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Show ~62 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE horses grow.m g w c'a k , two gave out' being then along eml>ty. (.cut down trees at night, for tl1cn1 to browze on. Kiltl ed ' one buffalo. Distante 20 mt' I cs. 11 tb November, Tuesday.-Marchcd at the ust~al hour. Passed two old, and one last sun\,mcr, camps whtch had belonged to the savages, and we suppose T~taus. Passed a Spanish camp where it appcareJ they r mmncd some d~ys as we conjectured to lay up meat, previously to cntenng ~he Tctau country, as the hnffolo evidc~tly ~e?~n to grow much less num0rous. Finding the Impossibiht!' of performing the voyage in th~ time propos:d,_I ~etcrmmcd to s;pare no pains to accomphs~ every obJect e\ en s~~uld it oblige me to spend another wmter, m the. desert. .Killed one buffalo one brclaw. Distance 24· znilcs. 12th November, Wcdncsday.-Was obliged to leave two horses, which entireLy gave out. Missed . the Spanish road. Killed one buffalo. Distance 20 miles. 13tb November, Tbunday.-W e marched at the usual hour. The river banks begin to be entirely covered with woods on both sides, but no other specie than cotton wood. Discovered very fresh signs of indians, and one of our hunters informed Inc, he saw a man on horseback, ascending a ravine on our left. Discovered signs of war parties ascending the river. \"!\founded s.evcral bu~alo. Killed one turkey, the first we have s 'en ~mcc we left th<' Pawnees. 14/b No'vcmbcr, Friday.- In the Inorning,. doctor Robinson, one man and mysdf, went up the ravmc, 011 which the man was supposed to have been seen, but could make no important discovery. Marc hc d at two o' d. ock·' passed a point of red rocks and one large creek. Distance l 0 miles. 15tb November, Saturday.-Marched early. Passed two Jeep cre<.•ks and many high points of the rocks; also, TO THE SOLIHCES OF THE ARKANSA ,V, &c. 163 large herds of buffalo. At two o'clock in the aft rnoon I thought I could distinguish a n1ountain to our right, which appeared like a small blue cloud ; viewed it with the· !ipy glass, and was still more confirmed in n1y conjecture, yet only communicated it to doctor Robinson, who w<ts in front with me, but in half <1n hour, they appearcJ in full view before us. When our small party arrived on the hill they with one accord gave three cbccrs to the .Atfcxican mountains. Their appearance can easily be imagined by those who have crossed the J\Ileghany; but th2ir sitks were whiter as if covered with snow, or a white stone Those were a .rpur of the grand western chain of moun~ tains, which divide the waters of the Pacific fro1n those of th~ Atlantic oceans, and it divided the waters which emp-ty mto the bay of the Iloly Spirit, from those of the Mississippi; as. the Alleghany docs, those which discharge themselves mto the latter river and the Atlantic. They appear ~o present a natural boundary between the province of Lou 1ana and N cw Mexico and would be a J efincd and natural boundary. Before evening we discovered a fork 011 the south side bearing S. '25° W. and as the Spani&h troops, appeared to have borne up it, we encamped on its banks,_about one mile from its confluence, that we might make further discoveries on the 1norrow. Killed t hrec buf-falo. Distance 21· miles . . HJth November, Sunday.-Aftcr asserting that the Span1sh troops had ascended the right branch or main nver; we marched at two o'clock P. lVf. The Arkansaw ~ppeared at this place to be 1nuch n1orc navigab1'-, than behow, where we f1rst struck it; and tor any impediment I ave yet discovered in the river, I would not hcsicatc to embark in February at its n1outh and ascend to the Mexi-can mount-ti 1 · h r. tan t 1 s, Wit cratts properly constructed. Dis-- cc 11 I-2 miles. |
