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Early  Western  Travels 
1 748 -1 846 


Volume  XIII 


Early  Western  Travels 

1748-1846 

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

Edited  with  Notes,  Introduftions,  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  XIII 

Nuttall's  Travels  into  the  Arkansa 
Territory,  18 19 


..:;^<'\  0  R  A  i^  r  • 
,-  OF  Tr-.f. 

Cleveland,  Ohio 

The  Arthur  H.  Clark  Company 
1905 


Copyright  1905,  by 
THE  ARTHUR  H.  CLARK  COMPANY 


ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 


?rt)£  Eakestlie  J^rtBB 

R.    R.   DONNELLEY   &   SONS   COMPANY 
CHICAGO 


CONTENTS  OF  VOLUME  XIII 

Preface.     The  Editor 1 1 

A  JousNAL  OF  Travels  into  the  Arkansa  Territory,  dur- 
ing the  year  1819,  with  Occasional  Observations  on  the 
Manners  of  the  Aborigines.     Thomas  Nuttall,  F.L.S. 

Copyright  Notice  .......       24 

Author's  Dedication       .         .         .         .         .         -25 

Author's  Preface   .         .         .         .         .         .         -27 

Author's  Table  of  Contents    .         .         .         .         -       31 

Text 35 

Appendix: 

Section  I.     An  Account  of    the   Ancient  Abori- 
ginal Population  of  the  Banks  of  the  Missis- 
sippi and  the  Contiguous  Country        .         -     319 
Section  II.     The  History  of  the  Natchez    .         -     338 
Section  III.     Observations    on    the    Chicasaws 

and  Choctaws  .         .         .         .         .         -353 
Section  IV.     Thermometrical    Observations    in 

the  Arkansa  Territory,  during  the  year  1819     365 


ILLUSTRATIONS  TO  VOLUME  XIII 

"A  Map  of  the  Arkansas  River,  by  H.  S.  Tanner  "         .         .  22 

Facsimile  of  title-page  to  Nuttall ......  23 

"Distant  View  of  the  Mamelle"  .         .         .         .         .         -  153 

"Mamelle" 159 

"  Cadron  Settlement " 163 

"  Magazin  Mountain "  .......  185 

"Cavaniol  Mountain"         .......  203 


PREFACE  TO   VOLUME  XIII 

The  present  volume  of  our  series  is  devoted  to  a  reprint 
of  Thomas  Nuttall's  Journal  of  Travels  into  the  Arkansa 
Territory,  during  the  year  i8ig,  with  Occasional  Obser- 
vations on  the  Manners  of  the  Aborigines,  originally  pub- 
lished at  Philadelphia  in  182 1. 

Nuttall  was  born  in  the  market  town  of  Settle,  West 
Riding,  Yorkshire,  in  1786.^  His  parents  being  in 
humble  circumstances,  at  an  early  age  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  a  printer,  probably  an  uncle  who  was  a  member 
of  that  craft,  in  Liverpool.  After  a  few  years,  becoming 
dissatisfied  with  his  employer,  he  journeyed  to  London, 
where  his  pecuniary  condition  approached  so  near  to  des- 
titution that  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  arriving 
at  Philadelphia  in  1808,  aged  twenty-two. 

In  spite  of  the  disadvantages  which  had  beset  him  in 
his  early  years,  a  natural  love  for  books  and  a  faculty  for 
application  had  by  this  time  given  him  some  knowledge 
of  history,  Greek,  and  Latin,  and  much  of  natural  science, 
already  his  favorite  study.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  Phila- 
delphia, he  was  seeking  information  relative  to  a  plant 
which  interested  him,  when  he  met  Dr.  Benjamin  Smith 
Barton;  the  interview  stimulated  him  to  the  botanical 
studies  on  which  his  fame  as  a  scientist  chiefly  rests,  and 
he  soon  began  to  make  excursions,  especially  along  the 

*  The  chief  source  of  information  concerning  Nuttall's  life  is  a  "  Biographical 
Notice"  prepared  upon  his  death  by  Elias  Durand,  for  the  American  Philosoph- 
ical Society,  and  published  in  their  Proceedings  for  1859-60  (volume  viii,  p.  297). 
Other  details  are  given  in  his  writings,  especially  the  Journal,  and  in  Bradbury 
and  Townsend,  who  were  his  associates  on  other  expeditions  (see  volumes  v 
and  xxi  of  our  series) . 


1 2  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

seacoast  as  far  south  as  North  Carolina.  In  1810,  he 
accompanied  John  Bradbury  (whose  Travels  comprise 
volume  V  of  our  series),  on  the  latter' s  scientific  expedition 
into  the  Missouri  country,  described  in  volume  v  of  our 
series. 

Nuttall  returned  to  Philadelphia  early  in  181 1,  and  dur- 
ing the  succeeding  eight  years  spent  his  summers  in  ex- 
cursions within  the  area  east  of  the  Mississippi,  his  winters 
being  passed  in  studying  the  collections  thus  acquired. 
The  fruits  of  these  studies  appeared  in  The  Genera  of 
North  American  Plants  and  a  Catalogue  oj  the  Species  to 
18 1 y  (Philadelphia,  2  vols.,  1818),  for  which  he  personally 
set  most  of  the  type.  Just  before  the  appearance  of  this 
work,  Nuttall,  who  was  already  a  member  of  the  Lin- 
naean  Society  of  London,  was  elected  to  membership 
both  in  the  American  Philosophical  Society  and  the  Acad- 
emy of  Natural  Sciences,  at  Philadelphia.  To  the  journal 
published  by  the  Academy  he  became  a  frequent  contrib- 
utor. 

Being  well  acquainted  with  the  cis-Mississippi  region, 
and  having  already  visited  the  Northwest,  he  now  turned 
his  thoughts  to  the  Southwest.  He  had  long  desired  to 
visit  the  Arkansas  country,  which  still  offered  a  practi- 
cally virgin  field  for  the  scientific  investigator.^  Accord- 
ingly, assisted  by  a  number  of  friends  who  were  likewise 
interested  in  science,^  he  prepared  for  the  journey 
which  is  herein  recorded,  and  set  out  from  Philadelphia 
on  the  second  of  October,  1818.     Crossing  southern  Penn- 

^  The  expeditions  of  William  Dunbar  and  Dr.  George  Hunter,  who  explored 
the  Ouachita  as  far  as  Hot  Springs  in  1804,  under  a  commission  from  Presi- 
dent Jefferson,  and  of  Lieutenant  James  B.  Wilkinson,  who  descended  the 
Arkansas  River  under  General  Z.  M.  Pike's  orders  in  1806,  were  primarily 
geographical  and  topographical  reconnaissances. 

^  This  fact,  and  the  names  of  Nuttall's  patrons,  appear  in  the  dedication. 


i8i8-i82o]  Preface  1 3 

sylvania  to  Pittsburg,  and  descending  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  by  boat,  he  arrived  at  Arkansas  Post  on 
January  22,  18 19.  Thence  ascending  the  Arkansas 
River,  he  reached  the  recently-founded  Fort  Smith  on 
April  24.  Here  he  remained  for  three  weeks,  studying 
the  flora  of  the  vicinity.  On  May  16,  he  set  out  from  the 
post  with  the  commandant.  Major  Bradford,  and  a 
company  of  soldiers;  and  crossed  the  wilderness  to  Red 
River,  following  the  Poteau  and  Kiamichi.  Near  the 
mouth  of  the  latter,  while  loitering  to  collect  some  curious 
plants,  he  became  separated  from  his  companions  and 
was  compelled  to  spend  three  weeks  with  the  squatters, 
awaiting  the  departure  of  a  party  for  Fort  Smith,  where 
he  finally  arrived  after  an  absence  of  five  weeks. 

On  July  6,  Nuttall  again  left  Fort  Smith  in  the  boat  of 
a  trader  whose  establishment  was  situated  at  the  mouth 
of  Verdigris  River.  Reaching  this  point  on  the  fourteenth, 
nearly  a  month  was  spent  in  making  short  trips  to  study 
the  plant-life  and  geology  of  the  neighborhood,  and  in 
observing  the  habits  of  the  Osage  Indians. 

On  August  II,  accompanied  by  a  hunter  for  guide,  he 
began  the  final  stage  of  his  journey,  having  as  its  object- 
ive the  river  now  called  Cimarron.  At  this  season  the 
streams  were  stagnant,  and  the  intense  heat,  foul  water, 
poor  food,  and  night  dews  soon  brought  on  a  fever,  which 
came  near  terminating  our  traveller's  career.  The 
Indians,  moreover,  were  an  almost  constant  source  of 
annoyance  and  danger.  Nuttall  rejected  the  guide's 
suggestion  of  a  return  to  the  Verdigris,  and  finally  it 
became  impracticable;  so  the  two  pushed  on  until  the 
Cimarron  was  reached.  By  this  time  his  fever  had  some- 
what abated,  and  an  effort  was  made  to  ascend  that  river. 
The  loss  of  one  of  the  two  horses,  however,  compelled  the 


14  Rarly  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

abandonment  of  the  project,  and  a  canoe  was  built,  in 
which  the  guide  essayed  to  return  by  water  while  his 
chief  rode  the  remaining  horse.  Setting  forth  in  this 
fashion,  still  beset  by  Indians,  who  pilfered  from  them  on 
every  pretext,  they  soon  found  that  the  horse  could  not 
keep  pace  with  the  boat.  The  two  travellers  thereupon 
agreed  to  separate,  and  Nuttall  completed  the  journey  to 
the  Verdigris  alone,  arriving,  more  dead  than  alive,  on 
September  15.  For  a  week  he  was  unable  to  proceed 
farther;  at  Fort  Smith  another  long  halt  was  necessary, 
but  on  October  16  he  began  the  descent  of  the  Arkansas, 
and  reached  New  Orleans  on  February  18,  1820,  without 
further  mishap. 

Two  years  later,  Nuttall  was  appointed  curator  of  the 
botanical  garden  of  Harvard  College.  He  spent  several 
years  at  Cambridge  cultivating  rare  plants,  pursuing  his 
studies,  and  delivering  occasional  lectures.  These  years 
were  fruitful  in  contributions  to  Silliman's  Journal,  the 
Journal  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  the  Tran- 
sactions of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  and  the 
American  Journal  of  the  Medical  Sciences.*  A  little 
later  appeared  his  Introduction  to  Systematic  and  Physio- 
logical Botany,  and  at  about  the  same  time  he  produced 
the  Manual  of  the  Ornithology  0}  the  United  States  and 
Canada  (Part  I,  Land  Birds,  Cambridge,  1832;  Part  II, 
Water  Birds,  Boston,  1834),  The  life  at  Cambridge  was, 
however,  distasteful  to  him ;  he  declared  that  he  was,  like 
his  plants,  only  vegetating.  His  instincts  and  habits 
drew  him  to  the  wilderness,  that  he  might  unravel  its 
secrets.  About  the  beginning  of  1833,  he  had  received  a 
collection  of  plants  gathered  by  Captain  Nathaniel  Jarvis 

*  For  full  titles  of  the  numerous  essays,  see  the  sketch  of  his  life,  referred  to 
in  note  i,  ante. 


i8i8-i82o]  Preface  1 5 

Wyeth  during  a  journey  overland  to  Oregon.  With  in- 
terest in  the  far  Northwest  thus  quickened,  Nuttall  joined 
Wyeth  when  he  set  out  on  a  second  expedition,"'  resign- 
ing his  position  at  Harvard  when  the  college  authorities 
refused  to  grant  a  leave  of  absence.  He  was  accom- 
panied by  John  K.  Townsend,  as  representative  of  the 
Philosophical  Society  and  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sci- 
ences. The  party  rendezvoused  at  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, and  began  the  long  march  on  April  28,  1834. 
Nuttall  and  Townsend  passed  the  autumn  exploring  the 
environs  of  Fort  Vancouver;  but  as  winter  drew  near, 
they  embarked  on  a  Boston  brig  bound  for  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  where  they  arrived  January  5,  1835.  Two 
months  later,  leaving  Townsend,  Nuttall  sailed  to  the 
California  coast,  where  he  passed  the  summer,  returning 
thence  to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  embarking  for  Boston 
by  way  of  Cape  Horn,  on  board  the  vessel  whose  cruise  has 
been  made  famous  by  Dana's  Two  Years  before  the  Mast. 
Upon  reaching  the  United  States,  Nuttall  resumed  his 
abode  in  Philadelphia.  In  1840,  the  results  of  the  Pacific 
journey  were  published  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Philo- 
sophical Society,  in  the  form  of  two  long  essays,  entitled : 
"Descriptions  of  new  species  and  genera  of  plants  in  the 
natural  order  Compositae,  collected  in  a  tour  across  the 
continent  to  the  Pacific,  a  residence  in  Oregon,  and  a  visit 
to  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  California,  in  the  years  1834 
and  1835;"  ^^^  "Description  and  notices  of  new  and  rare 
plants  of  the  natural  orders  Lobeliaceae,  Campanulaceae, 
Vacciniceae  and  Ericaceae,  collected  in  a  journey  across  the 
continent  of  North  America,  and  during  a  visit  to  the 
Sandwich  Islands  and  Upper  California." 

^  Wyeth's  expedition  was  dispatched  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  trading 
posts  for  the  Columbia  Fishing  and  Trading  Company. 


1 6  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

Nuttall's  last  work,  The  North  American  Sylva;  or  a 
Description  of  the  Forest-Trees  oj  the  United  States,  Canada 
and  Nova  Scotia,  not  described  in  the  work  of  Frangois 
Andre  Michaux  (Philadelphia,  3  vols.,  1842-49),  was,  as 
the  title  indicates,  undertaken  as  a  supplement  to  the 
earlier  work  of  Michaux.®  It  was  completed  on  the 
eve  of  his  departure  from  the  United  States,  and  entrusted 
to  a  friend  for  publication.  Part  one  of  the  first  volume 
appeared  in  1842,  and  the  second  part  the  following  year. 
The  remaining  volumes  were  delayed  by  various  causes, 
not  being  printed  until  1846  and  1849,  respectively. 

In  1 841,  by  the  bequest  of  an  uncle,  Nuttall  received 
the  estate  of  Nutgrove,  near  liverpool,  with  the  accom- 
panying condition  that  during  the  remainder  of  his  life 
he  reside  in  England  at  least  nine  months  of  each  year. 
Reluctantly  leaving  the  land  of  his  adoption  and  the  field 
of  his  labors,  impelled,  it  is  said,'  by  regard  for  the  needs 
of  his  sisters'  families,  he  retired  to  the  ancestral  estate, 
which  he  largely  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of  rare  plants. 
He  revisited  America  in  1847-48;  by  taking  three  months 
at  the  end  of  the  first  year  and  three  at  the  beginning  of  the 
next,  he  was  able  to  spend  six  consecutive  months  outside 
of  England  without  infraction  of  the  terms  of  his  relative's 
will.  After  seventeen  years  of  the  simple  farm  life  which 
both  his  disposition  and  circumstances  required,  his  death 
came,  September  10,  1859,  as  the  result  of  overstraining 
in  his  eagerness  at  unpacking  a  case  of  plants  which  had 
been  sent  to  him  from  Asia. 

Nuttall's  natural  shyness  was  enhanced  by  the  character 

'  Histoire  des  arbres  foresliers  de  I'Amerique  du  Nord  (Paris  (?),  4  vols., 
1810-13);  translation  by  Augustus  L.  Hillhouse,  North  American  Sylva,  or  a 
description  0}  tlie  forest  trees  oj  the  United  States,  Canada  and  Nova  Scotia 
(Paris,  3  vols.,  18 19). 

'  See  the  Durand  Memorial. 


i8i8-i82o]  Preface  17 

of  his  studies,  so  largely  pursued  in  the  solitude  of  the 
field  or  forest.  Both  in  Cambridge  and  Philadelphia,  his 
circle  of  acquaintance  was  quite  small;  even  his  intimates 
in  Philadelphia  declaring  that  they  knew  not  the  place  of 
his  residence  —  his  intercourse  with  them  was  largely 
in  their  homes.  Of  a  contemplative  mind,  his  manner 
was  often  abstracted,  yet  with  those  of  like  interests  he 
was  companionable  and  communicative.  His  head  was 
large  and  bald,  his  forehead  broad,  his  features  small; 
he  was  fair  of  feature,  and  often  pale  from  application  to 
his  work;  and  stout  and  slightly  stooped  of  frame,  but 
above  middle  height.  The  story  of  his  explorations  proves 
him  to  have  been  of  an  active  temperament.  A  persistent 
worker,  his  enthusiasm  was  unlimited.  "To  me,"  he 
said,  "hardships  and  privations  are  cheaply  purchased, 
if  I  may  but  roam  over  the  wild  domain  of  primeval 
nature  .  .  .  My  chief  converse  has  been  in  the  wil- 
derness with  the  spontaneous  productions  of  nature;  and 
the  study  of  these  subjects  and  their  contemplation  have 
been  to  me  a  source  of  constant  delight."  Several  anec- 
dotes are  related,  which  illustrate  his  ardor.  On  one  of 
his  early  excursions  to  the  Carolina  coast,  he  was  badly 
bitten  by  mosquitoes;  but,  absorbed  in  his  investigations, 
was  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  the  insects  until,  upon 
approaching  a  dwelling,  he  was  thought  to  be  afflicted 
with  small-pox,  and  well-nigh  driven  away.  When  round- 
ing Cape  Horn,  with  the  vessel  beset  by  wind  and  icebergs, 
he  vainly  pleaded  with  the  captain  to  be  set  on  shore  if  only 
for  a  few  hours,  that  he  might  examine  the  vegetation  of 
that  little-known  coast.* 

Nuttall  will  chiefly  be  remembered  as  a  man  of  science. 
His  work  was  painstaking,  and  he  made  solid  contributions 

'  Dana,  Two  Years  Before  the  Mast,  quoted  by  Durand. 


1 8  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

to  the  knowledge  of  his  generation.  Nor  was  he  in  his 
own  lifetime  denied  his  meed  of  praise,  especially  for  his 
botanical  work.  Contemporary  reviews  of  his  books  were 
usually  appreciative;  a  fellow- member^  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society  left  this  testimony:  ''No  other 
explorer  of  the  botany  of  North  America  has,  personally, 
made  more  discoveries;  no  writer  on  American  plants, 
except  perhaps  Professor  Asa  Gray,  has  described  more 
new  genera  and  species.  His  name  will  live  as  long  as 
our  Flora  remains  an  object  of  study." 

The  journal  of  the  Arkansas  journey,  reprinted  in  the 
present  volume,  while  primarily  interesting  to  the  scien- 
tist is  not  without  value  for  the  historian.  The  author 
was  fairly  well  acquainted  with  the  principal  printed 
accounts  of  Spanish  and  French  exploration  in  the  region, 
as  well  as  with  the  reports  of  the  previous  American  visi- 
tors. But  Nuttall's  historical  statements  are  not  invariably 
accurate;  the  value  of  the  work  lies  in  the  record  of  his 
personal  observations,  from  which  we  obtain  often 
graphic  descriptions  of  the  settled  portions  of  the  Arkan- 
sas country  and  the  state  of  civilization  prevalent  there  in 
1 81 9.  Neither  does  our  author  neglect  the  Indians,  in 
whom  he  was  much  interested.  His  book  ranks  high  as 
a  source  of  information  regarding  the  native  tribes  of 
that  region,  especially  the  Quapaw;  although  such  of  his 
information  as  was  obtained  second  hand  needs  the  cor- 
rective of  critical  study. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  volume  for  the  press,  the 
Editor  has  had  the  assistance  of  Homer  C.  Hockett, 
fellow  in  American  history  in  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 

R.  G.  T. 

Madison,  Wis.,  February,  1905. 

'  Elias  Durand,  in  sketch  already  cited. 


Nuttall's  Journal  of  Travels  into  the  Arkansa 

Territory 
October  2,  1818- February  18,  1820 


Reprint  of  the  original  edition:    Philadelphia,  1821 


15 


I  — i. 


^ 


.JYUTTALL. 


s  oiigitial    inaniist-ripts,  by 


45 


THO?  <^''VTTALL; 

Coiistructed  frcMU  his  origiual    manuscripts,  by 


JOURNAL 


TRAVELS 


INTO  1  HE 


DURING  THE  YEAR 


1819. 


WITH  OCCASIONAL  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  MANNERS  Of  THE 


ABORIGINES. 


ILLUSTRATED  BY  A  MAP  AND  OTHER  ENGRAVINGS. 


BY  THOMAS  NUTTALL,  P.  L.  S. 

aOirOBAllT  MEXBEA  OF  THE  AHEEICAN  PHU030FBICAL  SOCISTT,  AVS  OF 
THE  ACADEUT  OF  KATORAL  SCISKCES,  8lC. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

rSISTEO  A5D  PUBXISaSO  BT  THOS,  B.  FALWEIt. 

4821. 


JOURNAL 


TRAVELS 


INTO  1  HE 


DURING  THE  YEAR 
1819. 

WITH  OCCASIONAL  OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  MANNERS  OF  THE 

ABORIGLNES. 

ILLUSTRATED  BY  A  MAP  AND  OTHER  ENGRAVINGS. 

BY  THOMAS  NUTTALL,  F.  L.  S. 

aOVOBAKT  MEMBER  OP  THE  AUEEICAS  PH11050PHICAt  SOCIKTT,  AVO  01 
THE  ACADEMY  OF  HATURAL  SCISSCES,  &C. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

raiSTEO  A5B  PrBEISHEB  BT  THOS,  B.  FAlMES- 

1821. 


EASTERN   DISTRICT   OF  PENNSYLVANIA,  to  wit: 

BE   IT   REMEMBERED,   That   on   the   sixth   day   of 

[l.  s.]     November,  in  the  forty-sixth  year  of  the  independence  of  the 

United  States  of  America,  A.D.  182 1,  Thomas  H.  Palmer,  of 

the  said  District,  has  deposited  in  this  office,  the  title  of  a  book,  the 

right  whereof  he  claims  as  proprietor,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit : 

"A  journal  of  Travels  into  the  Arkansa  Territory,  during  the  year 
1819,  with  occasional  observations  on  the  manners  of  the  Aborigines. 
Illustrated  by  a  map  and  other  engravings.  By  Thomas  Nuttall, 
F.L.S.  Honorary  member  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society, 
and  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  &c." 

In  conformity  to  the  act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
entitled,  "An  Act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the 
copies  of  Maps,  Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of 
such  copies  during  the  times  therein  mentioned." —  And  also  to  the 
Act,  entitled,  "An  Act  supplementary  to  an  act,  entitled,  "An  act  for 
the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  Maps, 
Charts,  and  Books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies 
during  the  times  therein  mentioned,"  and  extending  the  benefits 
thereof  to  the  arts  of  designing,  engraving,  and  etching  historical  and 
other  prints." 

D.  CALDWELL, 
Clerk  of  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


TO 

JOSEPH  COREA  DE  SERRA, 

MEMBER  OF  THE  NATIONAL  INSTITUTE  OF  FRANCE,  OF  THE 
ROYAL   SOCIETY  OF   LONDON,    &C. 

ZACCHEUS  COLLINS,  Esq. 

MEMBER  OF  THE  AMERICAN  PHILOSOPHICAL  SOCIETY,  AND 

VICE-PRESIDENT   OF   THE  ACADEMY  OF   NATURAL 

SCIENCES,    &C. 

WILLIAM  MACLURE,  Esq. 

PRESIDENT  OF  THE  ACADEMY  OF  NATURAL  SCIENCES,  AND 

MEMBER   OF   THE   AMERICAN   PHILOSOPHICAL 

SOCIETY,    &C.    &C. 

JOHN  VAUGHAN,  Esq. 

TREASURER    AND    LIBRARIAN    OF    THE    AMERICAN    PHILO- 
SOPHICAL  SOCIETY,   MEMBER  OF   THE   ACADEMY 
OF  NATURAL   SCIENCES,    &C.    &C. 

Gentlemen, 

Permit  me  to  lay  before  you,  the  humble  narrative  of 
a  journey,  chiefly  undertaken  for  the  investigation  of  the 
natural  history  of  a  region  hitherto  unexplored.  Excuse 
the  imperfect  performance  of  the  gratifying  task  which 
your  liberality  had  imposed,  but  which  was  rendered 
almost  abortive  by  the  visitations  of  affliction. 

If,  in  so  tiresome  a  volume  of  desultory  remarks,  you 
should  meet  with  some  momentary  gratification,  some 
transient  amusement,  or  ray  of  information,  the  author 
will  receive  the  satisfaction  of  not  having  laboured  entirely 
in  vain. 


PREFACE 

To  those  who  vaguely  peruse  the  narratives  of  travellers 
for  pastime  or  transitory  amusement,  the  present  volume 
is  by  no  means  addressed.  It  is  no  part  of  the  author's 
ambition  to  study  the  gratification  of  so  fastidious  a  taste 
as  that,  which  but  too  generally  governs  the  readers  of  the 
present  day;  a  taste,  which  has  no  criterion  but  passing 
fashion,  which  spurns  at  every  thing  that  possesses  not 
the  charm  of  novelty,  and  the  luxury  of  embellishment. 
We  live  no  longer  in  an  age  that  tolerates  the  plain 
'  'unvarnished  tale."  Our  language  must  now  be  crowded 
with  the  spoils  of  those  which  are  foreign  to  its  native 
idiom;  it  must  be  perplexed  by  variety,  and  rendered 
ambiguous  and  redundant  by  capricious  ornament. 
Hermes,  no  longer  the  plain  messenger  of  the  gods,  exer- 
cises all  his  deceit,  and  mingles  luxury  in  the  purest  of 
intellectual  streams. 

Had  I  solely  consulted  my  own  gratification,  the  present 
volume  would  probably  never  have  been  offered  to  the 
public.  But,  as  it  may  contain  some  physical  remarks 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  country,  and  with  that 
[vi]  of  the  unfortunate  aborigines,  who  are  so  rapidly  dwin- 
dling into  oblivion,  and  whose  fate  may,  in  succeeding  gen- 
erations, excite  a  curiosity  and  compassion  denied  them  by 
the  present,!  have  considered  myself  partly  excused  in  offer- 
ing a  small  edition  to  the  scientific  part  of  the  community, 
just  sufficient  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  printer,  who 
kindly  undertook  the  publication  at  his  own  risk.  I  may 
safely  say,  that  hitherto,  so  far  from  writing  for  emolument, 
I  have  sacrificed  both  time  and  fortune  to  it.     For  nearly 


28  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

ten  years  I  have  travelled  throughout  America,  principally 
with  a  view  of  becoming  acquainted  with  some  favourite 
branches  of  its  natural  history.  I  have  had  no  other  end 
in  view  than  personal  gratification,  and  in  this  I  have  not 
been  deceived,  for  innocent  amusement  can  never  leave 
room  for  regret.  To  converse,  as  it  were,  with  nature,  to 
admire  the  wisdom  and  beauty  of  creation,  has  ever  been, 
and  I  hope  ever  will  be,  to  me  a  favourite  pursuit.  To 
communicate  to  others  a  portion  of  the  same  amusement 
and  gratification  has  been  the  only  object  of  my  botanical 
publications;  the  most  remote  idea  of  personal  emolument 
arising  from  them,  from  every  circumstance  connected 
with  them,  could  not  have  been  admitted  into  calculation. 
I  had  a  right,  however,  reasonably  to  expect  from  Ameri- 
cans a  degree  of  candour,  at  least  equal  to  that  which  my 
labours  had  met  with  in  Europe.  But  I  have  found, 
what,  indeed,  I  might  have  [vii]  reason  to  expect  from 
human  nature,  often,  instead  of  gratitude,  detraction  and 
envy.  With  such,  I  stoop  not  to  altercate;  my  endeavours, 
however  imperfect,  having  been  directed  to  the  public 
good ;  and  I  regret  not  the  period  I  have  spent  in  roaming 
over  the  delightful  fields  of  Flora,  in  studying  all  her  mys- 
teries and  enigmas,  if  I  have,  in  any  instance,  been  useful 
to  her  cause,  or  opened  to  the  idle  wanderer  one  fruitful 
field  for  useful  reflexion. 

Not  wishing  to  enlarge  the  present  publication,  or  re- 
tard it  by  the  addition  of  a  voluminous  appendix,  I  reserve 
for  a  subsequent  volume,  which  will  shortly  be  issued, 
A  general  view  and  description  of  the  aboriginal  antiquities 
of  the  western  states,  and  some  essays  on  the  languages  of 
the  western  Indians,  and  their  connection  with  those  of 
other  parts  of  the  world,  involving,  in  some  measure,  a 
general  view  of  language,  both  oral  and  graphical. 


i8i8-i82o]  Preface  29 

The  surveys  and  collections  towards  a  history  of  the 
aboriginal  antiquities,  have  remained  unpublished  in  my 
possession  for  several  years,  and  would  have  been  longer 
withheld,  in  hopes  of  rendering  them  more  complete,  had 
not  an  unexpected  anticipation  obliged  the  author  to  hasten 
to  do  justice  to  himself,  and  claim,  at  least,  that  which 
was  due  to  his  personal  industry. 

The  aboriginal  languages  of  America,  hitherto  so  neg- 
lected and  unjustly  consigned  to  oblivion  as  the  useless 
relics  of  barbarism,  are,  [viii]  nevertheless,  perhaps  des- 
tined to  create  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  primitive  lan- 
guage. In  their  mazes  is  infolded  a  history  of  morals,  of 
remote  connections,  of  vicissitudes  and  emigrations,  which 
had  escaped  the  circumstantial  pen  of  history;  and  yet, 
however  strange  it  may  appear,  are  more  durably  im- 
pressed than  if  engraven  upon  tablets  of  brass,  and  pos- 
sessed of  an  intrinsic  veracity  nothing  short  of  inspiration. 

The  literary  character  of  the  aboriginal  languages  of 
America,  have,  of  late  years,  begun  to  claim  the  attention 
of  the  learned  both  in  Europe  and  America.  The  reports 
and  correspondence  of  the  Historical  committee  appointed 
by  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  stand  meritoriously 
preeminent  in  this  research ;  and  it  must  be  highly  gratify- 
ing to  the  public  to  know,  that  the  same  members  continue 
still  to  labour  in  the  field  with  unabated  vigour.  These 
various  efforts  united,  I  may  venture  to  predict,  will  be 
crowned  with  successful  discoveries  which  could  not  have 
been  anticipated,  and  which  will  ultimately  contribute 
towards  the  development  of  that  portion  of  human  history, 
which,  above  all  others,  appeared  to  be  so  impenetrably 
buried  in  oblivion. 

Philadelphia^  November,  1821. 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  I. —  Departure  from  Philadelphia.  Geological  remarks. 
Route  through  Harrisburgh  and  Carlisle  to  Caramel's  town.  Loudon, 
and  the  adjacent  mountain  scenery.  The  North  Mountain.  Cove 
Mountain.  Passage  of  the  Juniata,  and  surrounding  scenery.  Bed- 
ford. Organic  remains.  The  Alleghany  Ridge.  Stoy's-town.  First 
indications  of  bituminous  coal.  Laurel  Mountain.  Greensburgh. 
Arrival  at  Pittsburgh;  manufactures;  scenery,  and  peculiar  character 
of  its  coal-mines. 

CHAP.  II. —  Departure  from  Pittsburgh.  Autumnal  scenery. 
Georgetown.  The  unfortunate  emigrant.  Steubenville.  Pictur- 
esque scenery.  WheeUng.  Little  Grave  creek,  and  the  Great 
Mound.  Other  aboriginal  remains.  Marietta.  Belpre  settlement. 
Other  ancient  remains.  Coal.  GalliopoUs.  Ancient  level  of  the 
alluvial  forest.  Misletoe.  Aboriginal  remains.  Big  Sandy  creek, 
and  commencement  of  Cane-land.  Corn-husking.  Salt  creek. 
Maysville.  Organic  remains.  Cincinnati.  Lawrenceburgh.  The 
French  emigrant.  Vevay.  Madison.  Louisville.  Prevalence  of 
particular  winds  on  the  Ohio.     Falls  of  the  Ohio. 

CHAP.  III. —  Departure  from  Shippingsport.  Velocity  of  the 
current.  Troy.  Owensville.  Indigence  of  the  hunting  emigrants. 
Mounds.  Evansville.  The  Diamond  island.  Shawneetown. 
Grandeur  of  the  river,  and  the  uncultivated  state  of  the  surrounding 
country.  Fort  Massac.  Arrival  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  De- 
layed by  the  ice  of  the  Mississippi,  [x]  A  visit  from  the  Delaware 
and  Shawnee  Indians.  Obser\'ations  on  their  mutual  jealousy  and 
improvidence. 

CHAP.  IV. —  Embark  amidst  the  ice  of  the  Mississippi.  Run 
aground  on  Wolf's  island  in  attempting  to  land.  Relieved  from  this 
situation,  but  find  ourselves  again  involved  in  it,  and  are  imposed 
upon  by  the  extortion  of  a  neighbouring  voyager.  Pass  the  Iron 
banks.  Cypress.  Solitude  of  the  country.  New  Madrid.  Oscil- 
lations of  the  earth  still  frequent.  Point  Pleasant.  Vestiges  of  the 
great  earthquake.  The  Little  Prairie  settlement  almost  destroyed  by 
it.  The  Canadian  reach.  A  dangerous  and  difficult  pass  of  the 
river.     The  first  Chickasaw  BluflFs.     Additional  danger  and  uncer- 


32  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

tainty  of  the  navigation.  Stratification  of  the  Bluff.  A  dangerous 
accident.  The  second  Chickasaw  Bluffs.  Observations  on  their 
stratification. 

CHAP.  V. —  Pass  the  third  Chickasaw  Bluff.  Dangers  of  the 
navigation,  and  solitude  of  the  country.  The  fourth  Bluff  of  the 
Chickasaws.  Lignite  prevalent.  Chickasaw  Indians.  St.  Francis 
river.  Depopulation  of  the  neighbouring  country.  Trees  of  the 
alluvial  forest.  Destruction  of  the  Big  Prairie  settlement.  Scrub 
grass.  Difficulties  of  the  navigation.  Changes  of  the  soil,  produced 
by  the  agency  of  the  river.  A  visit  from  three  of  the  Arkansa  Indians. 
A  dense  fog  over  the  river;  the  cause  of  it.  Arrival  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Arkansa  and  White  river. 

CHAP.  VI. —  Proceed  up  White  river  for  the  Arkansa.  Suspi- 
cious conduct  of  one  of  the  boatmen.  Pass  through  the  connecting 
bayou,  and  proceed  up  the  Arkansa;  its  navigation;  soil  and  sur- 
rounding scenery.  A  small  French  settlement.  Extraordinary  mild- 
ness of  the  season.  Mounds.  Changes  in  the  alluvial  lands  pro- 
duced by  the  agency  of  the  river.  Land  speculators.  Vegetation  of 
the  alluvial  lands.  The  town  or  post  of  Arkansas.  Enormous  land 
[xi]  claims.  Difficulty  of  navigating  against  the  current.  The  Great 
Prairie.  First  settlement  on  the  Arkansa;  its  present  state.  Agri- 
cultural advantages  arising  from  the  mildness  of  the  climate.  Storax. 
Aboriginal  remains.  The  Quapaws  or  Arkansas.  Their  traditions 
and  character. 

CHAP.  VII. —  Departure  from  Arkansas.  Indian  villages. 
Mooney's  settlement.  Curran's  settlement.  Interview  with  the 
Quapaw  chief.  The  Pine  Bluffs.  Soil,  climate,  and  productions. 
The  Little  Rock.  Roads.  Mountains.  Vegetation.  The  Mamelle. 
Cadron  settlement.  Tumuli.  Soil  and  climate.  Pecannerie  settle- 
ment. Mountains.  Cherokees.  The  Magazine  mountain.  Dar- 
danelle  settlement.  Manners  and  customs  of  the  Cherokees.  The 
war  with  the  Osages. 

CHAP.  VIII. —  Pass  several  inconsiderable  rivulets,  and  obtain 
sight  of  the  Tomahawk  mountain  and  the  Gascon  hills.  Mulberry 
creek;  that  of  Vache  Grasse.  Lee's  creek.  Prairies.  Sugarloaf 
mountain.  Arrive  at  the  garrison  of  Belle  Point.  A  change  in  the 
vegetation.  The  Madura  or  Bow-wood.  The  garrison.  Cedar 
prairie.     Rare  plants. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  33 

CHAP.  IX. —  Journey  to  Red  river.  Prairies  and  mountains  of 
the  Pottoe.  Pass  the  dividing  ridge.  Kiamesha  river.  Arrival  on 
the  banks  of  Red  river.  The  murder  of  a  Cherokee ;  attempts  to  ob- 
tain redress.  Wild  horses.  Character,  geological  structure,  and 
rare  vegetable  productions  of  the  prairies.  Return  to  the  garrison 
at  Belle  Point. 

CHAP.  X. —  Continue  my  voyage  up  the  Arkansa.  Geological 
remarks.  Pass  several  lesser  rivulets,  and  the  outlet  of  the  Canadian 
and  the  Illinois.  Salt  springs.  Obstructions  in  the  navigation. 
Indications  of  coal.     Pass  Grand  river,  and  enter  the  Verdigris. 

CHAP.  XI. —  Character  of  the  surrounding  country  of  the  Verdi- 
gris river.     Remarks  on  the  Osage  Indians. 

[xii]  CHAP.  XII. —  An  excursion  up  Grand  River  to  visit  the 
Osage  salt  works.  Geological  observations.  Return  across  the 
prairie;  its  general  appearance  and  phenomena. 

CHAP.  XIII. —  Interviews  with  the  Osages.  Occasional  obser- 
vations on  their  manners,  habits,  &c.     Sickness  in  the  encampment. 

CHAP.  XIV. —  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  pro- 
ceed to  the  garrison.  Conclusion  of  the  treaty  between  the  Osages 
and  Cherokees. 

CHAP.  XV. —  Proceed  from  the  garrison  to  the  Pecannerie  settle- 
ment.    Hot  springs  of  the  Washita.     Phenomena  of  the  seasons. 

CHAP.  XVI. —  Cadron  settlement.  Arrive  at  Arkansas.  Con- 
tinue to  the  Mississippi.  The  wandering  fanatics.  Pirates. 
Natchez;  stratification  of  its  site,  and  remarks  on  its  agricultural 
productions.  The  Choctaws.  Fort  Adams.  Point  Coupe.  Baton 
Rouge.     Opulent  Planters.     New-Orleans. 

APPENDIX 

SECT.  I. —  An  account  of  the  ancient  aboriginal  population  of 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  contiguous  country. 

SECT.  II.—  The  history  of  the  Natchez. 

SECT.  III. —  Observations  on  the  Chicasaws  and  Choctaws. 

SECT.  IV. —  Thermometrical  observations  in  the  Arkansa  Terri- 
tory, during  the  year  18 19. 


A   JOURNEY   INTO   THE    INTERIOR   OF 
THE   ARKANSA   TERRITORY 


CHAPTER   I 

Departure  from  Philadelphia  —  Geological  remarks  — 
Route  through  Harrisburgh  and  Carlisle  to  Cammel's- 
town  —  Loudon,  and  the  adjacent  mountain  scenery  — 
The  North  Mountain  —  Cove  Mountain  —  Passage  of 
the  Juniata,  and  surrounding  scenery  —  Bedford  — 
Organic  remains — The  Alleghany  Ridge  —  Stoy's-town 
—  First  indications  of  bituminous  coal  —  Laurel  Moun- 
tain—  Greensburgh  —  Arrival  at  Pittsburgh;  manu- 
factures; scenery,  and  peculiar  character  of  its  coal- 
mines. 

On  the  morning  of  the  second  of  October,  1818,  I  took 
my  departure  from  Philadelphia  in  the  mail  stage,  which 
arrived  safely  in  Lancaster,  sixty-three  miles  distant,  a 
little  after  sun-set.  Though  always  pleasingly  amused  by 
the  incidents  of  travelling,  and  the  delightful  aspect  of  rude 
or  rural  nature,  I  could  not  at  this  time  divert  from  my 
mind  the  most  serious  reflections  on  the  magnitude  and 
danger  of  the  journey  which  now  lay  before  me,  and  which 
was,  indeed,  of  very  uncertain  issue. 

[10]  Scarcely  any  part  of  the  United  States  presents  a 
more  beautiful  succession  of  hill  and  dale,  than  that  which 
succeeds  between  Philadelphia  and  Lancaster;  the  valley, 
however,  of  Chester  county,  including  Downingston,  ex- 
ceeds every  other,  except  the  site  of  Lancaster,  in  fertility 
and  rural  picture.  It  is  about  twenty-five  miles  in  length 
by  one  in  Kreadth,  and  pursues  from  hence  a  north-east 
direction.  The  rock  throughout  this  valley  is  calcareous, 
and  the  soil  is  consequently  of  a  superior  quality.     This 


36  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

lime-stone,  which  has  been  assiduously  examined  by  the 
mineralogists  and  naturalists  of  Philadelphia,  though  not 
very  dissimilar  to  that  of  the  western  states,  except  in  the 
high  inclination  of  the  strata  and  the  predominance  of 
spar,  has  never  yet  been  found  to  contain  any  kind  of 
organic  remains,  and  scarcely  any  metals  more  than  traces 
of  iron,  manganese,  titanium,  and  lead. 

3d.]  From  Lancaster,  I  continued  my  route  on  foot,  as 
affording  greater  leisure,  and  better  opportunity  for  making 
observation.  The  rain,  however,  to-day  prevented  me 
from  proceeding  more  than  seventeen  miles  on  the  road  to 
Harrisburgh.^  About  twelve  miles  east  of  Middleton,  I 
had  again  occasion  to  observe  certain  ledges  of  the  pre- 
vailing calcareous  rock,  dipping  at  an  angle  scarcely  under 
that  of  45°,  traversed  by  sparry  veins,  occasionally  inter- 
mingled with  epidote,  in  which  are  also  imbedded  bright, 
brown-red  rhombic  masses  of  felspar  and  amorphous 
quartz,  a  circumstance  which  had  formerly  fallen  under 
my  notice  in  a  pedestrian  tour  on  this  road ;  I  was  now, 
however,  enabled  to  trace  this  appearance  into  a  connec- 
tion with  the  transition  formation  which  almost  immedi- 
ately succeeds,  presenting  masses  of  agglomerated  rock, 
chiefly  calcareous,  of  which  the  fragments  are  both  angular 
and  arrounded.  Beyond  this,  on  the  first  succeeding  hill, 
occur  layers  of  the  old  or  transition  sand-stone,  not  al- 
ways red,  though  some  of  that  colour  appeared  in  the 
vicinity,  interlayed  with  [11]  brown-red  slate-clay.  After- 
wards, and  in  connection  with  this  formation,  appears  the 
green-stone  of  the  Germans,  and  the  bottoms  of  the  valleys 
only  are  calcareous.  Twelve  miles  west  of  Lancaster, 
we  enter  the  fine  fertile  tract,  once  known  to  the  natives  of 

*  For  the  early  history  of  the  site  of  Hamsburgh,  see  Post's  Journals,  volume  i 
of  our  series,  note  73. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  Journal  37 

the  Susquehannah  by  the  name  of  Pe-quay,  or  the  Pleasant 
Fields.^ 

4th.]  To  Middleton,  gninstein  and  argillaceous  trap, 
with  sand-stone  conglomerate,  and  Spanish-brown  slate- 
clay  alternate  and  succeed  each  other,  affording  an  indif- 
ferent soil,  and  forming  lofty  hills,  with  precipitous 
declivities  and  narrow  valleys.  The  sylvan  hills  of  the 
Susquehanna  are,  however,  calcareous  and  underlayed 
with  common  bluish  grey  and  chlorite  slate,  which  as  at 
Lancaster  abounds  with  scattered  or  imbedded  cubic 
pyrites.^  The  long  bridge  of  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  con- 
necting with  a  small  island,  crosses  a  wide  and  shallow 
part  of  the  river,  whose  bed  is  of  slate  (or  argillite). 

5th.]  About  half  past  seven,  I  left  Harrisburgh,  and  in 
the  course  of  the  day  proceeded  through  Carlisle  to  within 
five  miles  of  Shippensburg,^  a  distance  of  about  31  miles, 
over  a  deeply  undulated  country,  evincing,  by  the  ease 
and  comfort  of  its  scattered  population,  no  inconsiderable 
degree  of  fertility  in  the  soil,  which  is  calcareous.  The  first 
considerable  chain  of  hills,  proceeding  from  north-east  to 
south-west,  clad  with  unbroken  forests,  appeared  on  our 
left  during  most  part  of  the  day,  and  indicated  an  approach 
to  the  mountains. 

6th.]  This  evening  I  arrived  at  Cammels'-town,^  sit- 
uated at  the  foot  of  the  North  Mountain.     The  inter- 


'  In  colonial  days,  the  Pequea  Indians  lived  on  the  creek  of  that  name,  in 
Lancaster  County.     A  township  of  this  county  still  bears  the  name. —  Ed. 

'  The  chlorite  slate  of  the  Wissahickon,  near  Germantown,  considered  as 
primitive,  contains   similar   p)nites   with   octahedral   crystals    of   iron    ore. — 

NUTTALL. 

*  For  the  early  history  of  Carhsle  and  Shippensburg,  see  Post's  Journals, 
volume  i  of  our  series,  notes  75,  76. —  Ed. 

'  Cammels'-town  (Campbellstown  ?) ;  no  such  town  remains.  The  early 
settlers  in  the  region  were  Scotch-Irish,  and  the  name  Campbell  appears  among 
them  as  early  as  1766. —  Ed. 


38  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

mediate  and  surrounding  country  is  deeply  undulated 
with  hills  of  a  softish  sandstone  and  slate  clay.  The  more 
conspicuous  hills  of  shale,  accompanied  [12]  by  organic 
remains,  commence  at  Chambersburg,®  and,  as  in  Virginia, 
are  characterised  by  the  appearance  of  Pine  {Finns  inops)^ 
and  scrub  oak  {Quercus  ilicijolia)',  here  also  occurs  the 
fragrant  sumach  (Rhus  aromaticum). 

The  road,  on  which  several  bands  of  labourers  were 
employed,  was  now  nearly  completed  to  Pittsburgh, 
affording  that  convenience  and  facility  to  the  inland  com- 
merce of  the  state  which  had  been  so  long  neglected. 
The  states  of  New- York  and  Virginia,  equally  interested 
in  the  advancement  of  their  internal  trade,  now  begin  to 
show  themselves  as  the  serious  rivals  of  Pennsylvania, 
which,  till  lately,  with  the  exception  of  New-Orleans,  en- 
joyed the  most  considerable  portion  of  the  commerce  of 
the  west. 

7th.]  To-day  I  proceeded  about  21  miles,  over  a  very 
poor  and  mountainous  country.  From  the  little  village, 
or  cluster  of  cabins,  called  Loudon,''  we  commence  the 
ascent  over  the  North  Mountain,  by  an  easy  and  well- 
levelled  turnpike.  From  its  summit  appeared  a  wide 
and  sterile  forest  extending  across  the  glen,  and,  only  at 
small  and  distant  intervals,  obscurely  broken  by  scattered 
farms.  The  soil  is  here  argillaceous,  a  slate-clay  passing 
into  argillaceous  trap  and  siliceous  sandstone,  occasionally 
changing  into  an  almost  homogeneous  quartz,  predomi- 
nates. At  Loudon,  there  is  a  small  iron-furnace,  and  ore 
in  inconsiderable  quantities  found  in  the  neighbourhood. 
Passing  this  range,  sometimes  called  the  Cove  or  North 

'  For  the  early  history  of  the  site  of  Chambersburg,  see  Post's  Journals, 
volume  i  of  our  series,  note  77. —  Ed. 

'  For  history  of  fort  of  same  name  near  Loudon,  see  ibid.,  note  78. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  39 

Mountain,  we  descend  to  M'Connels'-town/  which  now 
presents  itself  in  bird's-eye  view  before  us,  here  the  soil 
is  calcareous,  but  still,  to  all  appearance,  destitute  of  or- 
ganic remains.  Deep  and  narrow  valleys,  steep  hills 
every  where  presenting  shale  devoid  of  impressions, 
though  often  so  far  bituminous  as  to  blaze,  abound,  but 
no  coal  is  to  be  met  with  nearer  than  the  valley  of  the 
Juniata,  where  organic  impressions  also  commence. 
Within  the  great  valley  of  the  [13]  North  Mountain,  are 
several  other  lower  and  interrupted  ranges.  The  chain 
also  called  the  North  Mountain,  proceeding  much  to  the 
east  in  its  southern  course,  presents  in  that  direction  acu- 
minated peaks,  and  appears  interrupted  as  towards 
Staunton  in  Virginia.  From  this  summit  we  are  distinctly 
enabled  to  mark  the  direction  of  the  South  Mountain,  so 
low  where  we  crossed  it  as  to  afford  an  almost  impercep- 
tible ascent. 

What  still  remained  of  the  old  road,"  appeared  here  as 
bad  as  can  well  be  imagined ;  a  mere  Indian  trace,  without 
any  choice  of  level,  over  rocky  ledges  and  gullies,  threaten- 
ing at  every  instant  the  destruction  of  the  carriages  which 
ventured  over  it. 

8th.]  After  travelling  about  28  miles,  I  arrived,  in  the 
evening,  at  the  very  pleasant  and  romantically  situated 
town  of  Bedford,*"  hemmed  in  by  a  cove  of  mountains  to 
the  south  and  west,  near  whose  declivity  issue  the  chaly- 
beate springs,  occasionally  the  resort  of  the  sick  and  con- 
valescent. Very  little  of  the  road  over  which  I  came 
to-day  was  yet  turnpike,  and  as  bad  as  may  naturally  be 

'  M'Connels'-town  (now  McConnellsburg)  is  the  site  of  Fort  Lyttleton. 
See  ibid.,  note  80. —  Ed. 

•  Ihid.,  note  82;  also  Harris's  Journal,  in  our  volume  iii,  note  3. —  Ed. 

*"  For  the  early  history  of  the  site  of  Bedford,  see  Post's  Journals,  volume  i 
of  our  series,  note  81. —  Ed. 


40  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

supposed  over  a  succession  of  mountain  ridges,  which, 
though  scattered,  and  interrupted  by  the  passage  of  waters, 
scarcely  fall  short  of  the  North  Mountain  in  point  of  ele- 
vation. These  ridges,  of  which  in  the  above  distance 
there  are  three  or  four,  are  all  often  confounded  in  the 
name  of  Cove  Mountain. 

I  crossed  the  Juniata  by  a  wooden  toll-bridge,  which, 
like  all  other  private  accommodations  in  the  United  States, 
does  not  exempt  the  pedestrian  traveller.  The  valley  of 
the  river  is  narrow  and  romantic,  embosomed  by  cliffs, 
rudely  decorated  with  clumps  of  sombre  evergreens,  par- 
ticularly the  tall  Weymouth  pine  and  spruce,  with  the 
splendid  Rhododendron  and  the  Magnolia  acuminata. 
As  we  approach  towards  Bedford  the  valleys  widen,  are 
more  fertile,  and  present  calcareous  strata  still  inclined 
at  a  lofty  angle,  and  generally  destitute  of  organic  remains. 
Every  elevation,  [14]  and  most  of  them  short  and  steep, 
presents  a  predominance  of  argillaceous  earth,  either  red 
or  greenish  and  slatey,  as  it  may  happen  to  contain  an 
admixture  of  iron  or  chlorite;  there  are,  however,  no  iron 
furnaces  nor  ore  in  this  quarter  nearer  than  the  vicinity 
of  Huntingdon.  Seams  of  coal  have  been  discovered  on 
the  banks  of  the  Juniata,  but  unworthy  of  notice  or  diffi- 
cult to  drain.  Fifteen  miles  from  Bedford,  coal  begins 
to  appear.  Indeed,  about  a  mile  from  the  town  I  observed 
in  the  siliceous  sandstone  made  use  of  for  repairing  the 
road,  and  which  was  obtained  in  the  vicinity,  casts  of 
orthoceratites?  or  something  resembling  them,  collected 
into  fascicles  or  clusters,  and  aggregated  over  the  surface 
of  the  rocks  in  which  they  are  found ;  the  transverse  septa 
or  channels  are  all  proximate,  and  their  circumference 
is  about  two  inches.  Excepting  a  second  impression, 
something  similar,  but  much  smaller  (and  which  rather 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  yourfial  41 

resembles  some  alcyonite),  no  other  reliquiae  appeared  in 
this  stone,  which  is  also  the  first  occurrence  of  the  kind  on 
my  journey  to  the  westward. 

The  mountain  scenery,  at  first  so  grand  and  impressive, 
becomes  at  length  monotonous;  most  of  the  cimes,  terraces, 
and  piles  of  rocks  lose  their  effect  beneath  the  umbrageous 
forest  which  envelopes  them,  and  which  indeed  casts  a 
gloomy  mantling  over  the  whole  face  of  nature. 

To  judge  of  the  inland  commerce  carried  on  betwixt 
Philadelphia  and  Pittsburgh,  a  stranger  has  but  to  view 
this  road  at  the  present  season.  All  day  I  have  been 
brushing  past  waggons  heavily  loaded  with  merchandise, 
each  drawn  by  five  and  six  horses ;  the  whole  road  in  fact 
appears  like  the  cavalcade  of  a  continued  fair. 

gth.]  To-day  I  proceeded  about  20  miles  from  Bedford 
on  the  way  to  Pittsburgh,  and  in  the  evening  lodged  at  a 
tavern  situated  on  the  top  of  the  Alleghany  ridge.  About 
nine  miles  from  Bedford  I  first  observed  [15]  the  occur- 
rence of  fossil  shells,  consisting  of  terebratulites,  and 
amongst  them  the  Anomia  trigonalis  of  Martyn,  with 
some  other  species.  They  occur  in  the  sandstone  em- 
ployed for  mending  the  road,  with  which  also  alternates 
much  liver-brown  argillaceous  shale.  From  hence  the 
dip  of  the  strata  gradually  diminishes,  and  the  hills  are  no 
longer  so  short  and  steep;  slate-clay  with  appearances  of 
coal  are  also  visible,  but  as  yet  there  are  no  zoophytic,  or, 
as  some  consider  them,  phytolithic  or  vegetable  impressions. 
The  ascent  to  the  summit  of  the  Alleghany  from  the  east 
is  much  more  gentle  than  that  of  the  North  Mountain,  or 
the  other  mountains  scattered  through  this  valley.  The 
Alleghany,  here  from  10  to  20  miles  broad,  is  apparently 
the  boundary  of  the  transition,  and  the  long  slopes  and 
salient  coves  of  its  western  declivity  are  within  the  range 


42  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

of  the  secondary  formation.  Much  of  the  Quercus  Primos 
monticola  (or  mountain  chesnut  oak)  presents  itself  on 
the  mountain,  together  with  the  Magnolia  acuminata  and 
Sorbus  americana  or  service-berry. 

loth.]  To-day  I  walked  nine  miles  to  Stoystown,"  if  a 
handful  of  houses  like  this  deserves  such  an  appellation. 
The  declivity  of  the  surface  is  much  more  gentle  and  in- 
considerable than  that  which  I  had  passed.  Indications 
of  coal  were  also  apparent  along  the  margin  of  the  road. 
The  valleys  are  now  broader,  and  the  soil  of  a  better 
quality.  The  inhabitants,  however,  chiefly  Irish,  are  in- 
digent, and  considerably  deficient  in  prudence  and  clean- 
liness. I  spent  most  part  of  the  day  in  collecting  seeds 
of  the  Magnolia  acuminata. 

nth.]  To-day  I  proceeded  18  miles  to  the  little  hamlet 
of  Liganier"  lately  begun,  and  passed  through  Loughlins- 
town,  equally  inconsiderable,  except  for  dram  shops, 
improperly  called  taverns,  with  which  this  road  abounds. 
The  turnpike  is  completed  nearly  throughout  this  dis- 
tance, and  also  to  Greensburgh.  Towards  evening  I 
crossed  the  Laurel  Mountain,  and  found  abundantly  on 
[16]  its  western  declivity  the  Circcea  alpina.  In  the  valley 
on  the  eastern  ascent  I  likewise  saw  the  Betula  glauca,  and 
a  profusion  of  the  common  Rhododendron,  which  gives  the 
name  of  Laurel  to  this  mountain.  Indications  of  coal, 
and  a  continued  declension  in  the  dip  of  the  strata  are  still 
obvious.  The  sandstone,  which  is  almost  the  only  rock 
I  have  seen  throughout  the  course  of  the  day,  is  remark- 
able for  the  absence  of  organic  reliquiae.    In  some  places 


''  For  a  sketch  of  Stoystown,  see  Flint's  Letters,  volume  ix  of  our  series, 
note  33. —  Ed. 

"  For  early  history  of  Ligonier,  see  Post's  Journals,  volume  i  of  our  series, 
■ote  83;  also  F.  A.  Michaux's  Travels,  in  our  volume  iii,  note  14. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  43 

it  appears  like  grauwacke  blended  with  angular  fragments 
of  a  soft  slate.  Near  the  western  base  of  the  Laurel  ridge 
the  usual  zoophytes  make  their  appearance,  chiefly 
Culmaria  striata^^  {Striaticulmis  of  Martyn),  also  casts  of 
enormous  channelled  Culmarm  like  those  of  Bradford,  in 
Yorkshire  (England).  Vegetation  at  this  advanced  sea- 
son still  appeared  very  luxuriant  on  the  western  descent 
of  the  Laurel,  and  the  valleys  bore  the  appearance  of 
fertility. 

12th.]  This  evening  I  arrived  at  Greensburgh,^*  18 
miles  west  of  Liganier.  The  last  considerable  mountain 
range  to  the  west  on  this  route  is  Chesnut  Ridge,  [17] 
which  I  crossed  to-day.  Here  I  met  with  the  Imperatoria 
Iticida  of  Sprengel,  also  abundance  of  the  Cimicijuga  ameri- 


'^  Although  we  are  as  yet  unacquainted  with  the  internal  and  essential  phys- 
ical structure  of  these  organic  remains,  which  have  been  hitherto  considered  as 
plants,  I  have  thought  it  necessary  to  assume  the  above  generic  name  as  prefer- 
able to  the  improbable,  and  at  any  rate  merely  ordinal  name  of  Phytoli- 
thus.  The  Culmaria,  as  I  have  termed  them,  are  striated  or  grooved  and 
somewhat  compressed,  cylindric,  articulated  bodies,  gradually  attenuating  from 
joint  to  joint,  mostly  undivided,  or  simple,  but  occasionally  bifid,  and  at  length 
terminating  in  a  point.  On  one  of  the  sides  they  commonly  possess  a  deep  and 
central  channel,  and  in  some  species  at  the  joints  present  alternate  small  pro- 
tuberances and  cavities.  Their  soboliferous  propagation  appeared  to  originate 
from  these  joints,  in  the  form  of  wart-like  or  areolate  protuberances,  and, 
unlike  plants,  they  never  seem  to  have  produced  any  thing  similar  to  leaves, 
flowers,  or  seeds. 

The  tessellated  zoophytes,  by  others  also  considered  as  vegetable  remains' 
which  I  have  termed  Strobilari^  are  subcylindric  and  often  somewhat  conic, 
but  inarticulated;  some  of  the  species  protruded,  as  occasion  required,  from  the 
centre  of  those  tessellae,  bodies  resembling  hollow  spines,  or  (as  would  appear 
from  a  specimen  in  my  possession  from  Bradford,  in  Yorkshire)  suckers  or 
hollow  cylinders,  with  circular  contractile  and  striated  mouths.  The  whole  of 
these  processes,  when  exserted  mistaken  for  leaves,  could  also  be  withdrawn 
within  the  body  of  the  animal,  and  indeed  most  of  the  casts  present  this  quies- 
cent or  contracted  state.  These  bodies  likewise  exhibit  in  some  specimens  a 
complicated  internal  structure. —  Nuttall. 

**  See  sketch  of  Greensburgh  in  F.  A.  Michaux's  Travels,  volume  iii  of  our 
series,  note  i6. —  Ed. 


44  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

cana  and  Asplenium  angusti folium .  The  dip  of  the  strata 
becomes  now  more  and  more  inconsiderable,  but  organic 
remains,  except  those  peculiar  to  the  coal  formation,  are 
scarcely  to  be  met  with,  and  there  is  a  predominance  of 
slaty  and  argillaceous  sandstone. 

13th.]  The  turnpike  was  now  completed  through  the 
last  40  miles  up  to  Pittsburgh,  and  scarcely  any  under- 
taking promises  more  advantage  to  the  state  in  general. 
It  will  tend  to  check  the  competition  of  the  inland  naviga- 
tion of  the  state  of  New  York,  as  well  as  that  of  the  state 
of  Virginia,  through  which  the  United  States  have  estab- 
lished a  national  road^^  as  far  as  the  town  of  Wheeling  on 
the  Ohio. 

14th.]  West  of  Greensburg,  and  indeed  east  of  it,  from 
the  base  of  the  Chesnut  Ridge,  the  surface  of  the  country 
is  deeply  undulated,  and  laborious  to  travel.  The  land 
upon  the  height  is  sterile  and  thinly  populated ;  still  every 
five  or  six  miles  we  meet  with  some  poor-looking  hamlet, 
which  commonly,  out  of  12  to  20  log  cabins  composing  it, 
contains  six  or  seven  licensed  dram  shops,  besides  three 
or  four  stores  for  the  retailing  of  merchandise.  How 
much  is  a  scattered  and  independent  population  like  that 
of  the  honest  and  industrious  Germans  inhabiting  the 
eastern  parts  of  Pennsylvania  to  be  preferred  to  these 
towns  whose  inhabitants  are  brought  together  by  no  pros- 
pect of  general  industry  or  economy.  To  say  that  coal 
is  common  throughout  this  country,  and  that  it  is  generally 
employed  for  fuel,  is  repeating  a  fact  familiar  to  every  one 
who  has  ever  visited  the  western  country. 

15th.]  To-day  I  arrived  again  in  Pittsburgh,  and  en- 
deavour as  I  may  to  drive  away  my  former  prejudices 
against  this  very  important  commercial  and  manufactur- 

'*  On  national  road,  see  Harris's  Journal,  in  our  volume  iii,  note  45. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  45 

ing  city,  I  find  it  impossible.  Nothing  appears  to  [18] 
me  to  predominate  but  filth  and  smoke  and  bustle.  The 
rivers  and  surrounding  country  are  engaging  and  romantic 
—  its  situation  —  the  Thermopylae  of  the  west,  into  which 
so  many  thousands  are  flocking  from  every  christian  coun- 
try in  the  world  —  its  rapid  progress,  and  the  enterprising 
character  of  its  inhabitants,  are  circumstances  which  ex- 
cite our  admiration.  In  national  industry,  the  true  source 
of  wealth  and  independence,  Pittsburgh  is  now  scarcely 
inferior  to  any  of  the  older  and  larger  towns  in  the  Union. 
The  shores  of  the  Monongahela  were  lined  with  nearly 
100  boats  of  all  descriptions,  steam-boats,  barges,  keels, 
and  arks  or  flats,  all  impatiently  and  anxiously  waiting 
the  rise  of  the  Ohio,  which  was  now  too  low  to  descend 
above  the  town  of  Wheeling.  A  bridge  was  at  this  time 
nearly  completed  across  this  stream,  and  one  of  the  piers 
of  another  across  the  Alleghany  was  also  laid. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  I  went  through  the  flint-glass 
works  of  Mr.  Bakewell,  and  was  surprised  to  see  the 
beauty  of  this  manufacture,  in  the  interior  of  the  United 
States,  in  which  the  expensive  decorations  of  cutting  and 
engraving  (amidst  every  discouragement  incident  to  a 
want  of  taste  and  wealth)  were  carried  to  €uch  perfection. 
The  productions  of  this  manufacture  find  their  way  to 
New  Orleans,  and  even  to  some  of  the  islands  of  the  West 
Indies. 

The  president  Monroe,  as  a  liberal  encourager  of 
domestic  manufactures,  had  on  his  visit  to  those 
works  given  orders  for  a  service  of  glass,  which  might 
indeed  be  exhibited  as  a  superb  specimen  of  this  elegant 
art. 

Mr.  Bakewell  was  now  beginning  to  employ  the  beau- 
tiful white  and  friable  sandstone  which  had  been  observed 


46  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

near  to  a  branch  of  the  Merrimec  by  Mr.  Bradbury^'  and 
myself,  as  well  as  others,  in  the  winter  of  1809.  It  prom- 
ises every  important  requisite  for  the  production  of  the 
purest  flint-glass,  and  exists  in  inexhaustible  quantities. 

[19]  i6-i9th.]  Still  at  Pittsburgh,  waiting  for  an  op- 
portunity to  descend  the  river,  which  was  now  almost 
impracticable  in  consequence  of  the  lowness  of  the  water. 

19th.]  This  morning  I  took  a  walk  to  Grant's  Hill,*^ 
from  whence  there  is  a  delightful  view  of  Pittsburgh,  and 
on  the  hill  itself  some  very  pleasing  rural  retirements  of 
the  wealthy  citizens. 

My  attention,  as  usual,  was  directed  to  the  surrounding 
minerals  and  stratification,  which  are  no  unimportant 
matters  in  the  economy  of  this  settlement.  The  coal 
basin,  or  rather  bed,  which  has  been  so  long  wrought  on 
this  hill,  about  six  feet  thick,  is  almost  exactly  horizontal, 
and  consequently  worked  by  a  simple  parallel  drift  with- 
out making  any  inconvenient  quantity  of  water.  The  coal 
bassets  out  towards  the  edge  of  the  hill,  and  so  near  the 
summit  as  to  present  scarcely  any  other  overlay  than  a 
thin  shale,  more  or  less  friable,  and  no  sandstone.  The 
dip,  such  as  it  is,  is  to  the  north  of  east,  but  scarcely  mani- 
fest. It  is  bituminous  or  inflammable,  and  of  a  very  good 
quality.  Beneath  this  single  bed  of  coal,  occurs  a  fine 
grained,  micaceous  sandstone,  rendered  greenish  from  an 
admixture  of  chlorite  earth;  still  lower  in  the  series  ap- 
pears a  compact  calcareous  rock,  in  which  I  did  not  per- 
ceive any  reliquiae.  At  thejouthern  extremity  of  the  hill, 
where  it  approaches  the  Monongahela,   the  laminated 

"  Bradbury  was  Nuttall's  companion  on  the  expedition  to  the  upper  Mis- 
souri in  1810;  see  Preface.  For  observations  on  the  Merrimec  (Maramec),  in 
that  year,  see  Bradbury's  Travels,  in  our  volume  v,  note  136. —  Ed. 

"  For  origin  of  the  name  Grant's  Hill,  and  history  of  the  site,  see  Harris's 
Journal,  volume  iii  of  our  series,  note  30. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  47 

micaceous  sandstone,  however,  exhibits  great  clusters  of 
culmarice  (striaticulmis  of  Martyn),  almost  ancipitally 
compressed,  and  with  the  striatures  very  fine.  Here  the 
calcareous  rock  beneath  the  micaceous  sandstone  exhibits 
masses  of  terebratulites,  some  of  which  are  very  minute, 
but  in  great  quantities.  Near  to  the  precipitous  termina- 
tion of  Grant's  Hill,  and  in  several  other  contiguous  places, 
the  sandstone  appears  to  have  been  disintegrated  with 
violence,  and  the  angular  fragments  again  to  have  been 
cemented  by  a  stalactitial  deposition  of  calcareous  spar, 
of  a  fibrous  [20]  texture,  almost  similar  to  Arragonite. 
Seams  of  fibrous  gypsum,  possessing  a  silky  lustre,  have 
also  been  discovered  in  this  vicinity. 

In  the  course  of  this  ramble  I  found  abundance  of  the 
Monarda  hirsuta,  which  as  well  as  M.  ciliata,  do  not  much 
resemble  the  legitimate  species  of  the  genus. 

CHAPTER  II 

Departure  from  Pittsburgh  —  Autumnal  Scenery  — 
Georgetown  —  The  unfortunate  emigrant  —  Steuben- 
ville  —  Picturesque  Scenery — Wheeling, — Little  Grave 
creek,  and  the  Great  Mound  —  Other  Aboriginal  re- 
mains— Marietta — Belpre  settlement  —  Other  ancient 
remains  —  Coal  —  Galliopolis  —  Ancient  level  of  the 
alluvial  forest  —  Misletoe  —  Aboriginal  remains  —  Big 
Sandy  creek  and  commencement  of  Cane-land  —  Corn- 
husking  —  Salt  creek  —  Maysville  —  Organic  remains 
—  Cincinnati  —  Lawrenceburgh  —  The  French  emi- 
grant —  Vevay  —  Madison  —  Louisville  —  Prevalence 
of  particular  winds  on  the  Ohio  —  Falls  of  the  Ohio. 

2 1  ST.]  To-day  I  left  Pittsburgh  in  a  skifif,  which  I  pur- 
chased for  six  dollars,  in  order  to  proceed  down  the  Ohio. 
I  was  fortunate  enough  to  meet  with  a  young  man  who 
had  been  accustomed  to  the  management  of  a  boat,  and 


48  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

who,  for  the  consideration  of  a  passage  and  provision, 
undertook  to  be  my  pilot  and  assistant.  We  set  out  after 
II  o'clock,  and  made  19  miles.  Here  we  were  overtaken 
by  a  thunder-storm,  accompanied  by  very  heavy  rain, 
which  continued  during  most  part  of  the  ensuing  night. 
We  had  no  choice,  and  therefore  took  up  our  abode  for  the 
night  in  the  first  cabin  which  we  came  to,  built  of  logs, 
[21]  containing  a  large  family  of  both  sexes,  all  housed  in 
one  room,  and  that  not  proof  against  the  pouring  rain. 
Provided,  however,  with  provision  and  beds  of  our  own 
we  succeeded  in  rendering  ourselves  comfortable,  and  were 
pleased  with  the  hospitable  disposition  of  our  landlord, 
who  would  scarcely  permit  any  of  his  family  to  receive 
from  us  the  moderate  compensation  which  we  ofifered. 

22d.]  At  day-break  we  again  betook  ourselves  to  the 
voyage ;  but  after  proceeding  about  nine  miles,  the  strong 
south-west  wind  forced  us  to  a  delay  of  several  hours. 

In  this  distance  from  Pittsburgh  the  Ohio  meanders 
through  a  contracted  alluvial  flat,  thickly  settled,  and 
backed  with  hills,  which  are  often  peaked  and  lofty, 
fringed,  at  this  season,  by  a  forest  of  the  diversified,  but 
dying  hues  of  autumn.  The  water  was  extremely  low, 
and  we  passed  through  several  rapids,  in  which  bare 
rocks  presented  themselves  in  such  quantity,  as  to  deny 
the  passage  of  any  thing  but  boats  drawing  9  or  10  inches 
of  water. 

After  proceeding  about  two  miles  below  Beavertown^^ 
we  landed  in  the  dark,  and  went  to  the  tavern  to  which 
accident  had  directed  us,  but  finding  it  crowded  with 
people  met  together  for  merriment,  we  retired  to  a  neigh- 
bouring hovel,  in  order  to  obtain  rest  and  shelter  from 

**  For  the  early  history  of  the  site  of  Beavertown,  see  Cvuning's  Tour,  in  our 
volume  iv,  note  56. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  49 

the  weather,  which  was  disagreeably  cold.  Our  pros- 
pect of  repose  was  soon,  however,  banished,  as  our  cabin, 
being  larger  than  the  tavern,  was  selected  for  a  dancing 
room,  and  here  we  were  obliged  to  sit  waking  spectators 
of  this  riot  till  after  one  o'clock  in  the  morning.  The 
whiskey  bottle  was  brought  out  to  keep  up  the  excitement, 
and,  without  the  inconvenience  and  delay  of  using  glasses, 
was  passed  pretty  briskly  from  mouth  to  mouth,  exempt- 
ing neither  age  nor  sex.  Some  of  the  young  ladies  also 
indulged  in  smoking  as  well  as  drinking  of  drams.  Symp- 
toms of  riot  and  drunkenness  at  length  stopped  [22]  the 
dancing,  and  we  now  anticipated  the  prospect  of  a  little 
rest,  but  in  this  we  were  disappointed  by  the  remaining  of 
one  of  the  company  vanquished  by  liquor,  who,  after  com- 
mitting the  most  degrading  nuisance,  at  intervals  disturbed 
us  with  horrid  gestures  and  imprecations  for  the  remainder 
of  the  morning.  On  relating  in  the  neighbourhood  our 
adventure  at  this  house,  we  were  informed  that  this  tavern 
was  notorious  for  the  assemblage  of  licentious  persons. 

23d.]  After  an  hour  or  two  of  interrupted  repose  we 
again  embarked,  and  found  that  there  had  been  a  slight 
fall  of  snow.  The  wind  was  still  adverse,  and  so  strong 
as  perfectly  to  counteract  the  current;  with  some  labour 
we  got  down  to  Georgetown,"  and  warmed  ourselves  by 
a  comfortable  fire  of  coal.  The  tavern  was  very  poorly 
accommodated,  a  mere  cabin  without  furniture,  of  which 
its  owner  was  from  habit  scarcely  sensible.  About  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  again  landed  at  a  poor  log- 
cabin  to  warm  ourselves,  and  were  very  kindly  welcomed 
by  the  matron  of  the  house,  who,  without  the  benefit  of 
education,   seemed  possessed  of  uncommon  talents.     I 

"  Georgetown  is  the  last  town  on  the  Pennsylvania  side,  a  mile  above  the 
Ohio  boundary,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river.     Ihid..,  note  59. —  Ed. 


50  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

had  read,  in  the  first  settlement  of  Kentucky,  of  remark- 
able mstances  of  female  intrepidity,  brought  forward  by 
the  exigencies  of  a  residence  on  a  dangerous  frontier,  and 
our  hostess  appeared  to  be  equally  an  Amazon,  modest, 
cool,  and  intrepid.  I  listened  to  her  adventures  with 
much  interest.  She  and  her  husband,  with  a  small  family, 
had  some  years  ago  followed  the  tide  of  western  emigra- 
tion to  the  banks  of  the  little  Miami,  near  Cincinnati. 
Here,  after  a  tedious  and  expensive  journey,  they  had 
settled  on  a  piece  of  alluvial  land,  and  might  probably 
have  prospered,  but  for  the  dreadful  effects  of  continued 
sickness  (ague  and  bilious  fever),  which  urged  them  to 
sacrifice  every  other  interest  for  that  of  their  emaciated 
offspring,  and  to  ascend  the  Ohio  in  search  of  a  situation 
which  might  afford  them  health.  She  pointed  to  some 
remains  of  decent  furniture  [23]  which  the  cabin  scarcely 
sheltered,  saying,  with  an  affectionate  look  at  her  poor  chil- 
dren, '  'we  once  had  a  decent  property,  but  now  we  have 
nothing  left;  emigration  has  ruined  us!"  With  six  chil- 
dren around  her,  and  accompanied  by  another  family,  as- 
cending the  Ohio  in  a  flat-boat,  they  were  struck  by  a 
hurricane.  She  herself  and  one  of  her  children  had  taken 
their  regular  turn  at  the  oar,  the  master  of  the  boat,  who 
had  also  his  family  around  him,  became  so  far  alarmed 
and  confused  as  to  quit  his  post  in  the  midst  of  the  danger 
which  threatened  instantly  to  overwhelm  them,  tremen- 
dous waves  broke  into  the  boat,  which  the  affrighted  steers- 
man knew  not  how  to  avoid.  This  woman  seized  the 
helm  which  was  abandoned,  and  by  her  skill  and  courage 
saved  the  boat  and  the  families  from  imminent  destruc- 
tion. 

24th.]  The  wind  still  south-west,  but  abating  a  little. 
We  proceeded  at   11,  and  about  18  miles  from  Steuben- 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  "Journal  5 1 

ville,  landed  and  took  up  our  lodging  on  an  island,  with 
no  other  shelter  than  the  canopy  of  heaven;  but  we  slept 
comfortably,  with  our  feet  to  a  warm  fire,  according  to 
Indian  custom. 

25th.]  This  evening  we  arrived  at  Steubenville,^" 
which  appears  to  be  a  place  of  industry  and  manufacture. 
Two  miles  below  the  town  we  lodged  in  the  cabin  of  a 
poor  tenant  farmer. 

The  banks  of  the  river  are  exceedingly  romantic,  pre- 
senting lofty  hills  and  perpendicular  cliffs  of  not  less  than 
300  feet  elevation,  every  where  covered  or  fringed  with 
belts  of  trees  in  their  autumnal  foliage,  of  every  bright 
and  varying  hue,  more  beautiful  even  than  the  richest 
verdure  of  summer.  The  uplands  being  calcareous  are 
found  to  be  exceedingly  fertile,  and  we  consequently  per- 
ceive houses  and  fences  on  the  summits  of  the  loftiest 
hills  which  embosom  the  river.  From  50  to  70  dollars 
per  acre  was  demanded  for  these  lands,  which  are  better 
for  wheat  than  the  [24]  alluvial  soils.  Flour  was  here 
four  dollars  per  barrel,  and  beef  six  cents  per  pound. 

26th.]  This  evening  we  arrived  at  Wheeling,^^  consist- 
ing of  a  tolerably  compact  street  of  brick  houses,  with  the 
usual  accompaniment  of  stores,  taverns,  and  mechanics. 
It  is  also  the  principal  depot  for  the  supply  and  commerce 
of  the  interior  of  this  part  of  Virginia.  A  number  of  boats 
had  been  fitted  out  here  this  season,  which  could  not  navi- 
gate from  Pittsburgh  in  consequence  of  the  lowness  of  the 
water.  At  this  place  the  great  national  road  into  the  inte- 
rior, from  the  city  of  Washington,  comes  in  conjunction 
with  that  of  Zanesville,  Chillicothe,  Columbus,  and  Cin- 


^"  For  sketch  of  Steubenville,  see  ibid.,  note  67. —  Ed. 

'*  For  sketch  of  Wheeling,  see  Andre  Michaux's  Travels,  in  our  volume  iii, 
note  15. —  Ed. 


52  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

cinnati.  At  the  northern  extremity  of  the  town  there  is  a 
very  productive  bed  of  coal,  and  equally  horizontal  with 
that  of  Pittsburgh ;  its  thickness  is  about  six  feet,  and  as  it 
occurs  beneath  the  limestone  it  must  of  course  be  consid- 
ered as  a  second  bed.  Every  where  along  the  banks  of 
the  river,  particularly  at  this  low  stage  we  perceive  adven- 
titious boulders  and  pebbles  of  sienite,  which  cannot  have 
originated  nearer  than  the  mountains  of  Canada,  situated 
beyond  the  lakes.  Proceeding  about  four  and  a  half 
miles  from  Wheeling,  we  took  up  our  night's  residence  at 
a  cabin  near  to  the  outlet  of  M'Mahon's  creek." 

