James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition, 1819-1820, part 1

h-western slope of the Allegha

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month; but some unavoidable delays in the completion of the steam boat, and in the preparations necessary for a long voyage, prevented our departure until the first of May. On the 31st of March

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of the expedition about to engage in exploring the Mississippi, Missouri, and the

ing from him, will be required of all connected with the expedition. The prime object of the expedition being a topographical description of the country to be explored, the commanding officer will avail himself

itants of the country through which we may pass; to trace in a compendious manner the history of the towns, villages, and tribes of Indians we may visit; to review the writings of other travellers, and compare their stat

f him, also the diseases prevailing among the inhabitants, whether civilized or savages, and their probable causes, will be subjects for his investigation; any variety in the anatom

me under our observation. A classification of all land and water animals, insects, &c. and a par

formations and deposits, will afford subjects of investigation for Mr. Jessup. In this science, as also in botany and zoology, fa

equired in collecting specimens suitable to be preserved, in drafting and delineating them, in preserving the skins, &

grandeur. He[pg043] will also paint miniature likenesses, or portraits, if required, of distinguished Indians, and exhibit groups of savages

orm in the capacity of assistant topographers, will attend to drilling the

ned them, from time to time

urnals of every kind relating to the expedition, will at all times be subject to the inspection of the commanding officer

me to time, whenever the commandin

, Major U.

ing Exp

rds Pittsburgh. Great numbers of spectators lined the banks of the river, and their acclamations were occasionally noticed by the discharge of ordnance on board the bo

upply of arms and ammunition, and a

roceeded on our voyage. All the gentlemen of the party, except Dr. Baldwin, were in good health, and entered upon this enterprise in good spirits and with high expectations. Fou

key vultures, and the tell-tale sand-piper. The spring was now rapidly advancing, the dense forests of the Ohio bo

ountains, in different parts, have afforded us the opportunity of collecting[pg045] a few obse

, which have been described as a species of Proteus, but which

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rticularly described, running from near the north-western angle of the Gulf of Mexico north-eastwardly to Lake Superior. Eastward, from this range, to the summit of the Alleghanies, extends a country of forests, having usually a[pg049] deep and fertile soil, reposing upon extensive strata of argillaceous sandstone, compact limestone, and other secondary rocks. Though these rocks extend almost to the highest summits of the Alleghanies, and retain even there the horizontal position which they have in the plains, the region they underlay is not to be considered as forming a district of table lands. On the contrary, its surface is varied by deep vallies and lofty hills; and there are extensive tracts elevated probably not less than eight hundred feet above the Atlantic ocean. The north-western slope of the Alleghany mountains, though more gradual than the south-eastern, is, like it, divided by deep vallies, parallel to the general direction of the range. In these vallies, many of the rivers, which derive their sources from the interior and most elevated hills of the group, pursue their courses for many miles, descending either towards the south-west, or the north-east, until they at length acquire sufficient force to break through the opposing ridges, whence they afterward pursue a more direct course. As instances, we may mention the Monongahela river, which runs nearly parallel, but in an opposite direction, to the Ohio; the great Kenhawa, whose course above the falls forms an acute angle with the part below; also the Cumberland, and Tennessee, which run a {7} long distance parallel to each other, and to the Ohio. This fact seems to justify the inference, that some other agent than the rivers has been active in the production of the vallies between the subordinate ridges o

t in time of high floods, nearly transparent. The waters of the Ohio, and its tributaries, and perhaps of most other rivers, when they do not suspend such quantities of earthy matter as to destroy their transparency, reflect, from beneath their surface, a greenish colour. This colour has been thought to be, in some instances, occasioned by minute confervas, or other floating plants, or to result from the decomposition of decaying vegetable matter. That it depends on neither of these causes, however, is sufficiently manifest, for when seen by transmitted light, the green waters are usually transparent and colourless. Some rivers of Switzerland, and some of South America, which descend from lofty primitive mountains, consisting of rocks of the most flinty and indestructible composition, covered with perpetual snows, and almost destitute of organic beings, or exuvi?, either animal or {9} vegetable, and whose waters have a temperature, ev

y ridge, is near the centre, and is most elevated of the group. Its summit divid

r ridges east of the Alleghany. The summit is broad, and covered with heavy forests. Something of the fertility of the Mississippi valley seems to extend, in this direction, to the utmost limits of the secondary formation. The western[pg053] descent of the Alleghany ridge is more gradual than the eastern, and the inclination of the st

summit of this ridge, coal beds have been explored, and, at the time of our visit, coals were sold at the pits for ten cents per bushel. In actual elevation, the coal strata at the summit of Laurel-hill, fall but little below the summits of the Alleghany. Thus, in traversing from east to west the state of

hue of the hemlock spruce, the Weymouth pine, and other trees of the family of the conifer?, is excha

yalhanna, a rapid, but beautiful stream, along which the turnpike is built. Few spots in the wild and mountainous regions {11} of the Alleghanies, have a more grand and majestic scenery than this chasm. The sides and summits of the two ove

aller ranges. Along the fertile bottoms of the Alleghany river, we begin to discover traces of those ancient works so common in the lower parts of the Mississippi valley, the only remaining vestiges of a people once numerous and powerful, of whom time has destroyed every other record. These colossal monuments, whatever may have been the design of th

which have been noticed by Mr. Eaton and others in New England.[006] In its inclination, and in most particulars {12} of external character, it is remarkably similar to the mountain limestone of Vermont, and the western counties of Massachusetts. Many portions of the interior of the state of Pennsylvania have a b

in the vallies,[007] and is succeeded by clay-slate and the old sandstone lying almost horizontally. The coal, w

utline, and the landscape, presenting a grateful variety of fields and forests, is often beautiful, particularly when, from some elev

oyed in recounting our own observations. The Alleghany and the Monongahela at Pittsburgh, where they unite to form the Ohio, are nearly equal in magnitude; the former, however, on account of the rapidity of its current, and the

attains the diameter of five or six feet, rising smooth and straight from sixty to eighty feet, and terminated by a dense conical top. This tree, though not exclusively confined to the northern parts of our continent, attains there its greatest magnitude and perfection. It forms a striking feature in the forest scenery of Vermont, New Hampshire, and some parts of Canada, and New York; rising by nearly half its elevation above the summits of the other trees, and resembling, like[pg057] the palms of t

belonging to this formation, and whose waters are used for the manufacture of salt, the most important are those of the Kenhawa, a river of Virginia. Others occur in that country of ancient monuments, about Paint Creek, between the Sciota and the Muskinghum, near the Silver Creek hills in Illinois; and indeed in almost all the country contiguous to the Ohio river. Wherever we have had the opportunity of observing these brine springs, we have usually found them in connexion with an argillaceous sandstone, bearing impressions of phytolytes, culmaria, and those tessellated zoophytes, so common about many coal beds.[011] It appeared to us worthy of remark, that in many places, where explorations have been made for salt water, and where perpendicular shafts hav

for the more convenient one of the navigation of the Ohio. From Olean downward, the Alleghany and Ohio bear along with their currents fleets of rude arks laden with cattle, horses, household furniture, agricultural implements, and numerous families having all their possess

arts of the Ohio, as to endanger the safety of the ark; and these heavy unmanageable vessels are with difficulty so guided in their descent, as to avoid the planters, sunken logs, and oth

Potomac, one hundred and forty miles E. by S. from Wheeling. The road between these two points was constructed by the government {16} of the United States, at a cost of one million eight hundred thousand dollars.[015] The bridges and other works of masonry, on the western portion of this road, are built of a compact argillaceous sandstone, of a light gray or yellowish white colour, less durable than the stone used in

to some little distance from the ground, closely covered with the sedum ternatum, with white flowers fully unfolded. The cercis canadensis, and the cornus florida, were now expanding their flowers, and in some places occurred so frequently, as to impart their lively colouring to the landscape

azure vault of the sky. In a few instances near the summits of the hills, the forest trees become so scattered, as to disclose here and there a rude mass, or a perpendicular precipice of gray sandstone, or compact limestone, the prevailing rocks in all this region. The hills are, however, usually covered with soil on all sides, except that looking towards the river, and in most instances are susceptible of cultivation to their summits. These hilly lands are found capable of[pg063] yielding, by ordinary methods of culture, about fifty bushels of maize per acre. They were originally covered with dense and un

and Delawares on one side, and a detachment of the Virginia militia, on the other. In this battle, Logan, the friend of the whites, avenged himself in a signal manner of the injuries of one man, by whom all his women {18} and children had been murdered. Notwithstanding his intrepid conduct, the Indians were defeated, and sued for peace; but Logan disdained to be seen among the suppliants. He w

Washington.[020] The uplands here are extremely fertile, and in an advanced state of cultivation. The disposition of the surface resembles that in the most moderately hilly parts of Pennsylvania; and to the same graceful undulation of the landscape, the same pleasing alternation of cultivated fields, with dense and umbrageous forests, is[pg065] added an aspect of luxuriant fertility, surpassing any thing we have seen eastward of the Alleghanies. Having prolonged our walk many miles, we entered after sunset a tall grove of elms and hickories; towards which we were attracted by some unusual sounds. Directed by these, we at length reache

d also for an opportunity of making some repairs and alterations in the machinery of the boat, it was resolved to remain at Cincinnati some days. Dr. Baldwin was accordingly moved on shore, to the house of Mr. Glen,

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t, occupying a large part of the country from the shores of Lake Erie, to the southern boundary of the state of Tennessee.[023] It appears, however, to be occasionally interrupted, or overlaid by fields of sandstone. It abounds in casts, and {20} impressions of marine animals. An orthocerite, in the museum of the college[024] at C

on is here luxuriant; and many plants unknown eastward of the Alleghany mountains, were constantly presenting themselves to our notice. Two species

onfined principally to the western states and territories. In allusion to this circumstance, the indigenous backwoodsman is sometimes called buck-eye, in distinction from the numerous emigrants who are introducing themselves from the eastern states. The opprobrious name of Yankee is applied to these last, who do not always stand high in the estimation of the natives of the south

rous remains of ancient works still visible. We forbear to give any account of[pg06

thought himself sufficiently recovered to proceed on the voyage; accordingl

Glen was unremitting in his exertions to promote the recovery of Dr. Baldwin's health; to him, as well as to Dr. Dra

, and intercept the view from all distant objects. This is, however, somewhat compensated by the magnificence of the forests themselves. Here the majestic platanus attains its g

red and fifty feet. The branches are very large and numerous, forming a spreading top, densely covered with foliage. Many of those trees, which attain the greatest size, are decayed in the interior of the trunk, long after the annual increase continues to be added at the exterior circumference. The growth of the American plane tree does not appear to be very rapid. It was remarked by Humboldt, that in the hot and damp lands of North America, between the Mississippi and the Alleghany mountains, the growth of trees is about one-fifth more rapid than in Europe, taking for examples the platanus occidentalis, the liriod

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this tree is very widely distributed, and {23} extends northward beyond the forty-fifth degree of north latitude. In the fertile alluvial lands of Otter Creek, and other rivers which discharge into Lake Champlain, the sycamore attains more than one-half the magnitude which it is seen to reach in the most prolific

e paroquet, and large flocks of these gaily-plumed bi

lear, we continued on our voyage, as is customary

ent places, having different degrees of elevation, and being sometimes naked, and sometimes covered with very tall trees, must, of necessity, cast shadows of different lengths, upon the surface of the water; consequently that the luminous stripe along the middle of the river, from the surface of which the sk

e stopped to procure a pilot to conduct our boat over the rapids. Two or three pilots appointed pursuant to an act of the legislature of Kentucky, reside at Louisville, always holding themselves

ll that is perceived in passing down this descent: at other times the water is dashed and broken upon the rocky and uneven bed of the channel, called the Indian chute, through which[pg072] a great part of the water passes. The ma

ext annual rise of the water. Arks and small barges descend, by the aid of skilful pilots, for great part of the year. It is expected that the navigation of this dangerous rapid will soon be rendered more convenient, by canaling, which can be accomplished at a very inconsiderable {25} expense. The direction of the Ohio, above and below the rapids, is nearly from north-east to south-west, but where the stream passes the rocky obstruction occasioning the fall, it is a little deflected

se the point in the rear of this village. The obstacles to be encountered in opening a canal at this place are but trifling

the foot of the Silver Creek hills, in Indiana, at a little distance from New Albany.[037] This spring is small, discharging no water above the surface of the ground. It is an artificial excavation in the clayey bank of a small stream, called Fountain Creek. It is filled to the level of the water in the creek, the spring itself evidently discharging very little, if any water. That which fills the basin is turbid, bein

are of the smooth compact argillaceous sandrock before mentioned, lying horizontally, and divided into squares and parallelograms by the natural fissures. These fissures contain some soil which supports, in the summer, a dense growth of herbaceous plants. Among these, we noticed the hypericum sph?crocarpum of Michaux, (apparently not the plant mentioned by Nuttall, under

les of the seed, when about half ripened, we have seen eaten with apparent avidity by cows. In addition to this loathsome plant, the common May-weed (anthemis cotula) has become abundant {27} in all the waste-grounds, to the exclusion of the native plants. A few of these, which keep their places with the

mencement of a rugged and barren district, called the Knobs, and extending far to the south.[040] At some remote period this range may have formed a barrier, extending across what is now the immediate valley of the Ohio, and retarding the retreat of the waters from t

in repairs of various kinds. The high steam-engines require frequent repairs, and in the difficult navigation of the Mississippi the hulks of vessels are often injured. It frequently happens that the boats built at Pittsburgh, and other places near the sources of the Ohio, are, within three or four years

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le-Ascent of the Mississippi from the

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with which the wants of the aboriginal Americans were supplied. The stone employed in these manufactures appears to have been, in most instances, that compact flint, which occurs in nodular masses, in the secondary limestones. In one instance we met with a triangular prism, of a very hard and compact aggregate of felspar, and hornblende, unlike any rock we have seen in the valley of the Mississippi. This prism was about five inches long, with faces of about {30} an inch in width, and was perforated, from end to end, forming a complete tube, with an orifice about half an inch in diameter, and[pg078] smoothly polished, both within and without. We were never able to discover to what use this implement could have been applied; nor do we reco

Stone branch of the Little Sioux river of the Missouri; one of these, however, was found on the banks of the Rio de la Plata,

to drift down, until we should arrive at some place where repairs might be made. Some of the gentlemen of the party determined to go on shore, and walk to Shawaneetown. In swimming across a creek, {31} th

its eggs in the sand, at about twenty yards' distance from the water. It had made, with its feet, a hole in the sand, two inches in diameter and four inches in depth, enlarging towards the bottom to three inches. This species occurs frequently in the pools and stagnant waters along the Ohio. We first met with it near the rapids at Louisville. Among other birds, we noticed about Shawaneeto

d bar, seven miles above the "Cave Inn," or "House of Nature."[047] After much exertion, by means of anchors and poles, with the aid of the engine, and all the me

In this cave, it is said, great numbers of large bones were some time ago found, but we saw no remains of any thing of this kind. Impressions and casts of the shells of submarine animals are seen in the rocks, forming the sides of the cave, as in all the strata of compact limestone, in this region. The organic remains here, do not appear to be so numero

referred to their proper places in the system. The top of the cliff, into which this fissure opens, is said to be the favourite haunt of great numbers of birds of prey. This is not improbable, as many hawks and birds of prey always choose high and inaccessible cliffs to build their nests in. We saw about the tops of

trade to a part of the inhabitants of that village. Common salt, with the nitrates of lime, potash, &c. occur in great plenty, in connexion w

