We Set out from fort Smith[1] on the arkensaw and
Crossing that River pased threw a bottom of Rich
Land Well timbered and much Kaine[2]—thence over
Low Ridges the land poor and in some places Rockey—at
30 miles crosed the tallecaw[3] a Crick about 150
feet Wid Large bottoms on bothe Sides and at ten
miles farther Crosed the Illinios[4] River about 80 yds
Wide and about one mile farther Stoped for the night
at Beens[5] Salt Workes—this is the Second night
Since We left the fort—the Workes one Small
Well With a few kittles about 55 gallons of Watter
make a bushil of Salt and the Well afords Watter to
boil the kittles about three days in the Weake Been
and Sanders Has permission of the govem [government]
to Worke the Salt Spring—the Sell the Salt
at one dollar per Bushil—from Heare We pased over
Some High poor Hills Some valleys and Some
pirarie lands about twenty miles to a large bottom
Well Covered in parts With Caine and Well timbered—threw
Which We pased about Eight miles to
grand River or Six bull.[6] this is fine bold Streem of
Clear Watter about 150 yd Wide Which We forded
but not Without Some doupts—the Watter Runing
With great force—about one mile above the mouth of
this River is the mouth of the virdegree[7] a River of
about one Hundred yds Wide deep and muddy at the
mouth and up it to the Rapids about four miles
Wheare there is a trading House. but we Stoped at
the trading Hous of Conl Hugh glann[8] about mile
up the VII degree Wheare We Remained till the 25th
Sept makeing a Raingment for our gurney to the
mountains—Heare five of our Hunters Left us and
Went Home this Sircumstance much dispereted more
of our men—tho We Still determined to purced—and
on the 25th of Sept 1821 We found our Selves 20 men
in all[9] and under the Command of Conl Hugh glann
With mager Jacob Fowler Robert Fowler Battis
Roy Battis Peno george Duglas Nat Pryer
Bono Barbo Lewis Dauson
Taylor Richard Walters Ward Jesey vanbeber
Slover Simpson
Maxwill Findley Battis moran and Pall a
black man the property of mager Fowler we Head
thirty Horses and mules Seventen of Which traps and
goods for the Indean traid—and Each man mounted
on Horsback—We Left the traiding House in the
afternoon—North 50 West about five miles to a Small
Crick Which Runs West in to the virdegree—the
Bottom between the Six bull and verdegree is High
and Rich Well timbered With Some Caine and is
about one and a Half miles Wide to the Hills—from
What We Cold Learn there is no Caine above this on
the arkensaw—We pased to day Some Pirarie Cirted
With Wood land Some timber on the Crick it Rained
Hard We Packed up our goods and Covered them
With Skins to keep them dry and Piched our tents
for the night—Conl Hugh glann Haveing Left us and
gon by the mishenerys,[10] and to meet us Some
Wheare a Head—
We Set out Early along the Road Leading to
the osage vilege[11] threw fine Pirarie Lands a little
Rolling and Scirted With timber the ground is Black
and Rich and the vew the most delightfull We this
day maid 20 miles threw the Rain Which Continued
all day at night Camped on a Crick about 50 feet Wid
Runs West With an Extensive Beed of Stone Coal in
its bottom there is Some Wood along the Crick but
the Cuntry is mostly Pirarie a little Rolling Scirted
With groves of timber Heare the Rain Continued
all night—Heare one of our Hunters—Slover Lay
out all night but Came in in the morning
We Set out Early along the path threw the
Pirarie—timber still to be seen in groves and along the
Branches—We maid 20 miles and Camped on a Small
Crick Well timbered—Heare we found Findley He
Left us 2 days ago—and was Heare waiting for us
this day was Clear and pleesent Robert Fowler killed
a Large Buck—one Hors gave out was left
Rained all day we Remained in
Camp—
the Weather Clear We Set out Early and was
Soon over taken By Conl glann and soon after in
Sight of the osage vilege. Heare We Ware delited
With a vew of a nomber of Hills or mounds[12] nearely
of the Same Hight. from 70 to 80 feet but of diferent
Shapes Some Round and pointed like a Stack
others squair and flat. and the top of one neare the
vilege Contains about 15 acres of Rich Black land—and
great part of the Bluff faced With a parpendickler
Rock—so that with but little labour a few men
might keep off a large armey—Heare is one of the
most delight full peace of Cuntry I Have Ever Seen—of
Rich lime stone land mixed With Wood lands
the Pirarie is more Exstensive than Woods—
Heare We find not one sole in or about the vilege
the Indeans are all gon a buffelow Hunting and are
not Exspected to return till in the Winter. We find
our Jurney to this place one Continued Corse North
50 W Heare we Crosed the virdegree and got on
Higher grounds and Nearly Covered With Rocks in
Some places and Steered North 70 West 10 miles to
a small Crick[13] Runing South and Well timbered—Heare
We Camped for the night—We Seen this day
Some Wild Horses. game is scars We this day find
our Horses two Heavey loaded and Concluded to
leave part [of their loads]
We this morning Berryed or Cashed [cached] as
the french Call it 32 Bever traps 2 Cases of tobaco and
fifty pounds of Brass Wier on the West Bant of the
Creek 200 yds above the large Road and 50 below the
small path on Which is a Connu [canoe] marked on
an oack
We Set out Early and Stered North 50 West to the
little virdegree[14] Wheare a large Indean Road
Crosse it this River is about 30 yds Wide With
Clear Watter and High Banks—and large inCampment
on the East Side. Heare we Crossed to
the West Side and followed the North forke
of the Road about one mile to another Branch of the
Same River but Not more than ten Steps Wide both
Streems Running South With Rich timbered bottom
be tween the boath—after pasing this forke We Stered
the Same Corse threw Roling Pirarie ten miles to a
mound. to the North and East the Cuntry is a little
Rolling mostly Pirarie With timber along the
Branches on our left the mountains or High Hills appeer
at from four to five miles distance Heare to
avoid the Hills Which Continu on our left We
Steered N 30 West six mill [miles] and Camped on
the little virdegree—Peno Went off to Hunt in the
fore part of this day and did not Return—
We set out Early and pased over High
Leavel Pirarie lands North 45 West three
miles to the High Hills Crossing a small
Bransh Runing North at the futt of them—We
after Some time gained the top of the Hills and found
the Cuntry Rolling and partly timbered and partly
Pirarie at twelve miles farthe We Crossed the little
virdegree again and Camped on the North Bank
Heare Duglass got lost in the Evenings Hunt and lay
out all night
this morning our Horses Ware much Scattered
and took us till a late our to Collect
them—Duglass found the Way to Camp—and
Peno Came in With Some veneson Haveing Killed
three deer—Heare we found a large Indean Road going
up the Crick and Crossing some of its Branches
South 30 West and the Hills being High We followed
the Road. the lands poor With Short oack and Hickory
for about fifteen miles Wheare the Cuntry begins
to appear With fine Rich Piraries Well bordered With
Wood lands of a good quality We this day got one
deer and Some turkeys game is getting more plenty—We
maid 20 miles and Camped on a Small Crick
Running South—[15]
We Set out Early and at three miles Crossed a
Crick 50 feet Wide Running No 45 West—and at
about three miles farther in an open Pirarie We found
a large Buffelow Bull lying dead Soposed to be
killed by the Indeans We now begin to Hope Soon
to kill Some Buffelow our Selves as we Have nothing
With us but Salt only What We kill our Selves.
Heare We find our Selves in an oppen and Exstensive
Pirarie Scarsly a tree to be Seen but as We prograss
We find Sign of Buffelow We See some deed
and Some Caberey[16]—in the Evening on our left We
Seen Ward one of our men on Hors back Running a
buffelow Some of [us] put off to asist Him but He
killed the large Buffelow Bull before We over took
Him—after takeing What meet We Wanted—We
Went on makeing 23 miles and Camped on a River
about 50 yds Wide Running West Soposed to be the
Bad Salean[17]—the Watter is Clear and deep at this
place Some Sign of Bever our Corse this day is North
60 West—
the Pirarie threw Which We passed this day is
nearly leavel With a Rich Black Sandey Soil there is
no other Rock Except that of limestone Which only
appeer in Spott on the Sides of Branches and on the
top of Some of the Highest ground—for there is no
Hills Heare there is Some timber along the
branches
We Set out Early Crossing the River a little
below our Camp Wheare there is a good
ford and at about two miles Crossed a large
Crick 100 feet Wide it Corse South East and about
10 miles Crosed a Crick 50 feet Wide all So Running
South East Heare the Pirarie is a little more Roleing—and
at 18 miles Crosed a crick—and 19 miles inCamped[18]
on a Crick the West forke of the Same the
meet Below Wheare We Crosed—Heare the Cuntry
Still Continues to be a little Roleing the land Rich the
limestone appeers in some places along the Bluffs
Which are not High or Steep Hear We seen great
nombers of Poor Buffelow Bulls and Blame our
Hunters for not killing fat Cowes When there is not
one to be seen
for We Cold not tell them apart at So great a distance
and it Was in vain for our Hunters to tell us
there Was no Cows among So many Buffelow as We
Cold See at all most any time Corse this No 50
West 19 miles—
We set out Early over Butifull High Pirarie leavel
and Rich and at Eight miles West We fell on the
arkensaw River[19] Heare there is plenty of timber all
a long the River on both Sides as far as We Cold See
We are now out of meet and Blameing our Hunters
for not finding Buffelow Cows the Have neglected
to kill the Bulls When the Cold and the are not so
plenty as the Ware and We beleve Have been latly
drove off by the Indeans as the are now shy.
We now steered north leaveing the [Arkansaw]
River on our lefft Hand Beleveing the High Hill and
Bluffs Near the River Wold be difequal to pass With
loaded pack Horses—at 6 miles over High Rich
lime stone Pirarie We Camped on a Crick[20] 60 feet
Wide Wheare We killed Some turkeys in the Evening—We
Ware all So informed by Some of the party
that Indeans Ware Camped at no great distance—
We moved West up along neare
the [Arkansaw] River over Some High Rockey
Bluffs and threw a large Sandy bottom to the bank of
the River makeing five miles and Camped near the
Indeans from them got Some dryed meet Corn Beens
and dryed Pumkins for [which] We paid them In
Such artickels as the wanted—these are the osage Indeans
and the first We met With on our Route the
[they are] frendly the Weather is now giting Cold
With High Winds Cloudey and Rained threw the
night—the timber in the bottoms and Hill Sides is a
king [kind] of Jack oak and very low Cotten Wood
and Willow groes along the River—we stoped at this
place for the purpose of purchasing Horses Haveing
left two be Hind and three more unfitt for Survice
makes us bad of for Horses and the prospect of provetions
is not promesing as We Heare the Indeans
are Camped for alonge Way a Head of us threw
Wheare We must pass let [left] one Horse With an
Indean—
We moved up the River N 45 West two miles
and Camped the Rain Still Continues Heare Conl
glann purchased one Poor Hors at a High price and
Highered one Indean to go along With us Some of
the Hands killed 10 turkeys
We Set out Early and Steered north leaveing the
River at Right angles over Riseing butifull Pirarie
three miles to White[21] River about 70 yᵈˢ Wide Running
West into the arkensaw this River Has a Continued
grove of timber all alonge its Cores [course]
as far as We Cold see and the land Rich—We Crosed
this River leaveing it on our Right and up it at Eight
miles Camped on the South West Side for the purpos
of purchasing Horses Sucseeded in Swoing
[swapping] two and purchasing two at a High price—the
Indeans advise us to Cross the arkensaw and
Steer West Corse and strike the arkensaw at the big
timber Near the mountains but the Season is late and
Want of Wood and Watter Renders it a Hazous undertakeing—the
Indeans Say it is about two days
travel to the little arkensaw—the Hunters Brought
in four deer one very fine Buck the first good
meet We Have Head the land on this Creek is Rich
and Well timbered along the bottoms the Bluffs
furnis abundance of lime Stone for all purposes of
Building and fenceing—and is Capeable of makeing
one of the finest Settlements in the united States—there
being a nomber of the best of Springs
We purchased yesterday one small Hors and one
to day—But when We gethered up our Horses to
move off Robert Fowlers Horse Was mising—all
tho He Was With the Rest in the morning—We Conclude
the Indeans Have Hiden Him in the Woods
and leave Peno to Sarch for Him and to fetch up
Barbo left Sick With Him—all so left a Blanket to
give the Indean that find or Return the Horse
We Set out Early leaveing [Walnut Creek] on the
Wright and Steering N 25 West fifteen miles over
High Pirarie to a small Crick and Camped[22] Near its
mouth yesterday Peno Returned With the Sick man
but With out the lost Hors the Hors is no doupt
Stolen and With the knoledge of the Chiefs. these
last Indeans appeer more unfriendly and talk Sasy and
bad to us but this Is to be Exspected as the Come
from the upper vilege and are Said to be a Collection
of the Raskals from the other vileges
Cloudey and Rains a little We Set out Early North
60 West fifteen miles over a Rich low Ridge there is
Scarcly a tree or a Stone to be Seen and Hole land
Covered With tall grass there is all along Whight
River and on this Ridge much sign of Buffelow but
the Indeans Have drove them off—We Camped on
Small Branch[23] Near the arkensaw River
We Set out Early up the River Leaveing it on our
left at a Bout 14 miles Crossed a Small Crick on
which is a large Beed of the Plaster of Paris at 20
miles We Camped on the Bank of the little arkensaw[24]—one
Indean Cheef and two young me[n]
viseted us at Camp and stated the Ware [they were]
glad to see us Whitemen and frends—as they Had
Seen or Heared Some of our men Last Evening and
Soposed them be Paneys [Pawnees] and their Enemies
on which acoumpt the Head [they had] all left
their Camp and Hid them Selves in the timberd
lands on the River—
We Set out Early Crossing the little arkensaw and
steering West at 12 miles Came to the Banks of the
arkensaw thence up the River North 70 West We
Camped on the [left] Bank[25] With out trees—We
yester left one Horse He gave out—and this morning
discharged the Hiered Indean—the Cuntry Continues
fine the land leavel and Rich the timber is
plenty on the little arkensaw and Some for a few miles
up the main River but Heare there is no timber or
Willowes on the River Buffelow Bulls still appeer
But no Cows and we are now Satisfyed of the Caus of
the Hunters not killing any of that Speces no Sign
of deer. tho We seen some turkeys last Evening
We set out at our ushal time up the River No 80
West and Stoped at the mouth of a bold sreem of
Watter 70 feet Wide[26]—but We Ware Soon alarmed
by the Hunters Comming and Haveing Some Indeans
on Hors Back and soposed to be in pursute of them—We
Emedetly move up the River Crossing the Crick
to some Sand Knobs on the River Bank about 400
yds above the mouth of the Crick—there being no
timber We maid a Brest Worke of our Bagage and
Remained the balence of the [day] Waiting the arivel
of the Indeans—but none appeered—Some
Buffelow Bulls Ware killed to day We kept the
Horses tyed up all night—yesterday the Sand Knobs
appeer at about ten miles distance on our Right Hand
and run Perellel With the River
Some Scatering trees appeer on the Knobs—
We Set out Early and maid ten miles up the River
the Sand Knobs still on the Right We Sent out Some
Hunters to kill a Cow but the Remained out all night
We Ware much alarmed for their safety—no mee
meet for Suppe or Brackfest—our Corse No 70
West and Camped on the River[27]
We Continued up the River North 65 West 15 miles
and Camped on the Bank Scarcly a tree to be Seen—We
this day pased the Head Spring[28] of the Crick
at the mouth of Which We Camped on the 15th this
[is] a large butifull Spring about three miles from the
River on the north Side and in a leavel Rich Pirarie the
Sand Hills appeer all a long on the South Side and
near the River—the are not more then 60 or 70 feet
High and the Cuntry leavel beyound them to a great
distance those on the north about the Same Hight
and Several miles from the River[29]—Which is from
two to 400 yds Wide—With large Sand bars and low
Islands this is its general Carecter as fare as We Have
seen it
We Set out at our ushal time at ten miles pased a
point of Rocks and a Hoop wood tree on them—to
our Right and almost one mile from the River—and
at [illegible] there is Some Cotten Wood trees along
the River—at 18 miles We Camped[30] on the Bank
Without trees—Some Islands in the River the
Higher grounds aproch nigher the River but Loos
the appeeren of Sand Hills on the north
We set out at the ushal time and at 8 miles West
We pased a point of Red Rocks about 600 yds from
the River and at Eleven miles Crosed the paney[31]
River about one and a Half miles above its mouth
this is a deep bold Streem 50 feet Wide of Running
Watter Banks High and about 80 feet Wide at the
top Heare is ash Walnut Elm and Cottenwood over
to this place Was West—this is the Second Streem We
Have Crosed Since pasing the little arkensaw—We
found a good ford [across Walnut Creek] and
Steered South 50 West Six miles to the Bank of the
River—the land leavel as fare as the Eye Can see.
