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Show 142 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE and a chief by the name of lskatappc. The Osage were still seated ; but the Belle Oiseau then rose and came for. ward with a pipe, and presented it to the chief, who took a whifr or two from it. We then proceeded on : the chief, lieutenant Wilkinson and myself in front ; my serjeant, on a white horse, next with the colors ; then our horses and baggage, escorted by our men, with the Pawnees on each side, running races, &c. When we arrived on the hill over the town we were again halted, and the Osage seated in a row, when each Pawnee who intended so to do presented then1 with a horse, gave a pipe to smoke to the Osage to whom he had made the present. In this manner were eight horses given. Lieutenant Wilkinson then proceeded on with the party to the river above the town, and encamped. As the chief had invited us to his lodge to eat, we thought it proper for one to go. At the lodgl! he gave me many particulars which were interesting to us, relative to the late visit of the Spaniards.* I went up to our • I will here attempt to give some memoranda of this expedition, which was the most important ever Clt·ried on from the province of New Mexico, and in fact the only one directed north-cast, except tha~ mentionec! by the abbe Raynal \in h~ history of the Indies) to the Pawnct..s- of \• hich sec a more p articular account hereafter. In the year r8o6 our aff.1irs with Spain began to wear a very serious aspect, and the troops of the two governments almost came to actual hostilities on the frontiers of 'l' exa~ and the Orleans t erritory. At thi:. time, when matters bore every appearance of coming to a crisis, I was fitting out for my expedition from St Louis, where ~ome of the Spanis!l emissaries in that country transmitted t he information to Majar. Merior and the Spanish council at that place, who im· medi!.tcly forwat ded on the information to the then comm:mdant of Nacogdoches (captain Scba~tian RodreriqueJ), who forwarded it to colonel Cordero, hy whom if was transmitted to the scat of government. This information was personally commun ic.Jtcd to me, as an instance of the rapid means t hey possessed of trans· mitting the information rdative to the occut-rencts transacting on our frontiers. T he expedition wa3 then 1lctermincd on, and had three ohjects in view: viz.- I st. To descend the Red river, in order, if he met our expedition, to intercept and turn us hade, or should major Sparks and Mr. freeman have missed the party f om Nacogdoches, under the command of captain Viana, to oblige them to return ·md not penetrate further into the country, or make them prisoners of wur. TO THE SOURCES OF TilE ARKANSA \Y, &c. L:, camp in the evening, having a young Pawnee with me loaded with corn for my men. Distance twelve miles. zd. To explore and examine all the internal parts of the country from the frontiers of the province of New Mexico to the Missouri, between the La Platte· 3d. To visit the Tetaus, Pawnees r epublic, Grand P awnees ; Pawnee Mahaws and Kans. To the h ead chief of each of those nations: the commanding ofiicer bore flags, a commis~ion ; grand medal, and four mules ; ancl with all of whom he had to renew the chains of ancient amity, which was said to have existed between their father, his most Catholic majesty, and his childreu the red peo-ple. The commanding officers also bore positive orders to oblige all parties or per .. sons in the above specified countries, either to r etire from them into the acknowledged territories of the United States, or to make prisoners of them and conduct them into the province of N. r lexico. icut Don Facundo Malgarcs, the officer ~>elected from the five internal province5, to command this expedition , w.~., :m European, \ his uncle, was one of the royal judges of the kingdom of New tipain) and had distinguished himself in sever al long expeditions against the Appali:hes and other Indian nations, with whom the Spaniards were at war: added to these cir" l:Umstances, he was a man of immense for tune, and generous in its disposal, almost to profusion: possessed a liberal education, high sense of honor, and a disposition formed for military enterprize. This officer marched from the province o( Biscay with IOO dragoons of the regular service, and nt Santa Fe, (the place where the expedition was fitted out from) he was joined by 500 of the mounted militia of that province, armed after the manner descr ibed by my notes on that suhjlct, and complcatly equipt with ammunition, &c. for six months ; each m:m leading with them \by order) two horses and one mule, the whole number of their bca~t) were two thousand and seventy five. They descenderl the Red riYcL 2.33 league\ met the grand bands of the Tetaus; held councils with them, then struck off N. E. and crossed the country to the Arkans:rw, where Iieut. Malg:~rcs left 240 of hi, men, with the lame and tired horses, wh~lst he proceeded on with the r est to tht' Pawnee republic; here he was met by the chiefs and >varriors of the Craud P JW· oecs; hciJ councils with the two nations, :mu presented them the flag~, medaL, &c. which were destined for them. He did not proceed on to the execution of hi mission with the. Pawnee Mahaws and Kans, as he represented to me1 from the )loverty of their horses, and the discontent of his own men, but as l conceive, from the suspicion and discontent which began to arise between the Spaniard and tht Indians. T he former wishing co revenge the death of Viltineu".Je and party, whibt the latter possessed all the su3picions of conscious villainy deserving pani·hment. Malgares took with him all the traders he found there from our country, some of whom having heen eent to Natch itochc~, were in abject poverty at th:lt place, on my arrival, and applied to me for means to r eturn to St. Louia. Lieut. 1\1algarrs returned to Santa l'e the of October, when his militia was disbanded, hut h~ remain ed ·I ll t 11 e VI·C ·1 11· lty of that place, until we were.: broug·ht i21, when he, ·with c1rJg oons, L•.• cc:~me ot r cGtO\t to the scat of gon:rnmt'll •. |
