DETENTION AT THE MOUTH OF THE GREAT NORTH FORK--NATURAL
HISTORY OF THE VICINITY--GREAT BLOCKS OF QUARTZ--IMPOSING
PRECIPICES OF THE CALICO ROCK--A CHARACTERISTIC OF AMERICAN
SCENERY--CHEROKEE OCCUPANCY OF THE COUNTRY BETWEEN THE
WHITE AND ARKANSAS RIVERS--ITS EFFECTS ON THE PIONEERS--
QUESTION OF THE FATE OF THE INDIAN RACES--IRON-ORE--DESCENT
TO THE ARKANSAS FERRIES--LEAVE THE RIVER AT THIS POINT--
REMARKS ON ITS CHARACTER AND PRODUCTIONS.
The canoe had not yet arrived, nor was there any tidings of it the next
morning; so that there was no alternative, in our present situation, but
to wait patiently. I determined to improve the delay by exploring the
neighborhood. It is a geographical point of some importance, being the
head of the navigation of White river for all large craft ascending from
the Mississippi. As yet, nothing but keel-boats have ascended. Between
the point of our embarkation at Beaver creek and this spot, the river
has a fall of about sixty feet, at four rapids, which do not probably
extend over a mile or two in the aggregate. The stream, during the rest
of the way, has a fine, lively current, seldom of great velocity, and
never stagnates. The Great North Fork, the scene of our former
ramblings, enters a short distance below the foot of the Buffalo Shoals,
rendering the draught of water practicable, it is believed, for
steamboats at all seasons.
I found the pebble-stones and boulders on the margin and bed of the
river, which I leisurely examined, to afford a true representation of
the formations which had been observed in traversing the elevated and
broken surface of the Ozarks. They consist of the various limestones
and sandstones of the region, with a partial mixture of quartz rock, red
sienite, hornstone, argillaceous rock, and the peculiar, egg-shaped,
coarse yellow jasper, which appears to have been imbedded in some of its
strata. On ascending the cliffs west of the valley, they were observed
to consist of the characteristic limestone of the region, in horizontal
layers, the upper strata containing impressions of shells. Very large
angular masses of quartz rock lie near the bases of these cliffs. Some
of the angles of these masses would probably measure fourteen feet.
Their position here appears to be quite anomalous, as, from the absence
of attrition, they are clearly not of the erratic block group. They
appear to indicate a primitive formation near.
The half hunter, half farmer, to whom we had loaned our canoe, came with
a number of his companions in the evening, and entered on a scene of
merriment, to which, as the cabin had but one room, we were compelled to
be unwilling spectators during the livelong night, though, from its
character, not participating at all therein. As soon as there was light
sufficient to discern objects (16th), we embarked, rejoiced to get clear
of this extraordinary nocturnal scene. About half a mile below, we
passed the mouth of the Great North Fork, and, some five or six miles
further, entered and descended a swift channel, called the Crooked
rapids, where there probably has been some slight geological disturbance
in the bed of the river, observable in very low stages of water.
At the distance of ten miles more, a sudden turn of the river brought us
in full sight of the picturesque, elevated, and precipitous shore,
called the Calico Rock. This presents a most imposing facade, on which
are observable the imitative forms of fantastic architectural devices.
The wall is quite precipitous throughout. It is the calcareous rock of
the region. Its summit is overlaid with ochreous clays of various
colors, which, through the action of the elements, have imparted their
fanciful hues to portions of the cliff. This abrupt species of scenery
is quite peculiar to the American landscape. A still more imposing
section of it is presented in the Pictured Rocks of Lake Superior.
Nothing of this kind marks the banks of the Rhine, so much eulogized by
travellers; for all its formations partake of the parabolic, or curved
lines of the primitive, and the eye is relieved by these gradations;
but, in the brusque scenes of the West, the precipices are as marked as
if they had been hewn down by some gigantic broad-axe. There are some
sections, in keeping with these harsh landscapes, on the Mississippi,
along the Missouri shores--less prominently along the Illinois borders,
near Alton--and at places in Iowa and Wisconsin; but more characteristic
in Minnesota, as the river escapes from its primitive plains, and
plunges over the falls of St. Anthony. We descended about thirty miles
this day, and found lodgment, at night, at a house on the left bank,
occupied by a Mr. Jeffery.
The next morning (17th), on descending five miles, we stopped at a Mr.
Williams's to prepare breakfast, where some persons were gathering to
hear an itinerant preacher. Twenty miles lower, we stopped for the
night, at a widow Lafferty's.
From the remarks made at the places where we have been entertained by
the hunters and settlers on this river, there is considerable
dissatisfaction with a treaty[11] made with the Cherokee Indians, by
which a part of that nation are assigned a location between the north
banks of the Arkansas and the south bank of White river. Many of them,
including our hostess to-night, and the M'Gareys, Lees, and Matneys
above, have lands in cultivation, with dwelling-houses, stock, and
improvements, of more or less value, on the south banks of the river;
which, as they apprehend, under the operation of this treaty, they are
to relinquish to the Cherokees.