Some Cottenwood on the Banks and Some Bushis.
the Red Rock is evidently a volcanic production is
porous like pomestone but heavier than common
Sand stone—Back from the river 5 miles the Hunters
reports very Large quantities of pomestone on the
side of a hill which appears to them to be half blown
off (Hill) by some cause—The sand and gravel thrown
up by the Prarie Squarrels [Cynomys ludovicianus] is
precisely the same of that in the river for 5 or 8 miles
distance from the river See great nombers of buffelow
and Elks one of the Hunters killed three Cows but
Haveing no Horse With Him the meet Was left out
and lost Except a few pounds He Carryed in on His
back—
We Steered South 40 West and at nine miles
Crosed a Crick[32] 40 feet Wide a bold Running streem
about one futt deep and a few trees up it In sight. at
ten miles We Camped on the River Bank in a low Bottom—at
about three miles the ground Rises a little
So as to form low Hills large Hords of Buffelow In
Sight the Sand Hills Still appeer on the South Side
of the River and to appeerence distetute of vigetation
as the are Bald While those on the north are a
Hard Black Soil With Some progecting Rocks and
Covered With vigetation mostly a Short grass Something
like Blew grass—on the morning of the 18th
Findley mounted his [horse] took With Him His
Blankets and Crossed the River to the South Side for
the purpose of killing a Boffelow Cow Since Which
time We Have Heard nothing of Him—yesterday
morning Sent Back two men to look for Him—the
Have not Returned—We are afraid Findley is lost by
going two fare out in the Sand Hills We Exspect to
Stop in about two days to Rest our Horses and Wait
for Findley to Come up—
We set out at the ushal Hour and at Seven miles
pased a point of Rocks on Which stands two trees
about 600 yds from the River—and seven and a Half
miles Came to a deep and mudey Crick[33] 100 feet
Wide Heare Some of our Horses Run to drink and
Ware Swomped With their loads and Ware forsed
to be pulled out—We Went [up] it about Half a
mile and Crossed over and Camped about three miles
up it—Findley[’s] mair gave out this day and Was
left We maid We maid ten miles this day South 50
West—this is a butifull Running Streem With many
fine Springs along its Banks—the Hunters killed two
Fatt Cows We Have now plenty of good meet—the
two men Returned but no word of Findley—a point
of Hills or Rocks appeers at seven miles distance near
the River Bareing South 35 W—We gave this the
name of Buffelow Crick[34] from one of our Horses Being
Swomped With the meet of a Buffelow on Him
and these anemels Being very plenty Heare
We Set out Early and at 7 miles pased the point
mentioned yester day a bout one from the River at
fifteen miles Camped on the Bank of the River about
three miles to the left of our line of march about 4
miles Back of our Camp We Crossed a Branch[35] of
Bold Running Watter 30 feet Wide—no timber
Wheare We lay the men Waided over and geathered
drift Wood for the night the Hunters killed one fatt
Buffelow Some Cotten Wood on the South Side of
the River above and below the Camp—the Sand
Hills Still appeer on that Side the sand Hills aproch
nier the River With Some Cotten Wood trees on
them—Findley Returned
We Set [out] at the ushal Hour South 10 West up
the River maid ten miles and Camped in a low Bottom
the Sand Hills Continue on the South—very
leavel on the north for a great distance Back no timber
on the north Side for the last two days march
Emence Hords of Buffelow all traveling to the north
While those we pased a few days ago Ware traveling
to the South—We see maney Wild Horses—we Exspect
[Indians are?] near us to the South Which
moves the Buffelow to the north the Islands and
sand bars still Continue But no bever We Head a fine
feast last night on four fatt Buffelow Cowes
We Set out Early and at Seven miles the River Was
2½ miles to the left and at Eleven miles We maid the
lower Eand of an Island on Which there is timber but
none on Ither Side—the main Chanel is on the South
Side Hear the High land aproch the River on both
Sides—on the north Side there apperes a Whightis
[whitish] Rock of Considerable Exstent the River
makes Hear a Short Bend to the Right—the Cuntry
Heare is a little Rolling But the land Rich and Butifull—no
Wheare two steep for the Waggon or the
plow. Heare at the uppe Eand of this Island the Bluff
aproches the River and is the first above the little
arkensaw—that that Shews it Rocky—on this Island
there is good food for the Horses—and We Con
Cluded to lay By one day to mend our mogesons and
Rest our Horses as many of there Backs Ware Sore
oing to the carelesness of the men the Horses are
Poor and We Exspect that [some] of them Will not
be able to Rech the mountains
We Exspored the Cuntry for a few miles Round
and on an Island about three miles above us found an
Indean fort Which might Contain about 60 men this
fort Is maid nearly Round and Built of logs layed on
Each other—and is about two years old and must
Have been built By a War party Which did not occupy
it long—tho it Has been Inhabetid not more
than two or three Weaks ago by Some People—the
Haveing used fyer and left the Spit on Which the
Head [they had] Roasted meet—above this Island a
streem[36] of Bold Running Watter one Hundred and
fity feet Wid puts in on the South Side—no timber
at its mouth but timber appeers about two miles up it—its
Cors is South 25 West—the Sand Hills Conting
above this Crick but appers in a long Continued
Ridge
We Set out Early and Crossing the River to the
South Side Steered our Corse West and Crossing the
[Mulberry] Crick mentioned yesterday at six miles
and Crossing a point of low land leaveing the
River a bout 3 miles to the Right in the
Bend and at twenty miles[37] Stoped on an Island
Well Clothed With timber Heare Was all so an
old Indean Fort Smaller than the other and Had
been used by the Same pursons that Head lately been
at the other We Heare Con Clude them to be White
men there Horses being Shod—We Have as yet Head
but three nights of frost and no Ice—We Have not
Seen one tree on Ither Side of the River the only
apper on the Islands and nothing there but Cotten
Wood—at this Island the main Chanel Is on the
north Side
We Set out Early Steering West on the South Side
of the River—fifteen miles[38] to an Island the main
Channel on the north Side—the River as ushal is full
of Islands With more or Less Cotten[wood] on them
but none on Ither Side of the River—We this day left
Findley With two Horses and one mule With Instruction
to Remain on the Island five days and then to
follow us as the Horses Wold be Rested by that time
We Set out at our ushal Hour and keeping up the
River West ten miles[39] to a point of timber on the
South Side the Rockey [hills] frequently appeer on
the north Side and the Sand Hills on the South Some
Scattering Cotten Wood trees gro on the Sand Hills
one othe Hors gave out this day and Was left
We Set out at our ushal Hour Steering N 70 West
up the River at fifteen miles Crossed a Spring branch
to a few Cotten Wood trees on the River Bank in low
Bottom Where We Camped[40] for the night Heare
the Hunters killed one deer and See Several more—this
the first We Have Seen Since We left the
Paney River but the Buffelow and Elk are In great
a bondance all the Way So that the Hunters kill [all]
the[y] Wish We all So got two Cows to day—and
See a great many Elk——
We set out as ushal and Steered North 75 West ten
miles to a low point of greavel and Sand Washed by
the River the land Rises gently to the left for about
one and a Half miles both above and below this point
the Bottoms on the River are low—at fifteen miles
We Camped[41] on an Island Clothed With tall grass
and Cotten Wood trees—the main Chanel on the
north Some Small Islands on the South With out
trees
We Continued our Rout on the South Side our
Corse South[42] Sixty five West fifteen miles to a point
of Woods on the River Bank Heare is fine tall grass
for our Horses and young Cotten Wood and Willowes
are very plenty—a great many trees appeer to
Have [been] Cut down by White men and a french
trading Camp Have been latly burned down Soposed
to [be] Shotoes[43] the Hunters killed this day three of
the fatest Buffelows that Have yet Been Braught to
Camp—Buffelow Elk deer Caberey and Wild Horses
are in great nombers—High Wind all day—
Lay by to Rest Horses and dress Skins and prepare
for Winter—this morning the first Ice We Seen
frose in the Kittle about as thick as the Blaid of a
knife and Ice floted down the River—the Bluffs or
Hills on the north Sid aproch the River and those on
the South are at about 3 miles distance—
2nd Remained In Camp all day fine Weather—Some
frost last night With Ice—
We Steered Sᵒ 65 W five miles to a low point of
land With Rocks Washed By the River on thes Rocks
are some Small Hoop Wood trees the first We Have
Seen for a long time and those are the first Rocks We
Have pased on the South Side of the River—Heare
the [river] bends a little to the Right[44] We proceded
ten miles further pasing Some fine Springs to
the point of an Island on the South Side of the River
Haveing pased over a point [of] bald Sand Hills
Washed by the River about Half a mile below our
Camp for We Camped on the lower Eand of the
Island—Which is large and Well timbered With Cotten
Wood—Heare We find the first fresh Sign of
bever our Corse from the Hoop Wood trees to this
place is Nᵒ 80 West—two of our Horses gave out
this day and Ware left—on this Island the Hunters
killed Some turkeys and Seen Some more. the first
We Have Seen above the little arkensaw—the Wind
Hard all day from the N—W—
We Steered No 75 W four miles to [a point] of
Sand Hills Washed by the River and at Six miles farther
to an Island Clothed With Willow and Cotten
Wood—the main Chanel on the North Side of the
Island the last 6 miles our Corse Was West[45]—and
pased over one point of Sand Hills and one of gravle
both Washed by the River Buffelow Scarce—two turkeys
this day—our last nights In Campment appers
the first Wintering ground We Have meet With.
We pass Some old Camps and Some old tent poles—this
day left the mule the [that] gave out a few days
ago and Was braught up—
We set out Early and Steered West five miles to a
low point of land Washed by the River thence South
80 West and at foure miles [further] pased the beed
of a large Crick[46] but no Watter or timber in sight
the great quantitys of drift Wood all along its Banks
and the Hunters [tell] us the See timber a few miles
up it—at three miles farther makeing twelve miles this
day We Camped on an Island in the middle of the
River—this Island is better Cloathed With timber
Brush green grass for the Horses and grape vines
than any We Have Seen Heare We found plenty of
grapes that are good the first We Have met With in
[this] part of the Cuntry the River Continu full of
[islands] the one We are on is long and is a good
Wintering ground Some Small Connues [canoes]
may be maid Heare
determined to lay by on act of Wood and the Poor
State of our Horses—We Have all Readey lost 13
Horses and two mules and the Remainder Hardly fitt
for use We are Camped in a pawnee fort Which appeers
to Have been used about two Weakes Since—We
Counted 11 tracks of Indians Barfooded in the
Sand and found a Woolf that Head been Shott lying
on the Sand Bare—
We Set out as ushul and Steerd Nᵒ 80 West twelve
miles[47] to a Small Island near the middle of the River
We find this day that there is more gravle and less
Sand in the River than below theres much more
Watter and Cleareer than any Wheare below—the
River is still full of Islands—vast Hords of Buffelow
In Sight—no bever We See old Sign of Indeans a
great many Buffelow being killed in the Summer—We
again See the Sign of White men a Head of us—
We Set out as ushul our Corse N 85 W Crossing to
the north Side of the River at three miles pased the
Beed of a dry Crick[48] 75 yds Wide Corse [from the]
north and only a few Scatering trees In Sight on it—at
Six miles We Crossed the River on act of a Snow
Storm to a grove of trees on an Island in the South
Side and Camped for the night—this Island is formed
by a large Crick[49] 80 yds Wide puting In on the
South Side and a Slew of Watter Runing out of the
River in to this Crick forming a large Island—there
is timber In Sight up this Crick and large quantitey of
drift Wood alonge it Banks—and from seeing the
Same appeerence of drift Wood on other Cricks below
Comeing from the South We Sopose there must [be]
timber up those Streem as there is no drift Wood
from the north—the River Banks are from 6 to 8
fitt High and the Watter much [more] plenty than
below Buffelow Plenty and all traveling fast to the
north—
Remained in Camp on acounpt of the Cold the
Snow about ankel deep Sent out the Hunters the
killed 2 Buffelow Cows—the River is Heare deeper
and Cruked and Points of [timber] in the bends more
plenty—
We Steered Sᵒ 65 West five miles to a point of timber
on the South Side of the River Which is still narrow
deep and Cruked it Bredth is from 150 to 200 yds
Wide and deep a knof for Small Boats to asend—
our Corse South 65 West at four miles pased a
point of High Rocks about Half a mile South from
the River from this Rock the Bluffs or Hills Continu
to our left—and at Eight miles Camped at the mouth
of a deep muddey Crick[50] Heare the Bluffs aproch
the River on both Sides and are much Higher and
Steep as Well as more Rockey than below—Heare is
much old Sign of Indeans many Piles of Rock are
Raised by them on the bluffs—one fatt Buck killed
this day—there are some Bever Heare—
We set out Early and to Enable us to Cross the
[Mud] Crick With the Horses We maid a Bridge of
Brush and flags Which bore them over With Safty
and Steered South 65 West Eight miles to the Point
of a Ridge Bound With Rocks and Washed by the
River—there is two mounds Covered With Rocks
about 300 yds to the South of Camp and about Half a
mile a part[51] We this day Crossed a Small [Caddoa]
Crick at about four miles back from Camp—and
pased over Several Ridges the points of Which Butted
a gainst the River With progecting Rocks of the
Sand Stone kind—the[re] We Seen Some Peaces of
marble—the River Bottoms are about Half a mile
Wide and is offen Crosed from one Side to the
other by the River Which is very Cruked and both
Sides of the bottom or valley bound With the Bluffs
and Rocks Buffelow plenty killed 3 Cows and one
deer this day—
We this day Sopose We Seen the mountains for
the first time tho We Have long looked for them
the Hills or Bluffs on the North Side are High Being
two bluffs one on the top of the other and about five
miles apart[52]
Went to the Highest of the mounds near our Camp
and took the bareing of the Soposed mountain
Which Stud at north 80 West all So of the River
Which is West We then proceded on 2½ miles to a
Small Crick[53] Crosed it and asended a gradual Rise
for about three miles to the Highest ground in the
nibourhood—Wheare We Head a full vew of the
mountains this must be the place Whare Pike first
discovered the mountains Heare I took the bareing
of two that Ware the Highest[54] the longest South
71 W—the other Which appeered like a point South
75 West—nither of those are the mountain Seen this
morning—on looking forward We Seen a Branch
Puting in from the South Side Which We Sopose to
be Pikes first forke[55] and make for it—Crossed and
Camped in a grove of Bushes and timber about two
miles up it from the River We maid Eleven miles
West this day—We Stoped Heare about one oclock
and Sent back for one Hors that Was not able to keep
up—We Heare found some grapes among the brush—While
Some Ware Hunting and others Cooking
Some Picking grapes a gun Was fyered off and the
Cry of a White Bare[56] Was Raised We Ware all
armed in an Instent and Each man Run His own Cors
to look for the desperet anemel—the Brush in Which
We Camped Contained from 10 to 20 acors Into
Which the Bare Head [bear had] Run for Shelter
find[ing] Him Self Surrounded on all Sides—threw
this Conl glann With four others atemted to Run
But the Bare being In their Way and lay Close in the
brush undiscovered till the Ware With in a few feet
of it—When it Sprung up and Caught Lewis doson
and Pulled Him down In an Instent Conl glanns
gun mised fyer or He Wold Have Releved the man
But a large Slut Which belongs to the Party atacted
the Bare With such fury that it left the man and persued
Her a few steps in Which time the man got up
and Run a few steps but Was overtaken by the bare
When the Conl maid a second atempt to shoot but
His [gun] mised fyer again and the Slut as before
Releved the man Who Run as before—but Was Son
again in the grasp of the Bare Who Semed Intent
on His distruction—the Conl again Run Close up and
as before His gun Wold not go off the Slut makeing
an other atack and Releveing the man—the Conl now
be Came alarmed lest the Bare Wold pusue Him and
Run up Stooping tree—and after Him the Wounded
man and Was followed by the Bare and thus the Ware
all three up one tree—but a tree standing in Rich
[reach] the Conl steped on that and let the man and
Bare pas till the Bare Caught Him [Dawson] by one
leg and drew Him back wards down the tree.
While this Was doing the Conl Sharpened His flint
Primed His gun and Shot the Bare down While pulling
the man by the leg be fore any of the party arived
to Releve Him—but the Bare Soon Rose again but
Was Shot by several other [men] Wo Head [who
had] got up to the place of action—it Is to be Remarked
that the other three men With Him Run off—and
the Brush Was so thick that those on the out
Side Ware Som time geting threw—
I Was my Self down the Crick below the brush and
Heard the dredfull Screems of man in the Clutches
of the Bare—the yelping of the Slut and the Hollowing
of the men to Run in Run in the man Will be
killed and noing the distance So grate that I Cold not
get there in time to Save the man So that it Is much
Easeer to Emagen my feellings than discribe them but
before I got to the place of action the Bare Was
killed and [I] met the Wounded man with Robert
Fowler and one or two more asisting Him to Camp
Where His Wounds Ware Examined—it appeers His
Head Was In the Bares mouth at least twice—and
that When the monster give the Crush that Was to
mash the mans Head it being two large for the Span
of His mouth the Head Sliped out only the teeth
Cutting the Skin to the bone Where Ever the tuched
it—so that the Skin of the Head Was Cut from about
the Ears to the top in Several derections—all of
Which Wounds Ware Sewed up as Well as Cold be
don by men In our Situation Haveing no Surgen nor
Surgical Instruments—the man Still Retained His
under Standing but Said I am killed that I Heard my
Skull Brake—but We Ware Willing to beleve He
Was mistaken—as He Spoke Chearfully on the Subgect
till In the after noon of the second day When He
began to be Restless and Some What delereous—and
on examening a Hole in the upper part of His Wright
temple Which We beleved only Skin deep We found
the Brains Workeing out—We then Soposed that He
did Heare His Scull Brake He lived till a little before
day on the third day after being Wounded—all
Which time We lay at Camp and Buried Him as Well
as our meens Wold admit Emedetely after the fattal
axcident and Haveing done all We Cold for the
Wounded man We turned our atention [to] the
Bare and found Him a large fatt anemel We Skined
Him but found the Smell of a polcat so Strong that
We Cold not Eat the meat—on examening His
mouth We found that three of His teeth Ware broken
off near the gums Which We Sopose Was the Caus
of His not killing the man at the first Bite—and the
one not Broke to be the Caus of the Hole in the
Right [temple] Which killed the man at last—the
Hunters killed two deer Cased the Skins for Baggs
We dryed out the Bares oil and Caryed it with us the
Skin Was all so taken Care of—
We lay in Camp takeing Care of the Wounded
man and takeing the Bareing of the three principle
points of the mountains[57] as the appeer—
the first mountain or grand Peek Bares N 75 W—
the Second South 75 No W
South Eand of same Sᵒ 75 W
3ʳᵈ mountain Sᵒ 70 W—
South Eand Sᵒ 69 W—
there is on this forke a Continuation of timber and
Brush the princeple trees are Cotten Wood With
Some Boxelder and Some Small Black locust
all posible Care Was taken of the Wounded
man for Which purpose We lay in Camp
the unfortnet man died at day Brake—and
Was Berred near the Bank With a Strong Pen of logs
over Him to prevent the Bares or Wolves from
Scraching Him up—this Is the [first] anemel of the
kind We Have met With—
Heare Conl glann Haveing the Command of the
party acted as the adminestrater and ordered the dead
mans property Sold to the Highest bidder—and Was
Sold as followes
| one Short Riffel and papetis [?] to george Duglass |
$15.00 |
| one muskets Barrl to Jacob Fowler |
5.00 |
| one Blanket to Eli Ward |
10.00 |
| 2 vest to pall a Blackman |
2.00 |
| Sundry small artickels to dudley Maxwell |
1.75 |
|
$33.75 |
the Hole amting thirty three dollrs Which Each man
Has to act [account] With Conl glann for What He
purchased—
the timber on this fork is mostly Cotten Wood
Some Boxelder and Some Small Black locust—the
Bottoms are fine and large—With great droves of
Elk and Buffelow and Sign of more of the White
Bare—there are all So Wild Horses deer and Caberey
the trees on the main River are Small but Some of
those on the fork are large Enof to mak a Connue—the
Watter In the fork is Sofecient to turn a large
Sett [of] mills at this dry Season and Heare is timber
for a Small Settlement—Stone In the Bluffs are In
abondance for Building and fenceing—after Settleing
all things We moved up the River South 73 West 12
miles[58] to a Small Bottom Covered With trees—on
the South Side of the River—Haveing pased one
Branch[59] at Six miles and one[59] at nine miles boath on
the north Side of the River—and opeset the first the
River bore about Six miles to our Right—from our
Camp Heare We took the bareing of the mountains—1st
Nᵒ 72 W—2nd S 76 W 3rd Sᵒ 70 W—at this
Camp on the Bluffs Was the appeerance of lead But
We Head no time to Examen
I Went on South 5 miles to a High mound and
took the Bareing of the mountains as followes 1st
the grand Peek north 70 W—2nd not to be Seen 3rd
Sᵒ 71 W 4th Sᵒ 49 W—our Corse from Camp up the
River Was South 50 West twelve miles[60] to Whare
the River Bends more to the West and Some deep
gutters Washed down the Bank and the Hills aproch
the River—thence Sᵒ 72 W. three miles to Wheare
the River aproch the Hills again We pased one Small
Crick at about 2 miles be low Camp and the other
about Half mile the last about 30 yds Wide but no
Watter Running and no timber In Sight—the River
Bottoms are more narrow than for two days past—no
Buffelow or turkeys there is Some deer and Sign of
the White Bare one Hors gave out this day and Was
left—the timber is more plenty in the Bottoms.
