The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-07-31

until we reach BiJ0us Hills, series Oh YER
bold, irregular bluffs, much more elevate,
) than any surrounding ones, and extendin!
nearly thirty miles. They were named af
ter French Canadian, who forty five year
ago established the first trading post here
: and had very serious troables with the Siou'
Indians.
Near the upper end of Bijou's Hills VI
SEQ the results of the so-called volcano, AM
six miles above this in Minnesota is anothe
circular depression in the bluffs where no
more than ten years since burning volcano
existed. III '@-'.
imagine these are not real volcanoes, bu
vast deposits of Ignite. undergoing activ.
combustion as soon rs brought in contac,
with the oxygen of the air. The valley Of
White river IS said to be very fertile in many
places, compared with the surrounding
country, and game abounds there, which
has made it a favorite resort for the Yank-
ton Indians, for hunting, fishing and plant.
ing corn. s@
One hundred and fifty miles above Fort
Randall is the great bend where the Nilsson.
ri again curyes upon itself making dis.
tance of fifty miles around and only four
from point to point by land. Midway of
the bend is the Chain of Rocks, nothing
more than few large stones, projecting
about foot above the level of the river al
low water, and entirely covered during a
rise.
At the upper end of the bend are some
very precipitate barren hills, almost per-
pendicular at the rivers edge, and all the
way from there to the Little Missouri, near
st Pierre, we pass through dull, monoton-
GUS country, continuation of LIE Cote,
Butes, or burned hills, SO called from their
brownish color, and unusual sterility Of
soil, wholly uniting them for even the mos,
stunted vegetation. -
Between Fort Pierre and Fort Clark the
character of the country changes several
times. Below the Big Sheyenne it is very
similar to that between the Big Bend and
St. Pierre, being continuation Of Les
Cotes Butes, and between that and the Lit
tie Sheyenne is very pretty upland prairie,
with gentle slope from the bluffs to the
rivers edge; islands are more numerous
and better wooded; from the Little Shey-
enne to Moreau is much good fertile prairie
bottom. Occasionally black clay hills are
seen, but generally the sloping bluffs are
covered with short grass. This level coun-
try extends all the way to Les Buttes Quenes,
or Sugar Hills, except just at the mouth Of
Cannon Ball river, where the bills are as
rugged and high as mountains. The square
hills are very high, resembling in the dis
tance, mammoth hay ricks, but said to be
nearly square on top. They are in Nebras-
ka, 35 miles below Fort Clark, and imme-
diately opposite long bend in the river.
Before we reach Fort Clark, the sand for
nation begins, and from there to Fort Ber-
thold, nothing like clay is seen. High, pre-
cipitatc arenaceous hills, continuing the
whole way within twenty miles of Fort
Berthold. Projecting into the river from
the Nebraska shore, is v shaped sand rock,
about eight feet above the waters level, and
extending forty feet from the bank. 1t is
the largest, and almost only rock we have
seen, and looks very strangely, surrounded
as it is, BY low prairie. 1t was once the
foundation of bluff, which long since
washed away.
At Fort Berthold, the general character
of the country changes. The hills are
much more rugged aud irregular, present.
Ing very broken appearance, and in many
places, the earth of reddish vermillion col
fEoiadhse,a distahce 'fEy8hDfRSS s2fi6Sct
volcanoes. Most of the way, strata of
Ignite are overlaid by sandstone. This for
NATION Prefahs loE tHiEty hiles uDoSe oTt
Berthold, (when we have a high, level, ex-
tensive prairie and is called by the Man
dams and Gros Ventres. the Bad Lands.
At the beginning of the Big Blue, the
country suddenly changes again, and We
are surrounded by lofty, barren hills, COW
cred with white selemetic incrustation;
and where the banks are tumbling into the
river, the soil is very much like ashes,
mixed with coke. White pieces of petriiied
cottonwood are shining on every bare hill,
and boulders of granite abound.
One hundred and eighty miles below the
Yellowstone, the rugged hills show no signs
of stratiication, 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 tor
tuous.
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 vege-
tation, and seldom show any signs of strait
fcation--being composed Of greyish sand
covered with white selemetic incrustation
Forty miles above Fort Union, the hills reach
and an elevation above 400 feet, perpen'
dicular from the water; and extend along
shore for at least half mile.
Near the mouth of the Big Muddy, thu
country softeas down, and considerabl,
prairie bottom is found, but the soil is yer,
sterile, and even at this, the best season
scarcely sign of vegetation exists. Th'
hills are composed, rs lower down, of
; greyish sand, and many cone and rick
shaped peaks stand out completely isolated
und generally of red brick color Aboy'
. the Big MUDDY, We loose sight of the bills
the bed of the river running through low
sandy bottom covered with young cotton
wood; but we find hills again before reach
ing Milk river. The river above Fort Unio,
is very tortuous, but being narrow, tn
channel is easily kept, and navigation mucl
less difficult than lower down. -.
In order to prosecute their business NOR
easily, the American Fur Company have es
tablished five so called forts ut differen
points on tho Upper Missouri, rs tradin
posts for the different Indian tribes.
a FORT PIERRE.
The first one of these is Fort Pierre,
t short distance above the mouth of the Littl
3 Missouri, and 1857 miles above st. Louis
! 1t is built on an extended plateau, thre
miles long, and from half to one mil
$ wide, and sufficiently elevated above tn
river to escape inundation, except from a
8 unusual freshet. ltcommands good vie'
t of the river for several miles down stream
The fort formerly occupied by the Ameri
9 can Fur Company, and sold a few year
c since to the United States Government, an
G now owned and occupied by the oppositio
0 company, is the lowest down the river, an
= seems from distance, to be quite comforta
3 BILE, but the buildings now used by the CON
t pany are low log and mud cabins, lined III
: side with buffalo skins, and resemblin
e covered pig pens moro than dwellings fc
), human beings. ....
e Immediately around the Fort, GOVERN
large extent of the prairie, were one hur
@ dred and seventy wigwams Of the seven dif
d ferent bands of the Great Sioux Nation, VIII
: had assembled here to trade and await the
e annuities from Washington. All of thes
r Indians are Dacotahs, but each band has
J, separate name. Jhauktonwan Dacotah
t Ohenoupa Dacotahs, Brule Dacotahs, Blacl
feet and Unkapapa Dacotahs, Sans Arc
t Dacotahs and Minikauyes, all Of one raj
e and on friendly terms with each other.
s Fort Pierre has been trading point II