Account of expeditions to the sources of the Mississippi, : and through the western parts of Louisiana, to the sources of the Arkansaw, Kans, La Platte, and Pierre Jaun Rivers; Volume 2

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[ J ] n the execution ol' this voyage I had no gentleman to aid me, ;.md l literally performerl the duties (as far as my limited al>ilities prrmittcd) of astronomer, s\\l'vryor, comm::mding offtccr, clerk, spy, gui<lr, and hutltct·; frequently preceding the party for miles, in or­clcr to reconnoitre, and returnitlg" in the evening, hunp;ry and f..ttigued, to ~lt down in the open air, by fire light, to copy the notes and plot the courses of the clay. Or1 my retmn from the Mi!:isissippi voyage, })l'eparations were making for a second, which was to be conduct­eel by another gentleman of the army; but general Wilkin5on so­licited as a favor that (which he had a right to command) viz. that I woulll agree to take charge of the expedition. The late danger·s ancl !1anh.hips I had undergone, together with the illea of again leav­in~; nly family in a stran~e country, distant from their connections, 111<ttlc me hesitate; but the ambition of a ~oldier, and the spirit of enterprize, which was inherent in my breast, induced me to agree to his propo-.ition. The great objects in view by this expedition (as I conc~.:ivccl) in addition to my instructions, were to attach the Indians to Olll' government, anc\ tO acquire SllCh gco~raphical knowledge or the south-western boundary of Louisiana as lo enable government to <.ntt r into a dclilliti\c atTmtgrmcnt for a line of demarkation bc­twt: rn that l<'rritory and North Mexico. In this expedition I had the assistance of lieutenant James TVil­kin. qon, and also of doctor John H. Robinson, a young gentleman of scieuce and enterprize, who volunteered his l:lerviccs. I also was fitted out with a complete set of astronomical and mathematicnl in­btrumcntti, which enabled me to ascertain the geographical l:lituation · or various places to a degree of exactitude, that would have been ox­tt ·emcly gt·c~tifying to all lovers of science, had l not been so unfor­tunate as to loose the greater part of my papers by the seizure of the Spani!:>h government. \ Vith respect to the great acqui:-.itions which might have been tmule to the sciences of botany and zoology, I can only observe, that neither my education not· taste led me to the pursuit, and if they had, my mind was too mnclt engrossed in making the arrangements for our 5ubsistance anti safety, to give time to scrutinize the produc­tiotlS of the countrie!> over which we tn\\'clletl, with the eye of a Lin- 1\a<.:us ot· Bull'on, yet doctor Robinson did !1lake some observations on tho c subjt:cts which he has not yet communicated. vVith rc­~ pect to the Spani!>h part, it has been suggested to me by some re­• J pcrtc.·d friends, that the pictut·c I clt·ew of the manners, morals, &c. ol' irl(li' iduals, generally of .N cw Spain, if a good likeness was certain­lv uot makillg a proper return for the hospitality and kindness with L 5 J which those people honored me; those reasons have induced me to Olllll many trl4nsaction-., .md dmw a veil over yarious habits and cus­toms '' l1j rh r"isht appear in .10 unfavorable point of view, at the same time th3t I havt· dwelt with delight on theit· virtues. There ha!> not been W!\nting, persons of various ranks, who have cndeavon·d to infuse the idea into the minds of the public, that the last \oyagc was undertaken through some sinister designs of gene­ral \ \ jJkinson; and although this report has been amply refuted by two letters fl'om the secretary of war, published with this work; yet I t-annnot forbear in this public manner, decbring the insinuation to be a grou ndLe8tl calumny, arising frorn the envenomed breasts of per­sons, who throuP;h en111j r to the general, would in attempting his ruin, hurl destruction on all those, who either through their official station<> or habits of frioucl!Ship, ever had any connection with that gel\lleman. As a military man-as a soldiet• ft·om the time I was able to bear arms, it cannot he expected that a production of my pen can ~taud the test of criticism, ami l hope by this candid appeal to the justice aud indulgence of the learned, to inclucc them, to spare their censure if they cannot award thci:· praise. The ~cntlcman who prints this work, knows under what a va­riety of disadv.tlltagcs it has gone to the press.• At a distance dur­ing its publication, and engaged in my professional duties, it was impossible to give to it that attention, which in order to reach its proper degree of correctness such a work necessarily would require. (Signed) Z. M. PIKE. • TilE PUBLISHER owes it to truth, and to colonel Pike, to state that he very much doubts whether any hook ever went to pres under so mauy disadvan­tages as the one now presented to the public. Some of those disadvantages must be obvious to every man who re::~ds the work ; but there were m:tny others of a Ulture nut l>Uflicicntly interesting f0r publication, yet of ~ufficicnt magnitude to retard the work, emb:~rrass the puhli&hcr, and impose more anxiety than ha'J falkn to his lot in the varioul> books which he has published. It is however, con­fidently bdievcd, that notwith~tanding all those circumstance , the JOURNAL and it::. Al'rENorxt:s will be found particubrly interesting and pn·gnant with impor­taut infwrmation.