Continued up on the South Side of the River and
at about two miles Crossed a dry Branch[61] and at
foure miles a deep Branch[62] with Running Watter on
Which there Ware several Bever dams With fresh
sign of Bever the Branch about Eight Steps Wide
at ten miles pased Close to a bend of the River
and at Eighteen miles Camped[63] in a low Bottom
and drove the Horses aCross the River
for grass there being none on Wheare We
Camped We find the Bottoms Widen from 4 to 8
miles the Hills much lower and the [ground] more
leavle than for Several days past the Buffelow appers
to Have left this section of the Cuntry as We Seen
but one this day an old Bull With one leg Broken
We Soposed by the Indeans—and that the Have
drove the Buffelow all off—as their Sign is going to
the South
took the Bareing of the mountains from Camp this
morning 1st north 67 W 2nd north Eand S 88 W
South Eand Sᵒ 72 W 3rd Sᵒ 60 W—4th Sᵒ 39 W to
the Highest Peek ther appeers a longe Ridge to
Contnue from the South and a Ridge Runs north
from the High Peeke—We Steered West up the River
and at 10 miles Crosed a dry forke[64] of the River
80 yds Wide but dry at present at fifteen miles
Camped in lott of woods on the River Bank
Haveing at about 11 oclock Seen a large Smoke
ahead and believing it proceded from the Indeans fyer
We Halted to look out for them—and in a few minets
two of our men Came in Company With one Indean—and
in about Half an Hour there Was between
30 and 50 Came Rideing at full Speed With all their
Weapens of [up] in a florish as tho the Ware Chargeing
uppon an Enemey but on their near aproch the
most frendly disposition appereed in all their actions
as Well [as] gusters—by this time We Hed Some
meat Cooked of Which the Willingly purtuck but
Spareingly—as it after Wards appeered the Head
plenty at their Camp and Eat With [us] out of pure
frendship—amongst party Was the princeple Cheef
of the Kiaways for these Ware of that nation—the
Cheef With three others Stayed With us all night the
others Returned to their Camp about Sundown
Collected our Horses Early—by Which time a great
nomber of the Indeans arived from Camp and moved
up with [us] and crossed over the River Which
Was fordable but the Watter Cold and the Ice Runing
a little—our Horses Ware so loded that our men
Ware all on futt but the Indeans took them behind
them on their Horses and Carryed them over the
River—from our Camp to the Indeans was about
three miles West—[65]
Heare the Cheef gave up one of His lodges for the
purpose of Store[ing] the goods—and took posesion
and Charge of all our Horses threw the Hole of this
day the Indeans Continu to arive and Set up their
lodges—So that by night We Ware a large town Containing
up Wards two Honderd Houses Well filled
With men Wemon and Children—With a great
nombr of dogs and Horses So that the Hole Cuntry to
a great distance Was Coverd—this Scenes Was new
to us and the more So after our long Jurney Seeing
no persons but our Selves—the Indeans Ware frendly
takeing us to the lodges of their great men and all
Ways Seting Some meat for us to Eat. tho Some
times Boiled Corn Beens or mush Which arteckels
the precured from the Spanyards
lay in Camp all day Eating and Smokeing With the
Indeans—and took the Bareing of the mountains
from a point one Half mile north of our Camp—High
Peak N 61 W South Eand of Same mountain N 82
W Heare a new mountain appeers or is a Ridge in the
forkes of the River North Eand Nᵒ 84 W South Eand
N 87 W—Nᵒ 2 of the first mountains North Eand
Sᵒ 87 W Highest Point Sᵒ 45 W—Heare the mountain
takes a more Westwardly Corse and Continues a
broken Ridge to a High point or Ridge and Stands
Sᵒ 42 W—and falling a little lower and Continues to
the forth mountains or double Peekes—Which Stands
thus 4th Sᵒ 27 W 5th Sᵒ 25 West from this point
We See no more of the mountains to the South We
See large parteys of Indeans Comeing in threw the
day and Seting up their Houses or lodges—
Remained in Camp all day Holding Counsels Eating
and Smokeing and traiding a little With
Indans—
the snow Has now Increeced to about 10 Inches
deep and the Wind Extreemly Cold the River frosen
up Close the Ice to a great thickness—and Heare in
the Coldest mornings you might see Several Hundred
Children Naked—Running and playin on the
Ice—Without the least appeerence of Suffering from
the Cold—the Highatans[66] amounting to about 350
lodges arived this day and Camped With the others
We are now Incresed to a cettey—
this morning a Councel Was hild amongst the
Cheefs of both the nations and Conl glann With his
Interpreter Was Sent for—and Was told by the Ietan
Cheef that the Ware Readey to Receve the goods in
His Posesion that His father the Presedent Had Sent
them—But When He Was told that there Was no
Such goods He Became in a great Pashion and told
the Conl that He Was a lyer and a theef and that He
Head Stolen the goods from His farther[67] and that He
the Cheef—Wold take the goods and Segnefyed that
He Wold kill the Conl and His men too upon Which
the Conl and His Inturpreter With drew—the Cheefs
of both nations Remaned in Counsel all day—and our
Setuation Was not of the most plesent nature. the
Kiaways Ware our frends But the others Ware the
most numerous—the former Clames us their property
and frens But the later We aprehend intend to use
force and in this Setuation We Remained all day—the
young Warriors Crouded Round us so that We
Cold Scarcly Stir—about Sun down a tall Indean
Came Runing threw the Camp Calling out—me
arapaho Cheef White mans mine and Shakeing Hands
With us as fast as poseble asked for the White man
Captain and on being Shoon In a lodge Wheare Conl
glann With the Inturpreter Was—He Rushed in—but
Was out In an Instant thumping His brest With
His fist saying White man mine arapoho Plenty
Pointing the Way He Came—from [which] We soon
understood that the Hole nation Ware at Hand and
that We Head nothing to dred from the Highatans—Who
began to disappeer from about us—and from
that time We felt In Purfect Securety Haveing two
out of three of the nation In our favour and part of the
3rd our frends—but the are all Sobordenet to their
Cheefs—
a nomber of Cheefs of other nations arive In Camp—thing
Ware [things wore] a better appeerence—We
Sopose there Is now about 350 lodges—Some little
traid for Buffelow Roabs for the benefit of the Hands
on our arivel at this Camp there Was about forty
lodges of Indeans—Kiawas and Padducas the Continu
to Increes and last night on Counting them over
find now four Hunderd of the following nations—Ietans—Arrapohoes—Kiawa
Padduce—Cheans—Snakes—the
Ietan the most numerous and the most
Disperete the Arrapohoes the Best and most Sivvel
to the White men Habits—but Heare We find some
diffeculty in Councl With So many Indeans—and no
Inturpreter But Mr Roy—He Spoke Some Pane and
[in] that language our Councils Ware Held—the Indeans
are Sartainly Ignorent of the Ways or Customs
of the White man and Have less Capasety to larn
then any Indeans I Have yet Seen—the Have many
Wants but no meens of Supplying them—Haveing
nothing to traid but Horses and them We do not
Want—We have found amongest them about 20
Bever only the Early Habits of those Indeans Precludes
them from makeing Bever Hunters as the
Cuntry Which the In Habet Contains but few—and
the Indeans Hunt the Buffelow
We found Withe the Ietans a Spanish Prisnor
Whome With great difeculty We purchased yesterday
With $150 in goods and He In Joyed one night
of liberty a Hapey Chaing from that of a Slave to an
Indean—but unfortnetly—at day light this morning
the goods Ware Returned and the Prisnor
taken back to His formor master again—but
We Will Spair no means in our power [to]
Releve Him again and Send Him out of their
Reech this man is from the Southern Provence
near St Antoni[68] With Which the Indeans are
at War—tho at Peece With new maxeco and the
Spanish in Habetance there—We Have been viseted
by Some of the Spanish Indeans from maxeco the live
in the vilege of Tows[69]—its Six days Easey travel
from Heare—the are all Catholicks the Indeans Inform
us that there are White men near the great
[Pike’s] Peak of the mountain on the River Platt—and
three days Hard travel from this place—
on the night of the 23rd a Snow fell about one foot
deep and the Weather is now Cold the River frosen
up the Ice a great thickness and the Indean Children
that is able to walk and up to tall boys are out on the
Ice by day light and all as naked as the Came to the
World Heare the are at all kinds of Sport Which their
Setuation Will admit and all tho the frost is very seveer
the apper quite Warm and a lively as I Heave
Ever Seen Children In mid Summer I am shure that
We Have Seen more than one thousand of these Children
on the Ice at one time and Some that Ware too
young to Walk Ware taken by the larger ones and
Soot on a pece of skin on the Ice and In this Setuation
kick its [legs] Round and Hollow and laff at
those Round it at play—I have no doupt but that to
take one of our White Children and Put it In Such
Cold Weather in that Setuation it Cold not live Half
an Hour on the 23rd four Ietan Indeans arrive With
the news of Peace being maid With the osages by the
Big Cheefs below—
five days before our arival at this place a battle
Was faught Near the mountains betwen those Indeans
and the Crows in which the formor lost nine men
and the latter fifteen—amongest the arrapohoes In
this Ingagement there Was one young Warear that
about two years ago Was Shot threw the boddey and
all the Skin taken off His Head down to His Ears for
a scelp—and in the last battle Was Shot threw one
of His feet Which Is now getting Well—and on this
[occasion] an alarm Was Raised of a War party
apoching Camp When this man With His father
Was amongst the foremost on Hors back to meet
danger—but the alarm Was With[out] foundation
and all Returned to Camp With[out] a fight
the Kiawa Cheef Reported to us that He Head ben
In Council all day on the 23rd With the Ietan Who
proposed to Him to Join In a War against osages and
the White men—to Which He disagread—dureing
the Hole of that day the Ietan manefested a very unfriendly
dispsetion to Wards us—and the Princeple
Cheefs Informed us that When mager longe[70] Was
there He told them that the Predesent Wold Send
them plenty of goods and that the goods We Head
Ware Sent to Him and that We Head no Wright to
traid them but When He discovered that His demands
Wold not be Complyed With Chainged His
disposetion and Seems very frendly and this night
offered Conl glann and Mr Roy Each one of His
Wifes—the greates token of frendship those Indeans
Can offer—but the offer Was de Clined telling
Him that it Was not the White mans Habits
We moved one mile down the River to take a better
Camp and Build a house and git of of being so
Crouded—the Ietan and Some of the Kiawa threatned
to stop us but maid no atempt When We
Started. We maid our Camp With the old Kiawa
Cheef Who moved along With us Heare We Have
plenty of young Cotten Wood trees to Cut for the
Horses—With good Setuation for our Camp—
Early this morning Was advised of thretned atack
from the Ietan and the Kiawa and Padduce Indeans
in Consequnce of our moveing from their nibor Hood
Set the hands at Work Cutting logs to build a House—a
Report Came that the Ietans Had mounted
Horses to atack us—We Continued at Work on a
House—and Was Informed that a party to Protect
us Head met the others and turned them back—the
Arrapohos about day light this morning Commenced
moveing to us and by night from two to three Hunderd
lodges Ware Round us as Close as the Cold Set
up their lodges Which Seemed to afford ample protection
from the others
between 12 & 1 oclock We Received a veset from
the Ietan Cheef the first time He Came near us Since
We moved He Was very frendly and Efected to
know nothing of the difecuealty that had Existed—We
Have Heare now about seven Hunderd lodges of
the nations mentioned on the 25th With the addicion
of the Cheans—about two Hunderd lodges—We Sopose
those Lodges to Contain from twelve to twenty
pursons of all Sises—Some Horses Have been Stollen
Every night Since We arived amongst them Seven
of our own are amongst the mising a party of one
Hunderd and fifty men Went In pursute of the theefs
but Returned Without overtakeing them—We Ware
this day much afected by the arivel of Findley Who
Head been absent from us 30 days alone and on foot
He informed us that Ware parteys of Pannees Ware
both behind and before Him tho He seen none—
about 10 oClock a party of 200 men Started the diferent
nations to Reinforce a party gon before them
In pursute of Stolen Horses With orders to Pursu till
the Caught them—the Indeans manefest a more
frendly disposion and Intimate an Intention of moveing
down the River In Consequance of the many
Horses Stolen from them Heare—betwen 4 and 500
Horses Have [been] Stolen from them Since We
arived and mostly from the Pens in the Center of the
vilege surrounded by upwards of seven Hunderd
lodges of Wachfull Indeans—the Ware Parties Returned
Without Efecting any thing Except those on
foot Wore the Soles off their mockesons—
the Snow Has Intirely disappeered and the ground
dry as dust—
the Remainder of the War partey Have all Returned
on our Way up the River before our arivel at the
Indeans Camp I broke one of the glasses out of my
Specks—and on puting them on one day I soon felt
the Hand of an Indean grasp them from my face He
maid off as fast as poseble I gave up the Specks for
lost but Head no moad of Replaceing them—In a
Short time I Heard great Shouting and laffing and
looking to See What Was the Caus I discovered the
Indean that Head taken my Specks Leading an other
With the Specks on His face the felow Was Led up
to me and I was shoon that He Head but on Eye—and
that the Specks Wold Sute Him better [than]
me as the Head but one glass Heare Eanded the
Joack the Returned the Specks in much good Humor
amongst all the Ware present
Pased this day With out any diffigualty Prepareing
Some Hunters to trap in the mountains.
fine Weather nothing new—
an alarm of the Enemy found two of the Horses Soposed
to be stolen—the Ietan braught them In—the
Hunters detained on act of an alarm—
Started the trappers under the Command of Slover—and
With Him Simpson—maxwell—Pryer Findley
and Taylor
Fine Weather for the Season this day termenated
Without any difegualty—the Ietan Cheef Sick Sent
for Conl glann to give Some medeson but declined
In consequance of His former bad Conduct
Fine Weather the Indeans talk of moveing the Buffelow
are now drove to Some distance and this I [is]
not to [be] thought Straing as about one Hunderd
of them are Eaten In Camp Each day Sinc our aRivel
Fine Weather—nothing new to day
the morning fine Weather the Indeans Still talk of
moving but as yet Remain Heare—the furnish [us]
With Plenty of the best of buffelow meet at a low Rate
bu do not Wish us to Hunt them our Selves—aledgeing
We Wold drive the Buffelow all off the Ietan
Cheef Calling fore Some medecon a day or two back
and find[ing] His Complaint Was not dangerous
Conl glann gave Him Some Rice and Black Pepper
With derections to boil and make soop of it—to day
He paid us a viset Pufed up and Well as Ever the
Arrapoho Cheef Says He Was Restored to Health by
the Same medeson—
Fine Weather Continues—yesterday gave notice that
Some Horses Wold be purchased but none Has maid
their appeerence—
yesterday purchased one very fine Hors from an Ietan
at a High Price—the Weather fine this morning but
the Wind from N W no more Horses offered this
day—
last night Was Clouday the River is now oppen Haveing
thad [thawed] in the those last Warm days—the
Weather is now Colder
the Cold Weather Still Continues but the River is
not frosen up yesterday a War partey Returned the
Ware of the Ietans—With 28 Horses taken from the
Crows on the River Platt below the mountains—the
Ware five nights Returning the Ietans this day
moved up the River We Ware unable to by any more
Horses tho We offered High Prices
last night the River frose up the Weather is very Cold
the Indeans determen to move up the River for Wood
and meet We offerd to go With them on the 15th
Which Satisfyed them very much and they offered us
Horses to Carry our goods but unable to make any
more purchases for feer We leave them a the [as
they] appeer much atached to us
the Indeans Exspect to meet the Spanyerds on the
River above this place to traid With them this morning
We Commenced packing up to move—
the Indeans furnished us With Some Horses Which
Inabled us to move With them up the River about
five miles[71] West from our Camp and Heare Camped
on the South Side of the River—but about one mile
below Wheare We Camped the Kiawa Cheef With
His nation Had Stoped and Intended We Shold
Stop With them but the Arropoho Cheef told us We
Shold go to His Camp Which We Intend to do
but Heare a new diffqualty arises as the Clame us as
their frends—Which may lead to a Ware With them
and destruction to our Selves but this Was Soon got
over as two of our men Stoped with the Kiawa Cheef
till He got in a good Hummor and telling Him that
He aught to go With us—that it Was Him that left
us and not We that left Him—With this He Was Satisfyed
and one of the [men] Remained With Him all
night and frend Ship Was Restored the Kiawas Came
to our Camp as ushal—
the man and load left With the Kiawas Was braught
up and no difequality than the Refuse to Sell us Horses
Still feering We Will leave them—but to day purchased
2 mules and three Horses from the Arrapohos
the Weather verry much moderated Haveing much
the appeerence of the Indean Sommer
more Sevelity Exsists amongst those Indeans than
anny I have Ever knone it is de[si]rable on that accoumpt
not to Camp Seperate from any of the Bands—but
on the other Hand you are Continuly Crouded
With young men and old begers—We yet Want
about ten Horses—and all tho there is about 20,000
in our inCampment and the [Indians are] distetute
of Every thing—We are afraid We Will not be able
to obtain them the Arrapohoes Have but few in Compareson
With the others owing to their Haveing last
Sommer traided With Chians of the mesurey [Missouri]—the
Ietan and Kiawa Have great nombers
of very fine Horses—and Equal to any I have Ever
knone—
about ten oclock last night the Wind Chainged to the
West and the Weather Exstreemly Cold So that We
Cold not do any thing—We yesterday traided for two
Horses and one mule—the Kiawas paid us a viset and
Invited us to a feest So We are frends again—
the Cold In Creces So that it Is Imposeble to travel
on the Pirarie—the Children Have now fine Sport on
the Ice
at day light We Ware alarmed by the Sound of Heavey
bloes Struck by one Indean uppon an other Who Run
towards our lodge and Was persued with the tamehak
at about one Rod distance a blo Was Struck but the
Indean Run Round our lodge—but Was overtaken
and Receved a Heavey blow on the Back of the neck
Which felled Him to the ground apperently dead—but
a nomber of Squas Interfeered and Carryed
off the Soposed dead Indean and Saved His life—We
find Him to be the Son of the Kiawa Cheef and
first frend amongst the Indeans His murdorer Was
the brother of the great Arrapoho Cheef and our
frend and protecter We are now feerful of the most
Seerous Consequences as We are not able to Say
What may Happen betwen the two nations—as War
betwen them Wold be fatel for us
the man Wounded yesterday is not dead and is likely
to recover—the Case of the atack on His Was the
Steeling the medecen bagg of the other Who Was a
Cheef no other difequelty is apprehended as the bagg
is Returned and axepted—We have Sucseeded in
purchasing as many Horses as Will answer our Purposese
of moveing—at night the Snow began to fall—
the Ietan Cheef Has not viseted us Since He moved
up the River in Consequence of not Receveing Some
presents He demanded on the day He moved but the
Braves appeer friendly this four days We Calcolate on
moveing on Crismus day to the mountains no Inter
Corse betwen the arrapoho and the Kiawa for two
days
We Informed the Indeans that on the 25th We Wold
move to the mountains—at night Indeans Inform us
of their detirmenation to move With us—
promising to move the arrapoho determened to acCompany
us to night Conl glann Sent for the Kiawa
Cheef and paid for the use of His lodge allso gave a
meddle the likeness of genl Jacson Informed Him it
Was not the medle of His great father but it Was
given Him as a token of a great man and as the
frend of the White men and Charged Him at the
Same time that When Ever He meet the White man
to treat Him frendly to Which He agread With great
Satisfaction
this morning the Conl gave the Ietan Cheef a shirt
medle and Small presents With the Same Cerymones
and promeses as the Kiawa yesterday last Evening We
Sent for Him but being un Well and unable to Come
He Sent His brother by Home [whom] We Sent
[word] We Wold viset Him in the morning We
found Him very un Well and discovered the Indisposion
Was the Caus of His not viseting us Since
He moved up the River He Exspresed much frendship
and Satisfaction—
the arrapoho move with us this morning.