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to the Ohio. At the mouth of the Cumberland is a little village called Smithland; where, for a considerable

, as has been[pg083] sometimes represented. About these hills, also, in the low ridges north of the Ohio, we found the sandstone, which appears to be the basis rock, often overlaid with extensive beds of a

hland,[049] are several large catalpa trees. They[pg084] do not, however, appear to be native; nor have we here, or elsew

tree may have been introduced. Following the directions of the Pittsburgh navigator,[050] we kept near the left shore, below the Cave Inn; by which means we again ran our boat aground, on a sand-ba

land on both sides of the Ohio,[pg085] below this place, is subject to be overflowed to various depths, from six to fourteen feet in time of floods; and on the south side, the flat lands extend four or five miles above, separated from the high country by lakes and marshes. The aspect of the country, in and about the town, is rolling or moderately hilly, being the commencement of the high lands between the two rivers above mentioned; below it, however, the land is fl

igable for boats of the largest size; and America may be considered as the head of constant as well as heavy navigation. Ice is seldom to be found

d by a limestone bar extending across the river, called the Grand Chain. This bar is impassable in the lo

extending across the point of land situated between the two rivers. These bars are situated a little above the Tyawapatia Bottom, about thirty miles above the mouth of

, should be of inferior size; those for the Mississippi not exceeding one h

] seventeen miles below the mouth of the Ohio, have been thought by some an eligible position for the extensive business, {36} which, it is admitted by all, must centre in this neighbourhood. But at this place there is no safe landing; and besides, the banks are composed of layers of sand and clay alternating with each other, of an accliv

. The bottom directly opposite the mouth of the Ohio, on the west side of the Mississippi is elevated a little above high water; but as it is a

ver, where they would be exposed to drift-wood, great quantities of which are brought down in times of freshe

t of the river is so gentle, that no such guard against the undermining and wasting away of the banks is required. In case of an excessive flood, or an unusual quantity of floating

vely the point where business[pg088] is to be done; but that the town will eventually e

stant period, from the cultivation of the rich vallies and fertile plains of the west, a great proportion of which must find a market her

he 30th we arrived at

apids, at Louisville, it has sufficient depth of water, for a part of the year, to float vessels of 300 tons burthen to Cincinnati. The country which it washes may, with propriety, be considered under two divisions. The first, extending from its head at Pittsburgh to the little town of Rockport,[054] about 150 miles below the falls or rapids at Louisville, is h

ion of the Ohio river. From Pittsburgh to Cincinnati, the prospect from the river is that of hills of moderate elevation, sometimes rocky and abrupt, but often sufficiently gradual in their ascent to admit of cultivation to their summits. Their character, as to extent, direction, &c. seems to be determined by the number, direction, and magnitude of the streams which traverse them. They are the remains of what was formerly a continuous and nearly horizontal stratum, with a large deposit of superincumbent soil, which the flowing of water, during the lapse of ages, has channelled and excavated to its present form. These hills diminish in altitude as you approach the falls from above; there they again rise to a height nearly equal to what they attain at the head[pg090] of the river, and from thence gradually diminish, until they disappear, a little above the confluence of the Ohio and Green[055] rivers. Here commences the

rage rapidity of the current of the Ohio is about two and a half miles per hour, and the descent of its surface nine inches per mile, as estimated by Dr. Drake of Cincinnati. The annual inundations

mural precipice of the same stratum, running in a straight line, and forming the northern bank of the river which washes its base. The face of this precipice is smooth and naked, and it is surmounted {40} by a heavy growth of timber. This limestone is compact, entirely horizontal in its position, and filled with organic remains. It is traversed by veins containing sulphuret of lead; and at several places near Golconda, this is accompanied by fluat of lime, in beautiful yellow and violet-coloured crystals. Fluat of lime is also found disseminated in small and irr

obably some other minerals. We have seen a specimen of sulphuret of antimony, in possession of an inhabitant, who being a sort of alchymist, greatly delighting in mystery, thought it imprudent to reve

he floods in the Ohio occasion a retardation in the current of the Mississippi, as far up as the Little Chain, ten miles below Cape Girardeau.[058] The navigation of the Mississippi above the mouth of the Ohio, also that of the Ohio, is usually obstructed for a part of the winter by large masses of floating ice. The boatmen[pg093] observe that soon after the ice from the Ohio enters the Mississippi, it becomes so much heavier by arresting the sands, always mixed with the waters of that river, that it soon sinks to the bottom. After ascending the Mississippi about two miles, we came to an anchor, and went on shore on the eastern side. The forests here are deep and gloomy, swarming with innumerable

n shore in pursuit of their respective objects, or engaged in hunting. Deer, turkeys, and beaver are still found in plenty in the low grounds, along both sides of the Mississ

veral of the beautiful family of the[pg094] orchid?,[059] particularly

June, several gentlemen of the party went on shore, six miles below the settlement of Tyawapatia bottom, and walked up to that place through the woods. They passed several Indian encampments, which appeared to have been recently tenanted. Under one of the wigwams they saw pieces of honey-comb, and several sharpe

s. These Indians have very little acquaintance with the English language, and appeared reluctant to use the few words they {43} knew. The squaws wore great numbers[pg095] of trinkets, such as silver arm-bands and large earr

of the boat extremely tedious, several of the party, taking a small

are of limestone, and mark the commencement of the hilly country on the Mississippi. Here the landscape begins to have something of the charm of distant perspective. We seem released from the imprisonment of the deep

ps about to ascend the Missouri, had entered that river, and were waiting to be overtaken by the Jefferson and the Calhoun, which last we had left at the rapids of the Ohio. On the 3d of June we passed that insular rock in the middle of the Missi

ive contains sufficient evidence that they passed the mouth of the Missouri, the Grand Tower, the mouth of the Ohio, &c. As their work may

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d of the Mississippi. The Grand Tower, the precipice opposite the mouth of the Obrazo,[064] containing the singular cavity called the Devil's Oven, the Cornice Ro

forming the bed of the river. It is probable, however, that the ledge of rocks called the Two Chains, extending down to Cape à la Bruche, presents greater facilities for the construction of a bridge than this point, as the high lands there approach nearer the river, and are less broken than in the ne

f water finding their way through the friable sandstones, which underlay the deep and fertile soils in those places. We passed in succession the mouths of the river St. Mary, opposite to which is the fine settlement of the Bois Broule bottoms; the Ocoa, or Kaskaskia river; the St. Lora, a handsome stream, from the west; and the Gabaree Creek, on which stands the old Fren

proprietor built a house near the bank of the Mississippi, where he resided for some time, and carried on a manufacture of salt; but having occasion to go to France, he rented his works to a man, who for want of funds, or for some other reason, failed to keep them in operation. After the transfer of Louisiana to the United States' Government, this grant, among

approach here to the brink of the river, affording an elevated and advantageous site. The landing is said to be good; and there is reason to expect t

ks of trees so frequent in the Mississippi, and soon afterwards we discovered that a leak had occurred, which made it necessary for us to lie by. By the constant use of the pumps during the remainder of the day, and the foll

ral hours. We had met with some wild geese; and a swan, which we saw was unable to fly, having at that time cast its feathers. The

ons from the river. It has all the disadvantages usually attending tracts of recent river alluvion, the most valuable parts of it being liable to be swept away by the current of the Mississippi, and its surface descending from the brink of the river to the stagnant pools and lagoons, at the outskirts of the valley. But the inexhaustible fertility of its soil makes amends for

es, which was built by the French government, at the expense of one million and a half of dollars, stood near the bank of the river, about twenty miles from Kaskaskia. Not long after they were erected,

the name of the Cornice Rock. It bounds a narrow arm of the river, which has generally sufficient water to admit the passage of boats. The rock extends nearly in a straight line, having a front of about four hundred yards, the brow of the precipice at some points impending over the channel through which boats pass. The rock rises above, to the height of

e in the county of Cape Girardeau, being desirous of establishing a claim of this kind to a tract of land, adopted the following method:-The time having expired for the establishment of a right, agreeably to the spirit of the law, he took with him two witnesses to the favourite spot, on which he wished to establish his claim, and in their presence marked two trees, standing on opposite sides of a spring; one with the figures 1803, the other 1804, and placed a stalk of growing corn in the spring. He then brought the witnesses before the commissioners, who upon their {49} declaration, that they had seen corn gro

mouth of a creek of the same name. Along the base of this cliff, we found the water three and sometimes four fathoms deep. In the evening we

ty miles to the south-west of Herculaneum, commences the region of the lead mines, which, though not yet satisfactorily explored, is known to extend for many miles through the hill

. In all the recent sales of public lands in the[pg105] western states and territories, liberal reservations have been made for the encouragement of learning. We subjoin some particulars, extracted from a communication of the commissione

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utiful river, whose limpid and transparent waters present a striking contrast to the yellow and turbid Mississippi. They were fortunate in meeting with many interesting objects, and, among others, an undescribed mus, which has received, from Mr. Ord, the name of floridanus.[074] [pg107]Upon the specimen, which was a male, was a dilated, glabrous, ventral line, 2? inches long. This species is well known in some districts, under the name of large hairy-tailed rat, and is by no means rare in Florida. It is

s monuments, and to protect the graves from the ravages of wolves or other animals. The eighth of June brought us to the small village[pg108] of Vide Poche,[076] and the following day to S

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the Merameg-Mouth of the Missouri-Charboniere-J

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rapidly augmented within a few years, by the immigration of numerous families, and its wealth and business extended by the accession of enterprising merchants and mechanics from the Eastern States. As the town advances in importance and magnitude, the manners[pg109] and customs of the people of the United States, are taking the place of those of the French and Spaniards, whose numbers are proportionably diminishing. As this place seems destined to be the dep?t for such art

e is now in the possession of Mr. Rapp,[079] of the Society of the Harmonites, a stone, which has upon its surface marks that appear to have been formed by the naked feet of some human being, who was standing upon it while in a plastic state; also an irregular line, apparent

f we examine the mud and slime deposited by the water of the Mississippi, which will be found to consist of such an intimate mixture of clay and lime, as under favourable circumstances would very readily become indurated. We are not confident that the impressions above mentioned have originated in the manner here supposed, but we cannot by any means adopt the opinion of some, who have consid

ottom of the second chamber is a pool of water rather difficult of access. In this apartment the mercury stood at 60° fah.: in a shady part of the ravine about twenty-five feet below the general surface at 75°. The grassy plains to the west of St. Louis are ornamented with many beautifully flowering herbaceous plants. Among those collected there, Dr. Baldwin observed the aristolochia Sipho, cypripedium spectabile,[080] lilium catesbeiana, bartsia coccinea, triosteum perfoliatum, cistus canadensis, clematis viorna, and the tradescantia virginica. The borders of this plain begin to be overrun with a humble growth of black jack and the witch hazel,[081] it abounds in rivulets, and some excellent springs of water, near one of which was found a new and b

, of various forms and magnitudes, arranged nearly in a line from north to south. The common form is an oblong square, and they all stand on the second bank of the river. The statement given below of their forms, magnitudes, and relative positions, is the r

ve any useful purpose to which they can have been applicable in war, unless as elevated stations from which to observe the motions of an appro

mbankment, is to be seen abou

numbers of graves have been explored, and have been represented to contain the bones of a diminutive race of men. Most of these graves are found near the bank of the Merameg. They do not rise above the general surface, but their presence is ascertained by the vertical stones which enclose them, and project a little at either end of the grave. When the included earth, and the numerous horizontal flat stones are removed,

r spending a night at this place, they crossed the river to the town of Lilliput, (one of the projected towns here has received this name,) the place so often mentioned as the locality of the graves of a pigmy race. Appearances here are in general similar to those already described. One head that had been dug up was that of an old person, in whom the teeth had been lost, and the alveol? {57} obliterated, leaving the sharp edge of the jaw-bone. From this the neighbouring settlers had inferred the existence of a race of men without teeth, having their jaws like those of the turtle. Ha

e relics of a more modern people

ribs of a serpent of moderate size, and in good preservation; but whether the animal had been buried by the natives, or had perished there, after having found admittance through some hole, we could not determine. If they were buried by the Indians, they are probably the bones of a species of crotalus, as it is known th

nally, and the larger half of each only remained. From this circumstance it seems probable that they had been used by the aborigines as drinking cups; or, consecrated to superstition, they may have been regarded as sacred u

observe, that of the three revolving bands of tubercles, characteristic of that species, the inferior one in

hose which are, at the present day, found on the coast of Georgia and East Florida, known to naturalists under the name of F. perversus, t

and the shores of the island of Boeton; Humphreys says it is brought from the East Indies and China; Linn?us believed it to inhabit the coasts of America; but B

correspond in assigning the shores of Asia, or those of the islands which lie near that continent, as the native territory of this great species of conch, with the sole exc

intercourse formerly existed between the Indians of North America and those of Asia; and leads us to believe that even a limite

ent race of American Indians from Asia to this country, yet, when taken in combination with other evidence, which has been

, which brought us to the hill a few years since occupied by the monks of La Trappe.[085] This enormous mound lies nearly from north to south, bu

piles, many of them now nearly obliterated, we cannot but compare their aspect of decay with the freshness of the wide field of nature, which[pg121] we see reviving around us; their insignificance, with the majestic and imperishable features of the landscape. We feel the insignificance and the want o

pward to the Missouri, the water of the Mississippi, for a part of the year, is observed to be clear and of a greenish colour on the Illinois side, while it is turbid and yellow

re, so that a portion of the clear, green waters of the latter river run for some distance in the[pg122] middle of the channel, and along the surface of the Missouri waters, rendered perhaps specifically heavier by the great quantities of earthy matter mingled with them. The waters of the Missouri are so charged with mud and sand as to be absolutely opake, and

lity, that the force of our steam-engine was sufficient to propel the boat against the current of the

s, whose ordinary range is in the immediate vicinity of the sea-coast, should ascend this river to so

vidence of the recent deposition of the soil of the low plains, and an admonition of the uncertainty of tenure, on the first bank of the river. One of these projecting trunks is still in good preservation. It is {62} about three feet in diameter, and from its direction, must pass immediately under the roots of two large trees, now occupying the surface of the soil.[088] Similar appearances are frequent along the Mississippi and Missouri, and furnish abundant evidence that these rivers are constantly changing their bed, and, from the great rapidity of the stream, as well as from the appearances presented, we must suppose these changes are not very slowly produced; but their range is confined to the valley within the second banks, which are here raised about seventy feet. On this second bank, in the rear of the site of the

ight be blown out: the method heretofore adopted, of taking off one end for the purpose of admitting a man to clean them, proving t

nted out by Mr. Bradbury, and by him called Rosa mutabilis. This last is a very beautiful species, rising sometimes to the height of eight

nd-bars. On the upper ends of these sand-bars are many large rafts of drift wood; these are also frequent along the right hand shore. In several places we observed por

er change in the direction of the current, they are undermined, and precipitated down, to be borne away by the river. The growth of the cotton-tree is very rapid, that of the salix angustata, the most common of the willows found here, is more tardy, as it never attains to great size. The seeds of both these trees are

appear a few feet from the water's edge, at the base of a high cliff of soft sandstone. The smell of sulphur is very perceptible along the bank of the river, occasioned doubtless

y from the Indian trade. This source having in a great measure failed, on account of the disappearance of the aborigines, before the rapid advances of the white population, the town remained in a somewhat declining condition for several years; but as the surrounding country was soon occupied by an agricultural population, a more

hose mentioned at Bellefontain. In the face of the banks are usually great numbers of the

history of the country. Messrs. Say, Jessup, Peale, and Seymour, having provided themselves with a horse and pack-saddle, on which they fastened their blankets, a tent, and some provisions, accompanied by one man, left St. Charles at 7 o'clock on

e way against a heavy current, she proceeded but a few miles. We passed some rocky cliffs; but in general the immediate banks of the river presented the same appearance as below,

oard one of the party, who had left the boat at an early hour, to visit a friend residing a short distance from the river. At evening we came to anchor

antation of a farmer, recently from Virginia. From him we obtained a plentiful supply of milk, and some bacon hams. A portion of the bank had lat

