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Show 7f APPENDIX TO PART lii. obliged to tnke to om arms, and were on the point of comin~ to ho-.tilitics, when the Pawnees retired, and we pursued our marr.h. \V e arrived where the Arkansaw enter<> the mountains, on the 4th or 5th December, where we remained until the 9th, searchin~ for tl1c t'OIJtC across the mountains, when we marched hy a trace which we dis(' OYcrcd , kaving the main Arkansaw to our left; ancl m1:ch to out' nstonishment! arrived about the middle of said month mt a wutCl' of the Missomi, which I ascertained to be th ~ ri\' t· P/at' f' ; on whirh we discovered sig-ns uf immense numbers of Inclt<<II'>: hct·c we t·emaincd a few days searching for those I ndi,ms, in hopes to obtain from them information as to a route to cross the mOJJntains to the west, hut not clisCO\'C ring nny, we crossed a larg-e chain by a practicable route, and il-11 on a large branch of watet· \\ hich 1 then collcci reel to be the head of the Rt~ d river. Uere we rem tined a few day'> to recruit our horses anc\ ourselves, when 1 Ol'dcrr.cl the p 1rty to pmcccd down said river, and I with two nten asc nd ·d it to its source, where 1 tn<l<lc son1c observations. I then returned ancl overtook the party, when we continued to descend said stream, until the pct·pcndicularity of the rocks and other diniculties haclrcndcrctl it inq)()%ihlc to lll'OCc('d any furth er with horc;es, several of which bud already been kilkd by f.dling· from the rocks, &c. I then caused :-,lcds lU be con!'.~ructe<l, and soldiers to cl!·aw the baggage on the icc, : nd or(lcl'cd a few men to cndcavo\11' to conduct the hor~cs by a more eligible route out of the mountains; at the extremity of '"hirh, we all arrived by the 9th of January, and found that we had clc::.ccnded the mnin branch of the At·kansaw, conceiving it to IJe the Red rin:r, and was now aL the sa111C point llcft on the 9th ult. ~Iy remaining· horses bcint~ in a situation not to allow me to l10pe fot· any fnt·thet a~~i::.tance from them, unless permitted lmther to r~..:covct·: as this would h.tvc t:ll!!;rossctl a long time, I determined to lc arc some men with the horses ancl part of the b:q.magt- <md prOCI...t.U with lite remainder and the nrticlcs absolutely neces~mry on foot. On the 1 'lth Junuary, having· consu·ucted a small place for lll)' m en and IJ ,\ !~~r \~e who t•cmaineu, we marched, proceeding up a '\ C5lcl'n br<~t, c h of the Ark~msaw, which appcarcu to lead in a dirccll'Oute through tile InOUlltaino;. On the 20th or said nwnth, bcin!; obligt.d to CJO:,s a pt\liiie of some kag-ucs ir~ breadth, lute in tl.e cvenin r~, (muny oftht.: sulclicrs havi11~ thl'ir feet wet , had it uot jn our pow('!' to mi.\ke tlrc Ullti i t:ight ot· ninc u'dock <tl ni ~ ht. \Ve W<:l c l>O UJ,f,wturh\tt.: as to ast: t. l'lain that nint ol tllc p.nty were fro: LL'Il. The cn'lniug <.lay di covering- that they were not <tblc all t0 APPENDIX TO PAHT IlL n tnrch, we remained a few days to lay in provisions, when I left t\\'o solclicr5 and f')lll' lo,\cl'l or our hag- ~agc, and procccdccl 011 our march ; llllL on the tltird day, finding ano~hcr of my men not able to march, wac; oblig·ed to !<.:ave h11n ('ncamped, but p re ' ioul>ly furnished him with l>Uflicicnl provi ... ion. \Ve then crossed <lllOtlter chain of mountains, and 011 the l st l 'cbnt:lry arrin:d on the waters uf t:\c J!io del Norte, ( \lhiclt lt!Je ll COIICCi\Ccl to oe the Hcd ri\'er) a~ sonte map"l which I hold, pol'lrayetl the source of the Heel river to lie bet\\ et:tt those of the Ark.wsaw and nio del Norte. l th en proceeded to choq ·e a station where there was s uflicient \\OOcl to form canoes or rafts, in order to descend tlte supposed ri>cr to N,\tchitochcs. I Ln·ing in many in:;tances experienced the insolence and pr - suming· cli~positions of the Indians, \\hen in supcrior IHtmbers, 1 conceived it propct· to throw up a !'lm:dl work for the protection< f ourse lves and bas-gage, until we should be prcpat·cd tu descend the 1'1 \'(,;I'. Fou1· ut· li ve tl .1ys after. I di a.;patchecl ft\'e of my men lo return to those I left in the mountains, and bring them on if cap.\blc of mat·ching; if nul, to supply them with pro\'ision and briPg on the lnggag-e. Dr. Robinson, who hac\ hitherto accompanied me as a \'Oiuntecr, ha\'i11 !~ SOlriC pecuniary demands ill Lite province uf ~ ew i\Iexico, conceived tltnt this would be the nearest poirtt from \\ ltirb he could go in and probt~bly return, previous to my being prl'pared to clc~ccnd the river: left me on the 7th Feunlat'}' \1 ith that' ie.w. A few clays aftct·, hunting with one of my rncn, I discovered two men on horseback. I would hare aroided Lhern agreeably lu rny orders, butlinding tht.:y continued tu pursue us, I conceived it mo:.t proper to cndcuvunt· to bring- them to a conference; wltich, with great diflkulty I efl'ected, as they appeared to ue apprelten5ive my inteJJtions were hoslllc tow.trds them. l conducted them to my camp, and informed them of my int ntion to dc~t:ellll the ri,·er, and made them some !>mall pt·c~cnt'l: hud they then infot·ml:d me of my hein1; on the Rio del Notte, I shoul(l h.I\C immcdi.ttely retired ; but they havin!; executed thcil' comtlli~~iort returned tlte l'ollowin!; <h y ort tlte immediate route to the scttlcn, 'nts. The follo\\i ng day the p ... trty I had detached tot· the men whom I had bt.<.:n compcllt.:d to, lc..t\'C in the monntains, relut·n •d with one onl), and all the IJ,I!-;'!;"t)'e, the other two not being- able to come on. I then immediately <.lispatched my serjt·<utt and one man, t•) otder and conduct on tlte men, horse::; and baggage le!'t on the .\rk,,ns. '" by a route which 1 conceived pr,\ctic~\blc. On the ':! Hh or ~5tlt of February, in the morning t\\O Ftellch:nt.n <uriH:d at my c.~ n,p, ~\11d inlcrnJc I n1e that an |