It is but Justice to Say We find the Kiawa the best
Indeans possing more firmness and manly deportment
than the arrapoho and less arogance and Hatey
Pride than the Ietan—we Ware In vited this day to
Eat With one of the arrapoho Cheefs He Seet before
us a dish of fat meat of Which We Eat plentyfully We
Ware then asked if We new what kind of meat We
Ware Eating We told We did not He then Said it
Wa[s] a dog telling us it [was] a great feest With the
Indeans—and that He Invited us for that purpose—
We move up the River West Eight miles and
Camped on the South Side Crossing a fork[72] of the
River at five miles this forke is Small and Heads to the
South there is Some Cotten Wood a long its bottoms
Which appeer to be very Rich and Wide Eknof for
farms—the Arrapohos acompany us We Ware fortunate
In parting With the Rest of our nibours With
out any difequalty—We Have now in all thirty three
Horses In Cludeing two belongeing to Peno one to
Vanbeber two [to] J and R Fowler and two to Duglass
one to Bono all in bad ordor—
moved late In Consequence of lose[ing] Some of our
Horses Which Ware not found till late In the day—our
Corse South 70 West five miles[73]—We Camped
on the South Side of the River to morrow the Indeans
make a Hunt
We lay With the Indeans to let our Horses Eat Haveing
kept them tyed up Sinc We Started yesterday
Pased a [Chico] Crick on the north Side of the River
its Corse is [from the] north—
We moved about 12 oclock and Went five miles up
the River and Camped on the South Side Heare is the
Statement of Conl glann on parting With the Arrapoho
Cheef[74]
I never parted with a man who showed as much sorrow
as the chief of the arrapoho He persuaded us very
much to stay with him one moon longer—stating to
us the danger of having our horses stolen &c &c but
finding in the morning we determined to start he
made no objection, after giving him a medal &c as
I did to the other Chiefs—and making a small present
with all of which he was much satisfied when I shook
hands with him to start he threw himself on his bed
in tears—after traveling about one mile we was overtaken
by one of his brothers, a young chief with a request
to incamp on this side as his brother was starting
to follow so as to sleep one more night with us we
are truly fortunate in having those 3 nations with us—
The chief did not arrive last night as he sent us
word—but early next morning an express arrived to
inform us that instant as he was starting Two spaniards
arrived and that a party of 60 were expected to-day
with a request for us to return and see them—Mr
Roy & myself immediatly returned, and recᵈ with
as much Joy and satisfaction by the village as if
though we had been absent for one year the friendship
which they shew us before the spaniards will convince
them that shoᵈ the party expected be hostile we
will have the friendship of the Indians and although
my party is now only 13 men in all I fele no fear in
meeting 60 Spaniards, with the multitude of the
Indians.
Yesterday at about 3 Oclock we went out to the
Prarie to see if we could discover the spanish party—we
discovered them about 5 miles distance, we advanced
to meet them—when they discovered us they
halted and formed to receive us in “military style”—we
were requested by our Companion to Halt, when
we were received on a full charge—To within ten
paces of us when the men all dismounted and embraced
us with affection and friendship—they are all
creoles of that country—seem well disposed—possess
far less sence than the Indeans we are with, seem
happy and possess a greater degree of Joy at seeing
us than could be Immagined—It is a matter of astonishment
the difference of treatment of the Indians to
them and our party—the Indians Commanded them
as much as we command our negroes—At night the
Indians asked us if we were willing to let the Capt.
and his principle man sleep [in] the lodge with us,
which we agreed to—the Indeans derected them to
pray so that we may see their fashion which they
readily agreed to and went through with the Catholic
prayers, and afterwards prayed fervently for us—their
whole trading equipment in the U. S. would not sell
for fifty dollars—In short to describe them would require
the pen of a Butler and the pencil of a Hogarth—They
leave here to morrow for home and I intend
to accompany them—
It is only necessary to Judge of them to
say the Capt. and all his party were painted like the
Indians the day they traded—and during the prayer
the Capt. Caught a louse on his shirt and eat it—[75]
the Spaniards moved up to our Camp from the Indeans
for the purpose of [selling] us Some Corn the
no [they know] nothing about our moad of measurement
but ask at the Rate of ten dollers pr Bushil the
ask thirty dollers for a mule and one Hunderd dollers
for ther best Running Horses—We Intend leaveing
this With the Spanierds in the morning—
this being a holaday With our nibours We lay by all
day—Haveing about two pounds of bacon Which I
Head kept as a Reserve I Heare Shewd it to the Indeans—the
Cheef asked What kind of anemel maid
that meat When He Was told a Hog He Requested
the Shape of it to be maid on the Sand When that
Was [done] all the Indeans said the Head never Seen
Such an animal and appeered to Wonder and think
it Strange that the Head never Seen the like Soposing
them Selves to Have Seen all kind of anemels—
I Heare left mager Fowler in Charge of the Camp
With Instructions to fortify His Camp and Hors Peen
to treat all Indeans frendly but traid With none—and
shold War party Call to let them Have Some Powder
ball and Paint With Some tobaco
on the 30th ultimo three of our [men] Ware
Sent out to the mountains to Hunt for Buffelow
and Ware meet by a party of thirteen Indeans
of the Crowes Haveing With them about two
Hunderd Horses Which the Had Stolen from
Some other nation and Ware on theer Way
Home—the took our men Prisnors as fare as the
River Wheare the took from them their Powder ball
and Blankets giveing them nine fine Horses in payment
for What the Head taken While this traid Was
progresing the Horses Ware Crossing on the Ice—a
Ware Party of arrapohoes over took them a battle
Was the Consequence and Each party took off part
of the Horses and our men maid their Escape In the
Battle leaveing all the Horses the Head obtained of
the Indeans—the Ware treated frendly by the Crowes
and tolled the Ware taken only to prevent them from
giveing Information to the arrapohoes—the Crowes
Say the left the White People on the Platt about 10
nights ago and that it Will take them three nights to
go there With their Horses Wheare the left the Rest
of their nation—the speeke on the most frendly terms
of the White men and Say the are about 35 in nomber—all
the nesecery araingements are maid for my
Self and four men to Set out in the morning to Cross
the mountains to Santafee—[76]
this morning the Spanierds Began to Collect their
Horses and load for their departure—Conl glann and
four men Set out With them—leaveing me With
Eight men in an oppen Camp With the ballence of the
goods after takeing Some things With Him to Sell
So as to pay their Exspences. We are now In the
Hart of the Inden Cuntry and Emedetly on the great
Ware Road—not only of one nation against the
others—in the Road to all the Spanish Settlements
With Which the Indeans on this Side of the mountains
are at War—So that our Setuation is not of
the most Plesent kind—We Have no meet In Camp—and
Con Clude to Send two Hunters out With
Horses in the morning to kill Some meat Intending
to Set the ballence of the Hands at Work to build a
Hous and a Strong Peen for the Horses at night
Roas Early to Start the Hunters ordered two of the
men to Prepare the Horses While the Hunters got
Readey—but the men lay Still I maid the Second Call
but With no better Sucsees—I then discovered that a
mutney Was Intended—and Emedetly drew one of
the men from His beed by the top of His Head. but
[one] of his frends in the Plott asisted Him—and We
Ware Soon all In a Scoffel. but Robert Fowler Soon
Came to my asistance—and the bisness as Soon
Ended—tho it Was Some time before the gave up
their Intended muteney and five of them Seperated to
them Selves and declared the Wold do the plased and
Wold not be ordered by any other porson—I soon
discovered that the Exspected the Spanierds Wold
not let Conl glann Return and that they Intended to
make the best of the goods the Cold—aledgeing the
Ware the Strongest party and that the Wold pay
them Selves—on Which discovery I told them that
un less the Wold Return to their dutey I Wold send
for the Arrapoho Cheef Who Wold be gld to asist
me to take Care of the goods and that the might go
Whare the plased—and that I Wold not Suffer them
to meddle With the goods—the then Held a Councle
and sent one man to tell me that If I Wold be
acountable to them for their pay—the Wold go to
their dutey and do What I ordored them—to Which
I toled them I wold make no new Bargen With them—and
that If the Chose the might go on With their
mutenous Sceen—that I Cold protect the goods till
the Indeans Came for Which I Wold Soon Send—the
then all Came and Stated that the Wold do What I
told them and Wold go to Work Emedetley—and
asked me to think of them and Secure the pay for
them If Conl glann Shold not Return Which the
Espected He never Wold. and that it Wold be Heard
for them to loos all their Wages—to Which I toled
them if the Continued to do as good and Honest men
aught that as fare as the goods Wold Reech they
Shold be paid—the two men Went out to Hunt but
Returned With out killing any thing—now all Hands
Went to Worke Willingly and by night We Head the
Hors Peen finished and the Hous With two pens four
logs High—Which maid part of the Hors Pen and the
door of the Hous in the Hors Peen Which Was So
Strong that a few Indeans Cold not take the Horses
out With out Choping Some of the logs—and must
Waken us all tho We Slept Ever So Sound—
Went to Work Early got our House nine loggs
High—and began to pitch the tents on the top by
Way of a Roof the House Just Wide Enof for that
purpose We Heared a gun near Camp two of
the Hunters out We Soon Heared another and
then Several others I took up my gun and Went to
the plase Whear Robert Fowler Head killed two deer
and Wounded Several more Heare We met With
Ward With one deer and one turkey We Have now
plenty of meet the first We Have Head for five days
all Which time We lived on Corn precured from the
Spanierds—
yesterday While we Ware building our House the
Arrapoho Cheef and two of His Brothers Came to
our Camp With one mule We had lost While With
them—for Which I gave them Some presents—one of
them Went to our Horses and Caught Hold [of] one
Which Ward Head braught in a few days ago Which
He Soposed the Crows Had lost—but the Arrapoho
Clames—and I have no doupt of His being the oner—Ward
derectly asked the Indean for presents Stating
that I Head given them Some thing for finding
the mule that He Wanted Some for finding the Horse—but
this demand ofended the Indeans He Stated
that the did not Cut off the mules tail to alter its looks
as Ward Had don the Hors—and throing down What
the Head Receved said the Wold keep the mule and
that they Head lost three Horses and Soposed that
Ward Head taken them all and that the other two
Ware yet among our Horses and Went and looked—but
Cold find no more—I told them there Was but
one braught to Camp and that Ward Had don Rong
to Cut the Horses tail—that He Head allso don
Wrong to ask any thing I gave them up the Hors and
told them to take What I Head given them—Presented
the pipe Which the Smoked beged Some Powder
and Bullets Which gave them—the are now quite
pleased—Set off to go to their Camp Huging us all
before the Start telling us the move Camp to morrow
and Will meet us in the Spring on the River as We go
down
three men Went With Horses on the Hunt of Buffelow
but Returned With out seeing any this day finished
our House and Packed in all the goods
Went up to the Warm Spring Branch[77] and Soot two
traps but the Weather is So Cold I beleve the bever
Will not Come out—duglass in the Evening on driveing
up the Horses Reports Some Buffelow In Sight
the Hunters Will look for them In the morning
Went out to look for the Buffelow Seen them but
killed none—Went With Robert Fowler to the traps—Caught
nothing on our Return We Went to the
Washed Rock as We Called it Which Stands near the
Bace of the Second bottom or low Hills the are about
fifty feet Higher than the low Bottom and Exstend
back to Some miles With out Riseing much Higher
it appeers that this High land Exstended once Round
this Rock and has been Washed a Way by the River
the Rock is about ten feet Higher than the Highest
land in the nibour Hood and in the neck of low ground
betwen a point of from 5 to 7 acers nearly Squair—and
the High lands back of the bottom—and In my
openion the best Setuation In all this Section of the
Cuntry for a garison as it is near Wood and Watter
Which is in the River about 100 yds on the South
West side of this table and about 50 yds from the
above Rock Which [is] only asendable on the East
Side Round on the top about fifteen feet diameter—a
stone Wall is Raised on the margin of Such a Hight
that a man may Sett With Safty from Small army in
the nibor Hood and about twelve men might [illegible]
With Convenence this Rock is about 400 Hunderd
yds from the mouth of the Warm Spring branch
Which is West from th Rock and Heads to the north
its bottoms a bout ½ a mile Wide—a large River bottom
on the South and West mostly Pirarie—the High
Ridge Exstends from the Rock about South East—this
Crick Contains Watter soffecent for mills and
With a long Raice plenty of fall may be Head—
Went up to the mouth of the Crick from that to the
Hill mentioned yesterday and looking up the River
Seen the glisning of a gun barrel or Swoard blaid but
Cold See nothin Elce Returned to Camp
my Self Robert Fowler and Jesey Vanbeber Went on
Hors back to look for Buffelow on the South Side of
the River at about one and a Half miles up the River
We Ware Stoped by Vanbeber Calling to us that He
Seen Seven or Eight Indeans on the Pirarie on the
north Side of the River—that He Seen their gunbarrels
gleson tho at about three miles distance We Returned
to Camp Emedetly—and Head the Horses
drove up and garded the ballence of the day—tho We
Seen nothing more of the Indeans—I Exspect the
Ware a War party looking for the Arrapoho to Steel
their Horses and that the Head Seen nothing of us or
the Wold Have paid us a viset—
Went out on the South Side of the River took Pall
With me I went about three miles over leavel Loos
Sandey land to a High Ridge from Which We Seen
one Buffelow about 2 miles beyound us—We Returned
to Camp Killed nothing—the Hunters killed
nothing—our meet scarce this morning Head the Ice
Sanded So as to make a Road for the Horses fine
grass on the north Side We put them over and Return
them at night in to the Pen Whear We feed them
With the tops of the Young Cotten Wood—of Which
the are very fond
Sent the Horses over Early. duglas to Hord them as
Has been the Case Ever Since the Conl left us. one
man all day With the Horses and drive them up at
night the Wach by day is taken by turns amongest the
Hands We Have now thirty Horses In Cluding those
belonging to Indeviduels—about 12 oclock the Hunters
Came In from the mountains Six in nomber the
Weather Is So Cold the Cannot trap the Have Caught
only Seven Bever killed Some deer Ealk and buffelow
our Hunters kill one deer this day our Sperets are a
little Raised We are now fifteen In nomber and this
party bringing In With them Six Horses and two
mules We have thirty Eight In all
Sent four Hunters With Seven Horses on the South
Side of the River to the mountains to Hunt Buffelow
and not to Return In less than three days Sent the
Horses over the River to Paster—With Barbo to
Hord them Who braught them all In at night
Sent the Horses over the River Dick Walters to Hord
them—all Returned Safte at night—the Hunters not
Returned—
Sent the Horses over the River With Bono to atend
them—He killed one Deer and Braught it to Camp
the Hunters Returned With Small Buffelow—the
Head Killed Several old ones but the Ware Poor and
left out the Horses all up at night
drove the Horses over the River on the Ice as ushal—I
then Went to look out a good Setuation for a new
Settlement on the north Side of the River—Intending
to move tomorrow Should no acoumpt Reach us
from Conl glann—as We began to Sopose He Is now
not at liverty to send or Return there being the full
time Elapsed in Which He promised to Send an Exspress—and
We think that a party of Spanirds may
be Sent to take us prisnors—for Which Reason Intend
makeing a Strong Hous and Hors Pen on the
Bank of the River Wheare it Will not be In the Powe
of an Enemy to aproch us from the River Side—and
Shold the Spanierds appeer In a Hostill manner We
Will fight them on the Ameraken ground. the River
Hear being the line by the last tretey—the Horses all
up at night
moved Camp Early up the River on the north Side to
the Spot I looked out yesterday—We Built a Strong
Hors Peen and Put up the Horses at night—no Word
from Conl glann—We begin to Conclude as Is not
Well Him [all is not well with him]
Sent the Horses out to grase With Dick Walters to
atend them Robert Fowler and my Self Each Shott
one aughter [otter] on the Ice the Horses all up at
night no Word from Conl glann We Intend building
a Hous to morrow about one Hour In the night
thirty Indeans of the Crows Came In to our Camp
and Ware frendly Recogniseing the three men the
maid Prisnors on the 30th of last month and Exspressed
much Joy to See them. and that the Head
got Saft out of the fight With the Arrapohos—Stateing
the Ware going to War With that nation We
gave them Plenty of boiled meet of Which the Eat
Hartily I gave them Some tobaco to Smoke—after
the Head don Eating and Smokeing the Sung a long
Song and all lay down and Slept tell morning—
the Cheef this morning asked for Some tobaco Powder
and lead for His People Which I gave Him With
Which he appered Well Pleesed and gave me a Hors
and I then [gave him] four knives—the Indeans begun
now to move off—but takeing What the Cold
lay their Hands on—one of our men lost a Pistle I
toled [the] Cheef Who Returned [it] Emedetly—and
Caused all to be Returned He Cold but Some of the
Indeans Head gon before the artickels Ware mised
on fellow Came In to my tent threw down His old
Roab and took a new one—I took it from Him and
toled Him to take His own—and on His takeing it
took my Saddle bagg all So—I took them from Him
and Pushed Him out of the tent—by this time one of
the [men] Called out the an Indean Was going off
With His Blanket I applyed to the Cheef Who followed
the fellow and braught back the blanket—but
the fellow Coming back Presented His gun at Simpson—on
Which We Ware all Redey for Battle In an
Instent but the Indean let down His gun Picked up an
old Roab He Had left as it appeered in place of the
blanket the Cheef then moved them all off before
Him—but after the Ware gon Several things Ware
missing amongst the Rest a Roal of large Brass Wier
three blankets five knives a smelting ladle and Dick
Walters Shot pouch and Powder Horn With their
Contents the Cheef toled me the Ware In Sarch of the
Arrapohos Who He Said Head left [this] part of the
Cuntry and gon to the South that He Wold Return
Home to the River Wheare the White men Ware
traid Ing With His nation and Stated that the Whites
Ware Sixty five in nomber—the Indeans Have Eaten
up nearly all our meet and We feel alarmed least the
Shold Return—and Soon Set about building a Hous—nor
did We let out the Horses till We Ware Well
ashored the Indeans Ware all gone off—
We built the Hous With three Rooms and but one
out Side door and that Close to the Hors Pen So that
the Horses Cold not be taken out at night Without
our knoledge We got the Hous Seven logs High
and Well Chinked the goods al stoed a Way before
night—two of our Hunters Went Some distance on
the Indean trail and See two of them Sitting on a
Hill as a Rear gard—and on our men Returning the
Cold See three Indeans following them Some distance
but least the Should Come back and take our Horses
the Ware all drove Into the Peen and garded the balence
of the day and all night—We now felled trees a
Cross the Hors Peen So that it Was Imposeble for
the Indeans to take the Horses out With out Choping
them off and our door and Hors Peen door Ware
So Setuated that [they] Cold not be taken out With
out our knoledge as We kept two Sentnals all night