This plant, supposed to have been originally introduced from Europe, follows closely the footsteps of the whites. The liatris pycnostachia, here called "pine of the pr

ake a decoction of the root, which they continue to drink for some time. It is called "blue wood" by the French, and is the symphoria racemosa of Pursh, common t

in the navigation of the river, and being occasionally delayed by the failure of some part of the steam

t. Charles; and it was not without great exertion that he was overtaken and brought back. They then pitched their tent, and were so fortunate as to find a house at the distance of half a mile. This belonged to a family from Carolina, and exhibited great appearance of neatness and comfort, but the owner was found particularly deficient in hospitality. He refused to sell or to give any refreshments for the use of the party, and even granted them some water with apparent reluctance, marching haughtily about his piazza, while some person was annoying his family by playing wretchedly on a flute. Mr. Say and the gentlem

orded. From too long fasting, and from the effect of exposure and fatigue, Mr. Say and others became somewhat unwell; and on their account, the party remained at the house of their friendly host till evening, when they walked four {

inuing their journey, he could not be found. Two travellers at length arrived, and informed them that the horse had been seen at about six miles' distance, on the way towards S

day; some, indeed, journey only by night. If they travel at all in the day, they have the precaution to defend the horse, by a covering thrown loosely over him. The tabani appear about the 10th of June, and are seen in[pg132] immense

ie. When they arrived here, they determined {69} to take the most direct route towards the Missouri, as it seemed folly for them to attempt, in the drought and heat, which then prevailed, to cross the extensive plains of Loutre and the Grand Prairie with their heavy burthens. They therefore followed a path leading nearly south, along a naked ridge; where they travelled twelve miles, without finding water, and arrived at Lou

; on the north water is readily found, by digging to a moderate depth. Loutre Prairie is twenty-three, a

d designed to afford protection against the attacks of the aborigines, chiefly the Kickapoos, and Saukees, who were most f

and Captain Calloway received in his body a ball that had passed through his watch. So furious was the onset, that there was no time for reloading their pieces after they had discharged them. {70} Captain Calloway threw his gun into the creek, that it might not add to the booty of the Indians; and though

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ek enters at the lower end of the island. It is not navigable. Mr. Talbot, formerly from Kentucky, has been resident here for nine years. His farm is in a high state of cultivation, and furnishes abundant supplies of p

ted from Virginia, or any of the more southern states, have usually the form of double cabins, or two distinct houses, each containing a single room, and connected to each other by a roof; the intermediate space, which is often equal in area to one of the cabins, being left open at the sides, and having the naked earth for a floor, affords a cool and airy retreat, where the famil

remote from the habitation of any other family, has sometimes a mill of a more primitive character, called a hand-mill, probably differing little from those used among the ancient Egyptians. It consists of two stones; and while one person causes the uppermost to revolve horizontally upon the disk of the other, a second, who is usu

en or eight flashes, in rapid succession, then ceases; but shortly after renews its brilliancy. This species appears early in May. We saw many of them in returning by night from the Merameg to St. Louis

d, there had been made two hundred fence-rails, eleven feet in length, and from four to six inches in thickness. A c

CHAPT

ein-Mouths of the Osage-Mani

o

utre, is marked with numerous rude drawings, executed by the Indians; some representing men with the heads of bisons, spears, arrows, bows, &c. Half a mile above this rock the Gasconade enters the Missouri from the south. The sources of this river are in the hilly country, near those of some of the larger tributaries of the Yungar fork of the Osage; its waters are transparent, and its current rapid. Traversing a rocky and broken country, it has not the uniformity of current common to many of the b

pt that the hills are discontinued on the left side, and make their appearance on the ri

[pg138] the village is the lower mouth of the Osage. Just above the town is the elevated insular hill, which has given name to the place; it extends about eight hundred yards, parallel to the bank of the river, and terminates at a small stream called Revoe's Creek. Back of the hill is a marsh, discharging a small stream of water into the creek. The site of the settlement of Cote Sans Dessein is remarkable on account of the fertility of the soil,

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ir rear by means of an ambuscade, and entering the village, raised their war-cry at the doors of the cabins. The women and children fled in consternation to the block-houses. At this juncture a young man was seen, who would not abandon his decrepit mother, even though she entreated him to fly and save his own life, leaving h

, one of the two men received a mortal wound, which made him incapable of further exertion-the other continued to discharge the guns at the besiegers, they being loaded and put into his hands by the women. One mode of attack, adopted by the Indians, had nearly proved successful. They threw burning torches upon the[pg140] roof, which was several times on fire; but the women, with admirable presence of mind, and undaunted intrepidity, ascended to the to

ot appear to be greatly esteemed, having perhaps few qualities except personal intrepidity to recomme

nts of St. Genevieve placed their horses upon an island covered with rushes, where great numbers of them shortly after died; but it was observed that such as received regularly a small quantity of salt remained uninjured. Of a large number of horses, placed on an island ne

t in the low grounds, where it is eaten by the cattle. They have a disease called the milk sickness: it commences with nausea and dizziness, succeeded by headache, pain in the stomach and bowels, and finally, by a prostration of strengt

and soured milk in various forms; all of which they sell to travellers. Below Cote Sans Dessein we paid, for new milk, twenty-five cents per gallon, and for soured milk, eighteen and three-fourth cents. At[pg142] that place twenty-five cents per quart were demanded by the French settlers. It is commonly remarked that the French, as well as the Indians, who have been long in the immediate vicinity of the whites, charge a much higher price for any article than the Anglo-Americans, under the same circumstances. Emigrants from the southern states prefer sour milk; and the traveller's taste in this particular, we have often observed, forms a test to

atal disease, was able to make several excursions on shore. His devotion to a fascinating pursuit stimulated him to exertions for which the strength of

white colour, compact structure, and a somewhat concoidal fracture, containing [Pg 143]few organic remains. It alternates with sandstones, having a si

d, and the lots lately disposed of at St. Louis, at various prices, from fifty to one hundred and eighty dollars each. [110] Within the limits of this town is a considerable hill, rising

in the Ozark mountains, opposite those of the White river of the Mississippi, and of the Neosho, {79} a tributary of the Arkansa. Flowing along the base of the north-western slope of a mountainous range, it receives from the e

ars, this must be considered an exaggeration. In the lower part of its course it traverses broad and fertile bottom lands, bearing heavy forests of sycamore and cotton[pg145] trees. We may expect the country along the banks of t

ters three miles above; and at its mouth is Cedar Island, where we anchored for the night. This island is three mil

steam on this occasion, one of the valves was displaced; and as we were no longer able to confine the steam, the engine became useless, the boat being thus exposed to

re the terminations of low ranges of hills running in quite to the river. These hills sometimes occasion rapids in the river, as in the instance of the Manito rocks; opposite which commences a group of small islands stretching obliquely across the Missouri, and separated by narrow channels, in which the current is stronger than below. Some of these channels we found obstructed by collections of

are to be met with in a few miles above the Little Manito rocks. Almost every settler, who has established himself on the Missouri, is con

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Roche a Piercè, and giving name to the creek.[114] These rocks we found filled with organic remains, chiefly encrinites. About eight or ten miles above this point the Missouri again washes the base of the rocky hills, which bound its immediate valley. The rocks advance boldly to the brink of the river, exhibiting a perpendicular front, variegated with se

o two hundred feet above the surface of the included valley, and separating it from those vast woodless plains[pg148] which overspread so great a part of the country. Meandering from right to left along this valley the river alternately washes the base of the bluffs on either side, while, from a person passing up or down the stream, the heavy forests intercept the view of the bluffs, except at the points where they are thus disclosed. Opposite the Big Manito rocks, and

red and twenty log houses of one story, several framed dwellings of two stories, and two of brick, thirteen shops for the sale of merchandize, four taverns, two smiths' shops, two large team-mills, two billiard-rooms, a court-house, a log prison of two stories, a post-office, and a printing-press is

side of the Missouri, above Cote Sans Dessein. In three years,

Franklin is the seat of {83} justice for Howard county. It stands on a low and recent alluvial plain, and has behind it a small stagnant creek. The bed of the river, near the shore, has been heretofore obstructed by sand-bars, which prevented large boats from approaching the town; whether this evil will increase or diminish, it is not possible to determine; such is the want of stability in every thing belonging to the channel of the Missouri. It is even doubtful whether the present site of Franklin will not, at some future day, be occupied

m the river.[117] We visited one establishment for the manufacture of salt. The brine is taken from a spring at the surface of the earth, and is not remarkably concentrated, yielding only one bushel of salt to each four hundred and fifty gallons. Eighty bushels are manufactured daily, and require three cords of wood for the evaporation of the water. The furnace consists of a chimney-like funnel, rising obliquely along the side of a hill, {84} instead of the vertical an

hospitably received, and where they all dined by invitation on the 17th of July.[118] Here we met several intelligent inhabitants of the village, and of the sur

dian warriors, he could not determine. Not far from this encampment, he observed a recent mound of earth, about eight feet in height, which he was induced to believe must be a cachè, or place of deposit, for the spoils which the party, occupying the encampment, h

hat beneath. The clothing was still in sufficient preservation to enable him to distinguish a red coat, trimmed with gold lace, golden epaulets, a spotted buff waistcoat, finished also with gold lace, and pantaloons of white nankeen. On the head was a round beaver hat,

at the button taken from the shoulder, had the word Philadelphia moulded upon it. The cane sti

war party of Sauks and Foxes. In the course of this action, a Spanish officer had pursued an Indian boy, who was endeavouring to escape with a musket on his[pg153] shoulder, but who finding himself nearly overtaken, had discharged the musket behind him at random, and had kill

ll twelve inches, though in the preceding week more than two inches of rain had fallen. We were informed that the floods

CHA

er, and Settlement-Pedestrian Jou

o

d embellish. We regret that it is not in our power to add to this inadequate testimony of respect, such notices of the life and writings of Dr. Baldwin, as might be satisfactory to our readers. His manuscripts were numerous, but his works were left unfinished. The remarks on the Rotbollia, published in Silliman's Journal, are his only productions, as far as we are informed, hitherto before the public.[119] His Herbarium, it is well known, {88} has contributed to enrich the works of Pursh and Nuttall. He was the friend and correspondent of the venerable Muhlenbergh, and contributed materials for the copious catalogue of North American plants, published by that excellent botanist. In South America he met with Bonpland, the illustrious companion of Humboldt, and a friendly correspondence was established between them, which continued[pg155] until his death.[120] He had travelled extensively, not only in South America, but in Georgia, Florida, and other parts of North America. His notes and collections are extensive and valuable. During the short period of hi

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raverse the country by land, to Fort Osage, where they proposed to await the arrival of the steamboat. A pack-horse was pur

red, for the night, three miles above Franklin. Finding the valves, and other parts of the steam-engine, so much worn by the fine sand, suspended in the water of the river, as to become leaky, we were compelled to lie by, and were occupied for a day in making repairs. In the meantime the boat's crew were employed in taking on board a supply of dry mulberry wood, which is the best that the forests along the Missouri afford. The water in the river was now subsiding, and the rapidity of the current consequently diminishing; we did not, therefore, so much regret the necessary delays, as we might otherwise have done. Some of the party went out on the

el Chambers' command. He brought intelligence that the detachment had arrived wit

t stand immediately on the bank of the Missouri, but of the Charaton river, about seven hundred yards above its mouth. Charaton will be the depot of merchandize, for a large extent of fertile country, which lies towards the north and east. At this time, the settlement contained

country which is of great importance, both on account of the fertility of its soil, and its inexhaustible mines of coal. The Western Engineer, being the first steam-boat that had ever ascended the Missouri, above Charaton, great numbers of the settlers were attracted to the banks of the river, on both sides, to witness our progress. So numero

st trees, thence sloping gradually to the prairies, the region of the Gramina, and the Cyperac?a. Eighteen miles above Charaton, is the entrance of Grand river an important tributary to the Missouri from the north. This river is one hundred and fifty yards wide at its mouth, and is navigable for boats of small burthen, about two hundred miles. Its waters are transparent, except in times of high floods, and its current less rapid than that of the Missouri. There

point it is six miles.[pg161][125] We followed the old channel, which is much obstructed by trunks of trees and sand-bars, and after a few hours succeeded in ascending this dangerous pass. Compact limestone, and argillaceous sandstone, occur frequently along the Missouri, above the mouth of Grand river, and indications of coal are often met with. In a country affording but an insufficient supply of timber for the consumption of a dense population, these extensive beds of fossil

much in thickness, and occurring often at an elevation of a

passed through a fine bottom on the left side of the river, closely covered with forests of oaks, elms, hackberry, walnut, the mulberry, the gleditschia, the guilandina, and the other trees common on[pg162] the Missouri, for twelve miles, when they arrived at Arrow rock, where is a ferry by which they cro

kable eddy, which, as they were crossing, whirled their ferry-boat entirely round. On the second day they left their encampment at an early hour, and travelled forward through plains where very few trees were to be seen. They turned off from the Osage trace, in which they had been travelling, and went

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Saline, are the salt-works, and the residence of Mr. Loc

f iron and steel, as no others could have penetrated, and removed the compact rocky soil, of which the points and brows of the hills are composed. These excavations occur frequently {94} in an extent of two or three miles; and from the amount of labour which appears to have been expended on them, it has been thought by some, that several hundred men must have been occupied two or three

ed their tent, on the evening of July 21st, on a branch of the Le Mine. Here they saw four Mississippi kites. The forks of the tail of this bird are so much elongated as to resemble some for

he alternation of forests and meadows, arranged with an appearance of order, as if by the labour of men, and seeks in vain to repose upon some cot

g. This camp was near a place called the Grand Pass, a narrow neck of prairie between the timber of the Saline, and that of a small creek dischargi

y frequented this region.[131] The creek is navigable to the site of the projected town, about one mile from the Missouri, having for this distance about six feet of water. Four miles from this place they crossed the Little Tabeau, and at evening pitched their tent on a stream called the Little Chenal au Barre, about a mile and a half from the Missouri. Here is a good mill seat. The Great and Little Chenal au Barre, are two creeks entering t

source.[133] Here Mr. Say had an opportunity to examine a young black wolf, which was confined by a chain at the door of the hut. These animals are common in this part of the country. This individual was one of five that had been taken from t

dventures, particularly his engagements with bears. One bear which he had killed, he said, weighed seven hundred pounds; but in this instance he was probably mistaken. He had seen in the winter of 1818, a large herd of bisons near the Grand Pass; but they had been driven do

167] of the animal to secure their prey. They conceal themselves and imitate the cry of the fawn. The solicitude of the parent animal for her young overcomes her usual care

