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Show Lewis and Cllo·ke's B.r:·pctlilion Clarl·e that the hu·gc road ft·om Mcdi<·inc rivet· to 1hc gar1 we wcPc sccking, ct·os cd 1hc nppc1· pal't ol' tlti~ plain. He therefor•(• prol'ccdcd fom· miles up the plain and l't'arhc(l the main (•hauncl of the l'ive1·, "hich is stiJI navi!-;'ablc for canoes, thonhh much divided and dammed np by multitudes of bt:avct·. JJ avin;; fordt·d tlw r·ivcr·, they }las sed through a little skir·t of coHonwood limhrr to a low open plain, where thoy t.linetl. They saw rlk. deer, and antelopes, aml in evca·y dil'eetion the t•oads made by the huffaloe, as 'H11 as some old signs ol' them. The :quaw infor·mctl them, that but a few yc~u·s ago tla<'sc animals were Humcr·ous, not only ltCJ'C bnt CVCII to tJH• SOUl'<'eS of ,J('fliWSOll's l'iVct·; but of)atc they have disa.ppcat·cd, for the Hho!:IIJOncH·s hciug fcal'l'ul of goiug· west of the mount ai us, have iauuted this country with mol'c a.ct.ivity, ami or eom·se 1lr·iven the lwmtloc ft·om thcit• usual haunts. Afte•· dintwr they contiuuctl iuclining· to the south ot' cast, through an open level plain, till at the distance of twelve milt's thcy reached the t]n·ec forks of Uallatin's rivet'. On ct·os ing the soutlwdy branch, dtey (ell into the IJutraJoe l'oad. desm·ihcd h) the squaw, whicldc•l them 11p the Btitldie br:.tn<·lt fo•· two miles; UJis hr·anch is I,rovided \\ ith immense tjuaut it ics of bcavc1·, but is su1liciemJy uavigaiJ)e fot• Slll~ ll <!:lllUl'S, lJy Ullladiug at the WOrst dams. Af'lct· CJ'Ossiug, lllf•) \\cnt on a miJc ftu·thcr, ami cnemnlled at Ow IJeginuiug of the gal, iu the mountain, whieh Jwre forms a kind of ·cmiei•·<·lt·, tlu·ouglt which the three branches of the J•ivel' 1ms~ . Sc,·m·alroads come in from the right and left, all tending lo the 'gap. A little snow stHl t•cmaius on a naked mountain to the castwal'd, but in every other dil·ection the utouutains at·c covcrcll w .it1t great quautitrcs. rruesday, 15. Afler an early brrakfast they ]llll'SUCd the buffaloe roa~l ovct• a low gap in the mountain to tho llea(ls of the eastern fork or Gallatin's river, ncar which tl~cy had encampell last evening, ami at the distance of six miles rc~u·bed the top of the dividing ridge, which scpa· Up the .illissout'i. \'a(cs the waters of the 1\lissom·i an1l the Yellowstone; and en descending the t•idge, they stntck one or the stream. of the latter riVCl'. rl'lli'Y followed its COUI'SC through an open countt·y, with high mountains on each sidc.1mrt ially eovet·ccl with pine, and watet·ed by scver·al streams. crowded as usual with bcavct· dams. Nine utile ft·om the top of the t·idgc they t•eachcd the Yellowstone itself, about a mile and a half below where it issues f't·om the Rocky mountains. It uow ap1,e:U'ed that the communication between the two l'ivct·s was shot·t and ea ·y. Ft·om the head ol'thc .Missouri at its tht·ce forks to this place is a distance ot'fol'ty-eight miles, the ;;•·cater pa.rt of which is through a level plain; i mlcctl, fl·om the forks of the castel'U l))'anch of Gallatin's riv(•t·, which is there navigable fot· small canoes, to this part or 1 he Y e1Jowstono, the distance is no more thau cightcenm iles, wi( han excellent l'Oat1 over a high, dry country. with hills of inconsidet·ablo height ami no difficulty in passiug. 1'h(•y halted thl'cc hours to rest thcil' hot·scs, aml then 1Hu·sucd the butndoe road along the bank of the r·iver. Although just leaving :t high snowy mountain, theY cllowstonc is al&·cadJ a buhl, r·apid, and deep S( r·ram, one lntndt·cd and l wenty yat·ds in width. 'rite bottoms or the r·iver· are nanow within the mountains, out widen to the extent ol'ncady two miles in the vnl~ ley below, where they m·e oecasionally OV('l'flowcd, aucl the soil gives noul'ishnu~nt to cottonwood, 1·osc-hnshc , honeysuckle, rushes, common co<u·sc gr-ass, a species of I')C, aud such productions ol' moist land s. On caela side thc:,e lo\t grounds arc bounded hy th·y plain , of co~u·:c gt·a.vcl and sand, stretching back toniC foot or th. moun(ains. and supplied with a vm·y short g1·ass. 'l'lac nwunt:l in'i on tlw <·ast, side ol'the river arc t•ough and r·ocky. and stillt·ctain gt·cat quantities of snow, and two oflacr· hi~·h snowy mountain' may be distinguished, one bcat•in:"' uor·th fi ftC{m or• t wcnty miles, the othc1• nearly cast. 'J'hcy have no co"cring except a few scattered pine, nor indeed was any tiuaiJct· lit for even a small c~noe t.o be seen. At the distance of ninQ VOL. JJ. |