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Show 19G JOUHNAL OF A VOYAGE above his genius, nor any thing so n1inute that he con. ceivcd it entirely unworthy of consideration. As a gentle. man and companion in dangers, difliculties and hardships, I in particular, and the expedition, generally, owe much to his exertions. ln the evening I dispatched corporal Jackson, with four n1en, to re-cross the n1ountains, in order to bring in the baggage left with the frozen lads, and to sec if they were yet able to con1c on. This detacllnlent left 1nc with four n1en only ; two of which had their feet frozen ~ they were en1ployed in finishing the stockade, and my:>clf to support the1n by the chase. 8th February, Sunday.-Refreshing n1y n1emory as ts the French gramn1ar, and overseeing the works. 9th February, Monday.-IIunting, &c. lOth February., 'Fucsday.-Rcad and labored at our works. 11th February, Wednesday.-Ilunting. Killed three deer. 12th February, Thursday.-Studying. 13th February, l'riday.-Il unting. Killed two deer. 11·tb February, Saturday.-Crossed the river and ex· amined the numerous springs, which issued from the foot of the hill, opposite to our camp, which were so strongly impregnated with 1nineral qualities, as not only to keep clear of icc previous to their joining the n1ain branch, b~t to keep open the west fork until iLs junction with the mam river, and for a few n1iles afterwards, whilst all the other branches in the neighbourhood were bound in the ada· 1nantine chains of winter. . 15th February, Sunday.-Readm· g, &c . Works gomg on. 16th February, Monday.-I took one man and went out hunting, about six miles from the post, shot and 'l'O THE SOURCES O.F TUE ARKANSA \V, &c. 197 wounded a deer. linmediatcly afterwards, di covered two horsemen rising the smnmit of a hill, about half a mile to our right. As n1y orders were to avoid giving alarn1 or oflence to the Spanish govcrntnent of New Mexico, I endeavoured to avoid then1 at first, but when we attempted to .retreat, they persued us at full charge, flourishing their lances, and wlwn we advanced, they would retire as ~ast as their h~rse~ could carry thcn1; seeing this we got m ~ small ravme, 111 hopes to decoy then1 ncar enough to obhge them to _con1e to a parley, which happened agreeably. to our desires, as they caxnc on hunting us with great cautwn; we suffered them to get within 40 yards, where we had allured them, but. were about running otf again, when I ordered the soldier to lay down his arms and walk. toward~ th~m ; at the same time standing ready with my nfle to kill either, who should lift an arm in an hostile manner; I then hollowed to them, that we wercA1nericans ~ndfriends, which were aln1ost the only two words I kncV: m the Spanish language ; when with great signs of fear 1~1e·y· came up, and proved to be a Spanish dragoon and a CIVIhzed Indian, anned after their 1nanner of which we see a description in the Essai Miiitairc. We were jealous ~four arms on both sides, and acted with great precau-twn. They . n d 1 li1 orn1e Ine t 1at was the fourth day since they had left Santa Fe ; that Robinson had arrived there ~~ s recei'vde with great kindness by the governor.' As I knew them to be spies, I thought proper to infornl ~em ~erely, that I was about to descend the river to atchitoches. We sat here on the ground a long time and finding th ey were d etcrm1· ned not to leave ' 111c we rose and bid them adieu, but they demanded where' our Icanhlp was; and finding they were not about to leave us t ought it ' most proper to take theu1 with me, thinking |