Page:Memoir of a tour to northern Mexico.djvu/13

Rh which in riding they plunge so adroitly into the buffalo’s flanks, that they seldom miss their aim. They are never hostile towards white men, and seem to be afraid of the Indians, In their manners, dress, weapons, and faces, they resemble the Indians so much, that they may be easily mistaken for them. The company which we met with consisted of about 100 men and some women, and they felt rather disappointed when we told them how far they had to travel to find the buffalo. We left our noon camp again towards evening, determined not to stop any more before we should reach water. Late in the night we arrived at Sand creek, (17 miles,) and were fortunate enough to find here some muddy water and tolerable grass.

June 12.–Early in the morning we were honored in our camp with the visit of five Indians, (Shayenes,) who reported that 500 lodges of their people were camped near the Cimarron, to trade with the Camanches, and they would be happy to see us this evening. The messengers themselves had “dreamed” that we would regale them with a good breakfast; their dream was granted, and they left us contented. We started very late this morning, and reached about noon the lower springs of Cimarron, (eight miles,) a small green valley, spread out like an oasis in the desert. The water is fresh and running, and rushes grow on the banks. We had not been a long time in our camp, when a whole crowd of Shayenes–warriors, squaws, papooses–made their appearance. The warriors sat down to a smoke and talk, were fed, and received some presents; the squaws, some of whom were quite handsome, sold ropes, moccasins, &c., to our men, and we parted all in friendship. In the evening we marched eight miles more, and encamped near the Cimarron, on which we shall ascend for several days. The Cimarron is here a mere dry bed of sand; but after digging some feet deep, the hole will soon be filled with water.

June 13.–Went 18 miles in the morning over a dry plain before we halted on the Cimarron, from whose dry bed we drew again some water. In the evening we reached the middle springs of Cimarron, (8 miles,) with tolerable water. For the first time I saw some rocks again, a sandy limestone, above a pure sandstone.

June 14.–Next morning we marched but three miles and rested near a water-hole made in the Cimarron. The soil has now become entirely sandy; different species of artemisia, those shrubs with bitter taste and terebinthine flavor, cover the whole plain; horn-frogs, lizards, and rattlesnakes find a comfortable abode in the warm sand; thousands of grasshoppers occupy all shrubs and plants, mosquitoes and buffalo gnats the air;–what a great place for settlements this would be! We travelled in the evening about 10 miles, and camped without water, but with tolerable grass, considering that we were on the Cimarron.

June 15.–Went up the Cimarron for about six miles, and halted at noon. For the first time we saw here running water in the creek, but of bad, brackish taste. The plains through which we travel are often coated with alcaline salts, in a state of efflorescense. The soil is less sandy, and the grass decidedly better; flowers, which I had not seen since we left the Arkansas, reappeared. In the afternoon we passed Willow creek, and encamped on the crossing of Cimarron, (eight miles). On the road to-day we saw the skulls and bones of about 100 mules, which Mr. Speyer had lost here several years ago, when he travelled over these plains late in the fall, and a snowstorm overtook him in the night. The poor animals (so he