The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-12

the moment into the belief that you arc travel
ing anids. the ruins Of dilApidsted fortresses
and castles in the old world. The river, in two
or three instances, seems, in some remote peri
Cd, to have broken through remarkable stone
walls, running across the river ct right angles,
and extending indefinitely over the bluffs into
the prairie. These walls are about three feet
thick, with smooth parallel faces, as if hammer
ed, and sometimes reaching height of twenty
or thirty feet. Whether nature, in some mason.
ic freak, or man in the times beyond the food,
built these walls, We can only say that the mas.
ter builder, whoever he was, "broke joints" and
quently covered with the inevitable cottonwood,
species Of poplar, filled at maturity with little
green bolls, which open in June and whiten the
air with their thistle like down. A sort of red
willow far up the river supplies the Indians with
. tobacco which they call "Kinnikinick." Prick
" pear abounds in infinite varieties, to the great
disgust Of the Indians, whose moccasns are .
poor defense against their terrible spikes. We
observed on the banks among other flowers,
modest mountain lilies and the SNOWY porcu-
pine plant; but We learned little Of the geology
of the country, and still less of it's fora.
OF THE FAUNA
Of the country, We saw specimens of almost ev.
cry variety known in North America We shot
at least thirty buffaloes from the boat, and las.
seed and brought home eight calves. The but
falo is magnificent beast, physically, but like
some large men. does not shine Intellectually.
The net weight of one big bull dressed on the
boat, was estimated at twelve hundred pounds.
They will cross the river at improper times, and
that, too, in front of the boat. Some Of the
droves on the bottoms and adjoining slopes
must have numbered nearly two thousand. The
elk, with its broad branching antlers, the ante
lope, with its soft dark eye;" the wolf, both
mountain and prairie, over whose eneaking pur.
suit of some wounded or defenceless animal, the
turkey buzzard hovers and circles with unaag-
cling interest; the beaver, whose two chsel like
teeth will fell cotton wood tree foot in d.
ameter, as handsomely, if not quite as quickly,
% the wood.chopper; the black tailed deer, With
it's scentless hind feet-all alike fell before the
deadly aim Of our sportsmen. We we're also
visited by the black bear and the mountain
sheep, with its enormous horns, upon which be
hurls himself when springing from peak to peak
among the precipitous heights which he fire..
quents. We brought back with US to St. Joe,
grizzly bear, the most vicious brute on the
globe, and took home three amiab!e young
wolves, prairie dog looking more like huge
aldermanic grey squirrel than it does like dog,
two cat owls, the sharp-sightedness of whose
great yellow eyes in the dark furnished Homer
with an epithet for his Athene-''the bright
eyed" not the "blue-eyed Minerva"
TIE ATMOSPHERE
Is exceedingly dry and pure. Buffalo tongues
and strips Of meat hung in the sun will be dried
through and thoroughly cured in a few days
without epeck of salt. So far as our observa-
ton went, the air is too bracing for pulmonary
invalids irritating instead Of soothing the lungs.
We say most earnestly to all sick men, especial.
~ to those troubled with organic difficulties in
the chest, disbelieve all the stories told you by
kind friends of marvellous cures effected by
change of air, and stay at home You cannot
heal an old fever sore by tanning it with new
fan.
so called, are, with the exception of the Govern.
ment fort, Randall, mere trading posts, occupied
by the Indians, half breeds, horses and cur dogs,
| living together within the same high Enclosure
in fragrant and harmonious fellowship. There
is not livery stable in this city which is not a
more desirable place to live in than either Fort
Benton, Fort Union or Fort Berthold. About 9
mile above Fort Benton we dedicated, in honor
of our worthy captain, new fort-Ft La Barge
which, we trust, will be. in point Of neatness
and comfort, an exception to the fifty lairs ia
which we have referred. The passengers of the
|
along with US, assisted at the rites. DR.. Nickel
lops presided, and brief speeches, under the quie
stars, amid the white tents of the gold seeker:
dotting the bottom lands, were made by Rev
Mr.. Francis and MessIs. Darrell, Meade, Chap
man, and others, and the whole affair passed Of
pleasantly, with hearty cheers for the new fort
the captain, the Union, and the old flag waving
over us. From the bluffs of this point the Rocky
Mountain chain is distinctly visible, it's SNOWY
peaks looming up in the western horizon in sol
itary and majestic grandeur.
| INDIANS
of numerous tribes were constantly visiting thu
boat after we reached the Yanckton Sioux res
ervation. The chiefs and braves of the Sioux
Nandans, Ricarees, Gros Ventres, Crows, Bloods
Pegans, Blackfeet, and others, came on boare
and accompanied us, in greater or less numbers
throughout our voyage. The Gros Tentre chic
and squaw who came to this city are the bes
specimens we saw on the trip. At all the prin
cipal ports the boat was thronged by the inevi
table redskins. Their black eyes we've peerint
into every nook and Granny, and their ligh
fingers did not fail to appropriate any attractive
Our own room, which had been made by partins
of the after cabin, contained three windows. al
of which were turned into tablsanz france, eact
being filled with swart, curious faces, whose i'm
perturable stare after few hours became disa
greeable. The personal appearance Of the In
dams is in the highest degree grotesque ant
fantastic. There is with them no fashion il
dress, no aping of upper tendon, but each on,
arrays himself as seemeth best in bis own eyes
One wraps bead bespangled government blank
ct about him and lies down to pleasant dreams
another disports himself in the sultry noon in
huge buffalo robe; another exults in q bob-talet
military coat buttoned up to his chin with bras
buttons, and reaching almost down to his hips
another rejoices in pair of leggins and vol
skin cap; another struts about in breech-clo
of limited dimensions and uncertain tenure o
position, and another riots in un-hg-leafed Para
disaical freedom. The women are as Drawn,
and muscular as their stalwart lords, and dres
themselves with as little taste and decency. Pig
ments are in great demand. The squaws, in
stead Of rougeing their cheeks like civilized la
dies, bedaub their foreheads and eyebrows will
fiery red paint. This is the favorite color 0
the braves, and they spread it on thick just be
fore starting on war expedition. We notice,
ono oroot ho 70 oho utod falIov uhoso rolv g.,