miles[38] to an Island the main Channel on the north Side—the River as
ushal is full of Islands With more or Less Cotten[wood] on them but none
on Ither Side of the River—We this day left Findley With two Horses and
one mule With Instruction to Remain on the Island five days and then to
follow us as the Horses Wold be Rested by that time
28th octr 1821
We Set out at our ushal Hour and keeping up the River West ten miles[39]
to a point of timber on the South Side the Rockey [hills] frequently
appeer on the north Side and the Sand Hills on the South Some Scattering
Cotten Wood trees gro on the Sand Hills one othe Hors gave out this day
and Was left
monday 29th octr 1821
We Set out at our ushal Hour Steering N 70 West up the River at fifteen
miles Crossed a Spring branch to a few Cotten Wood trees on the River
Bank in low Bottom Where We Camped[40] for the night Heare the Hunters
killed one deer and See Several more—this the first We Have Seen Since We
left the Paney River but the Buffelow and Elk are In great a bondance all
the Way So that the Hunters kill [all] the[y] Wish We all So got two Cows
to day—and See a great many Elk——
30th octobr 1821
We set out as ushal and Steered North 75 West ten miles to a low point
of greavel and Sand Washed by the River the land Rises gently to the
left for about one and a Half miles both above and below this point the
Bottoms on the River are low—at fifteen miles We Camped[41] on an Island
Clothed With tall grass and Cotten Wood trees—the main Chanel on the
north Some Small Islands on the South With out trees
31st octr 1821 Wensday
We Continued our Rout on the South Side our Corse South[42] Sixty five
West fifteen miles to a point of Woods on the River Bank Heare is fine
tall grass for our Horses and young Cotten Wood and Willowes are very
plenty—a great many trees appeer to Have [been] Cut down by White men
and a french trading Camp Have been latly burned down Soposed to [be]
Shotoes[43] the Hunters killed this day three of the fatest Buffelows
that Have yet Been Braught to Camp—Buffelow Elk deer Caberey and Wild
Horses are in great nombers—High Wind all day—
1st november 1821
Lay by to Rest Horses and dress Skins and prepare for Winter—this morning
the first Ice We Seen frose in the Kittle about as thick as the Blaid
of a knife and Ice floted down the River—the Bluffs or Hills on the
north Sid aproch the River and those on the South are at about 3 miles
distance—
2nd
Remained In Camp all day fine Weather—Some frost last night With Ice—
3rd November 1821
We Steered Sᵒ 65 W five miles to a low point of land With Rocks Washed By
the River on thes Rocks are some Small Hoop Wood trees the first We Have
Seen for a long time and those are the first Rocks We Have pased on the
South Side of the River—Heare the [river] bends a little to the Right[44]
We proceded ten miles further pasing Some fine Springs to the point of
an Island on the South Side of the River Haveing pased over a point [of]
bald Sand Hills Washed by the River about Half a mile below our Camp
for We Camped on the lower Eand of the Island—Which is large and Well
timbered With Cotten Wood—Heare We find the first fresh Sign of bever our
Corse from the Hoop Wood trees to this place is Nᵒ 80 West—two of our
Horses gave out this day and Ware left—on this Island the Hunters killed
Some turkeys and Seen Some more. the first We Have Seen above the little
arkensaw—the Wind Hard all day from the N—W—
4th Novr 1821 Sunday—
We Steered No 75 W four miles to [a point] of Sand Hills Washed by the
River and at Six miles farther to an Island Clothed With Willow and
Cotten Wood—the main Chanel on the North Side of the Island the last 6
miles our Corse Was West[45]—and pased over one point of Sand Hills and
one of gravle both Washed by the River Buffelow Scarce—two turkeys this
day—our last nights In Campment appers the first Wintering ground We Have
meet With. We pass Some old Camps and Some old tent poles—this day left
the mule the [that] gave out a few days ago and Was braught up—
5th novr 1821 Monday
We set out Early and Steered West five miles to a low point of land
Washed by the River thence South 80 West and at foure miles [further]
pased the beed of a large Crick[46] but no Watter or timber in sight the