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l. Chambers, then at Fort Osage. The rifle regiment was enca

its curtains too obliquely to be of much service in defending it. There is also a small bastion at a third angle. Within are two series of buildings for quarters, store-houses, &c. The position of the fort is not a secure one, on account of numerous ravines and declivities that would cover an enemy within a short distance; but is such, that boat

grants from Tennessee, and are hospitable to strangers. Many of them are possessed of considerable wealth. In the inhabitants of the new States and Territories there is a manifest propensity, particularly in the males, to remove westward, for which it is not easy to account. The women, having their attention directed almost exclusively to domestic pursuits, form local attac

in the artificial wants and the uneasy restraints inseparable from a crowded population are not known, wherein we feel ourselves dependent immediately and solely on the bounty of nature, and the strength of our own arm, will not be appreciated by those to whom they[pg170] are known only from description, though they never fail to make an impression upon such as h

iver. On the last day of July and the first of August, about two inches of rain fell: the prevailing winds were from the north-east; but the superior strata of the atmosphere carried clouds of different descriptions in different, and sometimes opposite directions. The moon soon after rising, passed behind

n the cliffs on both sides the valley of the Missouri. These rocks con

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cal observations necessary to ascertain its position. The mean of the results of several observations

CHAP

f River-Journey by land from Fort

o

traverse the country by the nearest route to the Platte, and to descend that river to the Missouri. The party consisted of Mr. Say, to whom the command was entrusted, Messrs. Jessup, Peale, and Seymour, Cadet Swift, Mr. J. Dougherty, a

oops destined for the Missouri service arrived in keel-boats. Colonel Chambers, with the principal part of

ndebted for numerous hospitable attentions during their stay at Fort Osage; also by Captain Bissel, and Lieutenant Pentland,[139] of the rifle regiment, who returned in a skiff.

limited in extent, are deep and shady, and though the atmosphere is perceptibly less humid than in the forests of the Mississippi, fallen trees, whose wood is soft and porous like that of the linden and cotton tree, absorb much moisture from the ground. It was only when we were so fortunate as to find a dry mulberry, a

es from the Rocky Mountains, before the Missouri reaches its greatest fulness; consequently the waters of the latter river, charged with mud, flow into the mouths of its tributaries, and there becoming nearly stagnant, deposit an extensive accumulation of mud and slime. The Konzas river has a considerable resemblance to the Missouri; but its current is more moderate, and

occasioned us some delay. The water having fallen several feet, we had less velocity of current to contend against, but found it mo

d dress, they appeared to us to surpass the savages themselves. They are usually the most abandoned and worthless among

on the north side. It is difficult to pass, being much obstructed by sand-bars. Four miles above this is a small group, called the Three Islands; and two miles further another cluster, kno

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of the rifle regiment, left Bellefontain in September 1818, and arrived at Isle au Vache in October, with the expectation of resuming his march as early in the following spring as the weather would permit. But not having received the necessary supplies of provisions as anticipated, they had been compelled to remain till the time of our arrival, subsisting themselves principally b

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council, to be held at Isle au Vache, on the arrival of the Western Engineer.[143] Agreeably to the message sent by an interpreter, the Indians had been expected on the 18th, but did not arrive until the 23d of August, having been abse

f Mr. Say and his party, and of their kind reception at the Konza village. We were

tting forth the causes of complaint which they had given[pg177] by their repeated insults and depredations upon the whites, giving them notice of the approach of a military force, of sufficient strength to chastise their insolence

hiefs, but had resigned his authority in favour of Ka-he-ga-wa-ta-ning-ga. Wa-ha-che-ra, Big Knife, a partizan or leader of war parties. Wom-pa-wa-ra, He who scares all men, more commonly known to the whites as Plume Blanche, or White Plume, a man rising rapidly in importance, and apparently destined to become the leader of the nation.[144] In addition to the Indians, the officers of the garrison and a few gentlemen were present at the council. The ceremonies were commenced by a discharge of ordnance from the steamboat;

[146] These men were[pg179] furnished with provisions for sixty days, and having embarked on board a keel-boat, called the General Smith, they sailed in company with the Western Engineer. A favourable wind springing up, we proceeded in the course of the day about twenty-three miles, and encamped at night near the entrance of a small stream, called Independence Creek. A little above, and on the south side of the river, is the site of an old Konza town, formerly called the village of the Twen

space now occupied by the immediate valley of the river, has been removed by the Missouri. From the summit of the bluffs there is a sloping ascent towards the interior of the country; and it is probable the aggregate elevation of the great plains is not less than three hundred feet above the surface of the river. If we admit that this great valley, with its numerous ramifications, has resulted from the operation of currents, wearing down and transporting to the ocean the solid materials of the earth's surface, it would appear necessary still farther to acknowledge that this channel was once much deeper than at present, for we usually meet with thick alluvial depositions covering the rocks that line the bottom

de, and navigable to some distance. It is not usually seen in passing, being {107} concealed by the island called the Great No

es, which afforded us about half a barrel of honey. On the trees which margin the river, we frequently observed a fine species of squirrel, which possesses all the graceful activity of the common gray squirrel, as it leaps from bough to bough.[151] After our machinery was adjusted,[pg182

w Island, where they had arrived five days after our departure. Mr. Say and Mr. Jessup had been left sick at Cow Island. We encamped immediately, to give those who were near an opportunity of joining us. It will now be necessary to return to th

against the approach of an enemy. The prairies about the head waters of the Warreruza abound in game. Here ravens were first seen by the party, and numbers of large banded rattlesnakes were killed. The blowing flies swarmed in inconceivable numbers, attacking not only the provision of the party, but depositing their eggs upon the blankets, clothing, and even on the furniture of the horses. On the 11th of August they arrived at some elevated ridges, from which they overlooked an extensive country, and could trace the whole course of the Wahrengeho, or Full Creek, diverging slightly from the Konzas, and could readily perceive timber upon several o

parallel to the course of[pg185] that river. The next day several of the party, already much debilitated, began to be afflicted with dysentery; some accidents also occurred to retard their progress, and on that and the following day they advanced only two miles. On the 16th they marched about fifteen miles, and encamped on the bank of the Konzas. Being now in doubt as to the situation of the Konza village, and the illness of some of the party continuing, they determined to remain en

which skirts the banks, including the bed of the river, is about half a mile wide, but not entirely uninterrupt

they had the satisfaction at last to fall in with a beaten path leading up the river, an

ich enters the Konzas from the north-west. It is four feet deep, and about twenty yards wide.[155] Here they h

side. The trees are from fifteen to twenty-five feet high, and from one foot to

inspect their firearms. This was thought the more necessary, as no party of whites had visited the village since a number of the

n the beds, still protected from the pressure of the crowd by the chiefs, who took their seats on the ground immediately before them. After the ceremony of smoking with the latter, the object which the party had in view in passing through their territories was explained to them, and {111} seemed to be perfectly satisfactory. At the lodge of the principal chief they were regaled with jerked bison meat and boiled corn, and were afterwards invited to six feasts in immediate succession. Chaboneau and the old Frenchman, who had been despatched from Fort Osage, to summon the Konzas to meet the agent at Isle au Vache, had arrived some days previous; but the nation being at that time absent on a hunting exc

his boat, and not entirely without effect, as was supposed; several also had been flogged by the orders of Captain Martin; yet they did not consider themselves secure from the vengeance of the whites. Many believed that at the time of the anticipated council, barrels of gunpowder were to be placed in the earth to destroy them at once. The two runners, who had been despatched, quarrel

the Konzas, gives, in his notes, th

ituate in the distance, within about one-fourth of a mile of the river. It consists of about a hundred and twenty lodges, placed as closely together as convenient, and destitute of any regulari

o the summit. These poles are very numerous, and, agreeably to the position which we have indicated, they are placed all round in a radiating {113} manner, and support the roof like rafters. Across these are laid long and slender sticks or twigs, attached parallel to each other by means of bark cord; these are covered by mats made of long grass, or reeds, or with the bark of trees; the whole is then covered completely over with earth, which, near the ground, is banked up to the eaves. A hole is permitted to remain in the middle of the roof to give exit to the smoke. Around the walls of the interior, a continuous series of mats are suspended; these are of neat workmanship, composed of a soft reed united by bark cord, in straight or undulated lines, betwee

, consisting of a brass kettle, an iron pot, and wooden bowls and spoons; each person, male as well as female, carries a large knife in the girdle of the breech cloth behind, which is used at their meals, and somet

ne a certain preparation, is appropriately named sweet corn, boiled in water, and enriched with a few slices of bison meat, grease

with uncooked dried meat of the bison, also a very agreeable food, and to our taste and reminiscence, far preferable to the flesh of the domestic ox. Another very acceptable dish was called leyed corn; this is maize of the preceding season shelled from the cob, and first boiled for a short time in a ley of wood-ashes until the hard skin, which invests the grains, is separated from t

enerally old men, and acquaints them with his design; they repair to the girl, who generally feigns an unwillingness to marry, and urges such reasons as her poverty, youth, &c.-the old men are often obliged to return six or seven times before they can effect their object. When her consent is obtained, the parents of the young man take two or three blankets and some meat to the parents of the female that they may feast, and immediately return to their lodge. The parents put on the meat to cook, and place the same quantity of meat and merchandize on two horses, and dress their daughter in the best garments they can afford; she mounts one of the horses, and leads the other, and is preceded by a crier announcing, with a loud voice, the marriage of the young couple, naming them, to the people; in this way she goes to the habitation of her husband, whose parents take from her every thing she brings, strip her entirely naked, dress her again in clothes as good as she broug

she pleases. They have, in some instances, four or five wives; but these are mostly sisters; if they marry into two families the wives do not harmonize well together, and give the husband much inquietude; there is, however, no restriction in this respect, except in the prudence of the husband. The grandfather and grandmother are very fond of their grandchi

er's sister mother, and her mother's brother uncle. The male calls his father's brother father, his father's sister [106] aunt, his mother's sist

ut as friends; the tie is very permane

heir parents; all the nations proceeded from them, excepting the whites, whose origin they pretend not to know. When a man is killed in battle, the thunder is supposed to take him up, they do not know where. In going to battle each man traces an imaginary figure of the thunder on the soil; and he who represents it incorrectly is killed by the thunder. A person saw this thunder one day on the ground, with a beautiful mockasin on each side of it; having much need of a pair, he took them and went his way; but on his return, by the same spot, the thunder took him off, and he has not been since heard of. They seem to have vague notions of the future state. They think that a brave warrior, or good hunter, will walk

termination near the top of the head, the sides rectilinear, and nearly parallel, though slightly approaching each other towards the origin of the neck, where it abruptly terminates; on the exterior margin, the hair is somewhat longer and erect; this strip of hair is variously decorated; it is sometimes coloured on the margin with vermilion, sometimes a tail feather of the war eagle is attached transversely with respect to the head; this feather is white at base, and black at tip; but the principal ornament, which appears to be worn by some of their chief warriors, and which is, at the same time, by far the most handsome, is the tail of the common deer; this is attached by the base near to the top of the patch of hair, the back of it resting on the hair, and the tip secured near the termination of the patch; the bristly hair of the tail is dyed red by a beautiful permanent colour, and parted longitudinally in the middle by a broad silver plate, which is attached at top, and suffered to hang loose. Many of them are tattooed on different parts of the body. The[pg197] young boys are entirely naked, with the exception of a girdle, generally of cloth, round their protruding abdomen. This part of the body in the children of this nation is remarkably prominent; it is more particularly so when they are very young, but gradually subsides as they advance in age. In hot weather the men, whilst in the village, generally use fans, with which they cool themselves, when in the shade, and protect their heads from the sun whilst walking out; they are made of the wing or tail of the turkey. The women rarely use them. The dress of the female is

water soon after its birth, and the ablution is frequently repeated; the mother also bathes with the same f

nce, as it renders the individual unfit for the wife of a chief, a brave warrior, or good hunter. To wed her daughter to one of these, each moth

ich, when used, is placed with the side upon the part, and the ends are pressed towards each other so as to close the spires upon the hairs, which can then

CHAP

bbery of Mr. Say's Detachment by a War

o

n enemy's dead body, or stealing a horse. An instance lately occurred of a warrior who had been long absent under a vow of this sort, and finding it impossible to meet an enemy, and being in a starving condition, he returned to his own village by night, wi

on the journey they proposed to take, such as jerked bison meat, pounded maize, bison fat put up like sausages, mockasins, leggings, spoons made of the horn of the bison, two large wood

e time was afraid[pg200] his people would not recognize him, and would kill him for a Konza. He was promised protection, but at the same time it

for our horses, we departed, accompanied by several Indians, who intended t

llowers, who, although a chief of the extinct Missouri nation,[157] has yet much influence with the Konzas, wished to exchange a horse he had with him for one of ours, which was evidently a less valuable animal. The reason he assigned in explanation of his desire of such an apparently disadvantageous exchange was, that his horse had been presented to him by a person, who, he feared, intended to reclaim him, but that

and the Konzas--A Fac-simile of a Delineation

ved but partially concealed a body of Indians, who had already approached within a quarter of a mile, and were now running with great swiftness. Our Indian followers now displayed all their activity; the chief seized his gun, and ran towards the advancing multitude to obtain his horse, which he mounted and r

meat from the grasp of the latter, and from that of several others who had been contending for portions of it, placed it beneath his feet, and defended it with his lance; but Chabonneau, to whom the meat belonged, declaring that he had given it to them, they were permitted to retain it. A tent which had been pitched for me in consideration of my illness, and in which my blanket, pistols, together with some small articles, had been deposited, was plundered of its contents; it was finally cut down, and would have been taken away, had we not made an effort to preserve it. During the whole transaction those warriors, who stood at a short distance, intently watched our movements, as if they were led to believe, from the attitude we assumed, that we would attempt to repel them, even with our inadequate force. No sudden action or motion of any one of the party escaped them; and individuals were frequently observed to draw their arrows to test the elasticity of the bows. At a critical juncture, a tall and graceful Indian cocked his gun fiercely, and put his war whistle to his mouth, but the signal was not blown. Amongst numerous incidents that occurred during the half hour that we were surrounded by them, an individual attempted to seize a

n the return of day we observed thirty mounted Indians riding[pg206] swiftly towards us. The chief, who left us so precipitately the preceding evening, on his arrival at the village, hastily assembled a little band of warriors for the purpose of returning immediately to our assistance, and it was he and his party, that we had now the pleasure to greet. They expressed great satisfaction, when they learned that we were all uninjured. After saluting us cordially, they pursued the trai

of the republican Pawnees, and were about one hundred and

to suspect that no molestation to them was intended. The Indians collected around the fire in the centre of the lodge, yelling incessantly; at length their howlings assumed something of a measured tone, and they[pg209] began to accompany their voices with a sort of drum and rattles. After singing for some time, one who appeared to be their leader, struck the post over the fire with his lance, and they all began to dance, keeping very exact time with the music. Eac

or of a Konza Lodge go

the entertainment of their guests. Mr. Seymour took an opportunity to

to hire horses on credit, and to make the best of their way for Cow Island, in hopes of meeting the steamboat there. A Frenchman, Mr. Gunville, resident with this nation, agreed to furnish two pack horses, and a saddle horse for

the French trader, who had furnished them two horses, and by a Missouri Indian; but this

ineteen miles beyond this they arrived at the sources of Grasshopper Creek, where they encamped on the evening of the 27th.[159] Here the soil changes somewhat abruptly. The high prairie

le the Indian agent to complete his negotiations {129} with the Konzas, had departed with the steam-boat before the arrival of the messengers, that had been sent to notify him of their disaster. These runners had b

ld continue their journey. Mr. Dougherty, from his intimate acquaintance with the country, was of opinion that by crossing in the nearest direction from Isle au Vache to the mouth of Wolf river, they might yet overta

eds of argillaceous sandstone, and secondary limestone. In all the limestones along the Missouri, we observe a tendency to crystalline structure, and they have often a reddish or yellowish white {130} colour. There is,[pg212] however, always something in the arrangement and in the aspect of the crystals to distinguish these sparry varieties from the primitive granular limestone, to which they have something of general resemblance. The horizontal disposition of the strata of this limestone, the great numbers of organic relics contained in it, and its intimate connexion with coal strata, indicate with sufficient clearness its relation to the secondary rocks. No person who shall examine this stratum with the least attention, eit

hes eastward from the base of the Rocky Mountains.[pg213] You meet there with the orbicular lizard, or "horned frog," an inhabitant of the arid plains of {131} New Mexico. You distinguish also some cacti, as well as many of those plants allied to chenopodium and salsola, which delight in a thirsty muriatiferous soil. The catalogue of the forest trees belonging to the vallies of this region is not very copious. The cotton-wood and the plane tree, every where f

ery little water is to be found in the prairies, all the smaller streams failing, even though the season be not unusually dry. On account of the want of wood and of water, the settlements will be for a long time confined to the immediate vallies of the Mi

sparrow, which is altogether new to us;[162] and several specimens of a serpent have occurred, which

g2

of September. A party of hunters, furnished with a horse for the transportation of game, were despatched at the same time with instructions to hunt on the south side of the river, and to join us again in the evening. We

f the Konzas river, and running eastwardly about one hundred and fifty miles, discharges into the Missouri a little north of latitude forty degrees. In the straightness of its course, the rapidity and turbu

o remain at the encampment of the preceding night, after the departure of the steam-boat, for the purpose of taking on board a large quantity of honey. Swarms of

ave a new one, which we had brought, adapted to its place. Several of the men amused themselves by hunting and fishing. {133}

hills called the Baldpated Prairie, stretching along the north-eastern side of the Nishnebottona, and diminished to the size of anthills in the distant perspective.[167] Here the navigation is much obstructed by sand-bars, and the ordinary current of the Missouri, according to the statement of Lewis and[pg218] Clarke, corroborated by our observation, is something more than one fathom per second.[168] In many places the Missouri hurries across concealed sand bars and other obstructions, with the velocity of seven, eight, or even twelve feet in a second.[169] Between these obstructions, the channel becomes d

