Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 V13.djvu/116

 opens to view, like a shorn desert, but well covered with grass and herbaceous plants. Over this vast plain, which proceeds a little to the west of north, computed to be not less than 30 leagues in length, by 10 to 15 in breadth, passes the road to the Cadron, and the settlements of Red river.

Among other plants already in flower in these natural meadows, we saw abundance of a new and fragrant species of Allium with greenish-white flowers, and destitute of the characteristic odour of the genus in common with A. fragrans, to which it is allied. {76} The Houstonia serpyllifolia and Claytonia caroliniana were also in full bloom at this early season.

February 3d.] This afternoon I walked to Mr. Mosely's, six miles distant by land, and 15 by water. The prairie, in consequence of the late rains, appeared almost one continued sheet of water. I observed springing up, the Eryngium aquaticum, occasionally employed as a medicine by the inhabitants, acting as a diuretic, and in larger doses proving almost emetic. Crossing the prairie, which is bordered with settlements, we entered the alluvial forest, containing oak, hickory, box, elder (Acer negundo), elm, &c. nearer the river cotton-wood appears as usual. I saw here a prickly-ash (Zanthoxylion Clava Herculis), the size of an ordinary ash, but the same species as that of the southern states, and the bark proving equally efficacious for allaying the tooth-ache.

The first attempt at settlement on the banks of the Arkansa, was begun a few miles below the bayou which communicates with White river. An extraordinary inundation occasioned the removal of the garrison to the borders of the lagoon near madame Gordon's, and, again dis