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Show lbO JOURNAL Ol' A VOYAGB stood until they camr· within forty yard~ of them, neighin~ and whinnowbg, when the chase began, which w con. tinued about two miles, without success. Two of our horses ran up with then1; we could not take them. Returned to camp. I have since laughed at our folly, for taking the wild horses, in that manner, is scarcely ever attempted, even with the fleetest horses, and most expert ropers, (see n1y account of wild horses, and the manner of taking them in rny dissertations on the province of Texas). Marched late. River turned to north by west. Hills change to rhe north side. Distance 13 1-2 miles. Killed one buffalo. 3d November, Monday.-Marched at ten o'clock passed numerous herds of buffalo, elk, some horses &c. all travelling south. The river bottoms, full of salt ponds; grass similar to our salt n1eadows. Killed one bufralo. Distance ~5 1-2 tniles. 1·tb November, Tuesday.-This day brought to our recollection, the fate of our countryn1en at Recovery; when defeated ny the indians, in the year '9!. In the afternoon discovered the north side of the river to be covered with ani1nals ; which, when we came to then1 proved to be buffalo cows and calves. I do not think it an exaggeration to say there were 3,000 in one view. It is worthy of remark, that in all the extent of country yet crosseJ, we never saw Ollt; cow, and that now the face of the earth ap· peared to be covered with them. Killed one buflalo. Distance 24· 1-2 1niles. 5th November, Wedncsday.-Marche<l at our usual hour; at the end of two miles, shot a buffalo and two deer and halted, which detained us so long that we foolishly concluded to halt the day and kill some cows and calves, which lay on the opposite side of the river. I took post O!l a hill, and sent some horsen1en over, when a scene took TO TilE SOURCES OF TilE ARKANSA vV, &c. i 61 place which gave a lively representation of an engagen1ent. The herd of buffalo being divided into separate bands covered the prairie with dust, and first charged on the one side then to the other, as the pursuit of the horsemen impelled them : the report and smoke frmn the guns, added to the pleasure o~ the scene, which in part compensated for our detention. · Gtb November, 'Fh11r.rday.-Marchecl early, bnt was Jctained two or three hours by the cows, which we killed. The cow buffalo, was equal to any meat I ever saw, and we feasted sumptuously on the choice morsels. I will not attempt to d~scribe the droves of animals we now saw on our route; suffice it to say, that the face of the prairie was covered with them, on each side of the river; their numbers exceeded imagination. l)istance 1 G miles. 7th November, Friday.-Marched early. The herbage being very poor, concluded to lay by on the Inorrow, in order to recruit our horses, 1 illed three cow buffalo, one calf, two wolves, one brelaw. Distance 18 miles. 8th November, Saturday.-Our horses being very much jaded and our situation very eligible, we halted a] l day, jerked meat, mended mockinsons &c. <Jtb November, Sunday.-:viarched early. At tweJv<; o'clock, struck the Spanish road, (which had be''11 on the outside of us) which appeared to be considerably augmcnlcd, and on our arrival, at the can1p, found it to consist of 96 fires, from which a reasonable conclusion 1night be drawn. that there were fron1 () to 700 nwn. \Ve this day found the face of the country considerabl v chano·ed · being· hill)' , I b ' ') With springs: passed nmnerous herd!:> of bu1[llo and some horses. Distance 27 miles. lOt/; November, lvlonday.- Thc hills increased, the banks of the river, covered with groves of young cotton wD_fd; the rj\'l'r its:'lf Jnnch I!arro\v~r and crooked. Our ~ ~{ |