The river has retired from the base of the cliff it was then undermining. A grassy plain, of some extent, occupies the spot where the bed of the river must have been; but this prairie is, in its turn, experiencing the vicissitude incident to every thing along the bank of the Missouri, and is evidently very soon to disappear entirely. A mile or two above this point are cliffs of sandstone and indurated clay, in a

t of the seed vessel of the nelumbium, of uncommon magnitude. Fr

er, which was transparent and of a greenish colour, flowing almost unseen through a number of small channels. Masses of sand accumulate at the mouth of the Platte, rendering the {135} navigation of the Missouri at that[pg220] point extremely difficult. The Platte, during its fl

polypogon, and arundo, sometimes sinking into marshes occupied by sagittarias, alismas, and others of the hydrocharid?. The woodlands here, as on the whole of the Missouri below, are filled with great numbers of pea vines,[171] which afford an excellent pasturage for horses and cattle. The roots of the apios tuberosa were much sought after, and eaten by the soldiers, who accompanied us in our ascent. They are little tubers about half an inch in diame

ito river, are the remains of an old Ioway village. Four miles above, and on the opposite side, was formerly a village of the Otoes. On the 17th of September we arrived at the trading establishment of the Missouri Fur Company, known

CHAPTE

Bluff-Councils with the Otoes,

o

ve Fort Lisa, five miles below Council Bluff, and three miles above the mouth of Boyer's river.[174] At this place we anchored on the 19th[pg222] o

tone. Both these strata probably extend in connexion, some distance to the west; but as they are deeply covered with soil, we could not accurately ascertain their boundary in that direction. On the map accompanying this work, we have traced a line running

umerous relics of marine animals,

g2

ent of the recent difficulties should take place. In addition to the outrage committed on Mr. Say's party, they had made prisoners of two white hunters from the Arkansa, a father and son, who had been found hunting in the Indian territories. These men had been liberate

ng a reconciliation between those nations. This proposition, which originated with the Konzas, was favourably received by the Otoes. Mr. D. was soon afterwards despatched to the Pawnees, with instructions to demand of

lly separated from a small detachment that were driving some beeves from Martin's Cantonments, towards Council Bluff, had wandered about in the prairie for five d

e river. Its defects are a want of wood within a convenient distance, there being little within a mile above, and much farther below, also a want of stone and of water, except that of the river. From the summits of the hills, about one mile in the rear of the bluff, is presented the view of a most extensive and beautiful landscape. The bluffs on the east side of

o covered with trees. This spot presented numerous advantages for the cantonment of a small party like ours. Here were abundant supplies of wood and stone, immediately on the spot where we wished to erect our cabins, and the situation was sheltered by the high bluffs from the north-west winds. The place was called Engineer Cantonment. {140} On the[pg230] 26th of Septemb

ber. The principal chiefs advanced before their people, and upon invitation seated themselves. After a short interval of silence Shonga-tonga, the Big Horse, a large portly Indi

l from the master of the ceremonies, the music ceased, and they retired to their seats uttering a loud noise, which by patting the mouth rapidly with the hand, was broken into a succession of similar sounds, somewhat like the hurried barking of a dog. Several sets {141} of dancers succeeded, each terminating as the first. In the intervals of the dances, a warrior would step forward and strike a flagstaff they had erected with a stick, whip, or other weapon, and recount his martial deeds. This ceremony is called striking the post, and whatever is then said may be relied upon as rigid truth, being delivered in the presence of many a jealous warrior and witness, who could easily detect and would immediately disgrace the striker for exaggeration or falsehood. This is called the beg

} excepting a man and boy, fled; himself being at a distance before his party, he was shot at and missed by the man, whom he immediately shot down and struck. "This, my father," said he, "is the only martial act of my life that I am ashamed of."[178] After several rounds of dancing, and of striking at the post by the warriors, Mi-a-ke-ta, or the Little Soldier, a war-worn veteran, took his turn to strike the post. He leaped actively about, and strained his voice to its utmost pitch whilst he portrayed some of the scenes of blood in[pg233] which he had acted. He had struck dead bodies of individuals of all the red nations aroun

ir guns or arrows, &c. &c. Most of the dancers were the principal warriors of the nation, men who had not condescended to amuse themselves or others in this manner for years before; but they now appeared in honour of the occasion, and to conciliate[pg235] in the best manner the good will of the representative of the government of the Big-knives.[180] Amongst these veteran warriors Ietan, or Sha-mon-e-kus-se, Ha-she-a, the broken arm, commonly called Cut Nose, and Wa-sa-ba-jing-ga, or Little Black Bear, three youthful leaders, in particular attracted our attention. In consequence of having been appointed soldiers on this occasion, to preserve order, they were painted entirely black. The countenance of the former indicated much wit, and had in its expression something of the character of that of Voltaire; he frequently excited the mirth of those about him by his remarks and gestures. Ha-she-a, called Cut Nose, in consequence of having lost the tip of his nose in a quarrel[181] with Ietan, wore a handsome robe of white wolf skin, with an appendage behind him, called a crow. This singular decoration is a large cushion, made of the skin of a crow, {144} stuffed with any light material, and variously ornamented; it has two decorated sticks projecting from it upward, and a pendant one beneath; this apparatus is secured upon the buttocks by a girdle passing round the body. The other actors in the scene were decorated with paints of several colours fantastically disposed upon their persons. Several were painted with white clay, which had the appearance of being grooved in many places. This grooved appea

benches, which had been prepared for them, and which described a semicircle, on the chord of which sat the whites, with Major O'Fallon and his interpreters in the centre. Sentinels walked to and fro behind the benches; and a handsome standard waved before the assembly. The council was opened by a few rounds from the how

List of Il

ere acknowledged as chiefs, and to the latter, who did not possess a large medal, one was given in exchange for a smaller one which he possessed. No chief was a

white wolf and bison skin, and a pair of handsome leggings. The Black Bird presented a robe and the serrated instrument of music befor

had spoken in the council a few hours before, and remarked then that he h

nding in a forest of young willow trees, holding their mules by the bridles, and looking dubiously around. The chief of the principal band, Long Hair, was haranguing them in a loud voice, "Take off your saddles; why do you stand peeping and trembling in the bushes? you ought to have trembled when the whites were seen near the Konza village, &c." We saluted the principal men in the usual manner of shaking by the hand, though not with much cordiali

. The noise of the artillery excited the apprehensions of the {147} Indians; who, being sensible of having grossly offended the whites, now anticipated s

dition, had accumulated a considerable quantity of peltry, at the Pawnee republican village, when it was situated on the Republican fork of the Konza river.[pg242] As he had no horses to transport his merchandize, he requested the chief of that village to assist him in conveying it to the Grand Pawnees on the Platte, as he intended to descend that river to trade with the Otoes, on his way to St. Louis; the chief directly ordered horses to be brought, the furs were packed upon them, and they departed on the journey; but owing to some alleged misconduct on the part of Dorion, the chief, when half way, ordered the goods to be taken from the horses, and to be left on the plain. {148} He then, with his followers, returned to his village. The trader, after bewailing his unfortunate condition, at length resolved to go to the Grand Pawnee village and solicit the aid of Long Hair. Having arrived at the residence of the chief, he related to him in what manner he had been used by the Republican chief, and concluded by requesting assistance to bring in his goods. Long Hair, with

er, of the Padouca nation, whom he had adopted and taken into his family. This squaw, becoming infuriated at the prospect of the state of slavery to which she supposed herself now reduced, {149} stabbed her child to the heart, mortally wounded the brother of this chief, and, before she could be despatched, had inflicted th

ican citizens, two years since, who were also trapping beaver on the same river; and of robbing our party of sundry articles and horses, near the Konza village, whilst under[pg244] the protection of the flag of our country, of the nature of which they had been instructed, a

l air. We wished to observe the effect which instruments, that he had never seen or heard before, would produce on this distinguished man, and therefore {150} eyed him closely, and were not disappointed to observe that he did not deign to look upon them, or to manifest, by any motion whatever, that he wa

white people, and admonishing them to a reformation in their conduct, and to restore the articles they had stolen from us; t

il List of I

om us near the Konza village was restored, and a promise g

ity of making numerous excursions to collect animals, and to explore the neighbouring

g

nd being about to return to Washington, Major Long issued orders to the officers and gentlemen of the expedition, for their

attainment of which he will call on Lt. Graham, who is authorized to make any expenditures in behalf of the expedition that may be deemed reasonable and necessary, and

n[pg249] concerning the Indians, &c.; this gentleman will, therefore, be consulted in relation to visits, and al

from the Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, by the Secretary of War; and the instructions of Mr. Jefferson to Capt. Lewi

o the heights of the neighbouring hills, and the adjacent high table lands. He will also continue the meteorologic observations as usual, noticing the changes of weather, and all celestial and a

edition will find ample range for the exercise of their talents in their respective pursuits; and it is {152} hoped

Engineer Cantonment, and [pg250] accompanied by several other persons, began to d

CHAP

w Indians-Winter Residen

o

nd near Council Bluff, and of the observations

animals which occurred, are

g2

often unite in packs for the purpose of chasing deer, which they very frequently succeed in running down, and killing. This, however, is an achievement attended with much difficulty to them, and in which the exertion of their utmost swiftn

er animal; in fact the first two or three notes could not be distinguished from t

supported at one end, by the {154} well known kind of trap sticks, usually called the "figure four," which elevated the front of the trap upwards of three feet above its slab flooring; the trap was about six feet long, and nearly the same in breadth, and was plentifully baited wi

but with a small entrance on the top, through which the animals might enter, but not return; this was equally uns

the trap, and suspended over it from the branch of a tree; several pieces of meat were also suspended in a similar manner, from trees in the vicinity; the following morning the bait over the trap alone remained.[pg257] Supposing that their exquisite sense of smell warned them of the position of the trap, it was removed, and again covered with leaves, and the baits being disposed as before, the leaves t

cheme was executed, which eventuated in complete success. This was the log trap, in which one log is elevated above ano

ike the Mexicanus, the hair on the vertebral line is elongated; and we should be disposed to regard it as the same animal, but it differs from the description of that species,

, is most probably the original of the domestic dog, so common in the villages of the Indians of this r

for their being called to council; upon which Ong-pa-ton-ga, the Big Elk,[191] arose, and after shaking by the hand each of the whites present, placed his ro

informed that you feasted them, and at their departure you put weapons in their hands. I should not be surprised to hear, that those very weapons were stained with white man's blood before they reached the Pawnee village. This is what I cannot understand. This circumstance led me to believe, that if you treated those that have injured you so well, you surely would treat your poor children the Omawhaws, who have never done harm to your people, with much kindness {157} also. But I am afraid the transaction will have a bad effect on my young men. When they heard of American troops ascending this river, they feared and respected them. But I am fearful that this transaction will throw them off their guard, make them lose their respect for you, and cause them to do something that they would not otherwise have done, and thus create trouble and difference between us. You said, my father, that those troops do not come to harm us. I believe it is true. I consider them all my brothers and friends. So far from thinking they come to injure me, I regard them as my shield, to guard me against bad nations around me. You say, that if ever there is a difference between us, that it will be our fault; but I hope[pg260] not, my father, I cannot think that the Omawhaws will offer any indignity to your people, now that they have seen all those troops, when they have not harmed individuals who have resided years in their village unprotected, although we were then less enlightened than we now are. Some think, my father, that you have brought all these warriors here to take our land from us, but I do not believe it. For although I am but a poor, simple Indian, yet I know th

was commenced in a low tone, the voice gradually rising as

r sentiments, generally alluding to the circumstance of our t

ild man, born in the prairie;" and subsequently, "I told you, my father, to look at me, that you might see if there is any of the blo

many of their chiefs were there presented with sabres, as I before stated. It was to this circumstance that the above-mentioned {159} speakers had reference, as being inexplicable to them; as it

person. How much soever Major O'Fallon may have disapproved of the treatment which the Pawnees had received from the military, he was perfectly conscious of having conducted himself towards them according to their deserts, so far as power had been placed in his hands. But being thus verbally accused, pointedly and repeatedly of injustice, for acts not his own, he arose and said, "Omawhaws, you say I called the

fs acknowledged by Major O'Fallon, who then m

0} gains them. Another portion is then staked for any other competitors who may choose to advance. A valuable stake was then offered, and an aged veteran stepped forth, and looking round upon his nation with a majestic mien, in which there was not a little expressio

ected our vision painfully, sometimes it so far intercepted the rays of the sun that the disk of that luminary appeared of a blood-red, and the eye could repose upon it uninjured. On the mornin

the day following, with the wind from the south-east; at evening the smoke was almost entirely d

d their mouths with the hand, to express their astonishment. Of these warriors, three are Tetons, one a Yancton, and a Sa-ho-ne; three different tribes of the great Dacota or Sioux nation. They are fine looking men, with very prominent cheekbones. They are more attentive to their dress, and are much neater than the other Indians we have seen; though it is proper to observe that, as visitors, they are clothed in their best attire. They decorate their hair with a profusion of feathers of the war eagle, and of a species of owl which we have not seen. They also suspend in the headdress an entire skin of the paroquet. The hair is in great profusion, and is thrown upon the back in very long rolls; but upon close inspection, the greater portion of it is perceived to be false hair artificially attached to their own, the points of junction being indicated by small masses of clay, with which the attachment is effected. Two of these Tetons are inseparable friends, were raised together from their infancy, and alt