great quantitys of drift Wood all along its Banks and the Hunters [tell]
us the See timber a few miles up it—at three miles farther makeing twelve
miles this day We Camped on an Island in the middle of the River—this
Island is better Cloathed With timber Brush green grass for the Horses
and grape vines than any We Have Seen Heare We found plenty of grapes
that are good the first We Have met With in [this] part of the Cuntry the
River Continu full of [islands] the one We are on is long and is a good
Wintering ground Some Small Connues [canoes] may be maid Heare
6th novr 1821
determined to lay by on act of Wood and the Poor State of our Horses—We
Have all Readey lost 13 Horses and two mules and the Remainder Hardly
fitt for use We are Camped in a pawnee fort Which appeers to Have been
used about two Weakes Since—We Counted 11 tracks of Indians Barfooded in
the Sand and found a Woolf that Head been Shott lying on the Sand Bare—
7th Novr 1821
We Set out as ushul and Steerd Nᵒ 80 West twelve miles[47] to a Small
Island near the middle of the River We find this day that there is more
gravle and less Sand in the River than below theres much more Watter and
Cleareer than any Wheare below—the River is still full of Islands—vast
Hords of Buffelow In Sight—no bever We See old Sign of Indeans a great
many Buffelow being killed in the Summer—We again See the Sign of White
men a Head of us—
8th november 1821 thorsday
We Set out as ushul our Corse N 85 W Crossing to the north Side of the
River at three miles pased the Beed of a dry Crick[48] 75 yds Wide Corse
[from the] north and only a few Scatering trees In Sight on it—at Six
miles We Crossed the River on act of a Snow Storm to a grove of trees
on an Island in the South Side and Camped for the night—this Island is
formed by a large Crick[49] 80 yds Wide puting In on the South Side and
a Slew of Watter Runing out of the River in to this Crick forming a large
Island—there is timber In Sight up this Crick and large quantitey of
drift Wood alonge it Banks—and from seeing the Same appeerence of drift
Wood on other Cricks below Comeing from the South We Sopose there must
[be] timber up those Streem as there is no drift Wood from the north—the
River Banks are from 6 to 8 fitt High and the Watter much [more] plenty
than below Buffelow Plenty and all traveling fast to the north—
9th novr 1821 Friday
Remained in Camp on acounpt of the Cold the Snow about ankel deep Sent
out the Hunters the killed 2 Buffelow Cows—the River is Heare deeper and
Cruked and Points of [timber] in the bends more plenty—
10th Novr 1821
We Steered Sᵒ 65 West five miles to a point of timber on the South Side
of the River Which is still narrow deep and Cruked it Bredth is from 150
to 200 yds Wide and deep a knof for Small Boats to asend—
11th novr 1821 Sunday
our Corse South 65 West at four miles pased a point of High Rocks about
Half a mile South from the River from this Rock the Bluffs or Hills
Continu to our left—and at Eight miles Camped at the mouth of a deep
muddey Crick[50] Heare the Bluffs aproch the River on both Sides and are
much Higher and Steep as Well as more Rockey than below—Heare is much old
Sign of Indeans many Piles of Rock are Raised by them on the bluffs—one
fatt Buck killed this day—there are some Bever Heare—
12th Novr 1821 monday
We set out Early and to Enable us to Cross the [Mud] Crick With the
Horses We maid a Bridge of Brush and flags Which bore them over With
Safty and Steered South 65 West Eight miles to the Point of a Ridge Bound
With Rocks and Washed by the River—there is two mounds Covered With Rocks
about 300 yds to the South of Camp and about Half a mile a part[51] We
this day Crossed a Small [Caddoa] Crick at about four miles back from
Camp—and pased over Several Ridges the points of Which Butted a gainst
the River With progecting Rocks of the Sand Stone kind—the[re] We Seen
Some Peaces of marble—the River Bottoms are about Half a mile Wide and is
offen Crosed from one Side to the other by the River Which is very Cruked
and both Sides of the bottom or valley bound With the Bluffs and Rocks
Buffelow plenty killed 3 Cows and one deer this day—
We this day Sopose We Seen the mountains for the first time tho We Have