and all the men Slept With their armes Readey beleveing
the Indeans from the disposetion Shoon to
Steell When the left us Wold Return at night and
Steel our Horses—
Sent out the Horses Early and Bono to Watch them—the
Ware all up at night and two Sentnals up all
night We See nothing of the Indeans but Exspect
them In a few days—the Cheef toled us He Exspected
to Return In a few days and that We Shold move up
betwen the mountains out of the Ware path that a
great many parteys Wold Com this Way and Wold
Steel all our Horses and take our goods to avoid
Which We must go up betwen the mountains out of
their Way and Whear there Was plenty of deer Elk
and Buffelow and that as the White mans frend He
Wold viset us there—
How Ever good this advice I Cold not Pursue it till
the time Sott by Conl glann to Return Shold Run out
Which Wold be on the 2nd day of febury—and if He
did not come by that it Wold be becaus He [was]
detained a prisnor—and then I was to go Whear I
thaught best
the Horses out Early Ward and maxwell to gard them—Robert
Fowler and Slover Caught one bever and a
bever took off our trap Which appeers Was Swept
a Way by the Runing of the Ice—I sott 2 traps In
the Evening the Horses all up at night
I Caught one large bever this morning—and Slover a
Small one—the Horses out Early—We are all most
out of meet—and our Corn begining to be Scarce Con
Clude to Send Hunters out tomorrow to kill buffelow
Horses all up at night
I Sent off three men with four Horses to kill Buffelow
Findley out to Wach the Horses Caught one
Bever the Hunters Return at night but killed nothing
found one mair Soposed to Have been
Stolen by the Indeans found two Horses and braught
them to Camp—Seen one other Hors the did not take
Will go after Him to morrow Horses all up at night
Horses out Early—High Wind and Clear—tho a little
Cloudey before day light—the Hole of this month up
to this time Clear Hard frosts at night the last ten
days Warm the Ice Which Was Eighteen [inches]
thick on the River is nearly gon and the River oppen—Caught
one bever and lost one trap Which Caught
a bever Which pulled up the Stake to which the trap
Was fasned and all Went off together—the Horses all
up at night two of the men drove a Hors Soposed to
Have Strayed from the Indeans—the men now begin
to gro verey un Easey no Word from the Conl—He
promised to Send Peno back in fifteen days it is now
twenty three days and no Word We Exspect they are
all prisnors—and that a party of Spanierds to take
[us] will be Heare Shortly but them We Intend to
fight and not be taken and not leeve our House till the
month is out—and then go to Some Secure place in
the mountains and Remain traping and Hunting till
the grass groes So that our Horses Can travel a Cross
the grand Pirarie and then make our Way Home
the Horses Sent out Early Simpson to atend them—Slover
and Robert Fowler Caught one bever—the
men maid Soap yesterday and this day the are Washing
their Cloths four men out to try and kill Some
der—Findley Caught one bever I am feerfull of sending
to any great distance from Camp least the Spanierds
Shold make an atack on us in their absence—and
We not Strong Enf to keep them off—In the
Evening I found one of the lost traps With a large
bever In it the Horses all up at night no Word from
the Conl—
the Horses out as ushal—Ward [and] Bono killed a
buffelow bull Braught In Some of the meat it Was
not fatt—taylor Road out to Hunt this morning Has
not Returned—the Horses all up at night—
Horses out as ushal—this morning a little Cloudy and
looks like Rain of Which We Have Seen not more
than Wold Wet a mans Shirt Since We left White
River in october last taylor Returned—but killed
nothing—the Horses all up at night two Bever Ware
Caught this day—
the Horses Sent out Early I too[k] Pall With me and
Road up the north fork on the Warm Spring branch
about three miles no Ice to be Seen Except a little
on the Shores from Hear I Crossed the Cuntry to the
main River a distance of a bout five miles and Struct
the River a bout three miles above the forkes Heare
the River Has all the appeerence of a Clos Hard
Winter the Ice is Close and Strong all over the River
down to the forks While below as far as We Have
been for a few days the there Is but little Ice to be
Seen and a long the Shores—the Watter from the
Warm Spring must Shorly be the Caus—five Bever
Braught Into Camp this day the Horses all up at
night—
the Horses out as ushal and about ten oclock two of
the men Came Running In to Camp and Stated the
Indeans Ware Cetching all the Horses—Which to us
Was very unwelken nuse as part of the men Ware out
So that We Cold not Spair men anof to fight them on
the Pirarie—but In a few minets the Horses took the
alarm and broak from the Indeans and Came Runing
to Camp—and Was followed by the Indeans. but
Heare the Horses did not stop but took to the Pirarie
and the Indeans gave up the Chais—and Came to us
as frends—the Ware the Same party of Crows that
Ware With us a few days back and that Head Stolen
So many things from us When the Ware going a
Way I Emedetly Sent Some men after the Horses
and Head them Shet up In the Pen—In the main
time treeted the Indeans frendly give them Some tobaco
to smoke and boiled meat to Eat but Put all the
men to Wach as We new them to be theves It appeer
the Have been In pursute of the Arrapoho but Have
not bee able to tak Horses as the are all Returning on
foot—and Will take our Horses if the Can their Hole
party is now Collected and the are twenty Seven In
nomber that [is] three less than When the left us—the
Say the Had a fight With the Arrapoho and killed
five and I Sopose the lost the three mising—but now
our men are all Collected and the Horses fasned up
in the Peen We think our Selves a full match for this
party—the then offered me Some Roaps in Exchaing
for tobaco Which I gave them as We Wanted
Some Roaps the Chief then asken me for Some Powder
Balls Paint and virdegrees—I gave Him a ltle of
Each think Ing that if I gave Him What He asken for
the Wold not Steel—but in that I was mistaken for
When the begun to move of the began to Steel but
two kittles being mised the Cheef maid Serch and
found [one] the other He Cold not find—and Said
the fellow that took it Had gon off—the now appeer
to be all Readey to Start—and about ten of the go to
the Hors Peen and Exmen it and I beleve the Intend
takeing all the Horses—I ordeared all the men to
Stand Readey With His [gun] In His Hand but not
to use it till I Shot first—my Intention Was to avoid a
fight If poseble—but not to let them take our Horses—but
after looking Some time Round the Peen—the
Cheef Spoke and Said you aught not to Stay Heare
the Indeans Will take your Horses—go to mountains
out of this Ware Road—I am the White mans frend
and do not Want the Indeans to take your Horses—He
then Shook Hands to go off—and one of His
Cheefs Stole a bridle and put it in His bosem—Which
I seen I Pulled oppen His Roab and took the Bridle
from Him the then moved off about fifty yds and all
stoped and appeered to prepair for Battle With their
Backs towards us—We Ware Ready for battle but intend[ed]
to let them brake the peece first but the
Cheef looking Round to us and Pointing to the
Pirarie Called out tabebo[78] Which We understood to
be White men—and Heare a new difecuelty presents
its self—these Indeans are at War With the Spanierds
and if that Shold be Conl glann With His party
the Indeans Will Sopose them Spanierds and atack
them—but to Prevent that two of our men Run threw
the Indeans and Joined the men and Came With them
up to Camp and the Indeans Receved them as frends
it proved to be Peno and Some Spanierds Sent by
Conl glann to Conduct us to the Spanish Settlement
Wheare the govenor and People Head Recd Him on
the most frendly terms and thus our feer from that
quarter Ware all Removed along With Peno there
Was a french Indean or Half Breed that Spoke the
Cro language We now Held a Counsel as our talk
Heare to fore Was mostly by Signs. Heare our
terms of frendship Was Renued the Cheef Stateing
that He Hated that His nation Shold be Called
theves that He Wold as much as poseble Hender
them from Steeling that He Had Cursed them for
Steeling but Cold not find the Kittle—Still telling us
to go to the mountains and out of the War Path that
He Had Hard Work to keep His People from Steeling
our Horses—at the Eand of the talk I gave them
Some Powder and tobaco—the Shok Hand and
moved off—the Weather Became Cloudey and about
dark Began to Snow a little
Sent the Horses out Early the Hands to Packing up
the goods So as to Set out in the morning for the
Spanish Settlement agreable to advice from Conl
glann We now under Stand that the mackeson
[Mexican] provence Has de Clared Independance of
the mother Cuntry and is desirous of a traid With the
people of the united States Conl glann also advises
me that He Has obtained premition to Hunt to trap
and traid In the Spanish provences—
We moved about ten oclock and Steered a little South
of the 3rd mountain over a level plain about ten miles
to a Crick a bout 30 feet Wide and Runs north East
and Heads in the mountains the Bottoms in this Crick
is from three to four Hunderd yards Wide and Well
Covered With Cotten Wood and Boxelder the Bluffs
about one Hunderd feet High frunted With [stone]
of a grayis Coller and to appeerence Weell adapted
for Building—the Hunters killed two Buffelow
Bulls—
Sᵒ 25 West 10 miles[79]
Set out about 10 oclock and at about two miles
[s]truck the Spanish Road on our left Hand—which
leads to touse [Taos, N. M.] Which We followed and
at five miles fell on a branch of the Crick on Which
We lay last night—the meet about one mile below our
Camp—We kept up this Crick and out at the Head of
it and over a low Ridge to another Branch of the Same
Crick Which Puts in below the forkes of the other—We
Went up this Crick about one mile and Camped
near the Mountain makeing about 10 miles in all and
a little West of South—the Hunters killed three deer
and four Buffelow one of Which Was two Poor for
use and two left out all night the Hunters being alone
and not able to bring in the meet and it Was lost—deer
is plenty Heare but Wild We Will Stay Heare
to morrow for the Purpose of killing meet to load the
Spare Horses—
Sᵒ 25 West 10 miles[80]
Hunters out Early—killed one Cow Buffelow With
In four Hunderd yards of Camp—but So Poor the
meat Was not Worth Saveing—three Bulls killed this
day and three Hors loads of meat Braught to Camp—two
deer braught into Camp—it is now Sunddown
and three Hunters out yet—this morning Was
Clouday and the Snow fell about 2 Inches deep—about
10 oclock at night the Hunters Came In Haveing
killed three Buffelow and loaded their Horses to
Camp one of them Slover—got His feet a lletle frost
Bitten—Conclude to Hunt to morrow as our Horses
Can Carry more meet
up Early to Start the Hunters out—but I now discover
the men are all feerfull of meeting With the Indeans
as We are near the War Road and Have maid
So much Sign In the Snow that the Will track us up
and Steel our Horses Whill We are So much Scattered
as not to be able to defend our Selves—and to
be left Heare Without Horses—at So great a distance
from Home—there is no knolede of What destress
We might Come to—
I then Con Cluded to load up and move on the
Road Which We did and on loading up the Horses
We find seven Hors loads of meet We moved on
about six miles along the futt of the mountains to [a]
Crick[81] Wheare We Camped for Wood and Watter—the
Hunters killed two Bulls this day but two Poor
for use—the Snow is Heare about three Inches deep
on the leavel Pirarie but on the north Side of the
Hills the old Snow is more than one futt deep and up
the mountains it is Still deeper—
Sᵒ 25 West 6 miles
Set out Early about South along the foot of the
mountains for about ten miles to a Crick[82] [and] about
five miles [further] to Whar there the Remains of a
Spanish fort to apperence ocepied about one year
back—Hear We Camped[83] for the night Which Was
Cold and Windey—So that the two men kept out as
gard With the Horses—Was like to frees—as We
Have kept two men garding the Horses all night
Ever Since We left our House on the River and Intend
keeping them up till We Rech the Spanish Settlement
We this day maid fifteen miles—
the Wind High and Very Cold We set out Early up
the valley[84] a little West of South for about two miles
thence up the Point of a mountain and along a Ridge
leave High Peeks on both Sides till We took up a
High Hill and threw a Pine groave Whar the Snow is
three feet deep—and at about five miles from Camp
We Came to the top or Backbon of the mountain
Which devides the Watters of the arkensaw from the
Delnort Heare the Wind Was So Cold We Scarce
dare look Round—
South 5 miles to the top of the mountain[85]
We then Steered more West down the mountain to
a branch[86] of the delnort—and down that about
South for nearly ten miles to Wheare the mountains
are much lower Whear [we] Capted [camped] for
the [night] We Hear find no timber but Piny and
Roal Some old logs off the mountain for fier Wood—Dick
Walters is mising and on Inquirey He Had lost
His Blanke[t]s Comeing down the mountain and
tyed His Hors to a tree and gon back to find them and
that His Hors broke loos and overtook the Reer party
at about four miles from Whare He tied Him the
Hors Was Hear Caut and tied again it is now Sundown
and no Word of Dick We are afraid He is frosen
We maid fifteen miles this day—Walters got to
Camp Some time In the night
Sᵒ 45 West 10 miles[87]
Set out Early down the Crick nearly South at five
miles [leaving] the Crick on our Right Hand Came
to Crick[88] Runing West With Some Cottenwood
and Willows We Crossed this Crick Into an oppen
plain[89] of great Exstent We Have now left the
mountains behind us and on our left Hand tho there
are Some to be Seen at a great distance on our Right
and In frunt—our Cors is now South and Crossing a
Small Crick at three miles and at twelve miles farther
Camped on a Crick[90] 40 feet Wide full of Running
Watter Some Cotten Wood trees and Willows
We this day maid twenty one miles—South 21 miles
Set out the Sun about one Hour High nearly South
along the mountains leave them on our left and pasing
Some Small mounds[91] on the Right Which Stand
alone in the Pirarie at fifteen miles Crosed a Small
Crick[92] Runing West from the mountains a Cross the
plain and In the Evening Crossed two more Small
Streems Runing as before and at night Camped on a
Small Crick at the lower Eand of this large [San
Luis] vally Heare the mountain Puts a Cross the
Plain to the River Delnort about 6 miles to our Right
as We Have been going down that River at about
the above distance Ever Since We Came in to this
plain—on this Crick there Is a Small Spanish vilege
but abandoned by the Inhabetance for feer of the Indeans
now at War With them We this day troted the
Horses more than Half the time and maid thirty miles
nor did We Stop till In the night
South 30 miles—
We Set [out] at an Early Hour Crossing a Crick[93]
Well adapted for mills of Ither the Saw or the grinding
and plenty of tall Pitch Pine—We Heare proceded
up the Side of a High mountain and Continueing
alonge the Side of it the River Runing Close under
the futt of it So that the Was no other Way to pass—We
Continued over Ruff grounds and deet guters
for nine miles to a Small vilege[94] on a Crick[94]—Heare
We Capped [camped] in the vileg for the night—and
our gides left us as Well as the Intarpreter after
Shewing us Into a Hous as He Said of Honest People—and
telling on ordors that I Had no money but
wold pay in Such artickels as We Had the land lord
Was verry Kind I obtained Some taffe[95] for the men
as the Have not tasted any Sperits Since We left the
virdegree He put all our goods in a dark Room and
locked them up—and We lodged in an outer Room—the
Inturpreter and guide promised us to Return
to us Early—Sᵒ 30 West 9 miles
We Had the Horses up Early and With Some defequeelty
got out the Saddles and Bridles—and then
atempted to Settle the Bill but the Spanierd Ither
Cold not or Wold not under Stand me I Soposed the
amt about Six dollers—and layed ten Dollers Worth
of Knives and tobaco—Which He took up and put a
Way I demanded the goods but to no purpose He
Wold not let me Have them Still Saying that Battees[96]
told Him not to let the goods go till He Came
now this Battees Was one of the men Imployed Heare
and Sent by Conl glann to asist us over the mountain—and
I began to ConClude that Some vilenus Skeem
Was at Worke betwen Him and the landlord as He
did not Return as He promised—but after about three
Hours disputeing and Indevering to get the goods I
Seen that nothing but force Wold do I Steped to my
gun and So did Robert Fowler I told the men to do
the Same—and [when] I Seen all Readey I Spoke
loud Saying I Wold Have the goods and Shoing much
anger—the Spanierd got in a better umer and gave
up the goods—So We loaded and moved on Crossing
a Crick Which Run West threw the villege Steered
a little South of East about twelve miles over a High
Butifull plain to the villege of St Flander[97]—In the
nibor Hood of touse.[98] about two miles from the villege
We meet With Conl glann at the Crossing of a
Crick[99] Which [ran] West—on our a Rivel at the
villege We mised one of the Hors loads of meet
and on Inquiery it was found that one of the
Spanierds Head taken it of to His own Hous
at about three miles distance So We lost it
there being no moad of Recovering it—He was
one of the men Sent out to asist us over the
mountains and that morning With out being notised
put the load on His own Hors—and falling behind
maid His Eskape With the meet—We Heare found
the people extremly poor. and Bread Stuff Coud not
be Head amongest them as the Said the grass hopers
Head Eat up all their grain for the last two years and
that the Head to Pack all their grain about one Hunderd
miles—for their own use—We found them
Eaqually Scarce of meet and Ware offered one quarter
of a doller a bound for the meet We Braght in With
us—but this We Cold not spair and Haveing nothing
Els to eat it Will not last us long—and no Bread Stuff
to be got Heare We must Soon leave this Reeched
place—and now in the dead of Winter and the Waters
frosen tite Exsept the River Delnort Which is Said
to be oppen to Which We Intend to go as Soon as
poseble to Cetch Bever to live on as there is no other
game In this part of the Cuntry—
Remained In the villedge all day and In the Evening
there Was a Colletion [of the] men and Ladys of the
Spanyerds Had a fandango in our House Wheare
the appeered to InJoy them Selves With the Prest at
their [head]—to a great degree—
Remained In the villege all day But Sent out two
parteys of trapes to Remain out till the first of may
next—Hear it may be Remembered that a Capten and
Sixty men of the Spanierds Came in from the
arkensaw With Conl glann and little party—and now
the Same Capten and party Has Crossed the mountaines
again—but before He let [left] Home Has Interdused
Conl glann and Mr. Roy to His family Consisting
a Wife and two daughters both young Woman
the old lady Haveing paid us a visid In the morning
appered In a few minet quite formiler and as Well
aquainted With us as If She Head knone us for several
years tho She did not Stay more than about Half
an Hour—But in the after noon a boy Came With a
mesege for Conl glann mr Roy and the negro. Who
after Some Ceremony acCompanyed the two gentlemen
but With Some Reluctance aledgeing that He
Was not Settesfyed to go With out His master
aledgeing as the ladys appeerd more atached to Him
than [to] the White men—that there might be Some
mischeef Intended and uder those doupts He Went
as I before Stated and from the Statement of those
two gentlemen I Will Indevour to State What followed—it
Is a Custom With the Spanierds When Interdused
to Imbrace With a Close Huge—this Ceremoney
So Imbareshed Pall and maid Him So Shaimed
that I[if] a Small Hole Cold Have been found He
Wold Sartainly Crept Into it. but unfortnetly there
Was no Such place to be found. and the trap door
threw Which the desended Into the Room being Shut
down [for the Went In at the top of the House][100]
there Was no Poseble Way for Him to make His Escape—now
the Haveing but one Beed in the House
and that So large as to be Cappeble of Holding the
three Copple of poson—there Ware all to lodge to
geather and the mother of the daughters being oldest
Had of Corse the ferst Chois of Bows. and took pall
for Hir Chap takeing Hold of Him and drawing
Him to the beed Side Sot Him down With Hir arms
Round His Sholders. and gave Him a Kis from[?]