, we were able to procure plenty of fresh venison and other game. For coffee we substituted the fruit of the gymnocladus canadensis, which afforde

entlemen of the party dined b

lf improperly, or not trusting to his pronunciation. He remained near Council Bluff in the autumn, in order to be present at the councils with the different nations, and to observe the conduct of the whites towards them respectively, a considerable time after his nation had departed down the river to their beaver trapping. After this he went with his family to the head waters of the Boyer, and during his stay there trapped sixty {163} beaver

d his back upon his nation, in consequence of their raising the tomahawk upon our citizens, and crossing the Missouri, united his destiny with the Otoes, who received a

grossly insulted, and demanded on the spot personal satisfaction,[pg267] agreeably to the custom of the

h himself. But as there are national prejudices amongst the Indians as well as amongst the whites, he has not escaped from many a

y battles, and has

e people continue {164} to fight each other, as if they wished to monopolize the occupat

y to-day of seeing her depart from Mr. Lisa's with a heavy load, consisting of the goods which her husband had received in exchange for his beaver, on her back, whilst he carried only a keg of whiskey slung over his shoulders, and his gun and hunting apparatus. Previously to the departure of the Omawhaws from[pg268] our establishment this morning, the brother of one of them, who, report said, had been killed by the Sioux, arrived; he has been with about ten lodg

edicine man, fearing that I would cast some spell upon him, or otherwise injure him by the operation of some potent my

d several red skins in action, but never yet had the honour to strike a body. He showed us the scars of many wounds, most of which he had inflicted on himself, when in mourning for the death of his relatives and friend

key,[pg269] invited our hunter to accompany them, for the night, to "make his heart glad" with a portion of i

the valley of the former, to the Omawhaw encampment, which he reached at the distance of about one hundred and twenty miles. The country over which he travelled was almost entirely destitute of woodland; the surface generally cut by numero

nd retaliate upon that nation. Hashea, however, prevented them from going, saying that their father (Major O'Fallon)[pg270] had been instrumental in reconciling them to a peace with the Konzas, and it would be highly improper for them to strike a blow, without asking his opinion upon the subject. It seems more probable that the horses have been taken either by the Sauks or Ioways.

have none of the latter, and as the former is interdicted from them by our laws, we are not authorized to make any purchases. That they do contrive to get whiskey elsewher

ing, that he might cut it in his own way; he, however, would not accept of it, but pointed to the palm of his hand, giving us to understand that such labour would make his hand sore and hard; he then called one of his squaws, who immediately we

e for Mr. Dougherty's shot gun; yesterday he reversed the bargain, giving a pair of mocka

We could not conceive to what use she would apply them, but, upon inquiry

yards below our cantonment. The labourers that were employed in this quarry opened upon many large fissures, in which were fo

g2

on the east side of the river, nearly opposite to our cantonment. When they fired, each one called out his name agreea

have been so fortunate as to take one hundred and forty beavers, the skins of which they left at {168} their village, under the care of the son of Gray Eyes and their squaws; their business in this quarter is to look out for the best market for their pelt

ant from each other in the horizon; one of them was the real place of the sun, and the others were to the north and south of it. As the sun ascended t

ne appeared about the moon,

he greater part of the day,

nt after the Indian manner, clothed with bison robes, and had bells attached to different parts of their dress. So completely were they disguised, that three of their employers, who happened to be present, had much difficulty in rec

rt distance below our cantonment, and a short distance above; [158] the latter gave two

ur huts; last night they ran down and killed a doe, within a short distance of our huts

beneath the proper trees, under the snow. He met with some of the nation of Sioux, called Gens de Feuille[197] by the French. They have been much thinned in numbers by a disorder, which, from the description given of it, may be the quinsy. This same band is said to have suffered much from the small-pox l

s mended. He left his people at the Republican fork of the Konza river, and intends as soon as he returns, to lead a part

illage, he could not resist the temptation of immediately retaliating by seizing several, and appropriating them to his own use. But, Ietan said, he thought the honour of his nation still called for war, and he solicited the acquiescence of the agent in that measure. The Major replied, that his opinion ought to have been asked previously to the retaliatory measure which had already been prematurely taken, as they were not certain that the Konzas were the offenders, and that thi

h had been broken open and robbed of their corn by the Omawhaws. This is by no means a rare occurrence with the Indians, but it does not appea

kill rabbits, returned about noon with twent

ained with us last night; he was finely dressed, had on a chief's coat laced with silver, and a profusion of wampum

inches in thickness, that of the Bo

o obtain fish; we cut several holes in the ice of the pond, and obtained one otter and a number of small

nd although they saw a few bisons and antelopes, and elks, they were not so fortunate as to kill any game for subsistence, excepting three turkeys; so that they returned in a state of considerable exhaustion, having been for some time on an allowance of a little maize per day. He found that the u

l supplied with fresh meat, from game killed principally by Mr. Peale, who, on one occasion, killed two deer at a single shot and with one ball, b

near Sioux river, and brought us a seasonable supply of meat. They saw several herds of elk, and yesterday they saw swans, geese, a

a porter bottle, to which the proper specific gravity was given, by partially filling it with water, it was attached to a cord of one hundred and twenty-two feet in length; it floated this distanc

feet long was made to float vertically, by means of a weight attached to its inferior extremity; a line of one hundred and seventy-eight feet in length was run out by this arrangement, during the following intervals of time, in four experiments, viz. 1′ 21″-1′ 21″-1′ 19″-1′ 21″, of which the mean is 1′ 20?″, which would seem to indicate a curren

strong fire in and upon it. It was now covered with cinders and earth, to the depth of about one foot, and a strong fire was made over it. In this situation it remained until it was taken up for the table to-day, when it was found to be excellent food. Mr. Lisa and family dined with us by invitation. That we have sometimes food in great sufficiency, the provision upon our table this day will sufficiently attest. It consisted of the entire bison hump, above mentioned; the rump of a bison roasted, boiled bison meat, two boiled bi

posed to the atmosphere, but in a shaded situation, and in a ravine, to be 47°; that of the a

nce. He speaks with great emphasis, and remarkably distinct. He observed that we must think them strange people to be thus constantly wandering about during the cold of winter, instead of remaining comfortably housed in their village; "But," said he, "our poverty and necessities compel us to do so in purs

ce, in which he said that he would address me by the title of father; "And you," said he, to Mr. Dougherty, "whom I know so well, I will call brother. The Indians around," said he, "who tell the white people that they love them, speak falsely, as is proved by their killing the white people; but m

did not wish them to observe the extent of the malady, with which that camp was afflicted,) but Big Elk remarked, that it had been his intention to go there, and it was not fear that

sion, and what appeared most singular was, that they should be withdrawn without any appearance of moisture upon them; that they might not be deceived they repeated the experiment again and again. A couple of iron nails were then thrown upon the mercury, and as these did not sink to the

Camp Missouri, are intended to convey the sick from that camp down the river to Fort Osage. Camp Missouri has been sickly, from the commencement of winter; but its situation is at this time truly deplorable. More than three hundred soldiers are, or have been sick, and nearly one hundred have died. This fatality is occasioned by the scurvy (scorbutus). Individuals who are seized rarely recover, as they cannot be furnished with the proper aliments; they have no vegetables, fresh meat, nor antiscorbutics, so that the patients grow daily worse, and entering the hospital is considered

, a tremendous subterranean explosion occurred, which much alarmed the Indians as well as the whites; the concussion was succeeded by a large volume of dense smoke from the aperture of the volcano, by the

feet; it emitted a light of the colour of the flame of burning sulphur; it passed along the river shore nearly over the observer's head, at but a very small elevation, nearly in a right line, with an equable motion, about

nd which every person who views the river remarks as characteristic of its waters, subsides as soon as the wintry temperature occurs, but is again renewed in the spring. The

ng up the river, at their usual migrating altitude above the surface of

ber of horses from near the Omawhaw village. They pursued the trail of the Sauks, until they lost it nearly opposite to this place; they, nevertheless, continued the pursuit in the direction which they supposed the enemy ha

appetites as convinced us that their fast had been of long duration. In conversation during the evening the partizan said, that they had followed a considerable trail, supposing that the Sauks had taken that direction; that they observed stakes stuck in the ground at certain distances, and the trees blazed as far as they went upon that trail. He inquired if we knew the reason of such marks; he was then informed, that it was to indicate the course of a road which was to be made in that direction, and that if he had travelled far enough upon the trail he would have met with towns of white people, who would have treated him well. After musing some time, he {179} observed, that they had travelled a good distance on that route, and having occasion to deviate a short distance from it, they found when they returned that a white man and three horses had passed along during their absence; (this was Lieutenant Fields, the express,) they immediately despatched two of their young men back to follow him, and to learn if he had met the fugitive Sauks; but they could not overtake him. "We continued on," said Naugh-ken-ne (or the Left Hand), "with all speed; but at length, being almost famished, we were necessitated to halt and

re they went, they presented to us a wild cat, which {180} they had shot, but we advised them to

y to the Omawhaw village; they however escaped [pg288] from them with the loss of one man killed and several wounded; the loss of the Sauks is not known. The party speak highly of

CHAP

otes of Mr

customs, and religious rites-Historical no

o

s, was obtained from Mr. John Dougherty, deputy Indian agent for the Missouri, who had an excellent opportunity of making himself

g to such points in their manners, habits, opinions, and history, as we had no opportunity of observing ourselves. And we have m

awhaw creek takes its rise from the bluffs in the rear of the village, and discharges into the river at the distance of seven miles below. About two miles from the town it dilates into a large pond, which is filled with luxuriant {182} aquatic plants, amongst which the zizania and

t maize, beans, pumpkins, and water-melons, besides which they cultivate no other vegetable. They also at this season dress the bison skins, which have been procured during the winter hunt, for the traders, w

and one of their number is appointed to have it prepared in his own lodge. On the return of this individual to his dwelling, he petitions his squaws to have pity on him, and proceed to clean and adjust the apartment, to spread the mats and skins for seats, and to collect wood and bring water for cooking. He requests them to provide three or four large kettles, to prepare the maize, and

gh the village, and invite the individuals whom he names to them, to honour him by their presence at the feast, which is now prepared, "Speak in a loud voice," says he, "and tell them to bring their bowls and spoons." The criers having thus received their instructions, sa

of the lodge facing the entrance, wher

be arranged on one side, and the warriors on the other; if he is a warrior, he seats the principal chief of the village by his s

he pipe is lighted, and the indispe

assembled here for the purpose of consulting respecting the proper course to pursue in our next hunting excursion, or whether the quantity of provisions at present on hand, will justify a determination to remain here to weed our maize. If it be decided to depart immediately, the subject to be then taken into view will be the direction, e

s, and advises the assembly to pay great attention to what he has said, as he is a man of[pg292] truth, of knowledge, and of bravery; he furt

ne upon a route, which Ongpatonga proposed in his speech. This chief, previous to the counc

propose other hunting grounds, but their discourses are fill

e uniformly conducted with the mo

. Generally at each pause of the speaker, the audience testify their approbation aloud, by the interjection heh; and as they believe that he has a just right to his own opinions, howe

ng to the proceedings, and at the same time attending to the culin

after[pg293] presenting it towards each of the cardinal points with one hand, whilst the other is elevated, and the palm extended, he casts it into the ashes of the fi

n such respectful expressions as become his relative consequence, as How-je-ne-ha-How-we-sun-guh-How-na-ga-ha, &c.; thank you father-thank you younger brother-thank you uncle,

of the council being concluded, the guests rise up in {186} succession, and returning thanks to t

names of the chiefs who were present, and thanking them for their kindness to the old criers, who, they say, are disqualified by age f

actively and assiduously occupying themselves in mending mockasins and other clothing, preparing their pack-saddles and dog-sl

night the young warriors and beaux are occupied with affairs of gallantry, or contriving assignations. The young men a

ht upon their own backs as they can conveniently transport, and, after having closed the entrances to their several

, are enabled to mount their families on horseback, but the greater

hand they often bear a heavy staff of wood, sharpened to a broad edge at one end for the purpose of digging up the Nu-ga-re, or ground-apple, called by the French Pomme blanche; a root resembling a long turnip, about the size of a hen

otwithstanding the constant activity of the hunters, the people are often much necessitated for

f the proximity of a herd of these animals, the nat

hed, the skin lodge is of a high conic form; they are comfortable, effectually excluding the rain, and in cold weather a fire is kindled in the centre, the smoke of which passes off through the aperture in the top; on one side of this aperture is a small triangular wing of skin, which serves for a cover {188} in rainy weathe

veries. If they see bisons, they throw up their robes in a peculiar manner, as a signal for a halt; another disposition of the robe intimates the proximity of an enemy; and if one of the

rom the horses, and with their martial weapons ride in full speed to meet them, e

g the Master of life, with such expressions as "How-wa-con-da," "Thanks Master of life,"- "How-nin-e-shet-ta-wa-con-da-a-mah-pan-ne-nah-pa-e-wa-rat-a-cum-ba-ra."- "Thank you, Master of life, here is smoke, I am poor, hungry, and want to eat." The hunters draw near to the chiefs and

s to keep in good heart, telling them they have endured many hardships with fortitude, that there is now a termination to their diffi

paint themselves entirely black; usually wear the crow, and arm themselves with a whip or war-club, with which they punish on the spot those who misbehave, and are at once both judges and executioners. Thus, a

at a council of the chiefs, held in the evening, to pre

te game. They are generally mounted, armed with bows and arrows. The soldiers of the day accompany the rap

he endearing names of father, brother, uncle, &c.; they petition them not to fear the bison

ary to their success. He lights his pipe, and remains a short time with his head inclined, and the stem of the pipe extended towards the herd. He then smokes, and puffs the smoke towards the bisons, towards the heavens, and the ea

iately separate into two bands, who pass in full speed to the right and left, and perform a consi

and each man endeavours to kill as ma

wish, they are often known to ride up to the enraged animal and withdraw it. They observe the direction and depth to which the arrow enters, in order to ascertain whether or not the wound is mortal, of which they can judge with a considerable degree of exactness; when a death-wound

n credibly informed, that under favourable circumstances, it has been known to pass entirely through the b

idered mortally wounded, yet as each man knows his own arrows from all others, and can also estimate the nature of the wound, whether it would produce a speedy death to the

e back his devious route to the starting-place, s

e Omawhaws distinguish by

s speed until the shoulder of the animal is presented, and the fatal arrow is implanted there. He then complies with the motion of his rider, who leans to one side, in order to dir

{192} only wounded or disabled are secured, th

wards a carcass which struck his fancy, either from its magnitude or fatness, and the rightful owner would

untarily, or at the request of a chief, and on the succeeding day it is

ture of the animal is exhibited, in laying open the muscles properly, and extend

n the flank in order to obtain the kidneys, which are then eate

nning and cutting up, after which he thrusts his knife in t

to them, whilst the men retire a short distance f

xclusively, cows selected from the herd; the bull

skull for the purpose of dressing the skin, or converting it into Indian leather. Those skins which are obtained during this season are kn

excepting the skin, to the camp, if the latter is at any moderate di

e rich fat or medulla which rises, is carefully skimmed off and put up in bladders for future use. The muscular coating of the stomach is dried; the smaller intestines are cleaned and in

t is called, is then dissected with much skill into large thin slice

until the meat is sufficiently roasted, when they are broken, and the[pg302] meat and marrow afford a mos

he packsaddle of a horse. The dried intestines are interwoven together into the form of mats, and tied up into packages of the same form and size. They

ugust, having visited for a short time the {194} Pawnee v

rning about mid-day for half the whole quantity which was left in the morning. When within two or three days journey of their

ous squaws. The property buried in the earth is to be taken up and arranged in the lodges, which are cleaned out and put in

