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Show 138 JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE branches. Encamped on the third. At the second creek a horse was discovered on the prairie, when Baroney went in pursuit of him on a horse of licutenan~ Wilkinson,. but arrived at our camp without success. l)Istance 13 1mles. l7tb September, liVcclnesday.-Marchcd. early and struck the 1nain south-cast branch of the Kans river : at nine o'clock it appeared to be 25 or 30 yards wide, and is navigable in the flood seasons. We pas6eJ iL six miles to a small branch to breakfast. Game getting scarce, our pro. vision began to run low. l\1archcd about two o'clock, and encamped at sun-down on a large branch. Killed one buf. falo. Distance 21 miles. 18th September, Thursday.-Marchcd at our usual hour, and at twelve o'clock halted at a large branch of the Kans, which was strongly impregnated with salt. This day we expected the people of the village to meet us. W c 1narchcd again at four o'clock. Our route being over a continued series of hills and hollows, we were until eight at night before we arrived at a small dry branch. It was nearly ten o'clock before we found any water. Com~ menccd raining a little before day. Distance 25 miles. 19th September, Friday.-It having commenced raining early, we secured our baggage and pitched our tents. The rain continued without any intermission the whole day, during which we employed ourselves in reading the Bible, Pope's Essays, and in pricking on our arms with India ink some characters, which will frequ~ntly bring to mind our forlorn and dreary situation, as well as the happiest days of our life. In the rear of our encampment was a hill, on which there was a large rock, where t.he Indians kept a continual sentinel, as I imagine, to appnse them of the approach of any party, friends or foes, as well as to sec if they coulJ. uiscovcr any game on thr pra1nes. TO TilE OURCES OF THE ARK.ANSA \V, &c. 139 20tb September, Saturday.-It appearing as if we pos~ ·-ibly might have a clear day, I ordered our baggage ~prcad abroad to dry; but it shortly after clouded up and com~ menced raining. The Osage sentinel discovered a buffalo on the prairies ; upon which we dispatched a hunt~ r on horseback in pursuit of him, also some hunters out on foot, and before night they killed three buffalo, some of , he best of which we brought in and jerked or Jried by the fire. It continued showery until afternoon, when w~· put our baggage again in a position to dry, ancl r emained encamped. 'l'hc detention ot the doctor and our P;~ wncc ambassador began to be a serious matter of consid l .. trion. 21st September, Sunday.-W e march,.,d at ('ight o'clock, although every appcaranc of rain, and at clPven o'clock pa sed a large creek r emarkably salt. Stop1wcl at one o'clock on a fresh branch of the salt creek. 0 1r interpreter having killed an elk, we sent out for some meat, which detained us so late that I concluded it best to encamp where we were, in prefer nc to running the ri~k of finding no water. l..ieu tenant Wilkinson was attack ,d with a severe head head-ache and slight fever. One of my men had been attacked with a touch of the pl<.>urisy on the 18th, and was still ill. We were informed by an Osage woman th~t two of the Indians were conspiring to desert us in the night and steal some of our hor ses, one f whom was her husband. W c engaged her as o11r spy. Thus were we obliged to k eep ourselves on our gu.trd against our own companions and fellow-travellers, men of a nation highly favored by the UniteJ States, but whom l believe to be a faithless set of poltrons, incapable of a great and generous action. 1\mong them, indeed, there mJy be some exceptions. In the evening, finding that the two Indians above mentioned had made all preparations to depart, I sent for |