Sliped Hir Hand down Into His Britches—but it
Wold take amuch abeler Hand than mine to discribe
palls feelings at this time being naturly a little Relegous
modest and Bashfull He Sot as near the wall as
Was Poseble and it may be Soposed He Indevoured
to Creep Into it for Such Was His atachment to the
old lady that he kept His [eyes] turned Constently
up to the trap door—and to His great Joy Some person
oppened it to Come In to the Same Room—But
Pall no Sooner Saw the light [for their Rooms are
dark][101] than He Sprang from the old lady and Was
out In an Instent—and maid to our lodgeing as fast
as Poseble Wheare the other two Soon followed and
told What Head Happened to Pall
Remained in the vilege all day nothin meterel took
place.
I Set out on a traping tower With Robert Fowler—Taylor
Walters and Pall With Eight Horses We
Went South West about ten miles to the bank of the
River [Rio Grande]—Which Bank or Bluf Was So
High We Cold see no Chance of getting down With
the Horses for We looked some time before We Cold
see the River the distance Was So great—and the
River looked like a Small Spring Branch that a man
might Easely Step over—and Head We not been told
that the River Was In that gap We Cold not Have
beleved the River Was there at all—We then Pased
down a long the Bluff about two miles and found a
path Way down the mountain—the Bluf or River
Bank as you may Chose to Call it Which path We
took but With great danger to our Horses and In
about two Hours going down that mountain We got
to the River Which is about one Hunderd yds Wide
and is fordable With Horses—and now takeing a
vew of the River I find it is at least one thousand feet
below the leavel of Pirarie. and is bound With a bluf
of Rocks on Each Side mostly Parpendickeler So that
there Is but few plases that Ither man or Beast asend
them—We are now at the mouth of the [Taos] Crick
Which Pases threw touse Heare is two Houses With
Each one family of Spanierds and it is not Poseble the
Have more than Half an acer of ground to live on.
and Shold a Rock Breake loos and Come down Wold
destroy the Hole Settlement
Sᵒ 45 West 10 to the River
Robert Fowler and my Self Went down the River
about Six miles on foot to look for Bever no Sign of
any the River is So bound With Rocks that With
much difequaty We maid our Way Heare We found
a nother Small villege[102] With Eight or ten Houses and
a foot Bridge a Cross the River over Which We Went
and Heare We found a Path up the River Hills Which
[were] full as High as Wheare We first Came to it
But Heare the Rocks are So broken that a Papth
Way is found up threw them after a long and tedeous
Walk We a Rived at the top of the Hil and found our
Selves on oppen leave[l] Pirarie of from forty to fifty
miles Wide. We are now on the West Side of the
River and Went up along the Bluf about two miles
and Came to a dry Crick Which put into the River
but the Rocks Ware So High on Each Side that We
Walked up it about one Hour before We found any
Poseble Chance of Crossing it after Which We pased
over the leavel Pirarie opset our Camp[103] Wheare We
found a path leading down threw the Rocks to the
River and it appeers that there is no poseble Chance
of going up or down these Clifts but at those paths—for
as Soon as you Come to the top of these Clifts and
look down you are so struck With Horror that you
Will Retret In an Instant
Crosed the River Early and Wound up the mountain
along a path maid By the Spanierds among the Rocks
till We arived at the top in the oppen World and
Steereing to the north leaveing the River on our
Right Hand and Camped at night opesed the villege
Wheare We Head the defequeelty Withe the land
lord We this day maid about fourteen[104] miles—and
found no Watter for our Horses Sent two Kittles
down to the River for Watter Heare We find the
mountain about the Same Hight as Wheare We
Ca[m]ped last night With a path up threw the Rocks
maid by the People of the villege on the East side—14 miles
We Set out Early up the margin of the River about
twelve miles to the point of a mountain Cut off by the
River forming a parpendickelor Bluff of about fifteen
Hunderd feet High—over this mountain We Head
to Clime on the top of Which the Snow Was nee
deep—tho there Was none on the Pirarie We Went
four miles farther and Camped on the margen of the
River Sent down two kittles for Watter and sot two
bever traps—Heare the Rocks or Bluffs are a little
Broken and not quite so High as Wheare We Stayed
the two nights past—tho Heare they are about nine
Hunderd feet High and So Steep—Exsept the Spot
Wheare Sent down the kittles that a Squerel Cold not
Climb them—our distance this day is Sixteen miles—16 miles
found one Bever in a trap this morning Sott the two
traps again and moved up the River about Six miles
and Ca[m]ped on the margen of the River the Rocks
not So High as last night but So Steep that We Cold
not git Watter from the River and melted Snow for
that Purpose Which We found among Some Rocks
We found some dry Ceders for fier Wood—6 miles
Very Cold Haveing Snowed a little In the fore part
of the night Sent for the two Bever traps—the River
Had frosen over them So that We Caught nothing—Seen
two men on Hors Back at a great distance Soposed
to be Indeans—the Road off as fast as their
Horses Cold Carry them—We this day Seen Six Wild
Horses tho two of them must Have been In Hands as
their tails Ware Bobed Short—We find no game yet
and our Stock of provetion Is nearly out—
We Sot out Early up the River and at about 12 miles
Came to the upper Eand of the High Rocks[105] and
going down a gradual decent three or four Hunderd
yds Came to a low Bottom on the River the Bank being
low not more than six or Eight [feet] High the
River butifull and a bout one Hundred yds Wide—But
all frosen up tite—We Heare got Watter for the
Horses—it Is Heare proper to Remark that the
River as far as We Have Seen it pasing down betwen
the High Rocks or mountains—dose not move
In a very gentle manner as It appeers much Impeded
by the Rocks falling from Each Side. and is forsed forward
dashing from one Rock over others In almost
one Continued foam the Hole distance threw the
mountains Which from What I Can larn is about
seventy miles When it appeers below In an
oppen Cuntry—I Have no doubt but the River
from the Head of those Rocks up for about
one Hundred miles Has once been a lake of about
from forty to fifty miles Wide and about two Hunderd
feet deep—and that the running and dashing of
the Watter Has Woren a Way the Rocks So as to
form the present Chanel—We this day Crosed a dry
Branch. But Have not Seen one Streem of Watter
In all the distance We Have Came up on the [west]
Side We travled nor Cold our Horses get one drop of
Watter in all that distance but the Eat Snow When
the Cold get it—We Went up the River a bout Six
miles further and Camped on the East Side in a Small
grove of Cotten Wood trees the Ice In [is] now so
Strong the Horses Can Cross at pleasure—We find
nothing to kill Exsept two of the Big Horned Sheep
[Ovis montana] one of Which Robert Fowler shot but
Cold not git it—
We this day maid Eighteen miles our Corse about
north all the Way up the River—North 54 miles[106]
We Set out Early up along the West Side of the
River and at two miles Came to High Short Hills
Which Put In Cloce to the River on both Sides and
Continu for about three miles Wheare We find Wide
and low Bottoms—Heare We See timber a Head
Wheare We Will Indevour to Camp this night—and
at ten miles We Came to Slovers party In Camped
about two miles up Pikes forke of the Delnort and
about three miles below His Block House Wheare He
Was taken by the Spanierds—this fork Is oppen
ocationed by the large Warm Spring Spoken of In
Pikes Jurnal this party Has Caught Some Bever and
their Is Sign of more in the River our Cors this day
Was north 30 West ten miles—there is plenty of Cotten
Wood trees and Willowes along this but Scarce a
tree on the main River
N 30 West 10 miles[107]
We moved up the River threw the Bottom Which is
about fifty miles Wide In Cluding the second Bottom
leavel and Rich and not a tree to be Seen Exsept a
few along the River bank—We maid twelve miles.
and Camped on the East Side among Some Willows
and geathered drift Wood for our fier—the Weather
Is very Cold the Snow fell last night about two Inches
deep—Cors north 12 miles[108] See nothing to kill
Crosed over on the Ice and up the West Side of the
River the timber and Brush Is now plenty In the low
bottoms Which are from two to four miles Wide tho
these are not all Covered With timber—and Hear
there Is on both Sides What We Call a second bottom
a little Higher than the first—the Hole now
makeing a distance of from 30 to 40 miles now Since
We Have Came to the timber We find much Sign of
Bever—But the River Is So frosen that We Cannot
ketch them We Camped on the East Side of the
River and Conclude to go to the West mountains[109]
In the morning and try to kill meet to Eat as our provetions
are all gon—nor Have We Seen any kind of
game Since We left Slovers party N 45 West 18
miles
Robert Fowler and my self Set out Early on futt for
the West mountains and Steered for a Small streek of
Brush Whear We Exspect to find Watter as that kind
of Brush dos not grow With out We on the Way See
Eight[y] or 90 Wild Horses and In devour to git
In Shot distance so as to kill one to Eat—but In that
We failed for Whin We Ware at about one miles distanes
the Seen us and all Run off—We Went to the
mountain and Camped by the Side of a large Rock
Wheare We [found] both Wood and Watter Was
plenty but nothing to Eat Pall and taylor Came up
With the Horses We all Went up the mountains
to Hunt But See nothing to kill—but there Was
Some Sign of the Big Horned Sheep on the
Sides of the mountain amongst the Short Pine
Which Is plenty Heare In Some plases—the Weather
Is Cold and Some flying Clouds—our Corse Was this
day West 12 miles—We Heare found by going up
the mountain the Snow Was So deep We Cold not
travel tho there Was little or none In the valey
West 12 miles[110]
We Conclude to go to the River and up it till We
find game—Pall and my Self take the Horses and
Steerd north to the River about ten miles Robert
Fowler and Taylor out on the Hunt—Camped on the
West Side of the River—nothing killed this day—
north 10 miles [to] West Side of the River[111]
nothing to Eat—Taylor Purposes to take Robert
Fowlers Hors and Ride Hunting Which Was agread
to He Went on the West Side of the River I Went
my Self on the East Side up the River about ten miles
to the Short Hills Seen Some Caberey but killed
nothing Taylor did not Return at night—nothing
to Eat but look at Each other With Hungrey
faceses
this morning Taylor Came Into Camp on futt Haveing
lost the Hors With Sadle Bridle Blankets nek
Roap and all In the first Short Hills on the West
Side of the River at Some ten or twelve miles up—and
that He Said He Head Seen many deer Elk and Bares—to
Which place We moved as fast as poseble and
got there about 3 oclock Seen a great many deer but
killed nothing—our Corse West ten miles
all out and Hunt till about 10 oclock but killed nothing
tho Seen Some deer—We now begin to think of
killing one of our Horses—but first move to a fresh
Camp Wheare We Have not disturbed the game and
try In the Evening again to kill Something We move
about two miles to the River—as We Were now
Camped on a Small Crick[112]—and put out the Horses
Robert and my Self took our guns to Hunt on futt as
there Was much timber land Heare—but Taylor and
Pall Began to Complain of Hunger of Which Taylor
began gro black In the face and Pall Was gitting
White With the Same Complaint and the both
thaught the Hors Shold be killed. to Which Robert
and my Self Consented and gave them liberty to kill
Him as Soon as the Cold—but not Willing to See
that operation Robert and my Self Went off to
Hunt but We Soon Heard the gun fier that We Soposed
to kill the Hors—but We kept our Corse down
the River on the Ice as the Brush Was thick and dry
So that If We Went on land We maid So much nois
that We Could not git neer the game—but We Head
not gon far before Som deer Was Seen In the Brush
and Robert Went after them and killed two of them
He then Went to Camp for a Hors leaveing me to
take Care of the deer—but When He got to Camp
He found one of the Horses about Half Skined—but
another Was Soon got up and the deer Caryed to
Camp Wheare We Soon Head Suntious feest and
much Plesentness now appeered Round the fier tho
We lamented the fate of the Poor Hors—as now
[we] Head no use for His flesh Which feel a pray to
the Birds and Wolves
Sent Pall out Early to look for the Horses We Soon
Heard the Report of gun and not long after Pall Came
In With a deer on His back the first He Ever killed
In His life—We Have meet plenty and the Weather
Is now moderate Some Holes appeer a longe Shore
In the Ice out at Which the bever Workes We Sot
some traps this day—
Caught one bever—and Hunted for the lost Hors—but
Have not found Him—
Taylor Caught one Bever—Hunted for the lost Hors—met
With vanbeber and two of His party the had
found our lost Hors—the Remained at our Camp that
night the Hors Head lost all but the Bridle
vanbeber and His Party Set out Early up the River
We Con Clude to follow them one or two days Exspecting
We may find Some Elk—We Went up the
[River] twelve miles pasing at Seven miles a large
pond of Watter of about 40 acers on the West Side of
the River—the Bottom of Which is about one mile
Wide the mountains High on Each Side—the tops of
Which are a great Hight above vegatation at about
ten miles We Crost a fork[113] Puting In on the West
Sid about one third as large as the River it appeers
to Head to the West—Heare the River makes a turn
to the north as fare as We Cold See up it—We
Camped With vanbebers party the Head killed one
Elk—our Cors West 12 miles—Heare the mountains
Put Close to the River Which [is] very Croked
I Remained at Camp Robert [Fowler] and Taylor
Went Hunting the formor killed two Elk and left
the latter to butcher them While took out Horses
and braught them In to Camp
Went up the River to look for Sign of Bever but
found none
We moved down the River to the first High point of
Rocks on the East [north] Side at the Head of the
large vally and about one mile below Where We killed
the Hors—Some Snow fell last night the Weather
Cold the River Is yet frosen up Close Except a few
Springs in the River bank Which keeps it oppen a
few feet—High Wind last night—
Sot Some traps—Taylor Came In late at night Reports
that Some Indeans are Camped about Eight
miles below us on the River
Taylor purposes going to the Indeans Camp I gave
Him Some tobaco for that purpose—He Went to the
Indeans Robert my Self and Pall Road out the
mountains and on our Return We See a nomber of
Indeans at Camp Which We Cold See at Some distance
from the point of one of the mountains and not
noing what Indeans the Ware we vewed them about
Half an Hour—the then moved off from our Camp
and We Came In—Wheare We found taylor—tho the
Indeans Had Stolen two Buffelow Roabs Some lead
and two knives—and Ware of the utaws nation
[Utes] Which Roame about and live In the mountains
Without Haveing any Settled Home and live
alltogether on the Chase Raising no grain—Slover
With His party Pased up the River this day—
We Remain at the Same Camp—Caught one Bever
and one aughter [otter] Ward and duglass Came to
our Camp from touse [Taos]—and State that the
Spanierds Have Sent 700 men against the nabeho
[Navajo] Indeans—and of a battle being faught between
Spanierds and the Panie Indeans East of the
mountains
Ward and Duglass Set out for vanbebers Camp—In
the Evening two Spanierds Came to Camp—Hard
frost last night
Went up the River above the forkes to kill meet the
two Spanierds With us—
We Hunted till 12 oclock for Elk but found none—We
Continued up the north [fork] about Eight miles
Heare the mountains Close in on both Sides So that
our Pasege Was Defequal and the River turning to
the West—We maid ten miles and Camped With Slover
and vanbeber Partey the Have all meet Heare
together—the Have killed two Elk Nᵒ 8 miles—West
2 miles[114]
Robert and myself Set out Early to Hunt and Haveing
been Informed that a Hot Spring Had been found
up the Crick Which put In to the River from the West
[south] Side a little above our Cam[p]—We Went
to the Spring about one and a Half miles up the Crick—But
the Smoke appeered like that of a Salt furnis—as
Soon as We Came In vew of it—the Snow Was
now about Six Inches deep over the valley of the
Crick But the Hot Watter Head kept the ground
Cleane for a few Rods Round the Spring—but What
appeered Straing to look at Was to see Ice Exstended
about three feet from the Shore over the Watter—tho
a boiling up In the middle of the Pon[d] Which Was
about three Rods a Cross and nearly Round the Spert
of Watter Rose up Some distance above the leavel
of the Watter In the Pon and Was about the
Size of a flour Barrel—now the question Was How
Can the Ice Existe on Hot Watter. I Caught hold of
the Ice as I Soposed—and [was] not only Scalded
With the Watter but the [was] Burned With the Ice
it being nearly as Hot as the Watter—bout on a farther
Examination I found it Was a mineral Substan
that Had Congeled on the Watter of Which there
Ware vast quantitys laying below the Spring In the
Crick Which Run from it—We then Went up the
mountain till the Snow got So deep We Ware obliged
to Return—killed nothing—this forke [Hot Spring
creek] of the River Heads nearly [south] in the
High mountains—the main River Heading north[115]
and from appeerence the mountains Seperates and be
Comes Lower as you go up the River leaveing a large
valley—and low Bottoms along the River—the two
Spanierds tell us it is about one days travel to the
Head of the River—the Cuntry is low a Crass to the
arkensaw—about twenty miles north [west] from
Heare and Six East [north] of this River there Is a
large lake[116] or Bodey of Watter that Has no out let
that there is Some Island In it With trees on them—the
all So State that this lake lyes be twen the Delnort
and the arkensaw and that the Cuntry is low all
the Way betwen the two Rivers—
We Heare left the two Spanierds With Slover as We
Head Dick Walters at His Camp on Pikes fork We
moved down the River a little below the main forkes
and killed one Elk Wheare We Camped for the night—bothe
the other partys pased us Heare and Camped
about one mile below us—the Ice begins to thaw and
all makeing for the Bever Sign—
this morning two of our Horses Ware mising—about
twelve oclock We found them and moved down
to Hanging [Rock] as We Have Called it at our old
Camp—the Weather Has got Cold and the Ice
Harder—We Will not be able to trap for Some time
yet—We Heare find the flax [Linum perenne] In
abondance the Rute Is purenal [root is perennial]
but In Every other appeerence it is like ous—
