New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-08-20

tusurmOuntaDlo ODJeCtOu. ih0 h"'''o N~'~~
furnish no argument for the success OF other grains
since like the cactus, they are peculiar to THIS
latitude. and having become thoroughly acclimated,
stand AN amount of dryness which would be fatal to
other growths The alkali soil which contains a
very large percentage of soda is found to greater
or less extent over the whole country. But now ana
then it breaks out in aggravated patches des''a,o
of all verdure and nearly white as snow which
reflect the sun with a painful glare. and render
water found in their vicinity utterly unnt ior u'''
THE COUNTRY TRAvERsED.
In former letter described our visit 10 uooso
Cave. and the disappointment which attended IT,
The intention which the General had originally en-
tarta;ned of living over one day at the cave, was
abandoned ON account of the poverty OF the grass
pr horses and mules are receiving but three POUNDS
of grain per day. 1t is highly essential, therefore,
that our camps. especially those where we take
day for rest should have an abundance OF goou,
nutritious grass The command, therefore, pushed
on The visit TO the cave was not without satisfac-
tion for from the top of the plateau which iormeo
the roof of the cave we had a fine panoramic VIC"
of the surrounding country, and Col Ludlow was
enabled to take the bearings OF many OF tne hoS'
monument buttes. In furnishing the Indian names
for these prominent butes Gooses aid was as inval
liable as bis knowledge surprising Most con-
snicuous among the landmarks were Rainy Butte 10
the northeast and MILESTONE Butte near by Slim
Butte 10 the east and Slave Butte to the SOUTH ooh
of the latter already down on the map OF Daho.a
OF TO the west lay the Short Pine RIDGE anu W 'no
west the " Rock with Hole in it," Near the ono,'
Pine Ridge was another long ridge dipping deepiy
into the prairie at its western end ana revealing W
Goose through the naked eye but to us only through
the agency of the most powerful glasses Iain'
line of blue beyond. This Goose informed us
was the Black Hill range. 1t was 80 miles away,
statpmpnt with some doubt, Dut
afterwards found he was right. Down IN the valley
before ia were the forks of the Grand River separat
ing into many small fingers which like the river
itself were only traceable by the snuOus strips OF
timber along their banks. The river itself here is
only creek and its branches are now almost dry
and serve only branches in the Spring hood-tine
or after heavy rains. The cave plateau, though
frequently cut in its length of several miles by deep
ravines entirely insulating certain portions OF It,
resumes the same level after each interruption ana
shows clearly its original unity. The rock. yellow
ish sandstone is uniform in disposition and struc-
ture but is very susceptible to wind and water
action and in some places is very much money
combed OF to the north of this ridge was terrace
covered with verdure and Boosting reasonable
growth OF pines. spaced with such regularity, how
ever as to suggest the intervention of art, while an
outiutting mass of hard sandstone rising from the
green and seen through the pine trees, furnished to
the willing fancy adequate figure OF house. the
whole forming a refreshing picture of desirable
country residence.
GEOLOGICAL STUDIES.
The glacial drift which was noticed in pre-
vious letter as of frequent occurrence within the
first IS mixes of journey, soon entirely disap-
peared and monotony of out-cropping unfossllifer-
Gus sandstone rocks succeeded large number of
powders however. evidently of limestone. found on
fI,a ton IF little knolls and unapcOmpauiel bV
authentic foreign drift at first little puzzling
but the surmise of Prof Winchell that they Origi-
nay formed part of native limestone stratum over
topping the sandstone and had been broken up into
powders by the disintegratlon of the underlying
rock, was afterward confirmed by careful Observa-
ton The limestone was naturally found in places,
supported by two beds of softer and perishable
sandstone At Wolf Butte. in our march along the
Grand River. we found silici6ed wood in consider
able quantities. the forest relics of remote age 1t
affords little consolation to the travellers, however,
to pick up piece of this ancient wood on the plains
in the excrucatng of Dakota sun, and reflect
as he bros in its glazing rays that at some early
antediluvlan and antegacal time, Dakota, in adj
dtion to its tropical animals was probably in pos
session of abundant forests which persisted long be-
fore man was created to enjoy them. Carried down
by floods, wateIlogged. then buried in sediment
and embalmed in silica, more modern denudation
has washed them from their resting places. broken
them up and scattered them far and near over the
plain to torment the traveller by suggesting shade
which it longer i'll their power to confer After
leaving the Grand River this fossil wood entirely
disappeared. We have none since, but are re-
ioicinp in the prospect of timber of more modern
date. -,
developed no treasures especially new and impOr-
tant, nor do we expect fossil any more than mineral
riches until we shall reach the more varied forma
tions supposed to exist in the Black Hills on their
southern boundary. The discovery of leg bone OF
q mammoth by Mr. Grinnell Of Yale College, an
nounced to you by telegraph, was very important,
however, as an indication of the geological age OF
the country through which we have come. Study
ing geology without fossils is like substituting
blank book of different cOlored papers for we'll
pripted pictorial history of town or country. The
different layers of rocks are only the differently
coored sheets; the fossils must furnish the historic
illustratiops For instance, with cretaceous and
tertiary periods which are geologicaly contiguous.
and which in this country are frequently found
overlapping each other, there is great similarity in
the rock belonging to each era, and from the rock
alone il is not possible to determine which period is
represented at any particular locality.
MAMaoTHs BONE DISCOVERED.
Thus for want of identification of characteristic
FOSSILS which kept themselves out Of sight, over 200
miles of the country, from Lincoln to the
South West presented geologicaly very ambgu-
Gus history 1t was difficult TO tell. itbologicay,
whether the tertiary or cretaceous epoch presented
the best ttle-deed At last, when IL days from Lin
colp we struck a valuable item Of this evidence An
aged mammoth a great deal older than Methusaleh,
and perhaps among his peers quite as respectable,
fpoI ale and