New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-24
S sS,ss no no 81 T,.,.ns q. A. CUSTER
Ereyet Major General United State Army Commanding
Exu
ARRIVAL OF THE CUSTER EXPEDITION AT
HEENG-YA-KARA.

ARRIVAL OF THE CUSTER EXPEDITION All
HEENG-YA-KARA.
NEARING THE END OF LONG JOURNEY-wAYsIDE
SCENES AND INCIDENrS-A NEW GEOLOGICAL
AREA-JoY AT TIKI SIGHT or TIMDER-THE VAL
LEY OF LA BELLE FoURCHE-BLoODsHED AND
DOUBLE FUNERAL
ffRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBCNE'l
HEENG-YA-KARA, CAMP 20, July 2O-ln the
Black Hills at The great blue msts which ior aays
have hung away under the horizon gradually looming
up into the sky and growing more and more
as We approached have last resolved themselves p'o
massive tangible rocks rising In bold mountain en"p
ahove IA For more than two weeks, with faithful ana
periinaoeous Inconsistencies we have been questonihk
cuies maps compasses, and even the SILENT
etars inst 10 find this opportunity Tor seigratuaon'
VIZ the doorway TO the Black Hills. whether we nsve
found the doorway remains TO be seen ou' a' any NV
We have reached Hills. the great unknown tnea'er
n, our fture quests We have eoied long trail around
tbeir feet and thus binding victim, we are now pre-
pared to strike its heart When my last iet'er co'
we had made a dry camp In the Little Missouri '"y'
within two days march OF she skirts OF tne hiie. ~
yeille that cruel mercess air, which the most sui
trumpeter cannot make attractive, reused us again i'e
a four hours sleep, and pushed on I'LL the "uue VI
the afternoon Hating on the top OF high DUN winch
fornoed the elimination Of gradual ascent from tne
valley the prospect ahead for wagon road was 30 u
couragipg that rather than attempt 10 reach 'no A
Fourche that night, originally purposeu' "cn' N
determined to make camp suff oient water ana WOOD
were found at the foot Of the bluf Tas camp ~ naae
hateful to our memory by terrible dust Storm whoh
bcsoiled everything tents ana made hic W INC
ccupants utterly miserable. After this experience the
suect of cremation was banished from conversation by
common consent Several tents were leyeled BY this
dusty disrespectful wind
SEEKING A ROAD THROUGH AN UNKNOWN COUNTRY
As We looked in the morning from the top of the blum
down into the yexatious maze of gueys which seemed
e. cover valley before like network, our pCaeers
and wagon giew faint-hearted They were
doomed TO an agreeable disappointment. Like many
other dificuties IN life. those which threatened US
proved less formidable when actually encountered than
when viewed at distance. wagon-way was lound
and followed without oyertaking our pioneers 80 "
was for four five miles But there was a suspicious
hill beyond which filed us with f0reb0ding. We did not
know what lay behind 1t. In fact unless We are situ-
ated 10 command q view OF the whole country,
each days march is experiment more or less doubtful
In It's results The hill proved to be another miniature
Psgah. have idea that any translation into words
convey to unsympatheic reader conception OF
the enthusiasm with which the view from the top OF
that hill greeted. But let such one travel for l6
days treeess plain. under tropical sum- with no
protection from Its fierce but the hat he wears on
his head and If he does not exclalm with JOY when just
at noontide on the 18th day. beautiful forest suddenly
rises across path Is either stole else is devoid
Of thankful heart Here and there had scraggy
timber the hills but that furnished shade, or
that lay our path. We had learned to ap-
precate every halt the march the shady side OF
horse. only available, however the animal would
still But the prospect OF having real live tree
a tree that would not tread on you just as you had
dropped TO sleep; that did not need to be pick
eted and would not move around 10 feed genuine,
legitimate tree such as had in days gone by
before left the States-the prospect than
silence could BEAR and said Hallelujah!" tim
Ter preface to the Black Hills how tue mere fact Of
stence was elevated luxury by this chapter
march!
Not only the rugged scrub saks the first had
the Trip but the character of the soil and the
ing aspect of the landscape showed that
ing different geological and Typographical The
low hills and ridges which anticipated the higher
beyond aud introduced to the Black Hill range
covered with heavy deposit of loose snale the result
of disintegration from the underlying slate, which
formed a bed below 1T of a hundred or more feet In
thickness. This shale almost entirely devoid OF
grass and all vegetation except the lusty scrub oaks
which seemed TO find there congenial home. In many
places above the slate beds OF mari Of an ashen
gray color and where this not the slate
generally concealed by the snaly debris already
toned Beds OF impure limestone were also found on
the tops OF some of the bluffs.
IN THE VALLEY OF THE BELLE FoURCHE.
We had now lett the plains behind and were enter
ing the approaches to the Black Hills High hills and
deep ravines compelled tortuous for the train
but following medatoria ridge with siuuous but not
difficult descent valley, we found ourselves
on the banks OF small stream which knew to be the
Relic Fourche or North Fork Of the Cheyenne River
of the two other being the Little Missouri
which, through many tributaries. draw their waters
maiuly from the Black Hills The north and south
branches Of the Cheyenne River the two prongs OF
water fork which clasps the base OF the Black Hills
the Powder River Range west Of the Black Hills, but
flowing the around the north aud the other around
the south base OF the Hills they derive the larger part
of their volume from the small streams which drain
the Black Hills and uniting thirty miles east OF them,
form the Cheyenne River which flows into the Missouri
River near Fort uly about 27S miles above the north
ern boundary OF Nebraska Al the point we struck IL,
the Belle Fourche is o small stream or creek with
rocky bottom about fifteen yards wide at this time Of
year. containing but q small quantity OF water some
what favored with akali, but still great improve
ment on much Of the water Of previous camps con-
adorable portion OF the hills ankng the valley OF the
stream was covered the surface with iron ooncre-
tons and spring discovered In the course of the days
march was strongly impregnated with the same metal
The stream itself was we'll frnged with timber. the
American poplar quvering aspen and young growths
OF willow forming large part OF the wood The valley
was carpeted with good grass figured strongly with sun
flower and sage but mostly exempt from cactus This
is an exemption from q camp carpet which we always
accept with gratitude.
The following day Sunday, and we did not break
camp-less, am inclined to believe, from religious mo
tiyes than from weatherwise discretion induced by
heavy fall Of ran which began before sunrise and con
tinued with slight intermissions until afternoon The
ardor Of the engineer corps, whose ambition always
seeks the highest peaks not at all dsmpened by the
heavy drench, and, with Capt. Harris company as an
escort Col Ludlow improved the halt by making re-
nee some eight miles from camp Strk
ing an old trai not far from camp Col Lud-
low pursued it sufficiently far to satisfy himself that IL
was the trail made by Capt Reynolds in 1889. his trip
IN the YELLOWSTONE and the upper waters OF the Missouri