27th.]  To-day  I  again  observed  a  bed  of  coal  in  the  bank 
of  the  Ohio,  worked  beneath  the  limestone,  situated  nearly 
opposite  to  Little  Grave  creek. ^^  This  superincumbent 
limestone  does  not  appear  to  abound  with  organic  remains, 
and  is  nearly  horizontal,  with  a  slight  dip,  perhaps  10°, 
to  the  south-east.  Ten  or  12  miles  further,  the  same  coal 
bed  still  bassets  out  from  beneath  the  calcareous  rock, 
and  so  near  to  the  present  low  level  of  the  river  as  not  to 
admit  of  being  worked  at  any  other  stage  of  the  water. 
The  shale  (or  bituminous  slate  clay)  above  and  below  the 
coal  [25]  is  extremely  superficial,  being  only  a  few  inches 
in  thickness,  and  interspersed  with  small  masses  of  bitu- 
men and  reliquiae  which  imitate  charred  wood,  but  are 
destitute  of  the  characterizing  cross  grain. 

At  the  mouth  of  Little  Grave  creek  we  landed,  to  view 

^  A  northern  tributary  which  flows  into  the  Ohio  about  half  a  mile  below 
Bellaire,  Ohio.—  Ed. 

^  Little  Grave  Creek  flows  into  the  Ohio  from  the  West  Virginia  side,  a 
hundred  miles  below  Pittsburg.  The  village  of  Ehzabethtown  now  lies  at  its 
mouth,  upon  the  left  bank.  A  mile  below  is  Big  Grave  Creek;  and  Moundsville, 
West  Virginia,  is  between  the  two  streams.  Near  here,  frontiersmen  mur- 
dered a  number  of  Shawnee,  in  1774,  leading  to  Lord  Dunmore's  War.  For 
other  historic  incidents  of  this  locality,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  volume  iv  of  our 
series,  notes  77,  78. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaWs  'Journal  53 

the  famous  mound, ^^  said  to  be  75  feet  high.  The  ascent 
is  extremely  steep :  it  is  indeed  a  pyramid,  and  of  an  elegant 
conic  figure;  at  the  summit  there  is  a  circular  depression 
indicative  of  some  excavation,  and  it  is  surrounded  by  a 
shallow  ditch,  across  which,  there  are  left  two  gateways. 
It  appears  to  be  elevated  at  about  an  angle  of  60°,  and  the 
earth,  as  in  many  other  similar  monuments,  has  evidently 
been  beaten  down  to  resist  the  washing  of  rains.  It  is 
remarkably  perfect  and  compleat,  and  would  probably 
continue  a  monument  as  long  as  the  walled  pyramids  of 
Egypt.  Amongst  other  trees  growing  upon  it,  there  was 
a  white  oak  of  not  less  than  two  centuries'  duration.  In 
the  immediate  vicinity,  there  is  likewise  a  small  ditched 
circle  with  two  entrances,  and  a  smaller  ditched  mound. 

At  this  place,  I  took  in  a  young  man  going  down  to 
Big  Sandy  creek,  who  assisted  in  working  his  passage  with 
us.  At  dark  we  landed  on  the  Ohio  shore,  and  lodged 
with  a  poor  but  hospitable  resident. 

28th.]  Tired  of  the  boat,  I  got  out  and  walked^io  or  12 
miles,  on  the  Virginia  side  of  the  river.  •  Many  of  the'set- 
tlers  here  appear  to  be  Yankees,  from  Vermont  and  Con- 
necticut, and  in  prosperous  circumstances.  A  mile  and  a 
half  above  Sistersville,  and  35  from  Marietta,  in  Virginia, 
there  is  a  small  aboriginal  station,  consisting  of  five  or  six 
low  mounds,  and  a  circle  containing  an  area  of  about  an 
acre. 

29th.]  Twenty-six  miles  above  Marietta,  on  the  Vir- 
ginia side,  on  the  estate  of  Mr.  Cohen,  there  was  on  the 
platform  of  the  third,  or  most  ancient  alluvial  bottom,  a 
large,  but  low  mound,  grown  over  with  brambles;  and, 
at  the  distance  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  [26]  mile  below,  a 

'*  Another  description  of  this  mound  is  given  in  Cuming's  Tour,  volume  iv 
of  our  series,  note  76. —  Ed. 


54  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

small  square  embankment  containing  near  an  acre,  with 
only  one  or  two  openings  or  entrances. 

Most  part  of  the  afternoon,  I  continued  walking  along 
the  Ohio  bank,  and  observed,  as  I  have  done  for  near  30 
miles  above,  the  alluvial  lands  to  be  more  extensive,  oc- 
cupying often  both  banks  of  the  river,  and  a  sensible 
diminution  in  the  elevation  of  the  hills.  The  bottoms  here 
abound  with  elm,  and  there  are  also  extensive  and  un- 
drainable  tracts  covered  with  beech. 

30th.]  At  day  break,  we  again  betook  ourselves  to  our 
laborious  journey,  which,  in  consequence  of  the  adverse 
wind,  was  nearly  as  toilsome  as  a  voyage  up,  in  place  of 
down  the  stream;  in  addition  to  which,  we  had  also  to 
encounter  the  severe  and  benumbing  effects  of  frost.  We 
passed  Marietta,^^  remarkable  for  its  aboriginal  remains, 
and  in  the  evening,  encamped  on  the  beach  of  the  river, 
but  did  not  rest  very  comfortably,  in  consequence  of  the 
cold. 

31.]  Passed  Belpre  ^^  settlement,  an  extensive  portion 
of  fertile  alluvial  land,  and  thickly  settled.  All  the  pre- 
vailing rock  here,  for  some  distance,  is  a  massive  sand- 
stone, either  brownish,  greenish,  or  grayish,  fine  grained 
and  micaceous,  and  occasionally  exposing  something  like 
impressions  of  alcyonites,  but  appearing  in  no  place  in- 
dicative of  coal.  This  evening  we  lodged  at  a  house,  four 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  Shade  river,  where  the  bottoms 
are  extensive  and  fertile.  In  a  rocky  situation,  I  found 
abundance  of  the  Seymeria  macrophylla,  near  six  feet  in 
height;  also  a  new  species  of  Aster,  in  full  bloom,  at  this 
advanced  season. 


^^  A  sketch  of  the  settlement  of  Marietta  will  be  found  in  Andre  Michaux's 
Travels,  volume  iii  of  our  series,  note  i6. —  Ed. 

^^  For  Belpre,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  volume  iv  of  our  series,  note  87. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaWs  journal  55 

November  ist.]  We  proceeded  about  19  miles  with- 
out any  material  hindrance,  when  the  south-west 
wind,  which  had  so  constantly  opposed  our  descent,  blew 
up  a  thunder-storm  with  rain,  which  detained  us  for  the 
remainder  of  the  day.  Below  Marietta,  the  [27]  alluvial 
lands  become  still  more  extensive,  and  appear  to  be  held 
at  a  price  considerably  above  their  real  value  by  specula- 
tors, who  thus  prevent  the  population  from  accumulat- 
ing. We  scarcely,  indeed,  see  any  thing  in  this  quarter  but 
the  miserable  log  cabins  of  tenants  so  poor  and  01  provided, 
even  with  the  common  necessaries  of  life,  that,  had  we  not 
taken  the  precaution  of  providing  ourselves  with  pro- 
vision, we  must  often  have  had  either  to  fast,  or  sit  down 
to  nothing  better  than  mush  and  milk;  which,  though  an 
agreeable,  is  not  a  sufficiently  nourishing  diet  for  a  traveller. 

In  descending  the  river,  we  uniformly  find  rapid  water 
along  the  islands  and  bars;  a  circumstance  appearing  to 
indicate  the  former  union  of  such  islands  with  the  land. 
Nearly  all  the  sugar  here  made  use  of  by  the  inhabitants, 
is  obtained  from  the  maple  {Acer  saccharinum),  which,  by 
more  careful  management,  might  be  refined  equal  to  mus- 
covado. 

2d.]  We  were  again  detained  a  considerable  part  of 
the  day  by  the  contrary  wind,  and,  during  the  delay,  fell 
in  with  a  descending  family,  which  had  passed  us  the  pre- 
ceding day.  In  a  short  time  after  meeting,  two  hounds 
belonging  to  our  companion,  which  had  been  let  loose  in 
the  woods,  chased  a  buck  to  the  river :  my  companion  and 
the  old  migratory  hunter  instantly  launched  the  skiff  in 
the  pursuit,  and  succeeded  in  shooting  the  unfortunate 
deer  in  the  water;  a  method  commonly  resorted  to  in  this 
country,  where  the  chase  is  more  a  matter  of  necessity  than 
amusement. 


56  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

3d.]  This  morning  I  walked  up  the  right  bank  of  the 
river,  to  view  an  aboriginal  station,  said  to  be  situated  on 
the  present  estate  of  Mr.  Warf,  on  Park's  bottom;  but, 
on  proceeding  about  two  miles  through  an  enswamped 
beech  forest,  I  relinquished  the  undertaking,  finding  it 
to  be  more  than  three  miles  above  Mill  creek,  which  I  had 
crossed  the  preceding  day.  [28]  I  understood  that  this 
work  was  a  circular  embankment,  including  an  area  of 
three  or  four  acres;  and  in  the  vicinity  of  which,  were  sev- 
eral inconsiderable  mounds.  Beech  woods,  flanked  by 
elevated  cliffs,  still  continued  for  four  miles  on  the  Vir- 
ginia side,  to  Le  Tart's  rapids,"  where  the  boat  was  to 
wait  my  arrival.  On  the  way  I  found  abundance  of  the 
Dracocephalum  cordijolium  with  long  slolons  like  ground 
ivy,  also  Hesperis  pinnatifida,  but  I  was  more  particularly 
gratified  in  finding  the  Tilia  heterophylla.  Nothing  is 
here  more  abundant  than  the  Stylophorum  {Chelidonium. 
Mich.).  This  evening,  we  were  16  miles  above  Gali- 
opolis;^^ 

4th.]  About  II  miles  from  which,  I  observed  a  bed  of 
coal,  now  worked  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  some  distance 
above  the  base  of  a  high  cliff,  and  overlaid  by  a  massive 
micaceous  sandstone,  constituting  the  main  body  of  the 
hill,  and,  as  usual,  horizontally  stratified.  Beneath  the 
coal  appeared  a  laminated  limestone.  Not  many  miles 
from  hence,  nitre  is  also  obtained  in  caves. 

The  wind  still  continued  against  us,  and  with  consider- 


"  Letart  Falls  are  at  the  northward  turn  of  the  river  in  the  so-called 
"Pomeroy  Bend"  between  Meigs  County,  Ohio,  and  Mason  County,  Ken- 
tucky. The  rapids  are  of  slight  consequence,  but  were  exaggerated  into 
importance  by  some  of  the  early  travellers. —  Ed. 

^*  For  sketch  of  Gallipolis  and  the  unfortunate  French  colony  of  which  it 
was  the  centre,  see  F.  A.  Michaux's  Travels,  in  our  volume  iii,  note  34. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  57 

able  labour  we  got  five  miles  below  Galiopolis,  at  which 
and  Point  Pleasant  ^*  there  are  several  mounds  and  abo- 
riginal remains.^" 

5th.]  This  evening  we  had  proceeded  about  26  miles 
below  Galiopolis.  Yesterday  and  to-day,  I  remarked, 
parallel  with  the  present  level  of  the  river,  and  often  sur- 
mounted by  a  lofty  and  friable  bank  of  earth,  beds  of 
leaves  compressed  and  blackened,  giving  out  ferruginous 
matter  to  the  water  which  oozed  through  them.  On  ex- 
amination, they  proved  to  be  the  same  kind  of  foliage  as 
that  of  the  trees  which  compose  the  present  alluvial  forest ; 
as  platanus,  beech,  oak,  poplar,  &c. 

About  Steubenville  I  observed  the  first  occurrence  [29] 
of  misletoe  (the  Viscum  verticillatum  of  the  West  Indies), 
which  now  appears  very  prevalent  and  conspicuous.  The 
fruit  of  the  popaw  (Porcelia  triloba)  here  comes  to  perfec- 
tion, and  is  rich  and  finely  flavoured,  while  above,  and  in 
a  few  localities  where  it  exists  in  Pennsylvania,  it  is  scarcely 
eatable. 

I  was  again  informed  of  the  existence  of  aboriginal 
mounds  and  entrenchments  on  the  fertile  alluvial  lands 
called  Messer's  Bottom,  which  are  of  several  miles  extent, 
commencing  almost  immediately  below  Galiopolis  on  the 
Virginia  side,  but  after  several  unsuccessful  inquiries,  the 
ignorance  and  supineness  of  the  settlers,  though  numer- 
ous, prevented  me  from  discovering  them. 

6th.]  We  proceeded  about  nine  miles,  and  were  as 
usual  prevented  from  continuing  further  by  the  reiterated 

"  Point  Pleasant  is  at  the  mouth  of  Great  Kanawha  River.  For  history  of 
the  site,  see  Croghan's  Journals,  volume  i  of  our  series,  note  loi;  also  Brad- 
bury's Travels,  in  our  volume  v,  note  156. —  Ed. 

'"  A  more  particular  account  of  these  monuments  is  given  in  the  latter  part 
of  this  work. —  Nuttall. 


5  8  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

violence  of  the  pertinacious  south-west  wind,  accompanied 
by  a  haze,  which  made  every  object  appear  as  if  envel- 
oped in  smoke. 

7th.]  This  evening,  we  passed  the  mouth  of  Big  Sandy 
creek,  the  boundary  of  Kentucky.  Near  to  this  line  com- 
mences the  first  appearance  of  the  cane  {Arundinaria 
macros perma),  which  seems  to  indicate  some  difference  in 
the  climate  and  soil.  The  settlements  are  here  remote, 
the  people  poor,  and  along  the  river  not  so  characteristic- 
ally hospitable  as  in  the  interior  of  Kentucky.  Landing 
rather  late,  we  took  up  our  lodging  where  there  happened 
to  be  a  corn-husking,  and  were  kept  awake  with  idle  mer- 
riment and  riot  till  past  midnight.  Some  of  the  party,  or 
rather  of  the  two  national  parties,  got  up  and  harangued 
to  a  judge,  like  so  many  lawyers,  on  some  political  argu- 
ment, and  other  topics,  in  a  boisterous  and  illiberal  style, 
but  without  coming  to  blows.  Is  this  a  relic  of  Indian 
customs  ? 

The  corn-fields,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  are  so  over- 
run with  cuckold-burs  {Xanthium  strumarium),  and  the 
seeds  of  different  species  of  Bidens  or  Spanish-needles,  [30] 
as  to  prove  extremely  troublesome  to  woollen  clothes,  and 
to  the  domestic  cattle,  which  are  loaded  with  them  in  tor- 
menting abundance.  In  consequence  of  these  weeds,  the 
fleece  of  the  sheep  is  scarcely  worth  the  trouble  of  shear- 
ing. The  best  remedy  for  checking  the  growth  of  these 
noxious  plants,  would  be  to  plow  them  in  about  the  time 
of  flowering,  which  would  exterminate  them,  and  improve 
the  crop  of  corn. 

The  people  here,  living  upon  exigencies,  and  given  to 
rambling  about  instead  of  attending  to  their  farms,  are 
very  poor  and  uncomfortable  in  every  respect ;  but  few  of 
them  possess  the  land  on  which  they  live.     Having  spent 


i8i8-i82o]  Nutt all's  'Journal  '  59 

every  thing  in  unsuccessful  migration,  and  voluntarily  ex- 
iling themselves  from  their  connections  in  society,  they  be- 
gin to  discover,  when  too  late,  that  industry  would  have 
afforded  that  comfort  and  independence  which  they  in  vain 
seek  in  the  solitudes  of  an  unhealthy  wilderness.  We 
found  it  almost  impossible  to  purchase  any  kind  of  pro- 
vision, even  butter  or  bacon,  nothing  appearing  to  be  culti- 
vated scarcely  but  corn  and  a  little  wheat. 

I  was  again  informed  of  the  existence  of  aboriginal  re- 
mains in  the  vicinity  of  the  place  where  we  arrived  this 
evening. 

8th.]  We  were  delayed  nearly  the  whole  of  the  day  by 
the  usual  adverse  wind. 

9th.]  To-day,  however,  we  were  fortunate  enough,  at 
last,  to  obtain  the  breeze  in  our  favour,  and  proceeded 
about  28  miles,  encamping  three  miles  below  the  town 
of  Portsmouth. ^^ 

loth.]  The  wind  still  continuing  in  our  favour,  accom- 
panied by  a  considerable  current,  we  proceeded  about  32 
miles,  and  encamped  12  mil^s  below  Salt  creek,  and  17 
above  Maysville.^^  In  this  course  the  river  appears  very 
meandering,  and  from  Portsmouth,  the  hills,  which  are 
considerable,  come  up  diagonally  to  the  margin  of  the 
river  and  present  serrated  [31]  or  conic  summits.     At  the 

''  Portsmouth  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Scioto,  on  the  east  bank.  On 
the  west  bank  was  the  chief  Shawnee  village,  in  the  days  of  rivalry  between 
French  and  English  fur-traders.  Gist,  exploring  for  the  Ohio  Company,  was 
here  in  1751.  Two  years  later  a  flood  drove  the  Indians  across  the  river  to  the 
higher  ground  on  which  Portsmouth  was  afterwards  built;  but  a  part  of  them 
removed  to  the  upper  Scioto  and  the  Little  Miami,  founding  the  Old  and  New 
Chillicothe  towns.  Portsmouth  was  the  place  of  captivity  of  Mrs.  Mary  Ingles, 
in  1755;  the  site  was  abandoned  by  the  Indians  in  1758.  The  present  town  was 
platted  (1803)  by  Henry  Massie,  on  land  bought  by  him  in  180 1.  It  was  named 
for  Portsmouth,  Virginia. —  Ed. 

'^  For  the  history  of  Maysville  (formerly  called  Limestone),  see  Andre 
Michaux's  Travels,  in  our  volume  iii,  note  23. —  Ed. 


6o  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

lowest  stage  of  the  water  we  perceive  horizontal  ledges  of 
calcareous  rock  filled  with  terebratulites,  &c.  The  salt 
at  Adamsville  appears  to  be  made  from  water  issuing  out 
of  the  alluvial  argillaceous  soil  near  to  the  outlet  of  Salt 
Creek,  but  in  many  parts  of  the  Western  country  coring  for 
salt  water  is  frequently  continued  some  hundreds  of  feet, 
(sometimes  as  much  as  400  feet)  below  the  surface, 
through  calcareous  and  sand-stone  rocks,  and  occasionally 
through  beds  of  coal. 

nth.]  We  proceeded  seven  miles  below  the  thriving 
town  of  Maysville,  formerly  called  Limestone  from  the 
rock  in  its  neighbourhood,  and  experienced  heavy  rains 
during  the  whole  day,  which  in  our  open  skiff  proved  very 
unpleasant,  and,  to  augment  our  uncomfortable  situa- 
tion, we  encamped  at  a  late  hour  on  a  very  disagree- 
able muddy  shore,  where  it  was  not  possible  to  kindle  a 
fire. 

The  farmers  along  the  river  for  many  miles  down  appear 
to  be  in  thriving  circumstances.  Their  houses  are  very 
decent  in  external  appearance,  but  so  badly  finished  and 
furnished  that  many  of  the  rooms  are  unoccupied,  or 
merely  serve  the  purposes  of  a  barn,  and  the  family  are 
commonly  found  living  in  the  kitchen.  Most  of  these 
ostentatious  shells  of  frame  houses  are  the  work  of  the 
New-England  settlers,  who  are  very  industrious,  and  not 
without  more  or  less  of  their  usual  economy  and  sagacity. 

12th.]  We  were  again  retarded  by  the  south-west  wind. 
The  shore  on  which  we  landed  was  thickly  strewed  with 
fragments  of  calcareous  rock  filled  with  terebratulites,  al- 
cyonites,  flustras,  encrinal  vertebrae,  &c.  &c.  Some  speci- 
mens which  I  here  collected  of  the  encrinal  vertebrae  were 
coated  with  a  cellular  epidermis,  in  appearance  resembling 
a  millepore;  they  are  also  remarkably  dichotomous.     In 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  61 

one  of  the  calcareous  fragments  which  I  broke  occurred 
the  Trilobites  paradoxus. 

[32]  The  wind  abating,  we  passed  down  to  Augusta,^' 
and  with  our  emigrant  companions  encamped  on  the  oppo- 
site shore.  Here  the  insolence  of  my  companion  rendered 
our  separation  absolutely  necessary.  It  is  to  be  regretted, 
that  so  many  of  those  wandering  New-Englanders  (who, 
like  the  Jews  in  Europe,  are  to  be  met  with  in  every  part 
of  the  union),  should  prove  so  disgraceful  to  their  country. 
My  impression  now  was,  that  this  young  man  was  a  ref- 
ugee from  justice  or  deserved  infamy,  and  in  all  proba- 
bility I  narrowly  escaped  being  robbed, 

13th.]  To-day  I  arrived  at  Cincinnati,^*  and  was  again 
gratified  by  the  company  of  my  friend  Doctor  I.  Drake,^^ 
one  of  the  most  scientific  men  west  of  the  Alleghany 
mountains. 


^  Augusta  is  forty-two  and  a  half  miles  above  Cincinnati.  It  was  formerly 
seat  of  justice  of  Bracken  County,  Kentucky,  and  is  still,  on  account  of  its  good 
harbor,  an  important  point  for  shipping  tobacco. —  Ed. 

^*  For  a  sketch  of  the  early  history  of  Cincinnati,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  in  our 
volume  iv,  note  i66. —  Ed. 

^^  Nuttall  mistook  the  name.  Dr.  Daniel  Drake  came  to  Cincinnati  from 
Kentucky  in  1800,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  clerked  in  a  drug  store  while  privately 
studying  medicine.  He  was  graduated  from  the  medical  school  of  Pennsylvania 
University,  in  1816,  and  the  next  winter  lectured  at  Transylvania  University. 
The  plan  for  a  medical  college,  referred  to  in  the  text,  was  successfully  carried 
out.  The  charter  was  obtained  in  December,  1818,  the  college  being  opened 
the  following  November,  with  twenty-five  students.  Drake  was  president. 
This  was  the  beginning  of  the  Ohio  Medical  College.  In  1821,  Drake  secured 
from  the  legislature  a  grant  which  laid  the  foundation  for  the  Cincinnati  hos- 
pital. For  many  years  he  was  the  leader  of  his  profession  in  Ohio  and  Ken- 
tucky, and  was  influential  in  numerous  progressive  movements.  He  died  in 
1852,  a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  college  founded  in  1818-20.  See  bio- 
graphical sketch  by  his  son,  prefixed  to  a  collection  of  his  letters,  Pioneer  Life 
in  Kentucky  (Cincinnati,  1870). 

Hugh  Glenn,  mentioned  in  the  succeeding  paragraph,  soon  afterward  es- 
tablished a  trading-post  near  the  mouth  of  the  Verdigris  River,  in  what  is  now 
Indian  Territory.  He  was  one  of  the  first  to  succeed  in  the  Santa  Fe  over- 
land trade. —  Ed. 


62  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

The  town  appeared  to  have  improved  much,  both  in 
appearance  and  population,  since  my  last  visit;  it  is,  in- 
deed, by  far  the  most  agreeable  and  flourishing  of  all  the 
western  towns.  Here  I  had  the  good  fortune,  through 
Dr.  D.,  to  be  introduced  to  Mr.  H.  Glenn,  lately  sutler  to 
the  garrison  of  Arkansa;  from  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  to 
learn  something  more  explicit  concerning  the  probable  pro- 
gress of  my  intended  journey. 

A  medical  college  was,  I  understood,  about  to  be  estab- 
lished in  Cincinnati.  Dr.  D.,  who  delivered  a  very  ap- 
propriate introductory  oration,  will,  probably,  be  the  prin- 
cipal of  the  institution.  But  such  undertakings  are  yet 
rather  premature,  and  the  student  would  derive  many  ex- 
clusive advantages  by  acquiring  a  medical  education  in 
the  universities  already  established. 

17th.]  About  12  o'clock  I  left  Cincinnati  in  my  skiff, 
and  was  accidentally  joined  by  two  strangers  going  to 
Lawrenceburgh,^^  25  miles  distant,  where  we  arrived  this 
evening.  This  is  a  neat  and  thriving  town,  situated  near 
the  estuary  of  the  Great  Miami,  and  on  the  line  of  the 
state  of  Indiana. 

[33]  1 8th.]  I  departed  at  day-break,  but,  after  de- 
scending five  miles,  discovered  my  gun  had  been  forgot- 
ten at  the  tavern  where  I  lodged.  The  day  was  dismal 
and  cloudy,  with  showers  of  snow  and  gales  of  wind, 
undissembled  winter.  In  the  evening  I  arrived  at  a 
little  town  called  the  Rising  Sun,"  from  its  tavern,  13  miles 
below  Lawrenceburgh. 

19th.]  A  fine  morning  and  but  little  wind. —  I  now  con- 

^'  Lawrenceburgh  is  the  seat  of  justice  of  Dearborn  County,  Indiana.  The 
town  was  laid  out  in  1802  by  Samuel  C.  Vance,  United  States  surveyor  at 
Cincinnati,  who  bought  the  site  in  1801.  He  named  the  town  for  his  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Lawrence.    The  site  is  low,  and  subject  to  inundations. —  Ed. 

^'  Founded  in  1813. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  NuttaW  s  'Journal  63 

tinued  alone  to  navigate  the  Ohio,  which  is  here  exceed- 
ingly crooked.  The  alluvial  lands  are  extensive,  with  the 
hills  low,  and  the  rock,  as  usual,  calcareous  and  filled  with 
organic  impressions.  I  descended  about  30  miles,  and 
lodged  with  a  very  polite  and  hospitable  Frenchman,  three 
miles  above  the  Swiss  ^^  towns  of  Vevay  and  Ghent.  He 
informed  me  that  he  had  emigrated  the  last  summer  from 
Grenoble,  and  had  purchased  land  here  at  the  rate  of  10 
dollars  per  acre,  including  the  house  and  improvements 
which  he  occupied.  He  complained  how  much  he  had 
been  deceived  in  his  expectations,  and  that  if  he  was  home 
again,  and  possessed  of  his  present  experience,  he  would 
never  have  emigrated.  He  did  not  give  a  very  favourable 
account  of  the  settlement  of  Vevay,  and  he  and  others,  par- 
ticularly a  Swiss  whom  I  called  upon,  informed  me  that 
the  wine  here  attempted  to  be  made  was  of  an  inferior 
quality.  It  sold  at  25  cents  the  bottle,  but  soon  became 
too  sour  to  drink,  and  that  instead  of  obtaining  the  north- 
ern vines  for  cultivation,  as  those  around  Paris,  they  had 
all  along  attended  to  the  southern  varieties.  So  the  vine- 
yards of  Vevay,  if  not  better  supported,  will  probably  soon 
be  transformed  into  corn-fields.  The  wine  which  they 
have  produced  is  chiefly  claret,  sometimes  bordering  on 
the  quality  of  Burgundy,  for  the  preservation  of  which 
their  heated  cabins,  destitute  of  cellars,  are  not  at  all 
adapted ;  we  do  not,  however,  perceive  any  obstacle  to  the 
distillation  of  brandy,  which  could  be  disposed  of  with 
great  facility  and  profit.  The  quantity  of  [34]  wine  said 
to  be  yielded  to  the  acre,  is  about  500  gallons,  which,  if 
saleable,  ought  to  produce  a  considerable  emolument,  and 
materially  benefit  the  country,  by  diminishing  the  foreign 

'*  For  an  account  of  the  founding  of  the  Swiss  settlements  in  Indiana,  see 
Bradbury's  Travels,  in  our  volume  v,  note  164. —  Ed. 


64  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

demand.  Several  gentlemen  of  science,  wealth,  and  pa- 
triotism in  Kentucky  and  Mississippi  Territory,  are  now 
also  beginning  to  devote  their  attention  to  this  important 
and  neglected  subject,  and  are  commencing  by  the  culti- 
vation of  improved  varieties  of  the  native  species  of  vine, 
which  promise,  above  those  of  Europe,  every  requisite  of 
fertility,  hardihood,  and  improved  flavour. 

20th.]  To-day  I  passed  the  rising  town  of  Madison,^® 
and  the  outlet  of  Kentucky  river. —  The  sun  was  setting 
when  I  arrived,  and  just  served  to  disclose  the  beauty  of 
the  surrounding  scenery.  On  one  side  of  the  river  rose  a 
lofty  fascade  of  calcareous  rocks,  fretted  like  net-work; 
on  the  opposite  extended  the  low  alluvial  lands  of  Ken- 
tucky, thickly  lined  with  an  almost  unbroken  rank  of  tall 
poplars,  {Populus  angulisans,)  resembling  a  magnificent 
vista  planted  by  the  hand  of  man. 

2 1  St.]  Late  in  the  evening  I  arrived  at  Bethlehem,  a 
miserable  little  hamlet  in  speculation,  containing  about 
half  a  dozen  houses. 

22d.]  To-day  I  came  within  11  miles  of  Louisville,  and 
lodged  with  a  hospitable  and  industrious  Irishman,  who 
had  emigrated  from  Belfast  about  17  years  ago. 

23d.]  At  length  I  arrived  at  the  large  and  flourishing 
town  of  Louisville,  but  recently  a  wilderness.  Labour 
and  provision  rated  here  much  above  the  value  which  they 
commonly  bore  in  the  state  and  the  surrounding  country. 
The  markets  were  very  negligently  supplied,  and  at  prices 
little  inferior  to  those  of  New  Orleans.  In  fact,  the  vortex 
of  speculation,  this  commercial  gambling,  absorbed  the 
solid  interests  of  the  western  states,  and  destroyed  all  mer- 
cantile confidence.     The  whole  country  was  overrun  with 

^'  Madison,  first  settled  about  1808,  is  the  seat  of  justice  of  Jefferson  County, 
Indiana. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  65 

banks,  which  neither  deserved  confidence  nor  credit.  Not 
a  note  in  Kentucky  [35]  commanded  specie,  the  capital 
was  altogether  fictitious,  and  ought  to  have  been  secured 
by  every  species  of  property  possessed  by  the  stock- 
holders. A  more  ruinous  and  fraudulent  system  of 
exchange  was  never  devised  in  any  Christian  country;  it 
is  truly  a  novelty  to  see  a  whole  community,  at  least  the 
wealthy  part  of  it,  conspiring  in  a  common  system  of 
public  fraud. 

The  love  of  luxury,  without  the  means  of  obtaining  it, 
has  proved  the  bane  of  these  still  rude  settlements  of  agri- 
culturists, naturally  poor  in  money  by  reason  of  their 
remoteness  from  the  emporium  of  commerce,  and  their 
neglect  of  manufactures.  When  one  heard  a  farmer  de- 
mand a  price  for  his  produce  in  Kentucky,  equal  nearly  to 
that  of  Philadelphia,  we  might  be  certain  that  he  expected 
payment  in  depreciated  paper. 

A  stranger  who  descends  the  Ohio  at  this  season  of  emi- 
gration, cannot  but  be  struck  with  the  jarring  vortex  of 
heterogeneous  population  amidst  which  he  is  embarked, 
all  searching  for  some  better  country,  which  ever  lies  to 
the  west,  as  Eden  did  to  the  east.  Amongst  the  crowd 
are  also  those,  who,  destitute  of  the  means  or  inclination  of 
obtaining  an  honest  livelihood,  are  forced  into  desperate 
means  for  subsistence. 

In  my  descent  from  Pittsburgh  to  Louisville,  I  found  the 
wind,  excepting  about  two  days,  constantly  blowing  up 
the  river.  The  north-west  or  south-west  winds,  in  fact, 
continue  almost  three  quarters  of  the  year.  The  deep  val- 
ley which  the  river  has  excavated  forms  a  vortex,  into 
which  the  rarified  air  of  the  land  rushes  for  equilibrium. 
The  south-west  wind  is  uniformly,  at  this  season  of  the 
year,    attended   with   a   dense   and    bluish   atmosphere, 


66  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

charged  with  vapours,  which  appear  Hke  smoke,  and  some- 
times accumulate  so  as  to  obscure  the  land. 

I  was  detained  at  Louisville  until  the  7th  of  December, 
[36]  trying  various  means  of  descending  the  river.  The 
lowness  of  the  water  prevented  the  descent  of  the  steam- 
boats, and  the  price  of  passage  to  Natchez  was  now  no  less 
than  50  dollars.  Wearied  by  delay,  I  at  length  concluded 
to  purchase  a  flat-boat,  and  freighted  it  nearly  at  my  own 
cost,  which,  for  an  inexperienced  traveller,  was  certainly  an 
act  of  imprudence,  as  the  destruction  of  the  boat,  which 
frequently  happens,  would  probably  have  plunged  me  into 
penury  and  distress. 

The  wealth  and  population  of  Louisville  *"  are  evi- 
dently on  the  increase,  and  a  canal  is  now  proposed,  to 
obviate  the  difficulty  of  navigating  by  the  Falls. 

I  perceive  no  material  variation  in  the  soil  or  river  scen- 
ery. The  surface  is  deeply  undulated,  fertile,  and  much 
sunk  into  circular  depressions  or  water-swallows.  The 
rock  is  all  calcareous,  but  destitute  of  coal,  or  indeed 
any  kind  of  overlaying  stratum  in  this  neighbourhood. 

The  Falls,  at  this  stage  of  the  water,  roar  in  terrific 
grandeur;  the  descending  surges  resemble  the  foaming 
billows  of  the  sea,  and  do  not  now  admit  the  passage  of 
vessels  drawing  more  than  1 2  inches  of  water,  though  at 
other  seasons  there  is  a  sufficiency  for  the  largest  boats  on 
either  side  of  the  island  which  divides  the  falls.  The  cal- 
careous ledge  over  which  the  water  thus  pours  is  nearly  as 
horizontal  as  a  floor,  and  filled  with  the  reliquiae  of  terebra- 

*"  For  description  of  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  and  the  early  history  of  Louisville, 
see  Croghan's  Journals,  in  our  volume  i,  note  io6.  A  company  was  chartered 
in  1818  to  build  a  canal  around  the  falls,  but  the  work  was  not  completed  until 
December,  1830,  under  the  direction  of  the  Louisville  and  Portland  Canal 
Company,  organized  in  1825.  After  1845,  the  stock  was  gradually  purchased 
by  the  United  States,  which  eventually  became  entire  owner. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  yournal  67 

tulites,  caryophillites,  corallines,  encrinites,  &c.  It  also 
contains  an  unusual  portion  of  pyrites,  illinitions  of  blende 
ore  of  zinc,  and  a  bluish  green  pulverulent  substance, 
which  is  perhaps  an  ore  of  copper,  or  an  oxide  of  nickel. 
Wood  in  a  state  of  petrifaction  has  been  discovered  near 
the  island  which  divides  the  cataract,  and  that  in  consid- 
erable quantity.  The  steam-boats,  which  ascend  as  far 
as  Shippingsport,"  below  the  Falls,  are  of  no  less  than  3 
to  500  tons  burthen,  and  are  handsomely  fitted  up  for 
[37]  the  accommodation  of  passengers.  Sometimes  they 
descend  to  New  Orleans  in  eight  or  ten  days,  affording  a 
facility  of  communication  heretofore  unprecedented. 

CHAPTER  III 

Departure  from  Shippingsport  —  Velocity  of  the  current 
—  Troy  —  OwensvUle  —  Indigence  of  the  hunting  emi- 
grants —  Mounds  —  Evansville  —  The  Diamond 
island  —  Shawneetown  —  Grandeur  of  the  river  and 
the  uncultivated  state  of  the  surrounding  country  — 
Fort  Massac  —  Arrival  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio  — 
Delayed  by  the  ice  of  the  Mississippi  —  A  visit  from  the 
Delaware  and  Shawnee  Indians  —  Observations  on 
their  mutual  jealousy  and  improvidence. 

On  the  7th,  towards  evening,  I  left  Shippingsport  in 
the  flat-boat  which  I  had  purchased,  accompanied  by  an 
elderly  gentleman  and  his  son,  who  intended  to  proceed  to 
New  Orleans.  The  river  had  now  taken  a  sudden  and 
favourable  rise  of  eight  or  ten  feet  perpendicular.  We 
floated  all  night,  keeping  an  alternate  watch,  and  before 
the  expiration  of  24  hours,  on  the  8th,  the  current  alone 
had  carried  us  without  labour  near  80  miles!    We  ac- 


*^  For  sketch  of  Shippingsport,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  in  our  volume  iv,  note 
171. —  Ed. 


68  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

companied  another  vessel  of  the  same  kind,  and,  for  mu- 
tual convenience,  our  boats,  according  to  custom,  were 
lashed  together  side  by  side,  thus  also  facilitating  our 
progress  by  obtaining  a  greater  scope  of  the  current. 

9th.]  We  continued  at  the  same  rate,  floating  along  with- 
out any  labour,  except  that  of  occasionally  rowing  out 
from  the  shore,  or  avoiding  submerged  trunks  of  trees, 
called  snags  or  sawyers,  as  they  are  either  stationary  or 
moveable  with  the  action  of  the  current;  by  the  French 
they  are  called  chicos.  In  the  night  [38]  we  passed  the 
town  of  Troy,  an  insignificant  handful  of  log-cabins,  dig- 
nified by  this  venerable  name ;  here  we  stopped  a  few  min- 
utes to  unload  some  salt,  which,  in  consequence  of  the 
scarcity,  incident  to  the  low  stage  of  water,  sold  at 
four  dollars  per  bushel.  Nearly  all  the  salt  which  sup- 
plies this  country  descends  the  Kanhaway. 

On  the  loth  we  arrived  at  Owensville,^^  more  commonly 
called  Yellow  Banks,  from  the  ochraceous  appearance  of 
the  argillaceous  friable  bank  of  the  river.  This  is  another 
insignificant  cluster  of  log-cabins,  and  the  seat  of  a  county. 
Flour  sold  here  at  10  dollars  per  barrel.  In  consequence 
of  the  want  of  mills,  they  depend  altogether  on  the 
upper  country  for  their  supplies  of  this  important  article. 
Mills  are  much  wanted,  and,  in  order  even  to  obtain  corn- 
meal,  every  one  has  to  invent  something  of  the  kind  for 
himself.  At  this  place  the  store-keepers  were  busily  col- 
lecting pork  for  the  market  of  New  Orleans,  at  the  rate  of 
five  dollars  per  hundred,  in  exchange  for  dry-goods  and 

^  Now  Owensborough,  seat  of  Daviess  County,  Kentucky.  The  original 
name  of  the  place  was  Rossborough,  but  it  was  rechristened  in  honor  of  Abraham 
Owen,  who  fell  at  Tippecanoe.  The  shore  from  which  the  name  Yellow  Banks 
was  derived,  is  from  twelve  to  twenty  feet  in  height.  The  undermining  of 
these  banks  by  the  river  frequently  engulfs  trees,  and  sometimes  even  drives 
people  from  their  dwelUngs. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  69 

groceries.  No  other  produce  appeared  in  this  place. 
No  orchards  are  yet  planted,  and  apples  were  worth  one 
dollar  and  a  half  the  bushel. 

We  floated  as  usual  till  towards  midnight,  but  the 
north-west  wind  arising,  at  length  put  a  stop  to  our  pro- 
gress. Having  proceeded  about  18  miles  below  Owens- 
ville,  we  endeavoured  to  land  on  the  Kentucky  side,  but, 
in  the  attempt,  ran  an  imminent  risk  of  grounding  on  an 
extensive  bar;  with  considerable  labour  we  rowed  our  un- 
manageable flat  to  the  opposite  shore,  where  we  found 
deep  water,  and  a  good  harbour  from  the  wind. 

nth.]  About  day-break  we  were  accosted  by  a  back- 
woods neighbour,  anxious  for  a  dram  of  whiskey,  which 
we  had  foreseen  and  provided  for.  We  were  detained  all 
day  by  the  wind,  and  the  hunters  went  out  in  quest  of 
turkeys.  The  improvidence  of  these  hunting  farmers, 
is  truly  remarkable:  annually  [39]  mortgaging  their  pro- 
duce for  the  meanest  luxuries  of  civilized  life;  still  desti- 
tute of  flour,  of  the  produce  of  the  orchard,  of  country 
spirits,  and,  indeed,  of  coffee  and  sugar  for  a  great  part  of 
the  year;  at  the  same  time,  that  they  might  become  inde- 
pendent, with  even  moderate  industry. 

Potatoes  are  very  indifferent  in  this  country,  but  pulse 
and  all  kinds  of  grain  excellent  and  productive. 

Here,  at  Mountplace*^  as  it  is  called,  there  are  two  or 
three  Indian  mounds,  upon  one  of  which  our  visitor  had 
built  his  house,  and  in  digging  had  discovered  abundance 
of  human  bones,  as  well  as  several  stone  pipes,  and  frag- 
ments of  earthen  ware. 

12th.]  About  9  o'clock,  we  pushed  out  and  proceeded. 


^  Mountplace  is  not  shown  on  modem  maps.  From  the  distances  given  by 
Nuttall,  the  site  must  be  quite  near  Newburg,  Indiana,  opposite  Scuffletown, 
Kentucky. —  Ed. 


70  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

Towards  evening,  15  miles  from  Hendersonville,**  in 
Indiana,  we  passed  a  small  town  called  Evansville,*^  ap- 
parently a  county  seat,  by  the  appearance  of  a  court  house. 
We  continued  to  float  throughout  the  night,  which  was 
very  fine  and  moonlight,  but  cold,  the  thermometer  being 
down  at  20°.  We  passed  Henderson  in  the  night,  and, 
about  5  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  the  13th,  came  in  sight 
of  the  large  and  beautiful  broad  island,  called  the  Dia- 
mond, with  the  river,  on  either  side  of  it,  apparently  a 
mile  in  breadth.  At  two  intervals  of  10  miles  each,  we 
had  passed  two  other  islands,  and  about  one  o'clock, 
found  ourselves  carried  by  good  fortune,  and  at  an  easy 
rate,  opposite  to  the  Wabash  *®  and  its  island,  which  mark 
the  commencement  of  the  territory  of  Illinois. 

From  Owensville,  cane  begins  to  be  tall  and  abundant. 
The  prospect  of  an  approaching  storm  caused  us  to  come 
to  shore  at  an  early  hour,  where  we  remained  for  the  night, 
having  our  boat  tied  to  a  stout  branch  or  stem  of  the  Borya 
acuminata,*''  which  grows  here  in  abundance,  and  is  nearly 
as  thorny  as  a  [40]  sloe  bush,  sending  up  many  straight 
stems  from  the  same  root. 

14th.]  We  rode  over  to  Shawneetown,"  a  handful  of 

"  Nuttall  must  mean  Henderson,  Kentucky,  the  words  "in  Indiana"  re- 
ferring to  the  location  of  Evansville,  about  twelve  miles  above.  Henderson, 
incorporated  in  1810,  is  the  seat  of  Henderson  County,  and  was  at  this  time 
Audubon's  residence;  it  was  in  1818  that  the  botanist  Rafinesque  visited  him 
there.     See  note  175,  in  Cuming's  Tour,  volume  iv  of  our  series. —  Ed. 

*^  Evansville,  the  seat  of  Vanderburgh  County,  Indiana,  was  named  for 
General  Robert  M.  Evans,  of  Gibson  County,  Indiana.  It  was  founded  (1814) 
on  ground  donated  by  Hugh  McGary,  famous  as  a  Kentucky  pioneer,  who  had 
for  several  years  possessed  lands  in  this  region.  McGary  was  one  of  the  leaders 
in  the  disastrous  Battle  of  the  Blue  Licks.  See  Cuming'sj2"oMr  in  our  volume  iv, 
note  120. —  Ed. 

*°  For  sketch  of  Wabash  River,  see  Croghan's  Journals,  in  our  volume  i, 
note  107. —  Ed. 

*'  Now  Forestiera  acuminata. —  NuTTALL. 

*^  For  sketch  of  the  site  of  Shawneetown,  see  Croghan's  Journals,  volume  i 
of  our  series,  note  108. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  ji 

log  cabins,  with  some  of  them  shingled,  commanding  an 
agreeable  view  of  the  river,  but  not  situated  beyond  the 
reach  of  occasional  inundation.  I  learned,  on  inquiry, 
that  Mr.  Birkbeck's  settlement  *^  was  not  so  unhealthy  as 
had  been  reported,  and  that  it  was  continually  receiving 
accessions  of  foreigners.  After  floating  some  distance, 
we  came  up  with  three  other  flat  boats,  and  lashing  to 
them  proceeded  all  night.  The  river  is  here  very  wide 
and  magnificent,  and  checquered  with  many  islands.  The 
banks  at  Battery  Rock,  Rock  in  the  Cave,^"  and  other 
places,  are  bold  and  rocky,  with  bordering  cliffs.  The 
occidental  wilderness  appears  here  to  retain  its  primeval 
solitude;  its  gloomy  forests  are  yet  unbroken  by  the  hand 
of  man,  they  are  only  penetrated  by  the  wandering  hunter, 
and  the  roaming  savage. 

15th  and  1 6th.]  Got  down  below  fort  Massac,^*  and 
remained  ashore  most  part  of  the  night,  being  detained 
by  the  wind.  On  the  night  and  morning  of  the  15th,  the 
thermometer  fell  to  10°.  In  a  cypress  swamp,  near  to  the 
shore,  grew  the  Gleditsia  monosperma  and  the  Cephalan- 
thus,  with  pubescent  leaves  and  branchlets,  which  grows 
in  Georgia  and  Louisiana,  also  the  Asclepias  parvi- 
flora. 

17th.]  Between  2  and  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  we 
arrived  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  and  were  considerably 
mortified  on  perceiving  the  Mississippi  to  be  full  of  float- 
ing ice.  Governed  by  the  conduct  of  the  boats  which  we 
had  for  three  days  accompanied,  we  came  to  on  the  Ken- 
tucky shore,  and  remained  in  company  with  several  other 
boats,  this  and  the  whole  of  the  following  day. 

*^  On  Birkbeck,  see  various  references  in  our  volume  x. —  Ed. 

'"  Rock-in-the-cave  (Cave-in-Rock).  See  Cuming's  Tour,  in  our  volume  iv, 
note  180. —  Ed. 

"  For  sketch  of  Fort  Massac,  see  Andre  Michaux's  Travels,  volume  iii  of  our 
series,  note  139. —  Ed. 


J  2  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

The  summit  of  the  bank,  at  the  foot  of  which  we  had 
landed,  was  surmounted  by  an  almost  impenetrable  and 
sempervirent  cane  brake;  we  measured  several  [41]  canes 
upwards  of  30  feet  in  height.  These  wilds  afford  but  little 
gratification  to  the  botanist,  their  extreme  darkness  ex- 
cluding the  existence  of  nearly  every  herbaceous  plant. 
Among  the  trees,  we  still  continue  to  observe  the  coffee- 
bean  {Gymnocladus  canadensis),  now  loaded  with  legumes, 
the  seeds  of  which,  when  parched,  are  agreeable  to  eat, 
but  produce  a  substitute  for  coffee  greatly  inferior  to  the 
Cichorium. 

The  whole  country  here,  on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi 
and  the  Ohio,  remains  uninhabited  in  consequence  of  in- 
undation, and  abounds  with  various  kinds  of  game,  but 
particularly  deer  and  bear,  turkeys,  geese,  and  swans, 
with  hosts  of  other  aquatic  fowls;  though,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  white  pelican,  they  are  such  as  commonly  exist 
in  many  other  parts  of  the  Union. 

While  amusing  ourselves  on  the  17th,  we  were  visited 
by  a  couple  of  the  Delaware  Indians,  and  shortly  after  by 
a  hunting  party  of  Shawnees,^^  who  reside  some  miles  west 
of  St.  Louis.  I  invited  one  of  them  into  our  cabin,  and 
prevailed  upon  him  to  take  supper,  with  which  he  appeared 
to  be  well  satisfied  and  grateful.  On  the  following  day,  a 
number  of  the  Shawnees  came  with  our  evening  guest, 
and  desired  to  purchase  gun-powder.  They  behaved 
with  civility,  and  almost  refused  to  taste  of  spirits,  but 
their  reluctance  was  at  length  overcome  by  some  of  our 
neighbours,  and  the  night  was  passed  at  their  camp  with 
yells  and  riot.  Although  the  Delawares  and  Shawnees 
are  proximately  allied  to  each  other,  yet  we  perceive  the 
existence  of  that  jealousy  among  them,  which  has  ever 

'^  On  the  Shawnee,  see  Weiser's  Journal,  in  our  volume  i,  note  13. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nutt all's  "Journal  73 

been  so  fatal  to  the  interest  of  the  aborigines,  from  the  con- 
quest of  Cortes  to  the  present  moment.  The  Delawares 
cautioned  me  against  the  Shawnees,  among  whom  they 
were  continually  hunting,  and  stigmatized  them  as  rogues ; 
I  found  them,  however,  all  equally  honest  in  their  dealings, 
as  far  as  I  had  any  intercourse  with  them;  still  the  history 
[42]  of  the  Shawnees,  on  many  occasions,  has  long  proved 
the  truth  of  the  character  which  is  given  of  them  by  the 
Delawares.  Scarcely  any  of  the  Indian  tribes  have  mi- 
grated so  often  and  so  far,  as  the  restless  and  intriguing 
Shawnees;  who,  since  their  first  discovery  on  the  banks  of 
the  Savannah,  in  Georgia,  have,  in  the  space  of  a  century, 
successively  migrated  through  the  western  states  to  the 
further  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  Ever  flying  from  the 
hateful  circle  of  civilized  society,  which,  probably  in  their 
own  defence,  they  have  repeatedly  scourged,  so  as,  indeed, 
to  endanger  their  safety ;  averse  to  agriculture  and  syste- 
matic labour,  they  still  depend  upon  the  precarious  bounty 
of  the  chase  for  their  rude  subsistence.  Retreating  into 
the  forests  of  the  western  interior,  according  to  their  own 
acknowledgment  destitute  of  lands,  they  are  reduced  to 
the  misery  of  craving  the  favour  of  hunting  ground  from 
the  Cherokees  and  Osages,^^  excepting  the  uninhabitable 
wilds  of  the  Mississippi,  which,  as  in  former  times,  still 
continue  the  common  range  of  every  tribe  of  native 
hunters. 

These  Indians  possess  the  same  symbolical  or  panto- 
mimic language,  as  that  which  is  employed  by  most  of  the 
nations  with  which  I  have  become  acquainted.  It  appears 
to  be  a  compact  invented  by  necessity,  which  gives  that 
facility  to  communication  denied  to  oral  speech. 

^  See  ihid.,  note  ^t,,  for  the  Cherokee;  for  the  Osage,  see  Bradbury's  Travels, 
our  volume  v,  notes  22,  107. —  Ed. 


74  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

[43]    CHAPTER  IV 

Embark  amidst  the  ice  of  the  Mississippi  —  Run  aground 
on  Wolf's  island  in  attempting  to  land  —  relieved 
from  this  situation  —  but  find  ourselves  again  involved 
in  it,  and  are  imposed  upon  by  the  extortion  of  a  neigh- 
bouring voyager  —  Pass  the  Iron  banks  —  Cypress  — 
Solitude  of  the  country  —  New  Madrid  —  Oscillations 
of  the  earth  still  frequent  —  Point  Pleasant  —  Vestiges 
of  the  great  earthquake  —  The  Little  Prairie  settlement 
almost  destroyed  by  it  —  The  Canadian  reach  —  A 
dangerous  and  difficult  pass  of  the  river  —  The  first 
Chicasaw  Bluffs  —  Additional  danger  and  uncertainty 
of  the  navigation  —  Stratification  of  the  Bluff  —  A  dan- 
gerous accident  —  The  second  Chicasaw  Bluffs  —  Ob- 
servations on  their  stratification. 

19TH.]  This  morning,  after  breakfast,  our  more  than 
usually  timid  neighbours  and  ourselves  ventured  into  the 
floating  ice  of  the  Mississippi,  which  we  soon  found  to  be 
less  formidable  than  we  had  imagined,  though  still  not 
without  some  danger  of  drifting  imperceptibly  or  unavoid- 
ably upon  some  sunken  tree,  of  which  there  are  no  small 
abundance  throughout  the  bed  of  the  Mississippi.  Car- 
ried upon  these  by  the  rapid  current,  our  boats  might 
be  staved  or  entirely  overturned,  accidents  which  not  in- 
frequently happen  to  those  who  give  way  to  negligence  or 
incaution. 

About  half  an  hour  before  sun-set,  our  company  came 
to  alongside  a  breaking  sand-bar,  where  lay  also  two  other 
boats;  governed  by  their  example  we  attempted  to  land, 
but  floated  by  the  current  to  a  distance  below,  and  here, 
unfortunately,  attempting  to  make  a  landing,  and  trusting 
too  confidently  to  the  lightness  of  our  boat,  we  were  in- 
stantly carried  upon  a  shallow  and  miry  bar.  I  was  sensi- 
ble of  the  dilemma  [44]  into  which  we  had  fallen,  and  lost 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalPs  Journal  75 

no  time  to  plunge  into  the  water,  though  at  the  point  of 
freezing,  attempting,  but  in  vain,  to  float  off  the  boat  by  a 
lever.  The  effort  was  beyond  my  strength,  and  after  re- 
maining in  the  water  nearly  an  hour,  I  had  reluctantly  to 
submit  to  our  situation.  At  length,  two  boatmen  offered 
their  assistance,  for  the  consideration  of  five  dollars,  with 
which  I  complied,  and  in  a  few  moments  we  again  floated. 
They  took  us  in  the  dark  about  100  yards  further  down, 
and  there  made  a  landing.  I  still  felt  suspicious  of  our 
situation,  notwithstanding  their  assurances  of  safety:  and 
at  day-light,  we  found  ourselves  (in  consequence  of  the 
rapid  falling  of  the  river)  as  far  as  ever  grounded  upon  the 
bar;  to  obviate  which,  all  our  strength  and  ingenuity 
availed  nothing.  The  boatmen  also,  who  had  assisted  us 
the  preceding  night,  and  put  us  off  our  guard  by  false 
assurances,  now  passed  us  with  indifference,  and  denied 
us  the  assistance  which  they  had  promised.  We  imme- 
diately commenced  unloading,  and  had  proceeded  pretty 
far  in  our  labour,  when  we  were  visited  by  the  owner  of  a 
neighbouring  boat,  who,  pretending  to  commiserate  our 
situation,  offered  to  assist  us  gratuitously;  and  hearing 
how  we  had  been  cheated  out  of  five  dollars,  expressed 
his  dislike  at  any  boatman  having  acted  with  such  want 
of  fellow-feeling.  We  had  scarcely  time  to  breakfast, 
before  our  yankees  arrived  with  two  skiffs;  and  one  of 
them  now  assured  us  that  we  should  never  be  able  to  get 
off  until  the  rise  of  the  river;  though,  as  appeared  in  the 
sequel,  merely  with  the  friendly  view  of  putting  a  good 
price  upon  his  services.  The  other,  instead  of  the  gratui- 
tous assistance  which  he  had  offered,  made  a  tender  of  his 
services  at  three  dollars.  At  length,  like  genuine  Arabs,  they 
demanded  the  value  of  eight  dollars,  with  which  I  was 
reluctantly  obliged  to  comply.     After  about  ten  minutes 


76  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

further  unloading,  a  lever  placed  under  the  bow,  set  us 
readily  afloat  [45]  in  one  minute;  so  much  had  these  kind 
gentlemen  deceived  us,  as  to  our  real  situation.  They  now 
also  refused  to  fulfil  the  bargain  of  assisting  us  to  reload, 
until  brought  to  some  sense  of  duty  by  remonstrance. — 
I  shall  not  indeed  soon  forget  Wolf's  island,  and  its  har- 
bour of  sharpers. 

20th.]  The  day  was  far  advanced  when  we  got  off,  and 
after  floating  10  miles  we  moored  for  the  night,  taking  care 
to  have  deep  water. 

The  land  appears  low  and  uninhabited  on  every  side, 
except  at  the  Iron-banks"  (caUed  Mine  au  Fer  by  the 
French)  we  passed  yesterday,  and  which  are  cliffs  of  friable 
and  argillaceous  earth,  the  upper  bed  being  ferruginous, 
beneath  which  occurs  a  very  conspicuously-coloured  band 
of  pink  clay  about  12  inches  thick,  and  below  are  white 
beds  of  the  same  material,  improperly  considered 
chalk. 

The  Cyprus  {Cupressus  disHcha)  which  continues  some 
distance  along  the  Ohio  above  its  estuary,  is  here  much 
more  common,  and  always  indicates  the  presence  of  annual 
inundation  and  consequent  swamps  and  lagoons,  but  we 
do  not  yet  meet  with  the  long  moss  (Tillandsia  usneoides), 
a  plant  so  characteristic  of  the  prevalence  of  unhealthy 
humidity  in  the  atmosphere. 

2 1  St.]  We  commenced  our  voyage  at  the  dawn  of  day, 
and  continued  to  float  along  without  interruption.  The 
river  here  appears  truly  magnificent,  though  generally 
bordered  by  the  most  gloomy  solitudes,  in  which  there  are 

"  The  blufFs  called  Iron  Banks  are  on  the  Kentucky  side  of  the  river,  about 
twenty  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  They  are  eighty  to  a  hundred  and 
twenty  feet  in  height.  From  their  brownish  color,  the  early  explorers  supposed 
them  to  contain  rich  deposits  of  iron,  whence  the  name;  but  the  amount  of  the 
metal  is  negligible. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  ^Journal  yy 

now  no  visible  traces  of  the  abode  of  man.  It  is  indeed  a 
sublime  contrast  to  the  busy  hum  of  a  city,  and  not  alto- 
gether destitute  of  interest.  In  the  course  of  the  day  we 
passed  a  number  of  capacious  islands,  but  all  as  they 
ever  were  from  their  creation,  and  most  of  them  even  with- 
out names,  the  property  of  any  one  who  will  assume 
the  possession;  but  they  are  in  general,  I  suspect,  an- 
nually submerged  by  inundation. 

[46]  This  evening  we  were  10  miles  above  New  Madrid, 
and  moored  opposite  to  one  of  the  islands  which  had  been 
convulsed  by  the  earthquake  of  181 1. 

2 2d.]  We  commenced  our  voyage  early,  and  arrived 
before  noon  at  New  Madrid. ^^  We  found  both  sides  of 
the  river  unusually  lined  with  sunken  logs,  some  stationary 
and  others  in  motion,  and  we  narrowly  avoided  several  of 
considerable  magnitude. 

New  Madrid  is  an  insignificant  French  hamlet,  contain- 
ing little  more  than  about  20  log  houses  and  stores  miser- 
ably supplied,  the  goods  of  which  are  retailed  at  exorbitant 
prices:  for  example,  18  cents  per  pound  for  lead,  which 
costs  seven  cents  at  Herculaneum;  salt  five  dollars  per 
bushel;  sugar  31  1-4  cents  per  pound;  whiskey  one  dollar 
25  cents  per  gallon;  apples  25  cents  per  dozen;  corn  50 
cents  per  bushel;  fresh  butter  37  1-2  cents  per  pound;  eggs 
the  same  per  dozen ;  pork  six  dollars  per  hundred ;  beef  five 
dollars.  Still  the  neighbouring  land  appears  to  be  of  a 
good  quality,  but  people  have  been  discouraged  from  set- 
tling in  consequence  of  the  earthquakes,  which,  besides 
the  memorable  one  of  181 1,  are  very  frequently  experi- 
enced, two  or  three  oscillations  being  sometimes  felt  in  a 
day.  The  United  States,  in  order  to  compensate  those 
who  suffered  in  their  property  by  the  catastrophe,  granted 

'*  For  New  Madrid,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  our  volume  iv,  note  185. —  Ed. 


yS  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

to  the  settlers  an  equivalent  of  land  in  other  parts  of  the 
Territory. 

The  site  of  the  town,  as  we  learn  from  La  Vega,  the  his- 
torian of  Soto,  bears  unequivocal  marks  of  an  aboriginal 
station;  still  presenting  the  remains  of  some  low  mounds, 
which,  as  usual,  abound  with  fragments  of  earthen 
ware.^' 

23d.]  We  proceeded  about  six  miles,  and  came  to  at 
another  small  French  hamlet  called  Point  Pleasant.  [47] 
Here  I  saw  the  Catalpa  {Catalpa  cor dij olio)  in  the  forests, 
apparently  indigenous,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  though 
still  contiguous  to  habitations. 

This  place  and  several  islands  below  were  greatly  con- 
vulsed by  the  earthquake,  and  have  in  consequence  been 
abandoned.  I  was  shown  a  considerable  chasm  still  far 
from  being  filled  up,  from  whence  the  water  of  the  river, 
as  they  say,  rushed  in  an  elevated  column.  The  land  is 
here  of  a  superior  quality,  but  flat,  and  no  high  grounds 
have  made  their  appearance  since  we  passed  the  Iron- 
Banks,  no  rock  is  any  where  to  be  seen;  the  banks  of  the 
river  are  deep  and  friable;  islands  and  sand-bars,  at  this 
stage  of  the  river  connected  with  the  land,  are  almost  in- 
numerable. In  the  midst  of  so  much  plenty  provided  by 
nature,  the  Canadian  squatters"  are  here,  as  elsewhere, 
in  miserable  circumstances.  They  raise  no  wheat,  and 
scarcely  enough  of  maize  for  their  support.  Superfine 
flour  sold  here  at  11  dollars  per  barrel. 


"  See  the  Appendix,  and  the  account  of  De  Soto's  incursion. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  town  I  met  with  Bcehera  glandulosa,  Erigeron 
{Canotus)  divaricatum,  Verbena  stricta,  V.  Aubletia,  Croton  capitatum,  and 
Helenium  quadridentatum.  On  the  banks  of  the  river  Oxydenia  attenuata  and 
the  Capraria  muUifida  of  Michaux. —  Nuttall. 

^'  Such  as  cultivate  unappropriated  land  without  any  species  of  title. — 
Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  "Journal  79 

The  dresses  of  the  men  consist  of  blanket  capeaus,  buck- 
skin pantaloons,  and  mockasins. 

25th.]  Christmas-day.  We  left  Point  Pleasant,^*  and 
floated  along  without  encountering  any  material  obstacle, 
except  glancing  against  an  enormous  moving  log  (or  saw- 
yer), which  for  the  moment  threw  us  into  terror.  Indeed 
the  submerged  trees  become  more  and  more  numerous. 

In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  the  remains  of  the  settle- 
ment called  the  Little  Prairie,  where  there  is  now  only  a 
single  house,  all  the  rest,  together  with  their  foundations, 
having  been  swept  away  by  the  river,  soon  after  the  con- 
vulsion of  the  earthquake,  in  consequence  (as  the  inhabi- 
tants say,  and  as  they  also  affirm  in  New  Madrid)  of  the 
land  having  sunk  10  feet  or  more  below  its  former  level.^' 

[48]  26th.]  After  continuing  about  10  miles  below  the 
Little  Prairie,  we  were  detained  for  the  remainder  of  the 
day  by  the  commencement  of  a  storm,  which  towards 
evening  increased  to  violence,  and  continued  so  throughout 
the  night.  I  felt  under  some  apprehension  that  we  should 
break  our  cable,  and  so  be  cast  away  upon  some  of  the 
many  snags  and  sawyers  which  obstruct  the  river. 

27th.]  Towards  noon,  the  north-west  wind  moderating, 
we  continued  as  usual,  and  proceeded  about  12  miles 
through  a  portion  of  the  river  filled  with  islands  and  trunks 
of  trees.  No  habitations  whatever  appeared  since  we  left 
the  Little  Prairie. 

28th.]  Proceeded  a  few  miles,  to  the  head  of  the  25th 


^*  Point  Pleasant  is  on  the  Missouri  side  of  the  river,  ten  miles  below  New 
Madrid,  and  eighty  below  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  This  place  should  not  be 
confused  with  the  site  of  the  battle  of  Point  Pleasant,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Great 
Kanawha. —  Ed. 

"  For  a  historical  account  of  this  country,  once  thickly  inhabited  by  the 
natives,  see  the  abridged  relation  of  its  discovery,  and  pretended  conquest,  by 
Ferdinand  de  Soto,  in  the  Appendix. —  Nuttall. 


8o  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

island,  as  marked  in  the  Pittsburgh  Navigator,'**  and  re- 
mained about  four  hours,  waiting  the  abatement  of  the 
wind,  which  did  not  permit  us  to  proceed  in  safety.  Our 
company  did  not  appear  inclined  to  advance  towards  the 
Canadian  reach  until  the  following  morning;  but  not  wish- 
ing to  spend  any  time  unnecessarily,  we  continued  about 
five  miles  further. 

29th.]  Proceeding  at  day-break,  we  looked  with  appre- 
hension for  the  dangers  described  by  the  Navigator,  but 
passed  along  with  so  little  difficulty  as  almost  to  doubt  our 
actual  situation.  A  few  miles  below,  however,  we  ob- 
served the  river  contracted  within  a  narrow  space  by  a 
spreading  sand-bar  (or  island),  and  planted  almost  across 
with  large  and  dangerous  trunks,  some  with  the  tops,  and 
others  with  the  roots  uppermost,  in  a  perpendicular  pos- 
ture. The  water  broke  upon  them  with  a  noise  which  I 
had  heard  distinctly  for  two  miles,  like  the  cascade  of  a 
mUl-race,  in  consequence  of  the  velocity  of  the  current; 
with  all  our  caution  to  avoid  them,  the  boat  grazed  on  one, 
which  was  almost  entirely  submerged,  and  we  received  a 
terrific  jar.  All  day  we  had  experienced  uninterrupted 
rain,  but  it  was  now  pouring  down  in  torrents.  About 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  as  soon  [49]  as  the  fog  had 
cleared  away,  we  perceived  ourselves  again  moving  to- 
wards the  field  of  danger.  I  counted,  in  the  space  of  a 
minute,  about  100  huge  trees  fixed  in  all  postures,  nearly 
across  the  whole  river,  so  as  scarcely  to  leave  room  for  a 
passage.  We  proceeded  towards  a  bank  of  willows  on 
the  Louisiana  side,  thinking  to  land  for  the  night,  in 
consequence  of  the  unremitting  and  drenching  rain,  but 
found  it  impracticable,  by  reason  of  the  rapid  current. 

'"  For  comment  on  the  Pittsburgh  Navigator,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  in  our 
volxune  iv,  note  43. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  81 

At  length  we  descended  to  water  which  had  the  appearance 
of  an  eddy,  and  here  I  was  strongly  urged  to  land,  in 
which  attempt  the  boat  would,  in  all  probability,  have  been 
sunk  amidst  a  host  of  snags  and  half-concealed  trunks 
which  lined  the  shore.  With  all  our  exertions  in  rowing 
off,  we  but  narrowly  escaped  from  being  drawn  into  the 
impassable  channel  of  a  sand  island  which  spread  out 
into  the  river,  presenting  a  portion  of  water  resembling  a 
sunken  forest.  The  only  course  which  we  had  left  ap- 
peared no  less  a  labyrinth  of  danger,  so  horribly  filled  with 
black  and  gigantic  trunks  of  trees,  along  which  the  current 
foamed  with  terrific  velocity  —  Scylla  on  one  hand,  and 
more  than  one  Charybdis  on  the  other.  Fortunately, 
however,  our  voyage  was  not  destined  to  end  here,  and, 
after  an  hour's  drenching  amidst  torrents  of  rain,  we  at 
length  obtained  a  landing  place  about  10  miles  above  the 
first  Chicasaw  Bluffs.®^  On  the  point  of  one  of  these  bars 
at  Flour  island,  we  observed  the  wreck  of  two  large  flat 
boats  which  we  supposed  might  have  been  lost  during  the 
earthquake.  Nothing  still  appeared  on  every  hand  but 
houseless  solitude,  and  gloomy  silence,  the  inundation 
precluding  the  possibility  of  settlement. 

30th.]  We  proceeded  as  soon  as  the  dense  fog  this  morn- 
ing would  permit,  but  could  not  ascertain  our  situation 
any  longer  by  the  vague  trifling  of  the  Navigator,  [50]  and 
after  proceeding  some  distance  at  the  beck  of  the  current, 
came  in  sight  of  Flour  island.  Here  the  Navigator  says, 
*  'the  channel  is  on  the  right  side,  but  some  prefer  the  left," 
but  the  very  sight  of  the  right-hand  channel  was  to  me 
sufficient,  and  finding  the  main  body  of  the  river  carrying 
us  to  the  left,  I  felt  satisfied  to  go  farther  round  rather 
than  venture  through  such  a  horrid  pass,  which  indeed  re- 

"  Called  by  the  first  French  settlers  the  Cliffs  of  Prud'homme. —  Nuttall. 


82  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

sembled  a  submerged  forest,  and  through  which  no  flat 
boat,  I  should  suppose,  could  ever  proceed  with  safety, 
however  deep  might  be  the  water.  That  we  had  got  a 
passable  channel  to  the  left,  I  was  fully  satisfied  on  per- 
ceiving the  intersection  of  the  first  Chicasaw  Bluffs  or  hills, 
all  the  high  lands  of  the  Mississippi  being  uniformly 
washed  at  their  base  by  a  deep  and  rapid  current.  Here 
we  landed  for  a  few  moments,  to  survey  those  hills,  the 
only  ones  we  had  seen  since  leaving  the  Iron  banks.  The 
ascent  was  steep,  and  the  elevation  between  2  and  300 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  river.  These  banks  appeared 
to  consist  of  a  stratified,  ferruginous,  and  bluish  sandy 
clay,  probably  a  disintegrated  sandstone,  which  it  per- 
fectly resembled  to  the  eye,  though  altogether  friable 
to  the  touch.  In  some  places,  lower  down  the  river,  we 
observed  masses  of  ferruginous  conglomerate  blackened 
by  the  atmosphere,  the  pebbles  chiefly  hornstone,  and 
some  of  them  quartz.  The  debris  of  which  this  conglom- 
erate consists  is  entirely  adventitious,  or  unconnected  with 
the  existing  rocks,  which  form  the  basis  of  this  ancient 
deposit. 

At  this  place,  we  saw  the  first  cabin  since  our  departure 
from  the  Little  Prairie.  On  approaching  the  34th  island 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  which  presents  itself  round- 
ing, and  nearly  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  we  had  at  first 
determined  to  take  the  left-hand  side,  set  down  by  the 
Navigator  as  the  channel,  but  finding  ourselves  to  float 
very  slowly,  we  rowed  a  little,  and  then  submitted  to  the 
current.  It  was  soon  [51]  observable,  that  we  drifted  to- 
wards the  right-hand  channel,  though  much  the  narrowest, 
and  my  companion  advised  that  we  should  keep  the  left, 
especially  as  it  was  the  nearest,  and  as  the  wind  accom- 
panied by  rain  blew  strongly  up  the  river.     However,  on 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  83 

finding  still  that  the  current  drew  to  the  right,  even 
against  the  wind,  and  having  arrived  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  bar  of  the  island,  I  determined,  at  all  events, 
to  keep  to  the  right.  At  length,  after  considerable  labour, 
we  landed  at  a  neighbouring  cabin,  and  were  informed 
that  the  left  channel  had  not  in  places  more  than  1 2  inches 
of  water,  being  nearly  dry,  and  almost  destitute  of  current. 
Here,  again,  we  made  a  fortunate  escape.  We  also  learnt, 
that  not  more  than  two  days  ago,  a  flat  boat  was  sunk  by 
the  snags,  which  filled  the  right-hand  channel  of  Flour 
island. 

At  this  place,  we  met  with  two  or  three  families  of 
hunters,  with  whom  were  living  some  individuals  of  the 
Shawnees  and  Delawares.  They  had  lately  caught  an 
unusual  abundance  of  beaver  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
were  anxious  to  barter  it  for  whiskey,  though  scarcely  pos- 
sessed either  of  bread  or  vegetables.  Amongst  their  furs, 
I  also  saw  a  few  skins  of  the  musk-rat,  {Arctomys  monax, 
L.)  which  are  never  met  with  further  to  the  south. 

31st.]  We  continued  our  voyage  as  usual  at  daylight, 
and  floating  with  a  brisk  current  down  the  right  side  of 
the  34th  island,  had  nearly  cleared  ourselves  of  a  host  of 
snags  and  sawyers,  when  at  last,  puzzled  on  which  side  of 
one  of  these  terrific  objects  to  steer,  we  unfortunately 
struck  it  with  considerable  force,  and  the  young  man  who 
accompanied  us  (the  son  of  Mr.  G.),  an  amiable  youth 
of  16,  was  precipitated  headlong  into  the  river,  together 
with  the  steering  oar,  which  was  suddenly  jerked  off  by 
the  snag;  our  boat  was  at  the  same  instant  careened  over 
so  far,  as  at  first  to  appear  overturning,  but  I  instantly  had 
the  satisfaction  to  see  that  she  was  free,  had  received  no 
[52]  injury,  and  that  Edwin  on  this  emergency  could  swim, 
and,  though  much  alarmed,  had  come  within  our  reach. 


84  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

and  got  safely  on  board.  As  to  our  steering  oar  it  re- 
mained across  the  snag,  and  was  now  become  a  sawyer; 
working  horizontally  upon  the  back  of  the  black  and 
fearful  trunk  which  had  so  justly  thrown  us  into  conster- 
nation. 

The  wind  springing  up  against  us,  we  came  to  under 
the  second  Chicasaw  Bluff,  and  had  time  to  examine  and 
contemplate  these  romantic  cliffs,  now  doubly  interesting 
after  such  a  monotonous  and  cheerless  prospect  of  solitary 
brakes  and  enswamped  forests.  This  fas5:ade,  or  per- 
pendicular section,  precisely  of  the  same  materials  and 
consistence  as  that  of  the  Iron  banks  above,  continues,  I 
think,  uninterruptedly  for  near  two  miles,  and  is  about 
150  feet  high.  The  uppermost  bed  (all  of  them  as  nearly 
horizontal  as  may  be),  12  to  20  feet  thick,  commencing 
immediately  below  the  present  vegetable  loam,  consists  of 
a  yellowish,  homogeneous,  now  friable,  sandy,  and  argil- 
laceous earth,  which  is  succeeded  by  a  thinner  and  more 
ferruginous  bed ;  below  occurs  a  layer  or  band  of  pink-iQd. 
clay,  now  and  then  variegated  with  white  specks,  and, 
though  constant  in  its  appearance  and  relative  position, 
no  where  exceeding  18  inches  in  thickness;  below  again 
occur  ferruginous  earths  and  clays  more  or  less  sandy, 
then  a  bed  of  a  brownish-black  colour,  and  about  18  inches 
in  thickness,  which,  on  examination,  I  found  to  be  lignite, 
or  wood-coal,  containing  less  bitumen  than  usual,  and  so 
distinctly  derived  from  the  vegetable  kingdom,  exhibiting 
even  the  cross  grain  of  the  wood,  as  to  remove  all  doubts 
of  its  origin.  To  the  taste  it  was  sensibly  acid,  and 
smelt  in  burning  like  turf.  Beneath  this  coal,  and  in  con- 
nection with  it,  occurs  a  friable  bed  of  dark-coloured  argil- 
laceous and  sandy  earth,  in  which  I  could  very  distinctly 
perceive  blackened  impressions  of  leaves  of  an  oak,  like 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaWs  'Journal  85 

the  red  oak  and  the  willow  oak,  with  [53]  Equisetum  hiemale 
or  Shave-rush,  and  other  vegetable  remains,  not  much  un- 
like the  black  beds  of  leaves  which  occur  along  the  banks 
of  the  Ohio,  but  much  more  intermingled  with  earth.  In 
this  bed  also  occur  masses  or  nodules  of  a  hard  and  very 
fine-grained  light  gray  sandstone,  bordering  almost  upon 
homstone,  likewise  charged  with  vegetable  remains,  re- 
sembling charred  wood,  together  with  leaves  of  oaks  and 
of  other  forest  trees.  Nearly  on  a  level  with  the  present 
low  stage  of  the  river,  there  was  a  second  bed  of  this  coal, 
more  interrupted  than  the  first  in  its  continuity,  though 
constant  in  its  locality,  no  less  in  some  places  (like  basins) 
than  8,  12  or  15  feet  in  thickness.  Below,  clays  again 
succeeded,  and  terminated  the  visible  stratification. 

In  two  or  three  places,  I  observed  that  the  mud,  which 
was  very  deep,  had  been  boiling  up  into  circular  masses 
like  fumeroles,  and  have  no  doubt,  but  that  the  decom- 
position of  this  vast  bed  of  lignite  or  wood-coal,  situated 
near  the  level  of  the  river,  and  filled  with  pyrites,  has  been 
the  active  agent  in  producing  the  earthquakes,  which  have 
of  late  years  agitated  this  country.  The  deposition  of  vast 
rafts  of  timber,  thus  accidentally  brought  together  by  the 
floods  of  the  river,  are  continually,  even  before  our  eyes, 
as  I  may  say,  accumulating  stores  of  matter,  which,  in 
after  ages,  will,  no  doubt,  exert  a  baneful  influence  over 
the  devoted  soil,  beneath  which  they  are  silently  interred ! 
How  much  has  the  vegetable  kingdom  to  do  with  the  des- 
tiny of  man !  The  time,  though  slowly,  is  perhaps  surely 
approaching,  which  will  witness  something  like  volcanic 
eruptions  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi.  The  inhabi- 
tants frequently,  and  almost  daily,  experience  slight  oscil- 
lations of  the  earth:  I  have  even  witnessed  them  myself 
while  descending  the  river. 


86  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

[54]    CHAPTER  V 

Pass  the  third  Chicasaw  Bluff  —  Dangers  of  the  naviga- 
tion, and  solitude  of  the  country  —  The  fourth  Bluff 
of  the  Chicasaws  —  Lignite  prevalent  —  Chicasaw 
Indians  —  St.  Francis  river  —  depopulation  of  the 
neighbouring  country  —  Trees  of  the  alluvial  forest  — 
Destruction  of  the  Big  Prairie  settlement  —  Scrub 
grass  —  Difficulties  of  the  navigation  —  Changes  of  the 
soil,  produced  by  the  agency  of  the  river  —  A  visit  from 
three  of  the  Arkansa  Indians  —  A  dense  fog  over  the 
river;  the  cause  of  it  —  Arrival  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansa  and  White  river. 

January  ist,  18 19.]  We  proceeded  slowly,  in  conse- 
quence of  adverse  wind;  and  at  length,  came  in  sight  of 
the  third  Chicasaw  Bluff,®^  quite  similar  in  appearance 
and  conformation  with  that  of  the  second  above  described. 
The  35  th  island  of  the  Navigator  intervened  betwixt  us 
and  the  cliff,  there  being  no  water  to  the  left  of  it ;  the  chan- 
nel at  this  stage  of  the  river,  was  completely  choked  up  by 
a  bed  of  sand. 

We  came  to  for  the  night  on  a  sand-bar,  opposite  the 
centre  of  the  island,  resembling  an  Arabian  desert,  and 
scattered  in  every  direction  with  lignite  or  bovey  coal, 
washed  probably  from  the  basis  of  the  Bluffs.  The  shore 
of  the  island  was  horribly  strewed  with  the  wreck  of  the 
alluvial  forest,  brought  down  by  the  overwhelming  current 
of  the  river  at  its  highest  stage,  and  thrown  confusedly 
together  in  vast  piles. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  we  stopped  awhile  at  a  Shawnee 
camp,  and  bartered  for  some  venison  and  wild  honey, 
which  they  had  in  plenty.     The  honey,  according  to  the 

*^  For  historical  sketch  of  site  of  the  third  bluff,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  our 
volume  iv,  note  i88. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  87 

Indian  mode,  was  contained  in  the  skin  of  a  deer  taken  off 
by  the  aperture  of  the  neck,  [55]  thus  answering,  though 
very  rudely,  the  purpose  of  a  bottle. 

