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Show 50 APPENDIX TO PART II. would have been obligecl to have sacrificed some of our bag-gage. I th refore sent them a ce rtifi cate for each horse, on the Indian agent below, which I hope the general will onlet· him to discharg-e· I know the general's g-oodness will excuse this scrawl, as he !s we ll acquainted with the ·ituation it must be written in, and at the same time, believe me to be his sincere friend and :Most obedient Humble sen 'ant, (Signed) G manl J. TVilkinson. L No. 15. J z. M. PIKE, Lt. .!lrkansa'lu 24.th Oct. 1806. Latitndc: S 7° 4·t' 911 N. DEAll GJo:NT':HAr., OUR par ty arrived here on the 15th in st. myself and Doctot· Robinson on thL' 1 <J th, we having been out to seek the trace or the Spanish troops mi;;tir tl the party, anu wc1·e not able to join them uutil the .-1.th day. The river being vrt·y rc~ul:ll', Ii eut. \Vilkin son had calc ulated to proceed on the day following, on the most direc t route for the Heel 1 i' er, bnt si10rtly a fter my joinin g·, a considerable rain fe ll and raised the river, and we have been ever ~i11 cc preparing wooden and skin r- .. .t10l s, for that gentlcrnan and party to descend jn, The ri\' r is betv.cctt tht·ce and four hundred yards in width i generally llat low uanks, liOl 11\0I'C tban two 01' three feet high, and the bed a ~and bank from one side to the other. The want of water '"i ii present the gn :atest obstacle to the pro· grcss of the party who desc(.nd the Arkansaw, as they have no cause to rear a <>ca rcity ot' pt·ovision, having some bushels of corn on hand, and at thcit· option to take as rnuch drird meal as they think proper, hundreds of pounds of which are lying on scaffolds at Ott l' camp ; and they are likewise accompanied uy the choice of Olll' huutcrs. Under those circumstances, and those stated in my Jetter from the Pawuces, I can assen with conftdence, there arc no obstacles I shol·ld hesitate to encounter, although those inseparable from a VO) ngc of several hundred le.agucs through a wild cmcss iuhubitccl APPENDIX TO PART II 51 only by savages, may appear of the greatest magnituje to minds unaccustomed to such enterprizes. Lieut. '-Vilkinson and party appear in ~oocl spit·its, and shew a disposition which must vanquish every clillicul ty. 'Ve WCl'C ei ~ht clays tt·avt'l lin r~ fmm the Pawnee villng-c to the A t•kunsaw, (our g-eneral Olll''ic S. 10° \ V.) several of which we lay by neal'ly half, owing to various r.it'CII Il iStanccs; my course mad it ISO miles, but conld now marc: lt it in 120. Lieut. ' Vilkinson has copied and carries with him a very ele~ant pt·OL ractccl sketch of the t'!•Ute, noting the streams, hill s, &c. that we crossed ; their cot1rscs, bearing- s, &c. and should I live lo arrive, l will pledg-e tuysclf to shew th eir· connexions, and ~ene ral direction with considl'rable nccmclcy, as I have myself' spared no pains in l'econnoitring or obtaining information f'ron. the savag-es in our rou te. From this point, we shall asctnd the ri vet· until we strike the mountains, or lind the Tetaus; and frotu thence b '<II' more to the S. lll1til we lind the lh'ad of the H.t·t! rh.,t·r, where we shall be deta ined some time, after which nothing shall cause a halt un til n 1 y an·ival at Natchitoches. I speak itt all those cas<'s in the positive mood, as, so fat· as lies in the compass or human excl'tions, we cornmaud the power; but I pt·ctencl not to surmount impossibilities, and I well know the gencJ•al would pardo11 my anticipating· a little to hi11~. The g-eneral will p~'obably be surprized to find that the cxpenc~ s of t,hc expedition will more than double the coillemplutccl st 11 n ?f our fu·st calcubtion~:; ; but l conceived, the Spaniarcli:i were utakmg- such g·t·cat exertions to debauch the mi11ds of ou t· savages, economy mi!:\·ht be vc J'Y impropcl'ly applied. And l likcwbe have found the purchase of horses to be attended with much greater c.xpence than was expected at St. Louis. Those reasons, and when I advert to. the cxpcnces of my two voyages, ( which I humbly conceive mtght be compared with thP. one performed by captains Lewis and Clark) and the appropl'iations made lot· tlm'rs, I feel a consciousness, that it is impossible for the most rigid to censure rny accounts. I cannot yet say if I shall sacrifice my horses at Red t·iver, but ~very exertion shall be made to save thctn for the public ; some if Jn I'O d , I' . . . o o cone ll10n would be hlle ones, and ave rage bet ween fifty and SJ~ty dollaJ·s. Should the fonuue of w.tr at lcugLh h<tve honored me Wtth a company, 1 hope the general wrll r·t·coJJcct his pror11isc to me, and h t~vc my contmand at ached Lo iL ; and on my <uTiv.tl l shall take the liberty of soliciti!Jg' his i1dlucncc, that tlH.:y may ob- |
