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Show 172 JOUHNAL OF A VOYAGE alarm was their hooting turkies. Killed two buffalo and nine turkies. Distance 18 n1iles. 6t!J December, Saturday.-Sent out three different par. tics to hunt the Spanish trace, but without succes . The doctor and n1ysclf followed the river into the mountain, which was bounded on each side by the rocks of the moun. tain, 200 feet high, leaving a small valley of 50 or GO feet. Killed two buffalo, two deer, one turkey. 7th December, Sunday.-We again dispatched parties in search of the trace ; one party discovered it on the other side of the river, and followed it into the valley of the 1·iver at the entrance of the mountain, where they met two parties who were returning fron1 exploring the two branches of the river, in the mountains ~ of which they reported, to have ascended until the river was merely a brook, bounded on both sides with perpendicular rocks, impracticable for horses ever to pass then1 ; they then recrossed the river to the north side, and discovered (as they supposed) that the Spanish troops had ascended a dry valley to the right-on their return they found some rock salt, samples of which were brought me. We determined to march the morrow to the entrance of the valley ; there to examine the salt, and the road. Killed one wild cat. 8tb December, Monday.-On exan1ining the trace found yesterday, conceived it to have been only a rccon· no.itering party, dispatched from the main body, and on analysing the rock salt, found it to be strongly impreg· nated with sulphur. There were some very strong sulphu· rated springs at its foot. Returned to ca1np ; took with me Dr. Robinson and lVIiller, and descended the river, in or· der to di cover certainly, if the whole party had came by this route. Descended about seven miles on the south ''ide. Saw great quantities of turkics and deer. Killed one deer. TO THE SOURCES OF THE ARKA~SA \V, &c. 173 9th December, Tuesday.-Beforc we n1archcd,, killed a fine buck at our camp as he was passing. Found tlw Spanjsh camp about four miles below, and fi·on1 every ob scrvation we could 1nake, conceived they had all ascended the river. Returned to can1p, where we arrived about two o'clock. Found all well; would have moved im .. mediately, but four n1en were out r econnoitering. Killed three deer. lOth December, Wednesday.-Marched and found th~ road over the mountain to be excellent. Encamped on a dry 1·avine. Obliged to n1clt snow for ourselves and horses; and as their was nothing else for the latter to cat, gave them one pint of corn each. Killed one buffalo. 11th December, Thursday.-Marcht'J at ten o'clock and in one mile struck a branch of the Arkansaw m: which the supposed Spaniards had encamped, where ;here was both water and grass. Kept up this branch, but was frequently embarrassed as to the trace ; at three o'clock P. M.l1aving no sign of it, halted and encamped, and went out to search it ; found it about one mile to the right. l)istance IS miles. .12th December, Friday.-Marched at 9 o'clock. Contmu~d up the sa1nc branch as yesterday. The ridges 0~ our right and left, appeared to grow lower, but Inounta~ ns appeared on our flanks, though the intervals covcrcJ With snow 0 , · 1 1 ~ · wmg to t 1c wea cncss of our h orses, made only 12 miles. h 13th December, Saturday.-Marched at the usual noihur and pass cd 1 · arge spnngs, and the (supposed) Spa-. s ca.m p '· and ('. lt t we1 v e o ' c Io c1 < , a 0I·V I· u·1 ng n·d ge anJ TImh mediate. ly fed l on a sma1 1 branch running N. 20°' \V. S er.e bcmg no "a pp eat. .a ncc o f woo d , we lc1r t l· t and the' ~antsh Trace to our right, and made for the htlls to en-camp. After the halt I took 1ny gun and \:vent out to see |