03] the poor who have no kettles, place the ear, sufficiently guarded by its husk, in the hot embers until properly cooked; the maize is then dried, shelled from the cob, again exposed to the sun, and afterwards packed away for keeping, in

boiled into a thick mush, with a proper proportion of the s

repare this hard corn for eating, by the process of leying it, or boiling it in a ley of wood-ashes for the space of an hour or two, which divests it o

e lost. This coarse meal is boiled into a mush called Wa-na-de. It is sometimes parched previously to being pounded, and the mush prepared from this description of meal is distin

tion of a very small quantity of water. But the greater number of these vegetables are cut into long slips, and, as well as

ring the little mounds to a certain depth, the squaws scoop them up in their hands, and put them into a bag prepared for the purpose. When a sufficient number are obtained, they repair to the water, and cleanse the mass from all the dirt and small pieces of wood collected with them. The ants are then placed upon a flat stone, and by the pressure of a rolling-pin, are crushed

starvation alone can induce them to eat of it. An Ioway Indian, however, having killed an Osage,[pg305] compelled some children of his own nation to eat of the uncooked flesh of the thigh

these parasites; and we have often seen them thus occupied with activity, earnestness, and much success. One of them, who was engag

ilk, yet the Indians make no use of that

rfully and even emulously engage in, the occupations o

rs; and from the opportunities they enjoy of making love to their charge in the privacy of high weeds, it is extremely common for

ich they practise, of which one is called Matrimony; but others are peculiar to

he middle[pg306] the articles he intends to stake, such as vermilion, beads, knives, blankets, &c., wit

each a trick, they play together until one loses his trick, when the other takes a stick. The cards are again dealt, and the process is continued until all the sticks are taken, If four persons have each a stick, they continue to play, to the exc

o squander in this way every thing they possess, with the solitary exception of their ha

ed form, somewhat like an orbicular button-mould; the dots in this case being impressed. A wide dish, and a certain number of small sticks, by the way of[pg307] counters, are also provided. Any number of persons may play at this game, and agreeably to the number engaged in it, is the quantity of sticks or counters. The plumstones or bones are placed in the dish, and a throw is made by simply jolting

their food and ordinary occupations, sitting for a whole day, and perhaps ni

ber, when, without the formality of a council or other ceremony, they again depart from the village, and move in s

ly necessary to their fall, winter, and spring hunts: such as guns, particularly those of Mackinaw, powde

emselves to trapping for beaver and otter. Elk was sometime since an object of

an alternation of abundance and scarcity of food. The men are very much exposed to the cold, and, in trappin

sins and leggings, and pulls them off, that he may be comfortable; she then gives him water to drink, and his pipe to smoke. His children assemble about him, and he takes one of them upon his knee, and proceeds to relate to it the adventures of the day, that his squaw may be informed of them. "I have been active all day, but the Master of life has prevented me from killing any game; but never despo

oots of the apios tuberosa, they also frequently find it hoarded up in the quantity of a peck or more in the brumal retreats of the field mouse, (mus agrarius, Var?) for its winter store. The seeds of the nelumbium luteum, analogous to the sacred bean of the Brahmins, also contribute to their sustenance; these are distinguished by the name Te-row-a, or bison-beaver

on credit. But owing to the intrigues of rival traders, the Indians are, with, however, numerous exceptions, not remarkable for any great degree of punctuali

y, otherwise he will barter his skins with another trader. Another knave owes his trader, perhaps, twenty skins; but in consequence of the unlucky occurrence of many circumstances, which he proceeds to particularize, he can at present pay but half that number, and the other ten, which he {201} brings with him, he wishes

alue of the merchandize which they credit; but should they obtain pe

l, kettles, vermilion, verdigrise, mockasin-awls, fire-steels, looking-glasses, knives, chiefs' coats, calico, ornamented brass finger-rings, arm-bands of silver, wristbands of the same metal,

but he avails himself of the advice of his

he others. For this purpose they sometimes intrigue deeply, and resort to artful expedients. "You do not treat your traders as we do," said a cunning Oto to some Pawnees; "we dictate to them the rate of exchanges; and if they persist in re

description of skins as are considered of equal value with this large beaver skin, are collectively denominated a plus; and the number of deer,

skins, pound for pound, which weight of the l

ders, each weighing one hundred pounds, and consisting o

rn to their village, in order to procure a supply of maize from their places

ther the Elkhorn[pg312] rivers. The party which discovers a herd, gives notice of the fact

of April, when they return to their villag

he bison robes of commerce are made; the animals at this season having t

fore. The surface is then plastered over with the brains or liver of the animal, which have been carefully retained for the purpose, and the warm broth of meat is also poured over it. The whole is then dried, after which it is again subjected to the action of the brains and broth, then stretched in a frame, and while still wet, scraped with pumice-stone, sharp stones, or hoes, until perfectly dry. Should it not yet be sufficiently soft, it is subjected to friction, by pulling it backwards and forwards o

dress its skin, and some persons make tw

re intended to form the covering of their travelling lodges, for leggings, and summer mock

traders; and Mr. Lisa assured us, that {204} he once tran

the nations in protracted wars; and, however well disposed the chiefs may be, and desirous to maintain the most amicable deportment towards the white people, they have

respect from the natives which is due to the importance of their missions. But, on the contrary, if their conduct is deficient in promptness, energy, and decision; if their measures are paralyz

of the smallpox, which then almost desolated his nation. Agreeably to his orders, he was interred in a sitting posture, on his favourite horse, upon the summit of a high bluff of the bank of the Missouri, "that he might continue to see the white people ascending t

atest of medicine men; and his medicine, which was no other than arsenic itself, that had been furnished him for the purpose, by the villany of the traders, was secretly administered to his enemie

ambition, and the nation stood in awe of h

led them to yield to him one half of their goods, yet he commanded his people to

on the bank of a fine flowing stream, and although all were parched with thirst, no one but the white man was permitted to tast

renown, and so popular in the nation, that it was remarked of him, that he enjoyed the confidence and best wishes of the peop

viour, which assured him that all was not right; he questioned her concerning the food she had set before him, and the appearance of her countenance, and her replies, so much increased his suspicions, that he compelled her to eat the contents of

ly seceded from the nation, and established a separate village on

moments, he seated himself near it, and covering his face with his robe, he remained immovable for three days, without taking any nourishment. His people vainly petitioned that he would "have pity on them," and unveil his face; he was deaf to all their remonstrances,[pg320] and the opinion p

ransported by carriers, on a bison robe, to the various feasts to which he was daily invited; and should the messenger fi

, Mush-shinga. He possessed considerable autho

remained inactive; whilst the next important man, Ong-pa-ton-ga, or the Big Elk, more distinguished for hi

t is believed that he could then inflict the punishment of death upon an individual with his own hands, with impunity. Five years ago he informed a stranger, in the prese

ost intelligent leaders that the nation has probably ever had, yet he could hardly do more at this time than inflict a blow for the most serious offence. Still, however, he maintains a

who limit their warfare to the punishing of war-parties that depredate on them or their pos

es to P

edition by Secretary Calhoun, in American S

, American Fur Trade, ii, p. 562 et seq. Chapter ii of tha

, which we supply in its proper place in the present reprint-

ows: "Col. I. G. 25 April, 1813. Col. 4th Inf., 15 April, 1814. Trans. to 37th Inf., 22 April, 1814. Trans. to 6th Inf., 17 May, 1815. Brig. Gen. 13 May, 1820. Col. A. G., 1

dle-wheel of a steamer, for propelling keel-boats, but

ion of this boat giv

cal sketches see

the other. As a rule these differences are of minor importance; where important, the footnotes to the reprin

Preliminary Notice, in which James explains the scarcity of means for the expedition as due to the state of the national finances, the same journal exclaims: "Detestable parsimony! The only country but one in the world, that has not been reduced to an avowed or virtual bankrup

American Fur Tr

m the original issue; it should be understood, however, that several members of the

es to C

became first lieutenant, and in the succeeding October captain in the 42d Infantry. He was transferred to the artillery corps in 18

profession, studied assiduously the flora of the vicinity. In 1811 ill-health compelled him to remove to Georgia, but during the War of 1812-15 he served as a surgeon in the army. In 1817 he was a member of the special commission sent by the federal government to investigate the affairs o

joining Long's expedition had taken part in a scientific exploration of the coasts of Georgia and Florida. He accompanied Major Long upon his later expedition up St. Peter's River. In 1825 he joined the colony under Robert Dale Owen, at N

efly as a prosperous Philadelphia business man, was much interested in science, being an early

chieved more or less distinction in that field. Like his father and brother, T. R. Peale divided his attention between art and natural science. He was an officer of the Philadelphia Academy, and author o

ife of Samuel Seymo

perience was followed by a number of years of railroad surveying, and he also took part in nearly all the federal boundary surveys of the period, serving on the northeastern, Canadian, and Mexican boundary commissions. During the later y

, and as his class graduated during his absence on Long's expedition, he was, under date of July 1, 1819, promoted to a lieutenancy in the artillery corps. The map of the country explored by the expedition was prepared by him. His later career was notable-he was engaged especi

ng the grounds was completed in 1829. The arsenal was for many years used in the manufacture of war materials, a force of twelve hundred men being employed there during the War of Secession. Since 1868 it has been used as

mulgus voci

il, and truncate or subemarginate before; nostrils minute; eyes very small, whitish, crossed with the lateral line of the head; beneath pale flesh-colour; chin and jaws to the branchia, and tail from the posterior feet, with the exception of the areola of the anus, coloured like the back; mouth moderate, angles beneath the eyes; lips covering the jaws freely, inferior lip with a duplicature each side, which is white and covered by the superior lip; tongue free, fleshy, rounded, ex

from the tip of the nose

hood of Pittsburgh, but it is by no means so common there as

hia bright red; peduncles colour of the body. Daudin informs us, that Schneider, in his history of Amphibia, describes an animal very similar to this, found in Lake Champlain, and whic

of this animal, and from the account he

y described the animal, in the 4th vo

ought from the Ohio by Mr. J. Speakman. The result corresponded with our most confident expectations, showing that the number of its vertebr? is greatly inferior to that of the Proteus, and corresponding with that of the Tritons; and that the pseudo ribs

of the persistent branchia, than it is to the well-known types of the genus, of which th

o. Siren pisciformis

Lacepede in the An

Beauvois in Philos. T

s Neo C?sariensis of Professo

em, and placed in a separate genus, the external characters of which will be the same as those of Triton, with the exception of the pers

Laurenti to the Newts, long before Montfort made use of it in Conchology to designate

an, for the following anatomical ob

the stomach contained an earth worm. The mesentery transparent, displaying a number of very large lacteals, which, in the present instance, were filled with coagulated chyle. Length of the intestines 10 inches. The ovary is of considerable size, of an oblong figure, lying close to the vertebr?, and opening by a straight duct into the posterior part of the cloaca. Liver very large, and apparently (but not certainly) discharged its contents into the stomach. Lungs consist of two long membranous bags, which run the whole length of the abdomen, anteriorly to the stomach and intestines; the opening of the larynx scarcely large enough to admit a pin's h

m is formed of two lobes, the cerebellum of one lobe situate directly posterior, not much thicker than the medulla oblongata. The optic nerves, which were large in proportion to the organs of vision, took their origin in a very unusual manner. On either side of the medulla oblongata, is given off a large nerve, which proceeds forwards and outwa

, which at the same time, they give origin to the large muscles that move the body, offer no obstruction to the lateral curvatures of the animal when in motion, but as to appearance or function are not to be considered as ribs. The number of vertebr? from the first sacral to

aclure.

rvey of Rensselaer

by the disintegration of the limestone flooring of the northeast-and-southwest valleys of the mountains, and th

rative, vol. v. p. 46. Also St. P

stern part of Maryland, most of West Virginia, portions of Kentucky and Tennessee, and the northern end of Alabama. In Pennsylvania, the main field does not extend farther north than a central east-and-wes

insignificant. The importance of the industry dates from the discovery, in 1858, that vast quantities of oil could be obtained by drilling wells. The excitement

ilurian; the Kanawha salt district is Carboniferous. The Onondaga springs were known to Jesuit missionaries as early as 1646, and soon after were utilized in making salt for the Indian trade. The existence of salt li

purposes. For several years after the beginning of the oil industry, gas was generally considered as a worthless and troublesome by-product, and not many wells were drilled for it until afte

1805. It was the southern terminus of the Genesee Valley canal (begun in 1836), until in the fifties when that waterway was extended to the Pennsylvania line. Th

see André Michaux's Travels, i

oad, see Harris's Journal, i

h. The site was included in a grant made (1772) by Lord Dunmore, royal governor of Virginia, to Thomas Bullitt. In 1786 Bullitt

plexicaule, Draba verna, Poa anua, Alsine med

lowers varying from blue to white. Alnus serulata,

ia canadensis, Hydrocotile bipinnata; root small and round, with small t

only the low grounds, but the wildest hills, pa

t on the islands, as well as along the shores of the A

es, Carex oligocarpa, Gnaphalium plantagineum, Potentilla sarmentosa, Obolaria virginica, Acer saccharinum,

lus celeratus; both common in the wil

yrata, Viola pubescens, Ranunculus hirsutus, Thalic

Mitella diphylla, Delphinium tricorne, A

acca, Ranunculus abortivus, Saxifraga

ree flowering. Veronica officin

. The full text of his famous speech is given in Jefferson's "Notes on Virginia;" Ford, Writings of Thomas Jefferson (New York, 1894), iii, p. 156; Roosevelt, Winning of the West (New York, 1889), i, p. 237. It has long ranked as one of the great masterpieces of Indian oratory; but it

see André Michaux's Travels,

nded in 1786, and was an important town in the early days of

Cincinnati, see Cuming's Tour,

Drake, see Nuttall's Journal, i

ublished at Pittsburgh in 1814, and Gilleland's "Ohio and Mississippi Pilot," we refer our read

sts essentially of an island of Ordovician (Lower Silurian) limestone, surrounded by the later systems. The Ordovician system is especia

e model of the new English system of Lancaster and Bell. The college was chartered in 1815. Possibly the referenc

ensus of 1820, 9,642;

ription of them, with diagram, is given in Smithsonian Contr

t des monts Alleghan

. Michaux's Travels, in

. i. p. 357. Philade

ssinia, p. 49. A

erm of twenty-one years, attained the height of one hundred and eight feet, and nine inches, and the diam

-1828), founder and first presiden

York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, and through the territories of Indiana,

of the Ohio, see Croghan's Journ

sport, see Cuming's Tour, in

the Falls of the Ohio, see Nuttall's J

dré Michaux's Travels, in o

813, is just below Louisville,

selves at the lower end, where the land was most elevated, and during the summer raised the crop of corn from which it is said the island derived its name. It stood just above the present Louisville-Albany bridge, in the elbow of the

in 1802, is opposite Louisville

to the hills which extend nearly fifty

Volney

nd the encyclop?dists, the correspondent of Franklin and the friend of Bonaparte, travelled extensively in the interior of America during the years 1795 to 1799, and after his return to Franc

race an area of about seven thousand square miles,

s to Cha

of going of our chronometer, the latitude of the place, and for othe

The latitude

age 108

Indians. His chief work was, Noticia de la California y su Conquista temporal y espiritual hasta el tiempo presente (Madrid, 3 vols., 1757). Its importance as a contemporary account of the native tribes and mission

of the name, see Croghan's Journals, in our volume i, note 107;

geographica of

tional facts relative to its history, see C

ish or yellowish white. The manufacture of nitre, in the numerous caves in Kentucky, is conducted as follows: The earths containing the nitrates of lime and potash are lixiviated; the lixivium is afterwards pas

of nitre. The process by which nature supplies the consump

oda, and with sulphuretted hydrogen gas. The springs yielding the greatest quantity of salt, are those of the Kenhawa, and Little Sandy ri

