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                         Early Western Travels

                               1748-1846

                              Volume XVII




                         Early Western Travels

                               1748-1846

          A Series of Annotated Reprints of some of the best
        and rarest contemporary volumes of travel, descriptive
                   of the Aborigines and Social and
                   Economic Conditions in the Middle
                    and Far West, during the Period
                     of Early American Settlement


           Edited with Notes, Introductions, Index, etc., by

                      Reuben Gold Thwaites, LL.D.
   Editor of "The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents," "Original
       Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition," "Hennepin's
                         New Discovery," etc.

                              Volume XVII
         Part IV of James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition
                               1819-1820

                            [Illustration]

                            Cleveland, Ohio
                      The Arthur H. Clark Company
                                 1905

                          COPYRIGHT 1905, BY
                      THE ARTHUR H. CLARK COMPANY

                          ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

                          The Lakeside Press
                    R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
                                CHICAGO




CONTENTS OF VOLUME XVII


  CHAPTER I [IX of Vol. III, original ed.]--Journey from
  Belle Point to Cape Girardeau. Cherokee Indians.
  Osage War. Regulator's Settlements of White River                   11

  CHAPTER II [X of Vol. III]--Hot Springs of the Washita.
  Granite of the Cove. Saline River                                   42

  CHAPTER III [XI of Vol. III]--Red River. Exploring
  Expedition of 1806. Return to the Arkansa. Earthquakes              61

  A General Description of the Country traversed by the exploring
  Expedition. _Stephen Harriman Long_                                 94

  Observations on the Mineralogy and Geology of a Part of the
  United States west of the Mississippi. _Augustus Edward
  Jessup_                                                            183

  Calculations of Observations made... on a tour from
  the Council Bluffs on the Missouri River, westward along
  the river Platte to its head waters in the Rocky Mountains,--thence
  southwardly to the head waters of the
  Arkansa and Canadian rivers, and down said rivers to
  Belle Point, performed in 1820. [From Philadelphia
  edition, 1823]. _Stephen Harriman Long_, and _William
  Henry Swift_                                                       256

  Vocabularies of Indian Languages [from Philadelphia edition,
  1823]. _Thomas Say_                                                289




ILLUSTRATION TO VOLUME XVII


  Vertical Section on the Parallel of Latitude 41 degrees North;
  and on the Parallel of Latitude 35 degrees North                   185




PART IV OF JAMES'S ACCOUNT OF S. H. LONG'S EXPEDITION, 1819-1820

    Chapters ix, x, and xi, General Description of the Country, and
        Observations on the Mineralogy and Geology, reprinted from
        Volume III of London edition, 1823

    Calculations of Observations by Long and Swift, reprinted from
        Part II, Volume II, Philadelphia edition, 1823

    Vocabularies of Indian Languages, by Say, reprinted from Volume
        II, Philadelphia edition, 1823

EXPEDITION FROM PITTSBURGH TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

[PART IV]




{124} CHAPTER I [IX][1]

         Journey from Belle Point to Cape Girardeau--Cherokee
            Indians--Osage War--Regulator's Settlements of
                             White River.


The opportunity afforded by a few days residence at Fort Smith,
was seized for the purpose of ascertaining, by several successive
observations, the latitude and longitude of the place. The results
of several observations of the sun's meridian altitude, and of lunar
distances, had between the 14th and 19th September, give for the
latitude of Belle Point, 34° 50´ 54˝, and for the longitude 94° 21´
west of Greenwich.[2]

On the 19th, Captain Bell left the fort to proceed on his way to Cape
Girardeau,[3] accompanied by Dougherty and Oakly, two of the engagees
whose services were no longer required. On the 20th, Doctor James
and Lieutenant Swift departed in company with Captain Kearny,[4] who
had visited the post in the discharge of his duties as inspector and
pay-master. It was the design of this party to descend the Arkansa to
the Cherokee agency, and to proceed thence to the hot springs of the
Washita.

On the 21st, the party, now consisting of Major Long, Messrs. Say,
Seymour and Peale, accompanied by Wilson, Adams, Duncan, and Sweney,
the other soldiers being left at the fort, commenced their journey
towards Cape Girardeau. We took with us five horses and five mules,
two of the latter being loaded with packs. Captain Ballard kindly
volunteered his services as guide, and, attended by a servant,
accompanied us the first day's journey on our march.

{125} Our route lay on the south side of the Arkansa, at considerable
distance from the river, and led us across two small creeks--one called
the Mussanne or Massern, and the other the Vache Grasse.[5] The latter
stream has a course of several miles, but during the dry season,
discharges very little water. The small path we followed lay for the
most part through open woods of post oak, black jack, and hickory,
occasionally traversing a narrow prairie. In these open plains, now
covered with rank grass and weeds, we discovered here and there some
traces, such as a skull or a hoof of a bison, indicating that the
undisputed possession of man to these regions had been of a very recent
date.