On  the  2d,  we  passed  the  "Devil's  Race-ground,"  as 
it  has  been  very  formidably  termed,  but  observed  no  ob- 
structions in  the  river  equal  to  that  at  Plumb  point,  where 
we  saw  the  wrecked  boats.  We  observe,  however,  every 
day,  wrecks  of  flat  boats,  drifted  along  the  shores.  We 
continued  to  the  lower  end  of  the  ''Devil's  Elbow,"  and 
again  found  the  difficulty  greatly  exaggerated.  The  whole 
surrounding  country  still  continues  a  desolate  wilderness, 
abandoned  to  inundation,  presenting  impenetrable  cane 
brakes  and  gloomy  forests:  none  of  the  trees,  however, 
attain  that  enormous  magnitude,  which  they  so  frequently 
present  along  the  borders  of  the  Ohio.  This  appearance 
may  perhaps  be  attributed,  in  part,  to  the  perpetual  revo- 
lutions of  the  soil,  occasioned  by  the  overwhelming  force 
and  inundations  of  the  river. 

A  dog  lost  in  the  forest,  and  perishing  with  hunger,  came 
up  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  yelling  most  piteously;  but 
would  not  enter  our  skiff,  which  was  sent  for  it,  and  con- 
tinued to  follow  us  for  some  distance,  but  the  danger  of 
the  shore,  and  the  rapidity  of  the  current,  rendered  our 
endeavours  to  assist  the  miserable  animal  perfectly  useless, 
and,  after  some  time,  he  fell  back,  stopped  and  yelled,  till 
he  reluctantly  disappeared. 

3d.]  We  proceeded  only  a  few  miles  in  consequence  of 
the  wind,  and  came  to  at  the  point  of  a  sand-bar,  seven 
miles  above  the  fourth  Bluff.  Here  we  observed  a  flat- 
boat  lying  aground,  and  dry  upon  the  bar,  for  want  of 
precaution  in  landing  during  the  falling  state  of  the 
river. 


88  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

4th.]  This  morning  we  descended  to  the  fourth  Chica- 
saw  Bluffs,'^  and,  after  endeavouring  in  vain  to  proceed, 
were  obHged  to  desist  for  the  wind,  and  come  to  under  fort 
Pickering.'*  The  strata  are  here  again  similar  to  those 
of  the  second  Bluffs,  even  the  [56]  seam  of  pink  clay  occurs, 
and  near  the  level  of  the  river  we  likewise  perceive  the  lig- 
nite in  a  bed  of  about  six  feet  thickness ;  but  not  probably 
continuous.  Along  the  shore  we  saw  masses  which  looked 
precisely  like  burnt  logs,  but  all  this  coal,  at  length,  blazes 
in  the  fire,  and  gives  out,  as  usual,  a  smoke  partaking  of 
the  odour  of  coal  and  turf. 

We  found  a  store  here  for  the  supply  of  the  Indians  and 
the  settlers  of  the  neighbourhood,  besides  that  of  the 
United  States.  The  advance  upon  articles  sold  to  the 
natives  is  very  exorbitant:  for  example,  a  coarse  Indian 
duffell  blanket  four  dollars,  whiskey,  well  watered,  which 
is  sold  almost  without  restraint,  in  spite  of  the  law,  two 
doUars  per  gallon,  and  every  thing  else  in  the  same  pro- 
portion. Yet  the  Indians  get  no  more  than  25  cents  for 
a  ham  of  venison,  a  goose,  or  a  large  turkey. 

On  visiting  a  neighbouring  encampment  of  the  Chica- 
saws,  we  found  many  of  them  in  a  state  of  intoxication. 
They  are  generally  well  dressed,  extravagantly  orna- 
mented, and,  from  the  fairness  of  many  of  their  complex- 
ions, and  agreeable  features,  appear  to  have  profited  by 
their  intercourse  with  the  whites.  Several  of  them  pos- 
sessed some  knowledge  of  English,  and  a  considerable 
number  are  making  advances  towards  civilization.  Gen- 
eral Jackson  purchased  from  them  a  tract  of  land,  said  to 
be  of  more  than  300  miles  extent,  and  bounded  by  Wolf 
river,  a  small  stream  which  enters  the  Mississippi  at  the 

^  For  sketch,  see  ihid.,  note  189. —  Ed. 

"  For  note  on  Fort  Pickering,  see  ibid.,  note  192. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  89 

commencement  of  the  Bluffs.^^  On  the  river  lands  I  here 
first  noticed  the  occurrence  of  Brunichia,  Quercus  lyrata, 
and  Carya  aquatica  (Juglans,  Mich.) 

On  the  5th  we  passed  President  island,  of  considerable 
magnitude,  contiguous  to  which  there  is  a  rapid  current. 
The  left  channel  was  now  choked  up  with  sand  at  its  en- 
trance. Here  we  again  observed  a  settlement  of  two  or 
three  families.  In  the  evening  we  came  to  alongside  a 
sand-bar  or  willow  island,  at  [57]  least  so  in  high  water, 
though  now  connected  with  the  land  by  a  dry  sand-bar, 
like  many  other  of  the  transient  islands  noticed  in  the 
Navigator.  We,  at  length,  began  to  observe  a  rise  in  the 
bed  of  the  river. 

6th.]  To-day  we  saw  a  few  widely-scattered  log-cabins 
along  the  bank,"  and  came  within  14  miles  of  the  mouth 
of  St.  Francis. 

7th.]  We  proceeded  by  the  left  channel  of  St.  Francis 
island,  and  found  it  very  shallow  and  difficult,  abounding 
with  snags  and  bars,  upon  one  of  which  lay  a  flat-boat 
aground,  which  had  been  detained  here  12  days.  We 
endeavoured  to  make  a  landing  at  the  uppermost  house 
of  the  settlement,  near  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Francis,  but 
found  the  water  much  too  rapid ;  we  succeeded,  however, 
in  eddy  water  half  a  mile  below,  but  found  a  considerable 
difficulty  in  ascending  the  broken  bank. 

I  made  some  enquiries  respecting  the  Arkansa,  95  miles 
from  hence.  The  O sages"  bear  a  very  bad  character 
with  these  hunting  farmers,  of  whom  we  saw  but  two 
individuals,  and  one  inhabited  house,  excepting  that  we 

"  For  brief  statement  regarding  the  purchase,  see  ibid.,  note  190. —  Ed. 

"  There  is  no  record  of  a  compact  or  permanent  settlement  at  this  date  near 
the  mouth  of  the  St.  Francis.  There  were  scattered  settlers  as  early  as  1800, 
for  John  Patterson  was  bom  in  that  year  not  far  above  Helena. —  Ed. 

"  For  the  Osage  Indians,  see  ante,  note  53. —  Ed. 


90  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

had  first  endeavoured  to  make.  This  settlement  appears 
to  be  nearly  abandoned,  and  very  undeservedly.  I 
walked  out  two  or  three  miles  into  the  woods,  and  found 
the  land  considerably  elevated  above  the  reach  of  inunda- 
tion, and  of  a  good  quality.  Nearly  opposite  island  60, 
a  few  miles  below,  we  were  informed  of  the  existence  of 
hills  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  the  river. 

How  many  ages  may  yet  elapse  before  these  luxuriant 
wilds  of  the  Mississippi  can  enumerate  a  population  equal 
to  the  Tartarian  deserts !  At  present  all  is  irksome  silence 
and  gloomy  solitude,  such  as  to  inspire  the  mind  with 
horror. 

I  was  greatly  disappointed  to  meet  with  such  a  similarity 
in  the  vegetation,  to  that  of  the  middle  and  northern  states. 
The  higher  lands  produce  black  ash,  elm  (Ulmus  ameri- 
cana),  hickory,  walnut,  maple,  [58]  hackberry  (Celtis 
integrijolia,  no  other  species),  honey-locust,  coffee-bean, 
&c.  On  the  river  lands,  as  usual,  grows  platanus  or 
button  wood,  upon  the  seeds  of  which  flocks  of  screaming 
parrots  were  greedily  feeding,®*  also  enormous  cotton-wood 
trees  (Populus  anguUsans),  commonly  called  yellow  poplar, 
some  of  them  more  than  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  occasion- 
ally festooned  with  the  largest  vines  which  I  had  ever  be- 
held. Here  grew  also  the  holly  (Ilex  opaca),  A  plectrum 
hiemale,  {Ophrys  hyemale,  Lin.),  Botrychium  obliquum, 
and  Fumaria  aurea.  Nearly  all  the  trees  throughout  this 
country  possessing  a  smooth  bark,  are  loaded  with  misletoe 
(Viscum  verticillatum). 

8th.]  About  a  mile  below  the  place  where  we  spent  the 
last  night,  is  the  settlement  called  the  Big  Prairie,  consist- 
ing of  three  or  four  log-cabins,  and  two  families,  but  in 

"  Their  most  favourite  food  in  the  autumn  is  the  seeds  of  the  cuckold  bur 
(Xanthium  strumarium). —  Nuttall. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  journal  91 

a  state  of  abandonment  since  the  shock  of  the  earthquake, 
which  the  inhabitants  assert  to  have  produced  a  depression 
of  the  ordinary  level,  that  exposed  the  settlement  to  in- 
undation; and,  in  fact,  by  a  sudden  encroachment  of  the 
river,  which  carried  off  the  land  for  more  than  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  in  breadth,  all  the  habitations,  except  the  two 
now  surviving,  were  swept  into  the  river.  About  a  mile 
and  a  half  below  commences  the  60th  island  of  the  Navi- 
gator ;  the  right  channel  was  now  choked  up  with  sand  at  its 
outlet.  A  little  distance  below  we  landed  at  a  store  to 
purchase  some  necessaries.  Considerable  tracts  of  good 
and  elevated  land,  once  numerously  peopled  by  the  na- 
tives, appear  in  this  quarter,  over  which  the  conspicuous 
devastations  of  a  hurricane  now  added  horror  to  solitude. 

The  scrub-grass  or  rushes,  as  they  are  called  here 
{Equisetum  hiemale),  from  about  50  to  60  miles  above,  to 
this  place,  appear  along  the  banks  in  vast  fields,  and, 
together  with  the  cane,  which  is  evergreen,  [59]  are  con- 
sidered the  most  important,  and,  indeed,  the  only  winter 
fodder  for  all  kinds  of  cattle.  The  cane  is  unquestionably 
saccharine  and  nutritious,  but  the  scrub-grass  produces 
an  unfavourable  action  on  the  stomach,  and  scours  the 
cattle  so  as  to  debilitate  and  destroy  them  if  its  use  be  long 
continued. 

We  proceeded,  without  any  accident  worthy  of  remark, 
about  six  miles,  below  the  ''Little  Round  island,"  noticed 
in  the  Navigator,  which  from  its  uncommon  aspect  affords 
a  pretty  good  local  object  for  the  boatmen.  While  pass- 
ing the  island  we  were  accosted  by  some,  to  us,  suspi- 
cious characters,  mimicking  distress  to  draw  us  to  land,  but 
in  vain.  We  had  been  well  assured  of  the  existence  of 
gangs  of  pirates  occasionally  occupying  these  solitudes. 

9th.]  We  continued,  as  usual,  soon  after  day-break,  and 


92  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

were  about  to  stop  by  reason  of  the  wind,  when  it  unex- 
pectedly abated,  so  far  as  to  prevent  us,  and  we  proceeded 
to  the  Three  Islands,  as  they  ought  to  be  called  for  the 
sake  of  distinction,  and  which  are  not  intelligible  as  the 
62d  and  63d  of  the  Navigator.  These  islands  lie  nearly 
parallel,  and  present  themselves  at  the  commencement  of 
a  left  hand  bend  in  the  river.  Two  of  them  which  first 
appear  are  small  willow  islands,  with  adjoining  sand-bars. 
The  channel  of  the  first  was  now  dry;  that  of  the  second 
smooth,  but  apparently  shallow.  The  principal  insulated 
forest  is  crescent-formed  like  Flour  island,  or  deeply  and 
circularly  indented  on  the  right-hand  side.  We  had  pro- 
ceeded past  the  two  willow  islands  nearly  to  the  principal 
one,  when  we  perceived,  unexpectedly,  that  the  greater 
part  of  the  river  was  pouring  along  with  headlong  velocity 
between  the  main  and  second  willow  island.  To  the  left, 
the  channel  round  the  third  island  appeared  broad  and 
shallow,  indeed  nearly  deserted  by  the  river.  We  now 
entered  the  torrent  almost  too  late  for  precaution,  which, 
towards  the  main  island,  the  side  to  which  we  had  been 
inadvertently  [60]  drawn,  was  planted  full  of  black  and 
fearful  logs.  It  was  only  with  the  utmost  exertion  that 
we  saved  ourselves  (by  rowing  out  towards  the  bar)  from 
the  fate  of  some  unfortunate  boatmen,  which  presented 
itself  to  us  with  more  than  usual  horror.  This  was  a  large 
flat-boat,  which  hung  upon  the  trunk  of  an  implanted  tree, 
by  which  it  had  been  perforated  and  instantly  sunk. 

We  passed  islands  64  and  65,  and  came  to  the  shore  in 
the  bend  opposite  the  middle  of  66,  which  appeared  to  be 
about  three  miles  in  length.  From  New  Madrid  to  this 
place  the  river  appears  singularly  meandering,  sweeping 
along  in  vast  elliptic  curves,  some  of  them  from  six  to 
eight  miles  round,  and  constantly  presenting  themselves 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  93 

in  opposite  directions.  The  principal  current  pressing 
against  the  centre  of  the  bend,  at  the  rate  of  about  five 
miles  per  hour,  gradually  diminishes  in  force  as  it  ap- 
proaches the  extremity  of  the  curve.  Having  attained 
the  point  or  promontory,  the  current  proceeds  with  accu- 
mulating velocity  to  the  opposite  bank,  leaving,  conse- 
quently, to  the  eddy  water,  an  extensive  deposition  in  the 
form  of  a  vast  bed  of  sand,  nearly  destitute  of  vegetation, 
but  flanked  commonly  by  an  island  or  peninsula  of  wil- 
lows. These  beds  of  sand,  for  the  most  part  of  the  year 
under  water,  are  what  the  boatmen  term  bars.  The 
river,  as  it  sweeps  along  the  curve,  according  to  its  force 
and  magnitude,  produces  excavations  in  the  banks; 
which,  consisting  of  friable  materials,  are  perpetually 
washing  away  and  leaving  broken  and  perpendicular 
ledges,  often  lined  with  fallen  trees,  so  as  to  be  very  dan- 
gerous to  the  approach  of  boats,  which  would  be  dashed 
to  pieces  by  the  velocity  of  the  current.  These  slips  in 
the  banks  are  almost  perpetual,  and  by  the  undermining 
of  eddies  often  remarkable  in  their  extent.  To-day  we 
witnessed  two  horrid  sinkings  of  the  bank,  by  each  of 
which  not  less  than  an  acre  of  land  had  fallen  in  a  day  or 
two  [61]  ago,  with  all  the  trees  and  cane  upon  them,  down 
to  the  present  level  of  the  river,  a  depth  of  30  or  40  feet 
perpendicular.  These  masses  now  formed  projecting 
points,  upon  which  the  floating  drift  was  arrested,  and 
over  which  the  current  broke  along  with  more  than  ordi- 
nary velocity.  Just  after  passing  one  of  these  foaming 
drifts,  we  narrowly  escaped  being  drawn  into  a  correspond- 
ing eddy  and  vortex  that  rushed  up  the  stream,  with  a 
fearful  violence,  and  from  which  we  should  not  have 
been  easily  extricated.  I  now  sufficiently  saw  the  reason 
why  the  flat-boats  were  always  kept  out  from  the  shore. 


94  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

and  towards  the  bars  which  occupy  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river. 

The  encroachments  in  the  centre  of  the  curves  of  the 
meanders,  proceeding  to  a  certain  extent,  at  length  break 
through  and  form  islands,  in  time  the  islands  also  disap- 
pear, and  so  the  river  continually  augmenting  its  uncon- 
troulable  dominion  over  the  friable  soU,  alternately  fills 
up  one  channel,  and  more  deeply  excavates  or  forms  an- 
other, in  proportion  to  the  caprice  of  the  current. 

In  regard  to  landing,  eddy  or  silent  water  is  constantly 
to  be  found  beyond  the  point  of  the  bends  or  curves  of  the 
river.  The  bars  are  also  generally  safe,  when  sufficiently 
high,  and  the  water  deep.  In  such  situations,  the  counter 
current,  though  inconsiderable,  affords  also  a  singular 
facUity  to  vessels  which  are  ascending. 

A  rude  cabin,  which  we  passed  to-day,  was  the  only 
habitation  we  had  seen  for  30  miles. 

This  evening  we  were  visited  by  three  young  men,  a 
boy,  and  a  squaw  of  the  Osarks,  a  band  of  the  Quapaws  ^* 
or  Arkansa  Indians.  Their  aspect  was  agreeable,  their 
features  aquUine,  and  their  complexion  comparatively 
fair ;  my  first  impression  was  that  they  somewhat  resembled 
the  Osages.  Their  errand  was  whiskey,  and  I  regretted 
that  it  was  not  possible  to  satisfy  them  without  it.  They 
drank  healths  in  [62]  their  own  language,  and  one  of  them 
could  mumble  out  a  little  bad  English.  They  informed 
me,  partly  by  signs,  that  their  company  was  about  five  or 
six  families  or  fires,  as  they  intimated,  out  on  a  hunting 
excursion.  I  was  sorry  to  find  that  they  were  beggars, 
and  that  one  of  them  proved  himself  to  be  a  thief. 

loth.]  This  morning  we  left  the  66th  island,  opposite 
the  middle  of  which  we  came  to  last  evening,  but  found 

'*  For  the  Quapaw,  see  post,  note  84. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  yournal  95 

our  situation  hazardous  from  the  sliding  in  of  the  bank 
around,  and  which  might  easily  have  involved  us  in 
difficulty.  By  the  time  we  had  proceeded  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  along  the  bend  or  right  hand  channel  of  67  and 
68,  which  lie  opposite  to  each  other,  a  fog  sprung  up,  so 
very  dense  as  to  render  our  situation  amidst  almost  un- 
seen obstacles  extremely  dangerous.  We  had  no  alterna- 
tive but  rowing  over  to  the  bar  of  the  island  on  our  left, 
in  which  attempt  we  at  length  succeeded,  not,  however, 
without  a  risk  of  grounding.  Here  we  lay  until  towards 
evening,  when  we  proceeded  to  the  termination  of  the  68th 
island,  and  made  an  indifferent  landing.  On  exposing 
the  thermometer  to  the  air,  it  rose  and  remained  at  62°. 
In  the  water  it  fell  to  42° ;  the  difference  being  20°,  which 
readily  accounted  for  the  dense  fog  that  exclusively  en- 
veloped the  river.  This  coldness  of  the  water  was  no 
doubt  occasioned  by  the  thawing  of  ice  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  river,  or  some  of  its  more  considerable  tributary 
streams,  in  consequence  of  which,  the  vapours  of  the  moist 
and  warm  air  were  perpetually  precipitated  over  it.  The 
air,  of  unequal  temperature,  now  and  then  felt  extremely 
warm. 

On  the  nth  we  were  again  detained  by  the  fog  and 
heavy  rain,  but  turned  out  about  10  o'clock.  After  pro- 
ceeding opposite  the  commencement  of  the  69th  island 
we  stopped  in  consequence  of  the  fog.  Here,  on  ascend- 
ing the  bank,  I  found  the  woods  almost  impenetrably 
laced  with  green  briars  (Smilax),  [63]  supple-jacks  {(Eno- 
plia  volubilis),  and  the  Brunichia,  and  for  the  first  time 
recognised  the  short-podded  honey-locust  (Gleditscia 
hr  achy  car  pa),  a  distinct  species,  intermediate  with  the 
common  kind  (G.  triacanthos),  and  the  one-seeded  locust 
(G.  monosperma),  differing  from  G.  triacanthos  in  the  per- 


96  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

sisting  fasciculated  legumes,  as  well  as  in  their  shortness 
and  want  of  pulp. 

We  proceeded  a  few  miles  further  amidst  torrents  of 
rain,  and  were  again  obliged  to  land  in  consequence  of 
the  fog.  Here  we  met  with  two  hunters,  who  informed  us 
of  the  existence  of  a  considerable  settlement  on  the  banks 
of  White  River. ^° 

The  wind  springing  up  in  the  evening  from  the  north- 
west, the  thermometer  fell  to  52°,  and  the  water  to  40°, 
from  which  time  the  dense  fog  that  had  exclusively  en- 
veloped the  river  began  to  disperse,  and  in  the  night  we 
had  a  storm. 

12th.]  Coming  along  the  bend  of  the  71st  island,  we 
struck  upon  an  enormous  planter,  or  immoveable  log, 
but  again  escaped  without  accident.  About  noon  we 
landed  at  Mr.  M'Lane's/^  a  house  of  entertainment. 
Here  I  was  advised  to  proceed  with  my  small  cargo  and 
flat-boat  to  the  port  of  Osark,  on  the  Arkansa,  by  the 
bayou, ^^  which  communicates  between  the  White  and 
Arkansa  rivers,  in  both  of  which  it  was  now  conjectured 
there  was  back-water  from  the  Mississippi.  Concluding 
upon  this  measure,  I  hired  a  man  at  five  dollars  to  assist 

me,  and  parted  here  with  Mr.  G and  son,  who  soon, 

to  my  satisfaction,  got  a  further  passage  on  board  a  flat- 
boat.  The  idea  of  so  soon  arriving  on  the  ground  which 
I  more  immediately  intended  to  explore,  did  not  fail  to 
inspire  me  with  hope  and  satisfaction. 


^°  Local  historians  mention  an  early  settlement  at  Crockett's  Bluff,  on  White 
River,  which  may  be  the  one  here  referred  to. —  Ed. 

"  We  find  nothing  positive  relative  to  this  individual;  but  it  is  interesting  to 
note  that  Arkansas  County  was  represented  in  the  upper  house  of  the  territorial 
legislatiire  in  182 1  by  Neil  McLane,  who  may  have  been  the  same  man. —  Ed. 

"  This  bayou,  sometimes  called  "White  River  Cut  Off,"  was  the  common 
route  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Arkansas,  for  travellers  from  the  North. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  97 

[64]    CHAPTER  VI 

Proceed  up  White  river  for  the  Arkansa  —  Suspicious 
conduct  of  one  of  the  boatmen  —  Pass  through  the  con- 
necting bayou,  and  proceed  up  the  Arkansa;  its  naviga- 
tion ;  soil  and  surrounding  scenery  —  A  small  French 
settlement  —  Extraordinary  mildness  of  the  season  — 
Mounds  —  Changes  in  the  alluvial  lands  produced  by 
the  agency  of  the  river  —  Land  speculators  —  Vegeta- 
tion of  the  alluvial  lands  —  The  town  or  Post  of  Ar- 
kansas —  Enormous  land  claims  —  Difficulty  of  navi- 
gating against  the  current  —  The  Great  Prairie  — 
First  settlement  on  the  Arkansa ;  its  present  state  — 
Agricultural  advantages  arising  from  the  mildness  of 
the  climate  —  Storax  — Aboriginal  remains  — The  Qua- 
paws  or  Arkansas  —  Their  traditions  and  character. 

13TH.]  To-day  I  was  detained  at  Mr.  M'Lane's,  wait- 
ing the  drunken  whim  of  the  Yankee,  whom  necessity 
had  obliged  me  to  hire.  In  the  course  of  a  few  hours  he 
had  shifted  from  two  bargains.  At  first,  I  was  to  give  him 
five  dollars  for  his  assistance,  and  in  case  that  should  prove 
inadequate,  I  had  agreed  to  hire  an  additional  hand  on 
the  Arkansa.  Now  he  wished  to  have  the  boat  for  bring- 
ing her  completely  to  the  Port,  and  next  he  wanted  10 
dollars ! 

I  endeavoured  to  amuse  myself  in  the  neighbourhood, 
by  a  ramble  through  the  adjoining  cane-brake.  Here  I 
found  abundance  of  the  Celtis  integrijolia  (entire-leaved 
nettle  tree)  and  the  common  and  one-seeded  honey-locust ; 
also  Forrestiera  acuminata  of  Poiret  (Borya  acuminata, 
Wild.).  The  day  was  as  mild  and  warm  as  the  month 
of  May,  and  the  Senecio  laciniata,  so  common  along  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  already  showed  signs  of  flower- 
ing. 

14th.]  To-day  we  proceeded  up  White  river  with  [65] 


98  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

considerable  difficulty,  and  hard  labour,  the  Mississippi 
not  being  sufficiently  high  to  produce  any  eddy.  The 
course  which  we  made,  in  the  two  miles  that  we  ascended, 
was  west  by  north.  I  now  found  the  boatman  whom  I 
had  hired,  one  of  the  most  worthless  and  drunken  scoun- 
drels imaginable;  he  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  do 
any  thing  but  steer,  while  myself  and  the  other  man  I  had 
hired,  were  obliged  to  keep  constantly  to  the  oar,  or  the 
cordelle  (tow-rope).  In  the  evening  we  left  the  boat 
without  any  guard,  intending  to  repair  to  it  in  the  morning 
from  Mr.  M'Lane's,  where  we  returned  again  this  eve- 
ning, being  only  three  miles  distant  across  the  forest. 
Here  I  discovered  that  the  Yankee  intended  to  proceed 
to  the  boat  in  our  absence  and  rob  me,  pretending  some 
business  to  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansa,  for  which  he  must 
depart  by  moon-light.  Unknown  to  him,  however,  and 
accompanied  by  a  young  man  whom  I  had  hired  in  his 
place,  we  repaired  to  the  boat,  waiting  under  arms  the  ap- 
proach of  the  thief,  but  unable  to  obtain  a  boat,  he  had 
relinquished  the  attempt,  and  saved  himself  from  chas- 
tisement. 

In  the  neighbouring  woods  I  was  shewn  a  scandent 
leguminous  shrub,  so  extremely  tenacious  as  to  afford  a 
good  substitute  for  ropes,  and  commonly  employed  as  a 
boat's  cable.  A  knot  can  be  tied  of  it  with  ease.  On 
examination  I  found  it  to  be  the  plant  which  I  have  called 
Wisteria  speciosa  {Glycine  jrutescens.  Willd.)  the  Caro- 
lina kidney-bean  tree." 

15th.]  We  continued  with  hard  labour  ascending  White 
river  to  the  bayou,  said  to  enter  seven  miles  up  that  stream. 
The  latter  proceeds  from  the  bayou,  in  a  direction  of  west 

"  The  name  of  Thyrsanthus,  given  by  Mr.  Elliott,  has  been  already  employed 
for  another  genus. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  "Journal  99 

to  north-west,  the  bayou  or  cut-off  continuing  to  the  south- 
west. In  this  distance,  there  are  no  settlements,  the  land 
being  overflowed  by  the  back  water  of  the  Mississippi. 
We  passed  nearly  [66]  through  the  bayou,  in  which  there 
are  four  points  of  land  and  a  half;  the  current  carrying  us 
almost  three  miles  an  hour  towards  the  Arkansa,  which 
it  entered  nearly  at  right  angles,  with  a  rapid  current, 
and  a  channel  filled  with  snags.  The  length  of  the  bayou 
appears  to  be  about  eight  or  nine  miles. 

1 6th.]  Leaving  the  bayou,  we  entered  the  Arkansa, 
which  was  very  low,  but  still  red  and  muddy  from  the 
freshets  of  the  Canadian.  Most  of  the  larger  streams 
which  enter  into  it  from  the  south,  are  charged  with  red 
and  turbid  water,  while  those  of  the  north  are  clear. 
Every  where  I  observed  the  chocolate  or  reddish  brown 
clay  of  the  salt  formation,  deposited  by  the  southern 
freshets.  The  Arkansa  had  here  a  very  gentle  current, 
and  was  scarcely  more  than  200  yards  wide,  with  its 
meanders  on  a  small  scale,  similar  to  those  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. In  consequence  of  the  unrestrained  dominion  of 
the  inundation,  no  settlements  yet  appeared  in  this 
quarter.  We  proceeded  chiefly  by  means  of  the  cordelle, 
but  at  a  very  tedious  and  tiresome  rate,  for,  after  the 
utmost  exertion,  with  our  unwieldy  boat,  we  were  this 
evening  only  six  and  a  half  miles  above  the  outlet  of  the 
bayou. 

17th.]  We  found  the  labour  of  towing  our  boat  exceed- 
ingly tiresome,  in  consequence  of  the  sudden  falling  of  the 
river,  produced  by  a  corresponding  ebb  of  the  Mississippi. 
With  painful  exertions,  and  after  wading  more  than  three 
hours  in  the  river,  we  passed  only  two  bars  in  the  course 
of  the  day. 

1 8th.]  To-day  we  towed  along  two  bars,  much  more  con- 


I  oo  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

siderable  than  any  preceding  bends,  but  had  the  disap- 
pointment to  spend  the  night  only  a  single  mile  below 
Madame  Gordon's,  the  place  of  our  destination  with  the 
boat,  and  only  16  miles  above  the  bayou,  by  which  we 
entered  the  Arkansa.  This  house  is  the  first  which  is 
met  with  in  ascending  the  river.  Nearly  opposite  to  the 
foot  of  the  last  bar  [67]  but  one  which  we  passed,  a  vast 
pile  of  drift  wood  marks  the  outlet  of  a  bayou,  which  is 
open  in  high  water,  and  communicates  with  the  Missis- 
sippi. 

The  three  last  bends  of  the  river,  like  the  four  first, 
tending  by  half  circles  to  the  north-west,  are  each  about 
two  and  three  miles  in  circuit.  As  in  the  Mississippi,  the 
current  sets  with  the  greatest  force  against  the  centre  of 
the  curves;  the  banks  of  which  are  nearly  perpendicular, 
and  subject  to  a  perpetual  state  of  dislocation.  In  such 
situations  we  frequently  see  brakes  of  cane;  while,  on  the 
opposite  side,  a  naked  beach  of  sand,  thinly  strewed  with 
succulent  and  maritime  plants,  considerably  wider  than 
the  river,  appears  to  imitate  the  aridity  of  a  desert,  though 
contrasted  at  a  little  distance  by  skirting  groves  of  willows 
and  poplars. 

No  other  kind  of  soil  appears  than  a  friable  loam,  and 
the  beds  of  red  clay,  which  so  strongly  tinge  the  water  at 
particular  periods  of  inundation.  The  sand  of  the  river 
appears  to  be  in  perpetual  motion,  drifting  along  at  the 
beck  of  the  current;  its  instability  is  indeed  often  danger- 
ous to  the  cattle  that  happen  to  venture  into  the  river, 
either  to  drink  or  traverse  the  stream. 

The  land,  although  neglected,  appears  in  several  places, 
below  Madame  Gordon's,  high  enough  to  be  susceptible 
of  cultivation,  and  secure  from  inundation,  at  least  for 
some  distance  from  the  immediate  bank  of  the  river. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  loi 

No  change,  that  I  can  remark,  yet  exists  in  the  vegeta- 
tion, and  the  scenery  is  almost  destitute  of  every  thing 
which  is  agreeable  to  human  nature;  nothing  yet  appears 
but  one  vast  trackless  wilderness  of  trees,  a  dead  solem- 
nity, where  the  human  voice  is  never  heard  to  echo,  where 
not  even  ruins  of  the  humblest  kind  recal  its  history  to 
mind,  or  prove  the  past  dominion  of  man.  All  is  rude 
nature  as  it  sprang  into  [68]  existence,  still  preserving  its 
primeval  type,  its  unreclaimed  exuberance. 

19th.]  This  morning  we  had  extremely  hard  labour,  to 
tow  the  only  mile  which  remained  of  our  tiresome  voyage. 
I  was  obliged  to  plunge  into  the  water  up  to  the  waist,  and 
there  work  for  some  time,  to  disengage  the  boat  from  a 
hidden  log  upon  which  it  was  held;  the  men  I  had  em- 
ployed, being  this  morning  scarcely  willing  to  wet  their 
feet,  although  I  had  to  pay  them  exorbitant  wages. 

A  mile  and  a  half  from  Madame  Gordon's,  there  was  a 
settlement,  consisting  of  four  or  five  French  families, 
situated  upon  an  elevated  tract  of  fertile  land,  which  is 
occasionally  insulated  by  the  overflowings  of  the  White 
and  Arkansa  rivers. 

20th.]  To-day,  and  indeed  for  more  than  a  week  past, 
the  weather,  except  being  cloudy,  has  felt  to  me  like  May ; 
towards  mid-day,  the  thermometer  rose  to  67°.  The 
birds  had  commenced  their  melodies;  and  on  the  high  and 
open  bank  of  the  river  near  to  Madame  Gordon's,  I  had 
already  the  gratification  of  finding  flowers  of  the  same 
natural  family  as  many  of  the  early  plants  of  Europe;  the 
Crucif erae ;  but  to  me  they  were  doubly  interesting,  as  the 
first  fruits  of  a  harvest  never  before  reaped  by  any  botanist. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  walked  about  a  mile  from  the  river 
to  the  house  of  Monsieur  Tenass,  an  honest  and  industri- 
ous farmer.     The  crop  of  cotton,  and  of  corn,  here  the 


I02  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

last  summer  was,  I  understand,  very  indifferent,  for  want 
of  rain.  The  first  sold  here,  at  five  to  six  dollars  per  hun- 
dred weight,  in  the  seed;  and  flour  at  10  dollars  per  barrel. 

The  climate  is  said  to  be  too  warm  for  apples,  but 
quite  suitable  for  peaches.  The  land  on  which  this  gen- 
tleman and  his  neighbours  resided,  in  tolerable  indepen- 
dence, is  very  considerably  elevated  and  open,  bearing  a 
resemblance  to  the  lands  about  the  Chicasaw  [69]  Bluffs, 
and  at  first  view,  I  thought  I  discovered  a  considerable 
hill,  but  it  was,  in  fact,  an  enormous  mound,  not  less  than 
40  feet  high,  situated  towards  the  centre  of  a  circle  of 
other  lesser  mounds,  and  elevated  platforms  of  earth. 
The  usual  vestiges  of  earthenware,  and  weapons  of  horn- 
stone  flint,  are  here  also  met  with,  scattered  over  the  sur- 
rounding son. 

In  any  other  direction  from  this  settlement,  the  lands 
are  totally  overflowed  in  freshets  as  far  as  the  Missis- 
sippi. %  On  this  side  of  the  Arkansa,  the  floods  cover  the 
whole  intermediate  space  to  White  river,  a  distance  of 
30  miles.  Within  this  tract,  cultivation  can  never  take 
place  without  recourse  to  the  same  industry,  which  has 
redeemed  Holland  from  the  ocean.  The  singular  ca- 
price of  the  river,  as  it  accidentally  seeks  its  way  to  the 
sea,|meandering  through  its  aUuvial  valley,  is  truly  re- 
markable. The  variation  of  its  channel  is  almost  incred- 
ible, and  the  action  which  it  exercises  over  the  destiny  of 
the  soil,  can  scarcely  be  conceived.  After  pursuing  a  given 
course  for  many  ages,  and  slowly  encroaching,  it  has,  at 
length,  in  many  instances  cut  through  an  isthmus,  and  thus 
abandoned  perhaps  a  course  of  six  or  eight  miles,  in  which 
the  water  stagnating,  at  length  becomes  totaUy  insulated, 
and  thus  presents  a  lagoon  or  lake.  One  of  these  insu- 
lated channels,  termed  a  lake,  commences  about  two  miles 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaWs  'Journal  103 

from  hence,  and  approaches  within  four  miles  of  the  Ar- 
kansas or  the  Post  of  Osark,  affording  a  much  nearer 
communication  than  the  present  course  of  the  river. 

Towards  evening,  two  keel  boats  came  in  sight,  one  of 
which  was  deeply  loaded  with  whiskey  and  flour;  the  other, 
a  small  boat  fitted  out  by  a  general  Calamees  and  his 
brother,  two  elderly  men  out  on  a  land  speculation,  who 
intended  to  ascend  the  river  as  far  as  the  Cadron,'^  which 
is  300  miles  from  hence  by  water,  or  to  the  Fort,"  which  is 
350  miles  further.  I  perceived  that  they  noted  down 
every  particular  which  [70]  came  to  their  knowledge,  but 
appeared  to  be  illiterate  men,  and  of  course,  I  found  them 
incapable  of  appreciating  the  value  of  science.  On  ap- 
plication, they  merely  condescended  to  offer  me  a  passage, 
provided  I  would  find  my  own  provision,  and  work  as  a 
boat-man.  Such  was  the  encouragement,  which  I  at  length 
wrung  from  these  generous  speculators;  not,  I  dare  say, 
exploring  the  Missouri  territory  with  the  same  philan- 
thropic views  as  the  generous  Birkbeck. 

21  St.]  About  12  o'clock,  the  thermometer  was  again  at 
67°.  In  the  course  of  the  forenoon,  I  took  a  solitary 
ramble  down  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  found  along  its 
shelving  border,  where  the  sun  obtained  free  access,  abun- 
dance of  the  Mimosa  glandulosa  of  Michaux;  also  Poly- 
premum  procumbens,  Diodia  virginica,  Verbena  nodiflora, 
Lm.  Eclipta  ereda,  Mich.  Poa  stricta,  Panicum  capil- 
laceum,  Poa  reptans  as  usual  in  vast  profusion,  and  Cap- 
raria  multifida.  The  trees  and  shrubs  are  chiefly  the 
Pecan,  (Carya  olivcBJormis)  C.  aquatica;  the  black  wal- 
nut, (Juglans  nigra),  but  very  rare;  Fraxinus  quadran- 
gulata,  Liquidamber  and  Platanus,  but  rarely  large  or  full 

"See  post,  note  133. —  Ed. 

^^  Fort  Smith.     See  chapter  viii. —  Ed. 


I04  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

grown;  also  Celtis  integrijolia;  the  swamp  oak  (Quercus 
aquatica),  nearly  sempervirent,  the  red  oak  (Q.  rubra), 
the  scarlet  oak  (Q.  coccinea),  Spanish  oak  (Q.  jalcata); 
Populus  angulisans,  the  cotton  wood,  of  greater  magni- 
tude than  any  other  tree  in  this  country,  with  the  wood 
yellowish,  like  that  of  the  Tulip  tree,  answering  the  pur- 
pose of  fence  rails,  and  being  tolerably  durable.  The 
smaller  white  poplar  (P.  monilijera),  never  so  large  as  the 
preceding,  commonly  growing  in  groves  like  the  willows, 
and  presenting  a  bark  which  is  white  and  even.  Differ- 
ent kinds  of  honey  locust,  as  the  common  species  Gledits- 
cia  triacanthos,  the  one-seeded  G.  monosperma,  and  the 
short  podded  G.  brachyloba.  There  is  no  sugar-maple, 
as  I  understand,  nearer  than  the  upper  parts  of  the  St. 
Francis  and  White  river. 

[71]  The  alluvial  soil  is  here  sandy  and  light;  by  no 
means  luxuriant,  except  on  the  very  margin  of  the  river. 
We  no  where  see  such  enormous  trees  as  those  which 
so  frequently  occur  along  the  banks  of  the  Ohio ;  this, 
however,  may  in  part  be  occasioned  by  the  instability  of 
the  soil,  from  whence  they  are  occasionally  swept  at  no 
very  distant  intervals.  The  tulip  tree  (Lyriodendron 
tulipijera),  which  attains  the  acme  of  its  perfection  and 
magnitude  in  Kentucky,  is  not  met  with  on  the  banks  of 
the  Arkansa. 

In  consequence  of  the  many  saline  streams  which  fall 
into  this  river,  its  waters  are  frequently  found  to  be  almost 
impotable. 

2 2d.]  The  path,  which  I  this  morning  pursued  to  the 
Post,  now  town  of  Arkansas,  passed  through  remarkably 
contrasted  situations  and  soil.  After  leaving  the  small 
circumscribed  and  elevated  portion  of  settled  lands  al- 
ready noticed,  and  over  which  were  scattered  a  number 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  105 

of  aboriginal  mounds,  I  entered  upon  an  oak  swamp, 
which,  by  the  marks  on  the  trees,  appeared  to  be  usually 
inundated,  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  four  to  six  feet 
by  the  back  water  of  the  river.  The  species  are  princi- 
pally Quercus  lyrata,  Q.  macrocarpa  (the  over-cup  oak); 
Q.  phellos  (the  willow  oak) ;  Q.  jalcata  (the  Spanish  oak) ; 
and  Q.  palustris  (the  swamp  oak) ;  with  some  red  and  scar- 
let, as  well  as  black  and  post  oak  on  the  knolls,  or  more 
elevated  parts.  In  this  swamp,  I  also  observed  the  Nyssa 
aquatica,  N.  pubescens  (Ogechee  lime,  the  fruit  being  pre- 
pared as  a  conserve),  as  well  as  N.  bi flora,  and  Gleditscia 
monosperma.  After  crossing  this  horrid  morass,  a  de- 
lightful tract  of  high  ground  again  occurs,  over  which  the 
floods  had  never  yet  prevailed ;  here  the  fields  of  the  French 
settlers  were  already  of  a  vivid  green,  and  the  birds  were 
singing  from  every  bush,  more  particularly  the  red  bird 
(Loxia  cardinalis),  and  the  blue  sparrow  (Motacilla  sialis). 
The  ground  appeared  perfectly  whitened  with  [72]  the 
Alyssum  bidentatum.  The  Viola  bicolor,  the  Myosurus 
minimus  of  Europe,  (probably  introduced  by  the  French 
settlers)  and  the  Houstonia  serpyllijolia  of  Michaux,  (H. 
patens  of  Mr.  Elliott)  with  bright  blue  flowers,  were  also 
already  in  bloom.  After  emerging  out  of  the  swamp,  in 
which  I  found  it  necessary  to  wade  about  ankle  deep,  a 
prairie  came  in  view,  with  scattering  houses  spreading 
over  a  narrow  and  elevated  tract  for  about  three  miles 
parallel  to  the  bend  of  the  river. 

On  arriving,  I  waited  on  Monsieur  Bougie,  ^^  one  of  the 
earliest  settlers  and  principal  inhabitants  of  the  place,  to 
whom  I  was  introduced  by  letter.     I  soon  found  in  him  a 


"  Probably  Charles  Bogy,  as  the  name  is  given  by  later  writers.  He  was  a 
native  of  Kaskaskia,  Illinois,  who  came  to  Arkansas  Post  with  the  federal  troops 
which  took  possession  in  1804. —  Ed. 


I  o6  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

gentleman,  though  disguised  at  this  time  in  the  garb  of  a 
Canadian  boatman.  He  treated  me  with  great  politeness 
and  respect,  and,  from  the  first  interview,  appeared  to 
take  a  generous  and  active  interest  in  my  favour.  Mon- 
sieur B.  was  by  birth  a  Canadian,  and,  though  70  years  of 
age,  possessed  almost  the  vigour  and  agility  of  youth. 
This  settlement  owes  much  to  his  enterprise  and 
industry. 

The  town,  or  rather  settlement  of  the  Post  of  Arkansas," 
was  somewhat  dispersed  over  a  prairie,  nearly  as  elevated 
as  that  of  the  Chicasaw  Bluffs,  and  containing  in  all 
between  30  and  40  houses.  The  merchants,  then  tran- 
sacting nearly  all  the  business  of  the  Arkansa  and  White 
river,  were  Messrs.  Braham  and  Drope,  Mr.  Lewis,  and 
Monsieur  Notrebe,'*  who  kept  well-assorted  stores  of 
merchandize,  supplied  chiefly  from  New  Orleans,  with 
the  exception  of  some  heavy  articles  of  domestic  manufac- 
ture obtained  from  Pittsburgh.  Mr.  Drope,  to  whom  I 
was  also  introduced  by  letter,  received  me  with  politeness, 
and  I  could  not  but  now  for  awhile  consider  myself  as  once 
more  introduced  into  the  circle  of  civilization. 

The  improvement  and  settlement  of  this  place  pro- 
ceeded slowly,  owing,  in  some  measure,  as  I  am  informed, 
to  the  uncertain  titles  of  the  neighbouring  [73]  lands. 
Several  enormous  Spanish  grants  remained  still  unde- 
cided; that  of  Messrs.  Winters,  of  Natchez,  called  for  no 

"  For  a  brief  history  of  Arkansas  Post,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  volxime  iv  of  our 
series,  note  195. —  Ed. 

^'  Of  these  merchants,  Lewis  may  be  the  Eli  I.  Lewis  who  was  clerk  of 
Arkansas  County  from  1821-29.  Local  histories  mention  none  of  the  others 
save  the  Frenchman,  Frederick  Noteribe.  He  took  part  in  the  French  Revo- 
lution and  was  an  army  ofl&cer  during  the  consulate,  but  left  France  when 
Napoleon  became  emperor.  Coming  to  Arkansas  about  1815  or  1818,  he  be- 
came a  wealthy  planter,  being  considered  in  the  forties  the  most  prominent  man 
in  the  county.     He  died  of  cholera  in  1849,  at  New  Orleans. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  Journal  107 

less  than  one  million  of  acres,  but  the  congress  of  the 
United  States,  inclined  to  put  in  force  a  kind  of  agrarian 
law  against  such  monopolizers,  had  laid  them,  as  I  was 
told,  under  the  stipulation  of  settling  upon  this  immense 
tract  a  certain  number  of  families." 

The  cotton  produced  in  this  neighbourhood,  of  a  quality 
no  way  inferior  to  that  of  Red  river,  obtained  this  year 
from  six  to  six  and  a  half  dollars  per  cwt.  in  the  seed, 
and  there  were  now  two  gins  established  for  its  prepara- 
tion, though,  like  every  thing  else,  in  this  infant  settle- 
ment of  the  poor  and  improvident,  but  little  attention 
beyond  that  of  absolute  necessity,  was  as  yet  paid  to  any 
branch  of  agriculture.  Nature  has  here  done  so  much, 
and  man  so  little,  that  we  are  yet  totally  unable  to  appre- 
ciate the  value  and  resources  of  the  soil.  Amongst  other 
kinds  of  grain,  rice  has  been  tried  on  a  small  scale,  and 
found  to  answer  every  expectation.  The  price  of  this 
grain,  brought  from  New  Orleans,  was  no  less  than  25  to 
37I  cents  per  lb.  by  retail.  Under  the  influence  of  a  cli- 
mate mild  as  the  south  of  Europe,  and  a  soil  equal  to  that 
of  Kentucky,  wealth  will  ere  long  flow,  no  doubt,  to  the 
banks  of  the  Arkansa. 

I  again  made  application  to  the  land  speculators,  trying 
to  prevail  upon  them  on  any  terms,  to  take  up  my  baggage, 
as  far  as  the  Cadron,  which  would  have  enabled  me  imme- 


"  The  loose  system  pursued  by  the  Spanish  in  making  land  grants  caused 
much  trouble  after  jurisdiction  passed  to  the  United  States.  In  1804  President 
Jefferson  appointed  commissioners  to  examine  land  titles  in  the  newly-acquired 
territory,  and  considerable  legislation  resulted.  Most  of  these  large  grants  were 
finally  invalidated  (1847-48),  on  the  ground  of  indefiniteness;  among  them,  the 
Winter  grant  referred  to  in  the  text.  This  grant  was  made  (1797)  to  EUsha, 
William,  and  Gabriel  Winter,  William  Russell,  and  Joseph  Sdllwell.  Other 
large  grants  in  the  same  region  were  made  to  Captain  Don  Joseph  Valliere,  on 
White  River  (1793);  Don  Carlos  de  Villemont,  commandant  of  the  post  (1795); 
and  Baron  de  Bastrop  (1799). —  Ed. 


io8  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

diately  to  proceed  on  my  journey,  across  the  great  prairie, 
but  they  remained  inexorable. 

23d.]  To-day,  I  returned  to  Madame  Gordon's,  which, 
though  only  six  miles  distant  by  land,  is  not  less  than  15 
by  water.  I  was  now  obliged  more  deeply  to  wade 
through  the  enswamped  forests,  which  surround  the 
habitable  prairie  lands,  in  consequence  of  the  late  rain. 
In  these  ponds,  I  am  told,  the  Proteus  [74]  or  Syren  is  oc- 
casionally met  with.  There  are  also  alligators,  though 
by  no  means  numerous. 

24th.]  This  morning  I  again  proceeded  up  the  river 
with  my  flat  boat,  by  the  assistance  of  two  French  boat- 
men, full  of  talk,  and,  at  first,  but  indifferently  inclined 
to  work;  we  succeeded,  however,  by  night,  to  get  to  the 
third  of  the  five  sand-bars  or  bends,  which  intervene  be- 
tween this  place  and  the  village  of  Arkansas.  The  follow- 
ing day  in  the  evening,  after  a  good  deal  of  hard  labour  and 
wading,  on  my  part,  and  that  of  the  negro  in  my  employ, 
we  arrived  at  Monsieur  Bougie's,  and  the  next  day  I 
parted  with  a  sort  of  regret  from  the  boat,  which,  with  all 
its  difficulties,  had  afforded  me,  through  the  most  incle- 
ment season  of  the  year,  no  inconsiderable  degree  of  com- 
fort and  convenience. 

On  the  26th,  I  proceeded  with  my  baggage  and  property 
to  the  village  in  Monsieur  Bougie's  perogue,  accompa- 
nied by  one  boatman.  Near  to  the  town,  we  grounded 
on  the  inner  side  of  a  recent,  and  still  augmenting  bar, 
and,  after  falling  a  little  back,  we  crossed  over,  but  here 
the  current  would  not  permit  us  to  advance  with  the  oars. 
The  shore  was  high,  and  the  water  too  deep  for  poles,  so 
that  we  had  again  to  attempt  the  side  we  had  left;  here, 
in  drifting  with  velocity  again  on  the  bar,  our  fickle  boat  or 
canoe  was  so  near  overturning,  notwithstanding  our  exer- 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  109 

tions,  that,  for  a  moment  I  considered  every  thing  as  lost ; 
getting  out,  however,  into  the  water,  we  with  some  difficulty 
set  the  perogue  afloat,  and  for  safety  dragged  her  along, 
up  to  our  waists  in  water.  The  sand  was  here  so  move- 
able, as  to  bury  our  feet  at  every  step.  We  at  length  suc- 
ceeded, and  came  to  shore,  under  a  bank  100  feet  high, 
without  any  kind  of  practicable  landing  for  merchandise, 
that  of  last  year  being  now  choked  up  with  moving  sand. 

In  the  meanest  garb  of  a  working  boat-man,  and  [75] 
unattended  by  a  single  slave,  I  was  no  doubt  considered, 
as  I  had  probably  been  by  the  land  speculators,  one  of 
the  canaille,  and  I  neither  claimed  nor  expected  attention ; 
my  thoughts  centered  upon  other  objects,  and  all  pride  of 
appearance  I  willingly  sacrificed  to  promote  with  frugality 
and  industry  the  objects  of  my  mission. 

An  insignificant  village,  containing  three  stores,  desti- 
tute even  of  a  hatter,  a  shoe-maker,  and  a  taylor,  and  con- 
taining about  20  houses,  after  an  existence  of  near  a  cen- 
tury, scarcely  deserved  geographical  notice,  and  will  never 
probably  flatter  the  industry  of  the  French  emigrants, 
whose  habits,  at  least  those  of  the  Canadians,  are  gener- 
aUy  opposed  to  improvement  and  regular  industry.  Dur- 
ing my  stay,  I  took  up  my  residence  with  Dr.  M'Kay, 
and  found  in  him  an  intelligent  and  agreeable  companion; 
but  such  is  the  nationality  of  these  ignorant  people,  that 
French  quackery  has  hitherto  been  preferred  to  the  ad- 
vice of  a  regular  physician.  Blanket  capeaus,  mocassins, 
and  overalls  of  the  same  materials,  are  here,  as  in  Canada, 
the  prevailing  dress;  and  men  and  women  commonly  wear 
a  handkerchief  on  the  head  in  place  of  hats  and  bonnets. 

28th.]  This  morning  I  accompanied  the  doctor  to  shoot 
wild  geese,  as  they  passed  to  a  neighbouring  lake,  about 
two  miles  in  the  rear  of  the  town.     Here  a  vast  prairie 


1 1  o  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

opens  to  view,  like  a  shorn  desert,  but  well  covered  with 
grass  and  herbaceous  plants.  Over  this  vast  plain, 
which  proceeds  a  little  to  the  west  of  north,  computed 
to  be  not  less  than  30  leagues  in  length,  by  10  to  15  in 
breadth,  passes  the  road  to  the  Cadron,  and  the  settle- 
ments of  Red  river. 

Among  other  plants  already  in  flower  in  these  natural 
meadows,  we  saw  abundance  of  a  new  and  fragrant  spe- 
cies of  Allium  with  greenish- white  flowers,  and  destitute 
of  the  characteristic  odour  of  the  genus  in  common  with 
A.  fragrans,  to  which  it  is  allied.  [76]  The  Houstonia 
serpyllifolia  and  Claytonia  caroliniana  were  also  in  full 
bloom  at  this  early  season. 

February  3c?.]  This  afternoon  I  walked  to  Mr.  Mose- 
ly's,  six  miles  distant  by  land,  and  15  by  water.  The 
prairie,  in  consequence  of  the  late  rains,  appeared  almost 
one  continued  sheet  of  water.  I  observed  springing  up, 
the  Eryngium  aquaticum,  occasionally  employed  as  a  med- 
icine by  the  inhabitants,  acting  as  a  diuretic,  and  in  larger 
doses  proving  almost  emetic.  Crossing  the  prairie,  which 
is  bordered  with  settlements,  we  entered  the  alluvial  for- 
est, containing  oak,  hickory,  box,  elder  {Acer  negundo), 
elm,  &c.  nearer  the  river  cotton-wood  appears  as  usual. 
I  saw  here  a  prickly-ash  {Zanthoxylion  Clava  Her  cults), 
the  size  of  an  ordinary  ash,  but  the  same  species  as  that 
of  the  southern  states,  and  the  bark  proving  equally  effica- 
cious for  allaying  the  tooth-ache. 

The  first  attempt  at  settlement  on  the  banks  of  the 
Arkansa,  was  begun  a  few  miles  below  the  bayou  which 
communicates  with  White  river.  An  extraordinary  inunda- 
tion occasioned  the  removal  of  the  garrison  to  the  borders 
of  the  lagoon  near  madame  Gordon's,  and,  again  dis- 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  1 1 1 

turbed  by  an  overflow,  they  at  length  chose  the  present 
site  of  Arkansas.  The  first  band  of  hunters  who  attempted 
to  reside  here,  were,  it  is  said,  obhged  to  remove,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  swarms  of  rats,  with  which  they  found  the 
country  infested.  These  animals,  which  are  native,  differ 
specifically  from  the  European  species,  are  much  larger, 
and  commit  the  most  serious  depredations.*" 

[77]  The  poverty  of  the  land  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  this  place,  will  probably  operate  as  a  perpetual  barrier 
to  its  extension.  The  encroachments  of  the  river  upon  the 
precipitous  and  friable  bank  in  front  of  the  town,  and 
the  enlargement  of  the  ravines  by  which  it  is  intersected, 
renders  the  site  altogether  precarious,  and  prevents  the 
practicability  of  any  thing  like  a  convenient  landing  for 
merchandise.  During  the  period  of  high  water,  however, 
the  adjoining  bayou,  or  channel  of  communication  with 
a  neighbouring  lake,  affords  this  convenience. 

The  love  of  amusements,  here,  as  in  most  of  the  French 
colonies,  is  carried  to  extravagance,  particularly  gambling, 

*"  A  much  earlier  settlement  was  made  by  Chevalier  de  Tonti,  who,  in  1685, 
proceeding  from  the  fort  of  the  Illinois,  recently  established,  down  to  the  mouth 
of  the  Mississippi,  in  order  to  second  the  unfortunate  La  Salle,  and  not  finding 
him,  ascended  the  river  in  order  to  return  to  his  post.  In  his  way  he  entered 
the  Arkansa,  and  proceeded  up  to  the  village  of  that  nation,  with  whom  he 
made  an  alliance,  and  left  10  of  his  people,  at  their  earnest  request,  to  settle 
among  them.  This  small  party,  occasionally  augmented  by  the  Canadians  who 
descended  the  river,  keeping  on  peaceable  terms  with  the  natives,  and  inter- 
marrying amongst  them,  continually  maintained  their  ground,  though  rather 
by  adopting  the  manners  of  the  Indians,  and  becoming  hunters,  than  by  any 
regular  industry  or  attention  to  the  arts  and  conveniences  of  civilized  life. 
Families  of  this  mixed  race  are  now  scattered  along  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa, 
to  the  extremity  of  the  present  Quapaw  reservation. 

Had  the  unfortunate  grant  of  Mr.  Law  been  carried  into  effect,  which  pro- 
posed to  settle  at,  and  round  the  present  village  of  Arkansas,  9000  Germans 
from  the  Palatinate,  we  should  now  probably  have  witnessed  an  extensive  and 
flourishing  colony,  in  place  of  a  wilderness,  still  struggling  with  all  the  privations 
of  savage  life. —  Nuttall. 


•»1»5. 


1 1  2  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

and  dancing  parties  or  balls.  But  the  sum  of  general 
industry  is,  as  yet,  totally  insufficient  for  the  support  of 
any  thing  like  a  town. 

The  houses,  commonly  surrounded  with  open  galleries, 
destitute  of  glass  windows,  and  perforated  with  numerous 
doors,  are  well  enough  suited  for  a  summer  shelter,  but 
totally  destitute  of  comfort  in  the  winter.  Without  me- 
chanics, domestic  conveniences  and  articles  of  dress  were 
badly  supplied  at  the  most  expensive  rate.  Provision 
produced  in  the  country,  such  as  beef  and  pork,  did  not 
exceed  six  cents  per  pound;  but  potatoes,  onions,  apples, 
flour,  spirits,  wine,  and  almost  every  other  necessary 
article  of  diet,  were  imported  at  an  enormous  price,  into 
a  country  which  ought  to  possess  every  article  of  the  kind 
for  exportation  to  New  Orleans.  Such  is  the  evil  which 
may  always  be  anticipated  by  forcing  a  town,  like  a  garri- 
son, into  being,  previous  to  the  existence  of  necessary 
[78]  supplies.  With  a  little  industry,  surely  every  person 
in  possession  of  slaves  might  have,  at  least,  a  kitchen 
garden!  but  these  Canadian  descendants,  so  long  nur- 
tured amidst  savages,  have  become  strangers  to  civilized 
comforts  and  regular  industry.  They  must,  however,  in 
time  give  way  to  the  introduction  of  more  enterprising 
inhabitants. 

The  enormous  claim  of  Messrs.  Winters,  containing 
about  a  million  of  acres  of  this  territory,  and  which  will 
yet  probably  for  some  time  remain  undetermined,  proves 
a  considerable  bar  to  the  progress  of  the  settlement.  Be- 
sides a  great  portion  of  the  neighbouring  prairie,  it  em- 
braces much  of  the  finest  land  on  the  northern  border  of 
the  river,  and  continues  for  near  one  hundred  miles  along 
its  bank. 

The  great  prairie  of  which  we  have  already  spoken, 


1818-1820]  NuttalTs  'Journal  i  1 3 

said  to  be  90  miles  in  length,  contains  an  invaluable  body 
of  land,  and,  where  sufficiently  drained,  which  is  pretty 
generally  the  case,  except  during  the  rains  of  winter, 
would  produce  most  species  of  grain  in  abundance.  As 
a  pasture  it  is  truly  inexhaustible,  though  in  the  hottest 
months  of  summer  occasionally  deprived  of  water. 

The  cattle  throughout  this  country  are  generally  left  to 
provide  for  themselves,  and  suffered  to  range  at  large,  ex- 
cepting such  as  are  in  domestic  use.  That  they  may  not 
become  entirely  irreclaimable,  they  are  now  and  then  en- 
ticed to  come  up  to  the  fold  by  a  handful  of  salt,  or  a  few 
ears  of  corn.  No  hay  is  provided  for  fodder,  nor  does  it 
indeed  appear  necessary,  except  to  assist  in  fattening  for 
the  stall,  but  this  piece  of  economy,  like  almost  every 
thing  else  which  might  promise  comfort,  is  neglected, 
and  the  cattle  are  killed  just  as  they  are  hunted  up  from 
the  prairie  or  the  cane-brake.  It  is  from  the  prevalence 
of  the  cane,  and  the  shave-rush  {Equisetum  hiemale), 
that  the  cattle  are  kept  in  tolerable  condition,  and  often 
even  fat,  through  the  severest  part  of  the  winter.  Indeed, 
at  [79]  this  early,  but  perhaps  uncommonly  advanced 
season  of  the  year  (not  yet  the  middle  of  February), 
there  was  already  a  few  inches  of  green  herbage,  and 
only  one  night  during  this  month  have  I  seen  any  ice. 
The  thermometer,  towards  noon,  rises  to  70°,  and  the 
peach  and  plum-trees,  almost  equally  naturalized,  have 
nearly  finished  blooming.  The  fig,  however,  unprotected 
by  the  shelter  of  a  wall,  though  sufficiently  vigorous,  ap- 
pears every  year  to  die  down  nearly  to  the  ground. 
Grapes  succeed  so  as  to  promise  wine,  but  without  the 
advantage  of  cellars  it  soon  becomes  subjected  to  the 
acetous  fermentation. 

The  sweet  gum  tree  (Liquidambar  styraciflua),  which 


1 1 4  Rarly  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

produces  no  resin  in  the  northern  states,  where  it  is  equally 
indigenous,  here,  as  in  Mexico  and  the  Levant,  exudes  the 
odoriferous  Storax  of  the  shops. 

As  to  the  breed  of  domestic  animals,  no  selection  of 
J  those  commonly  raised  has  yet  been  attended  to,  nor  any 
foreign  ones  introduced  from  parallel  climates,  so  as  to 
afford  us  any  idea  of  the  resources  and  conveniences 
which  might  here  be  brought  into  existence.  The  horned 
cattle  increase  and  fatten  without  any  labour  or  attention, 
more  than  the  trouble  of  occasionally  ascertaining  their 
existence  in  the  wilderness  through  which  they  are  at 
liberty  to  roam  without  limit.  It  is  in  consequence  of  this 
unrestrained  liberty,  and  the  advantage  of  a  perpetual 
supply  of  food,  that  the  horse  has  become  already  natural- 
ized in  the  southern  parts  of  this  territory,  and  the  adjoin- 
ing province  of  Spain.  By  this  means,  however,  the 
domestic  breed  has  been,  in  some  respects  considerably 
deteriorated;  the  horses  of  this  country  are  rather  small, 
though  very  hardy,  and  capable  of  subsisting  entirely 
upon  cane  or  grass,  even  when  subjected  to  the  hardest 
labour.  They  were  commonly  sold  from  30  to  50  and  100 
dollars  a  piece,  though  paid  for  in  the  depreciated  cur- 
rency of  the  country,  bearing  a  discount  of  from  10  to  20 
per  cent. 

[80]  The  singular  temperature  and  general  mildness  of 
this  climate,  which  may  be  presumed  from  a  cursory  in- 
spection of  its  flora  and  agriculture,  and  then  again  the 
occurrence  of  considerable  frosts  in  the  winter,  are  circum- 
stances which  justly  excite  astonishment  when  we  survey 
the  same  parallels  of  latitude  in  the  transatlantic  regions. 
Here,  in  the  latitude  of  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  in  that  of 
Sidon,  and  even  south  of  Candia  and  Cyprus,  with  its 
groves  of  myrtle,  near  to  the  latitude  of  Madeira,  and  in 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  i  1 5 

that  of  the  empire  of  Morocco,  we  find  the  fig  annually  lev- 
elled to  the  ground  by  frosts.  Not  even  the  low  palmetto 
{Sabal  minor)  indigenous,  consequently  no  prospect  of 
naturalizing  the  date,  so  common  in  the  same  parallels  of 
Africa;  no  olive,  nor  any  well-grounded  prospect  of  its 
success;  wines,  for  which  Madeira  has  so  long  been  cele- 
brated (at  least  any  of  superior  quality),  appear  also  pro- 
scribed from  this  part  of  America.  No  evergreens  of  any 
description,  except  the  holly,  appear  throughout  the  dreary 
forests.  The  north-western  winds,  sweeping  over  the 
arctic  deserts  of  eternal  winter,  have  extended  the  tempera- 
ture of  northern  Europe  over  all  the  regions  of  the  United 
States,  nearly  to  the  very  limits  of  the  tropic.  The  cli- 
mate of  Arkansas,  scarcely  elevated  more  than  5  or  600 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  is  not  more  ardent  and  less 
temperate  than  that  of  the  south  of  France. 

For  several  miles  in  and  round  the  town,  the  accumu- 
lation of  low  mounds  or  Indian  graves,  scattered  with 
those  fragments  of  pots,  which  were  either  interred  or 
left  on  the  graves  with  offers  of  food,  by  the  affectionate 
friends  of  the  deceased,  mark  the  ancient  residence  of  the 
natives.  In  one  of  the  tumuli,  on  the  bank  towards  the 
bayou,  intersected  by  the  falling  away  of  the  earth,  a  pot 
of  this  kind,  still  employed  by  the  Chicasaws  and  other 
natives  for  boiling  their  victuals,  had  fallen  out  of  the 
grave,  and  did  not  appear  [81]  to  be  of  very  ancient  in- 
terment. Whether  these  monuments  had  been  the  slow 
accumulation  of  natural  and  casual  mortality,  or  the  sad 
remains  of  some  overwhelming  destruction,  was  now  im- 
possible to  determine.  From  the  ashes  of  fires,  and  frag- 
ments of  charcoal,  besides  the  accompaniment  of  many 
indestructible  weapons,  utensils,   and  pots  broken  into 


1 1 6  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

fragments  by  force,  I  suspect  that  these  mounds  are  merely 
incidental,  arising  from  the  demolition  of  the  circular 
dwelling  in  which  the  deceased  had  been  interred,  a  cus- 
tom which  was  formerly  practised  by  the  Natchez,  Cher- 
okees,  and  other  of  the  natives.  Indeed,  the  sacrifices 
and  offerings  which  the  Indians  formerly  made  to 
the  manes  of  the  deceased  father,  were  sometimes  almost 
ruinous  to  his  family,  though  no  longer  blackened  by  the 
immolation  of  human  victims.  Father  Charlevoix"  re- 
lates, that  stopping,  as  he  descended  the  Mississippi,  at  a 
village  of  Ouyapes  (or  Wyapes),  the  same  with  the  Qua- 
paws  (or,  as  they  call  themselves,  O-guah-pas),  then  living 
near  the  confluence  of  White  river  with  the  Mississippi, 
he  found  them  in  great  distress  from  the  ravages  of  the 
small-pox.  Their  burying-place  appeared  "like  a  forest 
of  poles  and  posts  newly  set  up,  and  on  which  there  hung 
all  manner  of  things:  there  is  every  thing  which  the  savages 
use."  The  men  and  women  both  continued  lamenting 
throughout  the  night,  and  repeating  without  ceasing, 
^^Nihahani,  as  the  Illinois  do,  and  in  the  same  tone." 
A  mother  weeping  over  the  grave  of  her  son,  poured  upon 
it  a  great  quantity  of  Sagamitty  (or  hominy).  Another 
kindled  a  fire  near  one  of  the  tombs,  ®^  probably  for  the 
purpose  of  sacrificing  food,  as  I  have  seen  practised  by 
the  Pawnee-Rikasrees^^  of  the  Missouri. 

The  aborigines  of  this  territory,  now  commonly  called 
Arkansas  or  Quapaws  and  Osarks,  do  not  at  this  time 


"  Pierre-FraiKjois-Xavier  de  Charlevoix  (1682-1761)  was  admitted  to  the 
Jesuit  order  in  1698.  In  1720  he  went  to  Canada,  ascended  the  St.  Lawrence, 
crossed  lUinois,  and  descended  the  Mississippi.  Passing  by  the  Gulf  to  St. 
Domingo,  he  returned  to  France  in  December,  1722,  and  as  a  result  of  his  tour 
wrote  an  authoritative  history  of  New  France. —  Ed. 

"  Charlevoix's  Historical  Journal,  p.  307,  London  Edition. —  Nttttall. 

"  The  Arikara.     See  Bradbury's  Travels,  our  volume  v,  note  76. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nutt all's  Journal  i  1 7 

number  more  than  about  200  warriors.*^  They  [82]  were 
first  discovered  about  the  year  1685,  by  ChevaHer  de 
Tonti.*^    From  what  source  Father  Charlevoix  ascertains 


"  The  Quapaw  belong  to  the  Siouan  family;  the  Omaha,  Ponca,  Osage,  and 
Kansa  being  their  nearest  kindred.  In  prehistoric  time,  the  Siouan  stock 
dwelt  east  of  the  Mississippi.  The  five  tribes  mentioned  constituted  one  nation, 
which  dwelt  near  the  Ohio  River;  the  Illinois  called  them  Arkansa.  When,  in 
the  course  of  their  migration  westward,  the  Siouan  tribes  separated  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Ohio,  those  who  turned  down  the  Mississippi  became  known  as 
the  Quapaw,  meaning  "the  down-stream  people."  The  rest,  who  went  up 
the  river,  received  the  name  Omaha,  "those  going  against  the  current."  See 
Dorsey,  "Migrations  of  Siouan  Tribes,"  in  The  American  Naturalist,  xx,  p.  211. 

Notwithstanding  Nuttall's  account,  the  Quapaw  are  doubtless  the  same 
Indians  whom  De  Soto  encountered  in  this  region.  It  is  surprising  that  our 
author  does  not  think  of  identifying  them  with  the  "Capaha"  of  La  Vega.  He 
may  have  been  misled  by  the  name  "Pacaha,"  which  he  takes  (see  Appendix) 
from  the  "Gentleman  of  Elvas"  and  Biedma  (see  post,  note  87).  The  seat  of 
the  Quapaw  in  De  Soto's  time  is  variously  placed,  by  modern  students,  on  the 
Red,  White,  St.  Francis,  and  Mississippi  rivers;  but  it  is  agreed  that,  roughly 
speaking,  their  territory  was  the  lower  Arkansas  valley.  In  the  early  days  of 
French  exploration,  they  were  still  partly  east  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  Quapaw  lands  were  purchased  by  treaties  in  1818  and  1824  (see  post 
note  102),  and  the  tribe  was  removed  during  the  winter  of  1825-26  to  a  reserva- 
tion in  the  extreme  northeast  comer  of  Indian  Territory.  At  that  time  it  num- 
bered 158  men,  123  women,  and  174  children;  the  present  population  is  about 
275,  an^  the  tribe  is  practically  civilized. —  Ed. 

'*  Henri  de  Tonty  (Italian  form,  Tonti)  was  the  son  of  an  Italian  refugee  at 
Paris.  The  father  was  the  originator  of  the  form  of  life  insurance  known  from 
the  inventor  as  tontine.  In  1678  Henri  sailed  from  Rochelle  with  La  Salle,  and 
with  him  (1682)  descended  the  Mississippi.  After  this  expedition,  Tonty  re- 
turned to  the  Illinois  and  was  there  engaged  in  the  fur-trade  until  1702.  In 
1686,  hearing  of  La  Salle's  ill-fated  attempt  to  found  a  colony  on  the  Texas 
coast,  he  sought  in  vain  to  find  him  with  a  relief  party.  (See  Cuming's  Tour, 
volume  iv  of  our  series,  note  195.)  In  1702  he  joined  D'Iberville  in  lower 
Louisiana,  and  his  subsequent  career  is  unknown.  Tonty  having  lost  a  hand 
by  the  explosion  of  a  grenade  in  the  Sicilian  wars,  wore  in  place  of  the  lost  mem- 
ber a  metal  hand  covered  with  a  glove,  which  on  several  occasions  he  used  to 
good  purpose  on  disorderly  Indians,  gaining  their  regard  as  great  ' '  medicine." 

Nuttall  is  in  error  in  assigning  the  first  visit  of  Tonty  to  the  Quapaw  to  the 
year  1685.  La  Salle  and  his  followers  ascended  the  Arkansas  in  March,  1682, 
and  in  the  open  space  in  the  midst  of  the  Quapaw  village  raised  a  cross  bearing 
the  arms  of  France,  taking  formal  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of  their 
king.  The  oflScial  report  of  this  occurrence  was  dated  March  13-14,  1682. 
See  document  in  Margry,  Decouverles  el  Etablissements  des  Franfais  (Paris, 


I  I  8  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

that  they  were  very  numerous  in  the  time  of  Ferdinand 
de  Soto,  I  am  unable  to  learn.  In  the  abridged  relation 
of  this  expedition  by  Purchas,^®  I  cannot  possibly  discover 
any  thing  relating  to  them.  The  people  of  Quigaute 
must  have  occupied  a  country  not  far  from  the  Arkansa, 
and  are  said  by  La  Vega*^  to  have  been  numerous  and 
powerful,  but  that  they  were  the  same  people  as  the  Ar- 
kansas or  O-guah-pas,  seems  by  no  means  probable. 
From  their  own  tradition  it  does  not  appear  that  they 
were  visited  by  the  whites  previous  to  the  arrival  of  La 
Salle;  they  say,  that  many  years  had  elapsed  before  they 
had  any  interview  with  the  whites,  whom  they  had  only 
heard  of  from  their  neighbours. 

In  a  council  held  with  the  Quapaws  some  years  ago,  con- 

1877),  ii,  p.  181.  For  a  secondary  account,  see  Parkman,  La  Salle  (Boston, 
1892),  index.  In  1686,  as  Tonty  ascended  the  Mississippi  after  his  vain  search 
for  La  Salle,  he  visited  the  Arkansas  village  and  left  six  men  to  hold  a  post. 
Nuttall  seems  to  have  confused  the  two  visits. —  Ed. 

*°  Samuel  Purchas,  bom  in  Essex  about  1575,  attempted  to  continue  the 
work  of  Hakluyt,  and  collected  numerous  MSS.  in  addition  to  those  left  to  him 
by  the  latter.  Several  editions  of  Hakluytus  Posthumus;  or  Purchas,  his  pil- 
grimes,  were  published  in  London,  the  best  being  that  of  1626.  The  abstracts 
of  the  journals  printed  are  imperfect,  for  Purchas  in  his  editorial  work  was 
neither  accurate  nor  judicious.  Most  of  the  material  is  now  accessible  in  better 
editions;  but  Purchas's  collection  still  has  value  for  the  student,  because  it  con- 
tains some  accounts  not  recorded  elsewhere.  Volumes  iii  and  iv  deal  with 
America;  the  account  of  De  Soto's  explorations  is  in  volume  iv. —  Ed. 

"  Garcilaso  Inca  de  la  Vega,  bom  at  Cuzco  about  1540,  was  the  son  of  a 
member  of  an  illustrious  Spanish  family  and  on  his  mother's  side  was  of  the 
Peruvian  blood  royal.  His  history  of  Peru  is  the  chief  original  ancient  authority, 
and  includes  a  narrative  of  De  Soto's  explorations,  based,  it  is  said,  on  the  account 
given  him  by  a  soldier  who  took  part  in  the  expedition.  It  is  one  of  the  three 
important  sources  of  our  information  regarding  De  Soto's  wanderings.  The 
others  are,  the  narrative  by  the  "Gentleman  of  Elvas,"  who  was  a  Portuguese 
adventurer  in  De  Soto's  company,  and  that  of  Biedma,  a  Spanish  factor  on  the 
expedition.  For  a  critical  discussion  of  the  value  of  these  sources,  see  Hakluyt 
Society  Publications,  ix,  introduction;  this  volume  contains  Hakluyt's  transla- 
tion of  the  account  of  the  "Gentleman  of  Elvas"  (London,  185 1). —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  i  1 9 

ceming  the  boundaries  of  the  lands  which  they  claimed, 
a  very  old  chieftain  related  to  the  agent,  that  at  a  very  re- 
mote period  his  nation  had  descended  the  Mississippi, 
and  after  having  proceeded  in  one  body  to  the  entrance  of 
a  large  and  muddy  river  (the  Missouri),  they  had  there 
divided,  one  party  continuing  down  the  Mississippi,  and 
the  other  up  the  miry  river.  The  descending  band  were 
checked  in  their  progress  by  the  Kaskaskias,^^  whose  oppo- 
sition they  at  length  subdued.  In  their  further  descent 
they  were  harassed  by  the  Chicasaws  and  Choctaws,  and 
waged  war  with  them  for  some  considerable  time,  but,  at 
length,  overcoming  all  opposition,  they  obtained  the  banks 
of  the  Arkansa,  where  they  have  remained  ever  since. 
Some  of  them,  reverting  apparently  to  the  period  of  crea- 
tion, say,  that  they  originally  emerged  out  of  the  water, 
but  made  many  long  and  circuitous  journeys  upon  that 
element,  previous  to  their  arrival  on  the  banks  of  this  river. 

As  their  language  scarcely  differs  from  that  of  the 
Osages,  Kanzas,  Mahas,  and  Poncas  of  the  Missouri,  it 
is  presumable  that  these  sprung  from  the  band  [83]  which 
ascended  the  Missouri.  They  say,  they  remained  separ- 
ated from  a  knowledge  of  each  other  for  many  years, 
until  mutually  discovered  on  a  hunting  party,  taking  each 
other  at  first  for  enemies,  till  assured  to  the  contrary  by 
both  uttering  the  same  language. 

They  bear  an  unexceptionally  mild  character,  both 
amongst  the  French  and  Americans,  having  always  ab- 
stained, as  they  say,  from  offering  any  injury  to  the  whites. 
Indeed,  to  do  them  justice,  and  to  prove  that  this  opinion 
concerning  them  is  no  modem  prejudice,  I  cannot  do  less 

*'  On  the  Kaskaskia  Indians,  see  Andre  Michaux's  Travels,  in  our  volume  iii, 
note  132. —  Ed. 


I20  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

than  quote  the  testimony  of  Du  Pratz,^'  made  about  a  cen- 
tury ago.  Speaking  of  the  Arkansa  territory,  he  adds, 
'  'I  am  so  prepossessed  in  favour  of  this  country,  that  I 
persuade  myself  the  beauty  of  the  cHmate  has  a  great 
influence  on  the  character  of  the  inhabitants,  who  are  at 
the  same  time  very  gentle,  and  very  brave.  They  have 
ever  had  an  inviolable  friendship  for  the  French,  unin- 
fluenced thereto,  either  by  fear  or  views  of  interest;  and 
live  with  them  as  brethren,  rather  than  as  neighbours."®" 
They  say,  that  in  consequence  of  their  mildness  and  love 
of  peace,  they  have  been  overlooked  by  the  Americans; 
that  they  are  ready  enough  to  conciliate  by  presents  those 
who  are  in  danger  of  becoming  their  enemies,  but  neglect 
those  who  are  their  unchangeable  friends. 