long looked for them the Hills or Bluffs on the North Side are High Being
two bluffs one on the top of the other and about five miles apart[52]
13th novr 1821 tusday
Went to the Highest of the mounds near our Camp and took the bareing of
the Soposed mountain Which Stud at north 80 West all So of the River
Which is West We then proceded on 2½ miles to a Small Crick[53] Crosed it
and asended a gradual Rise for about three miles to the Highest ground
in the nibourhood—Wheare We Head a full vew of the mountains this must
be the place Whare Pike first discovered the mountains Heare I took the
bareing of two that Ware the Highest[54] the longest South 71 W—the
other Which appeered like a point South 75 West—nither of those are the
mountain Seen this morning—on looking forward We Seen a Branch Puting in
from the South Side Which We Sopose to be Pikes first forke[55] and make
for it—Crossed and Camped in a grove of Bushes and timber about two miles
up it from the River We maid Eleven miles West this day—We Stoped Heare
about one oclock and Sent back for one Hors that Was not able to keep
up—We Heare found some grapes among the brush—While Some Ware Hunting and
others Cooking Some Picking grapes a gun Was fyered off and the Cry of a
White Bare[56] Was Raised We Ware all armed in an Instent and Each man
Run His own Cors to look for the desperet anemel—the Brush in Which We
Camped Contained from 10 to 20 acors Into Which the Bare Head [bear had]
Run for Shelter find[ing] Him Self Surrounded on all Sides—threw this
Conl glann With four others atemted to Run But the Bare being In their
Way and lay Close in the brush undiscovered till the Ware With in a few
feet of it—When it Sprung up and Caught Lewis doson and Pulled Him down
In an Instent Conl glanns gun mised fyer or He Wold Have Releved the man
But a large Slut Which belongs to the Party atacted the Bare With such
fury that it left the man and persued Her a few steps in Which time the
man got up and Run a few steps but Was overtaken by the bare When the
Conl maid a second atempt to shoot but His [gun] mised fyer again and the
Slut as before Releved the man Who Run as before—but Was Son again in the
grasp of the Bare Who Semed Intent on His distruction—the Conl again Run
Close up and as before His gun Wold not go off the Slut makeing an other
atack and Releveing the man—the Conl now be Came alarmed lest the Bare
Wold pusue Him and Run up Stooping tree—and after Him the Wounded man and
Was followed by the Bare and thus the Ware all three up one tree—but a
tree standing in Rich [reach] the Conl steped on that and let the man and
Bare pas till the Bare Caught Him [Dawson] by one leg and drew Him back
wards down the tree. While this Was doing the Conl Sharpened His flint
Primed His gun and Shot the Bare down While pulling the man by the leg be
fore any of the party arived to Releve Him—but the Bare Soon Rose again
but Was Shot by several other [men] Wo Head [who had] got up to the place
of action—it Is to be Remarked that the other three men With Him Run
off—and the Brush Was so thick that those on the out Side Ware Som time
geting threw—
I Was my Self down the Crick below the brush and Heard the dredfull
Screems of man in the Clutches of the Bare—the yelping of the Slut and
the Hollowing of the men to Run in Run in the man Will be killed and
noing the distance So grate that I Cold not get there in time to Save the
man So that it Is much Easeer to Emagen my feellings than discribe them
but before I got to the place of action the Bare Was killed and [I] met
the Wounded man with Robert Fowler and one or two more asisting Him to
Camp Where His Wounds Ware Examined—it appeers His Head Was In the Bares
mouth at least twice—and that When the monster give the Crush that Was
to mash the mans Head it being two large for the Span of His mouth the
Head Sliped out only the teeth Cutting the Skin to the bone Where Ever
the tuched it—so that the Skin of the Head Was Cut from about the Ears to
the top in Several derections—all of Which Wounds Ware Sewed up as Well
as Cold be don by men In our Situation Haveing no Surgen nor Surgical
Instruments—the man Still Retained His under Standing but Said I am