It was near five o'clock when we arrived at the solitary cabin of a
settler, and though we found no inhabitant about the place, we halted,
and encamped near the spring. Our horses were scarce unsaddled, when a
man, who seemed to be the occupant of the house, came up, and informed
us, that half a mile further on our way, we should find a house and
good accommodations. Accordingly, we again mounted our horses, and
rode on to "Squire Billingsby's," as our destined host was entitled,
where we met a very hospitable reception.[6] As the night approached,
we observed that several young women and men, the sons and daughters
of the family, disappeared, going to the cottages of the neighbours
(the nearest of which seemed to be the one we had passed) to spend the
night, that they might leave their beds for our use. Our hospitable
landlord had many swarms of bees, some of which had been taken from
the neighbouring forests. Wishing to make the addition of some honey
to the bountiful table spread for our entertainment, he went with a
light, and carefully removing the top of one of the hives, took out
as much of the comb as he wished, and then replaced the top without
killing or injuring the bees. In this manner, he assured us, honey may
{126} at any time be taken without destroying the insects, who will, if
the season admits, speedily make up the deficiency thus produced. Some
feather beds having been given up by their ordinary occupants expressly
for our use, we could not well avoid accepting the accommodation thus
offered, but instead of proving an indulgence, we found the use of them
partook more of the nature of a punishment. We spent an unquiet and
almost sleepless night, and arose on the following morning unrefreshed,
and with a painful feeling of soreness in our bones, so great a change
had the hunter's life produced upon our habits. Those of the party who
spread their blankets, and passed the night on the floor of the cabin,
rested much more pleasantly.

On the succeeding morning, Captain Ballard returned to Belle Point, and
we resumed our journey, accompanied by one of the sons of our landlord,
who undertook to guide us on our way, until we should fall in with
a path which we might continue to follow. We passed through a hilly
country, crossing two creeks, heretofore called the Middle and Lower
Vache Grasse. At the distance of four or five miles from the Arkansa,
on each side, the country is broken and mountainous, several of the
summits rising to an elevation of near two thousand feet above the
surface of the water. Several trees which stood near our path had been
in part stripped of their bark, and the naked trunks were marked with
rude figures, representing horses, men, deer, dogs, &c. These imperfect
paintings, done with charcoal, and sometimes touched with a little
vermilion, appeared to be historic records, designed to perpetuate,
or at least to communicate the account of some exploit in hunting, a
journey, or some similar event. We have already remarked, that this
method of communication is sufficiently understood by the Indians, to
be made the vehicle of important intelligence.

A little before sunset we arrived at a settlement on the stream, called
Short Mountain Bayou. The little {127} cabin we found occupied by two
soldiers belonging to the garrison, who were on their return from the
settlement at Cadron, whither they had been sent with letters on our
arrival at Fort Smith, Cadron being the nearest post-town. We had
expected letters from our friends by the return of the express, but
were disappointed.[7]

The soldiers informed us, that the house in which they had quartered
themselves for the night, had been for a week or two deserted, since
its proprietor had died, and his wife, who was sick, had been removed
to the nearest settlement. The place is called the Short Mountain
Settlement,[8] from a high ridge of sandstone, a little to the
north-west, rising in the form of a parallelogram to an elevation of
about twelve hundred feet.[9] Its sides are abrupt, and in many places,
particularly towards the summit, perpendicular. The summit is broad
and nearly tabular, being covered with small trees, among which the
red cedar, or some other ever-green tree, predominates. The plantation
is somewhat elevated on a rocky eminence, at a little distance from
the creek, but it is surrounded on all sides, save one, by the heavily
wooded low grounds, in which we are to look for the causes whose
operation have made it so soon desolate. Short Mountain Bayou, if we
may judge from the depth and width of its channel, and the extent of
its low grounds, is a large stream, or rather one which drains an
extensive surface, but at this time it exhibited a succession of green
and stagnant pools, connected by a little brook, almost without any
perceptible current. On the surface of these pools, we saw the floating
leaves of the nymphæa kalmiana, some utricularias, and other aquatic
plants.

{128} September, 23d. After leaving the wide and fertile bottoms
of the Short Mountain Bayou, our path lay across high and rocky
hills, altogether covered with woods. The upland forests are almost
exclusively of oak, with some little intermixture of hickory, dogwood
and black gum. They are open, and the ground is in part covered with
coarse grasses.

At noon we arrived at the Cherokee settlements on Rocky Bayou, and were
received with some hospitality at the house of the metif chief, known
by the name of Tom Graves. Though entirely an Indian in his character
and habits, he has the colour and features of an European, and it was
not without some difficulty we could be made to believe that he was
in reality allied by birth to the people among whom he holds the rank
of a chief. His house, as well as many we passed before we arrived at
it, is constructed like those of the white settlers, and like them
surrounded with enclosed fields of corn, cotton, sweet potatoes, &c.,
with cribs, sheds, droves of swine, flocks of geese, and all the usual
accompaniments of a thriving settlement.

