Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/643

 DAKOTA 639 of 400,000 acres in the extreme S. part, E. of the Missouri river ; the Sisseton and the Wahpeton Sioux are gathered on two reservations, one of 1,241,600 acres at Lake Traverse, occupied by 1,496 Indians, and one of 345,600 acres at Devil's lake, occupied hy 720. The Unkpapa, Blackfeet, Lower Yanktonai, Upper Yankto- nai, Sans Arc, Upper and Lower Brule Two- Kettle, Minneconjou, and Ogallala bands of Sioux, numbering 22,000 in all, occupy five agencies on a reservation of 25,000,000 acres "W. of the Missouri river and N. of Nebraska. The Poncas are on a reservation of 576,000 acres near the confluence of the Niobrara and Missouri rivers ; and the Arickarees, Gros Ven- tres, and Mandans have a reservation of 8,640,- 000 acres in the N. W. part of Dakota and E. part of Montana. The territory of Dakota forms to a great extent the watershed of the two great basins of North America, the Mis- souri and Mississippi rivers and the tributaries of Hudson bay. The general surface of the country E. and N. of the Missouri is an un- dulating prairie, free from marsh, swamp, or slough, but traversed by many streams and dotted with innumerable lakes. A plateau called the Coteau des Prairies, or Prairie Heights, with an average elevation of 1,450 ft. above the sea, and a breadth of 15 or 20 m., extends for 200 m. from the S. along the E. border ; while a similar table land of less height, the Plateau du Coteau du Missouri, oc- cupies the middle and N. portion. The basin of the Red river in the northeast is covered with open grassy plains. In the southwest, near lat. 44 and between Ion. 103 and 105, extending into Wyoming, are the Black hills and Mauvaises Terres, or Bad Lands. The Black hills occupy in both territories an area about 100 m. long and 60 m. wide, or 6,000 sq. m. The base of these hills is 2,500 or 3,000 ft. above the sea, and the highest peaks 6,700 ft. The Missouri river, which is navigable throughout its entire course in Dakota, trav- erses the territory from the N. W. to the S. E. corner. Its largest tributary is the Yellow- stone, which flows N. E. through Montana and joins the Missouri on the border of the two territories, in lat. 48. The other chief western tributaries are the Little Missouri, which is formed near the W. central boundary by the confluence of the Box Elder and Thick- Timbered rivers, and has a N. E. course ; the Big Cheyenne, which is formed by the conflu- ence of its north and south forks near the Black hills, and flows E. to the Missouri near Fort Sully in southern Dakota; the White river, which enters the territory from Ne- braska near the S. W. corner, and has a N. E. and E. course; the Niobrara, which, ly- ing mostly in Nebraska, joins the Missouri in Dakota, a short distance W. of Yankton. On the east the most important tributaries are the Dakota or James river, which rises in the vicinity of Minniwakan or Devil's lake in the northeast, and after flowing nearly 400 m. S. 246 VOL. v. 41 unites with the Missouri a few miles below Yankton ; and the Vermilion and Big Sioux, which have a S. direction in the S. E. portion of the territory, the latter forming a portion of the E. boundary, and are each more than 150 m. long. Besides these, there are innu- merable smaller affluents on both sides of the Missouri. The Red river of the North, flowing N. into British America, forms the E. boundary for about 250 m. It is navigated by the Hud- son bay company's steamers nearly 200 m. S. in Dakota to Fort Abercrombie. Flowing into the Red river -from the west are eight rivers, varying in length from 40 to 100 m. : Wild Rice, Cheyenne, Elm, Goose, Turtle, Big Salt, Park, and Pembina. The Mouse river enters Dakota from British America, and after a sweep through the N. W. part recrosses the boundary. The country is diversified with a vast number of lakes and ponds, which afford a constant supply of good water. The largest of these, all situated in the E. part, are Lakes Tchanchicanali, Poinsett, Abert, Travers, White Wood, and Big Stone (the last partly in Min- nesota). In the N. part is a large body of salt water, 40 m. long and 12 m. in maximum breadth, called Minniwakan or Devil's lake. No complete geological survey of the territory has yet been made. The formation of the Black hills, as described by Lieut. Warren, is : 1, metamorphosed azoic rock, including gran- ite ; 2, lower Silurian (Potsdam sandstone) ; 3, Devonian; 4, carboniferous; 5, Permian; 6, Jurassic ; 7, cretaceous. The existence in this region of gold, silver, iron, coal, lead, salt, and petroleum has been proved ; and there are strong indications that Dakota will take high rank as a mining country. Coal has also been discovered on the Missouri river near Fort Rice in great abundance, some of the veins be- ing from 10 to 15 ft. thick. There is an abun- dance of clay and white marl, excellent for making bricks, on the Big Sioux river. Slate strata and stone quarries are found on the Big Sioux and Dakota rivers. Building stone of good quality abounds on the Dakota, and lime- stone exists on most of the streams. Oil springs have been discovered in the vicinity of the Black hills. The N. part of the territory contains rich deposits of salt. The climate is highly favorable to health ; the atmosphere is pure and dry, and there is comparatively little rain. Pulmonary diseases are scarcely known. According to the census of 1870, there were 7'8 deaths from all causes to 1 from consump- tion, and 12-4 from all causes to 1 from pneu- monia. While the winters of the north are severe, the climate of the south is mild. Spring opens earlier than in the same latitude further east. Observations made at Fort Clark, lat. 47, show the mean temperature for the six months beginning with December to have been but 1 lower than at New York city and Pitts- burgh. According to recent observations at Yankton by the Dakota historical society, the climate throughout the year was as follows :