killed that I Heard my Skull Brake—but We Ware Willing to beleve He Was
mistaken—as He Spoke Chearfully on the Subgect till In the after noon of
the second day When He began to be Restless and Some What delereous—and
on examening a Hole in the upper part of His Wright temple Which We
beleved only Skin deep We found the Brains Workeing out—We then Soposed
that He did Heare His Scull Brake He lived till a little before day on
the third day after being Wounded—all Which time We lay at Camp and
Buried Him as Well as our meens Wold admit Emedetely after the fattal
axcident and Haveing done all We Cold for the Wounded man We turned
our atention [to] the Bare and found Him a large fatt anemel We Skined
Him but found the Smell of a polcat so Strong that We Cold not Eat the
meat—on examening His mouth We found that three of His teeth Ware broken
off near the gums Which We Sopose Was the Caus of His not killing the man
at the first Bite—and the one not Broke to be the Caus of the Hole in the
Right [temple] Which killed the man at last—the Hunters killed two deer
Cased the Skins for Baggs We dryed out the Bares oil and Caryed it with
us the Skin Was all so taken Care of—
14th novembr 1821
We lay in Camp takeing Care of the Wounded man and takeing the Bareing of
the three principle points of the mountains[57] as the appeer—
the first mountain or grand Peek Bares N 75 W—
the Second South 75 No W
South Eand of same Sᵒ 75 W
3ʳᵈ mountain Sᵒ 70 W—
South Eand Sᵒ 69 W—
there is on this forke a Continuation of timber and Brush the princeple
trees are Cotten Wood With Some Boxelder and Some Small Black locust
15th
all posible Care Was taken of the Wounded man for Which purpose We lay
in Camp
16th
the unfortnet man died at day Brake—and Was Berred near the Bank With a
Strong Pen of logs over Him to prevent the Bares or Wolves from Scraching
Him up—this Is the [first] anemel of the kind We Have met With—
Heare Conl glann Haveing the Command of the party acted as the
adminestrater and ordered the dead mans property Sold to the Highest
bidder—and Was Sold as followes
one Short Riffel and papetis [?] to george Duglass $15.00
one muskets Barrl to Jacob Fowler 5.00
one Blanket to Eli Ward 10.00
2 vest to pall a Blackman 2.00
Sundry small artickels to dudley Maxwell 1.75
------
$33.75
the Hole amting thirty three dollrs Which Each man Has to act [account]
With Conl glann for What He purchased—
the timber on this fork is mostly Cotten Wood Some Boxelder and Some
Small Black locust—the Bottoms are fine and large—With great droves of
Elk and Buffelow and Sign of more of the White Bare—there are all So
Wild Horses deer and Caberey the trees on the main River are Small but
Some of those on the fork are large Enof to mak a Connue—the Watter
In the fork is Sofecient to turn a large Sett [of] mills at this dry
Season and Heare is timber for a Small Settlement—Stone In the Bluffs
are In abondance for Building and fenceing—after Settleing all things We
moved up the River South 73 West 12 miles[58] to a Small Bottom Covered
With trees—on the South Side of the River—Haveing pased one Branch[59]
at Six miles and one[59] at nine miles boath on the north Side of the
River—and opeset the first the River bore about Six miles to our
Right—from our Camp Heare We took the bareing of the mountains—1st Nᵒ 72
W—2nd S 76 W 3rd Sᵒ 70 W—at this Camp on the Bluffs Was the appeerance of
lead But We Head no time to Examen
17th novr 1821 Satterday
I Went on South 5 miles to a High mound and took the Bareing of the
mountains as followes 1st the grand Peek north 70 W—2nd not to be Seen
3rd Sᵒ 71 W 4th Sᵒ 49 W—our Corse from Camp up the River Was South 50
West twelve miles[60] to Whare the River Bends more to the West and Some
deep gutters Washed down the Bank and the Hills aproch the River—thence
Sᵒ 72 W. three miles to Wheare the River aproch the Hills again We pased
one Small Crick at about 2 miles be low Camp and the other about Half
mile the last about 30 yds Wide but no Watter Running and no timber
In Sight—the River Bottoms are more narrow than for two days past—no
Buffelow or turkeys there is Some deer and Sign of the White Bare one
Hors gave out this day and Was left—the timber is more plenty in the
Bottoms.
