wintered at or within a short distance of them. These men tell me that the route traced in red (thus: -x-x-x-x) on the map You send me is impassable for wagons, besides being longer than the one called the Platte or Fort Laramie road, as I have marked in green pencil (thus: - - - - - - - -) on the map. The road strikes as directly as possible for the forks of the Cheyenne, not coming in sight of that river till within twenty or thirty miles oft he junction of the North and South Forks, passing down on the river bottom about twenty miles below the junction, passing up the bottom about ten miles, when it crosses; then it leads up on the north side and crosses back on south side of the north Fork a mile or two above the junction. From here it is three or four days' march to Bear Butte. Eight miles farther up is White Wood Creek (where I have marked in red pencil thus: o), a point for the location of a post, which neighborhood all agree is much the most desirable, being also a place of great resort by the Indians in winter. There is a great abundance of good oak, pine, and ash timber on the creek and plenty of grass on the creek and river bottoms. This creek furnishes a good abundance of never- failing water of the purest and most delicious quality, and the amount of timber on it and the adjacent hills is said to be inexhaustible. About thirty miles farther up is Red Water Creek, where is also a fine location, though not so highly spoken of as the other. This stream flows through the Valley, intersecting the Black Hills, which Valley is ten to fifteen miles wide and furnishes an easy wagon route for fifty miles or more up their interior. Running Water Creek empties into Red Water from the north side, about twelve miles from the mouth of the Valley. This latter creek is a bold, perpetual, and pretty stream. The soil in the vicinity of the Black Hills is said to be very good; seasons regular, though shorter then they are here, and rains are frequent. Game of all kinds and fur animals abound in the greatest profusion.

RECAPITULATION.

Distances as reckoned by te traders and old residents from-

Miles.

Fort Pierre to Forks of Cheyenne. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

Fort Pierre to Bear Creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Fort Pierre to Bear Butte Creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Fort Pierre to White Wood Creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Fort Pierre to Red Water Creek. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210

From Fort Pierre to crossing of the Cheyenne is a very good wagon route, moderately rolling and easy camping places, well supplied with wood and water. From here to Bear Butte (by road on south side of North Fork, my informants say) "it is as level and smooth as a floor. " There is a road crossing the Cheyenne int he vicinity of Cherry Creek, and striking the North Fork near the mouth of Crow Creek. This route is about one day's march shorter, but a much more hilly and difficult road than the other. The crossing oft he Cheyenne is very good the water being shallow and the bottom rocky. All of the other streams are easily crossed also. It is about four miles from foot of Black Hills to Bear Butte, and Eight or ten miles farther to the river, and a pretty level country between, with a natural slope toward the river. There are several errors as to the relative position of different points and streams on the map You send me. One is the location of Plum Creek, which in reality empties into the Cheyenne only a mile or two below the mouth of Cherry Creek. Another is the position of Fort Pierre, which is represented as being half way between Little Missouri or Bad River and the mouth of the Big Cheyenne, when in fact Fort Pierre is only five miles above the former and is fifty miles below the latter.