Remained In Camp—the Ice begins to thaw in the
day time but Hard frost at night—
Remained in Camp all day—
Remained in Camp all day—
Some difequalty With Taylor He quits us or We leave
Him—and move up a Crick to the South a bout four
miles to Some bever Dams—Robert Fowler Complains
of the Sore throat for Some days—and is gitting
Worse
South 4 miles
Robert is Still Worse With the Sore throat—We apply
a sock With ashes Round His neck—He finds
Releef in about two Hours—Hard frost this morning
and Cold With High Winds
Caught three Bever and Examin the Crick about Six
miles Higher up to Wheare the mountains Close In
on both Sides there Is timber and Willows all along
this Crick and the bottoms about Half a mile Wid and
Well adopted for Cultavation on acoumpt of Eragation—as
no other lands Can be Cultivated Heare for
the Want of Seasnable Rains—
Sᵒ 30 W 6 miles
We Have Remained Heare Waiting for the Ice to
melt out of the Crick but the Weather Continues Cold
and Clouday With frequent Snow Storms the Ice is
Still frosen over the bever dams So that We Caught
but few—Robert Sore throat Has gon much better—We
moved down to the River about 3 miles above
our old Camp killed three gees—Sot Some traps—the
gees is now Coming plenty and those We killed fatt
Which is pleasing to us as We Have now lived a long
time on Poor meet—Cloudey and begins to Snow—the
Ice is nearly gon out of the River
the Snow is about four Inches deep Caught one bever
killed one Sand Hill Crain [Grus mexicana] and five
gees—the day is Warm—the Snow all gon out of the
valleys but the mountains are all Covered moved
to down to the old Camp
Caught four Bever and killed five gees—the Weather
is gitting Cold
Killed five gees—the Watter frose over the traps
Caught no bever
Caught two bever—and Remained the ballence of the
day In Camp
Caught one Bever killed three gees—the Weather
much Warmer We move up the Crick to the Bever
dams—find the Ice much thiner and Sot Some traps—
Hard frost last night and frose up the traps Caught
but one bever We now find that In this Crick the
Watter Rises by Suns thaw Ing the Ice and at night
With the Hard frost so that the Rise and fall of the
Watter will defeet the traping
moved Early about East threw a low [gap] In the
Spurs of the mountains about ten miles and Camped
a little below the Spanish Road leading to Pikes
[fork. In the] gap In the mountain—We Sot Some
traps—N 70 East 10 to the River[117]
Caught one Bever—We find the River as Well as the
Crick Rises In the day with melting of the Ice for it
Cannot be the Snow In the mountain the distance up
to the Snow prevents the Watter from Ever Retching
the vally the ground is so dry and loose that the Watter
all dis appeers before it Can Rech near the futt of
the mountains and Haveing Had frost at night the
River falls as much as it Rises in the day—Taylor
Came to our Camp to day and States that there are a
great many Indeans on the River both above and below
us that the Had Robed His Camp and taken all
His traps but that He Had followed them and got all
back but two traps
Caught one Bever and moved down the River about
12 miles on the north Side We Have killed twelve
gees Since We Have been on the River last—
Caught one Bever—Killed five gees moved down the
River to the lower Eand of the timber—the Indeans
are all gon to the West over the mountains the Ware
the utaws nation—
moved down the River about ten miles—and then
turned East across the valley to a crick[118] and up it
about five miles—this Crick Heds to the north as Is
the Same We Came down Where We Crosse the
mountains In feby last—We this day mett With venbeber
and Ward—
Heare Is Some Indeans from the Spanish Settlement—We
moved up the Crick about ten miles lost one
bever trap—Nᵒ 10 miles
Went up the Crick about three miles and found Some
Sign of bever—Sot Some traps—We yesterday pased
threw Some of the Richest bottom on the Crick that
I have Seen and Contains Six or Eight thousand
acers[119]
N 20 West 3 miles
Cold and Clouday the Crick frose up—We Caught
nothing—We Set out threw the Pirarie down the
Crick a Snow Storm Came on and Caught us In the
Pirarie the Wind and Snow in our faces So that We
Cold not See one another two Rods—this Storm
lasted about two Hours and it Was Weel for us it
Seesed for We Cold not See Which Way to go and
our Setuation Was Realy unplesent—
We Camped near the mouth of the [Trinchera]
Crick Wheare We found Some timber—
the ground is now Covered With Snow and Hard
frosen—We Have not Seen one morning With out
frost Since the Winter first Sot In—We Crossed the
River a little above Pikes forke [Rio Conejos] and
ConCluded to go back to the timber up the River for
Which We Steered for three or four miles and
Crossed a large Streem [La Jara] of Runing Watter
forty feet Wide and nearly beley deep to the
Horses—We Head Crossed this Same Crick In febuy
last [Feb. 20] but the Was no Watter then In it
it Haveing to pass over about twenty miles of oppen
leavel Pirarie it Was all frosen to Ice—at that time
and Is now melted and Coming down—the Snow
Has disappeered In the valey but the mountains
Covered—
Caught 2 beve and killed one goos We yester day
Seen our Hors lost by vanbebers Party but So willd
We Cold not take Him—
Caught one Bever and moved up the River about four
miles and Camped on the West Side vanbebers party
pased us on the East going up all So—
Caught one bever and moved up the River about 12
miles the day Cloudey and Cold Comesed Snowing
fast In the Evening and Continued till late at night—
the Snow about Six Inches deep We Caught one
Bever and killed four gees—the day Warm the Snow
all gon before night—
killed two gees and Caught two Bever—Remained
the ballence of the day at Camp—
Caught 2 Bever and killed two gees the Weather
Warm the grass begins to appeer a little moved up
the River a bout Seven miles Seen about twenty Elk
Robert Shot one but it went off With the Rest—the
mountains are Still Covered With Snow tho none In
the valeys—
Caught two bever killed one goos moved up the River
about Six miles Seen nine Elk—
Caught two bever killed one goos and moved up the
River to the Hanging Rock[120] and from that to the
Bever dams on the Crick Wheare We left on the 6th
Instent Soposeing the Ice Wold be gon out of the
Crick—
Caught two bever—the Weather Cold—no game
Hear and the Bever Poor We Will move to the River
In the morning on acoumpt of killing gees to Eat—
Caught two bever moved to the River and Crosed
over to the East Side and Camped a little below the
Hanging Rock killed one goos and one duck—
Caught one Bever killed one goos and moved down
the river about five miles—
Set out down the River Intend to go to the Settlement
We are giting Scarce of Powder Haveing to
Shute So much at gees for Want of larger game—killed
two Caberey and one Elk—maid Eight miles
and Camped on the East Side of the River—
killed two gees moved down the River near the lower
Eand of the timber Seen many Elk the Have now left
the mountains and Come Into the timber land on the
River to feed on the young grass—
no frost this morning and the first We Have Seen
this Spring—the grass groes but Slow the trees not
yet Buding the ground is as dry as dust no moisture
but the Snow Since We Came to the Cuntry and
the Spanierds Say that It is three years Since the
Have Had Rain—we moved down the River about
four miles and Crossed to the West Side of the River
and Steered South at about ten miles Crosed the Willow
Crick and at about fifteen miles pased a Spring
In the leavel Pirarie Which Contained about on Hog-set
of Clear Cool Watter Standing on Rise or mound
of Earth a little above the leavel of the Pirarie the
ground Round this Spring Was quite Soft and Wen
We Ware at the Watter by Jumping on the ground
you Cold See it Shake for about two Rods all Round—about
five miles farther We Crosed Pikes forke at
the mouth of the Warm Spring Branch Spoken of
by that gentleman In Jurnal[121] We then pased threw
Some low Hills a little East of South Seven miles to
the River and Crossing over found the Watter up to
the Saddle Sceats and one of our Pack Horses fell
down with his load and Was not able to Rise So that
We Had Some difequalty to Keep Him from be
drounded We then pased over a low Ridge about Half
a mile and Camped on a crick Wheare We found
Some Woods—
Clouday With High Winds Some Snow—We moved
on Intending to Camp on a branch With Some timber
on the East Side of the Snake Hill at twelve miles We
maid the Branch but no Watter—We Went up the
Crick about Eight miles and there found it a Bold
Runing Streem[122] Hear We Camped for the night
makeing in [all] twenty miles We Seen Heare on
this Crick a great many Cabery but very Wild
South 45 East 18 [sic] miles
Hard frost the Ice about the 8th of an Inch on the
kittle of Watter Killed a Woolf at Camp—and Set
out up the [Culebra] Crick to[ward] the mountains
about three miles Whear We Struck the Road to
touse [Taos] Which We took and Camped at the
Hords mans villege but no purson to be Seen the
Have deserted that place—about Sundown Six Indeans
Came to our Camp the Ware of the apacha nation
now at Pace With the Spanierds—the derected us to
go off Emedetly Saying that the utaws Had Stolen
three Horses from our men and that [they] Wold
Steel ours if We Stayed at this place all night—We
geathered up our Horses and after night moved off
about three miles and lay Without fier—
We Went down to St flander [San Fernandez de
Taos] in the nibor Hood of touse [Pueblo de Taos]
and find Conl glann Is gon to stafee [Santa Fé]
We Remained Heare two days vanbebers Party
Head Came In and the french partey Is Heare all So—We
now find all the Horses that ware left Heare
very Poor and the Rainge near the vilege all Eat out
I then ConCluded to take all the Horses out of the
Settlement to good Rainge So as to fatten them or
the Will not be able to Cross the mountains on the
first of June as that Was the time We In tend to Set
out I therefore derected them all to be Collected
and that I Wold move them In the morning.—
We Ware Informed that Spanish army Had Returned
that they Hag taken one old Indean and Some
two or three old Horses that Ware So poor the Nabeho
[Navajo] Cold not drive them up the mountains—for
it appers the Went up the Steep mountain
and Role down the Rocks on their Pursurs So that
the Ware Compled to discontinu the pursute—
moved up the Crick South about five miles and
Camped in the forks near Some Hords men Ho kept
a large lot of Cattle from [whom] We obtained Some
Cows milk We took With us 16 Horses—all We
Cold find
Went up the East fork of the Crick about Eight
miles—find the Bever Have been all taken out by
Some trapers—the mountain is High and Steep and
Croud Close to the Crick on both Sides We
Returned to Camp Wheare Barbo and Simpson
Had braught Eight more horses makeing in [all]
twenty four—grass is Heare very good—the Horses
Will Soon get fatt—this Evening Cloudey With thonder
and a little Rain the first We Have Seen on this
Side of the mountain
Clouday and a little Rain—the Horses all Collected
the are all poor but the grass is good and the Will
thrive—I purchased a bull from a Spanierd for which
I gave Him my great Coat and one knife—the Beef
Was Prety good it Rained a little In the Evening
Cool With flying Clouds and a little Rain Battess
braught taylors mule to Camp Which He Head Reported
to Have been Stolen by the Indeans Potter[123]
Came to Camp With Conl glanns Horse He Has
Returned from Stafee—
Hard frost the Horses all presend Went down to the
vilege—We Heare that the Congrass Has Convened
at maxeco—and that the Indeans Have taken a great
many Horses from this niborhood and killed Some
Cattle
Hard frost In the morning and Rained a little In the
Evening
Cool With flying Clouds and High Wind—our
Horses all present
Some flying Clouds and warm In the evening
Cloudey With flying Clouds—the trees giting green
the Cotten Wood leaves Half gron [grown]—the
People not yet don Sowing Wheat
flying Clouds and High Winds Continues Cloudey
With lightning threw the night
Clouday and Rain threw the day
the Snow from 4 to 5 Inches deep—Clers up about
10 oclock and Warm the Snow disappers in the vallys
but Hangs on in the mountains
Some frost In the morning but Warm after Sun Rise
flying Clouds and High Winds—
flying Clouds and High Wind
Cloudey and Warm for the Season
High Winds and Clouds—
Clouday and Cool in the morning—High Winds
about 12 oclock and Continu till Sundown—
Clouday and Winday—
Cloudey With thonder like for Rain—Clears off In
the after noon With High Wind
flying Clouds and High Wind
the Wolves maid an atackt on our Horses the
Wounded one Hors and two mules We Have maid a
Strong Pen Close to Camp and Still Shut up all the
Horses at night While We Remain at this place—to
protect them from the Wolfes—
Clouday and Warm all day—
Clouday With High Winds and thonder Several thonder
gust With a little Rain in the night—
Cool With High Winds and flying Clouds—Snow
Storms In the Evening—but light—
Cool With flying Clouds We are now makeing Some
araingements for our Jurney over the mountains
Some few days back Robert Fowler killed two young
White Bares and braught them to Camp
Road down to the vilege all Hands prepairing to Set
out on the first day of June for the United States—Clouday
With thonder in the Evening—Some Rain
in the night—the Snow Still Continu on the High
mountains—
Cool With flying Clouds and High Winds—the
Horses all Collected and Sent to the vilege Except
those for Robert my Self and pall—We Will
go down In the morning—
Clear With White frost We Set out Early to Join the
party at the vilege Wheare We found all Ready to
Start—all So James and mcnights party from Stafee
Had Joined ours and all moved on together[124] East
four miles to the mountain—and there took up a
Crick[125] north 75 East aleven miles to the forks of
the Crick Wheare We Camped for the night fine grass
for the Horses—the timber on the mountains Heare is
Pitch Pine Spruce Pine Hemlock and quakenasp the
latter of Which there are vast quantityes. In the bottoms
along the Cricks Cotten Wood Black alder and
Willows With the Chock Cherry Black Curren [currant]
goosbery and Wild Rose on the Hill Sides are
Some Small White oak Brush from one to fifteen feet
High and I Have Seen Some large Enof for a Hand-spike
Every thing of the shrub or tree [kinds] that
Bair frute is now In full Blume—the Choack Cherry
is on[e] of the Handsomest Bushes I Have Seen and
is now In full Blume—
Hard frost our Horses much Scattered this morning
and it Was late When We Set out up the left Hand
fork of the [Ferdinand] Crick
the Hills Close In on both Sides and at about four
miles We arive at the top of the mountain[126] and
Crossing over and down a small drean [drain] about
two miles to an oppen valley about two miles Wide
Which We Crossed nearly [at] Right angles pasing a
Small Branch[127] about the midle of the vally Which
Runs north a little West from this We Went up a
small Branch betwen High mountains five miles to
the top of the great mountain In low gap High
Peeks on both Sides of us We pased Into a large plain
a little Roleing With Some groves of trees—and
Crossed Several fine Streems of Watter—and all tho
We are on a mountain—the grass Is tall and to all
apperence ther Has ben Sesnable Rains Heare as the
old as Well as young grass is tall and I think from
Every apperence this Plain Wold make a good settlement
for farmers. and tho We are on a High mountain
We are not one third of the Hight of the mountain
tops We pased threw this plain about twelve
miles the Watters Run Into grand Pirarie and make
part of the Kenadean [Canadian] forke of the arkensaw—after
pasing this Plain We Began to desend the
mountain Which is now Well Covered With timber
that is Pine Spruce and quakenasp Pasing down the
mountain We found the Rocks very troblesom
amongest Which We See a great many Indean graves.
or large Piles of loos [s]tone throne up In Heapes—about
dark We got to the fut of the mountain and
about one mile farther Camped on a Crick of Bold
Runing Watter and find our Selves once more In the
grand Pirarie of the arkensaw Cors this day N 80
East 25 miles[128]—Robert Fowler killed two deer In
the mountain
Set out Early and at about Seven miles pased the
Head of a Small Crick but no Watter there Is no
appeerence of Rain Hear for a long time—the ground
is as dry as dust the grass not began to Sprout and
Every thing look like the dead of Winter—and Still
more So When We turn our Eye to the top of the
mountain and see the Snow Which Is Still In Sight—at
twelve miles We Crosed a bold Streem[129] of Watter
30 feet Wide it Cors South East—and at Eight
miles farther We Camped on the bank of deep Crick[130]
about 20 feet Wide Runs South—on the low bottoms
of this Crick the grass begins to gro a little Heare Is
much sign of Bever—Corse North 45 East 20 miles
We Set out Early leaveing the mountain on our left
tho Some of the Spurs pass in frunt of us and Exstend
Some distance to our Right those Spurs We
Have to Cross—and the appeer Some distance a
Head at twelve miles Stoped for dinner on a branch[131]
20 feet Wide Runs South much Sign of Bever—In the
Evening We Went up the Crick Eight miles and
Camped[132] Ward killed one Cabery our Corse this
[day] North 45 E 18 [sic] miles
We Went up the Crick 10 miles and Stoped for dinner
In the afternoon We Went up the Crick 3 miles
and Camped at a large Spring the Spanierd tells us
that If We go from this We Will Have no Watter to
night Robert Fowler killed two deer and Ward one—James
& mcnight party kill one deer Heare the
men geathered Some Wild Ineons [onions]—
the grass is a little better than Wheare We first
Came Into the Pirarie Cors No 50 East 13 miles[133]
Set out Early up the Spur of the mountain and at
about one mile We arived on a High Beed of table
land about Eight miles Wide this land[134] is leavel and
Rich the grass about nee High and Has all the appeerence
of Haveing Had Seasnable Rains While
in the low grounds on both Sides the ground is as
dry as dust We pased on this High land one fine
Spring of Watter We Seen two Buffelow and Some
Caberey—
We Hear for the first time Seen the long Billed
Bird[135] it is about the Size of a fesent and the Same
Collor the legs and neck about like our Common
dung Hill fowls—the Bill about one foot in length
and about one Inch In deameter at the Head and
Smaller at the point—We Crosed this plind [plain]
and down the mountain to a branch of the White Bair
Crick[136] Heare is good Watter and plenty of Wood—We
Stoped for dinner—after Which We move on
about 10 miles farther and Camped on the Same
Branch[137] a buffelow Was killed and braught Into
Camp We now leave the main mountain at a great
distance on our left and the Spur to the Right Corse
Nᵒ 20 East fifteen miles [19 by above text].