The  complexion  of  the  Quapaws,  like  that  of  the  Choc- 
taws  and  Creeks,  is  dark,  and  destitute  of  any  thing  like 
the  cupreous  tinge.  The  symmetry  of  their  features, 
mostly  aquiline,  often  amounts  to  beauty,  but  they  are  not 
to  be  compared  in  this  respect  to  the  O  sages,  at  least  those 
of  them  which  now  remain.  Charlevoix  says,  ''The 
Akansas  (as  he  calls  them)  are  reckoned  to  be  the  tallest 
and  best  shaped  of  all  the  savages  of  this  continent,  and 
they  are  called,  by  way  of  distinction,  the  jine  meny  I 
question,  however,  whether  this  epithet  is  not  similar  to 

*'  Le  Page  Du  Pratz  went  to  Louisiana  in  1718  with  a  colony  of  eight  hundred 
men  sent  out  by  John  Law's  West  India  Company.  He  was  a  planter  there  for 
sixteen  years,  and  travelled  extensively  through  the  territory,  being  overseer  of 
the  public  plantations  under  the  Company,  also  after  the  crown  resumed  control. 
The  French  original  of  his  History  of  Louisiana  appeared  in  1758,  being  Eng- 
lished and  published  in  London  in  1763;  second  edition  1764. —  Ed. 

*"  Du  Pratz,  History  of  Louisiana,  p.  61. —  Nuttall. 

Comment  by  Ed.  Father  Zenobe  Membre,  a  Recollect  friar  in  La  Salle's 
Company,  reported  to  his  superior:  "I  cannot  tell  you  the  civility  and  kindness 
we  received  from  these  barbarians.  .  .  They  are  so  well  formed  that  we 
were  in  admiration  at  their  beauty."     See  Parkman,  La  Salle,  p.  279. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  1 2 1 

that  of  the  [84]  Illinois,  and  the  Llenilenape,  or  '  'original 
and  genuine  men,"  as  it  is  translated,  of  the  Delawares." 
The  name  of  Akansa  or  Arkansa,  if  ever  generally  as- 
sumed by  the  natives  of  this  territory,  is  now,  I  am  per- 
suaded, scarcely  ever  employed;  they  generally  call  them- 
selves O-guah-pa  or  Osark,  from  which  last  epithet,  in 
all  probability,  has  beer,  derived  the  name  of  the  river  ^ 
and  its  people;  indeed,  I  have  heard  old  French  residents 
in  this  country,  term  it  Riviere  des  Arks  or  d' Osark. 

They  employ  artificial  means  to  eradicate  that  pubes- 
cence from  their  bodies,  which  is,  indeed,  naturally  scanty. 
The  angle  of  the  eye  is  usually  elongated,  but  never  turned 
up  exteriorly,  as  it  is  said,  in  common  with  the  Tartars, 
by  Humboldt,  to  be  the  case  with  the  Mexicans. 

Although  they  may  be  said  to  be  taciturn,  compared  with 
Frenchmen,  their  passions  are  not  difficult  to  excite. 

As  hunters,  they  are  industrious,  but  pay  little  atten- 
tion to  agriculture;  and  pleased  by  intercourse  with  the 
whites,  they  are  not  unwilling  to  engage  as  boatmen  and 
hunters. 

About  a  century  ago,  father  Charlevoix  describes  the 
Arkansas  as  occupying  four  villages;  that  which  he  visited 
was  situated  on  the  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  in  a  little 
meadow,  which  was  (in  1819)  M'Lane's  landing,  the  only 
contiguous  spot  free  from  inundation.  The  people  called 
Akansas  by  this  author,  were  then  made  up  of  the  confed- 
erated remnants  of  ruined  tribes.     The  villages  which  he 

*'  Various  interpretations  of  the  meaning  of  Lenno  Lenapi  have  been  given. 
Lenno  means  genuine  or  real,  and  Lenapi  signifies  male.  The  combination 
denoted  a  race  of  eminent  antiquity,  valor,  and  wisdom,  and  may  best,  perhaps, 
be  rendered  in  English  as  "manly  men."  The  character  thus  boastfully  as- 
cribed to  themselves  by  the  Delawares  was  apparently  confirmed  by  the  name 
"grandfather"  applied  to  them  by  kindred  tribes-  Illini  is  the  Illinese  equiva- 
lent of  Lenno.  See  Schoolcraft,  History,  Condition  and  Prospects  of  the  Indian 
Tribes  (Philadelphia,  1851-57),  v,  p.  1360;  vi,  p.  177. —  Ed. 


122  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

visited,  called  themselves  Ouyapes,  evidently  the  0-guah- 
pa.  On  the  Arkansa,  six  miles  from  the  landing,  there 
was  a  second  village,  consisting  of  the  Torimas  and  Topin- 
gas.  Six  miles  higher  were  the  Sothouis,  and  a  little 
further  was  the  village  of  the  Kappas;®^  these  are  again 
the  same  people  as  the  Quapaws  or  0-guah-pas. 

[85]  In  the  time  of  Du  Pratz,  the  Arkansas  had  all  re- 
tired up  the  river  of  this  name,  and  were  living  about 
twelve  miles  from  the  entrance  of  White  river.  They 
were  still  said  to  be  pretty  considerable  in  numbers,  and 
had  been  joined  by  the  Kappas,  the  Michigamias,^^  and 
a  part  of  the  Illinois.  He  likewise  remarks,  that  they 
were  no  less  distinguished  as  warriors  than  hunters,  and 
that  they  had  succeeded  in  intimidating  the  restless  and 
warlike  Chicasaws.^^  Indeed,  the  valour  and  the  friend- 
ship of  the  Arkansas  is  still  gratefully  remembered  by  the 
Canadians  and  their  descendants,  and  it  is  much  to  be  re- 
gretted that  they  are  making  such  evident  approaches 
towards  total  destruction.  The  brave  manner  in  which 
they  opposed  the  Chicasaws,  has  long  ensured  them  the 
quiet  possession  of  their  present  country.  Among  the 
most  extraordinary  actions  which  they  performed  against 
those  perfidious  Indians,  is  the  story  which  has  been  re- 
lated to  me  by  major  Lewismore  Vaugin,^^  one  of  the 
most  respectable  residents  in  this  territory.  The  Chica- 
saws, instead  of  standing  their  ground,  were  retreating 
before  the  Quapaws,  whom  they  had  descried  at  a  distance. 


'^  Charlevoix,  Hist.  p.  306,  307.   Lond.  Ed. —  Nuttall. 

*'  Michigamies  was  the  name  given  by  the  French  to  several  tribes  of  Algon- 
quian  stock  who  lived  on  Lake  Michigan.  The  designation  sometimes  in- 
cluded the  Mascoutin,  or  Fire-Indians,  and  the  Illinese.^See  Croghan's  Jour- 
nals, volume  i  of  our  series,  note  in . —  Ed. 

•*  Du  Pratz,  Hist.  Louisiana,  p.  318. —  Nuttall. 

•^  See  -post,  note  no. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  NuttalPs  Journal  123 

in  consequence  of  the  want  of  ammunition.  The  latter 
understanding  the  occasion,  were  determined  to  obviate 
the  excuse,  whether  real  or  pretended,  and  desired  the 
Chicasaws  to  land  on  an  adjoining  sand-beach  of  the 
Mississippi,  giving  them  the  unexpected  promise  of 
supplying  them  with  powder  for  the  contest.  The  chief 
of  the  Quapaws  then  ordered  all  his  men  to  empty  their 
powder-horns  into  a  blanket,  after  which,  he  divided  the 
whole  with  a  spoon,  and  gave  the  half  to  the  Chicasaws. 
They  then  proceeded  to  the  combat,  which  terminated  in 
the  killing  of  10  Chicasaws,  and  the  loss  of  five  prisoners, 
with  the  death  of  a  single  Quapaw. 

I  am  informed,  that  it  is  a  custom  of  the  Quapaws,  after 
firing  the  first  volley,  to  throw  aside  their  guns,  and  make 
a  charge  with  their  tomahawks. 

[86]  The  treacherous  Osages,  to  whom  they  are  natu- 
rally allied  by  the  ties  of  consanguinity,  at  one  period 
claimed  the  assistance  of  the  Quapaws,  with  the  secret 
intention  of  betraying  them  to  destruction.  Arriving  near 
the  scene  of  action,  and  discovering,  as  was  said,  the 
encampment  of  the  supposed  enemy,  the  Osages  parted 
from  their  friends,  under  pretence  of  ambuscading  the 
enemy.  Their  conduct,  however  guarded,  had  not,  it 
seems,  been  sufficient  to  remove  the  suspicions  of  the  wary 
leader  of  the  Quapaws,  who  now  concerted  measures  of 
security.  The  Quapaws  made  their  fires  as  usual,  but 
secretly  left  them,  in  order  to  watch  the  motions  of  the 
Osages,  who,  as  it  had  been  suspected,  crept  up  to  their 
encampment  in  the  dead  of  night,  and  fired  a  volley  near 
the  fires,  not  doubting  but  they  had  destroyed  those  who 
had  seemingly  confided  in  their  friendship.  But  at  this 
instant,  the  Quapaws,  sufficiently  prepared,  arose  from 
their  concealment,  and  exercised  a  just  chastisement  on 
the  traitors. 


1 24  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

The  social  regulations,  as  well  as  the  superstitions  and 
ideas  of  the  supernatural  entertained  by  the  Quapaws, 
are  no  way  materially  distinct  from  those  which  are  prac- 
tised by  their  eastern  and  northern  neighbours.  The 
most  simple  testimonies  of  attachment,  without  the  aid 
of  solemn  vows,  are  thought  sufficient  to  complete  a  con- 
jugal felicity,  which,  where  all  are  equal,  in  wealth  and 
property,  can  only  be  instigated  through  the  desire  of 
personal  gratification  or  mutual  attachment,  and  can  but 
seldom  be  attended  with  that  coldness  and  disgust,  which 
is  but  too  common,  where  this  sacred  tie  is  knit  by  avarice. 
Neither  is  this  contract  controlled  by  any  unnatural  and 
overruling  policy.  The  obligation  to  decorum  and  the 
essential  ties  of  society  are  not  abandoned  by  the  Indian, 
in  consequence  of  his  being  freed  from  that  perpetual  re- 
straint, which  appears  to  have  been  requisite  in  civilized 
society.  The  father  can  recall  his  daughter  from  [87] 
the  habitation  of  one  who  has  rendered  himself  odious  to 
his  child.  The  husband  can  abandon  the  wife  who  has 
made  herself  obnoxious  to  his  house  and  family.  They 
are  only  united  by  the  bonds  of  mutual  esteem  and  recip- 
rocal friendship ;  they  will,  of  course,  endeavour  to  deserve 
it  of  each  other,  as  affording  a  gratification  to  themselves, 
no  less  than  to  their  parents  and  relatives. 

As  the  marriage  is  never  ostentatious,  or  strictly  cere- 
monious, so  its  disavowal,  when  not  induced  by  any  thing 
flagrant,  is  not  a  matter  to  alarm  the  repose  of  society. 
The  male  children  go  with  the  father,  the  females  attend 
upon  the  mother.  Children,  however  begotten,  are  dear 
to  a  society  ever  on  the  brink  of  extermination. 

That  any  ceremonies,  more  than  the  celebration  of  a 
frugal  and  sober  feast,  are  constantly  practised  by  any  of 
the  natives  of  this  country,  is  much  more  than  can  be  satis- 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalV s  'Journal  1 25 

factorily  proved.  Among  the  Quapaws,  I  have  been  in- 
formed, that  the  husband,  on  the  consummation  of  his 
marriage,  presents  his  wife  with  the  leg  of  a  deer,  and  she, 
in  return,  offers  him  an  ear  of  maize,  both  of  which  are  so 
many  symbols  of  that  provision  against  the  calls  of  neces- 
sity, which  they  are  mutually  accustomed  to  provide.^® 

The  young  and  unmarried  women  of  the  Quapaws, 
according  to  a  custom  equally  prevalent  among  many 
other  tribes  of  Indians,  wear  their  hair  braided  up  into 
two  parts,  brought  round  to  either  ear  in  a  cylindric  form, 
and  decorated  with  beads,  wampum,  or  silver.  After 
marriage  these  locks  are  all  unfolded,  the  decorations  laid 
aside  for  her  daughters,  and  her  hair,  brought  together 
behind  in  a  single  lock,  becomes  no  longer  an  assiduous 
object  of  ornament.  According  to  the  History  of  the 
Costume  of  all  Nations,  this  manner  of  braiding  the  hair 
appears  to  have  been  equally  prevalent  among  the  women 
of  [88]  Siberia,  Tartary,  Turkey,  and  China.  As  an  ex- 
pression of  the  greatest  grief  and  misfortune,  anciently 
practised  by  many  other  nations  of  the  world,  I  have, 
amongst  the  aborigines  of  the  Missouri,  not  unfrequently 
seen  both  men  and  women  shave  away  their  hair.  It  is 
not,  however,  I  believe,  practised  by  the  Indians  of  the 
Mississippi,  nor  among  the  Quapaws  and  Osages. 

The  ideas  of  supernatural  agency,  entertained  by  the 
Arkansas,  are  very  similar  to  those  which  prevail  among 
the  natives  of  the  Missouri.  Every  family,  for  example, 
chooses  its  penates,  or  guardian  spirit,  from  among  those 
various  objects  of  creation  which  are  remarkable  for  their 
sagacity,  their  utility,  or  power.  Some  will  perhaps  choose 
a  snake,  a  buffaloe,  an  owl,  or  a  raven ;  and  many  of  them 

"  A  ceremony  similar  to  this,  was  also,  according  to  Adair,  practised  among 
the  Creeks. —  Nuttall. 


126  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

venerate  the  eagle  to  that  degree,  that  if  one  of  those  birds 
should  happen  to  be  killed  during  any  expedition,  the 
whole  party  immediately  return  home.  The  large  feathers 
of  the  war-eagle,  which  they  consider  talismanic,  are  some- 
times distributed  throughout  the  nation,  as  sacred  presents, 
which  are  expected  to  act  as  sovereign  charms  to  those  who 
wear  them. 

The  cure  of  diseases,  though  sometimes  attempted  with 
rational  applications,  is  not  unfrequently  sought,  among 
the  Quapaws,  and  many  other  natives  of  the  continent, 
in  charms  and  jugglery. 

As  to  the  future  state,  in  which  they  are  firm  believers, 
their  ideas  are  merely  deduced  from  what  they  see  around 
them.  Their  heaven  for  hunters  is  at  least  as  rational  as 
that  of  some  of  our  own  fanatics. 

For  some  considerable  time  after  the  interment  of  a 
warrior  and  hunter,  his  grave  is  frequented  with  provision, 
which,  if  still  remaining,  after  a  reasonable  lapse  of  time, 
is  considered  as  a  sure  presage  that  the  deceased  has  arrived 
at  a  bountiful  hunting  ground,  and  needs  no  further  supply 
from  the  earth. 

The  Quapaws,  though  no  greater  proficients  in  music 
than  the  rest  of  the  Indians,  have,  however,  [89]  songs 
appropriated  to  love,  to  death,  and  to  battle,  but  which  are 
merely  so  many  simultaneous  effusions  of  the  heart,  ac- 
companied by  rude  and  characteristic  airs  and  dances. 

It  is  hardly  necessary  to  detail  the  dress  of  the  Arkansas, 
which  scarcely,  to  my  view,  in  any  respect,  differs  from 
that  of  the  Delawares,  Shawnees,  or  Chipeways.  Its 
component  parts  are,  as  usual,  mocasins  for  the  feet;  leg- 
gings which  cover  the  leg  and  thigh;  a  breech-cloth;  an 
overall  or  hunting  shirt,  seamed  up,  and  slipped  over  the 
head;  all  of  which  articles  are  made  of  leather,  softly 


1818-1820]  Nutt all's  'Journal  1 27 

dressed  by  means  of  fat  and  oily  substances,  and  often 
rendered  more  durable  by  the  smoke  with  which  they  are 
purposely  imbued.  The  ears  and  nose  are  adorned  with 
pendents,  and  the  men,  as  among  many  other  Indian  tribes, 
and  after  the  manner  of  the  Chinese,  carefully  cut  away  the 
hair  of  the  head,  except  a  lock  on  the  crown,  which  is 
plaited  and  ornamented  with  rings,  wampum,  and 
feathers.  Many  of  them,  in  imitation  of  the  Canadian 
French,  wear  handkerchiefs  around  their  heads,  but  in 
the  manner  of  a  turban.  Some  have  also  acquired  the 
habit  of  wearing  printed  calicoe  shirts  next  to  the  skin. 

The  younger  Indians,  as  I  am  informed,  notwithstanding 
the  neglect  of  renewing  their  dress,  are  so  partial  to  cleanli- 
ness of  the  skin,  that  they  practice  bathing  both  winter  and 
summer." 

[90]    CHAPTER  VII 

Departure  from  Arkansas  —  Indian  villages  —  Mooney's 
settlement  —  Curran's  settlement  —  Interview  with  the 
Quapaw  chief  —  The  Pine  Bluffs  —  Soil,  climate,  and 
productions  —  The  Little  Rock  —  Roads  —  Mountains 
—  Vegetation  —  The  Mamelle  —  Cadron  settlement  — 
Tumuli  —  Soil  and  climate  —  Pecannerie  settlement  — 
Mountains  —  Cherokees  —  The  Magazine  mountain  — 
Dardanelle  settlement  —  Manners  and  customs  of  the 
Cherokees  —  Their  war  with  the  Osages. 

From  Arkansas  to  the  Cadron,  a  distance  of  about  300 
miles  by  water,  I  now  understood  there  existed  a  consider- 
able line  of  settlements  along  the  north  border  of  the  river, 
and  that  the  greatest  uninhabited  interval  did  not  exceed 
30  miles.  Though  the  spring  was  premature,  and  the 
weather  still  subject  to  uncomfortable  vicissitudes,  the 

'^  For  an  exhaustive  account  of  the  customs  of  the  kindred  Omaha,  see 
Dorsey,  "Omaha  Sociology,"  in  Report  of  Bureau  of  Ethnology,  1881-82,  iii, 
pp.  205-370.—  Ed. 


128  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

want  of  society  and  of  employment  induced  me  to  embrace 
the  earliest  opportunity  of  continuing  my  journey  into  the 
interior  of  the  territory,  where  I  hoped  to  find  additional 
employment  and  gratification  in  my  researches  connected 
with  natural  history.  For  this  purpose  I  again  embarked 
on  the  river  in  a  large  skiff,  which  was  proceeding  to  the 
Baird's-town  settlement  ;^^  but  as  most  of  our  company 
were  fond  of  whiskey,  the  only  beverage  in  the  country,  ex- 
cept water  or  milk,  it  was  difficult  to  get  them  parted 
from  their  companions  and  conversation;  however,  after 
many  efforts  to  make  a  start,  we  at  last  got  off,  though 
merely  to  make  one  or  two  miles,  so  as  to  be  disengaged, 
at  any  rate,  for  the  morning.  Our  encampment  was  a 
sand-bar  or  beach,  skirted  by  willows,  and  though  in  itself 
a  situation  by  no  means  interesting,  yet  far  from  disagree- 
able [91]  to  him  who  can  enjoy  the  simple  fare  of  the 
hunter,  and  the  calm  and  unsullied  pleasures  of  nature. 

On  the  following  day  {February  the  27th)  we  proceeded 
about  21  miles,  or  seven  points  up  the  river,  and  in  some 
places  against  a  current  of  considerable  velocity,  which 
had  been  augmented  by  a  southern  freshet,  communicating 
a  muddiness  and  chocolate-brown  colour  to  the  stream. 
In  the  evening,  to  avoid  the  attacks  of  musquitoes,  we 
again  chose  a  sand-beach  for  our  place  of  encampment. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  we  passed  the  outlet  of  the 
bayou,  or  rather  river,  Meta,^^  which  diagonally  traverses 
the  Great  Prairie,  also  two  Indian  villages  on  the  south 
bank,  which  continues  to  be  the  Quapaw  line  as  far  as  the 


"  Beards  Town  appears  in  Finley's  Atlas  of  1826  just  west  of  Little  Meto 
Creek,  thirty-five  or  forty  miles  above  the  Post,  but  it  disappears  from  later 
maps.     Beards  Town  was  opposite  the  modern  village  of  Heckatoo. —  Ed. 

**  Big  Bayou  Meto  is  the  first  important  northern  tributary  of  the  Arkansas. 
It  now  forms  part  of  the  boundary  between  Jefferson  and  Arkansas  counties. 
Little  Bayou  Meto  is  a  few  miles  farther  up. —  Ed.  ;j; 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaW s  'Journal  1 29 

Little  Rock.  The  first  was  the  periodical  residence  of  a 
handful  of  Choctaws,  the  other  was  occupied  by  the 
Quapaws.  On  this  side  of  the  river  there  appeared  to  be 
considerable  bodies  of  very  fertile  land  elevated  above 
inundation. 

The  peach-trees,  now  in  bloom,  were  considerably  dis- 
seminated beyond  the  immediate  precincts  of  the  Indian 
villages,  and  seemed  to  be  almost  naturalized,  but,  in 
common  even  with  the  wild  fruits  of  the  country,  they  are 
occasionally  robbed  of  fruit  by  the  occurrence  of  unsea- 
sonable frosts. 

On  the  28th,  after  ascending  about  13  miles,  we  arrived 
at  the  settlement  begun  by  colonel  Mooney,^°°  consisting 
of  three  or  four  families.  I  was  here  very  hospitably  enter- 
tained by  Mr.  Davison.  Near  this  house,  and  about  200 
yards  from  the  river,  there  was  a  fine  lake  of  clear  water, 
of  considerable  extent,  communicating  with  the  river  by 
a  bayou,  which  enters  a  few  miles  below.  Its  bed 
appeared  to  be  firm  and  sandy.  The  neighbouring  land 
was  of  a  superior  quality,  either  for  corn  or  cotton,  but  all 
conditionally  held  on  the  uncertain  claim  of  Messrs. 
Winters.  Notwithstanding  the  extent  of  inundated  lands, 
the  climate  was  considered  unusually  healthy,  and  the 
[92]  soil,  with  but  little  labour,  capable  of  insuring  a  com- 
fortable independence  to  the  cultivator. 

March  ist.]  This  morning  a  slight  white  frost  was 
visible,  though,  yesterday  and  the  day  before,  the  ther- 
mometer rose,  at  noon,  to  70°,  and  the  Red-bud  (Cercis 
canadensis)  was  commonly  in  flower.  We  proceeded 
about  10  miles,  and  encamped  opposite  to  an  island;  the 

""  Daniel  Mooney  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Arkansas  after  the 
cession  to  the  United  States.  His  name  appears  on  the  records  of  Arkansas 
County  as  early  as  1804.  In  18 14  he  was  appointed  sheriff  by  William  Clark, 
then  governor  of  Missouri  Territory,  of  which  Arkansas  was  still  a  part. —  Ed. 


130  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

water  now  falling  as  rapidly  as  it  had  risen.  Leaving  the 
boat,  and  walking  through  the  woods,  I  was  surprised  to 
find  myself  inadvertently  at  the  Quapaw  village  we  had 
passed  yesterday,  situated  upon  a  small  prairie,  constitut- 
ing the  isthmus  of  a  tongue  of  land,  which,  six  or  seven 
miles  round,  was  here  scarcely  half  a  mile  across.  En- 
deavouring now  to  obtain  a  nearer  route  to  the  river, 
than  that  of  returning  by  the  path,  I  found  myself  in  a 
horrid  cane-brake,  interlaced  with  brambles,  through 
which  I  had  to  make  my  way  as  it  were  by  inches.  The 
delay  I  thus  experienced  created  alarm  among  my  compan- 
ions, who  fired  three  guns  to  direct  me  to  the  spot  where 
they  waited,  and  where  I  soon  arrived,  pretty  well  tired  of 
my  excursion. 

2d.]  A  slight  frost  appeared  again  this  morning.  We 
proceeded  slowly,  passing  in  the  course  of  the  day  three 
points  of  land,  one  of  which  was  about  six  miles,  the  others 
three  each,  and  in  the  evening  encamped  a  mile  below 
Morrison's  bayou.  Nearly  opposite  to  this  stream  there 
was  another  village  of  the  Quapaws,  containing  about  15 
cabins,  and  called,  by  the  French,  ville  de  Grand  Barbe, 
from  their  late  chief,  who,  contrary  to  the  Indian  custom, 
wore  a  long  beard.  It  stands  on  the  edge  of  the  forest, 
surrounded  by  good  land,  and  elevated  above  the  over- 
flows. 

3d.]  To-day  we  arrived  at  Curran's  settlement,  consist- 
ing of  six  families,  who  had  chosen  for  their  residence  a 
body  of  very  superior  land.  From  1000  to  1500  pounds  of 
cotton  have  been  produced  upon  the  acre,  and  of  a  staple 
no  way  inferior  to  that  of  Red  [93]  river.  As  to  maize,  it 
is  as  luxuriant  as  possible.  But  what  most  recommended 
this  settlement,  in  my  estimation,  was  the  unequivocal 
appearance  of  health  and  plenty.     We  landed  for  the 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  "Journal  1 3 1 

night  nearly  opposite  what  is  called  the  Old  River,  four 
miles  above  Curran's,  an  elliptic  curve  of  the  river,  11 
miles  in  circuit,  cut  ofif  at  the  isthmus  in  the  course  of  a 
single  night,  as  was  witnessed  by  a  French  trader  en- 
camped on  the  spot,  who  fled  in  terror  from  the  scene  of 
devastation.  On  the  borders  of  this  bend,  now  become  a 
lake,  and  which  explains  the  origin  of  similar  bodies  of 
water  along  this  river,  there  were  three  families  now 
settled. 

4th.]  The  middle  of  the  day,  and  early  part  of  the  after- 
noon, felt  warm  and  sultry  as  summer.  About  noon  I 
arrived  at  the  cabin  of  Mr.  Joseph  Kirkendale,  four  miles 
above  the  cut-off  in  the  river,  where  I  tasted  nearly  the 
first  milk  and  butter  which  I  had  seen  since  my  arrival 
on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa.  This  farm,  like  those  below 
on  Old  River,  was  situated  upon  a  small  and  insulated 
prairie  or  open  and  elevated  meadow,  about  15  miles 
from  the  Great  Prairie.  The  drought  which  was  experi- 
enced last  summer  throughout  this  territory,  proved,  in 
many  places,  nearly  fatal  to  the  crops  of  com  and  cotton, 
so  that  the  inhabitants  were  now  under  the  necessity  of 
importing  maize  for  provision,  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar 
and  a  quarter  per  bushel. 

At  Mr.  Kirkendale's  I  had  an  interview  with  the  prin- 
cipal chief  of  the  Quapaws,  who  landed  here  on  his  way 
down  the  river.  His  name,  to  me  unintelligible,  was  Ha- 
kat-ton  (or  the  dry  man)}^^  He  was  not  the  hereditary 
chief,  but  received  his  appointment  as  such,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  infancy  of  the  children  of  the  Grand  Barbe. 

'"'  The  name  of  this  chief  is  preserved  in  the  village  of  Heckatoo.  Heckatoo 
(Heketon,  in  correspondence  of  Indian  agent)  removed  with  his  tribe  to  Indian 
Territory  and  died  there.  His  successor  was  a  half-breed  named  Sarrasin,  who 
in  his  old  age  returned  to  his  native  country,  and  persuaded  Governor  William 
F.  Pope  (1829-35)  t^o  allow  him  to  die  in  his  former  home. —  Ed. 


132  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

His  appearance  and  deportment  were  agreeable  and  pre- 
possessing, his  features  aquiline  and  symmetrical.  Being 
told  that  I  had  journeyed  a  great  distance,  almost  from  the 
borders  of  the  great  lake  of  salt  water,  to  see  the  country 
of  the  Arkansa,  [94]  and  observing  the  attention  paid  to 
me  by  my  hospitable  friend,  he,  in  his  turn,  showed  me 
every  possible  civility,  returned  to  his  canoe,  put  on  his 
uniform  coat,  and  brought  with  him  a  roll  of  writing, 
which  he  unfolded  with  great  care,  and  gave  it  me  to  read. 
This  instrument  was  a  treaty  of  the  late  cession  and  pur- 
chase of  lands  from  the  Quapaws,  made  the  last  autumn, 
and  accompanied  by  a  survey  of  the  specified  country. 
The  lines  of  this  claim,  now  conceded  for  the  trifling  sum 
of  4000  dollars  in  hand,  and  an  annuity  of  a  thousand 
dollars  worth  of  goods,  pass  up  White  river,  until  a  south 
line  intersects  the  Canadian  river  of  Arkansa,  then  con- 
tinuing along  the  course  of  this  river  to  its  sources,  after- 
wards down  Red  river  to  the  great  Raft,  and  thence  in  a 
north-east  direction  to  point  Chicot,  on  the  Mississippi, 
and  so  in  a  north-west  line  to  the  place  of  commencement, 
near  White  river.  Their  reservation  (situated  exclusively 
on  the  south  bank  of  the  Arkansa)  commences  at  the  post 
or  town  of  Arkansas,  and  continues  up  that  river  to  the 
Little  Rock,  thence  in  a  southern  direction  to  the  Washita, 
which  continues  to  be  the  boundary,  to  a  line  intersect- 
ing the  place  of  commencement.  To  this  deed  were  added 
the  names  of  no  less  than  13  chiefs.  This  tract  contains 
probably  more  than  60,000  square  miles.  Such  are  the 
negociating  conquests  of  the  American  republic,  made 
almost  without  the  expense  of  either  blood  or  treasure  I^"* 


i*"  This  treaty  was  signed  by  William  Clark  and  Augusta  Chouteau,  conunis- 
sioners  for  the  United  States,  on  August  24,  1818,  and  ratified  by  the  Senate 
December  23.     Nuttall  does  not  give  the  boundaries  quite  correctly.     The 


1818-1820]  N utt air s  'Journal  133 

Hakatton  informed  us,  that  he  had  lately  returned 
from  the  garrison,  where,  in  concert  with  a  fellow  chief 
and  the  commander,  they  had  succeeded  in  rescuing  from 
bondage  some  unfortunate  prisoners  and  females  of  the 
Caddoes,^"^  of  whom  about  15  or  20  had  been  killed  by 
the  Osages.  The  former  reside  on  the  banks  of  Red  river, 
into  whose  territory  the  Osages  occasionally  carry  their 
depredations.  This  chief  warned  me  from  trusting  my- 
self alone  amongst  the  [95]  Osages,  who,  if  they  spared 
my  life,  would,  in  all  probability,  as  they  had  often  done 
to  the  hunters,  strip  me  naked,  and  leave  me  to  perish  for 
want.  But  in  his  nation,  he  took  a  pride  in  assuring  me, 
if  I  was  found  destitute,  I  should  be  relieved  to  the  best 
of  their  ability,  and  conducted,  if  lost,  to  the  shelter  of 
their  habitations,  where  the  stranger  was  always  welcome. 
His  late  journey  to  the  seat  of  government,  appeared  to 
have  inspired  him  with  exalted  ideas  of  the  wealth  and 
power  of  civilized  society. 

To  my  inquiries,  respecting  the  reputed  origin  of  the 
O-guah-pas,^"^  he  answered  candidly,  that  he  was  igno- 

cession  line  passed  up  the  Arkansas  and  the  Canadian  Fork  to  the  source, 
thence  south  to  Red  River,  and  down  its  middle  to  the  "Big  Raft,"  thence 
directly  to  a  spot  on  the  Mississippi  thirty  leagues  in  a  straight  Une  below  the 
mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  All  claims  to  lands  north  of  the  Arkansas  and  east  of 
the  Mississippi  were  also  abandoned.  The  reservation,  l)ang  within  the  limits 
specified,  was  bounded  by  a  line  running  due  southwest  from  Arkansas  Post  to 
the  Ouachita,  thence  up  the  river  and  the  Sahne  Fork  to  a  point  directly  south- 
west from  Little  Rock,  from  that  point  to  Little  Rock,  and  down  the  right  bank 
of  the  Arkansas  to  the  point  of  beginning.  See  A  merican  State  Papers:  Indian 
A  flairs,  ii,  p.  165.  This  reservation  was  ceded  by  the  treaty  of  November  15, 
1824. —  Ed. 

'"^  The  name  is  a  corruption  of  kd-ede,  meaning  chief.  There  are  three 
groups  of  the  Caddo  family;  the  northern  is  represented  by  the  Arikara  of 
North  Dakota;  the  middle,  principally  by  the  Pawnee  of  southern  Nebraska; 
and  the  southern,  by  the  Caddo,  Wichita,  Kichai,  and  other  tribes.  The  home 
of  the  southern  group  included  southwestern  Arkansas,  eastern  Texas,  and 
most  of  Louisiana. —  Ed. 

'"^  Another  name  for  the  Quapaw.     See  ante,  p.  122. —  Ed. 


134  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

rant  of  the  subject;  and  that  the  same  question  had  been 
put  to  him  at  St.  Louis,  by  governor  Clarke. ^"^ 

This  morning  I  observed  the  wife  of  the  chief,  preparing 
for  her  family  a  breakfast  from  the  nuts  of  the  Cyamus 
(or  Nelumbium).  They  are  first  steeped  in  water,  and 
parched  in  sand,  to  extricate  the  kernels,  which  are  after- 
wards mixed  with  fat,  and  made  into  a  palatable  soup. 
The  tubers  of  the  root,  somewhat  resembling  batatas  or 
sweet  potatoes,  when  well  boiled,  are  but  little  inferior 
to  a  farinaceous  potatoe,  and  are  penetrated  internally 
and  longitudinally,  with  from  five  to  eight  cavities  or  cells. 

5th.]  We  were  again  visited  by  the  Quapaw  chief,  who 
appeared  to  be  very  sensible  and  intelligent,  though  much 
too  fond  of  whiskey.  I  took  an  opportunity  to  inquire  of 
him,  whether  the  Quapaws  considered  smoking  as  in  any 
way  connected  with  their  religion,  to  which  he  answered, 
that  they  merely  regarded  it  as  a  private  gratification  or 
luxury;  but  that  the  Osages  smoked  to  God,  or  to  the  sun, 
and  accompanied  it  by  a  short  apostrophe:  as,  ''Great 
Spirit,  deign  to  smoke  with  me,  as  a  friend !  fire  and  earth, 
smoke  with  me,  and  assist  me  to  destroy  mine  enemies, 
the  Caddoes,  Pawnees,  Mahas,  &c. !  my  dogs  and  horses, 
smoke  also  with  me!" 

Among  the  most  remarkable  superstitious  ceremonies 

*"*  William  Clark,  the  brother  of  George  Rogers  Clark,  who  conquered  the 
Northwest  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  the  associate  of  Meriwether 
Lewis  on  the  famous  transcontinental  expedition  of  1803-06,  was  bom  in  Vir- 
ginia in  1770.  He  entered  the  army  in  1792,  and  shared  in  several  Western 
campaigns,  notably  that  of  Wayne  in  1794-95.  In  1796  he  left  the  service  on 
account  of  ill  health,  and  became  a  hunter  and  trapper.  After  the  expedition 
to  the  Pacific  coast,  Clark  was  stationed  at  St.  Louis  as  Indian  agent  and 
brigadier-general  of  miHtia.  In  1813  he  became  governor  of  the  Missouri 
Territory,  which  at  first  included  Arkansas.  Upon  the  admission  of  Missouri 
to  statehood,  he  was  appointed  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs,  and  remained 
at  St.  Louis  in  this  capacity  until  his  death,  in  1838. —  Ed. 


i8i8-iS2o]  NtitialTs  Journal  135 

[96]  practised  by  the  Quapaws,  is  that  which  I  now  found 
corroborated  by  Hakatton.  Before  commencing  the 
corn-planting,  a  lean  dog  is  selected  by  the  squaws,  as  a 
sacrifice  to  the  Indian  Ceres,  and  is,  with  terrific  yells  and 
distorted  features,  devoured  alive.  This  barbarous  cere- 
mony, which  we  derided,  he  assured  us  gravely,  was  con- 
ducive to  the  success  of  the  ensuing  crop.  After  the  har- 
vest of  the  maize,  and  subsequent  to  the  Green-corn 
Dance,  they  have  also  a  succession  of  dances  and  feasts, 
which  they  support  like  our  Christmas  mummers,  by 
going  round  and  soliciting  contributions. 

The  Quapaws  are  indeed  slaves  to  superstition,  and 
many  of  them  live  in  continual  fear  of  the  operations  of 
.supernatural  agencies. 

On  the  7th,  we  proceeded  to  Mr.  Morrison' s,^^  a  few 
miles  distant,  but  did  not  accomplish  it  until  the  succeed- 
ing morning,  in  consequence  of  the  prevalence  of  a  violent 
storm  from  the  south-west. 

On  the  8th,  I  remained  at  Mr.  Morrison's  farm,  agree- 
ably situated  on  a  small  prairie,  contiguous  to  the  river, 
surrounded  with  an  extensive  body  of  good  land,  contin- 
uing a  considerable  distance  from  the  bank.  These  small 
prairies  often  appear  to  have  been  the  sites  of  ancient 
Indian  stations. 

A  number  of  Quapaw  canoes  passed  down  the  river, 
and  several  drunken  Indians,  accompanied  by  Paspatoo, 


'*  Few  settlers  had  entered  this  region  prior  to  Nuttall's  journey,  and  most 
of  these  were  thinly  scattered  along  the  river.  Many  of  the  English  names 
which  Nuttall  mentions  on  the  following  pages  are  those  of  men  who  had  settled 
on  the  river,  in  Jefferson  County,  during  the  year  or  two  preceding  his  %isit. 
Morrison  was  on  the  south  bank.  The  Dardennes,  or  Dardennis,  and  the 
Masons,  mentioned  below,  were  on  the  north  side. —  Ed. 


136  Earfy  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

their  chief,  now  75  years  of  age,  were  stragghng  about  in 
quest  of  whiskey,  which  if  not  prohibited,  would,  in  all 
probability,  be  less  plentifully  supplied. 

The  adjoining  forest  was  already  adorned  with  flowers, 
like  the  month  of  May  in  the  middle  states.  The  woods, 
which  had  been  overrun  by  fire  in  autumn,  were  strewed 
in  almost  exclusive  profusion  with  the  Ranunculus  maril- 
andicus,  in  full  bloom,  affording,  with  other  herbage, 
already  an  abundant  pasture  [97]  for  the  cattle.  Towards 
evening,  Mr.  Drope,  with  his  large  and  commodious  trad- 
ing boat  of  25  tons  burthen,  passed  this  place  on  his  way 
to  the  garrison,  with  whom  I  was  to  embark  on  the  follow- 
ing morning. 

9th.]  I  walked  about  four  miles  to  Mr.  Dardennes', 
where  there  were  two  families  residing  on  the  bank  of  the 
river,  which  is  agreeably  elevated,  and  here  I  had  the  sat- 
isfaction of  joining  Mr.  Drope.  Lands  of  the  same  fer- 
tile quality  as  that  on  the  border  of  the  river,  extend  here 
from  it  for  eight  miles  without  interruption,  and  free  from 
inundation.  The  claim  of  Winters'  still  continues  up  to 
an  island  nearly  opposite  Mr.  Lewismore's,  but  the  sur- 
vey of  all  this  land,  now  ordered  by  Congress,  seems  to 
imply  the  annihilation  of  this  claim,  which  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  settlement  ought  promptly  to  be  decided. 

Four  miles  above  Dardennes',  commences  the  first 
gravel-bar,  accompanied  by  very  rapid  water. 

loth.]  We  now  passed  Mr.  Mason's,  18  miles  above 
Dardennes',  where  likewise  exists  an  extensive  body  of 
rich  and  dry  land,  along  the  borders  of  Plum  bayou. "^ 

^"^  Plum  Bayou,  not  shown  on  ordinary  maps,  flows  southeast  through  the 
centre  of  the  north  half  of  Jefferson  County,  roughly  parallel  to  the  river,  which 
it  enters  six  miles  above  New  Gascony.  Most  of  its  course  is  through  the  town- 
ship of  the  same  name.  A  village  called  Plum  Bayou  is  near  the  northwest 
corner  of  the  county,  four  or  five  miles  north  of  the  source  of  the  stream. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  NuttalFs  yournal  137 

We  encamped  at  the  upper  point  of  the  sand-beach, 
about  three  miles  above  Mason's,  on  the  margin  of  a 
small  and  elevated  prairie,  which,  from  the  abundance  of 
Chicasaw  plum  bushes  forming  a  grove,  I  fancied  might 
have  been  an  ancient  aboriginal  station.  The  day  was  ex- 
ceedingly wet,  accompanied  with  thunder,  which  had  con- 
tinued with  but  little  intermission  since  the  preceding 
night. 

nth.]  Passed  Mr.  Embree's,  and  arrived  at  Mr.  Lewis- 
more's.^**^  Six  miles  above,  we  also  saw  two  Indian  vil- 
lages, opposite  each  of  those  settlements.  The  land  is 
here  generally  elevated  above  the  inundation,  and  of  a 
superior  quality;  the  upper  stratum  a  dark-coloured  loam, 
rich  in  vegetable  matter. 

The  Indians,  unfortunately,  are  here,  as  usual,  both 
poor  and  indolent,  and  alive  to  wants  which  they  have 
[98]  not  the  power  of  gratifying.  The  younger  ones  are 
extremely  foppish  in  their  dress;  covered  with  feathers, 
blazing  calicoes,  scarlet  blankets,  and  silver  pendents. 
Their  houses,  sufficiently  convenient  with  their  habits, 
are  oblong  square,  and  without  any  other  furniture  than 
baskets  and  benches,  spread  with  skins  for  the  purpose 
of  rest  and  repose.  The  fire,  as  usual,  is  in  the  middle  of 
the  hut,  which  is  constructed  of  strips  of  bark  and  cane, 
with  doors  also  of  the  latter  split  and  plaited  together. 

The  forest  was  already  decorated  with  the  red-bud, 
and  a  variety  of  humble  flowers.  A  species  of  Vitis,'^^* 
called  the  June  grape,  from  its  ripening  at  that  early 
period,  was  also  nearly  in  blossom.     It  does  not  appear 

108  Nuttall  doubtless  means  Major  Lewismore  Vaugine,  mentioned  a  few 
lines  below. —  Ed. 

"*  The  infertile  plant  cultivated  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  London,  has 
received  the  name  of  Vitis  odoratissima,  by  the  gardeners,  an  epithet  which  does 
not  express  any  peculiar  character. —  Nuttall. 


138  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

to  exist  in  any  of  the  eastern  states;  in  leaf  it  somewhat 
resembles  the  vigne  des  batures  (or  Vitis  riparia  of  Mi- 
chaux),  while  the  fruit,  in  the  composition  of  its  bunches, 
and  inferior  size,  resembles  the  winter  grape. 

We  spent  the  evening  with  major  Lewismore  Vaugin,"" 
the  son  of  a  gentleman  of  noble  descent,  whose  father 
formerly  held  a  considerable  post  under  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernment. 

Fifteen  miles  above  this  place,  Monsieur  Vaugin  in- 
formed me  of  the  remains  of  an  aboriginal  station  of  con- 
siderable extent,  resembling  a  triangular  fort,  which  the 
Quapaws  on  their  first  arrival  in  this  country  say,  was  in- 
habited by  a  people  who  were  white,  and  partly  civilized, 
but  whom,  at  length,  they  conquered  by  stratagem.  The 
hunters  possess  an  opinion,  by  no  means  singular,  that 
this  embankment  is  of  antediluvian  origin. 

12th.]  This  morning  we  met  captain  Prior*"  and  Mr. 
Richards,  descending  with  cargoes  of  furs  and  peltries, 

'*'  Although  Vaugine  was  for  several  generations  a  prominent  name  in  the 
Southwest,  and  is  still  borne  by  the  township  in  Jefferson  County  in  which  the 
county  town  is  located,  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  different  individuals  who 
possessed  it.  It  was  borne  by  one  of  the  French  officers  who  remained  in 
Louisiana  after  its  cession  to  Spain ;  and  it  was  the  name  of  another  Frenchman 
who  emigrated  to  New  Orleans  late  in  the  eighteenth  century,  removed  later  to 
Arkansas  Post,  and  finally  settled,  as  farmer  and  trader,  four  miles  below  Pine 
Bluff,  where  he  died  in  1831,  aged  sixty-three  years.  As  the  latter  served 
as  major  in  the  War  of  1812-15,  he  is  probably  the  Major  Lewismore  Vaugine 
of  the  text;  but  his  relationship  to  the  first  mentioned  does  not  appear. 
Other  members  of  the  family  were  prominent  in  Jefferson  County  as  late  as  the 
close  of  the  War  of  Secession. —  Ed. 

*"  Nathaniel  Prior  (sometimes  spelled  Pryor  and  Pryer)  enlisted  under 
Lewis  and  Clark  as  a  private,  being  later  appointed  sergeant.  In  1807,  then 
an  ensign,  he  was  appointed  to  escort  to  his  home  the  Mandan  chief  Shahaka 
("Big  White"),  who  had  visited  Washington  at  the  request  of  the  explorers. 
Prior's  party  were  fired  upon  by  the  Sioux,  and  compelled  to  return  to  St. 
Louis;  it  was  not  until  September,  1809,  that  Shahaka  could  be  returned  to 
his  people  —  this  time  escorted  by  an  expedition  under  Pierre  Chouteau.  Prior 
continued  in  the  regular  army  until  1815,  at  which  time  he  was  a  captain. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  N utt air s  'Journal  139 

collected  among  the  Osages.  The  former  [99]  was  one  of 
those  who  had  accompanied  Lewis  and  Clarke  across  the 
continent.  Six  miles  above  Mr.  Vaugin's,  at  Monsieur 
Michael  Le  Bonn's,"-  commences  the  first  appearance  of 
a  hill,  in  ascending  the  Arkansa.  It  is  called  the  Bluff, "^ 
and  appears  to  be  a  low  ridge  covered  with  pine,  similar 
to  the  Chicasaw  cliffs,  and  affording  in  the  broken  bank 
of  the  river  the  same  parti-coloured  clays.  Mr.  Drope 
remained  at  the  Bluff,  trading  the  remainder  of  the  day 
with  the  two  or  three  metif"*  families  settled  here,  who 
are  very  little  removed  in  their  habits  from  the  savages, 
with  whose  language  and  manners  they  are  quite  familiar. 
In  the  evening,  a  ball  or  dance  was  struck  up  betwixt 
them  and  the  engagees.  The  pine  land  is  here,  as  every 
where  else,  poor  and  unfit  for  cultivation.  Over  this  ele- 
vated ground  were  scattered  a  considerable  number  of 
low  mounds. 

13th.]  To-day  I  walked  along  the  beach  with  Mr.  D., 
and  found  the  lands  generally  dry  and  elevated,  covered 
with  cotton-wood  (Populus  angulisans),  sycamore  {Pla- 
tanus  occidentale) ,  maple  (Acer  dasycarpa),  elm  (Ulmus 
americana),  and  ash  (Fraxinus  sambucijolia  and  F.  plati- 
carpa).  We  observed  several  situations  which  appeared 
to  have  been  formerly  occupied  by  the  Indians.     A  canoe 


*"  According  to  local  histories,  the  first  permanent  white  settler  at  this  point 
was  Joseph  Bonne,  a  French  trapper  and  hunter,  who  came  about  1819. —  Ed. 

"'  This  bluff  is  the  site  of  the  town  of  Pine  Bluff,  seat  of  Jefferson  County . 
The  town  was  laid  out  about  1837,  and  incorporated  in  1848;  but  the  county 
was  organized  in  1829,  the  court  being  from  the  beginning  held  at  the  "Bluff." 
For  ten  years  there  served  as  court-house  a  house  which  Bonne  built  in  1825, 
on  the  river  bank  between  Chestnut  and  Walnut  streets  of  the  present  town, 
on  land  which  has  since  caved  into  the  river.  When  built,  it  was  near  the 
camp  of  the  Quapaw  chief  Sarrasin  (see  ante,  note  loi). —  Ed. 

"*  Metif,  from  French  metif,  meaning  of  mixed  breed ;  specifically,  the  off- 
spring of  a  white  and  a  quadroon. —  Ed. 


140  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

of  the  Quapaws  coming  in  sight,  we  prevailed  on  them  to 
land,  and,  during  the  interval  of  our  boat's  arriving,  I 
amused  myself  with  learning  some  of  their  names  for  the 
forest  trees.  While  thus  engaged,  I  observed,  that  many 
of  their  sounds  were  dental  and  guttural,  and  that  they 
could  not  pronounce  the  ih.  In  the  evening  we  came  to 
a  little  above  the  second  Pine  Bluff. 

14th.]  We  proceeded  to  Mons.  Bartholome's,^^^  where 
Mr.  D.  stayed  about  two  hours.  Mons.  B.  and  the  two 
or  three  families  who  are  his  neighbours  are  entirely 
hunters,  or  in  fact  Indians  in  habits,  and  pay  no  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  soil.  These,  with  two  or  three 
families  at  the  first  Pine  Bluffs,  are  the  [100]  remains  of 
the  French  hunters,  whose  stations  have  found  a  place  in 
the  maps  of  the  Arkansa,  and  they  are  in  all  probability 
the  descendants  of  those  ten  Frenchmen  whom  de  Tonti 
left  with  the  Arkansas,  on  his  way  up  the  Mississippi  in 
the  year  1685."®  From  this  place  we  meet  with  no  more 
settlements  until  our  arrival  at  the  Little  Rock,  12  miles 
below  which,  and  about  70  from  hence,  by  the  meander- 

"*  Ambrose  Bartholomew  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  river. —  Ed. 

"'  See  ante,  note  85;  also  Cuming's  Tour,  volume  iv  of  our  series,  note  195. 
The  date  of  this  visit  of  Tonty  is  not  exactly  known,  but  it  was  in  the  spring 
of  1686.  He  left  IlUnois  to  seek  La  Salle  in  February,  and  left  Texas  for  the 
return  journey  on  Easter  Monday.     He  was  again  in  Illinois  on  June  24. 

Other  settlers  at  Pine  BlufJ  besides  Bonne  were  John  Derresseaux  and  one 
Prewett.  The  preponderance  in  this  neighborhood  of  settlers  of  French  blood 
is  indicated  not  only  by  the  names  of  persons,  but  also  by  the  fact  that  New 
Gascony  is  the  name  of  one  of  the  oldest  towns. 

It  is  said  that  the  first  white  man  in  Jefferson  County  was  Leon  Le  Roy, 
one  of  Tonty's  men,  who  deserted  from  the  Post  in  1690.  He  was  held 
in  captivity  for  fourteen  years  by  the  Osage,  and  when  he  escaped  was  captured 
and  adopted  by  the  Quapaw,  whom  he  taught  the  use  of  firearms.  When  the 
Quapaw  treaty  of  1818  was  made,  one  chief  gave  the  commissioners,  as  an  em- 
blem of  friendship,  a  gun  said  to  be  the  one  which  Le  Roy  had  a  century  earlier 
taught  the  Quapaw  to  use.  This  weapon  is  preserved  in  the  Smithsonian 
Institution,  at  Washington. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  NuttalV  s  'Journal  141 

ing  course  of  the  river,  we  again  meet  with  a  house.  We 
proceeded  about  eight  miles  from  Bartholome's,  and  about 
sun-set  came  in  sight  of  another  pine  blufif  of  about  100 
feet  elevation,  and  a  mile  in  length.  On  the  right  hand 
bank  the  land  appeared  fertile  and  elevated.  Near  our 
encampment  there  was  a  small  lake  communicating 
with  the  river  by  a  bayou.  The  horizontal  beds  of 
clay  in  this  cliff  or  precipice  are  precisely  similar  to  those 
of  the  Chicasaw  Bluffs. 

15th.]  The  land  appeared  still,  for  the  most  part,  on 
either  bank,  elevated  above  inundation.  Some  cypress"' 
clumps,  however,  were  observable  on  the  Quapaw  side. 
On  the  opposite  we  saw  a  cluster  of  Hollies  {Ilex  opacd), 
which  were  the  first  we  had  seen  any  way  conspicuous 
along  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  forests  every  where 
abound  with  wild  turkeys,  which  at  this  season  are  be- 
ginning to  be  too  poor  for  food.  We  came  about  16  miles 
above  the  last  pine  bluff,  and  were  there  detained  the 
remainder  of  the  evening  by  the  commencement  of  a  strong 
south-west  wind,  which  in  the  night  veered  round  to  the 
north-west.  The  land  on  the  Indian  side,  contiguous  to 
the  river,  abounded  with  thickets  of  Chicasaw  plum-trees, 
which  appear  to  have  overgrown  the  sites  of  Indian  huts 
and  fields,  but,  except  in  a  few  elevated  places,  the  first 
alluvial  platform  or  terrace  is  subject  to  inundation. 
The  second  bank,  where  the  large  cane  commences,  is, 
however,  free  from  water.  The  [loi]  right  side  of  the 
river  appeared  universally  high,  and  rich  cane  land  with 
occasional  thickets  and  openings. 

Throughout  this  country  there  certainly  exists  extensive 
bodies  of  fertile  land,  and  favoured  by  a  comparatively 
healthy  climate.     The  cultivation  of  cotton,  rice,  maize, 

"'  Cupressus  disticha. —  Nxjttall. 


142  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

wheat,  tobacco,  indigo,  hemp,  and  wine,  together  with  the 
finest  fruits  of  moderate  climates,  without  the  aid  of  arti- 
ficial soils  or  manures,  all  sufficiently  contiguous  to  a  mar- 
ket, are  important  inducements  to  industry  and  enter- 
prize.  The  peach  of  Persia  is  already  naturalized 
through  the  forests  of  Arkansa,  and  the  spontaneous  mul- 
berry points  out  the  convenience  of  raising  silk.  Pastur- 
age at  all  seasons  of  the  year  is  so  abundant,  that  some  of 
our  domestic  animals  might  become  naturalized,  as  in 
Paraguay  and  Mexico;  indeed  several  wild  horses  were 
seen  and  taken  in  these  forests  during  the  preceding  year. 

The  territory  watered  by  the  Arkansa  is  scarcely  less 
fertile  than  Kentucky,  and  it  owes  its  luxuriance  to  the 
same  source  of  alluvial  deposition.  Many  places  will 
admit  of  a  condensed  population.  The  climate  is  no  less 
healthy,  and  at  the  same  time  favourable  to  productions 
more  valuable  and  saleable.  The  privations  of  an  infant 
settlement  are  already  beginning  to  disappear,  grist  and 
saw-mills,  now  commenced,  only  wait  for  support;  and 
the  want  of  good  roads  is  scarcely  felt  in  a  level  country 
meandered  by  rivers.  Those  who  have  large  and  grow- 
ing families  can  always  find  lucrative  employment  in  a 
country  which  produces  cotton.  The  wages  of  labourers 
were  from  12  to  15  dollars  per  month  and  boarding, 
which  could  not  then  be  considered  as  extravagant,  while 
cotton  produced  from  five  to  six  dollars  per  hundred 
weight  in  the  seed,  and  each  acre  from  1000  to  1500 
pounds. 

1 6th.]  At  sunrise  the  thermometer  was  down  to  28°, 
and  the  wind  at  north-west.  This  sudden  transition, 
after  such  a  long  continuance  of  mild  weather,  [102]  felt 
extremely  disagreeable,  and  foreboded  the  destruction  of 
all  the  fruit  in  the  territory.     This  morning  we  passed  the 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  143 

fifth  Pine  Bluff,  and  the  last  previous  to  our  arrival  at  the 
Little  Rock;  the  fasfade  was  about  the  same  height  and 
of  the  same  materials  as  the  preceding.  Among  the 
pebbles  of  a  gravel  beach  which  I  examined  were  scattered 
a  few  fragments  of  cornelian,  similar  to  those  of  the  Mis- 
souri, and  abundance  of  chert  or  hornstone  containing 
organic  impressions  of  entrocites,  caryophillites,  &c.  here 
and  there  were  also  intermingled  a  few  granitic  fragments, 
which,  if  not  more  remotely  adventitious,  had  probably 
descended  from  the  mountains. —  We  proceeded  to-day 
about  17  miles. 

17th.]  This  morning  we  had  the  disagreeable  prospect 
of  ice,  and  the  wind  was  still  from  the  north-west,  but 
abating.  To-day  we  progressed  about  20  miles.  The 
sixth  point  we  passed,  since  our  encampment  of  the  pre- 
ceding night,  was  called  the  Eagle's  Nest,  which  is  here 
seen  situated  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  bend  before  us, 
of  six  miles  in  circuit,  and  only  about  100  yards  across  at 
the  isthmus. 

The  almost  uninterrupted  alternation  of  sand-bars  in 
the  wide  alluvial  plain  of  the  Arkansa  afford,  as  on  the 
Mississippi,  great  facilities  to  navigation,  either  in  pro- 
pelling the  boat  by  poles,  or  towing  with  the  cordelles. 
As  the  bars  or  beaches  advance,  so  they  continually  change 
the  common  level  of  the  river,  and  driving  the  current 
into  the  bend  with  augmenting  velocity,  the  curve  be- 
comes at  length  intersected,  and  the  sand  barring  up  the 
entrances  of  the  former  bed  of  the  river,  thus  produces  the 
lakes  which  we  find  interspersed  over  the  alluvial  lands. 

In  the  present  state  of  the  water,  which  is  remarkably 
low,  considering  the  rains  which  have  fallen,  it  is  difficult 
to  proceed  with  a  large  merchant  boat  more  than  18  or  20 
miles  a-day. 


144  Karly  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

[103]  i8th.]  We  now  passed  an  island  or  cut-off  two 
miles  long,  and  forming  a  point  four  or  j&ve  miles  round. 
Near  its  commencement  we  were  again  gratified  with  the 
sight  of  a  human  habitation. 

Although  the  lands  along  the  bank  of  the  river  here, 
appear  elevated  above  the  inundation,  yet,  betwixt  the 
lower  settlement  and  Mr.  Twiner's,  where  we  now  arrived, 
the  surveyor  found  considerable  tracts  subject  to  the  over- 
flow, and  in  one  place  a  whole  township  so  situated.  On 
the  opposite  side,  or  Indian  reservation,  the  hills  approach 
within  six  or  eight  miles  of  the  river,  and,  like  most  of  the 
southern  pine  lands,  promise  but  little  to  the  agriculturist, 
but  the  intermediate  alluvion  is  as  fertile  as  usual.  The 
Great  Prairie,"*  as  I  am  told,  on  our  right,  lies  at  the 
distance  of  about  18  or  20  miles;  the  intermediate  space, 
unbroken  by  hills,  must  necessarily  afford  an  uninter- 
rupted body  of  land  little  removed  from  the  fertile  char- 
acter of  alluvial. 

Towards  evening  we  arrived  at  Monsieur  La  Feve's,"^ 
where  two  families  reside,  at  the  distance  of  about  eight 
miles  above  Mr.  Twiner's;  these  are  also  descendants 
from  the  ancient  French  settlers. 

19th.]  This  morning  we  met  with  a  boat  from  the  gar- 
rison, commanded  by  lieutenant  Blair,  on  his  way  to 
Arkansas.  We  also  passed  Trudot's  island,  and  Mr.  D. 
stopped  awhile  at  the  elder  La  Feve's,  for  the  purposes  of 

"*  Great  Prairie,  or  Grand  Prairie,  as  it  is  usually  called,  is  the  low  upland 
north  of  the  Arkansas.  The  tract  especially  designated  by  this  name  is  about 
ninety  miles  long  and  from  ten  to  fifteen  wide,  and  roughly  runs  parallel  to  the 
river. —  Ed. 

"•  Peter  Lefevre,  a  French  Canadian,  settled  in  the  fall  of  1818  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  about  six  miles  below  Little  Rock.  Descendants  still  dwelt 
upon  the  identical  spot  a  few  years  ago.  The  name  is  common  in  the  early 
history  of  this  section.  In  corrupted  form  it  is  preserved  in  Fourche  la  Fave 
Creek,  which  flows  eastward  through  Perry  County. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalV s  'Journal  145 

trade.  Monsieur  F.  by  his  dress  and  manners  did  not 
appear  to  have  had  much  acquaintance  with  the  civilized 
world.  In  the  evening,  we  arrived  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Jones,  where  we  were  very  decently  entertained. 

20th.]  Two  miles  further  lived  Mr.  Daniels,^^"  in  whose 
neighbourhood  a  second  family  also  resided.  The  land 
in  this  vicinity  appeared  to  be  of  a  very  superior  quality, 
and  well  suited  for  cotton.  Some  of  it,  obtained  by  the 
grant  of  the  Spaniards,  and  since  confirmed  by  the  United 
States,  is  held  as  high  [104]  as  ten  dollars  the  acre.  From 
this  place  proceeds  the  road  to  St.  Louis,  on  the  right, 
and  Mount  Prairie  settlement,  and  Natchitoches  on  Red 
river,  on  the  left.  From  all  I  can  learn,  it  appears  pretty 
evident  that  these  extensive  and  convenient  routes  have 
been  opened  from  time  immemorial  by  the  Indians;  they 
were  their  war  and  hunting-paths,  and  such  as  in  many 
instances  had  been  tracked  out  instinctively  by  the  bison 
in  their  periodical  migrations.  It  is  in  these  routes,  con- 
ducted by  the  Indians,  that  we  are  to  trace  the  adventur- 
ers De  Soto  and  La  Salle,  and  by  which  we  may  possibly 
identify  the  truth  of  their  relations.  ^^^  From  the  appear- 
ances of  aboriginal  remains  around  Mount  Prairie  we  may 
safely  infer  the  former  existence  of  the  natives  on  that 
site,  and  it  appears  also  probable,  that  this  must  have 
been  the  fertile  country  of  the  Cayas  or  Tanicas  described 
by  La  Vega,  a  people  who  are  at  this  time  on  the  verge  of 
extermination.'" 

The  distance  from  Mr.  Daniels',  on  the  banks  of  the 
Arkansa,  to  Red  river,  is  believed  to  be  about  250  miles. 

""  About  the  year  1814,  Wright  Daniels  located  on  the  north  side  of  the  river, 
four  miles  below  Little  Rock.  Robert  Jones  came  to  the  same  neighborhood 
in  1818.— Ed. 

"'  See  post,  note  126. —  Ed. 

'*^  The  Cayas  of  La  Vega  are  the  modern  Kansa. —  Ed. 


146  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

The  Great  Prairie,  bearing  from  hence  to  the  north-east, 
is  |Said  to  be  40  miles  distant,  and  there  is  likewise  a  con- 
tii^uation  of  open  plains  or  small  prairies,  from  hence  to 
the  Cadron  settlement.  White  river  lies  about  100  mUes 
distant  to  the  north. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  we  passed  the  sixth  Pine  Bluff, 
behind  which  appeared  the  first  prominent  hill  that  occurs 
to  view  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa.  The  fas^ade  or 
cliffs,  in  which  it  terminates  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  is 
called  the  Little  Rock,*^'  as  it  is  the  first  stone  which  occurs 
in  place.  The  river,  no  longer  so  tediously  meandering, 
here  presents  a  stretch  of  six  miles  in  extent,  proceeding 
to  the  west  of  north-west.  In  the  evening  we  arrived  at 
Mr.  Hogan's,*^*  or  the  settlement  of  the  Little  Rock, 
opposite  to  which  appear  the  cliffs,  formed  of  a  dark  green- 
ish coloured,  fine-grained,  slaty,  sandstone,  mixed  with 
[105]  minute  scales  of  mica,  forming  what  geologists 
commonly  term  the  grauwacke  slate,  and  declining  beneath 
the  surface  at  a  dip  or  angle  of  not  less  than  45°  from 
the  horizon.  The  hUls  appear  to  be  elevated  from  150 
to  200  feet  above  the  level  of  the  river,  and  are  thinly  cov- 
ered with  trees. 

There  are  a  few  families  living  on  both  sides,  upon  high, 
healthy,  and  fertile  land;  and  about  22  miles  from  Hogan's, 
there  is  another  settlement  of  nine  or  ten  families  situ- 
ated towards  the  sources  of  Saline  creek  of  the  Washita,"^ 

'^'  Called  La  Petite  Rochelle  by  the  French,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  larger 
rocky  promontory  two  miles  farther  up  the  river.  A  few  settlers  located  here 
as  early  as  1818.  Little  Rock  became  the  capital  of  the  territory  in  182 1,  and 
the  same  year  it  was  proposed  to  rechristen  it  Arkopolis.  Although  never 
officially  adopted,  this  name  appears  on  some  old  maps. —  Ed. 

"*  Edmund  Hogan,  from  Georgia,  was  said  to  be  the  first  permanent  settler 
of  Pulaski  County.  Upon  the  organization  of  the  county  in  1819,  he  was  ap- 
pointed justice  of  the  peace. —  Ed. 

^^^  The  Saline  joins  the  Ouachita  a  few  miles  from  the  southern  boundary 
of  Arkansas,  but  its  headwaters  are  in  Saline  County,  which  joins  Pulaski  on 
the  west.     This  river  should  be  distinguished  from  the  Saline  branch  of  Little 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  147 

which  enters  that  river  in  2i'^  27';  this  land,  though  fertile 
and  healthy,  cannot  be  compared  with  the  alluvions  of 
the  Arkansa;  notwithstanding  which,  I  am  informed, 
they  were  receiving  accessions  to  their  population  from 
the  states  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  The  great  road 
to  the  south-west,  connected  with  that  of  St.  Louis, 
already  noticed,  passing  through  this  settlement,  commu- 
nicates downwards  also  with  the  post  of  Washita,  with  the 
remarkable  thermal  springs  near  its  sources,  about  50 
miles  distant,  and  then  proceeding  250  miles  to  the  settle- 
ment of  Mount  Prairie  on  Saline  creek  of  Red  river, 
and  not  far  from  the  banks  of  the  latter,  continues  to 
Natchitoches.^^®  The  whole  of  this  country,  except  that 
of  the  hot-springs,  which  is  mountainous,  consists  either 
of  prairies  or  undulated  lands  thinly  timbered,  and  pos- 
sessed of  considerable  fertility. 

River,  a  tributary  of  the  Red.  The  settlement  here  referred  to  was  near  the 
point  where  the  road  to  Hot  Springs  crossed  the  Saline.  It  was  begun  (1815) 
by  William  Lockert  (or  Lockhart),  from  North  CaroUna;  other  families  came 
in  1817.  See  James,  Expedition^  volume  xvii  of  our  series,  p.  300  (original 
pagination). —  Ed. 

'^  Nuttall's  description  of  the  course  of  the  road  below  Little  Rock  is  con- 
fusing. By  the  thermal  springs  he  means  the  site  of  Hot  Springs,  where  the 
road  forked.  The  eastern  branch  followed  the  Ouachita  to  the  side  of  the 
modem  town  of  Monroe,  seat  of  Ouachita  Parish,  Louisiana,  where  was  Nuttall's 
"post  of  Washita;"  thence  it  ran  southwest  to  Natchitoches,  on  Red  River,  an 
old  French  mission  town,  founded  in  17 14,  now  the  seat  of  Natchitoches  Parish. 
The  other  branch  ran  almost  directly  south  to  Natchitoches,  and  on  Darby's 
map  of  1816  is  marked,  "Trace  from  Natchitoches  to  Hot  Springs." 

Mount  Prairie  was  not  on  the  headwaters  of  the  Saline  Fork  of  the  Ouachita 
where  Nuttall's  map  places  it.  The  name  suggests  the  old  French  "upper 
settlement"  on  Red  River,  which  was  near  the  old  Caddo  village,  situated  in 
Long  Prairie,  south  of  Red  River,  about  fifty  miles  above  Little  River.  In 
this  prairie  was  a  hill  which  the  Indians  regarded  with  superstitious  veneration. 
However,  the  settlements  on  Red  River,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Kiamichi,  are 
probably  meant  (see  post,  notes  182,  184).  The  trail  from  St.  Louis  to  Little 
Rock,  which  passed  through  Cape  Girardeau,  Missouri,  was  followed  by  Major 
S.  H.  Long  on  his  expedition  into  Arkansas  (1810).  Members  of  Long's 
exploring  party  of  1819-20,  who  followed  this  "great  road"  from  the  Saline  to 
Little  Rock,  called  it  then  an  "obscure  path." — Ed. 


148  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

2 1  St.]  For  three  or  four  nights  past,  we  experienced 
frost  sufficient  to  destroy  most  of  the  early  grape,  plum, 
popaw,  and  red-bud  bloom.  At  6  o'clock  this  morning, 
the  thermometer  was  down  to  22°.  In  the  distance  of 
two  miles  we  arrived  at  the  younger  Mr.  Curran's,  nearly 
opposite  to  whose  house  appeared  gentle  hills,  presenting 
along  the  bank  of  the  river  beds  of  slate  dipping  about  45° 
to  the  north-west.  About  two  miles  above,  commence 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  the  first  hills,  or  rather 
mountains,  [106]  being  not  less  than  4  or  500  feet  high, 
and  possessing  a  dip  too  considerable  to  be  classed  with 
the  secondary  formation.  Their  character  and  composi- 
tion refer  them  to  the  transition  rocks,  and,  as  far  as  I  have 
had  opportunity  to  examine,  they  appear,  at  all  events, 
generally  destitute  of  organic  reliquiae.  Similar  to  what 
we  had  already  examined,  they  are  a  stratum  of  slate  made 
up  of  the  detritus  of  more  ancient  rocks,  and  frequently 
traversed  with  crystalline  quartzy  veins.  I  cannot,  in 
fact,  perceive  any  difference  betwixt  this  rock  and  that 
of  the  greater  part  of  the  Alleghany  mountains  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  Virginia,  and  particularly  those  which  are 
of  like  inconsiderable  elevation.  About  eight  miles  from 
Mr.  Curran's,  appeared  again,  on  the  left,  very  consider- 
able round-top  hills,  one  of  them,  called  the  Mamelle,*" 
in  the  distance,  where  first  visible,  appeared  insulated  and 
conic  like  a  volcano.  The  cliffs  bordering  the  river, 
broken  into  shelvings,  were  decorated  with  the  red  cedar 
{Juniperus  virginiana),  and  clusters  of  ferns. 

After  emerging  as  it  were  from  so  vast  a  tract  of  alluvial 

"'  The  Mamelle  is  at  the  mouth  of  a  stream  which  is  still  marked  on  the 
maps  as  the  MaumeUe,  a  corruption  of  the  original.  The  name  was  not  in- 
frequently applied  by  the  French  to  hills  of  breast-like  form.  This  peak  is 
now  called  "The  Pinnacle." —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaWs  'Journal  149 

lands,  as  that  through  which  I  had  now  been  travelHng  for 
more  than  three  months,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  describe 
the  pleasure  which  these  romantic  prospects  again  afforded 
me.  Who  can  be  insensible  to  the  beauty  of  the  verdant 
hill  and  valley,  to  the  sublimity  of  the  clouded  mountain, 
the  fearful  precipice,  or  the  torrent  of  the  cataract.  Even 
bald  and  moss-grown  rocks,  without  the  aid  of  sculpture, 
forcibly  inspire  us  with  that  veneration  which  we  justly 
owe  to  the  high  antiquity  of  nature,  and  which  appears 
to  arise  no  less  from  a  solemn  and  intuitive  reflection  on 
their  vast  capacity  for  duration,  contrasted  with  that 
transient  scene  in  which  we  ourselves  only  appear  to  act 
a  momentary  part. 

Many  of  the  plants  common  to  every  mountainous  and 
hilly  region  in  the  United  States,  again  attracted  my 
attention,  and  though  no  way  peculiarly  interesting,  [107] 
serve  to  show  the  wide  extension  of  the  same  species, 
under  the  favourable  exposure  of  similar  soil  and  peculiar- 
ity of  surface.  To  me  the  most  surprising  feature  in 
the  vegetation  of  this  country,  existing  under  so  low  a  lati- 
tude, was  the  total  absence  of  all  the  usual  evergreens,  as 
well  as  of  most  of  those  plants  belonging  to  the  natural 
family  of  the  heaths,  the  rhododendrons,  and  the  magno- 
lias; while,  on  the  other  hand,  we  have  an  abundance  of 
the  arborescent  Leguminosce,  or  trees  which  bear  pods, 
similar  to  the  forests  of  the  tropical  regions.  Here  also 
the  Sapindus  saponaria,  or  soap-berry  of  the  West  Indies, 
attains  the  magnitude  of  a  tree. 

On  the  banks  of  the  river,  near  the  precise  limit  of  inun- 
dation, I  met  with  a  new  species  of  Sysinbrium,  besides 
the  6*.  amphibium,  so  constant  in  its  occurrence  along  the 
friable  banks  of  all  the  western  rivers.     This  plant,  which 


150  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

is  creeping  and  perennial,  possesses  precisely  the  taste  of 
the  common  cabbage  (Brassica  oleracea),  and,  from  its 
early  verdure,  being  already  in  flower,  might  perhaps  be 
better  worth  cultivating  as  an  early  sallad,  than  the  Bar- 
bar  ea  americana,  or  winter  sallad. 

22d.]  From  Mr.  Blair's,  at  which  place  and  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood Mr.  D.  spent  the  remainder  of  the  day,  I  pro- 
ceeded down  the  river  about  eight  miles,  in  order  to  exam- 
ine the  reported  silver  mine  of  that  place.  My  route  along 
the  banks  of  the  river  lay  through  rich  and  rather  open 
alluvial  lands,  but,  in  many  places,  not  free  from  transient 
inundation. 

The  pretended  silver-mine  is  situated  about  one  mile 
below  White  Oak  bayou  or  rivulet.  The  search  appears 
to  have  been  induced  by  the  exposure  of  the  rocks  in  the 
bank  of  the  river,  which  present  indeed  an  appearance 
somewhat  remarkable.  The  dip  of  the  strata,  about  45° 
to  the ^north- west,  and  the  whole  texture  of  the  rock,  is 
similar  to  that  which  we  have  already  noticed.  The  prin- 
cipal and  lowest  stratum,  [108]  is  a  dark  coloured,  sandy, 
but  fragile  slate-clay;  the  upper  beds  are  a  fine-grained, 
siliceous  sandstone,  containing  grains  of  mica,  and 
occasionally  traversed  with  veins  of  quartz.  In  one 
of  these  veins,  about  a  foot  in  breadth,  were  abun- 
dance of  rock  crystals,  scattered  over  with  round  masses 
or  imperfect  crystals  of  a  white  and  diaphanous  talc, 
collected  into  radii,  each  plate  forming  the  segment  of 
a  circle. 

I  was  for  some  time  unable  to  ascertain  the  character 
of  the  pretended  ore  of  silver,  as  the  whole  concern  lay 
abandoned.  I  observed,  however,  that  the  slags  of  their 
furnace  betrayed  a  considerable  proportion  of  iron  in 
their  operations,  and  at  length  I  discovered  a  heap  of 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  "Journal  1 5 1 

what  appeared  to  have  been  the  ore,  containing  pyrites, 
some  of  the  crystals  of  which  were  cubic,  like  those  so 
common  around  Lancaster  (Pennsylvania),  in  the  chlo- 
rite slate.  Whether  these  pyrites  did  indeed  contain  silver 
or  not,  I  could  not  absolutely  determine,  though  nothing 
extraordinary  could  reasonably  have  been  expected  from 
their  very  common  appearance  and  unequivocal  character. 
On  showing  these  specimens  to  the  neighbours,  they  in- 
formed me,  that  the  pyrites  was  the  ore  in  question,  while 
others  asserted  it  to  be  sulphur,  and  considered  the  sili- 
ceous matrix  as  the  silver  ore.  It  did  not,  however,  to 
the  microscope  betray  the  smallest  metallic  vestige  which 
could  be  taken  for  silver.  Like  all  the  rest  of  this  rock, 
it  indeed  contained  abundance  of  magnetic  iron-sand, 
which  on  the  disintegration  of  the  stone,  appeared  scat- 
tered along  the  strand  of  the  river.  Upon  the  whole,  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  that  some  imposition  had  been  prac- 
tised upon  the  ignorance  and  credulity  of  those  who  were 
enticed  into  this  undertaking.  Monsieur  Brangiere  is  the 
person  who  first  made  the  experiment,  or  attempted  to 
bring  the  project  into  execution. 

Ever  since  the  time  of  Soto,  reports  concerning  the  dis- 
covery of  precious  metals  in  this  territory  have  [109]  been 
cherished;  we  see  them  marked  upon  the  maps,  and  al- 
though the  places  are  easily  discoverable,  the  gold  and 
silver  they  were  said  to  afford  has  enturely  vanished  like 
a  fairy  dream.  It  is  indeed  averred  that  about  60  dollars 
worth  of  silver  were  obtained  from  this  rock,  but  that  it 
was  relinquished  in  consequence  of  the  labour  exceeding 
the  profits.  A  furnace  and  several  temporary  sheds 
proved  that  some  earnest  attempts  had  been  made,  either 
really  or  fictitiously,  to  obtain  silver.  If  any  silver  was 
obtained,  it  may  be  considered  as  connected  with  the  mag- 


152  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

netic  iron-sand,  which  at  St.  Domingo  and  in  India  is 
found  occasionally  mixed  with  gold  and  silver."* 

Du  Pratz,  after  animadverting  on  the  visionary  reports 
of  the  wealth  of  this  territory,  himself  adds;  ''I  found, 
upon  the  river  of  the  Arkansas,  a  rivulet  that  rolled  down 
with  its  water,  gold-dust."  "And  as  for  silver  mines, 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  they  might  be  found  there,  as 
well  as  in  New  Mexico,  on  which  this  province  bor- 
dered.""^ 

Near  to  these  hills  reported  to  afford  silver,  I  observed 
two  low  aboriginal  mounds,  though  the  situation  did  not 
appear  favourable  to  the  residence  of  the  natives. 

23d.]  Mr.  D.  remained  nearly  the  whole  day  at  J. 
Fiat's,*^"  where  a  second  family  also  resides,  as  well  as  a 
third  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  several  others 
in  the  vicinity.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  Fiat's 
I  amused  myself  in  sketching  a  view  of  the  romantic  hills 
that  border  the  river,  and  which  are  not  less  than  5  to  800 
feet  high,  with  the  strata  inclined  about  45°  to  the  south- 
east. 

In  the  afternoon  I  crossed  the  river,  and  ascended  to 


"*  A  granitic  formation  is  exposed  in  central  Arkansas,  extending  from 
Pulaski  County  to  Pike.  Argentiferous  galena  is  found  throughout  this  area, 
but  is  especially  rich  around  Silver  City  in  Montgomery  County.  The  Span- 
iards left  numerous  old  diggings  as  evidence  of  their  knowledge  of  the  existence 
not  only  of  lead,  but  of  more  valuable  metals.  At  one  time  considerable  quan- 
tities of  silver  were  obtained  from  lead  mines  a  few  miles  north  of  Little  Rock. 
A  gold  "craze"  was  caused  in  1809  by  the  finding  of  a  nugget  in  the  same 
neighborhood  where  Nuttall  places  the  silver  mine. —  Ed. 

'^'  Hist.  Louisian.  p.  219,  London  Edition. —  Nuttall. 

Comment  by  Ed.     Second  London  edition  (1764). 

""  Major  James  Pyeatt  and  his  brother  Jacob  came  from  North  Carolina 
in  wagons  in  1807,  and  the  settlement  which  grew  up  about  them  was  called 
Pyeattstown.  It  was  twelve  miles  above  Little  Rock,  but  has  disappeared. 
Here  resided  for  a  time  James  Miller,  first  governor  of  Arkansas  Territory. 
See  post,  note  214. —  Ed. 


