Page:Early western travels, 1748-1846 V13.djvu/269



Journey by land to the Great Salt river of the Arkansa—Proceed across the prairies to the Little North Fork of the Canadian—Detained by sickness—Continue up the Little North Fork, arrive at Salt river, and afterwards at the Arkansa—Molested and pursued by the Osages—Arrive again at the Verdigris, and proceed to the garrison—Conclusion of the treaty between the Osages and Cherokees.

August 11th.] To-day I left the trading establishment of the Verdigris to proceed on a land journey up the Arkansa, accompanied by a trapper and hunter named Lee, who had penetrated across this country nearly to the sources of Red river, and followed his present occupation for upwards of eight years. We crossed the river, and proceeding through the alluvion, entered the prairie, over which we continued in a westwardly course, encamping in the evening upon the banks of a small creek, about 12 miles from our place of departure. The prairies or grassy plains which we entered upon a mile from the river, exhibited the same appearance as below, and on the opposite side of the river. The rock of the hills, like those of the prairies near the garrison, consisted of a ferruginous sandstone. To the south of our encampment, we had in view a low ridge of hills very abruptly broken into fantastic contours. In these prairies, I found a second species of Brachyris, pungently aromatic to the taste, and glutinous to the touch; its aspect is that of Chrysocoma. Our route was directed towards the Salt river, or the first Red river of the Arkansa, called by Pike the Grand Saline,[203] and about 80 or 90 miles distant from our encampment.*