Set out Early and Steered for the point of the Spur
of the mountain to our Right—at about 16 miles
Stoped for dinner on a Crick Haveing one Hole of
Watter—the Ballence being [dry] for some distance
after dinner We proceded on leaveing the Spur of the
mountain on the Right—and then Steered for a Small
mountain Standing By its Self and leaveing it on our
Right fel on the Head of a Branch that Was dry We
Went down that about five miles and found Watter
In the night Some of the party did not Come up till
next morning—
the Pirarie over Which We pased to day is a little
Roleing but So dry for the Want of Rain that grass
is not more than one Inch and a Half long in any place
Cors this day north 55 East 30 miles five miles Was
in the night—[138]
We did not Set out till late Waiting for the three men
that lay out—the arived about Eight oclock We then
Set out and maid twenty miles—and Camped at a
Small Hole of Watter that you Cold Smell 50 yds
When Stired—for all the anemels for many miles
Round Come there to drink—We Have no Wood and
Burn the Buffelow dung to Cook We are now In the
oppen World not a tree Bush or Hill of any kind to be
Seen for When you take the Eye of [off] the ground
you See nothing but the Blue Horeson Cors this day
north 60 East 17 [sic] miles[139] Ward and McKnight
killed one Buffelow Bull—
Set out Early over the leavel Smoth Pirarie We Soon
See a mound a Head in the Pirarie for Which We
Steered it bore north 30 East—We Crossed Several
Watter Corses all makeing South East but all dry
We Stoped for dinner at a Small mud Hole Whear
We maid fire of the Buffelow dung and cooked our
dinner We then moved on and Camped on a Crick[140]
of Clear Watter Whear there Was Wood and good
grass for the Horses—the Buffelow killed this day
Was two Poor for use and not Buchered the grass is
Heare Better and there is sign of there Haveing been
Some Rain Heare lately—
Cors north 30 East 25 miles
Set out Early and at three miles pased the mound[141]
it Stands on the north Side of the Crick and about
two miles from it I Went to the top of it Which Has
two Heads about 70 yds apart Standing north and
South of Each other and is about two Hundred feet
High and about 300 threw the Baces the tops or
Heads Consist mostly of Rocks Pilled By nature on
Each other But Has been Some What Improved
by the Indeans to make it aplace of defence as Well
as place of look out—the Spanish name of the mound
tewenna—from Heare We See another Branch[142] on
our left and a Cross the main Crick another to the
South all makeing a north East Corse—We Continu
on twelve miles and Stoped for dinner on the left
Hand forke and at Eight miles further Camped[143] on
the main Crick a little above the forkes the Chanel is
Heare about 60 yds Wide and We Have to dig Holes
In the Sand to get Watter there being none above
ground—Eaight Buffelow Was killed this day—our
Corse Nᵒ 55 East 20 miles
Set out Early Crosing the Crick and leaveing it on
our left Hand Steered north 55 East at fifteen miles
We See the valley of the arkensaw and on looking
[back] We Can See the mound in full vew—at
twenty miles stoped for diner on the arkensaw[144]—at
an Island Covered With timber and some trees on the
South Side of the River there Is Sevral Islands
Heare Some Covered With Willow about one mile
below the Island there is an old large Cotten Wood
tree Stands on a point of High land—Cheefly Composed
of gravel our Corse north 55 East 20 miles
after dinner We proceded down the River ten miles
and Camped[145] on the Bank In a grove of trees opeset
an Island—the Sand Hills lay South of Camp With
Some Cotten Wood trees on them—We pased the
Camp Wheare We Slept on the fourth of november
[1821] about one mile below Wheare We Struck the
River to day—
We Set out at the ushal time down the River and pasing
the Camp at the Bever Sign Where We lay on the
3rd of november last Continu to the Point of Rocks
and Hoop Wood trees—Wheare a party of Indeans
appeered on Hors back on the opeset Side of the
River—We Hailed them the answered but Wold not
Come a Cross—We then Camped for the night—the
Indeans moved off and Soon after a party of White
men appeered on the Same Side one of them Came
over to our Camp this Was Conl Cooppers[47] party
from Boons lick[146] on their Way to the Spanish Settlement
With Some goods and Some traps to take
Bever
Set out Early pasing the french Camp at five miles
and Stoped for dinner at the Island Wheare We
lodged on the 30th of october last then moved down
the River about ten miles Camped on an Island makeing
30 miles—
moved on Early and Pased our Camp of the 29th
octobr last—and all So pased the Camp of the 28th
and Camped opeset to an Island Wheare We Sent the
Horses for the night—this day James and party left
us and Commenced Crossing the River about 12
oclock takeing three of our Party With them—that
Was duglas Priar and [illegible[147]]—maid 25 miles
moved at Sun Rise down the River fifteen miles and
Comenced Crossing for Which purpose We used the
green Hide of a buffelow Bull by Way of a boat—Heare
are Some thousands of Buffelow to be Seen at
one vew—I beleve We Have not been out of Sight
of Buffelow Since We Came to the River Except in
the night and When darke So that the Hunters Have
Killed When the plased—We got on the north Side
of the River and While We Ware Sadling up the
Horses James and party pased us. it may be Remarked
Heare that the River Was little more than
Belly deep to the Horses. But for feer of the quick
Sand it Was thaught best take all the Bagage over In
the Boat and Send the Horses over Enty [empty]
Waiding the River our Selves and drag the boat
Wheare the Watter at times Was not more than Six
Inches deep—as Soon as We Ware Readey We moved
on Six miles pasing findleys Island[148] and Camped
about Half a mile below James and party—
James and Party pased us Early down the River We
Steered a little north of East to Cut off a bend of the
River[149] makeing 25 miles and lay In Sight of the
timber on the River large droves of Buffelow all day
In Sight duglas and Prior Join us to day
moved on Early maid 25 miles and camped on the
West Side of Buffelow [Coon] Creek at the Same
place Wheare We Camped on the We Camped on the
21st of octobr last—James and Party Camp Close to
us—Heare We Sopose We Cold See at one time ten
thousand Buffelow
We Comenced Crossing the Crick Early it being
about mid Side deep to the Horses and the Banks
Steep and mudey the men Waided and Carryed over
all the Packs and then led or drove the Horses a
Cross—We then moved on about Eight miles and
meet With Some Pawne Indeans—With Home
[whom] We Camped—there Was With them one of
the Ietan Cheefs Who Stated that He Was lately from
Was[h]ington Cetey—In the Corse of the Evening
the Indeans Collected to the nomber of from four to
five Hunderd—it is Hear proper to mention that Capt
James Had two Spanierds With Him and that Conl
glann Head two all So—but the last two Ware dresed
like our Selves—but James Spanierds Wore their own
Clothing and Ware Challenged by the Indeans as
their Enemeys—a Councel Was Held Which lasted
about two Hours the Inquirey Was Whether these
men Ware Spanierds if so the must be killed as Ietan
Cheef Insisted the Ware Spanierds and must be killed
but the Pawne Cheef Refused to Have them killed
till He new the Ware Spanierds the two men Ware
Sot In the midle of the Councel and there Interageted
but maid no answer leting on that the did not no
What Was Said to them—to Which the had ben advised
before they Ware takeing In to the Councel
most of those Indeans understand the Spanish language
but Cold not git one Word from the men the
then asked Mr Roy the Inturpurter If those men Ware
not Spanierds He told the Indeans He did not kno
Who the Ware that He Cold not Speeke their langage
to Which the Ietan Cheef Replyed you do not
kno thim you kno How to gave them Horses and
Can tell them How to Ride and yet you Can not
Spapke to them Which is a little Strange How do
you git them to Eat or Whare did you git them We
See them Ride on your Horses—to Which mr Roy
answers as followes—for it is Hear now be Com nesceery
to fib a little—that about two days back We
met a party of White men going up the River and that
those men Ware With them that the Ware from St
lewis and Wanted to go back and Had Come this far
With us that We Head Some Spare Horses and that
the Had got on and Road—the Pawne Cheef then
Said that Some four or five years back He Had Seen
Some English men and french men together and the
Cold not talk to Each other that maybe those Ware
English men—to Which Mr Roy answered that He
Cold not talk English and did not kno these men—and
So the Councel Ended the two Spanierds Pased
for English men tho the Ware nearly as Black as pall—but
at all Events the Ware Blacker than the Indeans
them Selves—
We are now on the Crick noted on the 20th of october
last [Pawnee fork.]—We Remained Heare all
night but In the Evening the Indeans [s]tole all the
neck Roaps of our Horses—We then took the lash
Roaps and tyed up the Horses the Pawne Cheef Slept
In our Camp—and after Some presents of knives
from Conl glann and Hors from Capt James We
Head lev to proced as Soon as We pleased In the
morning—
We Set out Early the Indeans appeer frendly—We
moved on about five miles and looking behind We
See the Indeans Runing after us—and all tho We
drove the Horses In a trot the Will overtake us In a
few minets—We Conclude it best to Stop and let
them Come up Which Was done—We Stood prepaired
for Battle But Will Receve them frendly if
We Can—now the Inturpreter prepaired a pipe and
offered them a Smoke as the Came up Which the all
axcepted of and looking amongest [us] asked
Wheare the two men Ware Which the Soposed to be
Spanierds and Ware Shone them—the then Went and
Shook Hands With us all pointed us the Road Which
We took and the Indeans Went Back the Ware fourteen
In nomber—We then pushed on to the Pawne
River[150] Wheare Crossed and Stoped for dinner Heare
is large Hords of Buffelow one Cow Was Killed and
braught In to Camp—We moved on In the afternoon
and Went nineteen miles makeing 39 miles and
Camped[151] on the River Bank the[n] We traveled
Some time In the night for feer the Indeans Will follow
and steel our Horses—James and His party did
not Come up—
We Set out Early and Steered north 60 East Intending
to go Close to the South Side of the Sand Hills
as We Cannot travel threw them We Ware detained
about two Hours By a Storm of Hail and Rain after
Which We Went to a Crick[152] Wheare We found
Some drift Wood and Camped for the night makeing
20 miles Nᵒ 60 East James and party Bore off to the
Right down the River—
Sot out late Some of our Horses Had gon a great
distance from Camp—We Pased Close to the Sand
Hills pasing several fine Springs Runing out of them
to the South and In the Evening Camped on the little
arkensaw—We Seen James and partey this day at
a great distance to our Right makeing down the [Arkansaw]
River the Cuntry threw Which We pased
this day is leavel and Rich the grass tall and Has all
the appeerence of Seasnable Rains. We Have In our
openion layed down the Pawne River [= Walnut cr.]
as the line betwen the Wet and dry Weather or the
long and Short grass—
maid 30 miles north [read south] 60 East[153]
We Set out Early Crossing Several Branches[154] all
Running to the Right We Camped on a Branch of
White River[155] about 20 feet Wide With High Banks—the
Pirarie this day is leavel and Rich the land
Black mixed With lime Stone—the grass So tall that
In [it] is Hard on the Horses to Brake it down—no
more Buffelow to be Seen I beleve We Have left them
all be Hind and Will be Hard Run for meat—
maid 20 miles South 65 East
Rained Hard last night—
We Sot out about 9 oclock Crosing three
Branches[156] Runing to the South all Well timbered
Rich lime Stone land a little Roleing. We Camped
on the third Branch—no game—
Maid 20 miles Nᵒ 80 East
Rained all night—
We Sot out Early and it Soon began to Rain We
maid Six miles Crossing two Branches[157] and Camped
on the Second Which is Well timbered With Walnut
Buckiey Hickory oak and Elm. the land of the
Richest kind—lime Stone In all Banks but the leave
[level] land Clar of Stone—
6 miles north 65 East
Rained all night
Set out about 10 oclock up the Branch and out at the
Head of it and over a low deviding Ridge and fell on
the Head Watters of the virdegree.[158] the land is more
Roleing the Hills Higher but Rich We Camped on a
Branch Runing nearly West With Some timber Peno
killed one deer
maid 15 miles no 50 East
We Sot out Early pasing over a Rich Roleing Pirarie
to a Crick[159] With Some timber—taylor killed two
deer—We maid 8 miles no 15 East It Rains
Heavely—
Set out Early Crossing five Cricks[160] all Runing South
East Some timber on all of them one twenty yds
Wide the Cuntry as ushal Rich and Roleing—Robert
Fowler and Ward Each killed one deer—
maid 15 miles N 25 East
Set out Early Crossing a Crick at Six miles Runing
South and at 12 miles Cam to grand River or the Six
Bull [the Neosho,[161] running] South East Went up
it about one mile Crossed over and Camped on a
Crick near the mouth this Crick Puts In on the north
Side Heare Is one of the Best trakes [tracts] of land
for a settlement I Have Seen the land is Rich and
leavel Plenty of timber on the Crick as Well as all a
long the River—taylor killed one Elk—Which Was
Braught to Camp We maid 12 miles no 40 East
Set out Early and at ten miles Crosed a Crick[162] 50
yds Wide part of the Racuon fork of the osage River
the Corse South East—at 14 miles Crosed a Branch
of the Same Crick—and at 22 miles Camped Without
Wood—Had no fier—the first 10 miles N 15 E the
last 12 miles N 65 E the Bottoms Has Some timber
the land all Rich Rained Heavily all night With thonder
and lightning—
22 miles the first 10 N 15 E then 12 N 65 E
last night’s Rain Wett all our Bagage as Well as the
bever furr the morning Clear We dry all our things
and move on about 10 oclock—at 10 miles Crossed a
Crick[163] and at Sixteen miles Crosed the osage
River[164] Wheare We left one Hors He Coud not Rais
up the Bank Which Was High and mudey—We
moved out of the timber and Slept on a High point to
avoid the musketoes Ward killed one young Elk
We Have Seen many Elk In the two last days Rained
Heavily all night
maid 16 miles N 65 E
the last night Raised the Cricks So that We Have to
leave the Waggon [road] We fell into two days back
Which Road Was maid by Becknal and His party on
their Way to the Spanish Settlement—We Hear took
up a low Ridge betwen the Branches and over a low
Ridge Eight miles to a large Crick[165] So Raised With
the last night Rain that the loads on the Horses Will
git Wett If We drive them threw But the men Waid
over and Carry the Pack on their Heads—the Watter
Swims the Horses—Heare is a large Bodey of
timber along this Crick and land of the Best qualety
for the Hole Cuntry is fit for Cultevation We Went
Six miles In the Evening Crossing two Crick[166] all the
Watters Runs South East maid 14 miles N 20 E
the timber Increses as We aproch the mesurey
[Missouri]
a Heavey thonder Storm Came on in the night and
Rained Hard till Sun Rise We then Sot out and Crosing
Several Small Branches[167] much Raised With last
nights Rain maid five miles and Stoped to dry our
Bagage—Heare Some Hunters Sot out to kitt meet
[kill meat] Robert Fowler and Taylor Set out In frunt
to meet at the Crick a Head of Which We Cold See
the timber—We Sot out In the Evening—the gide
Chaing His Corse did not meet the Hunters We maid
12 miles and Slept on the devideing Ridge[168] betwen
the oasage [Osage] and Kensa or Caw [Kansas]
Rivers—the Hunters did not Come In—We See on
our left Hand a large Bodey of timber Soposed to be
on the Caw River the Pirarie is a little Roleing and of
the Richest kind of lime Stone land We maid 17
miles N 75 East
We Sot out Early and like a Ship With out a Rudder
We Steerd from South East to north East—I Sopose
the gide Was lost or did not as He Had toled us kno
Wheare He Was—In this [way] We maid twelve
miles and Stoped for noon for We Have not much to
Eat tho We See many deer and Some Elk—the two
Hunters not Come up yet—We moved on In the
Evening and Soon fell on the Waggon Road We had
left at the osage River this We followed ten miles and
Camped on a Crick[169] Runing north West—and We
Sopose to the Caw River—Ward killed a fatt Elk this
Evening the Hunters not up—
We maid 22 miles N 30 East
Rich leavel land—
We Set out Early to follow the Waggon Road but
Heare the Pirarie Has Been Burned In the Spring
and the grass So gron up So that We Cannot find it—and
after Winding about for about two Hours
Steered N 45 East Six miles and fell on a Road Runing
nearly East and West—along Which We took
[to] the East Eand Wheare We found the Waggon
tracks—a large Bodey of timber on our left and is
Shorly the mesurey or the Caw River and at about
Six miles Stoped for dinner—While Heare the lost
men Came up the Ware much Woren down there feet
Sore and mogersons Woren out—We Went ten miles
In the Evening along the Road Crossing one Crick[170]
Which Runs north—
the large Bodey of timber Still Continus on our left
the general Corse of this Road is north Eighty
East—
Sot out Early and at five miles Crossing a large
Crick[171] 50 yds Wide Runs north the Bottoms and
Hill Sides are Well Covered With timber—We Heare
Went up a High Steep Hill over Some Rocks and
Continu over High Roleing ground partly Covered
With timber and Brush for about four miles then six
miles over Roling Pirarie to a Crick[172] Wheare We
Stoped for dinner there Is plenty of timber Heare and
the gide tells us that He now knos Wheare We are and
that it is about ten miles to fort osage We Sot out In
the Evening and at three miles Came to a deep
Crick[173] Wheare the men Had to Carry the Bagage all
over on their Heads and drove the Horses threw—the
Watter Was So deep that it Was over the mens
Sholders and none but the tall ones Cold Carry the
Packs—We then Set out for the fort[174] Wheare We
arived about ten oClock at night but our Company
Was much Scattered Haveing Sent mr Roy and
Battes forward from the Crick to prepair Supper at
the fort fore the Party—on our arivel We Called for
them but the Ware not to be found nor Cold We find
any purson for Some time but a negro man—and
thonder gust Comeing—He Shewed [us] In to mr
Sibleys Porch Wheare We Spent the Ballence of the
night—
Early In the morning We found mr Boggs the asistant
Factor Who Shewed us Into an Enty [empty]
House In the garison—to Which We moved our
Bagage. Exspecting to Remain there till Some provetions
Cold be Precured—
the garreson at this time Was Commanded by one
officer of the united States armey—Haveing two men
under His Command Both of them Haveing disarted
a few days ago and Carryed off all His amenetion—now
It appeers that mr Boggs Had not advised Him
of our Removel Into the garreson nor did We Sopose
from the Shattered Setuation of Every thing We See—that
any Command of men or officer Was there
But Whin He looked up In the morning and Seeing
our men and Bagage He Said to mr Boggs that He
did not like to See the gareson taken In that kind of
Stile—but on Receeving that Information from mr
Boggs and the officer not Calling on us We that
[thought] Proper not to be longer In His Way and
moved about two Hunderd yds to a Spring and
Camped Wheare after Some Diffequalty We Precured
Some Previtions
It may Heare Be Remarked that. We Ware treeted
Heare With more Coolness than amongest any Indeans
or Spanierds We meet With But We feel greatful
to mr Boggs for His Polightness—He in the
morning Precure for us a Small Beef—and mr Sibley
Sent us Some flour and Bacon—Which With Corn
meel and Bacon We Purchased from one of the Citisons
We maid out Prete Well—for two days to Rest
and Purchased two Conus [canoes] With a platform
and Shiped all our Baggage With our Selves leaveing
four men to Bring on the Enty Horses to Cortsand
Ca [?]—and We proceded to St lewis—Wheare I
Remained two days and then took a pasage In the
Steem Boat Calhoon to lewisvill and from that In a
Small Steem Boat to Cincinati—and got Home[175] on
the 27th day of July 1822—haveing [been] gon thirteen
months and thirteen days