CO 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  155 

the  summit  of  these  lofty  cliffs  of  slaty  and  siliceous  sand- 
stone, where,  from  an  elevation  of  about  600  feet,  I  ob- 
tained a  panorama  view  of  the  surrounding  country,  [i  10] 
checquered  with  low  mountains  running  in  chains  from 
the  north  of  west  to  the  south  of  east.  The  meanders  of 
the  river  appeared  partly  hid  in  the  pervading  forests  of 
its  alluvial  lands,  still  fertile  and  expansive.  To  the  west, 
the  lofty,  conic,  and  broken  hill  called  the  Mamelle  now 
appeared  nearly  double  the  elevation  of  that  on  which  I 
stood,  probably  more  than  1000  feet  in  height.  Two 
miles  above,  it  presented  the  appearance  of  a  vast  pyra- 
mid, hiding  its  summit  in  the  clouds.  In  this  direction 
opened  an  extensive  alluvial  valley,  probably  once  the 
bed  of  the  river,  which  from  hence  makes  a  general  curve 
of  about  20  miles  towards  the  north.  These  mountains 
appear  to  be  connected  with  the  Mazern  chain  of  Darby, 
as  they  continue  from  hence  towards  the  sources  of  the 
Pottoe  of  Arkansa,  and  the  Little  river,  and  Kiamesha 
of  Red  river.  ^^^ 

Amidst  these  wild  and  romantic  cliffs,  and  on  the  ledges 
of  the  rocks,  where,  moistened  by  springs,  grew  a  crucif- 
erous plant,  very  closely  allied,  if  not  absolutely  the  same, 
with  the  Brassica  napus  or  the  Rape-seed  of  Europe,  and 
beyond  all  question  indigenous. 

24th.]  After  taking  a  second  sketch  of  the  Mamelle 
mountain,  from  a  different  point  of  view,  I  proceeded  to 
join  the  boat,  and  crossed  a  poor  and  rocky  Pine  hill. 
Here  the  sandstone  is  scarcely  slaty,  and,  as  usual,  more 
or  less  ferruginous.  Crossing  the  bayou  Palame  (or 
rather  rivulet),  I  joined  the  boat  at  Mr.  Gozy's,  in  whose 

''*  The  Mamelle  terminates  a  range  of  hills  to  which  it  gives  name  (known 
locally  as  the  Maumelle  Mountains) .  North  of  this  lies  the  valley  of  Fourche  la 
Fave  River,  and  between  this  valley  and  that  of  the  Arkansas  rises  another 
range  of  hills.     See  post,  note  i8i. —  Ed. 


156  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

neighbourhood  there  were  also  two  other  families.  This 
evening  we  proceeded  nearly  to  the  termination  of  Grand 
island,  which  is  four  miles  in  length. 

25th.]  About  a  mile  below  Grand  island,  on  our  left, 
the  hills  again  come  in  upon  the  river,  presenting  the  most 
romantic  cliffs.  In  one  place  particularly,  an  unbroken 
fas^ade  not  less  than  150  feet  of  slaty  sandstone  presents 
itself,  the  lamina  of  which,  about  12  or  [in]  18  inches  in 
thickness,  dipping  to  the  south-east,  are  elevated  at  an 
angle  of  near  80°  from  the  horizon,  and  altogether  resemble 
the  basis  of  some  mighty  pyramid.  In  four  miles  further 
we  passed  the  outlet  of  Fourche  La  Feve,  said  to  proceed 
in  a  western  direction  for  200  miles,  and  to  take  its  sources 
in  the  mountains  of  the  Pottoe.^"  A  north-western  range 
of  hills  here  in  the  whole  distance  border  the  river,  the 
strata  of  which,  still  lamellar,  dip  north-north-east,  and 
are  inclined  about  45°.  This  evening,  at  Mr.  Montgom- 
ery's, the  Cadron  hills  appear  before  us,  at  the  distance  of 
about  six  miles. 

26th.]  A  strong  north-west  wind  arose  in  the  night,  ac- 
companying a  rise  in  the  river  of  two  and  a  half  feet,  and 
a  current  of  the  velocity  of  four  or  five  miles  per  hour. 

On  the  27th  we  arrived  at  the  Cadron  settlement, ^^^ 
containing  in  a  contiguous  space  about  five  or  six  families. 


"^  The  name  of  this  stream  is  derived  from  Lefevre,  the  name  of  a  French 
family  prominent  in  early  Arkansas  history  (see  ante,  note  119).  The  sources 
of  the  stream  are  near  the  western  boundary  of  the  state,  in  Scott  County;  its 
headwaters  are  only  a  few  miles  from  those  of  Little  River,  a  tributary  of  the 
Red,  and  those  of  the  Ouachita  lie  between;  it  flows  slightly  to  the  north  of 
east. —  Ed. 

*^  The  site  of  Cadron  settlement  was  the  mouth  of  Cadron  Creek,  thirty- 
eight  miles  above  Little  Rock,  in  Faulkner  County.  In  1820  it  was  made  the 
seat  of  justice  for  Pulaski  County  against  the  wishes  of  Governor  James  Miller, 
who  favored  Pyeattstovra,  his  own  residence.  In  time  Cadron  fell  into  decay, 
and  it  has  now  disappeared  from  the  map. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  157 

Mr.  M'llmery/^^  one  of  the  first,  is  at  present  the  only 
resident  on  the  imaginary  town  plot.  A  cove  of  rocks 
here  affords  a  safe  and  convenient  harbour,  and  a  good 
landing  for  merchandize. 

No  village  or  town,  except  Arkansas,  has  yet  been  pro- 
duced on  the  banks  of  this  river,  though  I  have  no  doubt, 
but  my  remarks  may  ere  long  be  quoted  and  contrasted 
with  a  rising  state  of  more  condensed  population.  Town- 
lot  speculations  have  already  been  tried  at  the  Cadron, 
which  is  yet  but  a  proximate  chain  of  farms,  and  I  greatly 
doubt  whether  a  town  of  any  consequence  on  the  Arkansa 
will  ever  be  chosen  on  this  site.  Some  high  and  rich  body 
of  alluvial  lands  would  be  better  suited  for  the  situation 
of  an  inland  town,  than  the  hills  and  the  rocks  of  the 
Cadron.  Modem  cities  rarely  thrive  in  such  romantic 
situations.  There  is  scarcely  a  hundred  yards  together 
of  level  ground,  and  the  cove  in  which  Mr.  M'llmery 
lives  is  almost  impenetrably  surrounded  by  tiresome  and 
lofty  hills,  broken  into  ravines,  with  small  rills  of  water. 
It  [112]  is  true,  that  here  may  be  obtained  a  solid  founda- 
tion on  which  to  build,  without  danger  of  dislocation  by 
the  perpetual  changes  and  ravages  of  the  river,  but  in  an 
agricultural  settlement  something  more  is  wanting  than 
foundations  for  houses. 

The  Cadron  was  at  this  time  in  the  hands  of  four  pro- 
prietors, who  last  year  commenced  the  sale  of  town-lots 
to  the  amount  of  1300  dollars,  and  the  succeeding  sale  was 
appointed  to  take  place  in  the  approaching  month  of  May. 

What  necessity  there  may  be  for  projecting  a  town  at 
this  place,  I  will  not  take  upon  myself  to  decide,  but  a 


"*  John  McElmurray  settled  at  Cadron  prior  to  1818.  In  the  spring  of 
that  year  he  had  for  neighbors  Benjamin  Murphy,  Harvey  Hager,  and  families 
named  McFarland  and  Newell. —  Ed. 


I  5  8  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

house  of  public  entertainment,  a  tavern,  has  long  been 
wanted,  as  the  Cadron  lies  in  another  of  the  leading  routes 
through  this  territory.  It  is  one  of  the  resorts  from  St. 
Louis,  and  the  settlements  on  White  river,  as  well  as  to 
the  hot  springs  of  the  Washita,"^  and  the  inhabitants  of 
Red  river.  From  Arkansas  to  this  place,  about  150  miles 
by  land,  there  is  a  leading  path  which  proceeds  through 
the  Great  Prairie. 

To  those  southern  gentlemen  who  pass  the  summer  in 
quest  of  health  and  recreation,  this  route  to  the  hot  springs 
of  the  Washita,  which  I  believe  is  the  most  convenient, 
would  afford  a  delightful  and  rational  amusement. 

In  the  course  of  the  day  I  amused  myself  amongst  the 
romantic  cliffs  of  slaty  sand-stone,  which  occupy  the  vicinity 
of  the  Cadron.  Here  I  found  vestiges  of  several  new  and 
curious  plants,  and  among  them  an  undescribed  species  of 
Eriogonum,  with  a  considerable  root,  partly  of  the  colour 
and  taste  of  rhubarb.  The  Petalostemons,  and  several 
plants  of  the  eastern  states,  which  I  had  not  seen  below, 
here  again  make  their  appearance.  The  Cactus  ferox  of 
the  Missouri,  remarkably  loaded  with  spines,  appears  to 
forebode  the  vicinity  of  the  Mexican  desert. 

The  dip  of  the  strata  is  here  south-east,  and  the  moun- 
tains, generally  destitute  of  organic  remains,  [113]  pass  off 
in  chains  from  the  north  of  west  to  the  south  of  east. 

28th.]  The  river  still  continued  rising.  This  morning 
I  walked  out  two  or  three  miles  over  the  hills,  and  found 

^^^  Hot  Springs,  now  the  famous  health  resort  in  Gariand  County.  The 
spot  was  widely  known  among  the  Indians,  and  De  Soto,  led  on  by  their  reports, 
probably  visited  it  in  1542.  Summer  parties  of  wealthy  planters  began  to  fre- 
quent the  region  early  in  the  nineteenth  centurj',  and  to  such  visits  were  doubt- 
less due  the  well-marked  roads  from  Natchitoches,  described  above  (see  ante, 
note  126).  The  town  of  Hot  Springs  is  of  late  growth;  it  was  a  mere  village  in 
i860.  A  tract  of  four  square  miles  surrounding  the  springs  was  purchased  in 
1877  by  the  government,  and  is  now  a  national  park. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  i6i 

the  land,  except  in  the  small  depressions  and  alluvion  of 
the  creek,  of  an  inferior  quality,  and  chiefly  timbered  with 
oaks  and  hickories  thinly  scattered.  Ages  must  elapse 
before  this  kind  of  land  will  be  worth  purchasing  at  any 
price.  Still,  in  its  present  state,  it  will  afford  a  good  range 
of  pasturage  for  cattle,  producing  abundance  of  herbage, 
but  would  be  unfit  for  cotton  or  maize,  though,  perhaps, 
suited  to  the  production  of  smaller  grain;  there  is  not, 
however,  yet  a  grist-mill  on  the  Arkansa,  and  flour  com- 
monly sells  above  the  Post,  at  1 2  dollars  per  barrel.  For 
the  preparation  of  maize,  a  wooden  mortar,  or  different 
kinds  of  hand  or  horse-mills  are  sufficient.  Sugar  and 
coffee  are  also  high  priced  articles,  more  particularly  this 
year.  In  common,  I  suppose,  sugar  retails  at  25  cents 
the  pound,  and  coffee  at  50.  Competition  will,  however, 
regulate  and  reduce  the  prices  of  these  and  other  articles, 
which,  but  a  few  years  ago,  were  sold  at  such  an  exorbi- 
tant rate,  as  to  be  almost  proscribed  from  general  use. 
There  is  a  maple  in  this  country,  or  rather,  I  believe,  on 
the  banks  of  White  river,  which  has  not  come  under  my 
notice,  called  the  sugar-tree  (though  not,  as  they  say,  the 
Acer  saccharinum) ,  that  would,  no  doubt,  by  a  little 
attention  afford  sugar  at  a  low  rate ;  and  the  decoctions  of 
the  wood  of  the  sassafras  and  spice  bush  (Laurus  benzoin), 
which  abound  in  this  country,  are  certainly  very  palatable 
substitutes  for  tea. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  widely  scattered  state  of  the 
population  in  this  territory,  is  but  too  favourable  to  the 
spread  of  ignorance  and  barbarism.  The  means  of  edu- 
cation are,  at  present,  nearly  proscribed,  and  the  rising 
generation  are  growing  up  in  mental  darkness,  like  the 
French  hunters  who  have  preceded  [114]  them,  and  who 
have  almost  forgot  that  they  appertain  to  the  civilized 


1 62  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

world.  This  barrier  will,  however,  be  effectually  removed 
by  the  progressive  accession  of  population,  which,  like  a 
resistless  tide,  still  continues  to  set  towards  the  west. 

Contiguous  to  the  north-eastern,  or  opposite  declivity 
of  the  chain  of  hills,  which  flank  the  settlement  of  Mr. 
M'llmery,  I  observed  in  my  ramble,  a  considerable  collec- 
tion of  aboriginal  tumuli,  towards  the  centre  of  which, 
disposed  in  a  somewhat  circular  form,  I  thought  I  could 
still  discern  an  area  which  had  once  been  trodden  by 
human  feet ;  —  but,  alas !  both  they  and  their  history 
are  buried  in  impenetrable  oblivion!  their  existence  is 
blotted  out  from  the  page  of  the  living !  and  it  is  only  the 
eye  which  has  been  accustomed  to  the  survey  of  these 
relics,  that  can  even  distinguish  them  from  the  accidental 
operations  of  nature.  How  dreary  is  this  eternal  night 
which  has  overtaken  so  many  of  my  fellow-mortals !  —  a 
race,  perhaps  brave,  though  neither  civilized  nor  luxu- 
rious, and  who,  like  the  retreating  Scythians  pursued  by 
Darius,  made,  perhaps,  at  last,  an  obstinate  resistance 
around  their  luckless  families,  and  the  revered  tombs  of 

their  ancestors ! 

*  *  * 

Besides  these  tumuli  scattered  through  the  forests, 
there  are  others  on  the  summits  of  the  hills,  formed  of 
loose  stones  thrown  up  in  piles.  We  have  no  reason  to 
suppose,  that  these  remains  were  left  by  the  Arkansas; 
they  themselves  deny  it,  and  attribute  them  to  a  people 
distinct  and  governed  by  a  superior  policy. 

29th  and  30th.]  Still  at  Mr.  M'llmery's,  during  which 
time  the  weather  has  been  cold  and  stormy. 

The  United  States  have  now  ordered  the  survey  of  all 
the  alluvial  and  other  saleable  lands  of  the  Arkansa,  which 
are  to  be  ready  for  disposal  in  about  two  years  from  the 


s: 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  journal  165 

present  time.  One  of  the  surveyors,  Mr.  Pettis,  was  now 
laying  out  the  lands  contiguous  to  the  [115]  Cadron  into 
sections.  Another  surveyor  is  also  employed  in  the  Great 
Prairie,  and  proceeding,  at  this  time,  from  the  vicinity  of 
Arkansas  to  this  place.  The  poorer  and  hilly  lands, 
generally,  are  not  yet  thought  to  be  worth  the  expense  of 
a  public  survey.  Some  of  these  surveys,  however,  extend 
as  far  to  the  north  as  the  banks  of  White  river.  Mr.  P. 
obtains  three  dollars  per  mile,  for  surveying  the  river  lands, 
which  are  extremely  difficult,  from  the  density  and  extent 
of  the  cane-brakes,  and  the  multiplicity  of  lagoons  or 
portions  of  the  deserted  channel  of  the  river,  which,  as 
we  have  had  already  occasion  to  remark,  are  still  contin- 
ually forming. 

These  fine  cotton  lands  have  not  altogether  escaped  the 
view  of  speculators,  although  there  is  yet  left  ample  room 
for  the  settlement  of  thousands  of  families,  on  lands, 
which,  except  the  few  preemption  rights,  will  be  sold  by 
the  impartial  hand  of  the  nation,  at  a  price  as  reasonable 
as  the  public  welfare  shall  admit  of,  which  has  heretofore 
been  at  the  rate  of  two  dollars  the  acre,  and  as  no  lands 
on  this  river  are  now  surveyed  and  offered  for  sale,  but 
such  as  are  considered  to  be  of  the  first  and  second  rate, 
there  can  consequently  be  no  room  left  for  imposition, 
and  though  there  is,  indeed,  a  considerable  proportion  of 
inundated  land  unavoidably  included,  yet  in  general,  as 
I  understand  from  the  surveyor,  there  will  be  in  almost 
every  section,  a  great  portion  of  elevated  soils. 

The  preemption  rights,  as  they  are  called,  are  a  certain 
species  of  reward  or  indemnification  for  injuries  sustained 
in  the  late  war,  and  afforded  to  such  individuals  only,  as 
had  made  improvements  in  the  interior  of  the  territories, 
prior  to  the  year  1813.     Such  individuals,  if  able  to  pay. 


1 66  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

are  entitled  to  one  or  more  quarter  sections,  as  the  lines 
of  their  improvements  may  happen  to  extend  into  the 
public  lines  when  surveyed,  of  one  or  more  such  plots 
or  fractional  sections  of  land.  These  rights  have  been 
bought  [116]  up  by  speculators,  at  from  4  or  500  to  1000 
dollars,  or  at  the  positive  rate  of  from  3  to  10  dollars  the 
acre,  including  the  price  of  two  dollars  per  acre  to  the 
United  States;  a  certain  proof  of  the  growing  importance 
of  this  country,  where  lands,  previous  to  the  existence  of 
any  positive  title,  have  brought  a  price  equal  to  that  of  the 
best  lands  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  not  immediately 
contiguous  to  any  considerable  town.  The  hilly  lands, 
which  have  not  been  thought  worthy  of  a  survey,  will 
afford  an  invaluable  common  range  for  all  kinds  of  cattle, 
while  the  alluvial  tracts  are  employed  in  producing  maize, 
cotton,  tobacco,  or  rice.  I  must,  here,  however,  remark 
by  the  way,  that  there  exists  a  considerable  difference  in 
the  nature  of  these  alluvial  soils.  They  are  all  loamy, 
never  cold  or  argillaceous,  but  often  rather  light  and 
sandy;  such  lands,  however,  though  inferior  for  maize, 
are  still  well  adapted  for  cotton.  The  richest  soils  here 
produce  60  to  80  bushels  of  maize  per  acre.  The  inun- 
dated lands,  when  properly  banked  so  as  to  exclude  and 
introduce  the  water  at  pleasure  by  sluices,  might  be  well 
employed  for  rice,  but  the  experiment  on  this  grain  has 
not  yet  been  made,  on  an  extensive  scale,  by  any  indi- 
vidual in  the  territory,  although  its  success,  in  a  small 
way,  has  been  satisfactorily  ascertained.  Indigo  is  occa- 
sionally raised  for  domestic  use,  but  would  require  more 
skill  in  its  preparation  for  the  market.  Indeed,  as  yet, 
the  sum  of  industry  calculated  to  afford  any  satisfactory 
experiment  in  agriculture  or  domestic  economy,  has  not 
been  exercised  by  the  settlers  of  the  Arkansa,  who,  with 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  167 

half  the  resolution  of  the  German  farmers  of  Pennsylvania, 
would  ensure  to  themselves  and  their  families  comfort 
and  affluence. 

After  the  most  diligent  inquiries  concerning  the  general 
health  of  this  country,  I  do  not  find  any  substantial  reason 
to  alter  the  opinion  which  I  have  already  advanced.  I 
am,  however,  firmly  persuaded,  [117]  that  the  immediate 
banks  of  the  Arkansa,  in  this  respect  are  to  be  preferred 
to  the  prairies,  and  I  can  only  account  for  this  remarkable 
circumstance,  by  the  unusual  admixture  of  common  salt, 
or  muriate  of  soda,  in  its  waters,  which  prevents  it  from 
becoming  dangerously  putrid  in  the  neighbouring  ponds 
and  lagoons;  and  I  would  farther  recommend  its  use  to 
the  inhabitants  in  preference  to  any  fountain  water,  how- 
ever convenient.  The  pellucid  appearance  of  the  water, 
in  most  of  the  lagoons  which  have  come  under  my  notice, 
is,  in  all  probability,  attributable  to  this  circumstance. 

I  was  indeed  informed  that  instances  of  the  ague  were 
known  at  some  seasons,  but  that  this  disease  had  been 
principally  confined  to  those  who  were  destitute,  through 
indolence  or  accidental  poverty,  of  the  proper  means  of 
nourishment,  and  who,  after  its  commencement,  neglected 
the  aid  of  medicine.  A  better  proof,  than  the  general 
healthy  appearance  of  the  inhabitants,  and  the  total  ab- 
sence of  doctors,  whose  aid  must  of  course  be  unnecessary, 
need  not  be  adduced  in  favour  of  the  prevailing  salubrity 
of  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa. 

From  Mr.  M'llmery,  I  learn  that  there  exists  very  con- 
siderable tracts  of  fertile  land,  along  the  banks  of  La  Feve's 
creek,  which  proceeds  in  a  south-west  direction  towards 
Red  river  for  about  200  miles,  deriving  its  source  with 
Little  river  of  the  latter,  as  well  as  with  another  contiguous 
stream  of  the  Arkansa,  called  Petit  John,  and  likewise  with 


1 68  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

the  Pottoe.  It  is  also  said  to  be  navigable  near  100  miles, 
and  possessed  of  a  gentle  current. 

From  Mr.  Pettis,  the  surveyor,  I  obtained  two  small 
specimens  of  the  oil-stone,  or  hone  of  the  Washita.  It  is  a 
siliceous  slaty  rock,  of  a  conchoidal  and  sometimes  splintery 
fracture,  bordering  on  hornstone ;  some  of  it  is  as  white  as 
snow,  and  it  splits  so  evenly  as  to  afford  hones  without  any 
additional  [118]  labour.  Occasionally  it  appears  divided 
by  ferruginous  illinitions,  presenting  muscoid  ramifica- 
tions in  relief,  but  scarcely  discolouring  the  surface.  It 
feebly  absorbs  oil  or  water,  and  then  becomes  somewhat 
diaphanous.     It  is  infusible  by  the  common  blowpipe. ^^" 

31st.]  This  evening  we  proceeded  to  David  M'llmery's, 
about  three  miles  above  the  Cadron,  who  lived  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  the  bank  of  the  river,  at  the  head  of 
a  small  alluvial  plain  or  prairie,  apparently  well  calculated 
for  a  superior  farm.  While  passing  through  this  prairie, 
I  observed  five  deer  feeding,  and  passed  almost  without 
disturbing  them. 

Wild  cats  of  two  kinds,  both  striped  and  spotted,  as  well 
as  panthers,  bears,  and  wolves  (black  and  grey),  are  in 
considerable  abundance  in  this  country.  The  bison  (im- 
properly called  buffaloe)  is  also  met  with  occasionally  in 
the  distance  of  about  a  day's  ride  towards  the  Washita. 

The  inhabitants  were  just  beginning  to  plough  for  cotton, 
an  operation  here  not  very  laborious,  except  when  breaking 
up  the  prairies,  as  the  soil  is  friable  and  loamy. 

In  a  small  prairie  adjoining,  where  a  second  family  were 
residing,  a  single  tree  of  the  bow-wood  (or  Madura)  ex- 
isted, having  a  trunk  of  about  18  inches  diameter. 

^^'  For  a  further  account  of  this  mineral,  which  appeared  to  be  undescribed, 
see  a  note  in  the  Essay  on  the  Geological  Structure  of  the  Valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi, which  I  pubhshed  in  the  first  part  of  the  second  volume  of  the  Journal 
of  the  Academy  of  the  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nut t all' s  Journal  169 

April  ist.]  The  Arkansa  after  a  sudden  rise  had  now 
commenced  again  to  fall;  its  inundations  being  chiefly 
vernal,  taking  place  from  February  to  May,  are  less  in- 
jurious than  those  of  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi,  which 
occur  in  mid-summer,  and  are  consequently  unavoidably 
injurious  to  the  advancing  crops.  This  circumstance  also 
tends  to  prove,  that  no  considerable  [119]  branch  of  this 
river  derives  its  source  within  the  region  of  perpetual  snow, 
which  dissolves  most  in  the  warmest  season  of  the  year, 
and  that  its  inundations  are  merely  the  effect  of  winter 
rains;  its  rising  and  falling,  from  the  same  cause,  is  also 
much  more  sudden  than  that  of  the  Missouri. 

About  eight  miles  from  the  Cadron,  we  passed  Mr. 
Marsongill's,"^  pleasantly  situated  on  the  gentle  declivity 
of  a  ridge  of  hills,  which  commence  about  a  mile  from  the 
river.  Three  miles  further,  we  passed  Mr.  Fraser's,  the 
commencement  of  the  Pecannerie  settlement.  Here,  at 
the  distance  of  more  than  12  miles,  the  hills  of  the  Petit 
John  appear  conspicuous  and  picturesque.  In  three  mUes 
more,  seven  or  eight  houses  are  seen,  situated  along  either 
bank  of  the  river,  and  sufficiently  contiguous  for  an  agree- 
able neighbourhood. 

From  the  Cadron  upwards,  the  falls  of  the  rivulets 
afford  conveniences  for  mills.  A  grist-mill  did  not,  how- 
ever, as  yet  exist  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa,  though  a 
saw-mill  had  been  recently  erected.^^^ 

2d.]  Mr.  D.  proceeded  about  eight  miles  above  Fraser's, 

"'  The  name  may  be  a  corruption  of  Massengill.  Two  brothers  of  this  name, 
who  had  been  Tories  during  the  American  Revolution,  drifted  into  the  region 
in  1818,  and  soon  passed  on  before  the  advancing  tide  of  civilization.  On  the 
Pecannerie  settlement  and  the  character  of  its  people,  see  post,  pp.  280-281. —  Ed. 

"*  If  the  date  given  by  local  authorities  is  correct,  Nuttall  is  wrong  in  assert- 
ing that  no  grist-mill  had  been  set  up  prior  to  his  visit.  William  and  John 
Standlee  are  said  to  have  erected  a  grist-  and  saw-mill  in  18 18,  the  first  within 
the  present  limits  of  Faulkner  County. —  Ed. 


170  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

and  remained  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  nearly  opposite  to 
the  bayou  or  rivulet  of  point  Remu/^^  from  whence,  on 
that  side,  commences  the  Cherokee  line.  Here  the  hills 
again  approach  in  gentle  declivities,  presenting  beds  of 
black  slaty  siliceous  rock  (grauwacke  slate),  inclined  about 
60°  south-east.  Both  banks  of  the  river  in  this  distance 
are  one  continued  line  of  farms.  Some  of  the  cabins  are 
well  situated  on  agreeable  rising  grounds;  but  the  nearer, 
I  perceive,  the  land  is  to  the  level  of  inundation,  the 
greater  is  its  fertility.  The  highest  grounds  are  thin  and 
sandy,  so  much  so,  that  occasionally  the  Cactus  or  prickly- 
pear  makes  its  appearance. 

3d.]  Still  opposite  point  Remu.  On  this  side  of  the 
river,  where  Mr.  Ellis  now  resides,  an  agreeable  site  for  a 
town  offers,  but  the  landing  is  bad.  A  few  [120]  miles 
back  there  are  not  less  than  14  families  scattered  over  the 
alluvial  land.  There  were  also  a  number  of  families 
settled  along  the  banks  of  the  Remu.  Adjoining  Mr. 
Ellis's  there  was  a  small  sandy  prairie,  over  which  I  found 
Cactus's  and  the  Plantago  gnaphaloides  abundantly 
scattered.  I  am  informed  that  there  are  considerable 
quantities  of  this  poor  and  sandy  land,  though  not  in  any 
one  place  very  extensive,  and  immediately  surrounded  with 
richer  lands  which  have  been,  and  are  yet  skirted  by  the 
overflow.  With  slight  banking,  these  lands,  not  too 
deeply  submerged,  will  one  day  be  considered  the  best  for 
all  kinds  of  produce,  but  more  particularly  maize  and  rice. 

4th.]  A  storm  of  wind  sprang  up  during  the  night  from 
the  south-west,  and  continued  so  as  to  retard  us,  after 
proceeding  with  difhculty  about  six  miles,  in  which  dis- 
tance we  arrived  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Tucker,  situated  at 


139  Qj.  Point  Remove,  whose  name  is  derived  from  the  action  of  the  current. 
For  the  boundary  of  the  Cherokee  reservation,  see  post,  note  145. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttairs  Journal  ij\ 

the  base  of  a  lofty  ridge  of  broken  hills,  not  less  than  6  or 
700  feet  high,  presenting  an  alternation  of  terraces  and 
cliffs,  and  continuing  in  a  north-west  direction  nearly 
the  same  height  for  about  eight  miles.  This  range  is 
known  by  the  same  name  as  that  of  the  contiguous 
rivulet,  the  Little  John,^*"  some  Frenchman  probably 
who  first  discovered  it.  At  the  south-east  end  I  found 
the  ascent  very  steep,  and  which,  like  most  considerable 
chains,  was  at  this  extremity  the  highest  and  most  pre- 
cipitous. From  the  summit  a  vast  wilderness  presented 
itself  covered  with  trees,  and  chequered  with  ranges 
of  mountains,  which  appeared  to  augment  and  converge 
towards  the  north-west.  To  the  east  a  considerable 
plain  stretches  out,  almost  uninterrupted  by  elevations. 
From  the  south-west  I  could  enumerate  four  distinct 
chains  of  mountains,  of  which  the  furthest,  about 
40  miles  distant,  presented  in  several  places  lofty  blue 
peaks,  much  higher  than  any  of  the  intermediate  and  less 
broken  ridges.  I  thought  that  this  ridge  tended  some- 
what towards  the  Mamelle,  whose  summit  at  this  distance 
[121]  was  quite  distinct,  though,  at  the  lowest  estimate,  40 
miles  distant.  To  the  north-east  the  hills  traverse  the  river, 
and  are  in  this  quarter  also  of  great  elevation,  affording 
sources  to  some  of  the  streams  of  White  river,  and  to  others 
which  empty  into  the  Arkansa.  Over  the  vast  plain  im- 
mediately below  me,  appeared  here  and  there  belts  of 
cypress,  conspicuous  by  their  brown  tops  and  horizontal 
branches;  they  seem  to  occupy  lagoons  and  swamps,  at 
some  remote  period  formed  by  the  river.  As  it  regards 
their  structure,  the  lower  level  of  the  hills  was  slaty,  the 


""  The  Little  John  (or  Petit  Jean)  enters  the  Arkansas  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  Yell  County.  Tradition  says  that  the  stream  is  named  for  a  Frenchman  of 
small  stature,  named  Jean,  who  was  here  killed  by  the  Indians. —  Ed. 


172  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

tabular  summits  a  massive,  fine-grained  sandstone,  con- 
taining nodules  of  iron  ore.  In  one  place  I  also  saw  one  of 
those  gigantic  tessellated  zoophytic  impressions,"^  which 
indicate  the  existence  of  coal.  The  dip  of  the  sandstone 
is  inconsiderable,  and  to  the  north-west.  Towards  the 
southern  extremity  of  the  ridge  which  I  ascended,  there 
are  several  enormous  masses  of  rock  so  nicely  balanced  as 
almost  to  appear  the  work  of  art;  one  of  them,  like  the 
druidical  monuments  of  England,  rocked  backwards  and 
forwards  on  the  slightest  touch.  On  the  shelvings  of  this 
extremity  of  the  mountain,  I  found  a  new  species  of 
Anemone. 

As  we  proceeded  in  the  boat,  towards  the  level  of  the 
river,  and  about  a  mile  below  the  entrance  of  the  Petit 
John,  we  could  perceive  a  slaty  and  partly  horizontal  bed 
of  matter,  in  which  there  were  distinct  indications  of  coal. 

5th.]  We  passed  the  outlet  of  the  Petit  John,  a  rivulet 
about  200  miles  long,  deriving  its  source  with  the  Pottoe 
and  other  streams  in  the  Mazern  mountains.  Here  the 
hills  turn  off  abruptly  to  the  south,  and  for  four  or  five 
miles  border  the  rivulet,  which,  for  some  distance,  keeping 
a  course  not  very  far  from  the  Arkansa,  approaches  within 
10  miles  to  the  south-east  of  the  Dardanelle  settlement. 
At  the  distance  of  [122]  about  five  miles  from  the  first 
Cherokee  village,  called  the  Galley,  Mr.  D.  and  myself 
proceeded  to  it  by  land.  The  first  two  or  three  miles  pre- 
sented elevated  and  rich  alluvial  lands,  but  in  one  or  two 
directions  bordered  by  the  back-water.  At  length  we 
arrived  at  the  Galley  hills,  a  series  of  low  and  agreeable 
acclivities  well  suited  for  building.  Here  the  Cherokees 
had  a  settlement  of  about  a  dozen  families,  who,  in  the 


"^  A  Strobilaria,  more  commonly  considered  as  a  species   of   Phytolite. 

NUTTALL. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  173 

construction  and  furniture  of  their  houses,  and  in  the 
management  of  their  farms,  imitate  the  whites,  and 
appeared  to  be  progressing  towards  civilization,  were  it 
not  for  their  baneful  attachment  to  whiskey.  Towards 
the  level  of  the  river  a  darkish  bed  of  slate-clay  appeared, 
having  a  dip  of  not  more  than  10  to  15°;  beneath  which 
occurred  a  slaty  sandstone,  containing  a  little  mica,  and 
somewhat  darkened  apparently  by  bitumen.  It  likewise 
abounded  with  organic  reliquiae,  among  which  were  some- 
thing like  large  alcyonites,  sometimes  the  thickness  of  a 
finger,  but  flexuous  instead  of  rigid,  and  collected  together 
in  considerable  quantities;  also,  a  moniliform  fossil  allied 
to  the  Icthyosarcolite  of  Desmarest,  though  not  very  dis- 
tinctly, being  equally  flexuous  with  the  above,  and  frag- 
ments resembling  some  species  of  turrilites,  but  no  shells 
of  any  other  description,  besides  these,  were  visible. 

The  insects  which  injure  the  morel  cherry-tree  so  much 
in  Pennsylvania,  I  perceive,  here  occasionally  act  in  the 
same  way  upon  the  branches  of  the  wild  cherry,  {Prunus 
virginiand). 

6th.]  This  morning  the  river  appeared  rapidly  rising 
to  its  former  elevation,  being  nearly  bank  full,  almost  a 
mile  in  width,  and  but  little  short  of  the  Mississippi  in 
magnitude.  The  current  was  now  probably  four  or  five 
miles  in  the  hour,  and  so  difiicult  to  stem,  that  after  the 
most  laborious  exertions  since  day-light,  we  were  still  in 
the  evening  five  miles  below  the  Dardanelle,  having  made 
only  about  10  miles  [123]  from  the  Galley.  We  have  had 
the  low  ridge,  which  originated  this  fanciful  name,  in  sight 
nearly  the  whole  day.  On  the  same  side  of  the  river,  but 
more  distant,  a  magnificent  empurpled  mountain  occupies 
the  horizon,  apparently  not  less  than  1000  feet  high,  form- 
ing a  long  ridge  or  table,  and  abrupt  at  its  southern  ex- 


174  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

tremity.  From  its  peculiar  form  it  had  received  the  name 
of  the  Magazine  or  Barn  by  the  French  hunters."^  It 
strongly  resembles  the  English  mountain  in  the  north  of 
Yorkshire,  called  Pendle-hill,  familiar  to  me  from  infancy, 
and  by  which  all  the  good  wives  in  the  surrounding  country 
could  foretel  the  weather  better  than  by  the  almanac. 

Along  either  bank  the  lands  are  generally  elevated  and 
fertile,  and  pretty  thickly  scattered  with  the  cabins  and 
farms  of  the  Cherokees,  this  being  the  land  allotted  to  them 
by  congress,  inexchange  for  others  in  the  Mississippi  Terri- 
tory, where  the  principal  part  of  the  nation  stUl  remain. 

I  was  considerably  disappointed  in  learning  that  Mr.  D. 
had  relinquished  the  idea  of  proceeding  to  the  garrison, 
with  whom  I  had  entertained  the  hope  of  continuing  my 
passage,  without  interruption  or  additional  delay. 

7th.]  Both  banks  of  the  river,  as  we  proceeded,  were 
lined  with  the  houses  and  farms  of  the  Cherokees,  and 
though  their  dress  was  a  mixture  of  indigenous  and 
European  taste,  yet  in  their  houses,  which  are  decently 
furnished,  and  in  their  farms,  which  were  well  fenced  and 
stocked  with  cattle,  we  perceive  a  happy  approach 
towards  civilization.  Their  numerous  families,  also,  well 
fed  and  clothed,  argue  a  propitious  progress  in  their  popu- 
lation. Their  superior  industry,  either  as  hunters  or 
farmers,  proves  the  value  of  property  among  them,  and 
they  are  no  longer  strangers  to  avarice,  and  the  distinctions 
created  by  wealth ;  some  of  them  are  possessed  of  property 
to  the  amount  of  many  thousands  of  dollars,  have  houses 
handsomely  [124]  and  conveniently  furnished,  and  their 
tables  spread  with  our  dainties  and  luxuries. 


^^  Magazine  Mountain  rises  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
stream.  It  terminates  on  the  river  in  the  headland  called  the  "Dardanelle," 
to  be  described  a  few  pages  below. —  Ed. 


t8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  yournal  175 

They  say,  that  their  language  is  perfectly  distinct  from 
that  of  every  other  spoken  by  the  aborigines.*"  Yet  the 
Delawares,  according  to  Mr.  Heckewelder,  considered 
them  as  their  descendants. 

The  following  notice  of  them  occurs  in  La  Vega's  history 
of  the  incursion  of  Ferdinand  de  Soto,  as  early  as  the  year 
1 541.  Seven  days'  journey  from  Cutifachiqui,  which  is 
stated  to  be  430  Spanish  leagues,  or  860  miles  from  the  bay 
of  Apalache,  and  in  a  direction  of  from  south-west  to  north- 
east, De  Soto  arrived  in  a  province  called  Chalaque  (evi- 
dently the  same  people  now  called  Cherokees,  as  they  call 
themselves  Chalakee).  The  country  they  then  occupied 
was  said  to  be  sterile,  and  affording  but  little  maize,  that 
they  fed  upon  spontaneous  roots  and  herbs,  which  they 
sought  in  the  wilds,  and  upon  the  animals  of  the  forest, 
hunted  with  bows  and  arrows.  In  their  manners  they  were 
gentle,  and  went  habitually  naked.  Their  chief  sent  as  a 
present  to  De  Soto  a  couple  of  deer  skins,  and  their  country 
abounded  with  wild  hens  (probably  the  Prairie  hen, 
Tetrao  ciipido).  In  one  town  they  made  him  a  present  of 
700  of  these  birds,  and  he  experienced  the  like  liberality  in 
several  other  of  their  towns.  "^ 

They  were  acquainted  with  this  country  prior  to  their 
removal,  but  never  laid  any  claim  to  it.  It  was  merely 
the  resort  of  their  renegadoes  and  wandering  hunters. 
The  number  who  have  now  emigrated  hither  are  about 
1500.  The  unsettled  limit  of  their  claim  in  this  country, 
has  been  the  means  of  producing  some  dissatisfaction, 
and  exciting  their  jealousy  [125]  against  the  agents  of 

**^  Charlevoix  also  remarks,  ' '  I  cannot  find  out  to  what  language  the  Cher- 
okees belong,  a  pretty  numerous  people,  who  inhabit  the  vast  meadows  between 
the  Lake  Erie,  and  the  Mississippi,"  and  adds,  that  the  Iroquois  make  war  with 
them.     Hist.  Journal,  p.  115,  London  Ed. —  Nuttaxl. 

'"  Purchas's  Pilgrims,  vol.  IV.,  p.  1539. —  Nuttaxl. 


176  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

government.  One  of  their  principal  chiefs  had  said,  that 
rather  than  suffer  any  embarrassment  and  uncertainty, 
he  would  proceed  across  Red  river,  and  petition  land 
from  the  Spaniards.  The  Cherokees,  with  their  present 
civilized  habits,  industry,  and  augmenting  population, 
would  prove  a  dangerous  enemy  to  the  frontiers  of  the 
Arkansa  Territory.  As  they  have  explicitly  given  up  the 
lands  which  they  possessed  in  the  Mississippi  Territory, 
in  exchange  for  those  which  they  have  chosen  here,  there 
can  be  no  reason  why  they  should  not  immediately  be 
conjSrmed,  so  as  to  preclude  the  visits  of  land  speculators, 
which  excite  their  jealousy.  A  serious  misunderstand- 
ing will  probably  arise  at  their  ejectment  from  the  south 
side  of  the  river,  which  has,  I  believe,  been  concluded  on 
by  the  government.  Although  the  power  of  the  natives  is 
now  despised,  who  can  at  this  time  tell,  what  may  grow  out 
of  this  nation  of  the  aborigines,  who,  by  wisely  embracing 
the  habits  and  industry  of  the  Anglo-Americans,  may  in 
time  increase,  and  become  a  powerful  and  independent 
nation,  subject  by  habit  to  a  monarchial  form  of  govern- 
ment. 

We  find  mention,  as  already  remarked,  of  the  Chero- 
kees (under  the  name  of  Chalaque)  by  Garcilasso  de  la 
Vega,  who  found  them  living  near  the  Apalachian  moun- 
tains, and  speaks  in  contempt  of  their  poverty  and  popula- 
tion. At  this  time,  however,  they  amount  to  between  12 
and  13,000  souls,  and  are  in  a  promising  way  of  advancing 
beyond  all  the  other  aborigines  in  strength  and  population. 
From  examining  the  oldest  histories  and  maps,  it  appears 
that  a  portion  of  this  nation  also  occupied  the  sea-coast  of 
South  Carolina,  where,  according  to  a  tradition  stiU  ex- 
tant, they  first  saw  the  white  people  approach  in  ships, 
near  to  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Charlestown.     They 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  journal  lyy 

requested,  say  they,  a  small  portion  of  land,  which  was 
readily  granted,  but  at  length  encroached  [126]  upon  us, 
until  we  had  to  cross  the  mountains,  and  now  even  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi."^ 

Arriving  in  the  afternoon  at  Mr.  Raphael's,  who  keeps 
a  store  for  the  supply  of  the  Cherokees,  I  hastened  to 
examine  the  neighbouring  ridge  of  rocks,  which  originated 
the  name  of  the  Dardanelle,  or  as  it  is  here  more  commonly 
called  Derdanai,  both  by  the  French  and  Americans. "° 
The  fires  which  commonly  take  place  among  the  dry 

***  It  is  not  now  believed  that  the  Cherokee  ever  occupied  the  Carolina  coast. 
It  is  more  probable  that  they  came  from  the  north,  a  century  or  two  before  De 
Soto  visited  them.  Their  traditions  and  the  researches  of  archaeologists  indi- 
cate that  their  original  home  was  northwest  of  Lake  Superior,  whence  they  mi- 
grated southeast,  coming  up  the  Ohio  and  the  Kanawha  valleys,  and  finally 
descending  the  Great  Valley  of  the  Appalachians  to  their  historic  seat.  They 
are  thought  to  have  built,  en  passant,  the  mounds  of  the  Ohio  region. 

The  removal  policy  was  a  gradual  development.  Even  before  the  close  of 
the  eighteenth  century  —  soon,  in  fact,  after  the  treaty  of  Hopewell  (1785)  — 
bands  began  to  cross  the  Mississippi;  and  as  the  pressure  of  white  population 
increased  the  migration  was  facilitated  by  treaties.  In  1803,  President  Jeffer- 
son suggested  the  desirabihty  of  removing  the  tribe  beyond  the  river,  and  the 
Act  of  1804,  dividing  the  Louisiana  Purchase,  appropriated  $15,000  for  this 
purpose.  In  1809,  Jefferson  encouraged  a  part  of  the  tribe  which  was  discon- 
tented with  existing  conditions  to  send  a  delegation  to  inspect  lands  on  the  Ar- 
kansas, with  a  view  to  exchanging  their  old  range  for  a  new  one  in  that  region. 
The  exchange  was  not  consummated  until  181 7,  by  which  time  the  migration  of 
families  and  small  parties  had  swelled  the  number  in  Arkansas  to  two  or  three 
thousand.  The  treaty  of  July  8,  1817,  gave  the  Arkansas  Cherokee  a  tract 
lying  between  the  White  and  Arkansas  rivers,  bounded  on  the  east  by  a  hne 
running  northeast  from  Point  Remove  on  the  Arkansas  to  Shield's  Ferry  on 
White  River,  and  on  the  west  by  a  parallel  line  starting  from  Table  Rock,  just 
above  Fort  Smith.  This  reserve  was  surrendered  in  1825  for  seven  milhon  acres 
in  Indian  Territory.  The  main  body  of  the  eastern  Cherokee  were  removed 
to  the  Territory  under  a  treaty  made  in  1835. —  Ed. 

*^  Derdanai,  or  "Dardonnie,"  is  said  to  mean  "sleep  with  one  eye."  The 
name  and  the  appearance  of  the  rocks  suggest  the  Dardanelles,  whence,  it  is 
alleged,  the  modification  of  the  name  to  Dardanelle.  The  Cherokee  agency 
was  located  on  this  site  in  1820;  but  the  town  proper  dates  from  the  coming, 
some  years  later,  of  white  settlers  ejected  from  Indian  lands.  The  modem 
town  of  Dardanelle  is  the  most  important  commercial  town  on  the  river  be- 
tween Little  Rock  and  Fort  Smith. —  Ed. 


178  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

herbage,  and  which  had  but  recently  been  in  action,  pre- 
vented me  from  making  any  botanical  collections,  and  I 
amused  myself  by  ascending  the  ridge,  which,  at  the  first 
approach,  appeared  to  be  inaccessible.  At  length  I 
gained  the  summit,  which,  at  the  highest  point  on  the  bank 
of  the  river,  might  be  about  300  feet.  The  rock  was  a 
massive  sandstone,  with  the  laminae  elevated  towards  the 
south-east,  at  an  inclination  of  near  60°,  and,  in  many 
places  intricately  traversed  with  seams  of  ferruginous 
matter,  presenting,  by  their  numerous  intersections,  an 
almost  tessellated  or  retiform  appearance.  In  some  speci- 
mens, the  interstices  were  perfectly  rhomboidal,  and  sep- 
arated into  rhombic  fragments.  Several  enormous  and 
romantic  blocks  were  scattered  along  the  margin  of  the 
river,  and  on  some  of  them  small  trees  were  growing. 
From  the  summit  opened  another  sublime  view  of  the 
surrounding  country.  Again  to  the  south  and  south-west, 
I  could  distinguish  three  of  the  four  chains  of  mountains, 
which  were  visible  from  the  high  hills  of  the  Petit  John, 
and  still,  to  my  surprise,  distinctly  appeared  the  Mamelle, 
though,  by  water,  near  upon  100  miles  distant,  and  not 
less  than  60  by  land,  which  would  appear  to  argue  an  ele- 
vation more  considerable  than  that  which  I  had  at  first 
imagined.  The  Magazine  mountain  to  the  west,  though, 
at  first,  apparently  so  near,  is  not  less  than  10  miles  distant, 
looking,  if  any  thing,  more  considerably  elevated  than  the 
Mamelle,  and  probably  not  less  than  1200  feet  high.  In 
this  point  of  view,  it  appears  [127]  isolated,  gradually 
descending  into  the  plain,  and  accumulating  in  magnitude 
to  the  north-west;  it  here  descends  rather  more  abruptly, 
though  the  highest  point  is  still  to  the  south,  where  it 
appears  to  rise  in  broken  fasf ades  unconnectedly  with  the 
auxiliary  ridge. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  journal  179 

8th.]  From  the  Cherokees  I  understood  that  there  still 
exists  some  portion  of  the  Natchez,  who  live  with  the 
Choctaws,  near  Mobile  river.  It  would  be  interesting  to 
learn,  what  affinities  their  language  possesses  with  that 
of  the  existing  nations.  The  Chetimachas  of  bayou  Plac- 
quimine,  said  by  Du  Pratz  to  speak  the  same  language, 
and  to  be  a  branch  of  the  same  people,  might  also  afford 
some  information  concerning  the  Natchez  and  their  con- 
nections. ^^^ 

In  the  evening,  we  crossed  to  the  right-hand  cliff  of  the 
Dardanelle,  where  Mr.  D.  again  renewed  his  trade  with 
the  Indians  and  their  retailers.  I  embraced  this  oppor- 
tunity to  make  one  of  my  usual  rambles,  and  found  an 
extraordinary  difference  in  the  progress  of  vegetation  here, 
exposed  to  the  south  and  sheltered  from  the  north-west- 
ern wind.  Proceeding  leisurely  towards  the  summit  of 
the  hill,  I  was  amused  by  the  gentle  murmurs  of  a  rill  of 
pellucid  water,  which  broke  from  rock  to  rock.  The 
acclivity,  through  a  scanty  thicket,  rather  than  the  usual 
sombre  forest,  was  already  adorned  with  violets,  and  occa- 
sional clusters  of  the  parti-coloured  Collinsia.  The  groves 
and  thickets  were  whitened  with  the  blossoms  of  the  Dog- 

'*'  When  first  encountered  by  whites  in  1560,  the  Natchez  occupied  a  consid- 
erable tract  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi.  Their  chief  village  was  near  the 
site  of  the  modem  Natchez.  According  to  their  own  traditions,  they  came  from 
the  Southwest,  and  their  customs  —  worship  of  the  sun,  human  sacrifices,  etc. — 
indicate  a  connection  with  the  Indians  of  Mexico  and  Yucatan.  The  men  were 
of  large  stature,  few  being  under  six  feet.  The  tribe  soon  acquired  dissolute 
habits  from  the  whites,  and  rapidly  dwindled  in  numbers.  Hostilities  with  the 
French  began  in  17 15,  and  continued  intermittently  until  1740.  The  Choctaw 
and  Chickasaw  became  involved,  the  former  as  allies  of  the  French,  and  the 
latter,  incited  by  the  English,  as  allies  of  the  Natchez.  The  final  result  of  the 
wars  was  the  extinction  of  the  Natchez  as  a  distinct  tribe,  although  a  remnant 
long  persisted  among  the  Chickasaw  and  Muskogee;  in  1835  this  remnant 
numbered  three  hundred  souls. 

The  Chetimachas  were  a  small  tribe  which  dwelt  on  Lake  Grand,  in  south- 
ern Louisiana. —  Ed. 


i8o  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

wood  (Cornus  florida).  The  lugubrious  vociferations  of 
the  whip-poor-will;  the  croaking  frogs,  chirping  crickets, 
and  whoops  and  halloos  of  the  Indians,  broke  not  dis- 
agreeably the  silence  of  a  calm  and  fine  evening,  in  which 
the  thermometer  still  remained  at  70°;  and  though  the 
scene  was  not  finished  in  the  usual  style  of  rural  landscape, 
yet  to  me  it  was  peculiarly  agreeable,  when  contrasted 
with  the  dull  monotony  of  a  gloomy  and  interminable 
forest,  [128]  whose  solitude  had  scarcely  ever  been  cheered 
by  the  voices  or  habitations  of  men. 

9th.]  In  the  forenoon,  I  proceeded  to  Mr.  Webber's, 
along  the  hills  of  the  Dardanelle,  which  border  the  right 
bank  of  the  river,  opposite  to  which,  a  contiguous  ridge 
and  similar  cliffs  also  appear,  forming,  as  it  were,  a  wide 
chasm  traversed  by  the  river.  The  approach  of  these 
hills  to  either  bank,  like  vast  portals,  probably  originated 
the  name  of  this  place.  Walking  along  the  margin  of  the 
continued  precipice  which  bordered  the  river,  I  observed 
a  brownish  animal  quickly  retreating  into  its  burrow, 
which  in  size  appeared  to  be  little  short  of  that  of  a  mole. 
On  rolling  away  a  fragment  of  rock,  I  succeeded  in  dis- 
covering that  the  object  of  my  pursuit  was  an  enormous 
spider,  no  less  than  four  inches  from  the  extremity  of  one 
foot  to  that  of  the  other,  and  two  inches  from  head  to  tail, 
covered  with  long  brown  hair;  the  eyes  six  in  number  and 
minute,  the  mouth  not  discoverable,  but  in  the  place  of 
jaws,  as  in  the  Monoculi,  two  of  the  six  pair  of  feet,  of  a 
strong  cartilaginous  texture,  very  short  and  retracted 
together,  each  terminated  by  a  simple  hooked  claw,  and 
internally  lined  with  a  row  of  minute  teeth  for  masti- 
cation. In  fact,  it  entirely  resembled  those  gigantic  trop- 
ical spiders,  which  we  see  exhibited  in  museums. 

The  rocks,  like  many  others  which  we  had  now  seen, 


1818-1820]  Nuttair  s  'Journal  1 8 1 

are  still  arenilitic,  and  apparently  destitute  of  organic 
remains.  From  the  enormous  dislocated  masses  and 
gaping  chasms  which  here  border  the  precipice,  I  am 
strongly  inclined  to  believe,  that  this  ridge  had,  at  some 
period,  been  convulsed  by  an  earthquake. 

In  the  course  of  my  inquiries  concerning  minerals,  I 
was  told  of  the  existence  of  a  silver  mine,  somewhere  along 
the  banks  of  White  river,  but  though  the  opinion  is  a  very 
prevalent  one,  it  is  necessary  to  receive  it  with  caution. 
Fragments  of  pyrites,  as  [129]  usual,  have  been  shown  to 
me  for  precious  ores,  and  the  true  statement  of  their  value, 
so  contrary  to  sanguine  expectation,  is  often  treated  as 
an  imposition  to  conceal  their  importance. 

Mr.  Walter  Webber,  a  metif,  who  acts  as  an  Indian 
trader,  is  also  a  chief  of  the  nation,  and  lives  in  ease  and 
affluence,  possessing  a  decently  furnished  and  well  pro- 
vided house,  several  negro  slaves,  a  large,  well  cleared, 
and  well  fenced  farm;  and  both  himself  and  his  nephew 
read,  write,  and  speak  English.  Yesterday,  while  pass- 
ing along  the  bank  of  the  river,  I  observed  with  pleasure 
the  fine  farms  and  comfortable  cabins  occupied  by  the 
Indians,  and  found  them  very  busily  employed  felling 
trees,  and  clearing  their  grounds  preparatory  to  the  seed- 
time. The  failure,  however,  of  last  year's  crops,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  dry  weather,  was  severely  felt,  and  more 
particularly  in  consequence  of  the  arrival  among  them  of 
many  ill-provided  families  of  emigrants  from  the  old 
nation. 

In  the  evening,  the  brother  of  their  late  principal  chief 
Tallantusky,"^  arrived  here,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and 


"*  Tallantusky  (Tollontuskee,  Tollunteeskee,  Tolontusky,  Talootiske,  etc.) 
was  one  of  the  chiefs  who  signed  the  treaty  of  October  25,  1805,  at  Tellico,  Ten- 
nessee.    This  rewarded  Tallantusky  and  another  chief,  Doublehead,  by  certain 


1 82  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

two  or  three  other  Indians.  He  last  year  took  leave  of 
the  old  nation  in  the  Mississippi  territory,  and  embarked 
with  the  emigrants,  who  are  yet  far  from  forming  a  ma- 
jority of  the  nation.  Being  a  half  Indian,  and  dressed 
as  a  white  man,  I  should  scarcely  have  distinguished  him 
from  an  American,  except  by  his  language.  He  was  very 
plain,  prudent,  and  unassuming  in  his  dress  and  manners; 
a  Franklin  amongst  his  countrymen,  and  affectionately 
called  the  ''beloved"  father.  Sensible  to  the  wants  of 
those  who  had  accompanied  him  in  his  emigration,  he  had 
confidently  expected  a  supply  of  flour  and  salt  from  Mr. 
Drope,  all  of  which  articles  had,  however,  been  sold  be- 
low, excepting  a  small  quantity  reserved  for  the  chief  him- 
self. He  could  have  sent,  he  said,  some  of  his  people  down 
to  the  mouth  of  the  river,  to  purchase  maize  and  flour, 
but  that  it  would  interrupt  them  [130]  in  preparing  their 
fields  for  the  ensuing  crop.  Mr.  D.,  who  had  in  the  Mis- 
sissippi territory  become  acquainted  with  JoUy,"^  the 
chief,  tells  me  that  his  word  was  inviolable,  and  that  his 


secret  reservations;  and  for  this  and  further  abuses  of  his  power  Doublehead 
was  afterwards  slain  by  decree  of  other  chiefs  of  his  tribe.  To  Tallantusky 
is  due  the  estabhshment  of  the  first  mission  among  the  Cherokee  of  Arkansas . 
While  visiting  the  eastern  Cherokee  in  1818,  he  met  an  officer  of  the  American 
Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions,  and  invited  him  to  send  mission- 
aries to  his  people.  As  the  result,  Cephas  Washburn  and  Alfred  Finney,  ac- 
companied by  their  famiUes,  estabUshed  Dwight  mission,  opposite  Dardanelle, 
in  the  spring  of  1820.  The  station  was  named  in  honor  of  Timothy  Dwight, 
the  president  of  Yale  College,  and  a  pioneer  organizer  of  the  mission  board. 

Tallantusky's  brother,  here  mentioned,  was  Jolly  the  chief,  referred  to  in 
the  text  a  few  Hnes  below.     See  following  note. —  Ed. 

"'  John  Jolly  (Oolooteka),  brother  of  Tallantusky,  and  his  successor  as 
chief,  had  removed  from  the  mouth  of  the  Hiawassee,  in  Tennessee.  There 
young  Samuel  Houston,  famous  later  as  the  emancipator  of  Texas,  had  won  his 
friendship  and  been  adopted  as  his  son.  After  the  Arkansas  Cherokee  had 
removed  to  Indian  Territory,  Houston  settled  near  Jolly  (1829),  and  married 
his  niece,  Talihina,  daughter  of  a  half-breed  named  Rogers.  See  post,  note 
153.— Ed. 


or  T-^i: 
UNIVERS, 

OF  ,         /' 

1818-1820]  NuttaWs  Journal      183 

generosity  knew  no  bounds,  but  the  limitation  of  his 
means. 

nth.]  Returning  from  my  rambles  to-day,  chiefly  in 
quest  of  insects,  I  picked  off  my  skin  and  clothes  more 
than  50  ticks  (Acanis  sanguisugas),  which  are  here  more 
abundant  and  troublesome  than  in  any  other  part  of 
America  in  which  I  have  yet  been.  Many  of  the  same 
kinds  of  insects,  common  to  the  banks  of  the  Missouri, 
and,  indeed,  to  most  parts  of  the  United  States,  are  also 
found  in  this  territory. 

From  the  hills  in  the  vicinity  of  Mr.  Webber's,  I  obtained 
a  fine  view  of  the  Magazine  mountain,  and  now  found  that 
it  was  connected  with  a  range  of  others,  proceeding  for 
many  miles  a  little  to  the  north  of  west.  The  side  which 
here  presents  itself,  appeared  almost  inaccessibly  precip- 
itous. 

15th.]  This  afternoon,  I  had  again  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
the  brother  of  the  late  governor  Lewis,  now  Cherokee 
agent,  whom  I  had  first  met  with  at  fort  Mandan,  on  the 
Missouri.^^"  From  him  I  learn,  that  the  progress  of  civil- 
ization among  the  Cherokees,  is  comparatively  modem; 
that  Nancy  Ward,^^^  called  by  way  of  eminence  and 
esteem  ''the  beloved,"  first  introduced  among  them  the 
domesticated  cow.     From  her  have  sprung  several  men 

"°  Reuben  Lewis.  See  Bradbury's  Travels,  volume  v  of  our  series,  note 
93.—  Ed. 

'"Nancy  Ward  was  born  about  1740.  Her  father  was  a  British  officer, 
and  her  mother  a  sister  of  the  principal  chief  of  the  Cherokee.  The  Indians 
believed  her  to  be  the  inspired  mouthpiece  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  allowed  her 
a  voice  in  their  councils  with  the  power  of  deciding  the  fate  of  captives.  She 
was  friendly  to  the  whites,  and.  several  times  saved  captives  from  death.  In 
1776  she  warned  the  settlers  of  the  Holston  and  Watauga  rivers  of  the  hostile 
plans  of  her  kinsmen,  and  in  1781  represented  her  tribe  in  seeking  peace 
from  the  frontiersmen.  She  is  described  as  tall,  erect,  and  beautiful,  with  prom- 
inent nose,  regular  features,  clear  complexion,  long,  silken  black  hair,  large, 
piercing  black  eyes,  and  an  imperious  yet  kindly  air. —  Ed. 


184  Rarly  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

of  distinction  in  the  nation,  by  whose  influence  and  ex- 
ample the  condition  of  their  Indian  brethren  has  been 
amehorated.  Her  advice  and  council  borders  on  supreme, 
her  interference  is  allowed  to  be  decisive  even  in  affairs 
of  life  and  death. 

From  the  civilized  Cherokees,  with  whom  alone  I  could 
conveniently  hold  converse,  I  found  it  extremely  difficult 
to  acquire  any  knowledge,  either  of  the  traditions,  opin- 
ions, or  ancient  customs  of  their  nation.  The  humiliating 
details  of  former  poverty,  [131]  ignorance,  and  supersti- 
tion, tended  to  wound  the  feelings  of  those,  who,  besides 
the  advantages,  had  also  imbibed  the  pride  and  luxury  of 
Europe.  If  the  Cherokees  had  only  discarded  their  super- 
stitions, and  retained  their  social  virtues,  besides  acquir- 
ing habits  of  industry,  we  might  indeed  congratulate  them 
on  the  change  of  their  condition;  but,  unfortunately,  with 
the  superior  intelligence,  conveniences,  and  luxuries  of 
civilization,  have  also  been  acquired  that  selfish  attach- 
ment to  property,  that  love  of  riches,  which,  though  not 
really  intrinsic,  have  still  the  power  to  purchase  sinister 
interest,  and  separate  the  condition  of  men,  and  hence 
arises  that  accumulation  of  laws  and  punishments,  from 
which  the  patriarchal  state  of  those  we  call  savages  was 
so  happily  exempt.  No  legal  snares  were  laid  for  the 
heedless;  no  gallows  erected  for  the  guilty;  no  contest 
arose  for  wealth  or  power.  Every  tribe  was  but  a  single 
family;  their  aged  chief  and  his  venerable  associates  were 
as  fathers,  governors,  and  advisers.  Their  young  men 
considered  themselves  as  brothers.  No  one  was  rich  while 
the  others  were  poor;  and  they  considered  nothing  of 
value  that  was  not  essentially  useful.  As  their  frugal 
wants  were  almost  spontaneously  supplied,  they  were 
strangers  alike  to  poverty  and  affluence;  they  boasted  not 


f^ 


o 


^'^ 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalFs  Journal  187 

of  possessions;  and  were  habitually  hospitable  to  stran- 
gers. Scarcely  sensible  of  want,  they  were  alive  to  friend- 
ship and  undissembled  passions.  Their  pride,  confined 
to  personal  excellence,  was  always  checked  by  the  emula- 
tion of  superior  worth,  sanctioned  and  acknowledged  by 
the  approbation  of  the  aged. 

Almost  unrestrained  by  artifice  or  moral  education,  we 
should,  perhaps,  expect  the  man  of  nature  to  become  the 
prey  of  passion,  like  the  irrational  creation.  Yet  so  nicely 
balanced,  in  every  situation,  is  the  proportion  of  good  and 
evil  allotted  to  humanity,  that  one  stage  of  society  has  but 
little  advantage  over  another.  [132]  Nature  is  not  a  cruel 
demon,  nor  delights  in  the  accomplishment  of  destruc- 
tion. Those  who  are  fed  by  her  frugal  bounties  are  but 
seldom  hurried  into  excess;  indeed,  the  nations  of  America 
were  stigmatized  with  apathy,  so  great  was  their  command 
of  the  social  passions,  and  their  magnanimity  under  suffer- 
ing. But  the  dire  hatred  which  they  bore  their  enemies, 
was  a  lasting  proof  of  the  strength  of  their  affections,  and 
mutual  attachment.  They  felt  for  each  other  as  mem- 
bers of  the  same  family,  as  sons  of  the  same  father;  a 
band  of  brothers  mutually  bound  to  defend  and  revenge 
the  cause  of  each  other,  by  a  just  and  undeviating  system 
of  retaliation. 

Their  affection  for  those,  whom  time  or  casualty  re- 
moved from  the  social  circle,  was  as  great  and  sincere,  as 
extravagant  demonstration  could  possibly  declare.  Among 
the  Cherokees  and  others,  the  dead  were  not  only  accom- 
panied by  the  choicest  things  which  they  had  valued  in 
life,  but  even,  if  a  chief  or  father,  interred  in  the  house 
which  had  been  his  habitation,  and  which  was  thenceforth 
devoted  to  ruin  and  desolation.  So  awful  even  was  the 
inanimate  body  then  considered,  that  all  who  had  imme- 


1 88  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

diately  attended  the  interment,  or  touched  the  corpse, 
refrained  from  the  company  of  their  wives  and  famiUes, 
for  the  space  of  seven  days  and  nights. 

In  no  part  of  North  America  have  we  ever  met  with  that 
kind  of  irrational  adoration  called  idolatry.  All  the 
natives  acknowledged  the  existence  of  a  great,  good,  and 
indivisible  Spirit,  the  author  of  all  created  being.  Be- 
lieving also  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  and  in  the  exist- 
ence of  invisible  agencies,  they  were  often  subjected  to 
superstitious  fears,  and  the  observance  of  omens  and 
dreams,  the  workings  of  perturbed  fancy.  By  these  im- 
aginary admonitions,  they  sometimes  suffered  themselves 
to  be  controlled  in  their  most  important  undertakings,  re- 
linquishing every  [133]  thing  which  was  accidentally 
attended  by  any  inauspicious  presage  of  misfortune. 

As  among  the  Asiatics,  and  other  imperfectly  civilized 
nations,  the  condition  of  the  female  sex  bordered  upon 
degradation.  Considered  rather  as  objects  of  pleasure 
and  necessity,  than  as  rational  companions,  several  of 
them  often  lived  together  in  the  house  of  the  same  husband. 
However  custom  might  have  tolerated  this  habit,  we  are 
happy  to  find  that  civilization  tends  to  its  abolition. 
Polygamy  among  the  Cherokees,  without  any  legal  re- 
straint, will,  in  time,  be  spontaneously  abandoned,  as 
their  conjugal  attachment  appears  to  be  strong  and  sincere. 

Marriage  among  the  Cherokees,  as  with  most  of  the 
natives,  was  formerly  consummated  with  very  little  cere- 
mony. When  a  young  man  became  enamoured,  it  was 
the  custom  modestly  to  declare  his  desire  to  marry  through 
the  medium  of  some  female  relative,  who  exclusively  con- 
ferred with  the  mother,  the  father  never  interfering.  If 
the  mother  agreed,  and  thought  well  of  the  proposal,  it 


i8i8-i82o]  N utt air s  'Journal  189 

was  immediately  made  known.  If  not,  she  put  off  mak- 
ing a  direct  answer  by  a  reference  to  her  brother  or  eldest 
son.  Consent  being  obtained  of  the  mother,  the  bride- 
groom without  much  further  conference  with  the  bride, 
was  then  told  where  she  lay,  and  thenceforward  admitted 
to  her  bed. 

From  some  cause  or  other,  it  appears,  that  the  women 
of  the  Cherokees  frequently  made  use  of  means  to  pro- 
mote abortion,  which  at  length  became  so  alarming,  as  to 
occasion  a  resort  to  punishment  by  whipping. 

In  all  stages  of  society  regulations  have  existed,  either 
as  controling  customs,  or  written  laws,  whereby  the  con- 
duct of  men  with  each  other  was  limited  and  restrained. 
A  system  of  equity  was  established,  more  or  less  strictly 
according  with  justice,  as  influenced  by  exterior  circum- 
stances; thus  life  was  claimed  for  [134]  life,  and  objects 
wrested  from  the  weak  or  unsuspecting,  restored  by  the 
interference  of  moral  power  vested  in  superiors  and  rulers. 
Among  the  Cherokees  and  other  Indians  of  North  Amer- 
ica, the  conviction  of  natural  justice  went  so  far  as  fre- 
quently to  draw  no  distinction  of  punishment  betwixt  man- 
slaughter and  murder.  Governed  also  by  the  idea  of  a 
general  fraternity  existing  throughout  a  tribe  of  people, 
the  brother  of  a  murderer,  or  even  his  nearest  relative  was 
not  secure  from  the  fatal  avenger,  in  the  absence  of  the 
principal.  In  consequence  of  this,  it  sometimes  happened 
that  the  brother  became  the  executioner  of  his  brother  or 
nearest  relative,  who  had  committed  a  murder,  in  order 
to  save  himself  from  vengeance.  He  who  had  taken  away 
the  life  of  another,  either  by  malice  or  accident,  was  also 
occasionally  suffered  to  redeem  it,  by  obtaining  and  present- 
ing to  the  injured  party,  a  scalp  or  a  prisoner  of  the  enemy, 
as  they  were  satisfied  in  any  way  to  obtain  life  for  life. 


190  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

An  institution,  I  believe  unparallelled  in  the  policy  of 
the  northern  natives,  except  among  the  Cherokees  and 
Creeks  (and  which  has  been  quoted  by  Mr.  Adair^^^  in 
order  to  prove  an  affinity  with  the  Jews),  was  the  exist- 
ence of  a  town  of  refuge,  inhabited  by  the  supreme  chief, 
in  which  no  blood  was  suffered  to  be  shed,  and  into  which 
those  who  had  committed  manslaughter  and  other  crimes 
were  suffered  to  enter  on  excusing  themselves  or  professing 
contrition. 

With  the  inequality  of  fortune  which  civilization  has 
introduced  among  the  Cherokees,  we  find  also  a  severity 
in  their  legal  punishments,  to  which  they  were  formerly 
strangers.  Out  of  their  salaries  now  received  from  gov- 
ernment, they  appropriate  a  certain  sum  towards  the 
support  of  a  police,  whose  duty  it  is  to  punish  those 
who  are  guilty  of  crimes  against  the  public.  A  man 
who  has  for  the  first  time  been  convicted  of  horse- 
stealing, receives  a  punishment  of  100  lashes,  and  for  the 
second  offence  200,  thus  increasing  [135]  the  punishment 
for  every  additional  offence.  For  stealing  a  cow  50  lashes 
were  inflicted,  and  so  on,  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  the 
property  stolen. 

Mr.  John  Rogers, *^^  a  very  respectable  and  civilized 
Cherokee,  told  me  that  one  of  the  regulators  happening  to 
have  a  relation  who  had  been  repeatedly  guilty  of  theft, 
and  finding  him  incorrigible,  he  destroyed  his  eye-sight 
with  a  penknife,  saying,  '  'as  long  as  you  can  see  you  will 

^'^  See  Long's  Voyages,  our  volume  ii,  note  31. —  Ed. 

^^^  James  Rogers  signed  the  treaty  of  July  8,  1817,  as  one  of  the  deputies 
of  the  Cherokee  on  the  Arkansas.  Whether  he  is  the  John  Rogers  here  referred 
to  does  not  clearly  appear.  John  Rogers  figures  during  the  difficulties  with  the 
Osage,  as  the  person  charged  with  the  task  of  bringing  Osage  captives  from  the 
Cherokee  east  of  the  Mississippi,  not  long  after  Nuttall's  visit.  Samuel  Hous- 
ton's wife,  Talihina,  was  the  daughter  of  a  half-breed  named  Rogers,  quite 
possibly  the  person  mentioned  in  the  text. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nutt all's  journal  191 

steal,  I  will  therefore  prevent  your  thefts  by  the  destruc- 
tion of  your  sight."  Dissatisfied  with  this  system  of  pun- 
ishment, many  of  the  poor  renegadoes  fled  from  the  bosom 
of  the  Cherokee  nation,  and  came  to  the  banks  of  the 
Arkansa  and  Red  river.  The  same  punishment  for  theft 
will  now,  however,  probably  be  established  also  in  this 
territory. 

The  former  preparation  of  the  warrior,  among  the 
Cherokees,  was  more  calculated  to  inspire  fortitude  under 
suffering  than  courage  in  the  field.  The  chief  was  ever 
attentive  to  the  admonition  of  dreams  and  omens.  They 
sung  the  songs  of  war,  and  imposed  upon  themselves  the 
most  rigid  fasts  and  mortifying  ablutions,  at  all  seasons  of 
the  year,  in  order  to  obtain  a  favourable  omen  for  their 
departure.  Day  after  day  these  privations  and  voluntary 
sufferings  were  continued  with  fearful  austerity,  and  those 
who  might  express  a  wish  for  relaxation  were  desired  to 
leave  the  society. 

The  arrival  of  the  Cherokees  in  this  country  did  not 
fail,  as  might  have  been  foreseen,  to  excite  the  jealousy 
of  the  Osages,  within  whose  former  territory  they  had  now 
taken  up  their  residence.  Major  Lovely,  the  first  agent 
appointed  to  reside  among  the  Cherokees  of  the  Arkansa, 
on  his  arrival  held  a  council  with  the  Osages  at  the  falls  of 
the  Verdigris,  and  about  60  miles  distant  from  their  village. 
Some  quarrel,  however,  about  two  years  ago  arising  be- 
tween the  two  nations,  [136]  the  Osages  way-layed  12  or 
14  of  the  Cherokees  and  killed  them.  On  this  occasion, 
the  Cherokees  collected  together  in  considerable  numbers, 
and  ascended  the  river  to  take  revenge  upon  the  Osages, 
who  fled  at  their  approach,  losing  about  10  of  their  men, 
who  either  fell  in  the  retreat,  or  becoming  prisoners,  were 


192  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

reserved  for  a  more  cruel  destiny.  The  Cherokees,  now 
forgetting  the  claims  of  civilization,  fell  upon  the  old  and 
decrepid,  upon  the  women  and  innocent  children,  and  by 
their  own  account  destroyed  not  less  than  90  individuals ! 
and  carried  away  a  number  of  prisoners.  A  white  man 
who  accompanied  them  (named  Chisholm),^^*  with  a 
diabolical  cruelty  that  ought  to  have  been  punished  with 
death,  dashed  out  the  brains  of  a  helpless  infant,  torn  from 
the  arms  of  its  butchered  mother !  Satiated  with  a  horrid 
vengeance,  the  Cherokees  returned  with  exultation  to  bear 
the  tidings  of  their  own  infamy  and  atrocity.^" 

It  appears,  to  me,  to  have  been  the  duty  of  the  super- 
intendent of  Indian  affairs  to  have  apprehended  that  white 
man,  and  delivered  him  over  to  the  government  for  trial 
and  punishment.  Without  some  interference  of  this  kind, 
and  indeed  a  cognizance  of  the  conduct  of  every  white  man 
found  permanently  dwelling  among  the  Indians,  it  will 
not  be  possible  for  a  traveller  or  a  merchant  to  go  amongst 
these  people  without  incurring  the  greatest  personal  risk, 
as  their  revenge  is  but  too  often  indiscriminate  in  its  object ; 
neither  can  the  security  of  the  frontier  settlements  ever  be 
rendered  certain,  until  these  wanton  and  unprovoked 
cruelties  of  the  whites,  and  their  piratical  wars,  be  pre- 
vented. 

Two  or  three  families  of  the  Delawares  are  now  living 

"*  John  D.  Chisholm  was  one  of  the  deputies  who  signed  the  treaty  of  July, 
181 7,  on  behalf  of  the  Arkansas  Cherokee.  Whether  or  not  he  was  the  person 
guilty  of  the  crime  referred  to,  is  uncertain. —  Ed. 

'^^  It  would  be  impracticable  to  give  here  a  full  history  of  the  difl&culties 
between  the  Cherokee  and  Osage.  They  began  with  the  advent  of  the  first 
Cherokee  bands  in  Western  Arkansas,  for  the  Osage  claimed  the  land.  A  treaty 
of  peace  between  the  two  tribes  was  made  at  a  council  held  at  St.  Louis  in 
October,  1818,  but  it  proved  ineffective.  In  the  summer  of  1820,  Governor  James 
Miller,  of  Arkansas  Territory,  made  a  second  imsuccessful  effort  to  pacify  the 
tribes.  The  United  States  government  compelled  them  to  conclude  a  treaty  of 
peace  in  1822,  but  petty  depredations  continued  long  after. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  193 

with  the  Cherokees,  who  appeared  to  be  very  poor,  and 
addicted  to  intoxication.  Another  remnant  of  these  un- 
fortunate people,  once  so  considerable,  is  also  about  to  be 
transferred  from  the  state  of  Ohio  to  the  [137]  banks  of 
the  Arkansa,  where,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  they  will  enjoy 
amidst  domestic  tranquillity  the  superior  advantages  of 
civilization. 

17th.]  My  rambles  to-day  were  rewarded  with  the  dis- 
covery of  a  new  genus,  of  the  class  Tetradynamia  or  Cru- 
ciferae,  allied  to  Ricotia  and  Lunaria.  In  the  evening  I 
visited  Mr.  Rollins,  the  agent  for  Indian  trade,  who  treated 
me  with  politeness  and  hospitality. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Pass  several  inconsiderable  rivulets,  and  obtain  sight  of 
the  Tomahawk  mountain  and  the  Gascon  hills  — 
Mulberry  creek  —  that  of  Vache  Grasse  —  Lee's  creek 
—  prairies  —  Sugarloaf  mountain  —  Arrive  at  the  gar- 
rison of  Belle  Point  —  a  change  in  the  vegetation  — 
The  Madura  or  Bow-wood  —  The  garrison  —  Cedar 
prairie  —  Rare  plants. 

20TH.]  This  morning  I  left  Mr.  Webber's,  in  a  perogue 
with  two  French  boatmen,  in  order  to  proceed  to  the 
garrison,  abeut  120  miles  distant  by  water.  We  proceeded 
nearly  to  Charbonniere  creek,^^®  24  miles  from  the  place 
of  departure.  Ten  miles  from  Webber's  we  passed  the 
outlet  of  Piney  creek,^"  so  called  from  the  pine-hills  by 
which  it  is  bordered.     Eight  miles  further  we  came  to 


^*  Charbonniere  Creek,  in  Logan  County,  flows  northward.  The  entire 
north  side  of  the  county  is  underlaid  with  coal,  whence  the  stream's  name,  as 
noted  by  Nuttall;  but  the  principal  coal  layers  of  the  region  are  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  river,  in  Johnson  County,  and  underhe  nearly  170,000  acres. —  Ed. 

'*'  Now  called  Pine  Creek.  It  flows  into  the  Arkansas  from  the  north,  near 
the  southeastern  corner  of  Johnson  County. —  Ed. 


