The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-12-04

About noon the same day we arrived at
Fort Berthold. THIS was formerly military
post but is now simply An Indian agency.
The banks of the river were lined with lndi.
ans of all ages, sizes and conditions, who had
come out TO see the steamer Noble red men
we're sitting down, busily engaged in the tire.
some labor of smoking; while the squaws
we're INDUCING in the pastime of tanning
buffalo robes, carrying wood, and various ON
er de, ices Of the genlcr sex for willing away
the wtu,y hours. As lht boat r, NAMED at
the larding for some time, | had an oppor'u-
niry Of visiting the village and seeing 40
al home. The hints were nearly all pun OF
mud in the shape of ar inverted butter bowl {;
and were more absolutely hdeous than any
structures have ever seen-the Ottawa
Court house, of course, cXcept d. | entered
one of the huts, bu. the old folks were not ut
home Mr.. 10 had, evidently, put on his
best blanket and gone To see the boat; while
Mrs Lo like a dutiful wife, was probably
engaged in husking corn or chopping wood
There was a little brat sitting by the fire.
watching kettle and holding pup in his
arms. He had less curiosity IN his little
copper .colored carcass than any person
ever SAW He hardly looked up when en-
tered, and his stoical little physiognomy
seemed to say: II don't know who you are,
and.I don't care either The hut was full
of smoke, caused by poor draught and i'm
perfect ventilation, and seemed to be rather
crowded. A pony was quietly stabbed in one
corner, the ceiling was hang with furs, and
the inevitable "bull.boat" was there also
The bullboat is queer looking arrangement
made by stretching thick hide over frame
made of tough, flexible wood. Ii looks very
much like leather tub; bat, IN the hands of
skillful lndian, 1t is very SER cPable boat.
As we returned to the boat we passed crowd
of DUCKS" who stuck out their dirty red
paws, eXclaming at the same time How"
Of course we shook hands with them, but |
fci, strong temptation to complete their
meaning by adding as that for high" to
their suggestive Howl
A new agency has been built at Bcrthold.
Scarcely had ii been completed than the
tickle river changed its course, leaving
the agency high and dry out of the reach Of
steamboats,.
After leaving Berthold we were fairly in
the region of "The Bad Lands" And well
d these lands deserve their name! AS one
of the passengers aptly remarked. 1t seemed
as though the debris of all creation had been
piled up promiscuously III these dismal re-
glons. Huge, irregular bluffs, altogether des
utute of vegetation, display their rocky, bar
rem sides in all imaginary shapes. 1t is in
deed a region of wonders. Immense masses
of deSolae rock in the distance, have dim
resemblance 10 cities; in which columns OF
stone can be easily transformed by the mag
inatiun into castles and spires. But this
scenery, charming at first by its picturesque
irregularity, becomes, at length, positively
painful from its deathlike barrenness and soli-
tude Not a soul seems to inhabit the desc
late land even the Indians are unable to de-
rive support from its sterile soil. The Whole
region seems to owe its formation to some
grept geological revolution IN which fire and
water were, evidently, active agents; and
from this sombre and chaotic country paint
er might easily obtain his idea of land
scapc in hell. Yet this region is full OF m
terest; in some of the mounds can be seen
great red patches of something resembling
lick in striking degree in appearance
Many were the cOnJectures in regard to
this; some visionary individuals were firm
in their belief that these were the remains OF
rude brick.yards of the prlmeval man while
others advanced startling and original geolo-
gcal theories which would make the very
bones of Humboldt or Agassiz turn over in
their graves.
Waterfowl abound in immense quantities
on the Missouri. The passengers amused
themselves by firing from the boat into the
Immense focks OF ducks and geese III the
river, The geese, however were wilder than
the ducks, and very few of them were shot
One old gander, walking along sand bank
in the most unconcerncd manner, was the
target Of all the marksmen on board but the
bullets fell as harmlessy around him as they
did around George Washington at Braddocks
Field Perhaps this gander, too, had little
Ratchet, and possibly a kind providence
watching over him had destined him to be
come a great anserine hero. BE that as 1t
may, | can see no well defined reason why
the old fellow should not still be walking
along tina; same sand bank.
There were very many other objects OF IN
tcrest to be seen on the river but descrlp.
ton of them all would lengthen my letter to
undue proportions.
Early on the morning of the 9th inst, the
hoarsc believing of the steamer announced
that we were approaching Fort Butord All
the passengers hastened on deck to view the
post which had some interest for all. For
me the post possessed peculiar interest and
as | stepped ashore it was to make longer
stay than | have made at any place in the
course of my late travels. a l.. W.
AN AUSTRIAN JUSTICE-ROoM.