Graves, our landlord, though unable to speak or understand our
language, held some communications with us by means of signs,
occasionally assisted by a black girl, one of his slaves, who
interpreted the Cherokee language. He told us, among other things, that
the Osages do not know how to fight; that the Cherokees were now ready
to give up the Osage prisoners, if the Osages would deliver into their
hands the individuals who had formerly killed some of the Cherokees,
&c. He has shown his admiration of military prowess, by calling one of
his children Andrew Jackson Graves. He treated us with a good degree
of attention, and showed himself well acquainted with the manner of
making amends by extravagant charges. Our dinner was brought in by
black slaves, and consisted of a large boiled buffaloe fish, a cup of
coffee, corn bread, {129} milk, &c. Our host and his wife, of unmixed
aboriginal race, were at table with us, and several slaves of African
descent were in waiting. The Cherokees are said to treat their slaves
with much lenity. The part of the nation now residing on the Arkansa,
have recently removed from a part of the state of Tennessee. They are
almost exclusively agriculturists, raising large crops of corn and
cotton, enough for clothing their families, which they manufacture in
their own houses.

After dinner we proceeded a few miles, taking with us one of Graves's
sons as a guide, who led us to a place affording good pasture for our
horses. Here we encamped.

September 24th. From the settlement of the Cherokees, at Rocky Bayou,
our route lay towards the south-east, across the succession of rocky
hills, sparingly wooded with oak, intermixed with the cornus porida,
attaining an unusual magnitude.

As we descended towards the Arkansa, we perceived before us the cabins
and plantations of another settlement of Cherokees. Passing near a
wretched and neglected tenement, we observed a white man, who appeared
to be the occupant, and called upon him to direct us to the place
where, as we had been told, the river could be forded. It was not until
we had repeated our request several times, that he seemed disposed to
give any attention. He then approached at a snail's pace, and setting
himself down upon the ground, drawled out his direction, terminating
each word with a long and hearty yawn. The depression and misery which
seemed written on his features, and the sallowness of his complexion,
convinced us that disease, as well as native indolence, had some share
in occasioning the apparent insolence he had shewn, and cured us of any
wish we might have felt to reproach him.

Following a winding pathway, which led through deep-tangled thickets
and heavy cane-brakes, we {130} arrived at the ford, and crossing
without difficulty, halted at the settlement of Walter Webber,[10] a
young chief of the Cherokees.

Here we found the gentlemen of our party who had left the garrison
before us.

The chiefs of the Cherokee nation had called a grand council, to meet
at Point Pleasant the day after our arrival there, to adopt measures to
forward the negotiations for peace with the Osages, with whom they had
been at variance for many years. The origin of the quarrel, existing
between these powerful and warlike nations, is by some referred to the
period of the American revolution, when the Osages killed a number of
refugees, who had fled to them for protection. Among these were some
Cherokees, some Indians of mixed breed, and it is said some Englishmen,
to whom the success of the American arms rendered unsafe a longer
residence in the country then occupied by the Cherokee nation. Whether
the outrage thus alleged against the Osages was in fact committed, it
is not at this time easy to determine. It appears, however, agreeably
to the information we have been able to collect, that of late years the
Cherokees have almost uniformly been the aggressors, while the abuses
of the Osages, so loudly complained of, both by the Cherokees and the
Whites, have been acts of retaliation. A large number of Cherokees
now live on the south side of the Arkansa, upon lands claimed by the
Osages; and all the Cherokees of the Arkansa are in the habit of
hunting and committing depredations upon the Osage hunting grounds. In
1817, the Cherokees, with a number of Delawares, Shawnees,[11] Quapaws,
and eleven American volunteers, the whole amounting to about six
hundred men, made an irruption into the territory of the Osages, having
previously taken measures to quiet the suspicions of their enemies, by
occasional messages, professing a peaceable disposition on their part.
When they had arrived near the village, they {131} sent a deputation to
the Osages, concealing at the same time their numbers and their hostile
intention, and inviting Clermont, the chief, to a council which they
proposed to hold at a little distance from the town. Clermont being
absent on a hunt with the young men of his village, an old Indian,
and one in high standing with his people, was appointed to act in
his stead, and commissioned to conclude a peace with the Cherokees,
according to the wish they had expressed by their messengers. But what
was his surprise, when, on arriving at the spot designated as that at
which the council was to be held, instead of a few chiefs and old men,
as had been represented, he found himself surrounded by the whole armed
force of the Cherokees. He was seized and put to death on the spot. The
design of this act of perfidy had been to effect the destruction of
Clermont, the bravest and most powerful of the Osages. The Cherokees
then proceeded to the attack of the town, where, on account of the
absence of the efficient men, they encountered little resistance. A
scene of outrage and bloodshed ensued, in which the eleven Americans
are said to have acted a conspicuous and a shameful part. They fired
the village, destroyed the corn and other provisions, of which the
Osages