Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1858-08-12

said 10 be nearly square on top. They are
In Nebraska, - miles below Iyrt Clark,
and Immediately opposite long bead in
the riyer.
Before We reach Fon Clark, tie sani
formation begins, and from there TO Fort
Eer;hold. nothing Ike clay is seen. High.
psecipiia.e srensceoss hiils, continuing the
sboie vay within twenty miles Of Fort
BertSoId Projecting into the river from
the Nebraska shore, is . v shaped sand
rock, about eight feet above the waters
iesel, and extending forty feet from the
bank. II 10 The largest, sud almost only
rock We bsse sesn. and looks very straDge
y, surrounded - it 10 BY iow prairie. II
was once the foundation OF blu6, which
long since washed away.
At Fort Bertho.d the general character
Of the country changes. The bills are
much more rugged and irregular, present
ing very broken appearance, and in many
phsces, the earth Of reddish ysrmiliion co
ior, 10 heaped up in circular and conical
mounds, II distance resembling extinct
volcanoes. Most Of the way, strata Of liz.
. mite sse overisid by sandstone. This for
nation prevails Tor thirty miles above Fort
Ber.ho'd, when we have . high, leve::,
extensive prsirie.) snd is called by the
Msndsns and Gros ven,rss. the Bad
Laais.
At the beginning Of the Big Blue, the
country suddenly changes again, and We
are surrounded by lofty, barren hills, GOV.
cred with q white se!enetic incrustation :
and where the banks are tumbling into the
river. the soil is very much like ashes.
mixed with coke. White pieces Of petri-
FED cottonwood are shining on every bare
bill, and boulders Of granite abound.
One hundred and eighty miles below the
Yellowstone. .as rugged hills show no signs
Of strsihea.ion, but present continued,
dreary grey color, and all the way to Fort
Union, we have an alienation Of steep
hills and level prairie, the river being very
tortHoss.
From Fort Union, the country is very
similar to that between the Square Hill
and the Yellowstone, the banks on either
side Of the river averaging from $50 to
200 feet in height, are perfectly bare Of
Yegesatisn. and seldom show any signs Of
stratiScst'on-being composed Of grey
ish sand eovered with white selemetic in
. eruststion. Forty miles above Fort Union,
the hills reach N elevation aboye 400 feet,
perpendicuisr from the vatsr. and extend
along shore for at least half mile.
Near the month Of the Big Muddy, the
country sof,eus down, and considerable
prairie bottom is found, but the soil is very
sterile, and eren At this, the best season,
scarcely > sign Of vegetation exists. The
hills are composed, as lower down, Of q
greyish sand. and many cone and rick
shaped peaks stand out completely isola-
ted, and geDerally Of red brick color
Above the Big Muddy, we lose sigh, of the
bills, the bed Of the river running through
. low sandy bottom covered with young
cottonwood; but We find hills again before
reaching Milk river. The river above Fort
Enion is very tortuous. but being narrow,
the channel is easily kept, and navigation
iHnch less difficult than lower down.
In order TO prosecute their business
more easily. the American Fur Company
bsye established FIRE SO called forts at dif
fersD. points on the Upper Missouri, az
trading posts for the different Indian tribes
F0ET YIERKE.
The FIRST one Of these is Fort Pierre. a
short distance aboye the mouth of the Lit
tie Missouri, sEd 1857 miles above St
Louis. II is built on an extended plateau,
three miles long. and from half to one
mile vide. and sufficiently elevated above
the river 70 escape inundstion, except from
an unusual freshet. It commands a good
view of the river for several miles doxn
stream.
The fot formerly occupied by the Amer
ican Fur Company, and sold few years
since 70 the United States Government
and nov owned aud occupied BY the oppo
sIiion company, is the lowest down the
river, sDd seems from . distance TO be
quite comfortable. but the buildings no.
used by the company are low log and mud
cabins, lined inside vith bufEalo skins, and
resembling covered pig pens more than
dwellings for human beings.
Immedistsiy around the Port. covering
large sstent of the prairie, were one
hundred and seventy wigwams Of the seven
different bands Of the Great Sioux Nation,
Who hsd assembled here to trade aud awai,
their annaities from Washington. All Of
these Indians are Dacotah., bat each band
has separate name. Jhsuksonwan Da.
cotaas, Obenoupa Dacotahs, Brule Daco-
tabs. Blsckfeet and Unkapsps Dacoiahs,
Sans Ares Dscotshs and Minikauyes. all
Of one race sEd on friendly terms with
esrh other.
Fort Pierre has been trading point for
nearly 10 years. and formerly Was fine
plses for collecting I'll kinds Of peItry
now The tssl6e 10 mostly confined 10 buia-
10 robes.
TOHy CLARK.
Fort Clark, the second trading post, is