1 94  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

Rocky  creek/^^  opposite  to  the  outlet  of  which,  a  ledge  of 
rocks  nearly  traverses  the  Arkansa,  and  presents  a  con- 
siderable obstruction  in  the  navigation  at  a  low  stage  of 
water.  The  current  even  at  this  time  broke  with  a  con- 
siderable noise, 

2 1  St.]  About  six  miles  above  Rocky  creek  we  passed 
the  Charbonniere,  so  called  from  the  occurrence  of  coal 
in  its  vicinity;  we  also  observed  the  outlet  of  Spadrie 
creek/^®  on  the  borders  of  which  there  [138]  are  consider- 
able tracts  of  fertile  land,  well  supplied  with  springs,  and 
occupied  by  the  Cherokees.  The  rocks  which  occa- 
sionally border  the  river,  of  very  inconsiderable  elevation, 
are  composed  of  slaty  sandstone,  dipping  about  25°, 
sometimes  towards  the  north-west,  and  at  others  to  the 
south-east,  or  in  opposite  directions,  and  also  exhibiting 
indications  of  coal.  The  Charbonniere  rock,  in  particular, 
about  50  feet  high,  presents  beds  of  a  slaty  sandstone,  with 
a  dip  of  scarcely  20°,  and  inclined  in  opposite  directions 
so  as  to  form  a  basin,  in  which  there  are  indications  of  coal. 
A  lofty  blue  ridge  appears  to  the  south,  called  by  the 
French  hunters  the  Cassetete  or  Tomahawk  mountain, ^®'' 
and  about  eight  miles  from  hence  enters  the  creek  of  the 
same  name,  beyond  which  we  proceeded  eight  miles  of 
a  12  mile  bend,  making  a  journey  of  about  28  miles  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  and  encamped  in  view  of  another  lofty 

*^'  Apparently  the  modem  Shoal  Creek,  a  Logan  County  tributary  of  the 
Arkansas. —  Ed. 

'^'  Spadra  Creek  flows  southward.  Its  mouth  is  opposite  that  of  the  Char- 
bonniere, at  the  village  of  Spadra. —  Ed. 

*°"  Apparently  the  elevation  which  is  now  called  Short  Mountain,  in  Central 
Logan  County.  Short  Mountain  is  nearly  round,  and  the  area  of  its  base  is 
about  two  square  miles.  It  is  northwest  of  Paris,  the  county  seat.  The  top 
is  level,  and  is  occupied  by  farms.  The  elevation  is  locally  estimated  at  five 
hundred  feet  above  the  neighboring  country,  or  eight  hundred  feet  above  sea 
level.  To  the  west  is  Upper  Short  Mountain;  the  two  are  often  called  Twin 
Mountains.     Cassetete  Creek  is  now  called  Short  Mountain  Creek. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  "Journal  195 

ridge  of  mountains.     We  saw,  as  we  proceeded,  no  less 
than  13  deer  and  a  bear. 

22d.]  Four  miles  from  Allmand  creek  the  Cassetete 
mountain  appears  very  distinct,  and  somewhat  resembles 
the  Magazine;  being  a  long  ridge  abrupt  at  either  end. 
Another  range  also  was  visible  at  a  considerable  distance, 
called  the  Gascon  hills.  "^  We  were  detained  awhile  by 
a  thunder-storm,  but  proceeded,  notwithstanding,  about 
30  miles,  and  encamped  on  an  island  just  below  the  outlet 
of  Mulberry  creek, ^^^  on  the  banks  of  which,  before  the 
arrival  of  the  Cherokees,  there  was  a  considerable  settle- 
ment on  a  body  of  excellent  land.  It  now  constitutes  the 
Cherokee  line  of  demarkation,  and  they  made  free  to  oc- 
cupy the  deserted  cabins  and  improvements  of  the  whites 
without  any  compensation  received  either  from  them  or  the 
government.  The  bend,  which  we  continued  this  morn- 
ing, of  12  miles  extent,  is  surrounded  on  the  right  hand 
side  with  an  amphitheatre  of  lofty  cliffs,  3  to  400  feet  high, 
having  a  highly  romantic  and  picturesque  [139]  appear- 
ance. Nearly  continuing  to  Mulberry  creek,  a  fine  stretch 
of  about  eight  miles  opens  to  view,  affording  an  ample 
prospect  of  the  river;  its  rich  alluvions  were  now  clothed 
in  youthful  verdure,  and  backed  in  the  distance  by  bluish 

*"'  Allmand  Creek  and  the  Gascon  hills  are  not  to  be  identified  from  Nuttall's 
description. —  Ed. 

162  Mulberry  Creek  is  the  chief  northern  tributary  of  the  Arkansas  in  Franklin 
County,  and  the  settlements  on  its  banks  were  probably  the  first  made  by  Amer- 
icans in  northwestern  Arkansas.  In  1814,  three  famiUes,  named  Billingsleyi 
Adams,  and  Williams,  eighteen  persons  in  all,  left  middle  Tennessee  in  a  flat- 
boat,  and  after  a  year  at  Cadron  reached  the  Mulberry  in  1816.  After  the  sign- 
ing of  the  treaty  which  gave  the  north  side  of  the  river  to  the  Cherokee,  these 
settlers  scattered  along  the  south  side.  In  1818,  Simon  Miller,  with  his  son 
Jesse  and  others,  had  settled  on  the  Mulberry.  Altogether,  eighteen  families 
are  said  to  have  reached  the  region  before  the  Cherokee  treaty  was  made.  After 
the  removal  of  the  Indians  in  1828,  Jesse  Miller  returned,  and  other  white  set- 
tlers soon  occupied  the  region. —  Ed. 


196  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

and  empurpled  hills.  The  beauty  of  the  scenery  was  also 
enlivened  by  the  melody  of  innumerable  birds,  and  the 
gentle  humming  of  the  wild  bees,  feeding  on  the  early 
blooming  willows,  ^"^  which  in  the  same  manner  line  the 
picturesque  banks  of  the  Ohio.  The  Arkansa,  in  its  gen- 
eral appearance  throughout  this  day's  voyage,  bears,  in- 
deed, a  considerable  resemblance  to  that  river.  It  is 
equally  diversified  with  islands,  and  obstructed  in  its 
course  by  gravelly  rapids;  two  of  them  which  we  passed 
to-day,  could  not  have  a  collective  fall  of  less  than  10  or 
12  feet  each. 

The  sandstone  beds  still  present  very  little  dip,  and  by 
contrary  inclinations  produce  the  appearance  of  basins  or 
circumscribed  vallies. 

23d.]  Two  miles  above  Mulberry  creek  we  passed  two 
islands  nearly  opposite  to  each  other,  and  a  settlement  of 
three  or  four  families  situated  along  the  left  bank  of  the 
river,  on  a  handsome  rising  ground,  flanked  by  a  continued 
ridge  of  low  hills.  The  dawn  of  morning  was  again 
ushered  in  by  the  songs  of  thousands  of  birds,  re-echoing 
through  the  woods,  and  seeking  shelter  from  the  extensive 
plains,  which  every  where  now  border  the  alluvion. 

We  proceeded  about  32  miles,  and  experienced  a  scorch- 
ing sun  from  noon  till  night,  when  at  length  the  sky  be- 
came obscured  by  clouds  portentous  of  thunder.  My 
thermometer  when  exposed  to  the  sun  rose  to  100°. 
Nearly  opposite  Vache  Grasse^"  creek  we  passed  a  rapid, 
over  which  there  is  scarcely  more  than  1 2  inches  water, 
in  the  lowest  stage.  No  hills  now  appear  on  either  hand, 
and  a  little  distance  in  the  prairie,  [140]  near  Vache 
Grasse,  stands  the  last  habitation  of  the  whites  to  be  met 

'"^  Salix  caroliniana. —  Nuttaxl. 

"*  Vache  Grasse  Creek  drains  Central  Sebastian  County. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  197 

with  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa,  except  those  of  the 
garrison. 

Not  far  from  Lee's  creek,  Perpillon  of  the  French 
hunters/^^  a  low  ridge  again  comes  up  to  the  border  of  the 
river,  in  which  is  discoverable  the  first  calcareous  rock  on 
ascending  the  Arkansa.  From  hence  also  the  prairies  or 
grassy  plains  begin  to  be  prevalent,  and  the  trees  to  decrease 
in  number  and  magnitude.  Contiguous  to  our  encamp- 
ment commenced  a  prairie  of  seven  miles  in  length,  and 
continuing  within  a  mile  of  the  garrison.  The  river,  now 
presenting  long  and  romantic  views,  was  almost  exclu- 
sively bordered  with  groves  of  cotton- wood,  at  this  season 
extremely  beautiful,  resembling  so  many  vistas  clad  in  the 
softest  and  most  vivid  verdure,  and  crowded  with  innu- 
merable birds,  but  of  species  common  to  the  rest  of  the 
United  States. 

24th.]  This  morning  we  passed  the  hills  of  Lee's  creek, 
which  for  a  short  distance  border  the  Arkansa;  and  about 
noon  arrived  at  the  garrison,^^^  which  comes  into  view  at 

"^  So  named  after  some  Frenchmen,  and  not  Papillon,  as  called  by  Pike. — 

NUTTALL. 

Comment  by  Ed.  Lee's  Creek  is  called  "river  au  Millieu"  by  Lieutenant 
Wilkinson,  who  descended  the  Arkansas  under  Pike's  orders  in  1807  (see  post, 
note  195).  The  stream  crosses  and  recrosses  the  line  between  Arkansas  and 
Indian  Territory,  and  enters  the  Arkansas  just  below  Fort  Smith. 

^^  The  site  of  Fort  Smith,  also  called  Bellepoint,  was  chosen  in  the  autumn 
of  181 7  by  Major  S.  H.  Long.  The  original  fort  was  on  the  bluff  just  below  the 
junction  of  the  Poteau  and  the  Arkansas.  A  new  fort  was  built  on  the  same  spot 
in  1838,  and  three  hundred  acres  of  surrounding  land  was  purchased.  This 
reservation  was  transferred  to  the  Interior  Department  in  1871,  and  by  act  of 
Congress  (1884)  donated  to  the  city  of  Fort  Smith  for  school  purposes.  The 
troops  were  withdrawn  from  the  post  in  1871,  the  government  retaining  only 
the  original  burying  ground,  now  a  national  cemetery.  Fort  Smith  controlled 
the  principal  trade  of  Indian  Territory  for  many  years,  although  the  town  grew 
slowly,  containing  only  about  five  hundred  inhabitants  in  1852.  It  is  now  a 
place  of  from  12,000  to  15,000. 

Information  is  meagre  relative  to  Major  Wilham  Bradford,  who  commanded 
at  Fort  Smith  at  this  time.     He   was  appointed  (1812),  captain  in  the  17th 


198  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

the  distance  of  about  four  miles,  agreeably  terminating  a 
stretch  of  the  river.  Rising,  as  it  were,  out  of  the  alluvial 
forest,  is  seen  from  hence,  at  the  distance  of  35  miles,  a 
conic  mountain  nearly  as  blue  as  the  sky,  and  known  by 
the  French  hunters  under  the  name  of  Point  de  Sucre,  or 
the  sugar  loaf/" 

I  met  with  politeness  from  major  Bradford  the  com- 
mander of  the  garrison,  but  was  disagreeably  surprised 
to  be  given  to  understand,  that  I  could  not  have  permission 
to  proceed  any  higher  up  the  river  without  a  special  cre- 
dential from  the  secretary  of  state,  authorizing  me  to  hold 
that  intercourse  with  the  natives,  which  I  might  deem 
necessary  in  further  pursuing  my  journey.  It  appeared 
to  me,  however,  sufficiently  obvious,  that  the  governor  of 
the  territory  must  be  [141]  empowered  to  permit  an  inter- 
course, civil  and  commercial,  with  the  Indians,  and  liberty 
to  travel  through  their  country  by  their  concurrence. 
And,  indeed,  all  difficulty  was  removed  by  a  reference  to 
the  recent  regulations,  which  empowered  the  commanders 
of  the  garrisons  optionally  to  permit  such  intercourse ;  and 
I  am  happy  to  add,  that  this  measure,  which  referred  me 
to  the  hospitality  of  the  major,  was,  apparently,  as  gratify- 
ing to  him  as  to  myself. 

At  the  benevolent  request  of  the  commander,  and  agree- 
ably to  my  intentions  of  exploring  the  natural  history  of 
the  territory,  I  resolved  to  spend  a  few  weeks  at  the  garri- 
son, and  make  it  the  depot  of  my  collections.     It  is  with 

infantry,  from  Kentucky,  and  two  years  later  became  major.  Then  he  was 
transferred  to  the  Rifles,  of  which  he  became  a  major  in  1818.  From  1821-24 
he  was  again  in  the  infantry,  resigning  in  the  latter  year. 

Dr.  Thomas  Russell,  mentioned  on  p.  199,  below,  was  the  post  surgeon. 
A  native  of  Massachusetts,  he  entered  the  army  in  1814  as  hospital  surgeon's 
mate,  and  died  August  24,  1819. —  Ed. 

"'  These  mountains  in  southern  Sebastian  County  still  bear  the  name 
Sugar  Loaf. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  199 

a  satisfaction,  clouded  by  melancholy,  that  I  now  call  to 
mind  the  agreeable  hours  I  spent  at  this  station,  while 
accompanied  by  the  friendly  aid  and  kind  participation 
of  Dr.  Russel,  whose  memory  I  have  faintly  endeavoured 
to  commemorate  in  the  specific  name  of  a  beautiful  species 
of  Monarda}^^  But  relentless  death,  whose  ever- withering 
hand  delights  to  pluck  the  fairest  flowers,  added,  in  the 
fleeting  space  of  a  few  short  days,  another  early  trophy  to 
his  mortal  garland;  and  Russel,  the  only  hope  of  a  fond 
and  widowed  mother,  the  last  of  his  name  and  family, 
now  sleeps  obscurely  in  unhallowed  earth!  Gentle 
Reader,  forgive  this  tribute  of  sympathy  to  the  recollection 
of  one,  whom  fully  to  know  was  surely  to  esteem,  as  a 
gentleman,  an  accomplished  scholar,  and  a  sincere  ad- 
mirer of  the  simple  beauties  of  the  field  of  nature. 

*  *  *  * 

27th.]  Yesterday  I  took  a  walk  of  about  five  miles  up 
the  banks  of  the  Pottoe,"^  and  found  my  labour  well  re- 
payed  by  the  discovery  of  several  new  or  undescribed 
plants.  In  this  direction  the  surface  of  the  ground  is 
gently  broken  or  undulated,  and  thinly  scattered  [142] 
with  trees,  resembling  almost  in  this  respect  a  cultivated 
park.  The  whole  expanse  of  forest,  hill,  and  dale,  was 
now  richly  enamelled  with  a  profusion  of  beautiful  and 
curious  flowers;  among  the  most  conspicuous  was  the 
charming  Daisy  of  America,^^"  of  a  delicate  lilac  colour, 
and  altogether  corresponding  in  general  aspect  with  the 
European  species;  intermingled,  appears  a  new  species  of 
Collinsia,  a  large-flowered  Tradescantia,  various  species 
of  Phlox,  the  Verbena  aubletia,  and  the  esculent  Scilla. 

''*  Monarda  russeliana. —  Nuttall. 

'*'  The  Poteau.     The  word  being  French  for  Post,  may  have  been  given  to 
the  river  by  some  unhistoric  French  station. —  Ed. 
""  Bellis  integrifolia. —  Nuttall. 


200  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

From  a  low  hill,  the  neighbouring  prairie  appeared  cir- 
cumscribed by  forests,  but  the  mountains  of  the  Pottoe 
were  not  visible.  The  soil,  even  throughout  the  uplands, 
appeared  nearly  as  fertile  as  the  alluvions,  and  affords  a 
most  productive  pasture  to  the  cattle. 

On  the  28th,  a  slow  rise  in  the  river  was  perceptible, 
produced  by  the  Canadian,  or  similar  branches,  and  com- 
municating a  chocolate-red  colour  to  the  stream. 

In  the  course  of  the  day,  I  walked  over  the  hills  border- 
ing the  Pottoe,  about  six  miles,  in  order  to  see  some  trees 
of  the  ^low-wood  (Madura),  but  they  were  scarcely  yet 
in  leaf,  and  showed  no  indications  of  producing  bloom. 
Some  of  them  were  as  much  as  1 2  inches  in  diameter,  with 
a  crooked  and  spreading  trunk,  50  or  60  feet  high.  Its 
wood  dies  yellow,  and  scarcely  differs  from  the  Fustick  of 
the  West  Indies.  From  appearances,  those  few  insulated 
trees  of  the  Pottoe,  are  on  the  utmost  limit  of  their  north- 
ern range,  and,  though  old  and  decayed,  do  not  appear 
to  be  succeeded  by  others,  or  to  produce  any  perfect  fruit. 
The  day  was  so  warm,  that  at  9  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the 
thermometer  still  stood  at  75°. 

The  soil,  wherever  there  is  the  slightest  depression,  is 
of  a  superior  quality,  and  thickly  covered  with  vegetable 
earth.  The  trees  appear  scattered  as  if  planted  [143]  by 
art,  affording  an  unobstructed  range  for  the  hunter,  equal 
to  that  of  a  planted  park. 

On  the  29th,  I  took  an  agreeable  walk  into  the  adjoining 
prairie,  which  is  about  two  miles  wide  and  seven  long.  I 
found  it  equally  undulated  with  the  surrounding  woodland, 
and  could  perceive  no  reason  for  the  absence  of  trees,  ex- 
cept the  annual  conflagration.  A  ridge  of  considerable 
elevation  divides  it  about  the  centre,  from  whence  the  hills 
of  the  Pottoe,  the  Cavaniol,  and  the  Sugar-loaf,  at  the 


i8i8-i82o]  Niittair s  'Journal  201 

distance  of  about  30  miles,  appear  partly  enveloped  in 
the  mists  of  the  horizon.  Like  an  immense  meadow,  the 
expanse  was  now  covered  with  a  luxuriant  herbage,  and 
beautifully  decorated  with  flowers,  amongst  which  I  was 
pleased  to  see  the  Painted  Cup*"  of  the  eastern  states, 
accompanied  by  occasional  clusters  of  a  white  flowered 
Dodecatheon  or  American  primrose.  The  numerous 
rounded  elevations  which  chequer  this  verdant  plain,  are 
so  many  partial  attempts  at  shrubby  and  arborescent  vege- 
tation, which  nature  has  repeatedly  made,  and  which  have 
only  been  subdued  by  the  reiterated  operation  of  annual 
burning,  employed  by  the  natives,  for  the  purpose  of 
hunting  with  more  facility,  and  of  affording  a  tender  pas- 
turage for  the  game. 

May  I  St.]  The  river  still  continued  rising,  and  also  red 
and  turbid  from  an  admixture  of  the  clay  of  the  salt 
formation. 

The  garrison,  consisting  of  two  block-houses,  and  lines 
of  cabins  or  barracks  for  the  accommodation  of  70  men 
whom  it  contains,  is  agreeably  situated  at  the  junction  of 
the  Pottoe,  on  a  rising  ground  of  about  50  feet  elevation, 
and  surrounded  by  alluvial  and  uplands  of  unusual  fertility- 
The  view  is  more  commanding  and  picturesque,  than  any 
other  spot  of  equal  elevation  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa. 
The  meanders  of  the  river  to  the  eastward,  backed  by  the 
hills  [144]  of  Lee's  creek,  are  visible  for  more  than  six 
miles.  The  basis  of  the  fort  is  a  dark-coloured  slaty 
micaceous  sandstone,  the  lamina  of  which,  nearly  hori- 
zontal, and  occasionally  traversed  by  calcareous  illini- 
tions,  are  about  four  to  six  inches  in  thickness,  and  de- 
nudated  for  some  hundreds  of  yards  by  the  washing  of  the 

*"  Euchrotna  coccinea  {Bartsia  coccinea.  Lin.).  —  Nuttall. 


20  2  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

current,  which,  in  an  elevated  stage,  roars  and  foams  with 
great  velocity.  About  three  or  four  miles  up  the  Pottoe, 
this  rock  is  underlayed  by  a  bituminous  slate-clay,  indic- 
ative of  coal,  beneath  which,  no  doubt,  would  be  found 
calcareous  rock;  neither  this  nor  the  sandstone,  however, 
present  any  organic  remains. 

3d.]  To-day,  accompanied  by  Doctor  Russel,  and  an- 
other gentleman  of  the  fort,  I  rode  to  Cedar  prairie,  lying 
about  10  miles  south-east  of  the  garrison,  and  presenting  an 
irregular  or  undulating  surface.  I  here  found  a  second 
species  of  that  interesting  plant,  which  my  venerable 
friend,  William  Bartram,*"  called  Ixia  ccelestina;^''^  the 
flowers  of  this  species  are  also  of  a  beautiful  blue,  and 
white  at  the  base.  The  whole  plain  was,  in  places,  en- 
livened with  the  Sysirinchium  anceps,  producing  flowers 
of  an  uncommon  magnitude;  amidst  this  assemblage  it 
was  not  easy  to  lose  sight  of  the  azure  larkspur,^''^  whose 
flowers  are  of  the  brightest  ultramarine ;  in  the  depressions 
also  grew  the  ochroleucous  Baptisia,^''^  loaded  with  papi- 
lionaceous flowers,  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  the  garden 
pea. 

From  this  prairie,  and  more  particularly  from  a  hill 
which  partly  traverses  it,  the  mountains  of  the  Pottoe 
appeared  quite  distinct,  the  Sugar-loaf  on  the  east,  and 

"^William  Bartram  was  born  in  Kingsessing,  Pennsylvania,  in  1739.  His 
father  was  a  botanist,  and  at  the  age  of  thirty  William  abandoned  mercantile 
life  and  devoted  himself  also  to  that  science.  His  studies  and  collections  in 
the  Carolinas,  Georgia,  and  the  Floridas,  were  most  extensive.  In  1782  he 
was  elected  professor  of  botany  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  but  poor 
health  prevented  his  acceptance.  He  hved,  however,  until  1823,  producing 
numerous  works,  and  writing  the  description  of  a  plant  a  few  minutes  before 
his  death,  which  came  suddenly  from  hemorrhage  of  the  lungs.  See  also  Andre 
Michaux's  Travels,  volvune  iii  of  our  series,  note  177. —  Ed. 

'"  Nemasiylis  cxlestina. —  Nitttall. 

"*  Delphinium  azureum. —  Nuttall. 

"'  Baptisia  leucophcea. —  Nuttall. 


n 
< 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  205 

the  Cavaniol,  about  three  miles  apart,  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river;  the  latter  is  to  all  appearance  much  the  highest, 
and  presents  a  tabular  summit.  The  extensive  and 
verdant  meadow,  in  every  direction  appeared  pictur- 
esquely bounded  by  woody  hills  of  different  degrees  of  ele- 
vation and  distance,  and  lacked  [145]  nothing  but  human 
occupation  to  reclaim  it  from  barren  solitude,  and  cast 
over  it  the  air  of  rural  cheerfulness  and  abundance. 

7th.]  The  Pottoe  and  the  Arkansa  were  now  at  their 
utmost  elevation,  and  their  waters  of  a  pale  or  milky 
colour,  in  consequence  of  being  swelled  by  the  northern 
streams.  The  sand-bars  and  beaches  were  entirely  sub- 
merged, and  the  river  still  also  continued  augmenting  on 
the  8th. 

On  the  9th,  I  again  rode  out  to  Cedar  prairie,  accom- 
panied by  the  Doctor,  and  one  of  the  soldiers,  whose  in- 
tention was  to  hunt.  Several  deer  were  discovered,  but 
all  too  shy  to  be  approached.  We  spent  the  night  about 
the  centre  of  the  first  portion  of  the  prairie,  which  is 
divided  into  two  parts  by  the  intersection  of  a  small 
wooded  rivulet;  and  though  the  evening  was  mild  and 
delightfully  tranquil,  the  swarms  of  musquetoes,  aug- 
mented since  the  recent  freshet,  would  not  permit  us  to 
sleep. 

It  is  truly  remarkable  how  greatly  the  sound  of  objects, 
becomes  absorbed  in  these  extensive  woodless  plains. 
No  echo  answers  the  voice,  and  its  tones  die  away  in 
boundless  and  enfeebled  undulations.  Even  game  will 
sometimes  remain  undispersed  at  the  report  of  the  gun. 
Encamping  near  a  small  brook,  we  were  favoured  by  the 
usual  music  of  frogs,  and  among  them  heard  a  species 
which  almost  exactly  imitated  the  lowing  of  a  calf.  Just 
as  night  commenced,  the  cheerless  howling  of  a  distant 


2o6  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

wolf  accosted  our  ears  amidst  the  tranquil  solitude,  and 
the  whole  night  we  were  serenaded  with  the  vociferations 
of  the  two  species  of  whip-poor-will. 

The  dawn  of  a  cloudy  day,  after  to  us  a  wakeful  night, 
was  ushered  in  by  the  melodious  chorus  of  many  thou- 
sands of  birds,  agreeably  dispersing  the  solemnity  of  the 
ambiguous  twilight. 

Amongst  other  objects  of  nature,  my  attention  was 
momentarily  arrested  by  the  curious  appearance  of  [146] 
certain  conic  hillocks,  about  three  feet  high,  generally  situ- 
ated in  denudated  places,  and  covered  over  with  minute 
pebbles;  these  on  closer  examination  proved  to  be  the 
habitations  of  swarms  of  large  red  ants,  who  entered  and 
came  out  by  one  or  two  common  apertures. 

On  the  wooded  margin  of  the  prairie,  the  doctor  and 
myself  were  gratified  by  the  discovery  of  a  very  elegant 
plant,  which  constitutes  a  new  genus  allied  reciprocally  to 
Phacelia  and  Hydro phyllum."^ 

CHAPTER  IX 

Journey  to  Red  river  —  Prairies  and  mountains  of  the 
Pottoe  —  Pass  the  dividing  ridge  —  Kiamesha  river  — 
Arrival  on  the  banks  of  Red  river  —  The  murder  of  a 
Cherokee ;  attempts  to  obtain  redress  —  Wild  horses  — 
Character,  geological  structure,  and  rare  vegetable 
productions  of  the  prairies  —  Return  to  the  garrison 
at  Belle  Point. 

May  1 6th.]  This  morning  I  left  Fort  Smith  with  major 
Bradford  and  a  company  of  soldiers,  in  order  to  proceed 
across  the  wilderness,  to  the  confluence  of  the  Kiamesha 

'"  I  have  given  it  the  trivial  name  of  Nemophila,  as,  in  this  country,  it  now 
constituted  the  prevailing  ornament  of  the  shady  woods. —  Ntjttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  207 

and  Red  river/"  The  object  of  the  major  was  to  execute 
the  orders  of  government,  by  removing  all  the  resident 
whites  out  of  the  territory  of  the  Osages;  theKiamesha 
river  being  now  chosen  as  the  line  of  demarkation/" 

On  this  route  we  again  proceeded  through  Cedar 
prairie,  and,  after  traversing  two  tiresome  ridges  of  sand- 
stone hills,  scattered  with  oaks  and  pines,  we  encamped 
in  the  evening  near  to  the  base  of  the  Sugar-loaf  mountain, 
having  travelled  about  25  miles  in  [147]  a  south-west 
direction.  After  passing  the  two  ridges  and  crossing  two 
brooks,  one  of  them  called  James'  Fork,  we  kept  west- 
wardly  towards  the  banks  of  the  Pottoe,  and  found  the 
whole  country  a  prairie,  full  of  luxuriant  grass  about  knee 
high,  in  which  we  surprised  herds  of  fleeting  deer,  feeding 
as  by  stealth. 

The  Cavaniol,  now  clear  of  mist,  appeared  sufficiently 
near  to  afford  some  more  adequate  idea  of  its  form  and 
character.  A  prominent  point  which  appears  on  its 
summit,  is,  I  am  told  by  the  Cherokees  who  accompanied 
us,  a  mound  of  loose  stones,  thrown  up  either  as  a  funeral 
pUe  or  a  beacon  by  the  aborigines.  The  natives  and 
hunters  assert  that  subterraneous  rumblings  have  been 
heard  in  this  mountain.  The  Sugar-loaf,  covered  to  its 
summit  with  trees  and  shrubs,  is  composed  of  sandstone, 
and  appears  now  accompanied  by  three  other  less  elevated 
conic  eminences,  all  mutually  connected  at  the  base  by 


1^^  The  orthography  of  this  Indian  name  is  still  unsettled;  after  various  per- 
mutations it  seems  to  have  assimied  the  form  Kiamichi.  The  river  joins  Red 
near  the  southeast  comer  of  Indian  Territory.  In  1824,  Fort  Towson  was 
built  ten  miles  from  its  mouth. —  Ed. 

*'*  The  Osage  had  claimed  the  territory  south  of  the  Arkansas  to  its  mouth, 
but  had  gradually  been  pushed  back.  In  October,  1820,  the  land  between 
the  Canadian  fork  of  the  Arkansas  and  the  Red  was  given  to  the  Choctaw. —  Ed. 


2o8  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

saliant  ridges.  From  what  I  perceive,  I  am  inclined  to 
consider  the  Cavaniol  as  a  continuation  of  the  same  chain, 
proceeding  west  by  north.  From  the  garrison  to  the  en- 
campment of  this  evening,  indications  of  coal  are  sufi&- 
ciently  obvious  in  the  bituminous  shale  and  carbonaceous 
reliquiae. 

17th.]  The  day  was  delightfully  clear  and  warm,  and 
the  whole  aspect  of  nature  appeared  peculiarly  charming. 
In  the  morning  our  party  fell  in  with  a  favourite  amuse- 
ment, in  the  pursuit  of  two  bears,  harmlessly  feeding  in 
the  prairies,  which,  being  very  fat,  were  soon  overtaken 
and  killed.  We  proceeded  about  20  miles;  towards 
evening  passing  the  Pottoe,  which  was  quite  fordable, 
notwithstanding  the  late  fresh.  Our  course  was  prin- 
cipally south-south-west,  and  this  evening,  after  crossing 
the  Pottoe,  more  westwardly.  We  were  again  in  full 
view  of  the  two  picturesque  mountains,  the  Cavaniol  and 
Point  Sucre;  the  latter  yet  appeared  somewhat  conic,  and 
scantily  wooded,  but  covered  with  thickets  like  the  Alle- 
ghany [148]  mountains.  Our  route  was  continued  through 
prairies,  occasionally  divided  by  sombre  belts  of  timber, 
which  serve  to  mark  the  course  of  the  rivulets.  These 
vast  plains,  beautiful  almost  as  the  fancied  Elysium,  were 
now  enamelled  with  innumerable  flowers,  among  the 
most  splendid  of  which  were  the  azure  Larkspur,  gilded 
Coreopsides,  Rudbeckias,  fragrant  Phloxes,  and  the 
purple  Psilotria.  Serene  and  charming  as  the  blissful 
regions  of  fancy,  nothing  here  appeared  to  exist  but  what 
contributes  to  harmony. 

i8th.]  To-day,  in  a  journey  of  about  25  miles,  we 
passed  several  very  rocky  pine  ridges,  but  over  which  a 
loaded  wagon  had  been  dragged  as  far  as  the  Kiamesha, 
accompanied  by  a  family  of  emigrants,  who  had  been 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalV s  yournal  209 

obliged  to  remove  from  the  settlement  of  Mulberry  creek, 
on  the  arrival  of  the  Cherokees.  At  breakfast  time,  we 
were  regaled  with  the  wild  honey  of  the  country,  taken 
from  a  tree  which  the  guide  had  discovered  for  us.  Our 
course  was  still  to  the  south  of  south-west,  in  which  direc- 
tion we  twice  crossed  the  meanders  of  a  branch  of  the 
Pottoe,  called  Fourche  Malin.*"  About  2  o'clock  we 
passed  the  dividing  ridge^*'^  of  the  Pottoe  and  Kiamesha, 
nearly  the  height  of  the  Alleghany  in  Pennsylvania,  very 
rocky,  and  thinly  scattered  with  pines  and  oaks;  the  rock 
sandstone,  and  destitute  of  organic  remains.  This  ridge 
forms  part  of  the  principal  chain  called  Mazern  moun- 
tains by  Darby.  ^"  In  the  rivulets  and  ravines  I  was 
gratified  by  the  discovery  of  a  new  shrubby  plant  allied 
to  the  genus  Phyllanthus.  After  crossing  the  mountain, 
we  proceeded,  at  first,  a  little  east  of  south,  to  clear  the 
subsidiary  ridges,  afterwards  westwardly,  the  mountains 
passing  north-west;  we  then  came  upon  an  extensive 
prairie  cove  considerably  diversified  with  hills  and  groves 

*''The  nomenclature  of  these  regions  is  quite  confusing;  much  of  it,  though 
in  corrupted  forms,  bears  marks  of  French  origins  now  irrecoverable.  Fourche 
Mahn  on  modern  maps  is  Fourche  Melane  or  Malane,  and  on  some  old  charts  is 
given  as  MeUne  Creek,  a  branch  of  Cavaniol  Creek,  which,  in  its  turn,  is  a  trib- 
utary of  the  Poteau. —  Ed. 

""  The  ridge  between  the  Kiamichi  and  the  Poteau  is  now  called  Sans  Bois 
Mountains.  The  name  (meaning  woodless)  agrees  well  with  Nuttall's  de- 
scription.—  Ed. 

'"  William  Darby,  a  Pennsylvania  geographer  (1775-185 4),  was  one  of  the 
surveyors  who  ran  the  boundary  between  the  United  States  and  Canada.  He 
pubhshed  an  emigrant's  guide  and  several  gazetteers. 

' '  The  Masseme  chain  .  .  .  rises  in  detached  masses,  between  Red  and 
Arkansaw  rivers.  This  range  has  not  been  carefully  examined  by  men  of  science ; 
of  course  its  component  parts  are  not  correctly  known.  It  is  supposed  to 
be  rich  in  minerals." —  Darby,  Emigrant's  Guide  (New  York,  1818),  p.  50. 

' '  Masseme,  from  Mt.  Cerne,  one  of  its  peaks  .  .  .  The  provincial  vul- 
garism Ozark,  the  hunter's  name  for  Arkansas,  has  been  given  to  the  Massernes, 
by  some  writers  and  map  makers." —  Darby  and  Dwight,  New  Gazetteer  (Hart- 
ford, 1833),  p.  293.—  Ed. 


2 1  o  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

of  trees.  To  the  west  continued  a  proximate  chain  of 
piney  hills,  with  remarkable  serrated  summits,  known  by 
the  familiar  name  of  the  Potatoe  hills,  and  to  the  north- 
west backed  by  a  more  [149]  distant  and  more  lofty  chain 
equally  piney.  On  the  summit  of  the  dividing  ridge,  we 
observed  a  pile  of  stones  in  the  bison  path  that  we  travelled, 
which,  I  was  informed,  had  been  thrown  up  as  a  monu- 
ment by  the  O  sages  when  they  were  going  to  war,  each 
warrior  casting  a  stone  upon  the  pile.  Discovering  herds 
of  Bison  in  the  prairie,  the  soldiers  immediately  com- 
menced the  chase,  and  the  bulls,  now  lean  and  agile,  gal- 
loped along  the  plain  with  prodigious  swiftness,  like  so 
many  huge  lions.  The  pendant  beard,  large  head  hid 
in  bushy  locks,  with  the  rest  of  the  body  nearly  divested 
of  hair,  give  a  peculiar  and  characteristic  grace  to  this 
animal  when  in  motion.  We  discovered  them  in  a  state 
of  repose,  and  could  perceive  the  places  where  they  had 
been  gratifying  themselves  by  wallowing  or  rolling  in  the 
dust.  The  bison,  entirely  distinct  from  the  buffalo  of 
Europe,  notwithstanding  the  surmises  of  Doctor  Robert- 
son, can  scarcely  be  domesticated.  The  male,  infuriate 
and  jealous  in  his  amours,  gores  every  thing  which  falls 
in  his  way,  and  becomes  totally  unmanageable. 

Perhaps  no  animal  employs  a  greater  diversity  of  diet 
than  the  bear;  the  common  American  species  feeds  upon 
fruits,  honey,  wasps,  and  bees;  they  will  turn  over  large 
logs  in  quest  of  other  insects,  and  are  also  destructive  to 
pigs  and  fawns,  by  which  means  the  hunters,  imitating  the 
bleat  of  the  latter,  will  sometimes  decoy  them  within  gun- 
shot. 

Panthers  are  said  to  be  abundant  in  the  woods  of  Red 
river,  nor  are  they  uncommon  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa. 
A  somewhat  curious  anecdote  of  one  of  these  animals  was 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttairs  yournal  211 

related  to  me  by  our  guide.  A  party  of  hunters  in  the 
morning  missed  one  of  their  dogs  from  the  encampment, 
and  after  a  fruitless  search  were  proceeding  on  their  route, 
when  one  of  the  other  dogs  obtaining  a  scent,  discovered 
to  the  hunters,  dead  beneath  a  tree,  the  dog  which  had 
strayed,  together  with  a  deer  and  a  wolf  in  the  same  con- 
dition. [150]  It  appeared,  that  the  panther,  having  killed 
a  deer,  and  eat  his  fill,  got  into  a  tree  to  watch  the  re- 
mainder, and  had,  in  his  own  defence,  successively  fallen 
upon  the  wolf  and  the  dog  as  intruders  on  his  provision. 

19th.]  This  morning  we  set  out  late  in  consequence  of 
the  rain,  which  had  continued  throughout  the  night.  We 
proceeded  a  little  west  of  south,  along  the  hills  and  prairies 
which  divide  the  three  principal  branches  of  the  Kiamesha, 
skirting  the  south  side  of  the  bare  serrated  hills  already 
noticed  scattered  with  pine  and  post-oak,  in  order  to 
shorten  the  distance  which  we  should  have  been  obliged 
to  make  by  keeping  more  into  the  level  prairies.  In  this 
course  we  passed  a  number  of  little  rivulets  or  torrents 
with  rocky  beds.  The  hills  abounded  with  a  kind  of 
slaty  petrosilex,  which,  as  well  as  the  slate-clay  with  which 
it  alternates,  appears  destitute  of  organic  remains.  Some 
of  the  fragments  were  greenish,  and  appeared  to  be  of 
the  same  character  with  the  hone-slate  of  the  Washita. 
At  the  junction  of  its  three  branches,  the  Kiamesha  is 
hemmed  in  by  very  lofty  ridges,  partly  covered  with  pine 
and  oak.  On  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  summits  we  had 
observed,  for  many  miles,  a  beacon  of  the  Osages,  being 
a  solitary  tree  fantastically  trimmed  like  a  broom.  Our 
path  now  became  difficult  and  obstructed  by  fallen  rocks ; 
that  which  we  had  pursued  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  day 
was  one  of  those,  which,  from  time  immemorial,  had  been 
trodden  out  by  the  bison.     We  still  continued  in  a  south- 


2  12  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

south-west  direction,  along  the  rocky  valley  of  the  Kia- 
mesha,  which  this  evening  we  crossed.  The  wooded  hills 
prevailed  on  either  hand  without  any  prospect  of  termi- 
nation, and  strongly  resemble  the  mountains  of  the  Blue 
ridge,  at  Harper's  Ferry,  in  Virginia. 

20th.]  This  morning  we  proceeded  four  or  five  miles 
before  breakfast  through  a  pathless  thicket,  equal  in  diffi- 
culty to  any  in  the  Alleghany  mountains.  The  [151]  hills 
now  approached  the  river  incliffs  and  inaccessible  accliv- 
ities, and  we  concluded  to  leave  the  impassable  windings 
of  the  river  by  the  first  gap  of  the  mountain.  Having  now 
left  the  almost  impenetrable  barriers  of  the  river,  we  pro- 
ceeded along  a  blind  bison  trace,  but  at  length  descended 
into  a  rocky  ravine,  scarcely  passable  for  goats,  but  which 
at  length  we  cleared,  after  being  some  hours  dispersed  from 
each  other,  and  came  again  into  hilly  open  woods,  near  the 
head  of  Field's  cove  and  creek,  deriving  its  name  from  an 
outlaw  who  here  sought  refuge  from  justice.  This  cove 
was  a  kind  of  hilly  prairie  land  interspersed  with  small 
plains,  presenting  rocky  terraces  where  most  elevated, 
and  covered  with  herbage.  Lofty  wooded  hills,  scarcely 
inferior  to  those  of  the  river,  hemmed  in  this  cove  on  either 
hand.  I  am  informed  that  the  sources  of  all  the  rivers  in 
this  part  of  the  Arkansa  territory,  however  closely  locked 
betwixt  mountains,  present  extensive  prairies  or  plains, 
where  they  divaricate  to  their  sources. 

Our  course  was  a  little  west  of  south,  and  the  distance 
we  travelled  probably  20  miles.  We  calculated  upon 
arriving  at  Red  river  on  the  succeeding  evening,  being 
somewhere  about  30  miles  distant.  The  woods  were 
now  disgustingly  infested  with  ticks,  though  free  from 
musquetoes. 

2ist.]  We  continued  about  five  miles  over  dreary  and 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  2 1 3 

rocky  pine  hills,  without  the  good  fortune  of  a  bison  trace, 
when,  after  taking  a  frugal  breakfast,  our  hunters  again 
surprised  a  herd  of  Bison  lying  down,  but  which  were 
quickly  roused  into  an  active  gallop.  Deer  were  uncom- 
monly abundant,  and  scarcely  timid,  or  conscious  of  the 
aim  of  their  destroyers.  At  length  getting  rid  of  the  pine 
hills,  we  proceeded  through  a  shrubby  prairie,  but,  by 
continuing  too  much  to  the  westward,  again  came  inad- 
vertently to  the  Kiamesha,  and  were  obliged  to  leave  it 
some  miles  directly  behind  us,  in  order  to  keep  clear  of 
the  swampy  alluvions  [152]  and  ponds  by  which  it  was 
bordered.  We  now  continued  south-east,  about  20  miles, 
over  hilly  woods  covered  with  dwarfish  post  and  black 
oaks,  which  having  been  burnt  were  extremely  difficult 
to  penetrate,  lashing  and  tearing  every  thing  with  which 
they  came  in  contact;  we  had  also  to  encounter  the  addi- 
tional embarrassment  of  ponds  and  wet  prairies. 

The  rock  was  still  sandstone,  containing  appearances 
indicative  of  coal.  For  the  last  two  days  I  was  busily 
employed  in  collecting  new  and  curious  plants,  which 
continually  presented  themselves. 

22d.]  This  morning  we  kept  two  or  three  miles  to  the 
south-east,  and  on  turning  to  the  south,  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  enter  upon  a  beaten  path,  recognised  by  our  guide, 
which,  in  the  distance  of  about  three  miles,  brought  us  to 
Mr.  Styles' s,^*^  where  we  had  the  gratification  of  obtaining 
milk  and  butter  for  breakfast.  This  was  the  emigrant 
whose  traces  we  had  discovered,  and  who  had  encountered 
the  Mazem  mountains  with  a  loaded  wagon,  women,  and 

"^  It  is  practically  impossible  to  trace  the  history  of  the  squatters  mentioned 
by  Nuttall.  This  region  was  never  legally  open  to  white  occupation,  and  the 
transient  white  settlers  left  few  traces  of  their  presence.  At  this  time  there  were 
said  to  be  twenty  famiUes  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kiamichi  and  twelve  at  Pecan 
Point,  a  few  miles  farther  down  Red  River. —  Ed. 


214  Rarly  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

children,  among  whom  was  the  mother  of  his  wife,  blind, 
and  90  years  of  age!  Mr.  Styles  had  chosen  the  margin 
of  the  prairie  for  his  residence,  at  a  short  distance  from 
whence  commences  the  usual  bushy  hills.  After  break- 
fast we  continued  our  route,  parallel  with  Red  river,  over 
an  extensive  prairie  to  the  confluence  of  the  Kiamesha. 
The  people  appeared  but  ill  prepared  for  the  unpleasant 
official  intelligence  of  their  ejectment.  Some  who  had 
cleared  considerable  farms  were  thus  unexpectedly  thrust 
out  into  the  inhospitable  wilderness.  I  could  not  but 
sympathise  with  their  complaints,  notwithstanding  the 
justice  and  propriety  of  the  requisition.  Would  it  had 
always  been  the  liberal  policy  of  the  Europeans  to  act 
with  becoming  justice,  and  to  reciprocate  the  law  of 
nations  with  the  unfortunate  natives ! 

A  flagrant  act  of  injustice  to  the  Indians  now,  however, 
came  to  our  knowledge.  It  was,  no  doubt,  the  hopes  of 
employing  the  present  opportunity  of  gaining  [153]  redress, 
which  had  instigated  the  journey  of  the  two  civilized 
Cherokees  (Messrs.  Rodgers),  who  had  accompanied  us; 
one  of  whom  acted  as  the  state  interpreter.  The  infor- 
mation which  we  obtained  concerning  this  affair  gives  it 
almost  an  incredible  air  of  atrocity.  It  appears,  that 
about  three  months  ago,  one  of  the  Cherokees,  returning 
from  hunting  in  this  quarter,  saw  some  horses  in  the  pos- 
session of  two  brothers  named  Gibbs,  which  he  recognised 
to  have  belonged  to  Monsieur  Vaugin,  of  the  Arkansa, 
and  which  had  been  stolen  by  these  renegadoes.  For 
fear  he  should  convict  them  of  the  theft,  they  treacher- 
ously took  an  opportunity  of  way-laying  the  Indian,  and 
shot  him  dead  with  a  rifle.  The  same  two  brothers,  this 
very  evening,  inadvertently  passed  by  our  camp,  but  in 
the  absence  of  the  major  and  the  Cherokees,  and  though 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  2 1 5 

our  circumstantial  knowledge  of  this  horrid  fact  was 
purely  accidental,  yet  such  is  the  self-condemning  nature 
of  guilt,  that  no  sooner  had  they  learnt  who  we  were, 
than  they  rushed  into  the  adjoining  cane-brake,  and 
effected  their  escape  into  the  neighbouring  province  of 
Texas.  A  party,  indeed,  went  out  instantly  in  pursuit  of 
them,  but  were  obliged  to  return  in  consequence  of  the 
darkness  of  the  night,  and  the  extreme  difficulty  of  the 
way.  Orders  for  their  apprehension  were  left  with  the 
magistrate  of  the  district,  accompanied  by  a  reward  from 
the  Cherokees.  They  returned  after  an  absence  of  three 
weeks,  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  bring  them  to  justice 
by  two  hunters  armed  with  rifles;  and  one  of  the  brothers, 
who  had  not  actually  committed  the  murder,  in  the  act  of 
warning  the  other,  was  shot  dead  by  one  of  the  hunters, 
whom  he  had  formerly  injured  in  the  most  indelicate 
manner.  With  this  revenge,  though  not  sufficiently  dis- 
criminate, I  afterwards  learnt,  that  the  Cherokees  had 
expressed  themselves  satisfied,  as  it  accorded  probably 
with  their  own  ideas  of  diverging  retaliation. 

[154]  The  change  of  soil  in  the  great  Prairie  of  Red  river 
now  appeared  obvious.  It  was  here  that  I  saw  the  first 
calcareous  rock  charged  with  shells,  &c.  since  my  depar- 
ture from  the  banks  of  the  Ohio.  Nothing  could  at  this 
season  exceed  the  beauty  of  these  plains,  enamelled 
with  such  an  uncommon  variety  of  flowers  of 
vivid  tints,  possessing  all  the  brilliancy  of  tropical  pro- 
ductions. 

After  passing  through  a  swamp,  we  crossed  the  Kja- 
mesha  in  boats,  and  swam  our  horses.  Five  or  six  miles 
from  Styles' s  we,  at  length,  obtained  sight  of  Red  river, 
appearing  here  scarcely  more  than  100  yards  wide,  pass- 
ing to  the  south-east,  with  the  water  very  red  and  turbid. 


2 1 6  Rarly  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

I  was  told  that  the  river  was  here  iioo  miles  from  its  con- 
fluence by  the  meanders,  or  900  above  Natchitoches. 

Here,  for  the  first  time,  I  saw  the  Madura  (or  Bow  wood) 
in  abundance,  but  almost  a  month  past  flowering,  at  least 
with  the  staminiferous  plant. 

We  found  in  this  country  two  poisonous  species  of 
Coluber,  or  common  snake,  one  of  them  very  small,  and 
finely  marbled  with  vivid  colours.  The  other  frequents 
waters,  and  is  called  the  water- mockasin,  and  poisonous 
black-snake;  it  is  nearly  black,  two  or  three  feet  long, 
and  thick  in  proportion,  the  head  triangular  and  com- 
pressed at  the  sides.  Both  of  them  were  furnished  with 
the  mortal  fangs. 

24th.]  To-day  we  continued  to  the  Horse-prairie,  15 
miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  Kiamesha.  In  our  way  we 
proceeded  for  about  three  miles  through  the  fertile  allu- 
vion of  Red^^river  to  Mr.  Varner's,  where  we  breakfasted, 
and  at  length  arriving  at  our  destination  on  the  banks  of 
Red  river,  we  remained  there  the  whole  of  the  following 
day.  This  prairie  derives  its  name  from  the  herds  of  wild 
horses,  which  till  lately  frequented  it,  and  of  which  we 
saw  a  small  gang  on  our  return.  It  is  very  extensive,  but 
flat,  and  in  some  [155]  places  swampy.  In  these  depres- 
sions we  saw  whole  acres  of  the  Crinum  americanum  of 
the  West  Indies,  besides  extensive  glaucous  fields  of  a  large 
leaved  and  new  species  of  Rudbeckia,  The  Sus  tajassu 
or  Mexican  hog,  is  not  uncommon  some  distance  higher 
up  Red  river.  A  great  part  of  the  skin  of  one  of  these 
animals  was  shown  me  by  Mr.  Vamer;  so  that  we  need 
not  go  to  Mexico,  in  order  to  account  for  the  head  of  this 
animal  which  was  found  in  one  of  the  saltpetre  caves  of 
Kentucky.  That  a  continual  intercourse  was  also  kept  up 
by  the  natives  of  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the  Mississippi, 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  217 

is  evident  from  the  authority  of  Du  Pratz,  who  tells  us 
that  the  Mobilian  or  Chicasaw  language  was  even  spoken 
by  the  natives  of  Red  river. 

On  the  banks  of  Red  river,  nearly  on  a  level  with  the 
water,  as  it  appeared  at  the  present  depression,  I  noticed 
a  dark  greenish-grey  sandstone,  resembling  trap,  and 
occasionally  interspersed  with  pebbles  of  agate,  jasper, 
and  chalcedony;  the  cement  of  this  curious  conglomerate 
proved  to  be  calcareous  spar. 

26th.]  To-day  we  prepared  to  return  by  the  route 
which  we  had  come.  Knowing  that  we  should  arrive 
early  at  Mr.  Styles's,  and  spend  the  remainder  of  the  day 
there,  I  delayed  about  two  hours  behind  the  party,  for 
the  purpose  of  collecting  some  of  the  new  and  curious 
plants  interspersed  over  these  enchanting  prairies.  It 
was  not,  however,  my  fortune  ever  again  to  overtake  the 
party.  Deceived  by  the  continued  traces  of  two  strangers 
who  had  accompanied  us,  I  passed  the  place  of  rendez- 
vous, and  was,  in  fact,  so  much  engaged  as  to  travel  along 
no  less  than  seven  miles  below  Mr.  Styles's,  which  I  ascer- 
tained by  enquiring  at  another  house,  to  which  accident 
had  directed  me.  Night  began  to  approach,  and  I  had 
proceeded  but  about  three  miles  on  my  return  when  the 
sun  set.  By  pursuing  a  new  path  which  now  opened,  I 
had  the  good  fortune  to  arrive  at  the  [156]  house  of  Mr. 
Davis,  contiguous  to  Gates's  creek,^^^  which  I  had  crossed. 
Here  I  was  kindly  requested  to  remain  for  the  night,  as 
the  path  from  hence  was  even  difficult  to  trace  by  day- 
light. Four  guns  were  fired  at  major  Bradford's  camp 
as  signals  to  me,  which  were  answered  by  Mr.  Davis,  but 
unfortunately  they  were  never  heard. 

'^  Gates'  Creek  is  a  tributary  of  the  Kiamichi,  although  not  so  given  on 
Nuttall's  map. —  Ed. 


21 8  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.13 

27th.]  It  was  scarcely  day-break  when  I  arose,  impa- 
tient to  join  my  companions;  but  now  my  horse  was  not  to 
be  found,  and  it  was  not  until  we  had  made  two  or  three 
unsuccessful  searches,  that  he  was  at  length  discovered 
two  miles  on  the  path  I  had  yesterday  travelled.  By  this 
time  it  was  near  eight  o'clock,  and  nine  when  I  arrived  at 
the  major's  camp,  where  I  found  they  had  departed  about 
half  an  hour.  It  is  unnecessary  to  pourtray  my  apprehen- 
sions on  this  occasion;  not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost,  and 
I  offered  one  of  Mr.  Styles's  sons  two  dollars  to  accompany 
me  for  a  few  hours  to  find  their  trace,  and,  if  possible,  to 
overtake  them.  We  travelled  as  fast  as  possible  for  about 
10  miles  through  a  horrid  brake  of  scrubby  oaks,  but  all 
to  no  purpose,  and,  after  firing  a  gun,  which  was  neither 
heard  nor  answered,  we  returned  again,  as  I  dared  not  to 
venture  alone  and  unprepared  through  such  a  difficult 
and  mountainous  wilderness.  My  botanical  acquisitions 
in  the  prairies,  proved,  however,  so  interesting  as  almost 
to  make  me  forget  my  situation,  cast  away  as  I  was  amidst 
the  refuse  of  society,  without  money  and  without  acquaint- 
ance; for  calculating  upon  nothing  more  certain  than  an 
immediate  return,  I  was  consequently  unprovided  with 
every  means  of  subsistence. 

I  was  informed  by  the  hunters,  that  these  prairies,  par- 
tially divided  by  groves  and  strips  of  timber,  bordering 
the  water  courses,  continued  with  little  interruption  to 
the  hot  springs  of  the  Washita,  to  which,  from  hence,  there 
is  a  plain  and  direct  road.^"  The  surface  of  these  wood- 
less expanses  was  gently  undulated,  [157]  and  thickly  cov- 
ered with  grass  knee  high,  even  to  the  summits  of  the  hills, 


*"  The  road  to  Hot  Springs  ran  almost  directly  east  to  Washington,  in  Hemp- 
stead County,  Arkansas,  thence  northeast,  crossing  the  northwest  comers  of 
the  present  counties  of  Clark  and  Hot  Springs. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  i\c) 

offering  an  almost  inexhaustible  range  to  cattle.  The 
flowers^  which  beautify  them  at  this  season  of  nature's 
vigour,  communicated  all  the  appearance  of  a  magnificent 
garden,  fantastically  decked  with  innumerable  flowers  of 
the  most  splendid  hues.  The  soil  appears  to  be  univer- 
sally calcareous,  with  the  limestone  nearly  white  and  full 
of  shells,  among  which  there  was  abundance  of  a  small 
species  of  gryphite,  and  in  the  more  compact  beds  some 
species  of  terebratulites.  This  calcareous  rock,  different 
from  the  mountain  limestone,  often  contains  uncemented 
or  loose  shells  immersed  in  beds  of  friable  clay,  and  is 
more  analogous  to  that  of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia, 
than  that  of  St.  Louis  and  the  Ohio. 

Along  the  further  edge  of  the  prairie,  relative  to  Red 
river,  there  were,  in  the  distance  of  lo  miles,  five  or  six 
families  settled,  or  rather  encamped,  upon  the  lands  of  the 
United  States,  which  have  not  yet  been  surveyed  or  offered 
for  sale. 

June  ist.-5th.]  I  still  remained  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Styles,  without  any  very  obvious  prospect  of  regaining  fort 
Smith.  On  the  4th  I  walked  over  the  adjoining  prairie 
to  a  more  considerable  hill  than  any  which  I  had  yet  vis- 
ited, near  Red  river.  Its  north-western  declivity  was 
thinly  wooded;  here  I  found  the  limestone  more  compact 
than  usual,  containing  also  smaller  shells,  but  still  pre- 
senting scarcely  any  perceptible  dip.  The  summit  was 
scattered  with  coarse  quartzy  and  petrosiliceous  pebbles, 
originating  from  the  disintegration  of  a  ferruginous  con- 
glomerate, of  which  large  masses  still  lay  on  the  surface 
compact.  A  similar  overlay,  though  much  more  abun- 
dant, and  continuous,  occurs  over  the  calcareous  rock  of 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia. 

The  singular  appearance  of  these  vast  meadows,  now 


220  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

so  profusely  decorated  with  flowers,  as  seen  from  [158]  a 
distance,  can  scarcely  be  described.  Several  large  circum- 
scribed tracts  were  perfectly  gilded  with  millions  of  the 
flowers  of  Rudheckia  amplexicaulis,  bordered  by  other 
irregular  snow-white  fields  of  a  new  species  of  Corian- 
drum.  The  principal  grasses  which  prevail  are  Kceleria 
cristata  of  Europe,  Phalaris  canariensis  (Canary  bird- 
seed), Tripsacum  dactyloides,  which  is  most  greedily 
sought  after  by  the  horses,  Elymus  virginicus  (sometimes 
called  wild  rye),  a  new  Rotbolia,  one  or  two  species  of 
Stipa  and  Aristida,  with  the  Agrostis  arachnoides  of  Mr. 
Elliott,  and  two  species  of  Atheropogon.  The  common 
Milfoil,  and  sorrel  (Rumex  acetocella),  are  as  prevalent,  at 
least  the  former,  as  in  Europe.  In  these  plains  there  also 
grew  a  large  species  of  Centaurea,  scarcely  distinct  from 
C.  austriaca;  and  along  the  margin  of  all  the  rivulets  we 
met  with  abundance  of  the  Bow-wood  {Madura  auran- 
tiaca),  here  familiarly  employed  as  a  yellow  dye,  very 
similar  to  fustic. 

6th.]  To-day  I  went  five  or  six  miles  to  collect  specimens 
of  the  Centaurea,  which,  as  being  the  only  species  of  this 
numerous  genus  indigenous  to  America,  had  excited  my 
curiosity.  All  the  lesser  brooks  and  neighbouring  springs 
were  now  already  dried  up,  and  the  arid  places  appeared 
quite  scorched  with  the  heat.  Still  there  prevailed  through- 
out these  prairies,  as  over  the  sea,  a  refreshing  breeze, 
which  continued  for  the  greatest  part  of  the  day.  The 
swarms  of  musquitoes,  which  prove  so  troublesome  along 
the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  and  the  Missouri  are  here 
almost  unknown,  and  never  met  with  except  on  the  im- 
mediate alluvial  borders  of  the  rivulets. 

In  my  solitary,  but  amusing  rambles  over  these  delight- 
ful prairies,  I  now,  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  notwith- 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  "Journal  221 

standing  my  long  residence  and  peregrinations  in  North 
America,  hearkened  to  the  inimitable  notes  of  the  mock- 
ing-bird (Turdus  polygloUus).  After  amusing  itself  in 
ludicrous  imitations  of  other  birds,  [159]  perched  on  the 
topmost  bough  of  a  spreading  elm,  it  at  length  broke  forth 
into  a  strain  of  melody  the  most  wild,  varied,  and  pathetic, 
that  ever  I  had  heard  from  any  thing  less  than  human. 
In  the  midst  of  these  enchanting  strains,  which  gradually 
increased  to  loudness,  it  oftentimes  flew  upwards  from  the 
topmost  twig,  continuing  its  note  as  if  overpowered  by 
the  sublimest  ecstasy. 

On  the  8th  I  went  down  to  the  Red  river  settlement,  to 
inquire  concerning  some  company,  which  I  had  heard  of, 
on  my  returning  route  to  the  Arkansa;  and,  on  conferring 
together,  we  concluded  to  take  our  departure  on  Sunday 
next,  a  day  generally  chosen  by  these  hunters  and  voyagers 
on  which  to  commence  their  journeys.  In  our  way  to 
this  settlement  we  crossed  Gates's  and  Lemon's  creek 
and  another  smaller  brook.  The  width  of  the  prairie  to 
the  banks  of  Red  river  might  be  about  five  miles,  and  the 
contracted  alluvial  lands,  which  by  the  crops  of  corn  and 
cotton  appeared  to  be  exceedingly  fertile,  were  nearly  in- 
habited to  their  full  extent.  The  wheat  planted  here  pro- 
duced about  80  bushels  to  the  acre,  for  which  some  of  the 
inhabitants  had  now  the  conscience  to  demand  three  dol- 
lars and  a  half  per  bushel,  in  consequence  of  the  scarcity 
of  last  season.  Along  the  borders  of  this  part  of  Red  river 
a  chain  of  low  hills  appears,  on  which  I  observed  large 
dislocated  masses  of  a  ferruginous  conglomerate,  inclined 
towards  the  river,  and  incumbent  on  the  usual  calcareous 
rock. 

These  people,  as  well  as  the  generality  of  those  who,  till 
lately,  inhabited  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa,  bear  the  worst 


222  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

moral  character  imaginable,  being  many  of  them  rene- 
gadoes  from  justice,  and  such  as  have  forfeited  the  esteem 
of  civilized  society.  When  a  further  flight  from  justice 
became  necessary,  they  passed  over  into  the  Spanish  ter- 
ritory, towards  St.  Antonio,  where  it  appears  encourage- 
ment was  given  to  all  sorts  of  refugees.  From  these  people 
we  frequently  heard  [160]  disrespectful  murmurs  against 
the  government  of  the  United  States.  There  is,  indeed, 
an  universal  complaint  of  showing  unnecessary  and  ill- 
timed  favours  to  the  Indians.  It  is  true  that  the  Osages 
and  Cherokees  have  been  permitted,  almost  without  moles- 
tation, to  rob  the  people  on  this  river,  not  only  of  their 
horses  and  cattle,  but  even  occasionally  of  their  household 
furniture.  It  does  not  appear  from  experiment,  that  the 
expensive  forts,  now  established  and  still  extending,  pos- 
sess any  beneficial  influence  over  the  savages  which  could 
not  be  answered  by  the  interference  of  the  territorial  gov- 
ernment. 

It  is  now  also  the  intention  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment, to  bring  together,  as  much  as  possible,  the  savages 
beyond  the  frontier,  and  thus  to  render  them,  in  aU  proba- 
bility, belligerent  to  each  other,  and  to  the  civilized  settle- 
ments which  they  border.  To  strengthen  the  hands  of 
an  enemy  by  conceding  to  them  positions  favourable  to 
their  designs,  must  certainly  be  far  removed  from  prudence 
and  good  policy.  To  have  left  the  aborigines  on  their 
ancient  sites,  rendered  venerable  by  the  endearments  and 
attachments  of  patriotism,  and  surrounded  by  a  condensed 
population  of  the  whites,  must  either  have  held  out  to  them 
the  necessity  of  adopting  civilization,  or  at  all  events  have 
most  effectually  checked  them  from  committing  depreda- 
tions. Bridled  by  this  restraint,  there  would  have  been 
no  necessity  for  establishing  among  them  an  expensive 
military  agency,  and  coercing  them  by  terror. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  223 

14th.]  According  to  our  appointment,  my  traveling 
companions  called  upon  me,  and,  although  about  the 
middle  of  a  Sunday  afternoon,  it  was  not  possible  to  per- 
suade them  to  wait  for  Monday  morning.  So,  without 
almost  any  supply  of  provision,  I  was  obliged  to  take  a 
hasty  departure  from  my  kind  host  and  family,  who, 
knowing  from  the  first  my  destitute  situation,  separated 
from  pecuniary  resources,  could  [161]  scarcely  be  pre- 
vailed upon  to  accept  the  trifling  pittance  which  I  acci- 
dentally possessed.  I  shall  always  remember,  with  feel- 
ings of  gratitude,  the  sincere  kindness  and  unfeigned  hos- 
pitality, which  I  so  seasonably  experienced  from  these 
poor  and  honest  people,  when  left  in  the  midst  of  the  wil- 
derness. 

The  evening  was  pleasant,  and,  after  proceeding  about 
eight  miles  through  oak  thickets  in  a  path  of  the  hunters, 
we  reposed  without  further  trouble  by  a  brook,  beneath 
the  shade  of  the  forest,  and  under  the  serene  canopy  of  a 
cloudless  sky. 

15th.]  My  companions,  three  in  number,  appeared  to 
be  men  of  diligence  and  industry,  and  were  up  by  break 
of  day.  The  object  of  their  journey  was  the  recovery  of 
horses  stolen  from  them  by  the  Cherokees.  After  pro- 
ceeding about  six  miles  from  the  place  of  departure,  the 
trace  or  path  could  no  longer  easily  be  followed,  as  we 
now  began  to  enter  upon  the  pine  hills  scattered  with  loose 
rocks.  Our  first  object  was  to  have  entered  Field's  cove; 
we  got,  however,  too  far  to  the  east,  and  crossed  a  consid- 
erable brook  of  the  Kiamesha.  All  ignorant  of  the  coun- 
try, except  myself,  we  had  taken  the  precaution  to  mark 
down  the  reported  bearings  and  distances,  from  the  infor- 
mation of  Mr.  Styles.  Our  proper  course  was  now  north- 
north-east,  but  the  man  who  took  the  lead,  embarrassed 
by  the  accumulation  of  the  mountains,  which  appeared 


2  24  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

in  succeeding  ridges  for  40  miles  before  us,  and  too  conj5- 
dently  considering  the  proposed  route  impracticable,  kept 
towards  the  west  in  direct  opposition  to  our  proper  course, 
so  that  on  the  i6th,  about  noon,  we  obtained  sight  of 
Field's  cove,  which  we  ought  now  to  have  left,  and  cross- 
ing the  Kiamesha,  much  too  low  down,  found  it  running 
nearly  due  west,  and  very  low.  Our  labour  and  distance 
was  thus  doubled,  and  we  passed  and  repassed  several 
terrific  ridges,  over  which  our  horses  could  scarcely  keep 
their  feet,  and  which  were,  [162]  besides,  so  overgrown 
with  bushes  and  trees  half-burnt,  with  ragged  limbs,  that 
every  thing  about  us,  not  of  leather,  was  lashed  and  torn 
to  pieces.  We  now  relinquished  the  mountains,  and  kept 
up  along  the  banks  of  the  Kiamesha,  by  a  bison  path, 
frequently  crossing  the  river,  which  was  almost  uniformly 
bordered  by  mountains  or  inaccessible  cliffs.  Having 
killed  a  fat  bison  bull,  we  encamped  at  an  early  hour  in 
a  small  prairie,  in  order  to  jerk  or  dry  some  of  the  beef 
for  our  future  subsistence,  it  being  now  all  the  provision  on 
which  we  had  to  depend. 

All  the  rock  we  saw  since  our  departure  from  Mr. 
Styles,'  consisted  of  a  fine-grained  sandstone,  with  no 
inconsiderable  dip,  and,  as  far  as  visible,  destitute  of 
organic  remains. 

In  a  lake,  about  a  mile  from  the  Kiamesha,  where  we 
crossed  it  at  noon,  grew  the  Pontederia  cordata,  Nymphcea 
advena,  Brassenia  peltata,  and  Myriophyllum  verticil- 
latum,  all  of  them  plants  which  I  had  not  before  seen  in 
the  territory,  and  which  I  have  found  chiefly  confined  to 
the  limits  of  tide  water.  In  a  northern  bend  of  the  Kia- 
mesha, about  30  miles  from  its  mouth,  I  am  informed, 
there  exists  a  very  copious  salt  spring. 

17th.]  We  still  continued  up  the  Kiamesha,  over  pine 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  225 

hills,  and  through  a  succession  of  horrid,  labyrinthine 
thickets  and  cane-brakes,  meeting,  to  our  disappoint- 
ment, very  little  prairie.  At  length,  we  arrived  at  the 
three  main  branches  of  the  river:  Jack's  creek  to  the  south, 
Kiamesha  to  the  east,  and  a  third  rivulet  to  the  north.  To 
the  entrance  of  Jack's  fork,  as  it  is  called,  the  Kiamesha 
continues  hemmed  in  with  lofty  pine  hills.  From  hence 
the  mountains  diverge;  the  highest  chain  still  continuing 
on  one  side  to  border  the  main  stream,  while,  to  the  north, 
we  came  in  sight  of  the  "Potatoe  hills."  In  this  exten- 
sive cove,  covered  with  grass,  and  mostly  a  prairie  of 
undulated  surface,  I  had  the  satisfaction  to  find,  as  I  [163] 
had  also  done  at  noon,  the  Ixia  coelestina  of  my  venerable 
friend,  Wm.  Bartram.  Instead  of  sandstone,  we  now 
found  a  predominance  of  slaty  petrosiliceous  rock  break- 
ing in  rhombic  fragments,  nearly  of  the  same  nature  as 
the  hone-slate  of  the  Washita,  and  alike  destitute  of  organic 
reliquiae. 

1 8th.]  We  continued  across  the  great  cove  of  the  Kia- 
mesha, towards  the  dividing  ridge  of  mountains  which 
separates  the  waters  of  the  Arkansa  and  Red  river,  and 
which  had  been  visible  to  us  on  the  very  day  after  our  de- 
parture. We  now  kept  a  course  rather  too  much  south 
of  east,  and  encamped  on  the  banks  of  a  creek  that  ap- 
peared to  issue  from  a  conspicuous  gap  in  the  mountains. 
The  prairie,  though  in  many  places  open  and  hilly, 
was  still  divided  by  small  torrents,  now  generally  dry,  and 
lined  with  thickets,  laced  with  thorns  and  green  briers. 
Towards  the  middle  of  this  fertile  cove,  we  passed  over  a 
large  tract  formed  like  a  lake,  and,  except  a  southern  out- 
let towards  the  Kiamesha,  surrounded  with  low  hills. 
In  one  of  these  rich  alluvial  bottoms,  we  saw  abundance 
of  tumuli.     On  the  hills  of  the  prairies  of  Red  river,  I 


226  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

also  saw  them  of  stone,  and  containing,  according  to 
custom,  fragments  of  earthen  pots.  All  the  hills  in  this 
cove,  which  abound  with  pine,  present  slaty  rocks  of  the 
petrosilex  already  mentioned,  apparently  forming  partial 
beds,  alternating  with  a  soft  slaty  or  shale  rock,  which 
occasionally  exhibits  balls  of  argillaceous  iron  ore,  and  the 
fibrous  mineral  production  which  has  been  called  cone 
coralloid/^^ 

To-day  we  came  very  near  losing  our  horses,  for,  while 
reposing  at  noon,  though  as  usual  hobbled,  the  torments 
of  the  large  flies  which  appear  at  this  time  of  the  day  and 
in  the  evening,  became  so  extreme,  as  to  excite  them  to 
run  away,  and  with  some  difficulty  we  traced  them  for 
five  or  six  miles,  through  woods  and  prairies,  to  the  banks 
of  the  Kiamesha,  into  which  [164]  they  had  rushed  for 
alleviation.  We  here  also  found,  by  the  bell,  a  horse 
which  had  been  lost  by  some  hunters.  In  consequence 
of  this  unexpected  delay,  we  did  not  proceed  more  than 
about  20  miles. 

19th.]  We  continued  across  the  cove  towards  the  moun- 
tains, and  began  the  ascent,  but  totally  missing  the  gap, 
arrived  at  length,  with  much  difficulty,  upon  one  of  the 
highest  summits  of  the  dividing  ridge.  Towards  the 
Pottoe,  the  descent  was  altogether  impracticable :  for  miles 
we  could  perceive  nothing  but  one  continued  precipice  of 
the  most  frightful  elevation.  After  proceeding,  however, 
with  difficulty  for  about  three  miles  along  the  summit  of 
the  mountain,  high  as  any  part  of  the  Blue  ridge,  through 
thickets  of  dwarf  oaks  (Quercus  chinquapin,  Q.  montana, 
and  Q.  alba),  none  of  them  scarcely  exceeding  the  height 
of  a  man;  we  began  the  descent,  which  we  still  found  ex- 
tremely steep  and  broken,  and,  after  toiling  four  or  five 

*^  See  Martyn's  Petrificata  Derbyensia,  Tab.  27.  fig.  4. —  Nuttall. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  227 

hours  in  the  mountains,  had,  at  last,  the  unexpected  satis- 
faction of  entering  upon,  and  pursuing  the  wagon  trace, 
so  recently  trod  by  the  major's  party.  We  now  clearly 
saw,  a  little  to  the  north-west,  the  right  gap  of  the  moun- 
tain which  we  ought  to  have  sought. 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  we  passed  over  three  pine 
ridges,  and  two  creeks,  and  then  re-entering  the  prairie, 
proceeded  before  night  about  ten  miles  from  the  moun- 
tain, which,  as  well  as  the  lesser  ridges,  consisted  of  sand- 
stone. 

20th.]  This  morning  we  passed  the  Pottoe,  and  pro- 
ceeded along  the  trace,  some  distance  beyond  the  Sugar- 
loaf  mountain.  The  prairies  were  now  horribly  infested 
with  cleg  flies,  which  tormented  and  stimulated  our 
horses  into  a  perpetual  gallop.  In  the  evening,  we  en- 
camped in  the  valley  of  the  third  oak  ridge  that  separated 
us  from  Cedar  prairie. 

2 1  St.]  Passing  the  fourth  ridge,  I  again  entered  Cedar 
prairie,  and  before  noon  arrived  at  the  garrison,  [165] 
where  I  had  been  long  expected,  and  was  very  cordially 
welcomed  by  the  Doctor  and  the  Major. 

To  the  end  of  the  month,  I  now  remained  at  the  gar- 
rison. 


CHAPTER  X 

Continue  my  voyage  up  the  Arkansa  —  Geological  re- 
marks —  Pass  several  lesser  rivulets,  and  the  outlet  of 
the  Canadian  and  the  Illinois  —  Salt  springs  —  Ob- 
structions in  the  navigation  —  Indications  of  coal  — 
Pass  Grand  river,  and  enter  the  Verdigris. 

July  6th.]  Having  obtained  accommodation  in  the  boat 
of  Mr.  Bougie,  agent  for  Mr.  Drope,  I  left  the  garrison  in 
order  to  proceed  to  the  trading  establishment,  at  the  con- 


2  28  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

fluence  of  the  Verdigris,  by  the  course  of  the  river  about 
130  miles  distant."^  The  day  being  very  warm  we  did 
not  proceed  more  than  10  miles,  having  delayed  our  de- 
parture until  near  noon.  Eight  miles  from  the  garrison 
we  had  another  conspicuous  view  of  the  Cavaniol. 

Among  three  or  four  other  new  plants  afforded  me  by 
examining  the  sand-beaches,  was  a  Portulaca,  apparently 
the  same  with  P.  pilosaoi  the  West  Indies;  its  taste  was 
almost  as  disagreeably  bitter  as  the  succulent  Stapelias  of 
Africa.  On  these  sand-flats  we  also  saw  abundance  of  deer, 
brought  to  the  river  in  search  of  water,  as  well  as  to  escape 
the  goading  of  insects;  and  it  is  customary  for  them  to 
remain  for  hours  licking  the  saline  efflorescences  which 
are  deposited  upon  the  alluvial  clay.  We  encamped  four 
miles  below  Skin  bayou,  and  our  party  amused  themselves 
by  searching  for  turtle's  eggs,  which  the  females  deposit 
in  the  sand  at  the  depth  of  about  eight  or  ten  inches,  and 
then  abandon  their  hatching  to  the  genial  [166]  heat  of 
the  sun.  They  are  spherical,  covered  with  a  flexible  skin, 
and  considered  wholesome  food. 

7th.]  The  river  land  on  both  sides  appears  to  be  of  a 
good  quality,  and  generally  elevated  above  inundation. 
The  depression  of  the  forest  also  begins  to  be  obvious. 
About  half  a  league  below  Skin  bayou  occur  low  cliffs  of 
dark-coloured  grauwacke  slate,  resembling  sand-stone, 
which  continue  for  about  a  mile  along  the  right  hand  bank. 
The  rock  is  entirely  similar  to  that  of  the  garrison  (or 
Belle  Point,  as  the  situation  is  called),  equaUy  horizontal, 
and  probably  underlaid  by  coal.  The  under  stratum  was 
singularly  undulated  in  short  and  broken  waves,  while  the 
upper  was  almost  perfectly  horizontal.     Not  far  from  the 

**•  Disregarding  the  river's  windings,  the  Verdigris  is  only  sixty  miles  above 
Fort  Smith. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  229 

place  of  our  encampment,  on  the  left,  we  passed  the  Swal- 
low (or  Hirundel),  rocks,  a  projecting  cliff,  about  150  feet 
high,  adorned  with  bushes  of  cedar,  in  the  centre  of  which 
there  appears  to  be  an  entrance  into  a  cavern,  and  several 
other  fretted  excavations  scattered  over  with  clusters  of 
martin  nests.  The  rock  consists  of  two  beds;  the  upper  a 
lighter  coloured  ferruginous  and  laminated  sand-stone,  ex- 
cavated with  appearances  similar  to  nitre  caves;  the  lowest 
bed,  with  a  more  considerable  dip  (about  10°  to  the  south- 
east), consists  of  thinner  greenish  grey  lamina,  containing 
a  little  mica,  and  exhibiting  the  usual  zoophytic  carbon- 
aceous impressions,  indicative  of  coal.  The  river  bars 
now  abound  in  gravel,  which  is  principally  petrosiliceous. 
After  passing  Cajou  creek,  on  the  left,  about  two  miles, 
we  encamped  near  a  bar,  to  avoid  the  visits  of  the  mus- 
quetoes,  our  progress  to-day  being  about  24  miles. 

8th.]  Four  miles  further  we  again  obtained  a  view  of 
Point  de  Sucre  and  the  Cavaniol.  On  Sambo  island, 
about  12  miles  from  our  departure  this  morning,  we 
stopped  to  dine;  and  here  on  a  bar  of  gravel  I  found  a  new 
species  of  the  Mexican  genus  Stevia,  and  never  saw  it 
afterwards  in  any  other  locality.  To  [167]  the  taste  it  was 
quite  as  bitter  as  many  of  the  Eupatoria.  This  plant,  and 
the  Portulaca  already  mentioned,  appear  to  have  been 
recently,  and  almost  accidentally,  disseminated  from  the 
interior.  The  cane  still  continues  abundant,  and  the 
alluvial  lands  are  extensive  and  fertile,  with  a  basis  of 
sand-stone,  which  two  miles  below  appears  in  the  same 
dark  and  ferruginous  rocky  mass  as  near  Skin  bayou. 
On  some  of  our  party  going  out  a  hunting,  we  concluded 
to  spend  the  remainder  of  the  day  on  the  island. 

