to eight hundred 
pounds; we took about twenty-five pounds of the choice portion, and turned the remainder over 
to the bears and wolves. After crossing the Missouri we began the ascent of a rough, rugged, 
craggy ridge of the Rocky range; rocks and stone lay piled to our front, and on each side, in 
wild confusion. This rough road continued, however, for only a few miles, when we gained a 
series of prairie bluffs, or hills, which brought us to a very broad and beautiful prairie valley, 
bounded on each side by mountains. Had we been able to find a ford when first striking the 
Missouri, we would have entered the southern end of this prairie, and avoided the bad hills 
referred to; but being compelled to travel down it for several miles, we preferred crossing this 
ridge, to retracing the same distance on the opposite side, to gain the prairie. The ridge 
referred to is formed of reddish slate-rock, unstratified; granite, however, was to be seen in 
broken masses on, and projecting above, the surface of the ground. Game we found more 
abundant to-day than any day since we left the buffalo country: in the morning we saw two 
bands of mountain goat, bounding their way over the craggy hills with the swiftness of arrows; 
in the evening we saw many bands of elk and antelope running over the hills and in the prairie 
valleys of the mountains. One of our guides, in ascending a high peak this evening, with a glass 
saw something far in the distance, which he supposed to be a man on horseback. I told him to 
go and see what it was, as I thought it might possibly be some one from Governor Stevens’s 
party sent out to reconnoitre. Mounting a good horse, he was soon on the road. He returned 
to camp at night and reported that what he took to be a man on horseback turned out to be a 
tree. Our camp of this night was on a small stream from the west emptying into the Missouri, 
lined on each side with an abundance of wood; the grass, however, was very indifferent. The 
night of this day was clear and beautiful. This prairie is said to connect with Fort Benton by 
a wagon road; this is at present based upon information from trappers, who have spent many 
years in the mountains, and who have often passed over the country, between Fort Benton and 
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