by the Yellow Stone, whose source is
high up in the mountains, from thence winding its way eastward across
the Territory and flowing into the Missouri at Fort Union; thus crossing
seven degrees of longitude, with many tributaries flowing into it from
the south, in whose valleys, in connection with that of the Yellow
Stone, there are hundreds of thousands of acres of tillable land, to say
nothing of the tributaries of the Missouri, among which are the
Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin forks, along which settlements are
springing up, and agriculture is becoming a lucrative business. These
valleys are inviting to the settler. They are surrounded with hills and
mountains, clad with pine, while a growth of cotton-wood skirts the
meandering streams that everywhere flow through them, affording
abundance of water-power.

"The first attempt at farming was made in the summer of 1863, which was
a success, and indicates the productiveness of these valleys. Messrs.
Wilson and Company broke thirty acres last spring, planting twelve acres
of potatoes,--also corn, turnips, and a variety of garden sauce, all of
which did well. The potatoes, they informed me, yielded two hundred
bushels per acre, and sold in Virginia City, fifty miles distant, at
twenty-five cents per pound, turnips at twenty cents, onions at forty
cents, cabbage at sixty cents, peas and beans at fifty cents per pound
in the pod, and corn at two dollars a dozen ears. Vines of all kinds
seem to flourish; and we see no reason why fruit may not be grown here,
as the climate is much more mild than in many of the States where it is
a staple.

"The valley at the Three Forks, as also the valley along the streams, as
they recede from the junction, are spacious, and yield a spontaneous
growth of herbage, upon which cattle fatten during the winter....

"The Yellow Stone is navigable for several hundred miles from its mouth,
penetrating the heart of the agricultural and mineral regions of Eastern
Montana.... The section is undulating, with ranges of mountains, clad
with evergreens, between which are beautiful valleys and winding
streams, where towns and cities will spring up to adorn these mountain
retreats, and give room for expanding civilization....

"On the east side of the mountains the mines are rich beyond
calculation, the yield thus far having equalled the most productive
locality of California of equal extent. The Bannock or Grasshopper mines
were discovered in July, 1