, sulphate of lime, and probably a small portion of sulphate of magnesia. Limestone and sandstone are the only rocks to be met with in the neighbourhood. The United States' salines, near Shawaneetown, produce at present about a hundred and thirty thousand bushels of salt per annum; they formerly yielded more than two hundred thousand in the same time. There are now seven furnaces in operation: the water is procured from three wells, two of which are rented by M

fords a more concentrated brine than that before mentioned

ry. The clay has something the appearance of having been subjected to the action of fire. At the eastern side of the basin appears to have been a drain for the purpose of conveying away the superabundant water. In this drain, about fou

e clay, at the bottom of which they

lay, of a similar charact

ten feet deep; in which they met

mprised ninety-two thousand one hundred and sixty acres of woodland, and was transferred from the United States to the stat

ith which it is intimately blended in the earth, on the floors of the caves: it is also sometimes

three miles below the mouth of Cumberland River was laid out about 1800 by o

Tour, in our volu

" (hiding-place) to many streams, probably because of articles hidden there by them. This particul

three years it grew rapidly; then low water uncovered a long bar which excluded steamers from the landing, whereup

ron Banks, see Nuttall's Journal

is place, owing to the width to which the Ohio spreads in this neighbourhood, when the river is high. This may be considered a circumstance much in favour of the pl

Indiana, one hundred and forty miles below L

io from the Kentucky side, thir

ee Cuming's Tour, in volume i

59′ 47.99″; longitu

Travels, vol.

e fertile soils of the Mississippi, with two radical leaves, as described by the early authors. Mr. N.'s amended description is the

tt County. It extended from the mouth of the Ohio to Commerce, near the site of which was the settlement referred to. Americans began to

e). The point was also called Cape La Croix (The Cross), which name alone surviv

sent name is Big Muddy. It enters the Mississippi from the northeast, at the nort

of the same name, in Jac

ey are drawn as big as a calf, with two horns like a wild-goat. Their looks are terrible, though their face has something of human figure in it. Their eyes are red, their beard is like that of a tiger, and their body is covered with scales. Their tail is so long that it goes over their heads, and then turns between their fore-legs under the belly, ending like a fish-tail. T

ed down the river Pekitanoni. The waters of this stream (the Missouri) are so muddy, because of the violence of its stream, that it is impossible to drink of it; and they spoil the clearness of the Mississippi, and make its na

ce, to deliver such as are so bold as to come near it. This terrible manito proves to be nothing but some rocks in a turning of the river, about thirty feet high, against which the stream runs with great violence." This is probably the G

as near the end of June ("sur la fin de Juin"); nor is James's version quite acc

azeau-a Perry County (Missouri)

iefly in Perry County, Missouri. The tract is abo

ent, see André Michaux's Travel

Cuming's Tour, in our

n. The elder Delassus came to Ste. Geneviève, and was placed in command of a post established for him on a bluff overlooking the river, two or three miles below the t

sen. This particular venture was undertaken by a company organized in Cincinnati in 1819; but inhabitants failed to come, and the buildings ere

which was originally built one-fourth of a mile from t

ahokia, and Fort Chartres, see André Michaux's Tra

w up about a water-mill built in 1754 on a cree

n 1808, and named for William Henry Harrison, the governor of Indiana Terr

land titles, is contained in Stoddart's Sk

ed and fifty years earlier, and the French settlements in Illinois date from the beginning of the e

now extinct river towns. It was thirty miles below St.

res. A quarter-section is a square whose sides (bounded by meridians and parallels), are each half a mile, and contain 160 acres. The corners of each section are distinctly marked by the United States' deputy-surveyors. T

tions, or (80 acres) of the sections 2, 5, 20, 23, 30, 33, of each tow

h township. More than 60 million acres of United States' land, have already been surveyed:- 1?36 of 60 millions is 1,666,666 acres, reserve

nships have already been granted by the United States to Michigan

elative to Tennessee, 200,000 acres are in th

for schools, co

No. 16.

townshi

n in Tenne

,186

shed previous to the year 1820, of

bout 25 millions of acres; of this about 14,400 had been surveyed anterior to the lat

tion of the state, a value of at least four dollars per acre, or of 1,600,000 dollars. There are instances, in which s

f the boundary between Jefferson and St. Louis counties, Missouri. It flows from the southwest, its

ated, longest surpassing the tips of the ears, arranged in six longitudinal series, superior labia, and those of the angles of the mouth, folded into the mouth, and hairy within; legs subequal, robust; anterior legs with a few white projecting set? near the foot behind; feet white; toes annulate beneath, with impressed lines, intermediate ones equal, exterior ones equal; shorter thumb minute; palm with five tuberculous prominences, of which the anterior ones are placed triangularly, and the others transversel

is work in ornithology. He was at one time a vice president of the American Philosophical

Houstonia, the Galium tinctorium Smyrnium aureum, a phlox, a new species of potentilla, a conyza, the trifolium reflexum, a

now included in St. Louis, was at this time five miles so

s to Cha

ted in the good-natured raillery between the French of the several settlements. They probably point also to the want often experienced by a trading people who neglected agricultu

y water front, and for many years it seemed likely that the town would eventually be left high and dry. Efforts at improvement were begun in 1833, ox-teams and plows being use

ces of the primitive Christian church, communism and celibacy being among its tenets. After founding Harmony, Pennsylvania

parviflor

irginica, and que

s volume v of our series. See preface of

is in reality the length of a line passing over the top

t. The heights are estimate

adually sloping to the top; or, in ot

50

ig

rom the Spani

n oblong

dinal b

erse b

h at

icular

from No.

n oblong

udinal

udinal

icular

nce N

33 ordinary steps from the edge

n oblong

inal bas

udinal

icular

nce W

c form: the superior stage, like the five succeeding mounds, is bounded on the east by the edge of the second bank of the river: the second and third stages

nal base

udinal

base of fir

height of f

to the sec

urface of se

to the thi

urface of th

o the natur

three succeedi

e north

se

p

ght

stance ab

se

p

ig

stance ab

se

p

ght

istance a

se

p

ht 8

a brick house is erected at the S.W. corner). The eas

ce 158

se

p

W. side

ht S

E. 15

rly a little N. from No. 7.

se

p

ght

, placed transversely w

nce 3

om No. 5. N

dinal b

udinal

erse b

verse

ght

convex m

se

ht 5

he three succeeding one

e N.W.

se

ig

istance N

se

Distan

se

istance,

se

terminates at the larger mounds, Nos. 15. and 19. No. 19. A large quadrangular mound, placed transv

.W. from No.

.N.E. from

se

p

urement)

feet high, and of proportionably r

he preceding, same height. W

Quadra

t from No. 1

se

of the bushes, we cannot at present satisfy ourselves of its being artif

rregular mound 10 or 12 fe

se 132 feet, we arrive at an elevation on its margin, as i

et, and height 10 or 12.-It is dis

f an elongated-oval form, with

from No. 2

dinal b

udinal

erse b

verse

ransve

y measur

the westward, is said to be

e map of them prepared by Long's party was not published until 1861; it wil

of modern nomenclature practically impossible; such identification could be accurately made only by examination of the

in 1808, but was soon afterwards abandoned. The mound is one of the largest in the United Sta

aturin.

assages of undoubted eloquence were strangely mingled with extravagance and bombast. The incoherence of

which men towed boats up rapid streams. When the current was especially str

number of inundations, in the time of their deposition. Supposing these inundations to have happened yearly, we have an easy method of forming an estimate of the rapidity of t

f the Lewis and Clark Expedition, v, pp. 392, 393, note 2. The site of the newer works mentioned in the text is now uncertain. An island oppos

(prairies) anagallis arvensis, lathyrus decaphyllus, ranunculus fluviatalis, car

of the word is Charbonnière, w

rk; his father, Dr. James O'Fallon, was a Revolutionary character and prominent Kentucky pioneer. A bro

many years agent for the Oto,

e Bradbury's Travels, in

identalis, next follow. The margin of the bluff produces the quercus rubra, juglans pubescens, carpinus Americana, (around the latter, we observed the celastrus scandens entwined and in fruit,) and on higher grounds, the laurus sassafras and juniperus Virginianus. Of herbaceous plan

of Georgia, on the sea coast, but is not confined to the m

Bradbury's Travels, comprisi

aldwin.

sissippi, as do nearly all the watercourses of this county. It and the to

venture of a Frenchman whose wig became entangled in the

souri, early in 1808. His stockade and blockhouse, built for protection against the In

and Warren counties, and thence south by west to the river. Loutre

Callaway was the grandson of Daniel Boone. His company con

albots among the early arrivals, Christopher and Hale. Among their neighbors were the Thorps, Ashcrafts, Coles, Pattons, and Coopers-there

s to Cha

btful whether its increase will be as rapid as was anticipated." It was the first seat of Gascona

quate. The "Yungar" fork of Osage is now

tream above the Gasconade. Bear (or Loose) Creek, is seven miles farther up, and the second Auxvasse, which answers the description in the text, is just beyond. Other tributaries are Deer

radbury's Travels, comprisin

(1794-1804) large numbers of Americans had been tempted to cross the Mississippi and stake out claims in upper Louisiana. Some of these were bona fide settlers, more mere speculators; and after the rumor of Spanish cession to France was heard, fraudulent grants were made in large numbers. Upon knowledge of this, the congress of the United States in the act of March 26, 1804, revoked all grants made since the treaty of San Ildefonso (1800) with a proviso exempting the

quakes were known as "New Madrid grants." Auguste Chouteau established

was a Frenchman bearing the n

acrosperma of

he Missouri in Atchison County, in the northwe

l, Missouri, we received, through Dr. Sommerville, se

ate of

f segments of the encrinite of small diamete

ous small encrinites, has a very

which were originally hollow when in the state of carbonate of lime, being subsequently filled with chert, now show the nature o

village of Clarksville, Missouri,

oolite-carbo

the appearance of a central nucleus; but we could not perceive any decided evidences of former organization in them. Imbedded in the mass ar

harbon

portion of the impression of the leaf that remains, being of an oval form of about five inches in gr

s spinos

than seven-tenths of an inch-an internal cast-individuals very numerous,

melles near

Meth. pl. 244. fig. 5. The stri? are similar to those of that shell, except in being somewhat smaller; and the groove of one valve, and consequent elevation of the other, not so pro

3 it was described as still "nearly in a state of natu

row Creek, Murrow Creek) flows from the

erson City (Missouriopolis on t

creeks where Lewis and Clark locate it, fourteen and a half miles above Cedar I

med Nash. The site was on the river, just below Providence, Boo

ulty in obtaining water there led to removal in 1820 to the site of Columbia. The original town was

rock," which has been restored in the present name of the stream

plice Creek is

teau) debouches at Rocheport, on the north side of the river. Another Moniteau Creek enters the Misso

, contained the United States land office, and was the point of departure for the Santa Fé country. Most of the inhabitants hailed from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, and at one time numbered between

ncrinites becoming easily detached. They were three-fifths of an inch in diameter, varying to the siz

fice at Old Franklin, Missouri. In 1826 he removed to a large tract of prairie land on Salt Fork, Saline County, about eight miles from Marshall. This being one of the earliest attempts

es to C

ocality. Mr. Lambert, however, considered this plant as the Solanum Commersoni of Dunal; and though it produces tuberous roots, and in other respects makes a near approach to S. tuberosum, he was not satisfied of their identity, and remarks that it is yet to be

ical studies, the results of which were published in England under the title Flora Americae Septentrionalis, or a Systematic Arrangement

ee F. A. Michaux's Travels,

ropical America (1799-1804) "laid the foundation of the sciences of physical geography and meteorology in their larger bearings."

hen ripe, and of an agreeable flavour. On the evening of the 11th we anchored opposite a steep bank, which I was assisted to climb; but night came on, and put an end to our herbarizations before I had the opportunity to collect any thing interest

on the left side of the river, covered with timber, and re

d Phytolacca decandra, occur by the road side. Blackberries were now ripe, but not well-flav

ena urticifolia. The Annona triloba is frequent about Franklin; also the Laurus benzoin, and the Symphoria now in flower, the Rhus glabrum, Cercis canadensis, Ampelousis quinquefolia, Eupat

th, and eleven in breadth. Bignonia radicans, Dioscorea villosa, a Helianthus with a leaf margined with spines, the narrow-leaved Brachystemum, the Lyatris pycnostachia, Rudbeckia purpurea, and various others in flower. Juglans porcina and cinerea, Ost

ispermum canadense, here called "sarsaparilla," its sl

ot sessile; peduncle very short, flowers large, pink-coloured, stem acut

as Charleton, Charlatan, Chératon, Charliton, Chareton, and Charl

t one settler exchanged St. Louis lots for an equal number in Chariton; but the location proved unhealthful, and was abandoned in 1829. Monticello, on higher ground, a mile away,

ed this to les Moins, and called this stream la Rivière des Moins. Later the name became associated

s, in our volume v, note 21. For the Iowa, see Bra

ave obliterated the channel

wn southwest from the mouth of the Des Moines River to Vernon County roughly bounds the district. No

settlements in the county were made in the neighboring bottoms, and the earliest ferry west of Franklin crossed the river at this

Renaudière named the stream Rivière à la Mine, in 1723. It is about a hundred and thirty miles long. Salt Fork,

issouri and Arkansas, to seek gold and silver. These curious "diggings" are by some supposed to have been made by his men. Charles Lockhart, m

Salt Fork and the Missouri bottom. This "pass" is about a mile and a half long, and in one place so narrow that a stone can be thrown across. A hotel was buil

ayette County. The mouth of the larger is near the boundary between Ray and

me, see Brackenridge's Journal,

usually shortened to Fire Creek. Lewis and Clark applied the name Fire Prairie Creek to a stream which entered from the

part from a little above the spurious hoofs. This white extremity was divided upon the sides of the foot by the general colour of the leg, which extended down near to the hoof, leaving a w

.

lusive of hair, a

upper part o

l base, exclusive

ip of os calcus t

arm 1

n Februar

ppeared in the valuable work of Messrs. Geoffroy and F. Cuvier (Hist. Nat. des Mammiferes, 2d liv.) Its highest

. The rutting season commences in November, and continues about one month, ceasing generally

and is then substituted by the reddish coat. In this state the animal is said to be in the red. Towards the last of August the old bucks begin to change to the dark bluish colour; the doe commences this change a week or two later. I

inning of October. About the middle of March, Mr. Peale shot a large doe, in the

Chambers, was a contingent of the troops assigne

ed by Fort Leavenworth and permanently abandoned. The site was near that of the present town of Sibley, Jackson County, which was named in honor of George C. Sibley (see volume v of our series, no

pioneer will be found in Bradbury's

rom For

the transverse stri? somewhat larger than the others; a few remote short spi

lf; the stri? are somewh

triated; convex valve longitudinally indented in the middle; the beak prominent and incurved at tip; opposite valve wit

also occurred, but they were so extremely imp

ining small Terebratul? like the T. ovat

lime, containing segments of