The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1894-06-22
with this charming prospect, when, at

with this charming prospect, when, at
the distance of half a mile, Captain
Lewis observed another Of a similar kind;
to this he Immediately FASTENED, and
found a cascade stretching across the
whole river for a quarter of a mile with
a descent OF fourteen feet, though the
perpendicular pitch vas only six feet.
This, too, in any other neighborhoou
would have been an object Of great mag.
n%iticence, but after what he had just
seen it became an object of secondary in
terest.
Black Eagle Falls.
His curiosity being however awaken
cd, he determined to go on, even il
night should overtake him, to the head
of tho falls. lie therefore pursued the
southwest course Of the river, which
was one constant succession Of rapids
and small cascades, at every one Of
which the bluffs grew lower, or the bed
Of the river became moro on a level with
the plains. At the distance of two and
a half miles he arrived at another cata-
ract Of twenty-six feet. The river here
is six hundred yards wide, but the do
scent is not Immediately perpendicular,
though the river falls generally with a
regular and smooth sheet; for about one
third of the descent a rock protrudes to
a small distance, receives the water in
its passage and gives it a curve. On the
south side is a beautiful plain a few
feet above tie level of the falls; on
the north the country is more broken
and there is a hill not far from the river.
Just below the falls is a little island IN
the middle of the river we'll covered with
timber. Here on a cottonwood tree an
eagle had fixed it's nest and seemed tho
undisputed mistress of a spot, to contest
whose dominion neither man nor beast
would venture across the CULTS that sur
rounded il, and which is further secured
by the mist rising from the falls. This
solitary bird could not escape the OBJ
~servation of the Indians, who made the
eagles nest a part of their description of
the falls.
The Giant Spring.
After descending this fall, and passing
the cottonwood island on which the eagle
has fixed its nest, the river goes en- for
five hundred and thirty-two poles over
rapids and little falls, the estimated
descent of which is thirteen feet six
inches, till it is joined by a large fountain
boiling up underneath the rocks near
the edge of the river, into which it falls
with a cascade Of eight feet. 1t is OF
the most perfect clearness and rather OF
a blush cast; and ever after falling into
tho Missouri it preserves its color for
half u mile. They proceeded to the
fountain. which is perhaps tho largest
in America. 1t is situated in a pleasant
level plain, about twenty five yards from
the river, into which it falls over some
steep irregular rocks, with a sudden as
cent of about six feet in n part OF its
course. The water boils up from among
the rocks, and with such force near the
center that the surface seems higher
there than the earth on the sides of the
fountain, which is a handsome turf Of
fine green grass. The water is extremely
pure, cold, and pleasant to the taste, no
being im~prcgnated with limo or any
foreign substance. 1t is perfectly trans
parent, and continues it's blush cast FOL
bali a mile down tho Missouri, notwith
standing the rapidity OF the river.