350 
FROM FORT BENTON TO CANTONMENT STEVENS. 
determined to examine the country immediately along the Missouri from Fort Benton to the point 
where I crossed the Missouri in my examination from the Muscle Shell across the Rocky mountains, 
in September, 1853, which up to this time had remained unexplored, save partially by Mr. Tink- 
ham, in November, 1853. My working party consisted of a half-breed Cree, who was my 
interpreter, and four of my own men. My route to Fort Benton lay up the Hell Gate river to 
its junction with the Little Blackfoot, thence up the Little Blackfoot across the mountains. Arri¬ 
ving at the forks of the Little Blackfoot, I found the snow ten inches deep; and knowing there 
were two passes, one to each fork, I took the more southern of the two. I thence struck for the 
Missouri river, and examined the line of bluffs along its left bank, that extend from about thirty 
miles above the falls to near the three forks of the Missouri. I found these bluffs very rough 
and rugged, affording us a very difficult road even for my pack-train. In a word, it is one 
immense bed of mountains, extending along the Missouri for one hundred and fifty miles, and 
fifteen miles wide, necessitating the case of a road being to their north. These bluffs are mostly 
well wooded with an abundant and large growth of pine. The rock found through them is mostly 
granite. At this point the Missouri flows mostly through a mountain defile with a rapid current, 
and in many places very deep and narrow. Leaving the bluffs, through which I travelled three 
days, we crossed the Missouri, in order to avoid the numerous and difficult coulees extending 
along the left bank of the Missouri from the bluffs to Fort Benton. But I found the country 
to the south immediately along the Missouri but little, if any, better than that to the north. In 
places it is much cut up by very deep and rugged coulees, that are impracticable for anything 
save a pack-trail. I arrived at Fort Benton on the morning of the 14th. On the morning of the 
17th I started on my return to this valley, bringing with me a wagon, with a four-mule team. 
I saw that by keeping on the high table-land between the Teton and Missouri rivers, I might 
avoid the many coulees that make from each of these rivers, and thus gain an excellent wagon 
road. This turned out to be the case, and from Fort Benton to the Sun or Medicine river I 
f .und a perfectly level prairie road. My route thence to the Dearborn river lay a very few 
miles to the south of that followed and examined by Lieutenant Donelson, in September, 1853. 
Presuming that officer has already reported upon the general character of that section, I pass 
over it, simply remarking that I found a beautiful road for my wagon. 
From the Dearborn river my course lay more to the south of west than that followed by 
Lieutenant Donelson; and at a distance of fifteen miles from the Dearborn struck a stream that 
rises in the main chain of the Rocky mountains, and is known among the Indians by the name 
of the Small Prickly Pear creek. 
The country between these two streams is a rolling prairie, which afforded us an excellent 
road. The valley of the Small Prickly Pear creek, which is half a mile wide, I found well 
wooded with the cotton-wood and willow. Here the fallen timber was the first obstacle met with 
from Fort Benton, a measured distance of one hundred and twenty-four miles. I found it 
necessary to remain in camp to-day, and with my party make the road. In eight hours every 
obstacle was removed, and resuming our march, the day following we found the road very 
excellent. At this point you will observe, from the accompanying map, that my trail left the 
river, tending to the north. This was not necessary, as an excellent road lay up the valley of 
the stream; but, as it would have been necessary to make a road thi ough the timber, which 
would probably have delayed me another day, I preferred leaving the river and following an 
Indian trail that led to the northwest, and which fell upon the river a second time. A large 
party, however, would find it to their advantage to follow up the valley of this stream, for when 
striking the stream a second time, I found that my route on this day would have been shortened 
by six or eight miles; and on the next day the same thing occurred, when I again left the river 
and followed for a few miles in a southwesterly direction, when, by following the river valle} r , my 
route would have been more direct for the mountain pass, and would have shortened my distance 
twelve or fifteen miles. There are two parallel low mountain ranges, or bluffs, through which 