Sunday 18th Novr 1821
Continued up on the South Side of the River and at about two miles
Crossed a dry Branch[61] and at foure miles a deep Branch[62] with
Running Watter on Which there Ware several Bever dams With fresh sign of
Bever the Branch about Eight Steps Wide at ten miles pased Close to a
bend of the River and at Eighteen miles Camped[63] in a low Bottom and
drove the Horses aCross the River for grass there being none on Wheare We
Camped We find the Bottoms Widen from 4 to 8 miles the Hills much lower
and the [ground] more leavle than for Several days past the Buffelow
appers to Have left this section of the Cuntry as We Seen but one this
day an old Bull With one leg Broken We Soposed by the Indeans—and that
the Have drove the Buffelow all off—as their Sign is going to the South
19th nov 1821 monday
took the Bareing of the mountains from Camp this morning 1st north 67
W 2nd north Eand S 88 W South Eand Sᵒ 72 W 3rd Sᵒ 60 W—4th Sᵒ 39 W to
the Highest Peek ther appeers a longe Ridge to Contnue from the South
and a Ridge Runs north from the High Peeke—We Steered West up the River
and at 10 miles Crosed a dry forke[64] of the River 80 yds Wide but dry
at present at fifteen miles Camped in lott of woods on the River Bank
Haveing at about 11 oclock Seen a large Smoke ahead and believing it
proceded from the Indeans fyer We Halted to look out for them—and in a
few minets two of our men Came in Company With one Indean—and in about
Half an Hour there Was between 30 and 50 Came Rideing at full Speed With
all their Weapens of [up] in a florish as tho the Ware Chargeing uppon
an Enemey but on their near aproch the most frendly disposition appereed
in all their actions as Well [as] gusters—by this time We Hed Some meat
Cooked of Which the Willingly purtuck but Spareingly—as it after Wards
appeered the Head plenty at their Camp and Eat With [us] out of pure
frendship—amongst party Was the princeple Cheef of the Kiaways for these
Ware of that nation—the Cheef With three others Stayed With us all night
the others Returned to their Camp about Sundown
20th novmbr 1821 tusday
Collected our Horses Early—by Which time a great nomber of the Indeans
arived from Camp and moved up with [us] and crossed over the River Which
Was fordable but the Watter Cold and the Ice Runing a little—our Horses
Ware so loded that our men Ware all on futt but the Indeans took them
behind them on their Horses and Carryed them over the River—from our Camp
to the Indeans was about three miles West—[65]
Heare the Cheef gave up one of His lodges for the purpose of Store[ing]
the goods—and took posesion and Charge of all our Horses threw the Hole
of this day the Indeans Continu to arive and Set up their lodges—So that
by night We Ware a large town Containing up Wards two Honderd Houses Well
filled With men Wemon and Children—With a great nombr of dogs and Horses
So that the Hole Cuntry to a great distance Was Coverd—this Scenes Was
new to us and the more So after our long Jurney Seeing no persons but our
Selves—the Indeans Ware frendly takeing us to the lodges of their great
men and all Ways Seting Some meat for us to Eat. tho Some times Boiled
Corn Beens or mush Which arteckels the precured from the Spanyards
Wensday 21st nov 1821
lay in Camp all day Eating and Smokeing With the Indeans—and took
the Bareing of the mountains from a point one Half mile north of our
Camp—High Peak N 61 W South Eand of Same mountain N 82 W Heare a new
mountain appeers or is a Ridge in the forkes of the River North Eand Nᵒ
84 W South Eand N 87 W—Nᵒ 2 of the first mountains North Eand Sᵒ 87 W
Highest Point Sᵒ 45 W—Heare the mountain takes a more Westwardly Corse
and Continues a broken Ridge to a High point or Ridge and Stands Sᵒ 42
