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Show 11~ told me, that about twenty -three years ago, he wa~ employed by the governor of St. Antoine, to go from that place into some of the Indian nations that lived towards St. a Fe', who were at war with the Spaniards, to try tb make a peace with them, and bring in some of the chiefs to St. Antoine. He sat off from that place with a party of soldiers, and was to have gone to St. a Fe'; they passed on a northwestwardly course for about two hundred miles, but after getting into the Great Prairie, being a dry season, they were forced to turn back for want of water for themselves and horses, and that he does not know how near he went to St. a Fe', but believes he might have been half way. The accounts given by Mr. Brevel, Mr. Grappe, and all other hunters with whotn I have conversed, of the immense droves of animals that, at the beginning of winter, descend from the mountains do·wn southwardly, into the timbered country, is almost incredible. They say the buffaloe and bear particularly, are in droves of many thousands together, that blacken the whole surface of the earth, and continue passing, without intern1ission, for '"eeks together, so that the whole surface of the country is, for many miles in breadth, trodden like a large road. I am, sir, &c. &c. (Signed) JOHN SIBLEY~ Natchitoches, lOth April, 1805. 113 D istances up Red ri1Jer b./v tlz"(; couJ .s e o1.;1 ' tn' e n.v er. MILES. From then IU O'Jth of Re.d rJ. v'""' r to Bla c k n. vcr 31 to akcr's h~ndmg, lower end avoyal 51 L~ Glee's Ll1tto, upj)Cr end ._1\_0, , 11 Htce's · "c. 15 I-foom~'s · · · · 6 N icholas 'Grubb'~, . . 18 mouth of bayllu H.apide, • i; I nd ian villages, . . . . Mcunt. ~lb~sant, Gillard's place, n1ol1th ?f' Righla ·d.e Bondicu, . Mouncte s plantation, • . • mouth of Little river bayan Brevell ' N a tthitoches , ' · · • 22 7 6 10 24 . 20 20 157 Grahd E core ' 10 109 Compti, . . bayau Chahno, . . . : 2 0 lake Bistino, thr~ugh bayau Chm;no: 1~ through lake Btstmo to the upper end of Channo, . . . . . . . 60 throu&h bnyau Daichet to the river again late Caddo. viliag~s ~vh~re the~ lived 9 5 years ago, . • Little river of the left long prairie, right sid~, ':pper end of ditto, . little prairie, left side, . uppel' end ditto, . LS • • • • . 80 • 80 . 25 . 25 40 5 197 175 638 |
