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Show '14 APPENDIX TO PART 111. obli~ed to take to out· arms, and were on the point of coming to hostiliti s, when the Pawnees retired, and we punmed our m ar(: h. \V ~; arrived where the Arkansaw enters the mountains, on the 4th o•· 5th Dccemhct· where we remained until the 9th, searching for tbe rontc across the mountains, when we marched by a trace which we di scovered, l(;aving the main Arkansaw to our left; and much to our astonishment ! arrived ubout the middle o[ said month on a water of the l\lissomi, which I ascertained to be the river P latte ; on which we discovered signc; of immense numbers of Ind1ans: here we rcmain<'d a few cluys searching for those Indians, in hop<'s to obtain from them inform ation as to a route to cross the mountains to the west, but not discove ring any, we crossed a large chain by a practicable route, and fell on a large branch of water whirh I then conceived to be the heat! of the Red river. ITct·e we rcmainrd a few dayf; to recruit O\lr hot·ses and ourselves, when I Ol'(lcrcd th:· p:u:ty to proceed down said river, and I with two men ascended 1t to tts source where I made some observations. I then returned and ' 0 O\'Ct'took the party, when we continued to descend said strca111, unul the pcrpcnclic\tlarity of the rocks and other di[(iculties hact rcncle t.·cd it i mpo'lStble to proceed any furth er with horses, several of wh1ch had alt·c tdy been killed by falling from the rocks, &c. I t bc11 caused sleds to be constructed, and soldiers to draw the bap_gag-e on the icc, and ordered a few men to cndcavom to conduct the horses by a more eli p·ible route out of the mountains; at the extn;;Hity of whi ch, we all arrived by the 9th of January, and ~o~nd that w:· hau dc!-iccnclcd the main bt·anch of the Arkansaw, conce1v1ng it to be the Red river, and was now at the same point I left on the 9th ult. l\ly remaining horses being in a situation not to allow me to hope fo•· any furth ct assistance from them, unless permitted fur_ther to recoYcr: as this would have en~~rosscd a long time, I de tel mt ncd to leave some men with the horses and part of the baggage, and proceed with the remainder •md the articles absolutely ne cessary ?0 foot. On the 14-th J anuary, havin r~ constructed a small place for my men and baggage who l'emaiucd, we marched, proccecl_ing tlp a western ht·anch of the Arkansaw, which nppeuretl to lc~~d 111 a <lit·ccl route through the mountaitiS. 0 n the 20th of said mont~l, being obliged to cross a prairie of some leagues in bl'eadth, late m the evening, (many of the soldiet·s having· their f\!el wet) had it not in our power to make fit·c until cigllt ot· nine o'clock at night. \Vc were so u11fortunate as to ascertain that nin~ of the party were frozen. The ensuing duy discovering that they were not able all t() APPENDIX TO J> AHT III. ,.,_ I ,) ma•:ch, we remained a few d .. tys to Jay in provisions, when 1 left two soldters ancl f'>llr loacl'i of out· bnn-g-an·c and proceeded . . o. '..., ' 011 our march; but on the thu·d cl ~ y, finchnP· anothct· of 111y rn •11 11 t . 1 1 • ·=> c o a l e to march, w~s oblt~c.d to lea~·e. hi111 cucamped, but previously fum ishcd him wHh sulltcicnt . pt·ovJ ~lOJL \ V c then crossed .'.t llolllet· clJ ..n · n o f moun-tams, and on the 1st Ftbruary anivccl on the wat rs of tl 1,. 1 '- I ( • IC 'd O ( C 1 "'ortc, whtch I then conceived to be the Heel rirer), . 1• as some m;qH; \1' uch I hold, pottrayed lhe sout·cc of the Hcd river to lit.: betwccu those of th~ Arknnsaw and Hio del Norte. I then pt·occcded to choose a station whe re there was sunicicnt ,,.00. . ,,1 to 1·o 1. m canoes or raits, In ~rdcr to descend the supposed ,·ivc1• to Natchitoches. .l lav~ng, i~ ~any instances experienced the inso lence and prcsumm_ g ch!:iJ~oSJlions of the Indians, when in su perior 1n1111 hcrs, l concctvcd lt pt·opet· to throw up a small work for tltc protection of o_llt·sclrcs and baggag·c, until we should ue prepared to descend tJ 1 c I'IVCl'. Four ot· fi v_c days aftc t·, T dispatched fire of my men to rctum to tho~e I l~ft tn the mountains, and bring therH on if capable of marclung; If not, to supply them with provision and hring· 0 11 the baggag-e. Dr. Robinson, who had hitherto accompanied me as a volu~tCt'l', hav~ng some pecuniary demnnds in the province of New Mextco, concctvcd that this would be the ne..t rcst point fi·om which he cou ld g·o in and probably rctum, previous to my being prepared to descend the rive t·: left me on tltc 7th Fcbruat·y \\'ith that \'iew. A few clays aftc1·, hunting with one of my n1cn, 1 discovered two men on hot·scback. l would have avoid eel tltcnt aljrccably to my ordzt·s, but findin g· they continued to pursue us, I conceived it mo~t propct· .to endeavour lo bring them to a conference; whi ch, with ?''Cat .dzAiculty I cll"ccted, as they appeared to be apprehensive my llllenuons were hostile towards them. I conducted them to my tamp, and infot·mcd th em of my intention to <.lcscencl tltc river, and m~de them some small p1·cl>ents: had they then informed me of my bctng on. the Rio del None, 1 should have immcdi~ttcly retired; !Jut ~~11ey ha_Vlnf; c~ccuted their conwtisl>ion, retmne I the followmg day the Inl!ncclw te route to the settlements. The following- d·1y the paJ•ty _I had detached lot· the men whom I !tad been cOt1l})C;lcd to leal"c l1l t I . • 1e mountatns, returned 'vllh oue only, nncl all the lxw!!<.l!rc the oth . . . :::. .::~ 0 , et two JJot belllg able to come on. I then immediately dispatched n 1y scr · .. t . 1 J Je.lll .uH one tHan, to order and conduct on the men IOt·scs and b:Jn·r•·tP·e left tl A k I · · ' • ~->;:,' 0 on 1c 1 ·ansnw J}' a route wluclt [con- CCti'Cd practicabl' 0 I n I ( I 0 • 0 . c . 11 l 10 ""'4t 1 or 25t 1 of 1· Lbru:ny, 111 the mom- Jng, two Frc 1 • 1 . nc 1mcn arnvcc at my amp, tllld 111forU1ed me that an |
