Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1887-1890, 1888-01-14

which extends across the river at 100 yards
from the precipice. From the ~perpendlc-
Mar cliff on the north. to the distance OF
1870 wards, the rocks rise only a few feet
above the water and when the river Is
high the stream finds a channel across
them 40 yards wide and near the higher
parts of the ledge which then rises about
20 feet and terminate abruptly within ~
or 80 wards of the southeast side.
Between them and the perpendicular cliff
on the south, the whole body OF water
runs with great sWlttness. A few small
cedars grow near this ridge OF rocks,
| which serves as a barrier to defend u
small plain Of about three acres, shaded
with cottonwood, at the lower extremity
of which is a grove of the same tree,
where are several Indian cabins of sticks;
below the point of them the river is di-
vided by a large rock, several feet above
the surface of the water, and extending
down the stream for 20 yards. At the
distance of 300 yards from the same ridge
is a second abutment of solid ~perpendicu-
lar rock, about so feet high, projecting at
right angles from the small plain on the
north for 1874 yards into the river. After
leaving this the Missouri again spreads
itself to it's usual width of 300 yards,
though with more than its ordinary
rapidity.
4 SUCCESSION OF RAPIDS
The hunters who had been sent out
now returned loaded with buffalo meat,
and captain Lewis encanped for a night
under a tree near the falls. The men
were again dispatched to hunt for food
against the arrival of the party, and cap
tain Lewis walked down the river to dis
cover, if possible, some place where the
canoes might be safely drawn on shore,
in order to be transported beyond the
falls. He returned, however, without
discovering any such spot, the river for
three miles below being M continued
succession Of rapids and cascades, over
hung with perpendicular bluffs from $50
to 200 feet high; in short, it seems to
have worn itself a channel through the
solid rock. In the afternoon they caught
in the falls some of both kinds of white
fish, and half a dozen trout, from Is to
% inches long, precisely resembling in
form and the position of its fins the
mountain or speckled trout of the United
States, except that the specks of the
former are OF a deep black, while those
of the latter are of red or gold color;
they have long, sharp teeth on the palate
and tongue, and generally a small speck
of red OF each side behind the front ven
trail fins; the flesh is of a pale, %yelloWish
red, or, when in good order, of a rose
colored red.
THE CROOKED L
Friday, H-This morning one of the
men was sent to captain Clark with an
account of the discovery Of the falls. and
after employing the rest in preserving
the meat which had been killed yester-
day, captain Lewis proceeded to examine
the rapids above. From the falls he di-
rected his course southwest, up the river.
After passing one continued rapid and
three small cascades, each 3 or 4
feet high, he reached, at a distance of five
miles, a second fall. The river is about
400 feet wide, and for the distance of 800
yards throws itself over to the depth of
10 feet, and SO ~irregularly that he gave it
the name Of the Crooked falls. From the
southern shore it extends %obliquely up
wards about $50 yards, and then forms ali
acute angle doWnwards nearly to the
commencement of four small islands