Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-07-02

OF the upper Missouri was fevesleu !" TO-
Perpendicular bluffs oflight grey sandstone
wall the river on either side. Natures
artist has here left his mark. The rocks
are shaped into castles, and ptnnacles, ana
towers massive architectural structures
rise out Of bluffs and grotssque shapes ar
pear at every turn II the river. Nov It 10
an Immense cathedral. with gothic windows
aad towers and spires complies. then comes
Q giant figure of human or animal and then
q massive steamboat, or q nenagerte Of
beasts. The Imagination can c%onjure up al
nest any shape, real or unreal. We have
passed most Of the day on deck. One
never tires Of gaz'uy upon the fantsstic
shapes which time. and wind, and water,
and ice have wrought among the rocks
They arc . soft and crunblisE sandstone,
easily worked by the elements, and are un-
dergolng constant changes. Late this
evening We passed Eagle creek. where the
canon ends and lower fiat bluffs occur.
THE coal BANKS.
THURSDAY, June 17th.-We reached the
Coal Banks at one O'Clock this morning
and remained there until half past seven
this evening putting of freight. This is
the nearest river point TO Fort Assiniboine
and here oil the supplies for that post are
transferred to wagons and hauled forty
miles inland. The Coal Banks have be-
come an important shipping and trading
depot. Two companies Of the 18th infan.
try and n company of the I'd cavalry are
stationed there. Streaks Of Ignite are Wis.
IDLE in the bluffs about. A few years ago
an entcrprising Spectator opened one Of
these veins with the intention Of supplying
steamboats, with Ignite for fuel. The
scheme wal a failure. but it has given
to this point the name OF
Coal Banks. From the river We had u fine
view Of the Bear Paw mountains, forty
miles away, the scene of last years gold
stampede. At the Coal Banks, Col. Lee and
his party Of mechanics left the Dacotah and
started for the Assiniboine.
FORT BENTON.
FRIDAY, June 2Oth.-This is an impor
tant day in the record Of the first trip of tn
steamer Dacotah. At three o'clock this al
ternoon We tied up at Fort Benton, the hea
of navigation on the Missouri. Most Of tn
way from the Coal Banks the river runs be
tween low fiat hills, devoid Of timber. w
seem to have climbed to the top of the tab
land and to have halted at the base of tt
Rocky mountains which are visible in tt
distance.
Four weeks ago this morning the Dacsts
left Yankton. Five days were lost at Bi
marck, and the balance of the time has BET
DEVOTED to travel. The run has been MAE
in good time and without accident or vi
pleasant incident. The success of the d
: cotah proves conclusively that large boat
if properly constructed, can be proftab
e run on the upper Missouri. The Dacots
o carries about three ordinary boat loads wi
, three and n half feet draught. She max
e the same time as the smaller boats with the
smaller loads. There is profit in one of b
trips.
Captain Todd feels a qualification in Il
success Of his trial trip which in shared
9 all his passengers. He has managed b
: boat skillfully and deserves unstinted col
%mendation. With pilots Jacobs and Spall
! at the wheel and Captain Todd on deck, Il
, Dacstah has made her way in safety to Il
mountains. We start ON our dewnwar
trip Sunday afternoon and expect to NAL
Bismarck in five days. 1 start for the fal
and the big springs this evening. B.