9th.]  This  morning  we  crossed  the  river  to  the  mouth  of 
Sambo  creek,  and  went  out  into  the  neighbouring  prairie 


230  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

to  hunt  for  bison;  but  after  walking  about  nine  miles, 
going  and  returning,  were  not  fortunate  enough  to  find 
any  game.  The  grass  was  now  so  loaded  with  honey  dew 
as  to  give  our  mocasins  and  pantaloons  the  appearance 
of  being  soaked  in  oil,  seeming  totally  inexplicable  as  the 
produce  of  aphides,  and  rather  attributable  to  some  vitia- 
tion in  the  proper  juices  of  the  plant,  taking  place  appar- 
ently at  the  ultimate  period  of  vegetative  vigour,  and  being 
more  or  less  copious  in  proportion  to  the  prevailing  degree 
of  heat.  The  cane  brake  which  we  here  crossed  by  a 
hunting  path,  was  about  half  a  league  wide,  and  flanked 
by  low  hills,  whose  declivities  gently  subside  into  the  ad- 
joining prairie,  of  about  20  miles  in  circuit,  and  five  in 
width.  Here  the  Cavaniol  and  Sugar-loaf  mountains 
appeared,  at  least  the  latter,  not  more  than  15  or  18  miles 
distant,  towards  the  south-east.  We  proceeded  about 
five  miles  above^the  creek,  and  spent  the  night  on  the 
margin  of  a  sand  bar,  according  to  our  usual  custom,  to 
avoid  the  musquetoes. 

loth.]  I  went  out  this  morning  on  the  second  bar  we 
arrived  at,  which  continued  uninterruptedly  for  about  five 
miles;  we  found  a  few  Chicasaw  plumbs,  with  natural 
orchards  of  which  every  beach  abounds,  but  this  year,  in 
consequence  of  the  late  frosts,  they  were  generally  desti- 
tute of  fruit.  The  current  of  the  [168]  Arkansa  was  here 
unusually  rapid;  on  the  right  hand  side  the  water  was 
clear,  but  on  the  left,  red  and  muddy.  The  clear  water 
issued  from  the  Illinois  river,  to  which  we  were  now  con- 
tiguous. Among  the  scattered  boulders  and  gravel  of  the 
bar,  there  were  fragments  of  limestone  and  petrosilex, 
containing  organic  remains,  also  pebbles  of  chalcedony; 
we  likewise  saw  specimens  of  coal,  accompanied  by  the 
usual  carbonaceous,   tessellated   vegetable,   or  zoophitic 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  231 

remains.  One  of  the  masses  of  chalcedony  contained 
chrystalline  ilKnitions  of  coal. —  About  breakfast  time,  we 
passed  the  mouth  of  the  rivulet  or  brook,  called  by  the 
French  Salaiseau,*"  from  some  hunters  havmg  here  killed 
a  quantity  of  bison,  and  salted  the  beef  for  traffic.  Major 
Bradford,  who  explored  this  stream,  informed  me,  that 
the  uplands  as  well  as  the  prairies  along  this  creek,  were 
uncommonly  fertile,  and  well  watered  by  springs,  and  that 
the  upper  side  of  the  creek  presents  a  calcareous  soil. 
Here,  for  the  first  time,  near  the  Arkansa,  we  meet  with 
the  hazel  {Corylus  americana),  and  the  American  rasp- 
berry (Rubus  occidentalis).  In  consequence  of  the  rapidity 
of  the  current,  we  only  proceeded  about  12  miles. 

nth.]  After  ascending  about  six  miles,  we  passed  the 
outlet  of  the  Canadian,^®*  60  miles  below  the  confluence 
of  Grand  river,  or  the  Six  Bull,  a  navigable  river  of  consid- 
erable magnitude.  Its  main  south  branch  sources  with 
Red  river,  while  another  considerable  body  keeps  a  western 
course  through  the  saline  plains,  where  it  becomes  par- 
tially absorbed  in  the  sands  of  the  desert,  but  afterwards 
continues  towards  Santa  Fe  or  the  Del  Norte.  The  Cana- 
dian, like  Red  river,  always  continues  red  and  muddy,  and 
is  often  impotably  saline;  100  miles  from  its  mouth,  its 
banks  are  said  to  abound  with  selenite,  disseminated 
through  beds  of  red  clay.  Above  the  confluence  of  this 
stream,  the  Arkansa,  where  deep,  appears  clear,  green, 
[169]  and  limpid.     The  alluvial  lands  now  begin  to  be 


'*'  Salaison  (meaning  "salt  meat"),  is  the  correct  French  orthography.  On 
modem  maps  the  name  is  spelled  Sallison,  and  SalUsaw. —  Ed. 

'*'  The  Canadian  is  the  chief  tributary  of  the  Arkansas,  and  was  long  con- 
fused with  the  Red.  In  1820  Major  S.  H.  Long  (see  our  volumes  xiv-xvii), 
mistaking  it  for  the  Red,  followed  the  Canadian  from  its  source  until  near  its 
confluence  with  the  Arkansas.  The  name  is  a  corruption  of  Rio  Canada, 
given  to  the  stream  because  its  upper  waters  flow  through  canons. —  Ed. 


232  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

somewhat  narrower,  though  neither  hills  nor  cliffs  ap- 
proach the  bank.  This  morning,  however,  we  again 
observed  a  horizontal  ledge  of  the  grauwacke  slate. 
About  four  miles  above  the  Canadian,  we  passed  the  river 
Illinois, ^^*  on  the  right,  a  considerable  stream  of  clear 
water,  as  are  all  the  other  rivers  flowing  into  the  Arkansa 
from  the  north.  A  few  mUes  from  its  mouth,  its  banks 
present  salt  springs  similar  to  those  of  Grand  river,  and 
scarcely  less  productive;  indeed,  most  of  the  streams  on 
this  side  the  Arkansa  are  said  to  afford  springs  of  salt 
water  which  might  be  wrought  with  profit.  On  the  south 
side,  the  salines  commencing  about  the  Canadian,  occur 
in  the  red  clay  formation,  forming  as  it  were  a  belt  which 
extends  to  the  third  Red  fork,  or  saline  rivulet  of  the  Ar- 
kansa. The  salines  on  the  north,  appear  rather  in  con- 
nection with  the  coal  formation,  at  least,  they  do  not  be- 
long to  the  same  series  as  those  on  the  south  side  of  the 
river. 

This  afternoon,  two  of  the  hunters  went  out  and  brought 
in  the  most  part  of  the  meat  of  a  fat  bison,  whose  track 
they  had  followed  from  the  bar. 

About  four  miles  above  the  Illinois,  we  came  to  a 
cascade  of  two  or  three  feet  perpendicular  fall.  In  en- 
deavouring to  pass  it,  our  boat  grounded  upon  the  rocks, 
and  we  spent  several  hours  in  the  fruitless  attempt  to 
pass  them,  but  had  at  last  to  fall  back,  and  attempt  it 
again  in  the  morning,  which  we  then  (on  the  13th)  effected 
by  the  assistance  of  the  wind  without  much  difficulty,  by 
passing  further  into  the  shute.  At  this  season,  in  which 
the  water  is  far  from  being  at  its  lowest  ebb,  no  boats 


"•  This  is  the  second  tributary  of  the  Arkansas  bearing  the  name  IlHnois. 
The  first  debouches  opposite  Dardanelle  (see  ante,  p.  177).  The  second  rises  in 
northwestern  Arkansas,  but  most  of  its  course  is  in  Indian  Territory. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  233 

drawing  more  than  from  12  to  18  inches  water,  could  pass 
this  rapid  without  lightening,  and  it  appears  to  form  one 
of  the  first  obstacles  of  consequence  in  the  navigation  of 
the  Arkansa.^*" 

The  variety  of  trees  which  commonly  form  the  North 
American  forest,  here  begin  very  sensibly  to  [170]  diminish. 
We  now  scarcely  see  any  other  than  the  smooth-barked 
Cottonwood,  the  elm,  box-elder  {Acer  Negundo),  curled 
maple  {Acer  dasycarpon),  and  ash,  all  of  them  reduced  in 
stature.  From  hence  the  forest  begins  to  disappear  be- 
fore the  pervading  plain.  To-day  we  were  favoured  with 
a  fine  south-east  breeze,  and  sailed  along  with  rapidity. 
Early  in  the  afternoon  we  passed  Bougie's  island,  near  to 
which,  and  in  two  other  places,  the  hills,  of  about  300  feet 
elevation,  approach  the  river;  the  rocks  being  still  a  slaty 
sandstone.  Elk  and  deer  now  appeared  common  on  the 
sand  beaches,  being  obliged  to  come  to  the  river  for  water, 
as  the  springs  in  the  prairies  are  at  this  season  nearly  all 
dried  up.  We  continued  to  pass  several  rapids,  with  the 
water  curling  over  beds  of  gravel.  According  to  the  com- 
mon estimate,  we  proceeded  to-day  45  miles,  and  in  the 
evening  were  only  two  leagues  from  our  destination. 

14th.]  This  morning  we  passed  a  low  ledge  of  rocks  on 
our  left,  apparently  the  usual  dark-coloured  slaty  sand- 
stone, and  which  has  received  the  name  of  the  Charbon- 
niere,"^  from  the  appearances  of  coal  which  it  exhibits. 
On  this  side,  the  prairie  approaches  the  immediate  bank 
of  the  river,  and  presents  a  very  unusual  open  prospect. 
We  again  passed  three  or  four  difiicult  rapids,  within  the 


180  This  cascade  is  known  as  Webber's  Falls.  Near  this  spot  Samuel  Hous- 
ton kept  a  store  ten  years  later  than  the  date  of  our  narrative. —  Ed. 

"*  Charbonniere  means  coal-bearing,  and  was  frequently  applied  by  the 
French  to  natvu-al  objects  in  carboniferous  regions.     See  ante,  note  156. —  Ed. 


2  34  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

short  distance  which  remained  to  complete  our  present 
voyage,  but  presently  after  saw  the  outlet  of  Grand  river/ ''^ 
(or  the  Six  Bulls  as  it  is  called  by  the  French  hunters),  and 
now  entered  the  Verdigris,^^^  where  M.  Bougie  and  Mr. 
Prior  had  their  trading  houses.  The  water  of  both  these 
rivers  was  quite  pellucid;  while  that  of  the  Arkansa  was 
now  whitish  and  muddy,  from  the  partial  influx  and  aug- 
mentation of  some  neighbouring  streams. 

[171]    CHAPTER  XI 

Character  of  the  surrounding  country  of  the  Verdigris 
river  —  Remarks  on  the  Osage  Indians 

14TH.]  This  morning,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Prior,  I 
walked  over  a  portion  of  the  alluvial  land  of  the  Verdigris, 
the  fertility  of  which  was  sufficiently  obvious  in  the  disa- 
greeable and  smothering  luxuriance  of  the  tall  weeds,  with 
which  it  was  overrun.  This  neck  of  land,  situated  betwixt 
Grand  river  and  the  Verdigris,  is  about  two  miles  wide, 
free  from  inundation,  and  covered  with  larger  trees  than 
any  other  I  had  seen  since  leaving  Port  Smith.  Among 
them  were  lofty  scarlet  oaks,  ash,  and  hackberry,  and 
whole  acres  of  nettles  {Urtica  divaricata),  with  whose 
property  of  affording  hemp,  the  French  hunters  and  set- 
tlers have  been  long  acquainted.  Contiguous  to  the 
lower  side  of  Grand  river,  there  was  a  thick  cane-brake, 
more  than  two  miles  in  width,  backed  by  the  prairie,  with- 
out the  intervention  of  hills.  As  is  common  in  large  allu- 
vions, so  in  this  of  the  Verdigris,  a  second  terrace  or  more 

^*^  The  Grand,  or  Neosho,  River,  enters  the  Arkansas  from  the  north  at 
the  point  where  the  Cherokee-Creek  boundary  crosses  the  Arkansas.  Near  its 
mouth  Fort  Gibson  was  later  built. —  Ed. 

"^  The  Verdigris  River  debouches  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  the  mouth 
of  the  Neosho. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nut  tail's  'Journal  235 

elevated  bottom  succeeds  the  first,  beyond  which,  occur 
thinly  timbered  hills.  We  then  enter  upon  the  great  west- 
em  prairies,  or  grassy  plains,  separated  from  each  other 
by  small  rivulets,  exhibiting  belts  of  trees  along  their  mar- 
gin. About  eight  miles  from  the  Arkansa,  commences 
the  great  Osage  prairie,  more  than  60  miles  in  length,  and, 
in  fact,  succeeded  by  a  continuation  of  woodless  plains  to 
the  banks  of  the  Missouri.  Mr.  Prior  informed  me,  that 
in  the  first  hills  below,  not  far  from  the  Arkansa,  on  the 
east  side,  and  about  six  miles  distant,  there  is  calcareous 
rock.  On  entering  the  prairie,  I  was  greatly  disappointed 
to  find  no  change  in  the  vegetation,  and  indeed,  rather  a 
diminution  of  species.  The  Amorpha  canescens,  which  I 
had  not  heretofore  [172]  seen,  since  leaving  St.  Louis  and 
the  Missouri,  and  a  new  species  of  Helianthus,  however, 
instantly  struck  me  as  novel. 

Leaving  the  path  to  the  Osage  village,  we  visited  the 
rapids  of  the  Verdigris,  which  are  situated  five  miles  above 
its  embouchure.  This  obstruction  is  occasioned  by  a  ledge 
of  rocks,  which  traverse  the  river,  now  bare,  except  about 
three  or  four  yards,  over  which  the  water  foamed  in  a  small 
cascade.  The  stream  was  quite  pellucid,  and  along  the 
ledge  we  saw  great  numbers  of  buffaloe-fish,  as  well  as 
gars  {Esox  osseus),  accompanied  by  several  other  smaller 
kinds.  While  viewing  the  surrounding  objects,  my  atten- 
tion was  attracted  to  a  beautiful  green-striped  lizard, 
resembling,  except  in  the  colour  and  larger  size,  the  La- 
certa  vittata. 

If  the  confluence  of  the  Verdigris,  Arkansa,  and  Grand 
rivers,  shall  ever  become  of  importance  as  a  settlement, 
which  the  great  and  irresistible  tide  of  western  emigration 
promises,  a  town  will  probably  be  founded  here,  at  the 
junction  of  these  streams;  and  this  obstruction  in  the  navi- 


236  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

gation  of  the  Verdigris,  as  well  as  the  rapids  of  Grand 
river,  will  afford  good  and  convenient  situations  for  mills, 
a  matter  of  no  small  importance  in  the  list  of  civilized  com- 
forts. From  the  Verdigris  to  St.  Louis,  there  is  an  Osage 
trace,  which  reduces  the  distance  of  those  two  places  to 
about  300  miles,  and  that  also  over  a  country  scarcely 
obstructed  by  mountains.  The  low  hills  contiguous  to 
the  falls  of  this  river,  and  on  which  there  exist  several 
aboriginal  mounds,  were  chosen  by  the  Cherokees  and 
Osages  to  hold  their  council,  and  to  form  a  treaty  of  recip- 
rocal amity  as  neighbours.  This  first  friendly  interview 
with  the  Cherokees,  was  soon  after  broke  through  by  jeal- 
ousy, and  accompanied  on  both  sides  with  the  most  bar- 
barous revenge.  Scarcely  any  nation  of  Indians  have 
encountered  more  enemies  than  the  Osages;  still  they 
flatter  themselves,  by  [173]  saying,  that  they  are  seated  in 
the  middle  of  the  world,  and,  although  surrounded  by  so 
many  enemies,  they  have  ever  maintained  their  usual  pop- 
ulation, and  their  country.  From  conversations  with  the 
traders,  it  appeared,  that  they  would  not  be  unwilling  to 
dispose  of  more  of  their  lands,  provided  that  the  govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  would  enter  into  a  stipulation, 
not  to  settle  it  with  the  aborigines,  whom  they  have  now 
much  greater  reason  to  fear  than  the  whites.  The  limit 
of  their  last  cession  proceeds  in  a  north-east  direction  from 
the  falls  of  the  Verdigris,  and  enters  the  line  which  was 
run  from  Fire  prairie,  on  the  Missouri,  to  Frog  bayou, 
about  60  miles  from  the  Arkansa ;  but,  as  it  would  appear, 
through  a  culpable  oversight,  the  saline  of  Grand  river  was 
omitted,  on  the  supply  of  which  the  whole  territory  so 
much  depended  for  salt. 

Limestone  appears  to  exist  along  the  banks  of  the  Verdi- 
gris, not  many  miles  above  the  falls,  as  large  rolled  frag- 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  237 

ments  charged  with  shells  were  scattered  along  the  shores. 
The  slaty  sandstone,  also,  which  forms  the  falls,  dipping 
about  10°  to  the  north-west,  exhibits,  in  some  of  its  beds, 
organic  impressions,  resembling  a  very  serpentine  cary- 
ophyllite,  and  traversed  with  calcareous  sparry  illinitions. 
15th.]  The  first  village  of  the  Osages  lies  about  60  miles 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Verdigris,  and  is  said  to  contain 
7  or  800  men  and  their  families.  About  60  miles  further, 
on  the  Osage  river,  is  situated  the  village  of  the  chief 
called  White  Hair.'"''  The  whole  of  the  Osages  are  now, 
by  governor  Clarke,  enumerated  at  about  8000  souls.  At 
this  time  nearly  the  whole  town,  men  and  women,  were 
engaged  in  their  summer  hunt,  collecting  bison  tallow  and 
meat.  The  principal  chief  is  called  by  the  French  Clar- 
mont,*"^  although  his  proper  name  is  the  Iron  bird,  a 
species  of  Eagle.  The  right  of  governing  is  commonly 
hereditary,  but  not  always  directed  by  primogeniture. 
[174]  Talai,  the  son  of  the  last  chief,  being  considered 
too  young  at  the  decease  of  his  father,  the  rule  was  con- 
ferred on  Clarmont,  son  of  the  chief  of  White  Hair's  vil- 
lage, on  the  Osage  river,  and  his  behaviour  as  regent  for 
many  years,  secured  to  him  the  undivided  controul  of 


"*  White  Hair  was  also  known  by  the  French  equivalent,  Cheveux  Blancs, 
or  as  Pahuska.  He  had  gained  power  throughjthe  support  of  Pierre  Chouteau, 
a  prominent  St.  Louis  trader  who  had  encouraged  factional  divisions  among  the 
Osage,  several  years  previous  to  the  time  of  our  narrative,  in  order  to  break  the 
monopoly  of  their  trade,  which  had  been  purchased  by  Manuel  Lisa,  a  rival 
St.  Louis  operator. —  Ed. 

***  Clarmont  (Clermont)  had  been  tribal  leader  for  some  time.  Lieutenant 
James  Biddle  Wilkinson,  who  visited  the  Verdigris  village  in  1807,  while  explor- 
ing the  Arkansas  River  under  orders  from  General  Zebulon  M.  Pike,  reported 
that  "Clermont,  or  the  Builder  of  Towns,"  was  the  most  influential  man  of  the 
nation,  and  that  his  hereditary  right  to  rule  the  Grand  Osage  had  been  usurped 
during  his  infancy  by  White  Hair.  If  this  be  true,  Clermont  was  but  regaining 
his  rights  when  he  supplanted  Talai.  Clermont  was  said  to  possess  four  wives 
and  thirty-seven  children. —  Ed. 


238  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

the  village.  Like  most  of  the  rulers  among  the  aborigi- 
nes, he  neither  afifects  nor  supports  any  shadow  of  pomp 
or  distinction  beyond  that  of  his  office  as  supreme  com- 
mander, and  leader  of  the  council.  His  influence  is,  how- 
ever, so  great  as  to  be  prudentially  courted  by  all  who 
would  obtain  any  object  with  the  village.  He  appeared 
to  be  shrewd  and  sagacious,  and  no  way  deficient  in 
Indian  bravery  and  cunning. 

The  Osages  at  this  time  entertained  a  considerable 
jealousy  of  the  whites,  in  consequence  of  the  emigration  of 
the  Cherokees  to  their  frontiers;  they  considered  it  as  a 
step  of  policy  in  the  government  to  overawe  them,  and  in- 
tended to  act  in  concert  with  the  establishment  of  the  gar- 
rison. This  consideration,  as  well  as  the  power  and  wealth 
of  the  whites,  which  have  been  witnessed  by  their  chiefs 
on  their  deputation  to  Washington,  has,  within  these  two 
years  back,  had  a  salutary  tendency  to  restrain  their  pre- 
tensions. Still  the  white  hunters  and  trappers  are  fre- 
quently insulted  and  chastised  by  them.  And,  on  the 
other  hand,  we  have  surely  no  just  reason  to  expect  from 
the  Indians  an  unstipulated  licence  to  rob  their  country  of 
that  game,  which  is  necessary  to  their  convenience  and 
subsistence. 

From  the  Osage  interpreter,  of  whom  I  made  the  in- 
quiry, I  learned,  that,  in  common  with  many  other  Indians, 
as  might  be  supposed  from  their  wandering  habits  and 
exposure  to  the  elements,  they  are  not  unacquainted  with 
some  peculiar  characters  and  configurations  of  the  stars. 
Habitual  observation  had  taught  them  that  the  pole  star 
remains  stationary,  and  that  all  the  others  appear  to  re- 
volve around  it;  they  were  acquainted  [175]  with  the 
Pleiades,  for  which  they  had  a  peculiar  name,  and  re- 
marked the  three  stars  of  Orion's  belt.     The  planet  Venus 


i8i8-i82oJ  Nuttair s  Journal  239 

they  recognised  as  the  Lucifier  or  harbinger  of  day;  and, 
as  well  as  the  Europeans,  they  called  the  Galaxy  the  heav- 
enly path  or  celestial  road.  The  filling  and  waning  of 
the  moon  regulated  their  minor  periods  of  time,  and  the 
number  of  moons,  accompanied  by  the  concomitant  phe- 
nomena of  the  seasons,  pointed  out  the  natural  duration 
of  the  year. 

The  superstitions  of  the  Osages  differ  but  little  from 
those  which  have  so  often  been  described,  as  practised  by 
the  other  natives.  The  importance  of  smoking,  as  a  reli- 
gious ceremony,  is  such  as  to  be  often  accompanied  by  in- 
vocations for  every  aid  or  necessary  of  life.  Before  going 
out  to  war  they  raise  the  pipe  towards  heaven  or  the  sun,"* 
and  implore  the  assistance  of  the  Great  Spirit  to  favour 
them  in  their  reprisals,  in  the  stealing  of  horses,  and  the 
destruction  of  their  enemies,  &c.  &c.  They  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  value  of  wampum,  know  the  destruc- 
tive effects  of  guns  and  gunpowder,  and  the  fascinating, 
but  deleterious  qualities  of  spiritous  liquors.  Their 
minds  have  not  been  deluded  into  a  belief  in  sorcery, 
which,  from  its  supposed  fatality,  is  by  many  of  the  eastern 
Indians  punished  with  death.  At  their  festivals,  as 
among  most  of  the  other  natives,  the  warriors  recount 
their  actions  of  bravery,  and  number  them  by  throwing 
down  a  stick  upon  the  ground  for  every  exploit,  or  striking 
at  a  post  fixed  for  the  purpose.  On  such  occasions,  they 
sometimes  challenge  each  other  with  a  mutual  emulation, 
to  recount  a  like  number  of  warlike  deeds.  Yet  this 
ostentation  is  rarely  suffered  to  degenerate  into  insult  or 
envious  combat;  vulgarity  is  unknown  amongst  [176]  the 


'"  The  Naudowessies,  and,  as  we  are  told  by  La  Hontan,  the  Hurons, 
smoked  to  the  sun  and  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the  compass,  which,  according 
to  Sir  William  Jones,  is  the  characteristic  ritual  of  the  Tartars. —  Nuttall. 


240  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

aborigines  of  America;  and  the  crest-fallen  warrior,  super- 
ceded by  a  competitor,  only  seeks  an  equal  share  of  honour 
in  the  claims  of  patriotism,  in  the  wars  of  his  nation. 

After  scalping,  the  greatest  feat  of  the  Indian  warrior  is 
the  stealing  of  horses  from  the  enemy,  which  they  effect 
with  notorious  dexterity.  The  bad  effects,  which  may  be 
easily  anticipated  to  arise  from  this  thirst  for  martial  fame, 
is  a  perpetual  and  obstinate  continuance  of  war  upon  the 
slightest  pretext ;  to  which  may  also  be  added,  their  inability 
often,  or  unwillingness  to  distinguish  betwixt  public  and 
personal  wrong.  Instead  of  punishing  offenders  against 
the  peace,  and  thus  endeavouring  to  keep  up  a  good 
understanding  with  their  neighbours,  the  friends  of  the 
incendiary,  who  has  hurried  his  nation  into  war,  hearken 
perhaps  with  indulgence  to  his  misrepresentations,  and 
thus  too  often  effectually  prohibit  the  application  of  salu- 
tary punishment.  In  fact,  the  want  of  legal  restraint,  and 
of  an  efficient  government,  in  spite  of  all  our  admiration 
of  patriarchal  rule,  have  proved  the  ever  baneful  means 
of  aboriginal  depopulation.  It  is  this  anarchy  which  has 
so  often  prevented  their  common  union  against  the  en- 
croachment of  foreigners,  and  deprived  them,  in  a  great 
degree,  of  the  advantages  and  comforts  of  public  security 
and  civilization.  The  most  tyrannical  oligarchy,  as  we  have 
seen  in  the  example  of  the  Mexicans,  the  Peruvians,  and 
the  Natchez,  would  have  been  less  injurious  in  its  effects 
on  their  society,  than  this  paternal  form  of  government, 
which,  unfortunately,  however  natural  and  virtuous  in  its 
principle,  proves,  by  its  lenity,  insufficient  to  check  a 
vicious  populace. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalVs  'Journal  2/\.i 


[177]     CHAPTER  XII 

An  excursion  up  Grand  River  to  visit  the  Osage  salt  works 
—  Geological  observations  —  Return  across  the  prairie ; 
its  general  appearance  and  phenomena. 

17TH.]  To-day  I  proceeded  with  two  young  men  in  a 
canoe  up  Grand  river,  with  an  intention  of  visiting  the  salt 
works.  We  found  the  water  of  this  stream  very  clear,  and 
the  channel  little  inferior  in  breadth  to  some  parts  of  the 
Arkansa;  also  full  of  rapids,  and  now  so  shallow  as  to 
admit  of  no  vessel  drawing  more  than  1 2  inches  of  water. 
The  islands  are  very  numerous  and  small,  and  the  bars 
and  bends,  except  by  the  predominance  of  gravel,  resemble 
the  Arkansa  on  a  reduced  scale.  The  gravel  is  entirely 
composed  of  lime-stone  and  chert.  In  the  distance  of 
about  seven  miles  we  found  the  first  ridge  terminating  on 
the  borders  of  the  river  to  be  calcareous.  Below  this,  and 
about  two  or  three  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  the 
usual  dark-coloured  slaty  sandstone  prevails.  In  the 
course  of  the  day  we  killed  several  large  buffaloe  fish,  which 
are  very  abundant  in  all  the  shallow  and  gravelly  ripples, 
apparently  a  Cyprinus,  and  very  palatable  when  fried  in 
oil.  The  boney  gar  (Esox  osseus),  and  the  large  grey  cat- 
fish, are  also  sufficiently  common.  We  proceeded  about 
30  miles. 

i8th.]  The  morning  was  fine,  and  we  embarked  at  sun- 
rise. About  eight  o'clock  we  passed  a  bend  called  the 
Eagle's  nest,  a  mile  above  which,  and  its  island,  a  fasfade 
of  calcareous  rock  appears,  inlaid  with  beds  of  whitish 
hornstone.  WhUe  examining  these  cliffs,  I  recognised  as 
new,  a  large  shrub,  and  to  my  great  surprise  found  it  to  be 
a  simple-leaved  Rhus,  scarcely  distinct  from  the  R.  Coliniis 
of  the  south  of  Europe  and  of  our  gardens.     Hills  and 


242  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

cliffs,  but  [178]  partly  hid  in  woods,  were  now  of  frequent 
occurrence  along  the  river  bank.  The  neighbouring 
thickets  abounded  with  game,  amongst  which  two  bears 
made  their  appearance.  The  gravel  bars  were  almost  cov- 
ered with  Amsonia  salicijolia,  with  which  grew  also  the 
Sesbania  macrocarpa  of  Florida. 

This  evening  I  arrived  at  Mr.  Slover's,  two  miles  below 
the  saline.  The  farm  which  this  hunter  occupied  was 
finely  elevated  and  productive,  and  apparently  well  suited 
to  the  production  of  small  grain.  Up  to  this  place,  which 
is  said  to  be  50  miles  from  the  Arkansa,  the  cane  continues 
to  be  abundant.  In  this  elevated  alluvion  I  still  observed 
the  Coffee-bean  tree  (Gymnocladus  canadensis),  the  over- 
cup  white  oak  (Quercus  macrocarpa),  the  pecan  (Gary a 
olivcejormis)  the  common  hickory,  ash,  elm;  and  below, 
in  places  near  the  margin  of  the  river,  the  poplar-leaved 
birch  (Betula  populijolia). 

Mr.  S.  informed  me,  that  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  and  two  miles  from  hence,  another  strong  salt  spring 
breaks  out  through  the  incumbent  gravel;  and  that  there 
are  other  productive  springs  25  miles  above. 

19th.]  This  morning,  I  walked  with  Mr.  Slover  to  see 
the  salt  works,  now  indeed  lying  idle,  and  nearly  deserted 
in  consequence  of  the  murder  of  Mr.  Campbell,  by  Erhart, 
his  late  partner,  and  two  accomplices  in  their  employ. 
Melancholy  as  were  the  reflections  naturally  arising  from 
this  horrid  circumstance,  I  could  not  but  congratulate 
myself  on  having  escaped,  perhaps  a  similar  fate.  At  the 
Cadron,  I  had  made  application  to  Childer's,  one  of  these 
remorseless  villains,  as  a  woodsman  and  hunter,  to  accom- 
pany me  for  hire,  only  about  a  month  before  he  had  shot 
and  barbarously  scalped  Mr.  Campbell,  for  the  purpose 
of   obtaining   his   little  property,  and    in    spite   of   the 


1818-1820]  Nutt all's  journal  243 

friendship  which  he  had  uniformly  received   from  the 
deceased. 

[179]  But  to  return  to  the  subject.  We  proceeded  two 
miles,  along  the  hilly  and  woody  skirts  of  the  river,  and 
through  the  adjoining  prairie  to  the  saline,  which  appeared 
to  be  a  gravelly,  alluvial  basin,  of  about  an  acre  in  extent, 
and  destitute  of  all  vegetation.  A  small  fresh  water  brook, 
now  scarcely  running,  passed  through  this  area,  and  the 
salt  water,  quite  pellucid,  issued  copiously  to  the  surface 
in  various  directions.  In  one  place  it  boiled  up  out  of  a 
focus  of  near  six  inches  diameter,  emitting  fetid  bubbles 
of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  which  deposited  a  slight  scum 
of  sulphur.  All  the  springs  are  more  or  less  hepatic, 
which  circumstance  is  attributable  to  a  bed  of  bituminous 
and  sulphuretted  slate-clay,  visible  on  the  margin  of  the 
stream,  and,  probably,  underlaid  by  coal,  through  which 
the  water  rises  to  the  surface.  In  the  adjoining  heights, 
a  coarse-grained  sandstone  occurs,  answering  the  purpose 
of  mill-stones;  the  stream  then  contracts  at  the  entrance 
of  a  ledge  of  slaty  rocks,  and,  about  a  half  mile  from  its 
immediate  outlet,  the  water  is  perfectly  fresh.  The  only 
well  dug  upon  the  premises  for  the  salt  water,  was  about 
five  feet  deep,  and  quarried  through  a  bed  of  dark-coloured 
limestone,  containing  shells  and  nodules  of  black  horn- 
stone,  similar  to  the  chert  of  Derbyshire.  This  salt 
appears  to  be  concomitant  with  a  coaly  or  bituminous  for- 
mation. No  marine  plants  appear  in  this  vicinity,  as  at 
Onondago,  where  we  meet  with  the  Salicornia  of  the  sea 
marshes.  When  the  works  were  in  operation,  120  bushels 
of  salt  were  manufactured  in  a  week,  and  the  water  is 
said  to  be  so  strong,  that  after  the  second  boiling,  it  be- 
came necessary  to  remove  the  lye.  No  mother  water,  or 
any  thing  almost  but  what  is  volatile,  appears  mixed  with 


244  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

this  salt,  which  is  of  the  purest  whiteness  on  the  first  boil- 
ing, and  only  takes  about  80  gallons  of  water  to  produce 
a  bushel.  Hitherto  these  springs  have  been  unaccom- 
panied by  any  fossil  remains  of  quadrupeds. 

[180]  This  forenoon  I  was  disagreeably  surprised  by  a 
slight  attack  of  the  intermittent  fever,  which  was  also  be- 
ginning to  make  its  appearance  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Slover. 
In  the  spring,  they  were  likewise  affected  by  the  influenza, 
which  prevailed  in  the  Osage  village,  and  induced  several 
pulmonary  consumptions.  No  medicines  being  at  hand, 
as  imprudently  I  had  not  calculated  upon  sickness,  I  took 
in  the  evening  about  a  pint  of  a  strong  and  very  bitter  de- 
coction, of  the  Eupatorium  cuneifolium,  the  E.  perjoliatum 
or  Bone-set,  not  being  to  be  found  in  the  neighbourhood. 
This  dose,  though  very  nauseous,  did  not  prove  sufficient 
to  operate  as  an  emetic,  but  acted  as  a  diaphoretic  and 
gentle  laxative,  and  prevented  the  proximate  return  of  the 
disease. 

20th.]  This  morning  I  left  Mr.  Slover's,  and  proceeded, 
by  compass,  across  the  Great  Osage  plain,  towards  the 
mouth  of  the  Verdigris.  My  course  was  south  by  west,  the 
distance  being  about  30  miles.  Twenty  miles  of  this  route 
was  without  any  path,  and  through  grass  three  feet  deep, 
often  entangled  with  brambles,  and  particularly  with  the 
tenacious  "saw-brier"  (Schrankia  horridula).  The  honey 
upon  the  grass,  as  at  Sambo  prairie,  was  so  universally 
abundant,  that  my  mockasins  and  pantaloons  were  soaked 
as  with  oO.  Several  insulated  eminences,  appearing  al- 
most artificial,  served  to  diversify  the  cheerless  uniformity 
of  the  extensive  plain,  still  wrapt  in  primeval  solitude. 
Not  even  a  tree  appeared,  except  along  the  brooks  of 
Grand  river  and  the  Verdigris,  which  rivers,  for  25  or  30 
leagues,  are  not  more  than  12  to  15  miles  apart.     About 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  245 

a  mile  from  the  base  of  one  of  those  prominent  hills,  in- 
sulated like  an  aboriginal  mound,  and  towards  which  I 
was  directed  to  proceed,  passed  the  path  to  the  Indian 
village,  and  the  outlet  of  the  Verdigris.  It  was  evening 
when  I  arrived  at  this  hill,  which  had  been  a  prominent 
object  in  view,  ever  since  my  outset  this  morning.  From 
[181]  its  summit,  the  wide  and  verdant  plain  appeared 
visible  for  40  miles.  Proceeding  about  four  miles  from 
this  eminence,  much  fatigued,  I  lay  down  to  sleep  in  the 
prairie,  under  the  clear  canopy  of  heaven;  —  but  alone, 
and  without  the  necessary  comforts  of  either  fire,  food,  or 
water.  The  crickets,  grashoppers,  catidids,  and  stocking- 
weavers,  as  they  are  familiarly  called,  kept  up  such  a  loud 
and  shrill  crepitation,  as  to  prove  extremely  irksome,  and 
almost  stunning  to  the  ears.  Every  tender  leaved  plant, 
whether  bitter  or  sweet,  by  thousands  of  acres,  were  now 
entirely  devoured  by  the  locust  grashoppers,  which  arose 
before  me  almost  in  clouds.  I  slept,  however,  in  comfort, 
and  was  scarcely  at  all  molested  by  musquetoes.  The 
next  day,  after  spending  considerable  time  in  botanizing, 
I  arrived  at  the  trading  houses. 

CHAPTER  XIII 

Interviews  with  the  Osages  —  Occasional  observations 
on  their  manners  and  habits,  &c. —  Sickness  in  the 
encampment. 

24TH.]  Last  evening,  as  well  as  this  morning,  we  were 
waited  upon  by  two  of  the  Osage  chiefs  from  the  village, 
one  of  whom  was  Ta-lai,  their  hereditary  ruler.  Some 
of  the  inferior  chiefs  were  begging  tobacco,  like  earnest 
and  genuine  mendicants.  It  is  to  be  regretted,  that  the 
man  of  nature  should  sink  so  low  by  intercourse  with  the 
civilized  world,  and  by  the  acquisition  of  what  were  once 


246  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

to  him  merely  artificial  wants.  Surrounded  by  a  fertile 
country,  the  Indian,  without  ever  being  either  rich  or 
independent,  finds  it  difficult  to  obtain  subsistence,  tres- 
passes upon  his  neighbours,  lives  in  insecurity,  and  in 
implacable  enmity  with  those  of  his  own  race.  A  [182] 
stranger  to  our  ideas  of  honour,  he  destroys  his  enemies 
by  the  meanest  stratagems,  and  levels,  in  his  revenge,  all 
distinctions  of  age  and  sex.  Such  is  the  general  character 
of  the  Osages,  and  such  even  that  of  the  Cherokees,  after 
all  their  external  approaches  towards  civilization. 

To  give  my  Reader  some  idea  of  the  laborious  exertions 
which  these  people  exercise  to  obtain  a  livelihood,  I  need 
only  relate,  that  the  Osages  had  now  returned  to  their 
village  from  a  tallow  hunt,  in  which  they  had  travelled 
not  less  than  300  miles  up  the  Arkansa,  and  had  crossed 
the  Saline  plains,  situated  betwixt  that  river  and  the 
Canadian.  In  this  hunt,  they  say,  that  10  villages  of 
themselves  and  friends  (as  the  Kansas,  who  speak  nearly 
the  same  language)  joined  for  common  safety.  They 
were,  however,  attacked  by  a  small  scout  of  the  Pawnees, 
and  lost  one  of  their  young  men  who  was  much  esteemed, 
and,  as  I  myself  witnessed,  distractingly  lamented  by  the 
father,  of  whom  he  was  the  only  son.  They  say,  the  coun- 
try through  which  they  passed  is  so  destitute  of  timber, 
that  they  had  to  carry  along  their  tent  poles,  and  to  make 
fire  of  the  bison  ordure. 

The  activity  and  agility  of  the  Osages  is  scarcely  credi- 
ble. They  not  uncommonly  walk  from  their  village  to 
the  trading  houses,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Verdigris,  in  one 
day,  a  distance  of  about  60  miles. 

The  Osages,  in  their  private  conversations,  do  not 
appear  still  to  be  on  an  amicable  footing  with  the  Chero- 
kees.    One  of  their  chiefs  insisted  on  the  hunting  boundary 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  247 

being  established  betwixt  the  two  nations,  so  that  either 
party  might  be  punished,  by  robbery  and  plunder  (or 
confiscation  as  we  term  it),  who  should  be  found  trans- 
gressing the  limits  assigned.  Aware  of  the  strength  of 
their  enemies,  they  have  been  led  to  seek  the  alliance  of 
other  Indians,  and  have  recently  cultivated  the  friendship 
of  the  Outigamis  (now  called  Sauks  and  Foxes)  of  the 
Mississippi.  [183]  In  a  recent  council,  held  at  the  village 
of  the  Verdigris,  these  people  were  presented  with  100 
horses  by  the  O sages.  Sensible  of  this  liberality,  the 
Outigamis  pledged  themselves  to  prove  their  active  allies, 
whenever  necessity  should  dictate  it  to  them.  These  gifts, 
however  great,  are  not  difficult  to  replace,  as  they  now, 
this  hunt,  obtained  more  than  300  horses,  which  they  had 
either  caught  wild,  or  stolen  from  the  Pawnees,  their 
enemies. 

27th.]  This  morning,  Clarmont,  accompanied  by  some 
of  the  lesser  chiefs,  arrived  from  the  lower  village,  on  their 
way  to  the  garrison,  where  they  were  to  hold  a  council 
with  the  Cherokees.  There  was  some  degree  of  urbanity, 
though  nothing  at  first  very  prepossessing,  in  the  appear- 
ance of  Clarmont.  He  wore  a  hat  ornamented  with  a 
band  of  silver  lace,  with  a  sort  of  livery  or  regimental  coat, 
and  appeared  proud  of  the  artificial  distinctions  bestowed 
on  him  by  the  government.  He  asked,  familiarly,  if  I  had 
ever  heard  of  him  before,  and  appeared  gratified  at  my 
answering  in  the  affirmative.  I  am  told,  however,  that, 
of  late  years,  his  influence  at  home  has  been  greatly  super- 
ceded by  that  of  Ta-lai,  the  true  hereditary  chief.  Ta-lai 
was  now  also  present,  but  destitute  of  any  exterior  decora- 
tions, though  on  his  way  to  the  general  council;  I  did  not 
consequently  recognise  him  until  pointed  out  to  me.  In 
excuse  for  laying  aside  the  honourable  distinctions  of  the 


248  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

government,  he  said,  there  was  no  necessity,  he  thought,  of 
parading  the  medal,  his  people  knew  him  to  be  the  chief, 
and  the  major  could  not  be  ignorant  of  his  station.  This 
natural  unassuming  behaviour,  which  we  so  seldom  wit- 
ness in  life,  surprised  and  prepossessed  me  in  favour  of 
this  legitimate  chief.  His  aspect  was  uncommonly  be- 
nign, and  bespoke  the  man  of  candor  and  benevolence. 

Last  summer  a  general  council  of  the  natives,  friendly 
disposed  towards  the  Osages,  took  place  at  [184]  their 
village;  amongst  them  were  Shawnees,  Dela wares,  Creeks, 
Quapaws,  Kanzas,  Ouitgamis,  &c.  Their  ostensible 
object  was  not  known;  it  would  appear,  however,  that 
they  had  been  invited  by  the  Osages,  who  on  this  occa- 
sion gave  away  more  than  300  horses.  The  Outigamis 
told  them  in  an  unlimited  manner,  that  they  would  be  al- 
ways ready  at  the  first  notice,  to  join  them  at  any  time, 
against  any  nation.  With  the  Creeks  they  were  dissatis- 
fied, and  alledged  that  they  had  undervalued  their  hos- 
pitality by  bringing  spoons  in  their  pockets,  which  was 
probably  turned  into  a  sinister  omen. 

Preparatory  to  undertaking  a  warlike  expedition,  the 
Osages,  in  common  with  many  other  of  the  aborigines, 
practised  rigid  fasts,  which  were  frequently  continued 
from  three  to  seven  days  together,  forming,  with  other 
privations  and  inflictions,  a  kind  of  penance,  by  which  they 
disciplined  themselves  for  disasters,  and  supplicated  the 
pity  and  favour  of  heaven.  Their  invocations  to  the 
Good  Spirit,  and  their  lamentations,  are  incessant.  About 
sunrise  the  whole  village  re-echoes  with  the  most  plaintive 
tones  of  distress,  uttered  at  the  doors  of  their  lodges,  or  at 
the  tombs  of  those  whom  they  loved  and  esteemed  while 
living.  Indeed,  all  their  affections,  uncontrolled  by  the 
mask  of  affectation,  are  sincere  and  ingenuous.     Of  the 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  "Journal  249 

sincerity  of  their  conjugal  attachment,  notwithstanding 
the  coldness  of  temper  which  has  been  alleged  against  the 
aborigines  generally,  I  have  witnessed,  among  them  and 
others,  many  unequivocal  proofs.  The  expression  of 
affection,  perhaps,  as  in  other  societies,  where  it  is  so 
studiously  concealed,  is  more  tender  and  assiduous  on 
the  part  of  the  female.  A  few  days  ago  we  were  near 
upon  witnessing  something  tragical,  in  the  conduct  of  an 
Indian  woman,  who  had  been  several  years  married  to  a 
French  hunter,  living  with  the  Osages.  Soon  after  Mr. 
Bougie's  arrival,  intoxication  taking  place  in  the  camp, 
a  quarrel  [185]  ensued  between  the  husband  of  this 
woman  and  another  of  the  French  hunters.  Their  alter- 
cation filled  her  with  terror,  and  she  gave  way  to  tears  and 
lamentations,  not  doubting  but  that  the  antagonist,  who 
was  the  aggressor,  intended  the  death  of  her  husband,  as 
threats  among  the  Indians  are  the  invariable  preludes  to 
fatal  actions.  When,  at  length,  they  began  to  struggle 
with  each  other,  without  any  more  ado,  she  seized  upon 
a  hatchet,  and  would  instantly  have  dispatched  the  man 
who  fought  with  her  husband,  if  not  prevented  by  the 
bystanders. 

That  curious  species  of  polygamy,  which  prevails 
among  some  other  Indian  nations,  is  likewise  practised  by 
the  Osages,  by  which,  the  man  who  first  marries  into  a 
family,  from  that  period  possesses  the  controul  of  all  the 
sisters  of  his  wife,  whom  he  is  at  liberty  either  to  espouse 
himself,  or  to  bestow  upon  others.  The  maid,  as  amongst 
the  Quapaws  and  others,  is  distinguished  from  the 
matron  by  the  method  she  employs  in  braiding  her  hair 
into  two  cylindric  rolls,  which  are  ornamented  with  beads, 
silver,  or  wampum,  and  inclined  to  either  side  of  the  head 
near  the  ears.     After  marriage  the  hair  is  unloosed  and 


250  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

brought  together  behind.  This  is  one  of  those  little 
arbitrary  distinctions  which  is  quite  as  invariable  as  the 
general  costume  of  the  people  who  employ  it. 

A  practise  no  less  notorious  among  the  young  men  of 
the  Osages,  and  the  natives  generally,  is  the  careful  ex- 
traction of  the  marks  of  pubescence  from  every  part  of  the 
body.  These  Indians  even  pluck  out  their  eyebrows, 
shave  their  heads,  and  leave  only  a  small  scalp  upon  the 
crown.  Of  this,  two  locks  left  long,  are  plaited  and  orna- 
mented with  silver,  wampum,  and  eagle's  feathers.  The 
tonsure  and  ears,  as  well  as  the  eye-lashes,  are  painted 
with  Vermillion  on  ordinary  occasions,  but  blackened  to 
express  grief  or  misfortune.  Sometimes,  apparently  out 
of  fancy,  they  fantastically  [186]  decorate  their  faces  with 
white,  black,  or  green  stripes.  The  use  of  calico  or  shirts 
is  yet  unknown  among  them,  and  their  present  fashions 
and  mode  of  dress  have  been  so  long  stationary,  as  now  to 
be  by  themselves  considered  characteristic.  In  their  dress, 
fairish  tawney  red  colour,  and  aquiline  features,  they 
resemble  the  Outigamis. 

The  Osages  are  more  than  usually  superstitious.  With 
them  an  ominous  dream  is  often  sufficient  to  terminate 
the  most  important  expedition.  After  performing  an 
exploit,  instead  of  pursuing  their  success,  scarcely  any 
consideration  can  deter  them  from  instantly  returning  to 
bear  the  welcome  intelligence  to  their  band.  Their  com- 
munion with  each  other  is  so  frank,  that  nothing  can  re- 
main a  secret.  In  this  way  their  intentions  of  war  and 
plunder  are  long  anticipated,  however  sudden  and  secret 
may  be  their  actual  operations.  They  are  no  strangers  to 
dissimulation,  when  it  will  answer  their  purpose  in  their 
intercourse  with  others,  but  falsehood  among  their  friends 
or  fellows  would  be  looked  upon  as  unnatural  and  un- 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  251 

pardonable.  They  entertain  unconquerable  prejudices 
against  hunters.  While  in  the  village,  or  in  their  company 
abroad,  the  stranger  is  sure  to  be  protected  and  treated 
like  themselves  in  every  particular;  but  if  he  is  found  in 
their  country  as  a  foreigner,  and  pursuing  a  different 
interest  from  their  own,  he  can  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  an  enemy  and  an  intruder,  and  must  calculate  on 
meeting  with  chastisement  accordingly.  To  be  found 
upon  their  war-paths  is  likewise  considered  criminal. 
These  particular  routes  which  they  pursue  in  quest  of 
their  enemies,  are  recognised  by  beacons,  painted  posts, 
and  inscribed  hieroglyphics,  commonly  set  up  near  the 
boundaries  of  their  range;  and  those  whom  they  chance 
to  find  in  this  direction,  are  at  best  considered  as  ambig- 
uous friends,  and  trespassers  on  the  neutral  character 
which  is  expected  to  be  maintained. 

[187]  The  miserable  fate  which,  last  autumn,  befel  Mr. 
M'Farlane  (who  is  mentioned  by  Wilkinson,^"  in  his  de- 
scent of  the  Arkansa,  as  then  taken  prisoner  by  the  O  sages) 
is  a  sufiicient  proof  the  danger  of  intruding  on  their  war- 
path.^'* The  Osages  had  taken  this  hunter  into  custody 
near  to  a  Pawnee  village,  with  whose  inhabitants  they 
were  at  war,  and  were  about  to  proceed  with  him  to  their 
own  town  on  the  Verdigris.  He  was,  however,  very 
desirous  of  returning  to  the  village  for  his  son  who  re- 
mained behind,  to  which  the  Indians  at  last  consented, 
and  two  of  them  offered  to  accompany  him  back  towards 
the  Pawnees;  but  after  proceeding  some  distance  they 
seized  upon  him,  put  out  his  eyes,  and  then  goaded  him 

"'  Lieutenant  J.  B.  Wilkinson,  mentioned  in  note  195.  For  the  account  of 
his  meeting  with  M'Farlane,  see  Coues,  Expeditions  oj  Zebulon  Montgomery 
Pike  (New  York,  1895),  p.  558. —  Ed. 

"*  Charlevoix  remarks,  "Every  one  is  an  enemy  found  in  the  warrior's 
path,"  p.  155. —  NUTTALL. 


252  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

along  for  several  miles  with  sharpened  canes,  thus  pro- 
tracting his  death  by  torture,  until  one  of  them,  through 
compassion,  put  an  end  to  his  existence  by  the  tomahawk. 
Although  this  fact  was  now  well  known  in  the  territory, 
and  not  denied  by  the  Osages,  no  steps  had  been  taken 
to  avenge  the  death  of  this  unfortunate  hunter.  The 
Osages  indeed  disavowed  the  deed  as  that  of  their  nation, 
but  contented  themselves  by  saying,  that  the  action  had 
been  committed  by  two  bad  men,  who  were  beyond  their 
control.  The  property  of  the  white  hunter  generally, 
whom  they  discover  in  their  country,  without  special  per- 
mission, is  considered  as  an  indisputable  perquisite;  and 
after  perhaps  (as  I  have  heard  related)  breaking  his  gun 
in  pieces,  and  flogging  him  with  the  ram-rod,  they  will 
turn  him  out  into  the  wilderness  nearly  naked,  and  leave 
him  to  perish,  unless,  like  a  prisoner,  he  consents  to  adop- 
tion or  affiliation,  when  every  thing  is  again  restored  to 
him,  and  he  is  received  as  one  of  their  people. 

28th.]  To-day  I  accompanied  one  of  the  hunters  about 
9  or  10  miles  over  the  alluvial  lands  of  Grand  [188]  river, 
which  were  fertile,  and  covered  in  great  part  with  cane. 
The  river  lands  are  no  less  extensive  and  luxuriant  be- 
twixt the  Verdigris  and  Arkansa,  and  would  apparently 
support  a  condensed  settlement ;  but  the  prairies  will  only 
admit  of  settlements  along  their  borders,  in  consequence 
of  the  scarcity  of  wood  and  water.  Coal,  however,  in  this 
country  appears  abundant,  as  fragments  are  to  be  seen 
commonly  deposited  along  the  borders  of  the  rivers. 

On  the  30th  and  31st  an  irregular  remittent  fever  be- 
gan to  show  itself  in  our  camp,  with  which  myself  and  five 
or  six  others  were  affected.  With  me  it  came  on  towards 
evening,  unaccompanied  by  any  sensible  chill,   but  at- 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  253 

tended  with  the  most  excruciating  head-ache  and  violent 
heat. 

August  2d  and  3d.]  These  two  days  in  succession  I  ex- 
perienced the  same  fever,  but  now  more  moderate,  and 
preceded  by  chills. 

4th.]  Last  evening  the  chiefs  of  the  Osage  village  ar- 
rived from  fort  Smith,  without  effecting  an  interview  with 
the  Cherokees,  who,  under  the  pretext  of  attending  to 
their  harvest,  had  postponed  the  meeting  until  the  month 
of  September.  The  chiefs,  not  without  reason,  appeared 
to  be  considerably  perplexed  and  disappointed  at  the  con- 
duct and  apparent  evasion  of  the  Cherokees. 

Yesterday,  whilst  I  lay  sick,  some  Indian  contrived  to 
rob  me  of  the  only  penknife  in  my  possession,  and  my 
pocket  microscope.  I  immediately  suspected  the  thief 
to  have  been  a  fellow  who  had  the  same  morning,  out  of 
amusement,  mounted  my  coat  and  hat,  but  he  constantly 
denied  the  theft,  and  suffered  himself  to  be  searched  by 
the  soldier  of  police,  who  is  generally  some  trusty  warrior 
appointed  by  the  chief  to  keep  order  in  the  camp  or  village, 
and  to  punish  offenders  in  a  summary  way. 

The  chiefs  addressed  the  Indians  present  concerning 
the  theft,  and  seriously  admonished  those  who  [189]  had 
the  articles  to  give  them  up.  Talai  reproved  the  Indians 
in  general  terms  for  their  injustice,  which  he  asserted  to 
be  the  means  by  which  they  had  made  themselves  so  many 
enemies.  ''Why  will  you,"  says  he,  "steal  things  which 
are  useless  to  you,  and  which  are,  at  the  same  time,  of 
importance  to  others.  To-day,  while  we  were  travelling, 
we  heard  the  report  of  a  gun,  which  might,  indeed,  have 
been  that  of  white  people,  who  are  our  friends,  but  it 
might  likewise  have  been  some  party  of  those  enemies  by 
which  we  are  everywhere  surrounded,  who  could  so  easily 


254  "     Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

have  destroyed  a  handful  of  old  and  almost  defenceless 
chiefs.  How  much  better,  my  friends,  would  it  be  if  we 
could  learn  to  do  right  and  be  honest.  We  should  then 
have  friends  instead  of  enemies;  but  as  long  as  we  violate 
justice,  we  shall  continue  to  live  in  fear  and  shame. 
When  did  the  white  people  steal  from  us?  yet  you  have 
both  plundered  and  killed  those  who  have  always  been 
your  friends  and  benefactors.  This  evening  we  arrived 
here  fatigued  and  hungry,  and  the  white  people  have  fed 
us.  We  ought  to  return  this  kindness  by  presents  of  pro- 
vision; but,  instead  of  that,  the  Osages  sell  their  tallow, 
and  corn,  and  meat,  give  nothing,  and  come  and  eat  of 
that  which  they  have  sold.  The  Osages  are  always  a  bad 
people,  and  so  have  many  enemies." 

The  candour  of  this  speech  surprised  us,  although  it 
well  accorded  with  the  honest  and  benevolent  character  of 
the  speaker.  I  am  told  that  he  was  quite  assiduous  in 
attempting  the  reform  of  the  village,  and  inculcating 
amongst  them  the  necessity  and  advantage  of  maintain- 
ing peace  with  their  neighbours.  It  is  gratifying  to  learn 
that  this  chief,  Talai,  whose  example  so  well  accorded 
with  the  just  principles  which  he  preferred,  was  now 
gaining  the  ascendancy  over  Clarmont,  whose  conduct  had 
always  been  tinctured  by  rapacity.  Talai,  indeed,  well 
deserved  the  chief  medal  of  the  nation. 

[190]  It  is,  I  think,  to  be  regretted,  that  the  Indians 
should  not  be  made  sensible  of  the  impropriety  and  ille- 
gality of  executing  summary  and  unlimited  punishment 
upon  the  citizens  of  the  United  States,  who  are  found 
travelling  or  hunting  in  their  country.  Ought  they  not 
rather  to  be  taught  that  the  government  would  be  ever 
willing  and  ready  to  do  them  justice,  by  punishing  their 
own  citizens,  rather  than  submitting  them,  in  this  way,  to 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  255 

the  cruel  pilfering,  and  castigation  of  savages!  If  the 
frontier  garrisons  are  not  capable  of  effecting  this  bene- 
ficial purpose,  for  what  were  they  established  ?  but  could 
not  even  this  be  better  executed  by  the  governor  and  the 
militia  of  the  territory,  than  by  the  arbitrary  commander 
and  the  soldiers  of  a  garrison  ? 

This  morning,  about  day-break,  the  Indians,  who  had 
encamped  around  us,  broke  out  into  their  usual  lamenta- 
tions and  complaints  to  the  Great  Spirit.  Their  mourn- 
ing was  truly  pathetic,  and  uttered  in  a  peculiar  tone. 
Amongst  those  who  first  broke  forth  into  lamentation, 
and  aroused  the  rest  to  their  melancholy  orisons,  was  the 
pious  Ta-lai.  The  commencing  tone  was  exceedingly 
loud,  and  gradually  fell  off  into  a  low,  long  continued,  and 
almost  monotonous  base.  To  this  tone  of  lamentation 
was  modulated,  the  subject  of  their  distress  or  petition. 
Those  who  had  experienced  any  recent  distress  or  mis- 
fortune, previously  blackened  their  faces  with  coal,  or 
besmeared  them  with  ashes.  This  lamentation  and 
abasement,  in  unison  with  oriental  customs,  recalled  to 
mind  the  penance  of  the  Jews,  their  ''sackcloth  and 
ashes,"  and  Jeremiah  their  weeping  prophet. 

4th.]  Last  evening  two  very  handsome  young  men  of 
the  O sages  arrived  from  the  village,  with  some  tallow  to 
barter,  and  while  Mr.  Bougie  and  the  rest  of  the  camp 
were  amusing  themselves  at  cards,  these  Mercuries  con- 
trived to  carry  off  a  small  brass  kettle,  [191]  and  endeav- 
oured, though  ineffectually,  to  hook  off  a  musquetoe 
bier,  after  which  they  took  the  advantage  of  the  night  to 
make  their  escape.  They  appeared  to  have  been  very 
well  satisfied  with  the  trader,  but  could  not  postpone  their 
dexterity  at  thieving,  which  being  scarcely  considered  as 


256  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

a  dishonourable  action,  is  rarely  punished  further  than  by 
the  restitution  of  the  articles. 

On  the  evening  of  the  5th,  we  were  visited  by  another 
of  the  Osages,  bringing  the  usual  commodities  of  the  sea- 
son, tallow,  dried  bison  meat,  and  sweet  corn,  being  dried 
while  in  the  milk,  and  thus  forming  an  agreeable  ingredient 
in  the  soup  of  the  prepared  bison  beef.  It  is  a  dish  which 
the  Indians,  from  time  immemorial,  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  prepare,  and  consider  a  luxury  coeval  with  their 
annual  festival  of  the  "Green-corn  Dance. "^'^ 

In  the  morning,  I  was  informed,  that  this  Indian  wished 
to  exchange  a  horse  with  me,  for  the  mare  which  I  had 
purchased  of  Mr.  Lee;  I  desired  them  to  tell  him,  that  I 
requested  to  have  nothing  to  say  to  him;  knowing  him,  by 
report,  to  be  a  consummate  thief  and  rascal;  but,  as  he 
insisted  on  the  subject,  I  went  to  see  the  animal  offered  me 
in  exchange,  and  was  truly  surprised  at  the  impudence 
and  knavery  of  the  demand.  The  horse  which  he  prof- 
fered, was  not  worth  possession,  as  lean  as  Rosinante.  It 
may  easily  be  supposed  that  I  rejected  his  offer,  which  was 
nothing  better  than  an  insult.  My  mare  was  at  this  time 
feeding  across  the  Verdigris.  The  Indian  said  no  more, 
concluded  his  barter  with  the  trader,  and  left  us;  but  in- 
stead of  proceeding  directly  towards  the  village,  by  the 
usual  route,  he  kept  down  the  Verdigris.  I  now  sus- 
pected that  he  was  intent  on  thievery,  and  two  of  us  directly 
followed  him  by  land,  and  two  by  water.  We  saw  him 
and  his  wife  now  crossing  the  river,  and  then  walking 
hastily  across  the  beach;  by  the  time  we  came  up  with  him, 
he  had  [192]  seized  my  horse,  loaded  it  with  his  baggage, 
and  would  in  a  minute  or  two  more,  with  all  the  dexterity 

^'°  For  an  account  of  the  green  com  dance  as  practiced  by  the  Minitaree  of 
Dakota,  see  Report  of  Smithsonian  Institution,  1885,  ii,  p.  314. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  257 

of  an  Arab,  have  carried  him  off,  and  so  by  force  and 
robbery  have  effected  the  exchange  he  so  much  desired. 
Daring  villains  seldom  want  excuses;  he  pretended,  that 
the  man  of  whom  Mr.  Prior  bought  the  horse,  had  told 
him  to  bring  it  away,  and  leave  the  one  he  offered  in  its 
stead.  His  first  depredation,  this  morning,  was  stealing 
a  case  of  razors,  which  being  discovered  in  his  shot  pouch, 
were  taken  from  him;  these  he  said,  he  only  wanted  to 
shave  his  head,  and  would  then  have  returned  them. 

Circumstanced  as  we  were,  it  was  not  politic  to  chastize 
him,  as  he  would  probably,  out  of  revenge,  have  lurked 
about  a  week,  in  order  to  have  stolen  my  horse.  After 
some  persuasion,  and,  above  all,  a  hint  that  if  his  conduct 
were  made  known  at  the  garrison,  from  whom  I  had  re- 
ceived permission  to  proceed  up  the  country,  he  need  not 
expect  the  restitution  of  his  wife  and  three  children,  from 
the  hands  of  the  Cherokees,  if  that  was  to  be  his  line  of 
conduct ;  he  now  began  to  speak  in  a  submissive  tone,  and 
ordered  his  squaw  to  unpack  my  horse.  I  was  still,  how- 
ever, mortified  to  find  that  it  was  necessary,  prudentially, 
as  suggested  by  the  trader,  not  only  to  desist  from  ad- 
ministering punishment,  but  even  to  bestow  a  present 
upon  the  villain  by  way  of  encouragement.  Such  is  the 
indulgent  method  of  dealing  with  Indians  employed  by 
the  traders! 

As  among  most  other  nations  of  the  aborigines,  the 
principal  labour,  except  that  of  hunting,  devolves  upon 
the  women.  Accustomed  to  perpetual  drudgery,  they 
are  stouter  and  lower  in  stature  than  the  men.  They 
appear  scarcely  to  inherit  the  same  condition.  Considered 
almost  as  slaves  and  creatures  of  appetite,  their  lives  are 
always  secured  as  prisoners.  It  is  to  their  industry  and 
ingenuity,  that  the  men  owe  every  manufactured  article 


258  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

of  their  dress,  as  well  as  every  [193]  utensil  in  their  huts. 
The  Osage  women  appear  to  excel  in  these  employments. 
Before  the  Cherokees  burnt  down  their  town  on  the  Ver- 
digris, their  houses  were  chiefly  covered  with  hand-wove 
matts  of  bulrushes.  Their  baskets  and  bed  matts  of  this 
material,  were  parti-coloured  and  very  handsome.  This 
manufacture,  I  am  told,  is  done  with  the  assistance  of 
three  sticks,  arranged  in  some  way  so  as  to  answer  the 
purpose  of  a  loom,  and  the  strands  are  inlaid  diagonally. 
They,  as  well  as  the  Cherokees  and  others,  frequently  take 
the  pains  to  unravel  old  blankets  and  cloths,  and  re-weave 
the  yam  into  belts  and  garters.  This  weaving  is  no 
modem  invention  of  the  Indians.  Nearly  all  those  whom 
De  Soto  found  inhabiting  Florida  and  Louisiana,  on  either 
side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  who  were,  in  a  great  measure, 
an  agricultural  people,  dressed  themselves  in  woven  gar- 
ments made  of  the  lint  of  the  mulberry,  the  papaw,  or  the 
elm;  and,  in  the  colder  seasons  of  the  year,  they  wore 
coverings  of  feathers,  chiefly  those  of  the  turkey.  The 
same  dresses  were  still  employed  in  the  time  of  Du  Pratz.^*"* 


200 1 1  Many  of  the  women  wear  cloaks  of  the  bark  of  the  mulberry  tree,  or 
of  the  feathers  of  swans,  turkies,  or  India  ducks.  The  bark  they  take  from  young 
mulberry  shoots  that  rise  from  the  roots  of  trees  that  have  been  cut  down;  after 
it  is  dried  in  the  sun,  they  beat  it  to  make  all  the  woody  part  fall  off,  and  they 
give  the  threads  that  remain  a  second  beating,  after  which  they  bleach  them  by 
exposing  them  to  the  dew.  When  they  are  well  whitened,  they  spin  them  about 
the  coarseness  of  packthread,  and  weave  them  in  the  following  manner:  they 
plant  two  stakes  in  the  ground,  about  a  yard  and  a  half  asunder,  and  having 
stretched  a  cord  from  the  one  to  the  other,  they  fasten  their  threads  of  bark 
double  to  this  cord,  and  then  interweave  them  in  a  curious  manner  into  a  cloak, 
of  about  a  yard  square,  with  a  wrought  border  round  the  edges."  Du  Pratz. 
Hist.  Louisiana,  p.  363.  Lond.  Ed. 

According  to  Adair  also,  the  Choctaws  formed  blankets  of  the  smaller  feathers 
of  the  turkey.  ' '  They  twist  the  inner  end  of  the  feathers  very  fast  into  a  strong 
double  thread  of  hemp,  or  the  inner  bark  of  the  mulberry  tree,  of  the  size  and 
strength  of  coarse  twine,  and  they  work  it  in  the  manner  of  fine  netting." 
Adair's  History  of  the  American  Indians,  p.  423. —  Nuttall. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  journal  2^g 

These  feather  mantles  were,  within  the  recollection  of  the 
oldest  men,  once  used  by  the  Cherokees,  as  I  learnt  whilst 
among  them.  There  is,  [194]  therefore,  nothing  ex- 
traordinary in  the  discovery  of  these  garments  around  the 
bodies  which  had  been  interred  in  the  nitre  caves  of  Ken- 
tucky. Presents  of  these  ''mantels"  as  they  are  called 
by  Purchas,  now  superceded  by  European  blankets,  were 
perpetually  offered  to  Soto,  throughout  the  course  of  his 
expedition,  and  are  still  made  use  of  by  the  natives  of  the 
north-west  coast.  Nor  is  there  any  thing  in  this  invention 
beyond  the  common  ingenuity  of  man,  guarding  himself 
against  the  inclemencies  of  climate.  To  assert  that  all 
men  were  of  the  same  race,  because  they  had  all  invented 
a  somewhat  similar  clothing,  is  quite  as  futile,  as  the  same 
conclusion  would  be  in  consideration  of  their  all  being 
born  naked. ^"^ 

The  principal  food  of  the  present.  Indians,  who  inhabit 
the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi,  is  the  bison,  which  they 
prepare  in  a  very  commodious  way,  without  the  use  of 
salt,  by  cutting  it  up  into  broad  and  thin  slices,  which  are 
dried  on  a  scaffold  over  a  slow  fire,  and  afterwards  folded 
up  in  the  manner  of  peltries,  so  as  to  be  equally  portable. 
The  tallow  is  rendered  into  skins  or  cases,  like  the  utriculi, 
or  leathern  bottles  of  the  ancients,  the  whole  animal  being 
skinned  through  the  aperture  of  the  neck.  In  this  way, 
they  also  collect  with  convenience  the  honey  and  bear's 
oil,  which  is  the  produce  of  their  forests. 

From  the  general  absence  of  religious  ceremony,  and 
the    unostentatious    character    of    devotion    among    the 

^"^  See  Archaeologia  Americana,  vol.  i.  p.  320,  &c.  in  which  there  is  an  attempt 
to  prove  that  the  ancient  inhabitants  of  the  western  states  originated  from  the 
Malays. —  Nuttall. 


26 o  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

Indians,  it  has  always  been  a  difficult  matter  to  inspire 
them  with  any  thing  like  correct  ideas  of  the  Christian 
religion.  As  we  have  already  remarked,  they  are  not, 
however,  void  of  superstition,  such  as  a  belief  in  the  warn- 
ings of  dreams,  the  observance  [195]  of  omens,  the  wear- 
ing of  amulets,  and  the  dedication  of  offerings  to  invisible 
or  miraculous  agents,  supposed  to  be  represented  in  the 
accidental  forms  of  natural  objects.  But  these  objects, 
calculated  to  inspire  a  momentary  homage,  are  never 
addressed  for  any  thing  beyond  temporal  favours. 

Although  they  generally  believe  in  the  immortality  of 
the  soul,  they  have  no  steady  and  distinct  conception  of  a 
state  of  reward  and  punishment.  The  future  state,  be- 
lieved to  be  but  little  different  from  that  which  they  now 
enjoy,  is  alike  attainable  by  every  hunter,  and  every 
warrior.  It  is  on  a  conviction  of  this  belief,  that  the 
implements  of  war,  and  the  decorations  and  utensils  em- 
ployed by  the  living,  are  entombed  with  the  dead.  Their 
jealousy  of  the  whites,  and  suspicion  of  sinister  designs, 
render  them  cold  and  cautious  in  the  adoption  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  it  has  ever  been  those  who  have  said  the  least 
on  religion,  and  who,  like  the  Society  of  the  Friends  and 
the  Moravians,  have  preached  rather  by  their  benevolent 
example,  and  by  the  introduction  of  useful  arts,  that  have 
made  the  most  durable  and  favourable  impression  on  the 
minds  and  morals  of  the  natives. 

To  show  how  little  can  be  anticipated  among  the  Osages, 
by  the  inculcation  of  the  mere  dogmas  of  Christianity, 
may  be  seen  by  the  following  anecdote.  Mr.  Bougie,  in- 
formed me,  that  last  winter,  while  accidentally  engaged 
in  reading  the  New  Testament,  two  or  three  young  men, 
of  the  Osages,  coming  into  his  store,  enquired  of  him  what 
was  said  in  that  book.     He  answered,  that  it  informed  him 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  261 

of  the  descent  of  God  upon  the  earth,  who  was  seen  by 
men,  conversed  with  them,  and  wrought  mu-acles.  If 
that  was  true,  they  asked,  why  did  he  not  come  down  now 
among  men  as  he  did  then?  To  which  Mr.  B.  rephed, 
because  the  world  was  now  so  wicked.  They  looked  at  one 
another,  held  their  hands  to  their  mouths,  as  they  always 
do  in  token  of  surprise,  and,  smiling,  [196]  said,  "the  book 
may  tell  you  so,  but  we  don't  believe  it." 

Independent  of  some  resemblance  in  language,  dis- 
coverable betwixt  the  aborigines  of  North  America,  and 
the  Tartar  tribes  of  the  Russian  empire,  there  is,  likewise, 
something  very  similar  in  their  habits  and  morals.  They 
are  equally  erratic  and  unsettled  in  their  abode,  and  have 
ever  been  so,  according  to  Herodotus,  for  thousands  of 
years.  The  Hamaxobii,  of  that  author,  still  live  in  their 
travelling  houses,  and  occupy  the  same  country  without 
any  sensible  diminution  or  increase  of  numbers.  Both 
people  are  separated  into  numerous  bands  or  tribes,  char- 
acterised by  a  diversity  of  language,  acknowledging  no 
other  rule  than  that  which  is  patriarchal,  and  no  other  alli- 
ance than  that  of  fraternity.  They  are  alike  insensible  to 
the  wants  and  comforts  of  civilization.  They  know 
neither  poverty  nor  riches;  vice  nor  virtue.  Their  simple 
condition  appears  to  have  perpetually  partaken  of  that  of 
the  first  family  of  the  human  race,  and  they  have  been 
alike  exempt  from  the  luxuries  of  ephemeral  grandeur, 
and  the  mournful  vicissitudes  of  fortune.  Happy  equality, 
which  knows  neither  the  sins  of  ambition,  nor  the  crimes 
of  avarice ! 

The  picture  of  the  Samoyades,^"^  drawn  apparently  by 

^*^  Vide  Pinkerton's  collection  of  Voyages  and  Travels,  vol.  i.  in  loco. — 

NUTTALL. 


262  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

a  careful  hand,  might  almost  pass  for  that  of  the  North 
American  Indians.  Alike  they  acknowledge  the  existence 
of  a  supreme  and  invisible  Being,  the  author  of  all  things. 
The  sun  and  moon  they  also  adore  as  superior  beings  of 
the  creation.  They  both  in  their  invocations  address  the 
four  quarters  of  the  earth.  Their  priests  or  elders  ad- 
minister to  them  charms  when  sick  or  unfortunate  in 
hunting.  They  submit  with  apathy  (or  resignation)  to 
misfortunes,  and  express  no  violent  passions.  Their  in- 
sensibility is  such,  as  to  prevent  all  surprise  or  curiosity  at 
the  [197]  sight  of  novelties.  They  fear,  but  do  not  adore 
bad  spirits.  Unacquainted  with  laws,  and  governed  by 
customs,  they  acknowledge  no  ruler  beyond  the  senior  of 
the  common  family  or  tribe.  To  religious  ceremonies 
they  are  strangers.  Anticipating  the  contingencies  of  a 
future  state  of  existence,  they  also  inter  with  the  warrior 
his  bow  and  arrows.  They  allow  polygamy,  but  avoid 
consanguinity  in  marriage.  Their  wives  are  purchased 
(to  evince  their  esteem),  and  the  marriage,  consummated 
at  an  early  age,  is  no  longer  binding  than  the  continuance 
of  mutual  friendship  and  affection.  Their  names  are 
taken  from  the  animals  of  the  forest,  or  the  phenomena  of 
nature.  Their  hair  is  coarse,  lank,  and  black,  and  they 
have  little  or  no  beard,  or  marks  of  pubescence  on  other 
parts  of  the  body,  and,  whenever  it  does  appear,  it  is  care- 
fully eradicated.  Such  is  the  character,  and  such  the 
manners  of  those  Asiatics,  inhabiting  the  very  same  parallel 
as  that  which  includes  the  most  proximate  and  occidental 
point  of  the  North  American  continent,  the  same  parallel, 
which  in  both  continents  afford  the  Ovis  Ammon,  or  wild 
sheep,  the  reindeer,  the  white  wolf,  the  chacal,  the  silver 
fox,  the  sable,  and  the  ermine. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaW s  journal  263 

[198]    CHAPTER  XIV 

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  after- 
wards 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  nth.]  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  encamp- 
ment, 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,^"'  and  about  80  or  90  miles  distant  from 
our  encampment. 

^"^  This  river  is  now  known  as  the  Cimarron.  A  smaller  stream,  some  dis- 
tance above,  is  alone  properly  called  Salt  Fork  of  the  Arkansas.     The  two  water- 


264  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

[199]  12th.]  We  continued  our  journey  about  sunrise, 
proceeding  over  the  plain  in  a  south-west  direction. 
About  10  miles  from  the  brook  of  our  last  night's  encamp- 
ment we  passed  another,  but  destitute  of  running  water, 
which  is  at  this  season  of  the  year  exceedingly  scarce. 
The  Arkansa,  several  miles  to  our  right,  appeared  to  make 
an  extensive  sinus  to  the  north-west,  as  is  designated  in 
Pike's  map,  where  it  is  continued  up  to  the  looth  degree 
of  longitude,  the  dividing  line  from  the  possessions  of 
Spain.  We  found  the  prairies  full  of  grass  about  knee 
deep,  although  all  the  gullies  and  smaller  streams  were 
perfectly  dried  up ;  it  was  only  when  we  arrived  at  a  brook 
or  rivulet  that  we  could  obtain  a  draught  of  water,  and 
that  always  stagnant,  and  often  putrid.  The  day  being 
oppressively  hot  and  thirsty,  I  very  imprudently  drank 
some  very  nauseous  and  tepid  water,  which  immediately 
affected  my  stomach,  and  produced  such  a  sickness,  that 
it  was  with  difficulty  I  kept  upon  my  horse,  until  we 
arrived  at  the  next  creek  for  shelter,  where  we  encamped 
and  remained  for  the  rest  of  the  afternoon.  Our  horses 
were  still  tormented  with  the  clegs  or  green-headed  flies 
of  the  prairies,  which  goaded  them  without  intermission. 

About  10  o'clock  this  morning,  we  crossed  the  trace 
which  the  Osages  had  made,  going  out  to  hunt  in  a  body 
of  2  or  300  men  and  their  families.  Its  direction  was 
south,  or  towards  Red  river.  Two  or  three  miles  further 
we  crossed  their  returning  track.  We  were  no  way  anxious 
to  meet  with  Indians,  as  they  would,  probably,  rob  us  of 
our  horses,  if  not  of  our  baggage,  and  ill-treat  us  besides, 
according  to  the  dictates  of  their  caprice  and  the  object  of 
their  party. —  To-day  we  came  about  20  miles. 


ways  and  their  names  were  long  confused.  Among  the  tributaries  of  the  Ar- 
kansas from  the  west,  the  Cimarron  is  second  only  to  the  Canadian  in  size. 
It  rises  in  the  mountains  of  New  Mexico. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  265 

13th.]  We  were  again  on  our  way  soon  after  sunrise, 
and  still  continued  through  plains  destitute  of  timber. 
After  proceeding  about  four  miles,  we  passed  another 
insignificant  brook,  and  about  six  miles  [200]  further  a 
second  of  the  same  magnitude.  We  observed  very  little 
game.  Yesterday,  Mr.  Lee  pointed  out  to  me  the  burrow 
of  a  badger,  about  the  size  of  those  made  by  the  prairie 
wolf.  Still  proceeding,  a  little  to  the  north  of  west,  about 
10  miles  further,  we  came  to  a  considerable  rivulet  of  clear 
and  still  water,  deep  enough  to  swim  our  horses.  We 
kept  for  about  two  miles  through  the  entangled  thickets, 
by  which  it  was  bordered,  in  search  of  a  ford.  Both 
above  and  below  it  was  bordered  by  wooded  hills,  which 
appeared  almost  to  shut  up  our  course,  and  terminate  the 
prairies.  This  stream  was  called  the  Little  North  Fork^"^ 
(or  branch)  of  the  Canadian,  and  emptied  into  the  main 
North  Fork  of  the  same  river,  nearly  200  miles  distant, 
including  its  meanders,  which  have  been  ascended  by  the 
trappers  of  beaver.  Having  encamped,  without  crossing 
the  rivulet,  towards  evening,  I  was  about  to  bathe,  but  was 
sufficiently  deterred  by  the  discovery  of  a  poisonous  water 
snake,  lurking  a  few  yards  from  the  spot  I  had  chosen. 
No  change  yet  appears  in  the  vegetation;  and  the  super- 
incumbent rock  continues  arenaceous.  No  mountains  or 
picturesque  prospects  present  themselves  to  amuse  the 
eye.  Occasionally,  indeed  the  monotonous  plain  is 
diversified  by  the  view  of  low  and  broken  ridges,  often 
presenting  isolated  hills,  deserted  by  the  more  friable 
materials  with  which  they  were  once  surrounded,  and 
now  presenting  the  fantastic  appearance  of  artificial 
tumuli,  and  piles  of  ruins.  In  the  course  of  the  day  we 
passed  three  or  four  of  these  hillocks,  of  considerable 
elevation.     About  six  miles  from  our  encampment,  to  the 

*•**  Now  known  as  Deep  Fork. —  Ed. 


2  66  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

right,  there  are  two  of  them  nearly  together,  and  two  also 
which  are  separated  from  each  other,  nearly  opposite  to 
the  others  on  the  left.  The  Indians  remark  them  in  the 
regulation  of  their  routes,  and,  on  some  of  them,  they  have 
made  elevated  interments.  This  fondness  for  burying  in 
high  places  has  not  subsided  among  the  aborigines,  and, 
[201]  probably,  gave  rise  to  the  erection  of  artificial  hills 
over  the  remains  of  the  dead.  Blackbird,  the  chief  of  the 
Mahas,  was  interred,  at  his  particular  request,  on  the 
summit  of  a  hill  which  overlooked  the  village;  and  both 
the  Mahas  and  the  Arikarsees  made  choice  of  the  summit 
of  a  neighbouring  ridge  for  their  general  place  of  sepul- 
ture. 

