Page:Don Coronado through Kansas.djvu/342

325 TWENTY-FIRST. Merrily down the stream they glide, Thousands of miles above the tide, Where the river is a mile wide, Escorted by Indians, true and tried. I ^ ,-^ "^nlT WAS mentioned in the last chapter r^mti J that several extra large canoes and- pirogues had been constructed, and' now they are to be put to pra<;ticai use. The chief of the City of the" Twenty-four, bein^ apprised by Yso-- pete at the request of Coronado, has come to under-- stand the wishes of the party to proceed home by the-' nearest route after visiting the Osages, and the chief has arranged to allow six of his best men to accompa- ny the party so as to guide them. These men having had considerable experience, and with the informa- tion which Ysopete was able to give them, they were sure of being ready to conduct them over a route which even in those days was considerably traveled; and to make the journey as comfortable as possible, it was arranged that the baggage, prepared meat, corn, fruit, and especially the dried and ground buf- falo meat, should be transported down the Missouri to the mouth of the Kansas river. By this course it