The truth is, the first white occupants of the frontiers, though
generally rough men, and without a title to the lands they settle on,
are the pioneers of civilization; and by thus taking their lives in
their hands, and encountering the perils of the wilderness and of Indian
hostility, they lay the government under a strong obligation to protect
them. The natural hatred of races is such, that they are everlastingly
on ill terms with the Indians, and the Indians with them. It is
difficult to say which of the two races, during this period of contact,
is most suspicious of the other.
The Indians, also, look up to the government with strong claims for
justice and protection. The frontier, at the beginning of the sixteenth
century, was on and near the Atlantic borders, from Maine to Georgia,
and long continued east of the Alleghany mountains. It is already west
of the Mississippi river, that mighty geographical highway, which, like
a longitudinal line, stretches across seventeen degrees of latitude,
every mile of which will, ere long, be settled and cultivated by the
Anglo-American race. As the population presses first on the Indian's
hunting-grounds, and next on his cornfields, he flies before the
irresistible tide, and takes shelter at some more remote western point.
But he is hardly well seated on his new hunting-grounds--he has hardly
begun to reap his new cornfields--when the pioneers of the same race
that disturbed him before, are upon him; and again, and again he must
fly before the resistless--the uncontrollable tide of migration. It is a
providential reflux in the wave of races. It is something to be
observed, rather than to be apprehended and understood. It seems to say,
that the surface of the habitable earth was not formed for the permanent
occupancy of races who rely on the pleasing and exciting uses of the bow
and arrow; and that labor, which was, at the first, declared to be the
proper condition of man, is destined to sweep away, if it cannot merge
in its on-rush, these erratic and picturesque tribes. Where their
frontiers will be found, a hundred years hence, the voice of history,
looking to the past, may only tell; but this appears more appreciable
and clear--that the perpetuation of the race as one of the elements of
mankind, must depend, in the sequel, however long that sequel be
postponed, on his substantial adoption of the principles of industry,
letters, and Christianity. The "tents of Shem," however we may read the
prediction, are still to be occupied, if they are not now, by a broad
philanthropy, to be merged into those of the higher civilization of
Japhet. For, the civilization and the moral elevation of man is the
great object of revelation; and it appears clear, and conformable to
reason, that, where future history is taught in the Pentateuch by
figures, it should be figuratively, and not dogmatically, explained.
On leaving Mrs. Lafferty's, in the morning of the 18th, we descended
about five miles, and stopped to breakfast at a Mr. Jones's. Rumor had
pointed out this place as the locality of a tin-mine. The frontiersmen
are greatly disposed to excite each other's imaginations by reports of
mines and discoveries, every one of which is fancied to be some new
Potosi or El Dorado. Our host was not backward in bringing to me some
specimens of his supposed treasure. It consisted of several heavy lumps
of the ore called, by mineralogists, iron glance. It had the usual
color, great weight, and high metallic lustre. He represented it as
occurring, in large bodies, about eight or ten miles north of his house,
on high lands, at the surface.
We had proceeded some miles on our way, when a large black bear was
discovered on the shore. It appeared to be about to plunge in for the
purpose of crossing the river, when our presence alarmed it, and the
animal, with its usual clumsy gait, betook himself to the woods again.
The clumsiness of this animal's motions seems to be owing to the
bluntness of its hind paws, which appear as if, we should suppose, it
arose from re-curved legs. The Indians laugh at the gait of bruin. We
had encountered this species several times before, and always, as on
this occasion, found it disposed to flee.
Fifteen miles below Jones's cabin, we passed Harden's ferry, the house
being on the right bank; and, two miles further on, we passed Morrison's
ferry. Continuing our descent eight miles lower, we landed at a place
called Poke Bayou, where we were hospitably received by a Mr. Robert
Bean. The river had now become a magnificent body of water, still clear
and beautiful. We were here within the boundaries of the Mississippi
alluvions. No highlands are visible for some distance before reaching
Harden's. The river winds through broad, fertile plains, bearing a most
vigorous growth of forest trees. The banks are elevated some thirty feet
above the water, and, as the stream increases in depth and strength,
they become subject to be undermined by the flood. The cane, which is
common to the river in its entire length, even to the highest elevations
of the Ozarks, is here of a tall and most vigorous growth. It is this
plant, I apprehend, more than any other feature, which gives an oriental
cast to these alluvial tracts; and I was almost ready, at some points,
where the growth concealed the trunks of the heavy forest, to see the
hippopotamus and elephant display their clumsy forms. For these,
however, we had the buffalo, the cougar, and the bear, whose crackling
strength, as they passed through these reedy mazes, had, on more than
one occasion during our rambles, reminded us of the great muscular power
of these boasted objects of hunter skill and enterprise. Often had a
fine dog, in the narrations of the hunters, paid the penalty of coming
within the stroke of the latter; and we could sympathise with the loss
of an animal, which is of the highest value in his pursuits. It is due
to this class of men to say, that, however rough they are in their
manners, we were uniformly received by them with a frank hospitality,
which appears to be always a point of honor with them; nor did any of
the number, to whom reward was proffered for entertainment, ever
condescend to receive a cent for anything in the shape of food or
lodging.
The point of our landing was at the crossing of the lower Arkansas road.
About twelve or fourteen buildings of all sorts were clustered together,
forming a small village, which is now called Batesville; being the only
one which had been encountered since leaving Potosi.
FOOTNOTE:
[11] Treaty of 8th July, 1817. Vide Indian Treaties, p. 209.