W—and falling a little lower and Continues to the forth mountains or
double Peekes—Which Stands thus 4th Sᵒ 27 W 5th Sᵒ 25 West from this
point We See no more of the mountains to the South We See large parteys
of Indeans Comeing in threw the day and Seting up their Houses or lodges—
22nd nov 1821—
Remained in Camp all day Holding Counsels Eating and Smokeing and
traiding a little With Indans—
the snow Has now Increeced to about 10 Inches deep and the Wind Extreemly
Cold the River frosen up Close the Ice to a great thickness—and Heare in
the Coldest mornings you might see Several Hundred Children Naked—Running
and playin on the Ice—Without the least appeerence of Suffering from the
Cold—the Highatans[66] amounting to about 350 lodges arived this day and
Camped With the others We are now Incresed to a cettey—
friday 23rd nov 1821—
this morning a Councel Was hild amongst the Cheefs of both the nations
and Conl glann With his Interpreter Was Sent for—and Was told by the
Ietan Cheef that the Ware Readey to Receve the goods in His Posesion
that His father the Presedent Had Sent them—But When He Was told that
there Was no Such goods He Became in a great Pashion and told the Conl
that He Was a lyer and a theef and that He Head Stolen the goods from
His farther[67] and that He the Cheef—Wold take the goods and Segnefyed
that He Wold kill the Conl and His men too upon Which the Conl and His
Inturpreter With drew—the Cheefs of both nations Remaned in Counsel all
day—and our Setuation Was not of the most plesent nature. the Kiaways
Ware our frends But the others Ware the most numerous—the former Clames
us their property and frens But the later We aprehend intend to use
force and in this Setuation We Remained all day—the young Warriors
Crouded Round us so that We Cold Scarcly Stir—about Sun down a tall
Indean Came Runing threw the Camp Calling out—me arapaho Cheef White
mans mine and Shakeing Hands With us as fast as poseble asked for the
White man Captain and on being Shoon In a lodge Wheare Conl glann With
the Inturpreter Was—He Rushed in—but Was out In an Instant thumping His
brest With His fist saying White man mine arapoho Plenty Pointing the
Way He Came—from [which] We soon understood that the Hole nation Ware at
Hand and that We Head nothing to dred from the Highatans—Who began to
disappeer from about us—and from that time We felt In Purfect Securety
Haveing two out of three of the nation In our favour and part of the 3rd
our frends—but the are all Sobordenet to their Cheefs—
Satterday 24th november 1821
a nomber of Cheefs of other nations arive In Camp—thing Ware [things
wore] a better appeerence—We Sopose there Is now about 350 lodges—Some
little traid for Buffelow Roabs for the benefit of the Hands on our
arivel at this Camp there Was about forty lodges of Indeans—Kiawas and
Padducas the Continu to Increes and last night on Counting them over
find now four Hunderd of the following nations—Ietans—Arrapohoes—Kiawa
Padduce—Cheans—Snakes—the Ietan the most numerous and the most Disperete
the Arrapohoes the Best and most Sivvel to the White men Habits—but Heare
We find some diffeculty in Councl With So many Indeans—and no Inturpreter
But Mr Roy—He Spoke Some Pane and [in] that language our Councils Ware
Held—the Indeans are Sartainly Ignorent of the Ways or Customs of the
White man and Have less Capasety to larn then any Indeans I Have yet
Seen—the Have many Wants but no meens of Supplying them—Haveing nothing
to traid but Horses and them We do not Want—We have found amongest them
about 20 Bever only the Early Habits of those Indeans Precludes them
from makeing Bever Hunters as the Cuntry Which the In Habet Contains but
few—and the Indeans Hunt the Buffelow
Sunday 25th novem 1821