The  day  was  very  warm,  though  occasionally  relieved 
by  a  breeze  from  the  south-west ;  and  the  dazzling  light  of 
the  prairies  proved  oppressive  and  injurious  to  the  eyes. 
We  passed  a  place  where  the  Indians  appeared  to  have 
been  killing  numbers  of  deer,  though  not  recently. 

14th.]  We  remained  to-day  on  the  banks  of  the  Little 
North  Fork,  to  recruit  our  horses,  that  of  my  companion 
being  from  the  first  totally  unfit  to  travel  from  a  large 
wound  upon  its  back.  I  now  experienced  a  relapse  of  the 
remittent  fever,  attended  with  delirium.  Being  about  3 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  it  came  on,  I  was  exposed 
to  a  temperature  of  between  90  and  100°.  It  was  with 
difi&culty  that  I  could  crawl  into  the  shade,  the  thin  forest 
being  every  where  pervious  to  the  sun,  so  that  I  felt  ready 
to  burn  with  heat;  by  forcibly  inciting  a  vomit,  I  felt  re- 
lieved. Mr.  Lee,  profiting  by  our  delay,  began  to  trap 
for  beaver,  and  the  last  night  caught  four  of  these  animals. 
Scarcely  any  thing  is  now  employed  for  bait  but  the  musk 
or  castoreum  of  the  animal  itself.  As  they  live  in  com- 
munity, they  are  jealous  and  hostile  to  strangers  of  their 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  267 

own  species,  and  following  the  scent  of  the  bait,  are  de- 
ceived into  the  trap. 

15th.]  At  night  I  again  experienced  an  attack  of  the 
fever,  without  any  preceding  chill,  and  attended  with 
diarrhoea.  It  continued  36  hours,  the  paroxysm  being 
only  divided  for  a  short  space  by  an  intermediate  chUl. 
The  heat  of  the  weather  continued  excessive;  and  the 
green  blow-flies,  attracted  by  the  meat  brought  to  our 
camp,  exceeded  every  thing  that  can  [202]  be  conceived. 
They  filled  even  our  clothes  with  maggots,  and  penetrated 
into  the  wounds  of  our  horses,  so  as  to  render  them  almost 
incurable. 

1 6th.]  Still  at  the  same  encampment,  and  still  afflicted 
with  the  fever. 

17th.]  This  morning,  at  the  suggestion  of  my  com- 
panion, for  the  purpose  of  trapping,  we  went  about  five 
miles  lower  down  the  rivulet.  In  proceeding  this  short 
distance,  I  fainted  with  the  effort,  and  was  near  falling 
off  my  horse.  All  the  remainder  of  the  day  and  the  suc- 
ceeding night,  I  experienced  the  fever  under  the  exposure 
of  a  burning  sun  and  sultry  air.  Shade  was  not  to  be  ob- 
tained, and  the  night  brought  with  it  no  alleviation  but 
darkness. 

In  the  evening  Mr.  Lee  suggested  the  propriety  of  our 
returning  to  the  Verdigris,  before  I  became  so  weak  as  to 
render  it  impossible;  but  the  idea  of  returning  filled  me 
with  deep  regret,  and  I  felt  strongly  opposed  to  it  whatever 
might  be  the  consequences. 

i8th.]  To  return,  was  again  urged  to  me  in  plainer 
terms  than  before.  I  therefore  complied,  on  the  condi- 
tion of  trying  the  event  of  one  or  two  days  longer,  and  that 
then,  if  no  better,  I  would  return.  I  remarked  to  him, 
however,  that  these  small  distances  from  one  trapping 


268  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

place  to  another,  would,  at  this  hot  season,  be  far  less 
difficult  for  me  to  accomplish,  than  to  enter  back  again 
upon  the  prairies. 

19th.]  We  proceeded  to  another  place  of  encampment, 
through  ponds  and  dry  gullies,  crossing  the  prairies  from 
point  to  point,  for  about  10  miles,  instead  of  a  supposed 
five  or  six,  until  it  became  dark,  when,  not  finding  the 
place  where  Mr.  Lee  had  deposited  his  baggage,  we 
stopped  in  a  very  eligible  situation,  compared  with  the 
rest  of  the  wilderness  through  which  we  had  been  toiling. 
The  preceding  night  we  had  experienced  a  slight  rain,  and 
had  reason  to  suspect  it  again,  but  we  lay  down  unpre- 
pared; and  about  midnight  were  caught  in  a  thunder 
storm  [203]  of  great  violence,  and  continued  till  daylight 
under  pelting  torrents  of  rain. 

20th.]  Mr.  Lee  now  said  nothing  more  about  returning, 
as  his  horse  was  become  incapable  of  carrying  either  him- 
self or  his  baggage.  We  had  no  method  left  of  proceeding, 
at  present,  but  by  making  double  journeys,  and  employing 
my  horse  to  convey  the  whole.  The  flies  still  continued 
to  annoy  us,  filling  our  blankets,  linen,  and  almost  every 
thing  about  us  with  maggots.  To  compensate,  however, 
in  some  measure,  for  these  disgusting  and  familiar  visitors, 
we  had  the  advantage  of  the  bee,  and  obtained  abundance 
of  excellent  honey,  on  which,  mixed  up  with  water,  I  now 
almost  entirely  subsisted,  as  we  had  no  other  food  but 
venison,  and  were  without  either  bread  or  vegetables. 

2 1  St.]  We  again  proceeded  five  or  six  miles  further  over 
stoney  hUls,  with  great  fatigue,  and  again  encamped  on  a 
branch  of  the  Little  North  Fork.  Lee  was  now  in  a  great 
dilemma  about  our  falling  into  the  way  of  the  Indians;  he 
observed  to-day  (2  2d)  their  general  encampment  quite 
contiguous. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  ^Journal  269 

The  fever  had  now  rendered  me  too  weak  to  bear  any 
exercise;  and  it  was  become  impossible  to  find  any  thing 
which  would  suit  my  feeble  appetite.  In  the  commencing 
coolness  of  the  weather,  I  had,  however,  a  reasonable  hope 
of  recovery. 

23d.]  We  continued  about  three  miles  further  up  the 
banks  of  the  rivulet,  and  again  encamped  amidst  gloomy 
prospects. 

24th.]  To-day,  Mr.  Lee  having  contrived  to  place  a  great 
part  of  his  baggage  upon  his  own  horse,  we  proceeded 
about  10  miles,  alternately  along  the  borders  of  the  rivulet 
and  over  the  bases  of  the  adjacent  hills,  which  we  had  now 
the  satisfaction  to  find  more  open  and  less  rocky.  We 
passed  by  three  or  four  enormous  ponds  grown  up  with 
aquatics,  among  which  were  thousands  of  acres  of  the 
great  pond  lily  [204]  {Cyamus  luteus),  amidst  which  grew 
also  the  Thalia  dealbata,  now  in  flower,  and,  for  the  first 
time,  I  saw  the  Zizania  miliacea  of  Michaux.  At  length 
we  gained  sight  of  the  prairies,  which  were  doubly  inter- 
esting after  being  so  disagreeably  immured  amidst  thickets 
and  ponds.  In  our  way  we  struck  across  the  desiccated 
corner  of  the  pond;  here  the  Ambrosias  or  bitter  weeds 
were  higher  than  my  head  on  horseback,  and  we  were  a 
considerable  time  in  extricating  ourselves  from  them. 
Clearing  the  thicket,  we  ascended  a  hill  of  the  prairie,  and 
continued  across  it  to  the  first  creek,  where  we  encamped. 

26th.]  While  Mr.  Lee  was  absent  this  morning  examin- 
ing the  beaver  traps,  which  he  had  set,  to  my  surprise  I 
observed,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek,  an  Indian 
busily  examining  our  horses;  after  viewing  them  a  few- 
minutes,  he  chased  them  down  the  creek  in  a  gallop 
towards  our  encampment,  and  after  looking  at  me  also  with 
caution,  instantly  disappeared  without  paying  me  a  visit. 


270  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

I  need  not  say,  how  unwelcome  this  intelligence  was  to  my 
cautious  companion,  who  had  not  now  to  learn  the  rapacity 
of  the  savage  hunters,  having  nearly  lost  his  life,  and  all  his 
property,  last  autumn,  by  falling  in  with  the  Cherokees 
near  the  banks  of  the  Canadian.  We  delayed  not  a 
moment  to  leave  our  encampment,  expecting  nothing  more 
certain  than  an  unfriendly  visit  or  clandestine  theft.  My 
own  situation  was  indeed  extremely  critical,  as  I  could  not 
possibly  walk,  and  even  required  assistance  to  get  on  and 
off  my  horse :  thus  to  have  had  it  stolen  would  have  been 
to  leave  me  to  perish  without  hope.  As  we  passed  along, 
something  which  I  imagined  to  be  an  Indian,  dodged  near 
us  twice,  from  amidst  the  high  grass,  like  some  unfriendly 
animal  of  the  forest,  and  slunk  from  our  observance. 
This  evening  I  felt  extremely  unhappy,  and  became  quite 
delirious;  when  reclined,  it  was  with  difficulty  that  I 
could  rise;  a  kind  of  lethargy,  almost  the  prelude  of  death, 
now  [205]  interposed,  affording  an  ominous  relief  from 
anxiety  and  pain. 

27th.]  Three  days  were  now  elapsed  since  I  had  been 
able  to  taste  any  kind  of  food,  and  to  add  to  the  miseries 
of  sickness,  delirium,  and  despondence,  we  experienced 
as  many  days  of  unremitting  gloom,  in  which  the  sun  was 
not  visible  even  for  an  hour. 

30th.]  Being  a  little  recovered,  we  now  ventured  out 
some  distance  into  the  prairie  hills;  but,  after  travelling  a 
few  miles  without  much  pain,  my  mind  became  so  unac- 
countably affected  with  horror  and  distraction,  that,  for  a 
time,  it  was  impossible  to  proceed  to  any  convenient  place 
of  encampment.  This  evening  my  companion  killed  two 
bison,  the  first  we  had  seen  on  the  route,  but  neither  of 
them  were  fat,  or  any  thing  like  tolerable  food.  I  here 
spent   a  night   of  great   misery  and   delirium,  and  felt 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  "Journal  271 

exceedingly  cold  from  the  sudden  decrease  of  the  tem- 
perature. 

31st.]  We  moved  onwards  a  few  miles,  but  encamped 
at  an  early  hour. 

September  ist.]  We  proceeded  about  10  miles  over 
wooded  hills,  with  the  expectation  of  soon  arriving  at  the 
Salt  river,  which  we  imagined  to  lie  before  us,  either  to 
the  west  or  south-west,  but  were  entirely  deceived,  and 
my  companion  now  appeared  to  be  ignorant  of  the  country. 
We  saw  nothing  far  and  wide  but  an  endless  scrubby  forest 
of  dwarfish  oaks,  chiefly  the  post,  black,  and  red  species. 

2d.]  We  now  travelled  about  15  miles  nearly  north,  in 
the  hope  of  arriving,  at  any  rate,  on  the  Arkansa,  and 
passed  through  oak  thickets,  like  those  of  Red  river,  for 
most  part  of  the  day.  The  land  was  poor  and  hilly,  but 
abounded  with  clear  and  cool  springs,  issuing  through 
rocks  of  a  fine  grained  sandstone.  We  found  the  small 
chinquapin  oak  by  acres,  running  along  the  ground  as  in 
New  Jersey.  The  Portulaca  resembling  P.  villosa,  which 
I  had  seen  below  in  a  solitary  locality,  Mr.  Lee  picked  up 
for  me  to-day,  growing  [206]  in  arid  rocky  places,  where 
the  soil  had  been  nearly  washed  away.  The  general  as- 
pect of  the  vegetable  kingdom  still,  however,  continued 
nearly  the  same. 

3d.]  We  continued  on  about  26  miles  through  the  same 
kind  of  deeply  undulated  country,  abounding  with  clear 
grit  springs,  but  the  land  poor,  and  covered  with  scrubby 
oak,  except  occasional  prairie  openings  and  narrow  valleys. 
At  length  we  arrived  on  the  banks  of  a  small  clear  brook 
dammed  up  by  the  beaver,  where  we  obtained  a  ford. 
Towards  evening,  greatly  fatigued,  and  with  our  course 
directed  more  towards  the  west,  we  observed  clouds  of 
sand  to  arise  at  a  distance,  which  we  were  satisfied  must 


272  Early  TVe stern  Travels  [Vol.  13 

originate  from  the  beach  of  some  neighbouring  river,  and, 
in  about  an  hour  after,  we  came  upon  the  rocky  bank  of 
the  First  Red  Fork  or  Salt  river,  which,  though  very  low, 
was  still  red  and  muddy,  bordered  with  an  extensive  beach 
similar  to  the  Arkansa,  and  not  greatly  differing  from  it 
apparently  in  point  of  magnitude.  Along  the  argillaceous 
banks  I  observed  saline  incrustations,  and,  on  tasting  the 
water,  I  found  it  to  be  nauseous  and  impotably  saline.^ '''^ 
Our  horses,  however,  naturally  fond  of  salt,  drank  of  it 
with  the  utmost  greediness.  Though  gratified  by  the 
sight  of  this  curious  stream,  which  we  had  so  tediously 
sought,  I  now  lamented  the  loss  of  the  fine  spring  water 
lately  afforded  us  by  the  barren  hills.  This  extensive 
stream  constitutes  the  hunting  boundary  of  the  Pawnees 
and  Hietans.  Its  first  view  appeared  beautifully  con- 
trasted with  the  broken  and  sterile  country  through  which 
we  had  been  travelling.  The  banks  of  cotton-wood 
(Populus  monilijera),  bordered  by  the  even  beach,  re- 
sembled a  verdant  garden  in  panorama  view.  A  few 
days  journey  to  the  west,  Mr.  Lee  informs  me,  that  there 
are  extensive  tracts  of  moving  sand  hills,  accompanied  by 
a  degree  of  sterility  little  short  of  the  African  deserts. 

[207]  4th.]  We  continued  a  few  miles  up  the  banks  of 
this  saline  stream,  crossing  it  from  point  to  point.  But 
the  following  day  (5th)  we  concluded  on  leaving  it,  study- 
ing our  safety  from  the  Osages,  whose  traces  became  now 
more  and  more  evident.  We  pursued  our  course  along 
the  sand  beaches  of  the  river,  now  oppressively  hot,  and 
about  noon  turned  out  into  a  shade.  Here,  unfortunately, 
while  Mr.  Lee  was  busied  about  his  beaver  traps,  his  horse 


^°®  Lieutenant  Wilkinson  reported  (1807)  that  the  Cimarron,  which  he  called 
the  Grand  Saline,  was  potable  at  all  seasons,  its  name  being  derived  from  the 
salt  upon  the  banks.     See  Coues,  Expeditions  of  Z.  M.  Pike,  p.  556. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  273 

got  into  a  mirey  gully,  and  could  not  be  extricated.  In 
this  dilemma,  no  resource  for  proceeding  remained  for  my 
companion,  but  to  construct  a  canoe,  and  so  descend  by 
water.  From  the  general  diminution  and  deterioration 
of  the  forest,  it  was  not  even  an  easy  matter  to  find  a  tree 
of  sufficient  size  for  this  purpose.  The  largest  timber 
was  the  cotton- wood  {Populus  angulata).  After  an  un- 
expected and  irksome  privation,  I  was  now  again  gratified 
by  the  taste  of  fresh  water,  which  we  found  in  a  small 
stagnant  rivulet  contiguous  to  our  encampment. 

On  the  8th,  my  companion  launched  his  canoe,  which 
so  exactly  answered  his  purpose  that  it  would  have  sunk 
with  any  additional  loading.  Although  I  had  now  so  far 
recovered  as  to  possess  a  little  appetite,  we  were,  for 
several  days,  destitute  of  any  kind  of  food,  except  the  tails 
of  the  beaver,  the  flesh  of  this  animal  being  now  too  lean 
and  musky  to  be  eaten.  The  game  appeared  to  be  driven 
out  of  the  country  by  the  approach  of  the  Indians.  I  still 
continued  my  route  along  the  beaches  of  the  river,  which 
proved  almost  insupportably  hot,  and  I  severely  felt  the 
want  of  fresh  water,  though  it  now,  from  necessity,  be- 
came possible  for  me  to  swallow  this  tepid  brine,  which 
always  proved  cathartic.  As  we  proceeded,  the  river 
appeared  continually  bordered  by  sandstone  hills,  like 
the  Arkansa.  Amongst  several  other  new  plants,  I  found 
a  very  curious  Gaura,  an  undescribed  species  of  Donia, 
of  Eriogonum,  of  Achyranthes,  Arundo,  [208]  and  Gentian. 
On  the  sandy  beaches  grew  several  plants,  such  as  the 
Uralepsis  aristulata  (Festuca  procumhens,  Muhlenberg),  an 
Uniola  scarcely  distinct  from  U.  spicata  and  Sesuvium 
sessile,  which  I  had  never  heretofore  met  with,  except  on 
the  sands  of  the  sea  coast. 

9th.]  About  noon  we  arrived  at  the  entrance  of  the 


274  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

Arkansa,  and  were  once  more  gratified  with  the  taste  of 
fresh  water.  Here  the  stream,  now  at  its  lowest  depres- 
sion, was  almost  colourless,  and  scarcely  any  where  ex- 
ceeding the  depth  of  three  feet.  We  travelled  down  it  9 
or  10  miles,  and  saw  the  ascending  smoke  of  the  general 
encampments  of  the  Osages,  whom,  if  possible,  we  wished 
to  avoid.  By  the  multitude  of  traces  upon  the  sand,  it 
was  easy  to  perceive  that  the  whole  village  and  its  accom- 
paniments were  in  motion. 

loth.]  We  still  saw  the  smoke  of  the  Osage  fires  in  all 
directions,  and  hourly  expected  a  discovery.  As  I  passed 
along  contiguous  to  the  river,  now  alone,  one  of  the  Indians 
saw  me  in  the  wood,  but  did  not  venture  to  come  up, 
dodged  out  of  sight,  and  then  ran  along  with  haste  towards 
his  encampment.  This  wolfish  behaviour,  it  may  be  cer- 
tain, was  not  calculated  to  give  me  any  very  favourable 
anticipation  of  our  reception.  I  could  not  help  indeed 
reflecting  on  the  inhospitality  of  this  pathless  desert, 
which  wUl  one  day  perhaps  give  way  to  the  blessings  of 
civilization.  The  scenery  was  not  without  beauty; 
wooded  hills  of  gentle  slope  every  where  bordered  the 
river;  and  its  islands  and  alluvions,  still  of  considerable 
extent,  are  no  way  inferior  to  the  lands  of  the  Ohio. 

nth,]  To-day,  with  all  our  caution,  it  became  im- 
possible to  avoid  the  discovery  of  the  Indians,  as  two  or 
three  families  were  encamped  along  the  borders  of  the 
river.  They  ran  up  to  us  with  a  confidence  which  was  by 
no  means  reciprocal.  One  of  the  men  was  a  blind  chief, 
not  unknown  to  Mr.  Lee,  [209]  who  gave  him  some  to- 
bacco, with  which  he  appeared  to  be  satisfied.  About  the 
encampment  there  were  a  host  of  squaws,  who  were 
extremely  impertinent.  An  old  woman,  resembling  one 
of  the  imaginary  witches  Macbeth,  told  me,  with  an  air  of 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  275 

insolence,  that  I  must  give  her  my  horse  for  her  daughter 
to  ride  on ;  I  could  walk ;  — that  the  Osages  were  numerous, 
and  could  soon  take  it  from  me.  At  last,  the  blind  chief 
invited  us  to  his  camp  to  eat,  but  had  nothing  to  offer  us 
but  boiled  maize,  sweetened  with  the  marmalade  of  pump- 
kins. When  we  were  about  to  depart,  they  all  ran  to  the 
boat,  to  the  number  of  10  or  12,  showing  symptoms  of 
mischief,  and  could  not  be  driven  away.  They  held  on 
to  the  canoe,  and  endeavoured  to  drag  it  aground.  Mr. 
Lee  tried  in  vain  to  get  rid  of  them,  although  armed  with 
a  rifle.  At  length,  they  got  to  pilfering  our  baggage;  even 
the  blind  chief,  who  had  showed  us  a  commendatory  cer- 
tificate which  he  had  obtained  at  St.  Louis,  also  turned 
thief  on  the  occasion.  We  had  not  got  out  of  the  sight  of 
these  depredators,  before  another  fellow  came  after  us  on 
the  run,  in  order  to  claim  my  horse,  insisting  that  it  was 
his,  and  I  could  no  way  satisfy  his  unfounded  demand, 
but  by  giving  him  one  of  my  blankets. 

Mr.  Lee,  as  he  descended,  now  observed  two  men  on 
the  shore,  who  hid  themselves  at  his  approach,  and  began 
to  follow  him  as  secretly  as  possible.  They  continued 
after  us  all  the  remainder  of  the  day,  till  dark.  We  knew 
not  whether  they  intended  to  kill  or  to  rob  us;  and,  en- 
deavouring to  elude  their  pursuit,  we  kept  on  in  the  night, 
amidst  the  horrors  of  a  thunder  storm,  the  most  gloomy 
and  disagreeable  situation  I  ever  experienced  in  my  life. 
In  consequence  also  of  the  quicksands  and  the  darkness, 
it  was  with  the  utmost  difhculty  that  I  could  urge  my 
horse  to  take  the  river,  which  it  was  necessary  repeatedly 
to  cross.  In  one  of  these  attempts,  both  myself  and  it 
were  on  the  point  of  being  buried  before  we  [210]  could 
extricate  ourselves.  Dressed  in  leather,  I  came  out  of  the 
water  drenched  and  shivering,  almost  ready  to  perish  with 


276  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

cold.  After  some  persuasion,  I  prevailed  upon  Lee  to 
kindle  me  a  handful  of  fire,  by  which  I  lay  alone  for  two 
or  three  hours,  amidst  the  dreary  howling  of  wolves,  Mr. 
Lee  not  wishing  to  trust  himself  near  such  a  beacon. 
Nothing,  however,  further  molested  us,  and,  after  cooking 
and  eating  a  portion  of  a  fat  buck  elk,  which  my  compan- 
ion had  contrived  to  kill  in  the  midst  of  our  flight,  we  con- 
tinued our  journey  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  After  pro- 
ceeding about  20  miles  farther  down  the  Arkansa,  unable 
to  keep  up  with  Lee  and  his  boat,  at  noon  we  agreed  to 
part.  I  took  with  me  some  small  pieces  of  the  boiled  elk, 
with  a  portion  also  uncooked,  and  furnished  myself,  as  I 
thought,  with  the  means  of  obtaining  fire,  but,  when  eve- 
ning arrived,  I  was  greatly  mortified  to  find  all  my  attempts 
to  obtain  this  necessary  element  abortive.  My  gun  was 
also  become  useless,  all  the  powder  having  got  wet  by  last 
night's  adventure. 

14th.]  Fatigued  with  the  sand-beaches,  as  hot  and 
cheerless  as  the  African  deserts,  I  left  the  banks  of  the 
river;  and,  after  travelling  with  extreme  labour  through 
horrible  thickets  for  three  miles,  in  which  the  Ambrosias 
were  far  higher  than  my  head  on  horseback,  I,  at  length, 
arrived  amongst  woody  hills,  and  a  few  miles  further 
came  out,  to  my  great  satisfaction,  into  the  open  prairies, 
from  whence,  in  an  elevated  situation,  I  immediately  rec- 
ognised the  Verdigris  river.  At  night,  though  late,  I 
arrived  on  its  wide  alluvial  lands,  lined  with  such  an  im- 
penetrable thicket,  that  I  did  not  attain  the  bank,  and  had 
to  lie  down  alone,  in  the  rank  weeds,  amidst  musquetoes, 
without  fire,  food,  or  water,  as  the  meat  with  which  I 
had  been  provided  was  raw,  and  spoiled  by  the  worms. 

[211]  15th.]  With  all  the  advantage  of  day-light,  it  was 
still  difiicult  to  penetrate  through  the  thicket,  and  ford 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaWs  "Journal  277 

the  river.  Towards  evening,  I  again  arrived  at  the  trad- 
ing establishment  of  Mr.  Bougie,  an  asylum,  which  prob- 
ably, at  this  time,  rescued  me  from  death.  My  feet  and 
legs  were  so  swelled,  in  consequence  of  weakness  and 
exposure  to  extreme  heat  and  cold,  that  it  was  necessary 
to  cut  off  my  pantaloons,  and  at  night  both  my  hands  and 
feet  were  affected  by  the  most  violent  cramp. 

I  remained  about  a  week  with  Mr.  Bougie,  in  a  very 
feeble  state,  again  visited  by  fever,  and  a  kind  of  horrific 
delirium,  which  perpetually  dwelt  upon  the  scene  of  past 
sufferings.  I  now  took  the  opportunity  of  descending  to 
the  garrison  with  an  engagee,  but  continued  in  a  state  of 
great  debUity,  my  hands  and  feet  stUl  violently  and  fre- 
quently affected  with  spasms. 

In  about  five  days  slow  descending,  from  the  feebleness 
of  my  invalid  companion,  we  arrived  at  the  garrison. 

The  Indian  councils  now  pending  betwixt  the  Osages 
and  Cherokees  filled  the  fort  with  a  disagreeable  bustle.^*" 
The  Osages,  according  to  the  stipulation  of  the  treaty 
signed  at  St.  Louis,  were  assembled  to  receive  their  pris- 
oners from  the  hands  of  the  Cherokees.  The  captives, 
chiefly  female,  were,  however,  kept  back,  and  they  wished 
to  retain  them  on  the  score  of  adoption.  Talai  and  Clar- 
mont  insisted  on  their  compliance  with  the  treaty;  and  the 
government  agents  now  ordered  the  Cherokees  to  produce 
the  prisoners  in  10  days.  The  nth  day,  however,  arrived 
without  any  appearance  of  the  Cherokees,  excepting  five 
of  their  hunters.  The  chiefs  of  the  Osages  were  exceed- 
ingly mortified.  Captain  Prior  told  them  to  demand  of 
the  commander  the  liberty  of  seizing  upon  the  five  Chero- 
kees in  the  fort  as  hostages.  To  this  the  chief,  called  the 
Mad  Buffalo,  objected,  saying,  '  'if  we  take  these  Chero- 

^"'  See  ante,  note  155. —  Ed. 


278  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

kee  prisoners  [212]  to  our  village,  the  warriors,  and  those 
who  expected  the  return  of  their  own  people,  would  say, 
who  are  these  strangers  and  enemies  ?  we  wanted  our  own 
captives,  not  Cherokees,  and  so  they  would  instantly  kill 
them." 

In  the  evening  the  Osage  chiefs  left  the  fort,  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  their  village ;  but  next  morning  the  Cher- 
okees began  to  assemble,  and  the  Osages  were  sent  for 
to  receive  their  prisoners,  now  arrived.  Talai  and  Clar- 
mont  sent  the  lesser  chiefs,  and  remained  behind,  but  the 
Cherokees  insisted  on  the  presence  of  the  whole,  and  after 
a  second  message  they  came  as  desired. 

Tikitok,^"  one  of  the  principal  Cherokees,  a  very 
old  and  venerable  looking  man,  presided  on  the  occa- 
sion, and  every  appearance  of  friendship  and  satisfaction, 
accompanied  by  the  usual  smoking,  prevailed  on 
either  side.  The  prisoners,  after  some  little  talk,  were 
now  produced,  and  given  up  according  to  the  treaty. 
There  was,  however,  a  chief  sitting  next  to  Tikitok,  who 
undertook  to  propose,  that  the  prisoners  should  be  per- 
mitted to  use  their  own  will,  and  go  to  either  party  as 
they  should  chuse,  but  this  unfair  and  equivocating  pro- 
posal was  not  made  known  to  the  Osages,  some  private 
conversation  with  the  Cherokees  putting  a  stop  to  it.  It 
appeared  that,  in  the  interval  of  captivity,  one  of  the  young 
women  had  contracted  marriage  with  a  Cherokee  of  her 
own  age.  Their  parting  was  a  scene  of  sorrow;  the  Cher- 
okee promised  to  go  to  the  village,  and  ask  her  of  her 
father,  she  also  plead  with  the  chiefs  to  stay,  but  Clar- 
mont,  unmoved  by  her  tears  and  entreaties,  answered, 


^•^  Tikitok  (or  Tikatok)  was  one  of  the  chiefs  whose  leadership  dated  from 
the  death  of  Tallantusky  (see  ante,  note  148).  His  village  was  situated  on  the 
lower  of  the  streams  called  Illinois. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair 5  'Journal  279 

''your  father  and  mother  lament  you;  it  is  your  duty  to 
go  and  see  them.  If  the  Cherokee  loves  you,  he  will  not 
forget  to  come  for  you."  In  this  way  terminated  the 
treaty  of  peace  between  the  Osages  and  Cherokees,  in 
September,  1819.^°^ 

[213]     CHAPTER  XV 

Proceed  from  the  garrison  to  the  Pecannerie  settlement  — 
Hot-springs  of  the  Washita  —  Phenomena  of  the  sea- 
sons. 

In  consequence  of  sickness,  and  an  extreme  debility, 
which  deprived  me  of  the  pleasure  of  my  usual  excursions, 
I  remained  at  the  garrison  until  the  i6th  of  October.  A 
nervous  fever  had  now  for  ever  separated  me  from  the 
agreeable  company  of  Dr.  Russel,  and  amongst  my  asso- 
ciates in  affliction  were  numbered  two  missionaries,  who 
had  intended  to  proceed  to  the  Osages.  One  of  them, 
(Mr.  Viner),  after  the  attacks  of  a  lingering  fever,  paid 
the  debt  of  nature. 

From  July  to  October,  the  ague  and  bilious  fever  spread 
throughout  the  territory  in  a  very  unusual  manner.  Con- 
nected apparently  with  these  diseases,  was  one  of  an  ex- 
traordinary character.  It  commenced  by  slight  chills, 
and  was  succeeded  by  a  fever,  attended  with  unremitting 
vomitings,  accompanied  with  blood,  and  bloody  foeces. 
Ejecting  all  medicine,  it  became  next  to  impossible  to 

'"'  Since  this  period,  as  might  readily  be  foreseen,  hostiHties  have  again  com- 
menced between  these  restless  and  warlike  tribes,  who  can  perhaps  never  be 
prevailed  upon  to  hve  in  friendship,  as  they  will  be  perpetually  transgressing 
each  other's  hunting  bounds.  At  a  very  recent  date  (1821),  400  Osage  warriors 
appeared  before  the  garrison  of  Belle  Point,  on  their  way  against  the  Cherokees, 
accompanied  by  a  party  of  the  Sauks  and  Fox  Indians,  and  killed  four  Qua- 
paws  hunting  in  the  neighbourhood.  Such  is  the  effect  of  the  imprudent  and 
visionary  poUcy  of  crowding  the  natives  together,  in  the  hopes  of  keeping  them 
at  peace. —  Nuttall. 


280  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

administer  internal  relief.  The  paroxysms,  attended  with 
excruciating  pain,  took  place  every  other  day,  similar  to 
the  common  intermittent.  One  of  the  soldiers  who  de- 
scended with  us,  was  afflicted  in  this  way  for  the  space  of 
six  days,  after  which  he  recovered.  On  the  intermitting 
days  he  appeared  perfectly  easy,  and  possessed  a  strong 
and  craving  appetite.  I  was  credibly  informed  [214]  that 
not  less  than  100  of  the  Cherokees,  settled  contiguous  to 
the  banks  of  the  Arkansa,  died  this  season  of  the  bilious 
fever. 

On  the  3d  of  November,  I  at  length  got  down  in  a  pe- 
rogue  of  the  garrison  as  far  as  Major  Wilborne's  in  the 
Pecannerie  settlement.  Here,  though  the  bilious  fever 
and  ague  had  been  unusually  prevalent,  no  instance  of 
mortality  had  taken  place. 

In  this  settlement  there  was  a  succession  of  heavy  rains 
down  to  the  month  of  September.  Above,  we  had  expe- 
rienced no  rain  beyond  the  month  of  June.  Perhaps  the 
unusual  prevalence  of  rain,  on  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa, 
might  have  been  conducive  to  the  extraordinary  sickness 
of  this  season.  As  a  proof  of  the  locality  of  this  rain,  the 
river  was  now  so  exceedingly  low,  that  no  boats  drawing 
more  than  10  or  12  inches  of  water  could  possibly  navigate 
it  from  the  Dardanelles  to  the  Verdigris.  All  along  the 
banks,  the  clay  and  pebbles  of  the  beaches  were  whitened 
with  an  efflorescence  of  salt  (muriate  of  soda),  deposited 
from  the  water  of  the  red  freshes.  We  also  remarked  that 
all  the  sandstone  rocks,  scattered  confusedly  on  the  borders 
of  the  river,  blacken  by  exposure,  and  assume  a  metallic 
tinge,  probably  arising  from  an  admixture  of  manganese. 

The  Pecannerie,  now  the  most  considerable  settlement 
in  the  territory,  except  Arkansas,  derived  its  name  from 
the  Pecan  nut-trees  {Carya  oHvcBformis) ,  with  which  its 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalPs  yournal  281 

forests  abound;  in  a  few  years  it  will  probably  form  a 
county,  containing  at  this  time  about  60  families,  all,  in 
regard  to  circumstances,  living  in  a  state  of  ignorance  and 
mediocrity  of  fortune:  many  of  them  indeed  were  rene- 
gadoes  from  justice  who  had  fled  from  honest  society,  to 
seek  refuge  in  these  fertile  alluvial  forests,  where,  indul- 
ging themselves  in  indolence,  they  become  the  pest  of  their 
more  industrious  and  honest  neighbours,  and  are  encour- 
aged in  their  dishonest  practices  by  the  laxity  of  the  laws, 
and  [215]  the  imperfect  manner  in  which  they  are  adminis- 
tered. Thus  the  settlement  was  now  oppressed  by  gangs 
of  horse  thieves,  who  carried  their  depredations  even 
among  the  neighbouring  savages. 

The  soil  throughout  this  settlement,  after  three  or  four 
years  working,  is  found  to  be  extremely  favourable  for 
the  growth  of  cotton,  as  appeared  by  the  crops  of  the  pres- 
ent year,  but  the  price  was  fallen  to  3  dollars  per  cwt.  in 
the  seed,  with  little  or  no  demand,  so  that  the  settlers, 
for  want  of  a  market,  were  really  indigent,  and  most  of 
them  lived  in  a  very  poor  and  uncomfortable  manner. 
The  alluvial  lands,  here  about  two  mUes  wide,  are  flanked 
by  a  range  of  wooded  hills,  and  a  somewhat  broken  country 
of  considerable  fertility. 

A  number  of  families  were  now  about  to  settle,  or  rather 
take  provisionary  possession  of  the  land  purchased  from 
the  O sages,  situated  along  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa, 
from  Frog  bayou  to  the  falls  of  the  Verdigris;  a  tract  in 
which  is  embraced  a  great  body  of  superior  alluvial  land. 
But,  to  their  disappointment,  an  order  recently  arrived, 
instructing  the  agent  of  Indian  affairs  to  put  the  Cherokees 
in  possession  of  the  Osage  purchase,  and  to  remove  them 
from  the  south  side  of  the  river.  It  appeared,  from  what 
I  could  learn,  that  the  Osages,  purposely  deceived  by  the 


282  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

interpreter,  at  the  instigation  of  the  Shoutous,  had  hatched 
up  a  treaty  without  the  actual  authority  of  the  chiefs,  so 
that  in  the  present  state  of  things  a  war  betwixt  the  Cher- 
okees  and  the  Osages  is  almost  inevitable,  unless  the  latter 
relinquish  the  banks  of  the  Arkansa,  as  Messrs.  Shoutou 
wish  them.  The  Osages  in  a  recent  council  said,  they 
would  have  no  objection  to  dispose  of  their  lands,  provided 
the  whites  only  were  allowed  to  settle  upon  them.^"® 

I  understand  that  the  hot  springs  of  the  Washita  are 
situated  about  a  mile  from  that  river,  contiguous  to  the 
[216]  bank  of  a  brook.  At  the  springs,  a  ridge  of  between 
five  and  six  hundred  feet,  from  whence  smoke  had  been 
seen  to  issue,  appears,  by  the  massive  rocks  that  fill  this 
stream,  to  have  been  broken  through,  or  undermined  by 
its  torrents.  Many  thermal  springs,  besides  those  em- 
ployed by  visitors,  are  seen  boiling  out  of  the  side  of  the 
hill,  and  mingling  with  the  cool  water  of  the  brook.  The 
principal  fountain,  issuing  from  amidst  huge  masses  of 
black  rocks,  apparently  bituminous  and  calcareous  slate 
in  thick  laminae,  has  a  stream  of  near  a  foot  in  diameter 
at  its  orifice,  and  hot  enough  to  boil  eggs  or  fish;  a  steam 
arises  from  it  as  from  water  in  a  state  of  ebullition,  at- 
tended with  a  considerable  discharge  of  bubbles.  It  is 
only  after  mixing  with  the  cool  water  of  the  brook,  at 
some  distance  from  this  spring,  that  it  becomes  of  a  tem- 
perature in  which  it  is  possible  to  bathe.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  kind  of  rude  inclosure  made  around  the  spring, 
as  a  steam  bath,  which  often  probably  debilitates,  and 

^*"  The  Osage  purchase  referred  to  was  made  at  St.  Louis,  September  25, 
1818.  Frog  Bayou  is  a  few  miles  below  Fort  Smith.  The  tract  lay  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Arkansas,  and  was  sixty  miles  wide  at  the  eastern  Hne.  By  the 
word  "Shoutous,"  Nuttall  means  to  designate  the  Chouteaus,  French  fur- 
traders  at  St.  Louis. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  283 

injures  the  health  of  ignorant  and  emaciated  patients. 
Major  Long,""  who  visited  these  springs  in  the  month  of 
January,  found  their  temperature  to  vary  from  86°  to 
150°  of  Fahrenheit.  Hunter  and  Dunbar  ^^*  ascertained 
the  temperature  of  five  different  springs,  to  be  at 
150°,  154°,  140°,  136°,  and  132°.  The  water,  as  near 
Onondago,  in  the  state  of  New  York,  at  the  tepid  baths 
of  Natlock  in  Derbyshire,  and  in  many  parts  of  Italy, 
charged  with  an  excess  of  carbonic  acid,  holding  lime  in 
solution,  deposits  a  calcareous  tufa,  which  incrusts  leaves, 
moss,  or  any  other  substance  which  it  meets  in  its  course, 
to  the  great  surprise  of  the  ignorant,  who  commonly  pro- 
nounce them  petrifactions.  Indeed,  the  exploring  party 
of  the  Washita  assert,  that  a  mass  of  calcareous  rock  ,100 
feet  perpendicular,  had  been  produced  by  this  aqueous 
deposition.  Eruptions  of  argillaceous  mud  in  small  quan- 
tities have  also  been  observed,  which  in  time  become  con- 
siderably indurated. 

[217]  Among  the  more  remarkable  features  of  the 
autumnal  season  in  this  country,  is  the  aspect  of  the  atmos- 
phere, which  in  all  directions  appears  so  filled  with  smoke, 
as  often  to  render  an  object  obscure  at  the  distance  of  100 
yards.     The  south-west  winds  at  this  season  are  often  re- 

^"  For  sketch  of  Major  Stephen  H.  Long,  see  preface  to  volume  xiv  of  our 
series. —  Ed. 

"*  In  the  autumn  of  1804  President  Jefferson  sent  a  party  under  Sir  William 
Dunbar  (see  Cuming's  Tour,  in  our  volume  iv,  note  209),  to  explore  the  Ouach- 
ita. Dunbar,  a  Scotchman  (i  740-1810)  who  had  come  to  the  United  States 
before  the  Revolutionary  War,  had  after  various  business  ventures  at  Phila- 
delphia, Pittsburg,  and  Baton  Rouge,  settled  near  Natchez  on  a  plantation. 
He  was  a  scientist  of  considerable  note;  the  Transactions  of  the  American 
Philosophical  Society  at  Philadelphia,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  contain  various 
contributions  from  his  pen. 

Dr.  Hunter  was  Dunbar's  assistant  on  the  Ouachita  journey.  Their  "Ob- 
servations" were  transmitted  to  Congress  with  Jefferson's  message  of  February 
19,  1806. —  Ed. 


284  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

markably  hazy,  but  here  the  effect  is  greatly  augmented  by 
the  burning  of  the  surrounding  prairies,  annually  practised 
by  the  savages  and  whites,  for  the  benefit  of  the  hunt,  as 
the  ground  is  thus  cleared  of  a  heavy  crop  of  withered 
grass,  prepared  for  an  early  vegetation  in  the  succeeding 
spring,  and  also  assisted  in  its  growth  by  the  stimulating 
effects  of  the  alkaline  ashes.  Indeed,  ever  since  the  be- 
ginning of  September,  the  prairies  had  appeared  yellow 
and  withered,  with  a  prevailing  mass  of  dying  vegetation. 
The  autumnal  Asters  and  Solidagos,  are  but  a  faint  gleam 
of  the  mid-summer  splendour  of  these  flowery  meadows. 
Throughout  this  territory,  there  are  no  grasses  nor  other 
vegetables  of  consequence  in  agriculture  (except  the  cane), 
which  retain  their  verdure  beyond  the  close  of  Septem- 
ber. 'Tis  true,  that  in  the  sheltered  alluvions,  verdure 
may  be  protracted,  and  it  is  here  that  the  cattle,  left  to 
nature,  now  seek  their  food,  and,  as  the  winter  advances, 
finally  repair  to  the  sempervirent  cane  brake.  That 
delightful  and  refreshing  verdure  one  naturally  expects 
to  see  in  a  garden,  regales  not  the  eye  of  the  Arkansa 
farmer  beyond  the  vegetating  period  assigned  by  nature. 
From  the  month  of  September  to  February  (except  in  the 
lowest  and  richest  alluvions),  every  enclosure,  in  common 
with  the  prairies,  appears  a  dreary  waste  of  withered  herb- 
age, with  the  exception  of  the  biennial  turnip,  the  radish, 
and  the  cabbage,  which  still  retain  their  freshness.  The 
month  of  February,  however,  scarcely  closes  before  vege- 
tation again  commences,  and  the  natural  meadows,  thick- 
ets, and  alluvions,  in  March,  are  already  enamelled  with 
the  flowers  of  May. 

[218]  The  aridity  of  the  autumnal  atmosphere,  which 
becomes  more  and  more  sensible  as  we  advance  towards 
the  west,  or  recede  from  the  ocean,  may  be  perceived  to 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  285 

modify  many  of  the  natural  productions  of  the  country, 
and  deserves  to  be  studied  by  those  who  reside  on  the 
spot.  Amongst  the  Cucurbitace^,  every  species  of  melon, 
which  attain  such  enormous  bulk  and  perfection  east  of 
the  Mississippi,  are  here  often  of  diminutive  size,  not- 
withstanding the  heat  of  the  climate;  and  by  the  increas- 
ing dryness  of  the  air,  the  plants,  full  of  young  fruit, 
wither  and  prematurely  die.  The  diminution  of  the 
forest,  and  at  length  its  total  disappearance,  is  also,  in 
all  probability,  attributable  to  the  same  source  of  infertility. 
The  natural  phenomena  of  the  seasons  appear  no  less 
corroborative  of  a  distinction  of  climate  betwixt  the  eastern 
and  western  territories.  From  the  Pecannerie  settlement 
eastward,  heavy  rains  were  experienced  for  most  part  of 
the  summer  down  to  the  beginning  of  September;  while 
from  the  garrison  upwards,  scarcely  any  rain  except  the 
slightest  flying  showers  had  fallen  since  the  month  of  June. 
It  might,  indeed,  be  reasonably  conjectured,  that  the 
further  any  country  was  removed  from  the  ocean,  the  great 
reservoir  of  rains,  and  the  more  it  was  elevated  above  that 
level,  the  more  it  would  have  to  depend  upon  the  winter 
or  rainy  season  for  irrigation ;  and  that,  in  such  a  country, 
rain  can  hardly  be  expected  in  the  summer,  especially  if 
the  temperature  be  elevated.  Facts  bear  out  these  con- 
jectures, for  the  higher  we  ascend  toward  the  great  plat- 
form of  the  Andes,  the  more  arid  becomes  the  climate; 
and  at  length,  approaching  the  mountains,  nothing  is  to 
be  seen  but  a  barren  and  desert  region,  tantalized  with 
numerous  streams,  which  flow  only  in  the  winter,  and  then 
with  such  force  and  velocity,  as  to  tear  up  frightful  ravines, 
and,  sweeping  away  thousands  of  acres  of  friable  materials, 
which  to  a  considerable  depth  constitute  the  more  ancient 
[219]  incumbent  soil,  leave  behind,  upon  the  denuded 


286  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

plains,  colossal  masses  insulated  in  the  most  fantastic 
forms,  so  as  to  appear  like  piles  of  artificial  ruins.  Such 
is  the  appearance  of  the  saline  plains  of  the  Arkansa, 
and  many  extensive  tracts  towards  the  sources  of  the  Mis- 
souri, from  Fort  Mandan  westward  to  the  basis  of  the 
Northern  Andes. 

CHAPTER  XVI 

Cadron  settlement  —  Arrive  at  Arkansas  —  Continue  to 
the  Mississippi  —  The  wandering  fanatics  —  Pirates  — 
Natchez  —  stratification  of  its  site,  and  remarks  on  its 
agricultural  productions  —  The  Choctaws  —  Fort 
Adams  —  Point  Coupe  —  Baton  Rouge  —  Opulent 
Planters  —  New   Orleans. 

On  the  evening  of  the  i8th  of  December,  I  again  arrived 
at  the  Cadron, ^^^  where  four  families  now  resided.  A  con- 
siderable concourse  of  travellers  and  some  emigrants  begin 
to  make  their  appearance  at  this  imaginary  town.  The 
only  tavern,  very  ill  provided,  was  consequently  crowded 
with  all  sorts  of  company.  It  contained  only  two  tenant- 
able  rooms,  built  of  logs,  with  hundreds  of  crevices  still 
left  open,  notwithstanding  the  severity  of  the  season. 

Every  reasonable  and  rational  amusement  appeared 
here  to  be  swallowed  up  in  dram-drinking,  jockeying, 
and  gambling;  even  our  landlord,  in  defiance  of  the  law, 
was  often  the  ring-leader  of  what  it  was  his  duty  to  sup- 
press. Although  I  have  been  through  life  perfectly 
steeled  against  games  of  hazard,  neither  wishing  to  rob 
nor  be  robbed,  I  felt  somewhat  mortified  [220]  to  be  thus 
left  alone,  because  of  my  unconquerable  aversion  to  enter 
this  vortex  of  swindling  and  idleness. 

^"  Or  Quadrant,  a  name  applied  to  the  neighbouring  creek  by  the  French 
hunters,  probably  in  commemoration  of  some  observation  made  there  by  that 
instnunent,  to  ascertain  the  latitude. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  287 

From  the  i8th  to  the  27th  we  had  frosty  nights;  and  on 
the  28th  a  fall  of  snow  that  continued  throughout  the  day, 
and  which  still  {January  3d)  remained  on  all  northern 
exposures;  considerable  sheets  of  ice,  near  three  quarters 
of  an  inch  in  thickness,  now  began  to  invade  the  still  water 
of  the  river,  but  were  generally  broken  up  by  evening. 

In  one  of  the  beds  of  grauwacke  slate,  which  form  the 
picturesque  cliffs  of  the  Cadron,  I  observed  articulations 
of  a  species  of  orthoceratite,  apparently  belonging  to  the 
genus  Raphanister  of  Montfort.  Above  this  bed,  and 
forming  the  summit  of  the  hills,  occurs  a  massive  laminated 
sandstone  of  a  grey  colour  and  inconsiderable  dip. 

On  the  4th  of  January,  1820,  after  waiting  about  a 
month  for  an  opportunity  of  descending,  I  now  embraced 
the  favourable  advantage  of  proceeding  in  the  boat  of  Mr. 
Barber,  a  merchant  of  New  Orleans,  to  whose  friendship 
and  civility  I  am  indebted  for  many  favours. 

5th.]  This  morning  we  again  passed  the  outlet  of  the 
river  called  La  Feve's  Fork,  coming  in  on  our  right.  It 
sources  with  the  Pottoe,  the  Kiamesha,  Little  river  of  Red 
river,  and  with  the  Petit  John  forms  an  irregular  and  acute 
triangle,  affording  a  large  body  of  good  land,  and,  as  well 
as  the  latter,  is  said  to  be  navigable  near  200  miles,  includ- 
ing its  meanders.  Its  entrance  is  marked  by  a  concomi- 
tant chain  of  hills  and  cliffs,  which  border  the  Arkansa, 
and  proceed  in  a  north-westerly  direction.  For  about  a 
mile  and  a  half,  these  hiEs,  of  grauwacke  slate,  present 
the  appearance  of  an  even  wall  coming  up  to  the  margin 
of  the  river,  and  owe  this  singular  aspect  to  their  almost 
vertical  stratification.  Their  summits  are  tufted  with 
pine,  and  the  opposite  alluvial  point,  which  was  sandy, 
[221]  and  to  appearance  scarcely  elevated  above  inunda- 
tion, possessed  also  a  forest  of  similar  trees. 


288  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

This  evening  we  again  arrived  at  Piat's,  and  in  view  of 
the  pyramidal  Mamelle ;  its  extraordinary  appearance,  ele- 
vation, and  isolation  arises  from  the  almost  vertical  dispo- 
sition of  its  strata,  which  are  probably  of  the  same  nature 
as  those  we  passed  to-day  near  the  Petit  John.  Not  far 
above  inundation,  on  the  same  side  of  the  river,  three 
miles  above  Piat's,  these  vertical  rocks  form  a  very  curious 
and  crested  parapet. 

6th.]  This  evening  we  arrived  at  Mr.  Daniel's,  an  indus- 
trious farmer,  and  provided  with  a  rough-looking,  but 
comfortable  winter  cabin.  About  two  miles  from  hence, 
Mr.  D.,  who  lives  upon  a  confirmed  Spanish  right,  had 
erected  a  grist  mill.  Saw-mills  were  also  about  to  be 
built  at  the  Cadron,  and  two  or  three  other  places.  The 
establishment  of  a  town  was  now  contemplated  also  at 
the  Little  Rock,  by  colonel  Hogan,  and  some  others. 
They  had  not,  however,  sufficient  capital,  and  no  doubt 
expected  to  derive  some  adventitious  wealth  from  those 
speculators  who  were  viewing  various  parts  of  the  newly- 
formed  territory. 

7th.]  We  again  arrived  at  the  lower  end  of  the  Eagle's- 
nest  bend,  from  whence  commenced  the  uninhabited 
tract  of  60  or  70  miles. 

8th.]  To-day  we  passed  seven  bends,  making  about  28 
miles.  The  water  at  this,  its  lowest  stage,  appears  to  be 
perfectly  navigable  for  the  larger  boats  from  the  Little 
Rock  to  the  Mississippi.  By  the  cane  which  occurs  in  all 
the  bends,  and  indeed  by  the  apparent  elevation,  there 
are  here  great  bodies  of  good  land,  free  from  inundation. 
The  soil  in  some  of  the  banks  consists  of  an  uncommonly 
rich  dark  Spanish  brown  loam. 

9th.]  This  forenoon  we  passed  the  fourth  Pine  Bluff,  at 
the  base  of  which  we  observed  abundance  of  earthy  iron 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  "Journal  289 

ore,  in  flattened,  contorted,  and  cellular  [222]  masses, 
scattered  about  in  profusion;  much  of  it  appeared  to  be 
pyrites,  other  masses  more  or  less  argillaceous  and  sili- 
ceous. Here,  on  the  portions  of  the  high  bank  which  had 
sunk  down  by  the  undermining  of  the  current,  we  saw  the 
wax-myrtle  of  the  Atlantic  sea-coast. 

loth.]  This  evening  we  arrived  near  to  the  termination 
of  the  second  Pine  Bluffs,  which  continue  along  the  river 
for  nearly  two  miles.  We  passed  through  seven  bends  of 
the  river,  and  came  about  27  miles.  The  frost  was  now 
succeeded  by  mild  and  showery  weather,  and  the  bald 
eagles  {Falco  leucocephalus)  were  already  nestling,  chus- 
ing  the  loftiest  poplars  for  their  eyries. 

nth.]  Soon  after  breakfast  we  came  again  in  sight  of 
the  houses  of  the  French  hunters  Cusot  and  Bartoleme, 
and  found  also  two  families  from  Curran's  settlement 
encamped  here,  and  about  to  settle.  I  here  obtained  two 
fragments  of  fossil  shells,  apparently  some  species  of 
oyster,  one  of  which  was  traversed  with  illinitions  of  crys- 
tallized carbonate  of  lime,  and  contained  specks  of  bovey 
coal,  from  which  I  concluded  them  to  have  been  washed 
out  of  the  Bluffs  above.  Besides  these  I  was  also  shewn 
a  small  conch-shell,  not  apparently  altered  from  its  nat- 
ural state,  and  probably  disinterred  from  some  tumulus. 
Some  time  after  dark  we  arrived  at  Mr.  Bonn's,  a  metif 
or  half  Quapaw,  and  interpreter  to  the  nation,  who  lived 
at  the  first  of  the  Pine  Bluffs.  Two  or  three  other  metif 
families  resided  also  in  the  neighbourhood. 

On  the  12th  we  arrived  at  Monsieur  Dardennes',  and 
to-day  experienced  a  keen  north-western  wind.  Water 
froze  the  instant  it  touched  the  ground. 

13th.]  The  weather  still  freezing.  In  the  evening  we 
passed  Mr.  Harrington's,  a  farmer  in  very  comfortable 


290  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

circumstances.  Betwixt  Morrison's  and  this  [223]  place, 
the  river  makes  two  cuts,  through  two  bends  of  about  eight 
miles  each. 

14th.]  This  evening  we  arrived  at  the  residence  of  the 
late  Mr.  Mosely,  and  about  20  miles  below  Harrington's. 
His  estates  were  said  to  be  worth  not  less  than  20,000  dol- 
lars, which  had  all  been  acquired  during  his  residence  in 
this  territory.  A  proof  that  there  is  here  also  scope  for 
industry,  and  the  acquisition  of  wealth. 

About  noon  we  landed  at  one  of  the  Quapaw  or  Osark 
villages,  but  found  only  three  houses  constructed  of  bark, 
and  those  unoccupied.  In  the  largest  of  them,  apparently 
appropriated  to  amusement  and  superstition,  we  found 
two  gigantic  painted  wooden  masks  of  Indians,^^^  and  a 
considerable  number  of  conic  pelt  caps,  also  painted. 
These,  as  we  learnt  from  an  Indian  who  came  up  to  us 
from  some  houses  below,  were  employed  at  festivals, 
and  worn  by  the  dancers,  a  custom  which  was  also  prob- 
ably practised  by  the  Natchez,  in  whose  temple  Charle- 
voix observed  these  marmosets.  At  the  entrance  of  the 
cabin,  and  suspended  from  the  wall,  there  was  a  female 
figure,  with  a  rudely  carved  head  of  wood  painted  with 
Vermillion.  Being  hollow,  and  made  of  leather,  we  sup- 
posed it  to  be  employed  as  a  mask  for  one  of  the  musi- 
cians, having  in  one  hand  a  pendant  ferule,  as  if  for  the 
purpose  of  beating  a  drum.  In  the  spring  and  autumn 
the  Quapaws  have  a  custom  of  making  a  contribution 
dance,  in  which  they  visit  also  the  whites,  who  live  in  their 
vicinity,  and  the  chief  alms  which  they  crave  is  salt  or 
articles  of  diet. 


^^  The  Tuscaroras  also  wear  masks  at  set  times,  for  the  purpose,  as  they 
pretend,  of  driving  away  evil  spirits,  and  accompany  these  ceremonies  by  the 
sacrifice  of  two  white  dogs. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  291 

On  the  15th  we  again  arrived  at  the  post  of  Osark,  or 
as  it  is  now  not  very  intelligibly  called,  Arkansas,  a  name 
by  far  too  easily  confounded  with  that  of  the  river,  while 
the  name  Osark,  still  assumed  by  the  [224]  lower  villagers 
of  the  Quapaws,  and  in  memory  of  whom  this  place  was 
first  so  called,  would  have  been  perfectly  intelligible  and 
original. 

In  the  evening  we  had  a  storm  of  melting  snow  and  hail, 
which,  on  the  following  morning  was  succeeded  by  a  north- 
west wind,  accompanied  by  a  severe  frost.  The  river  was 
now,  however,  beginning  to  rise  and  assume  a  muddy 
tinge  from  the  influx  of  the  lagoons,  and  lower  rivulets.  A 
more  extensive  fresh  cannot  now  be  expected  before  the 
commencement  of  milder  weather,  and  the  thawing  of 
the  river  towards  its  sources.  The  oldest  settlers  affirm, 
that  the  Arkansa  had  not,  during  their  knowledge  of  it, 
ever  been  so  low  as  before  the  present  rise.  The  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  also  continued  too  low  for  the  navigation 
of  the  steam-boats. 

1 6th.]  This  morning  we  observed  the  newly  appointed 
governor,  general  Miller,^"  goii^g  up  to  the  town  from  his 
boat,  which  appeared  to  be  very  handsomely  and  conve- 
niently fitted  up,  bearing  for  a  name  and  motto  'T'U 
try,"  commemorative  of  an  act  of  courage  for  which  the 
general  had  been  distinguished  by  his  country. 


''*  James  Miller  was  born  at  Peterboro,  New  Hampshire,  in  1776.  After 
practicing  law  for  several  years,  he  entered  the  army  as  major  in  1808,  became 
lieutenant-colonel  in  1810,  and  colonel  in  18 12  —  the  latter,  in  recognition  of 
gallantry  at  BroAYnstown.  The  incident  alluded  to  in  the  text  occurred  at 
Lundy's  Lane,  July  25,  1814.  General  Scott  having  asked  Miller  if  he  could 
take  the  British  battery,  he  replied  "I'll  try,  sir,"  and  led  a  successful  charge. 
For  this  deed  he  was  given  a  gold  medal  and  made  a  brigadier-general.  Upon 
the  erection  of  Arkansas  Territory  in  March,  1819,  Miller  was  appointed  gov- 
ernor, but  was  never  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Territory.  He  resigned  in  1825, 
and  became  collector  at  the  port  of  Salem,  dying  in  1851. —  Ed. 


292  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

On  arriving  in  the  town,  we  found  the  court  engaged  in 
deciding  upon  the  fate  of  a  criminal,  who  had  committed 
a  rape  upon  the  unprotected,  and  almost  infant  person  of 
a  daughter  of  his  late  wife.^^^  The  legal  punishment,  in 
this  and  the  Missouri  territory,  for  this  crime,  castration ! 
is  no  less  singular  and  barbarous,  however  just,  than  the 
heinous  nature  of  the  crime  itself.  The  penitentiary  law 
of  confinement,  so  successfully  tried  in  the  states  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Nev/  York,  for  every  crime  short  of  murder, 
is  an  improvement  in  jurisprudence,  which  deserves  to  be 
adopted  in  every  part  of  the  United  States.  It  often  re- 
claims the  worst  of  the  human  race,  learns  them  habits  of 
industry  with  which  they  had  been  unacquainted,  and 
corrects  those  vices  which  perhaps  ignorance  [225]  and 
parental  indulgence  had  fostered.  There  is  certainly  a 
flagrant  want  of  humanity  in  the  multiplicity  of  sanguinary 
and  stigmatizing  punishments.  To  sacrifice  all  that  por- 
tion of  the  community  to  infamy,  who  happen  to  fall  be- 
neath the  lash  of  the  law,  is  incompatible  with  the  true 
principles  of  justice.  Maim  a  man,  or  turn  him  out  with 
the  stigma  of  infamy  into  the  bosom  of  society,  and  he 
will  inevitably  become  a  still  greater  scourge  to  the  world, 
in  which  he  now  only  lives  to  seek  revenge  by  the  commis- 
sion of  greater  but  better  concealed  crimes. 

Interest,  curiosity,  and  speculation,  had  drawn  the 
attention  of  men  of  education  and  wealth  toward  this 
country,  since  its  separation  into  a  territory;  we  now  see 
an  additional  number  of  lawyers,  doctors,  and  mechanics. 
The  retinue  and  friends  of  the  governor,  together  with  the 
officers  of  justice,  added  also  essential  importance  to  the 

^"  This  is  said  to  be  the  first  case  of  record  ever  tried  in  an  Arkansas  court. 
The  name  of  the  criminal  was  Thomas  Dickinson,  and  that  of  his  victim  Sally 
Hall.  Under  the  sentence  of  the  court,  Dickinson  was  to  have  received  his 
punishment  on  February  15,  but  Governor  Miller  pardoned  him. —  Ed. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  293 

territory,  as  well  as  to  the  growing  town.  The  herald  of 
public  information,  and  the  bulwark  of  civil  liberty,  the 
press,  had  also  been  introduced  to  the  Post  within  the 
present  year,  where  a  weekly  newspaper  was  now  issued. ^^"^ 
Thus,  in  the  interim  of  my  arrival  in  this  country  it  had 
commenced  the  most  auspicious  epoch  of  its  political 
existence. 

17th  and  1 8th.]  I  again  paid  a  visit  to  the  prairie,  which, 
as  well  as  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  town,  is  in 
winter  extremely  wet,  in  consequence  of  the  dead  level  ^ 
and  argillaceous  nature  of  the  soil.  The  interesting  plants 
and  flowers  which  I  had  seen  last  year,  at  this  time, 
were  now  so  completely  locked  up  in  the  bosom  of  winter, 
as  to  be  no  longer  discernible,  and  nearly  disappointed 
me  in  the  hopes  of  collecting  their  roots,  and  transplant- 
ing them  for  the  gratification  of  the  curious. 

On  the  19th,  I  bid  farewell  to  Arkansas,  and  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  Mississippi,  in  the  barge  of  Mons. 
Notrebe,  a  merchant  of  this  place,  and  the  day  following, 
without  any  material  occurrence,  arrived  at  [226]  the 
confluence  of  the  Arkansa,  a  distance  of  about  60  miles. 
The  bayou,  through  which  I  came  in  the  spring,  now  ran 
with  as  much  velocity  towards  White  river,  as  it  had  done 
before  into  the  Arkansa,  its  current  and  course  depending 
entirely  upon  the  relative  elevation  of  the  waters  of  the 
two  rivers  with  which  it  communicates.  The  large  island, 
thus  produced,  possesses  extensive  tracts  of  cane  land, 
sufficiently  elevated,  as  I  am  told,  above  inundation,  as 
does  also  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Arkansa.  About  12 
miles  above  the  mouth,  the  site  first  chosen  for  the  Span- 

^"  The  paper  was  called  the  Arkansas  Gazette,  and  was  the  first  to  be  pub- 
lished in  the  Territory.  The  Primacy  of  the  Post  in  the  matter  of  newspapers 
was  short-lived,  for  the  Gazette  was  taken  to  Little  Rock  in  1820,  and  no  other 
succeeded  it  until  1862. —  Ed. 


294  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

ish  garrison,  and  which  was  evacuated  in  consequence  of 
inundation,  was  pointed  out  to  me.  A  house  now  also 
stands  on  the  otherwise  deserted  spot,  where  once  were 
garrisoned  the  troops  of  France,  at  the  terminating  point 
of  the  river.  We  now  found  ourselves  again  upon  the 
bosom  of  one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  rivers,  which 
appeared  in  an  unbroken  and  meandering  sheet,  stretch- 
ing over  an  extended  view  of  more  than  1 2  miles,  and  dec- 
orated with  a  pervading  forest,  only  terminated  by  the 
distant  horizon. 

2 1  St.]  I  now  embarked  for  New  Orleans  in  a  flat  boat, 
as  the  Steam  boats,  for  want  of  water,  were  not  yet  in 
operation. 

Not  far  from  this  place,  a  few  days  ago  were  encamped, 
the  miserable  remnant  of  what  are  called  the  Pilgrims,  a 
band  of  fanatics,  originally  about  60  in  number.  They 
commenced  their  pilgrimage  from  the  borders  of  Canada, 
and  wandered  about  with  their  wives  and  children 
through  the  vast  wilderness  of  the  western  states,  like  vag- 
abonds, without  ever  fixing  upon  any  residence.  They 
looked  up  to  accident  and  charity  alone  for  support;  im- 
posed upon  themselves  rigid  fasts,  never  washed  their 
skin,  or  cut  or  combed  their  hair,  and  like  the  Dunkards 
wore  their  beards.  Settling  no  where,  they  were  conse- 
quently deprived  of  every  comfort  which  arises  from  [227] 
the  efforts  of  industry.  Desertion,  famine,  and  sickness, 
soon  reduced  their  numbers,  and  they  were  every  where 
treated  with  harshness  and  neglect,  as  the  gypsies  of  civil- 
ized society.  Passing  through  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illi- 
nois, they  at  length  found  their  way  down  the  Mississippi 
to  the  outlet  of  White  river  and  the  Arkansa.  Thus  ever 
flying  from  society  by  whom  they  were  despised,  and  by 
whom  they  had  been  punished  as  vagabonds,  blinded  by 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  295 

fanatic  zeal,  they  lingered  out  their  miserable  lives  in 
famine  and  wretchedness,  and  have  now  nearly  all  per- 
ished or  disappeared.  Two  days  after  my  arrival  in  the 
territory,  one  of  them  was  found  dead  in  the  road  which 
leads  from  the  Mississippi  to  Arkansas,  If  I  am  correctly 
informed,  there  now  exists  of  them  only  one  man,  three 
women,  and  two  children.  Two  other  children  were 
taken  from  them  in  compassion  for  their  miserable  situ- 
ation, and  the  man  was  but  the  other  day  seized  by  a 
boat's  crew  descending  the  river,  and  forcibly  shaved, 
washed,  and  dressed. 

Down  to  the  year  181 1,  there  existed  on  the  banks  of 
the  Mississippi,  a  very  formidable  gang  of  swindling  rob- 
bers, usually  stationed  in  two  parties  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Arkansa,  and  at  Stack  island.  They  were  about  80  in 
number,  and  under  the  direction  of  two  captains. 
Amongst  other  predatory  means  of  obtaining  property, 
was  that  of  purchasing  produce  from  boats  descending 
the  river,  with  counterfeit  money.  Clary  and  his  gang  of 
the  Arkansa,  had,  some  time  in  the  autumn  of  181 1,  pur- 
chased in  this  way  some  property  from  a  descending  fiat 
boat.  The  owner,  however,  before  leaving  the  shore,  dis- 
covered the  fraud,  and  demanded  restitution,  but  was 
denied  with  insolence ;  and  they  proceeded,  at  length,  so  far 
as  to  fire  upon  his  boat.  These  circumstances  being  re- 
lated to  the  companies  of  several  other  flats  who  very 
opportunely  came  up  at  this  time,  and  12  of  them  being 
now  collected,  they  made  up  a  party  to  [228]  apprehend 
this  nest  of  pirates.  It  was  nearly  night  when  they  landed, 
and  were  instantly  fired  upon  by  the  robbers.  They  at 
last  arrived  at  the  house  which  they  occupied,  broke  it  open, 
and  secured  Clary  and  two  others  who  had  attempted  to 
hide  themselves.     A  court  martial  was  held  over  them. 


296  Rarly  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

which  sentenced  Clary  to  receive  a  number  of  lashes  from 
the  crew  of  each  boat,  and  the  two  other  delinquents  were 
condemned  to  confinement,  and  to  work  the  boat  in  the 
place  of  two  of  the  boatmen  who  were  wounded.  These 
men,  on  arriving  at  Natchez,  were  committed  to  prison,  but 
no  one  appearing  against  them,  they  were  of  course  acquit- 
ted. Clary  confessed,  that  he  and  his  crew  had,  within  the 
week  previous  to  his  apprehension,  bought  and  transmitted 
up  the  Arkansa,  with  counterfeit  money,  1800  dollars  worth 
of  produce.  It  was  also  known  that  he  had  been  a  mur- 
derer, and  had  fled  to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  from 
justice.  The  Stack  island  banditti  have  never  been 
routed,  and  some  of  their  character  were  still  found  skulk- 
ing around  Point  Chicot  and  the  neighbouring  island, 
always  well  supplied  with  counterfeit  money. 

2 2d.]  This  morning  we  were  visited  by  three  Choctaws 
in  quest  of  whiskey.  Their  complexions  were  much  fairer 
than  most  of  the  Indians  we  meet  with  on  the  Mississippi. 
Two  of  them  were  boys  of  about  18  or  19,  and  possessed 
the  handsomest  features  I  have  ever  seen  among  the 
natives,  though  rather  too  effeminate.  About  20  miles 
below  the  Arkansa,  in  the  Cypress  bend,  we  saw  the  first 
appearance  of  Tillandsia  or  Long  moss. 

On  the  24th,  we  arrived  at  Point  Chicot,^^'  which  is 
included  in  the  Arkansa  territory;  the  boundary  being 
the  Big  Lake,  about  20  miles  below.  From  one  of  the 
settlers,  living  a  few  miles  below  Point  Chicot,  I  learn, 
that  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Mississippi,  the  high  lands 
are  here  from  15  to  20  miles  distant.  [229]  The  reaches 
and  bends,  in  this  part  of  the  river,  are  hardly  less  than  six 
miles  in  length.     Toward  the  centre  of  the  bends  consid- 

^"  Point  Chicot  is  opposite  Greenville,  Mississippi,  forty-five  miles,  by  the 
river,  above  the  Arkansas  boundary. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  yournal  297 

erable  bodies  of  cane  appear,  indicative  of  an  elevation 
above  the  usual  inundations;  it  is,  however,  probable  that 
these  tracts  are  narrow,  and  flanked  at  no  great  distance 
by  lagoons  and  cypress  marshes  subject  to  the  floods. 
Many  bends  indeed  presented  nothing  but  cypress  and 
black  ash. 

From  the  Chicasaw  Bluffs  downward,  along  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi,  we  perceive  no  more  of  the  Tulip  tree 
(Liriodendron  tulipifera),  and  but  little  of  the  Platanus, 
greatly  reduced  in  magnitude,  compared  with  what  it 
attains  along  the  Ohio.  The  largest  tree  of  the  forest 
here  is  that  which  is  of  the  quickest  growth,  the  Cotton- 
wood poplar  (Populus  angulata). 

27th.]  The  whole  country,  generally  speaking,  along  the 
river,  appears  uninhabited,  though  vast  tracts  of  cane  land 
occur  in  the  bends.  I  am,  however,  informed  that  the 
cane  will  withstand  a  partial  inundation.  Since  we  left 
Point  Chicot  the  river  presents  us  with  several  magnificent 
views,  some  of  8,  some  of  12,  and  even  15  miles  extent; 
but  the  absence  of  variety,  even  amidst  objects  of  the  ut- 
most grandeur,  soon  becomes  tiresome  by  familiarity.  As 
above  the  Arkansa,  the  river  still  continues  meandering. 
The  curves,  at  all  seasons  washed  by  a  rapid  current, 
present  crumbling  banks  of  friable  soil  more  or  less  mixed 
with  vegetable  matter.  By  the  continued  undermining 
and  removal  of  the  earth,  the  bends  are  at  length  worn 
through,  the  former  tongue  of  land  then  becomes  trans- 
formed into  an  island,  and  the  stagnation  and  partial  fill- 
ing of  the  old  channel,  now  deserted,  in  time  produces  a 
lake.  Some  idea  of  the  singular  caprice  of  the  Mississippi 
current  may  be  formed,  by  taking  for  a  moment  into  view 
the  extraordinary  extent  of  its  alluvial  valley,  which  below 
[230]  the  Ohio  is  from  30  to  40  miles  in  width,  through  all 


298  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

which  space  it  has  from  time  to  time  meandered,  and  over 
which  it  will  never  cease  to  hold  occasional  possession. 
On  the  opposite  side  of  all  the  bends  there  are  what  are 
called  bars,  being  platforms  of  sand  formed  by  the  depo- 
sition of  the  siliceous  matter  washed  out  of  the  opposite 
banks  by  the  force  of  the  current.  These  sand  flats, 
sometimes  near  a  mile  in  width,  are  uniformly  flanked  by 
thick  groves  of  willows  and  poplars,  the  only  kind  of 
trees  which  survive  the  effects  of  the  inundation  to  which 
these  bars  are  perpetually  subject. 

28th.]  This  morning  we  passed  the  settlement  called 
the  Walnut  Hills,^*^  a  situation  somewhat  similar  to  that 
of  Natchez,  consisting,  however,  of  a  cluster  of  hills  of 
150  or  200  feet  elevation,  laid  out  in  a  chain  of  agreeable 
farms.  The  banks,  along  the  river,  though  not  near  so 
elevated  as  those  of  the  Chicasaw  Bluffs,  are  still  far 
enough  above  the  reach  of  inundation,  and  present  a 
stratification  and  materials  entirely  similar:  the  same  fria- 
ble ferruginous  clays,  and  also  one  or  two  beds  of  lig- 
nite, the  lower  about  a  foot  in  thickness,  very  distinct 
at  this  low  stage  of  the  water,  and  about  three  feet  from 
its  margin.  The  declivity  for  near  half  a  mile  back  pre- 
sents innumerable  slips  parallel  with  the  river,  and  in  one 
of  the  ravines  large  masses  of  sandstone  were  washed  out 
towards  the  river. 

In  the  evening  we  arrived  at  a  small  town  called  War- 
rington,^*^ containing  two  inns  and  as  many  stores.  The 
land  appeared  low,  but  was  secured  from  inundation  by 
a  levee  or  embankment  carried  out  for  two  or  three  miles 

^**  For  a  sketch  of  Walnut  Hills  (Vicksburg),  see  Cuming's  Tour,  our  vol- 
ume iv,  note  197. —  Ed. 

^*'  Warrenton  is  the  correct  spelling.  It  was  the  seat  of  Warren  County 
until  1836,  being  then  supplanted  by  Vicksburg.  Its  population  is  still  less  than 
a  hundred. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  299 

below  the  town.  Out  of  its  small  quota  of  population,  37 
individuals  last  summer  died  of  the  yellow-fever,  said  to 
have  been  introduced  by  the  steam-boat  Alabama.  The 
gloomy  mantling  of  the  forest  communicated  by  the  Til- 
landsia  usneoides  or  long  moss,  which  every  where  prevails, 
is  a  never-failing  [231]  proof  of  the  presence  of  an  un- 
healthy humidity  in  the  atmosphere.  The  stagnating 
lagoons  and  bodies  of  refluent  water  also  largely  contrib- 
ute to  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate.  The  vast  extent 
and  depth  of  this  inundation  is  sufficiently  evident  by  the 
marks  along  the  banks  of  the  river,  which  in  places  exhib- 
ited a  rise  of  50  feet  above  the  present  level ! 

29th.]  To-day  we  passed  the  grand  Gulf  or  eddy,  near 
to  which  enters  Big  Black  river. "**  Here  again  the  friable 
hUls  of  the  high  land  make  their  appearance  on  the  borders 
of  the  river,  on  and  around  which  there  are  settlements. 
At  the  base  of  the  hills  loose  heaps  of  sandstone  lie  scat- 
tered. A  thin  stratified  bed  of  the  same  was  now  also 
visible.  In  high  water  a  violent  and  dangerous  eddy 
sweeps  along  these  rocks.  On  the  declivity  of  this  hill 
we  see  the  first  trees  of  the  Magnolia  grandi flora.  The 
small  palmetto  {Sahal  minor)  commences  about  Warring- 
ton. The  distance  to  high  land  on  the  opposite  or  west- 
ern side  of  the  river  is  said  to  be  little  less  than  30 
mUes. 

30th.]  This  morning  we  came  to  what  is  called  the  Petit 
Gulf,"^  where  another  cluster  of  hills  appears  scattered 
with  settlements.     Here  the  banks  present  nothing  but 


"°  Big  Black  River  forms  the  boundary  between  Warren  and  Claiborne 
counties,  Mississippi.  Grand  Gulf  is  just  below  its  mouth,  where  now  stands 
a  village  of  the  same  name.  General  Phineas  Lyman's  Tory  colony  of  1775 
was  located  on  the  Big  Black.     See  our  volume  iv,  note  198. —  Ed. 

"*  Petit  Gulf  is  fifteen  miles  below  Grand  Gulf,  adjacent  to  the  village  of 
Rodney,  on  the  line  between  Claiborne  and  Jefferson  counties. —  Ed. 


300  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

friable  materials,  still  also  similar  to  the  Chicasaw  Bluffs. 
Beds  of  very  white  sand,  intimately  mixed  with  argilla- 
ceous earth,  appear  in  prominent  cliffs.  One  of  the  houses 
which  we  visited  is  apparently  built  upon  an  aboriginal 
mound,  and  there  are  two  others  about  a  mile  distant,  in 
which  have  been  found  bones  and  pot-sherds.  Last  eve- 
ning we  passed  bayou  Pierre,"^  30  miles  up  which  stream, 
and  15  by  land,  is  situated  the  thriving  town  of  Gibson- 
port.^" 

31st.]  To-day  we  arrived  at  the  well  known  and  opu- 
lent town  of  Natchez,"*  situated  on  the  summit  of  a  hill 
which  forms  part  of  the  same  range  and  primitive  soil  as 
the  Petit  Gulf.  The  port  was  crowded  with  flat-boats, 
produce  bearing  a  reduced  [232]  price  in  consequence  of 
the  low  rate  of,  and  small  demand  for,  cotton. 

The  cliffs  of  Natchez  appear  more  elevated  than  those 
of  the  Petit  Gulf.  The  lands,  of  an  inferior  soil,  are  also 
remarkably  broken  and  deeply  undulated.  The  crum- 
bling precipice,  of  about  150  feet  elevation,  is  continually 
breaking,  by  the  action  of  springs  and  rain-water,  into 
gullies  and  frightful  ravines;  the  whole  visible  matter 
which  composes  the  hills  consisting  of  clays,  ferruginous 
sand,  and  quartzy  gravel.  A  few  years  ago,  the  under- 
mining of  the  current  swept  down  a  considerable  part  of 
the  bank  with  several  houses  upon  it.  From  the  irregu- 
larity in  the  thickness  of  this  ancient  maritime  alluvion, 
arises  the  great  difference  of  depth  at  which  water  is  here 

^*  Bayou  Pierre  is  almost  exactly  midway  between  Grand  Gulf  and  Petit 
Gulf.  There  were  one  or  two  plantations  upon  its  banks  as  early  as  1729,  the 
year  of  the  Natchez  uprising  against  the  French. —  Ed. 

""^  Now  called  Port  Gibson.  It  is  the  seat  of  Claiborne  County,  and  was 
founded  (1803)  on  land  granted  by  the  Spanish  authorities  to  Samuel  Gibson, 
who  came  to  Mississippi  (1772)  from  South  Carolina. —  Ed. 

*^  For  a  sketch  of  Natchez,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  volume  iv  of  our  series, 
note  206. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  "Journal  301 

obtained.  In  the  same  vicinity  water  has  been  found  at 
35,  and  then  again  at  no  feet  from  the  surface. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  I  waited  upon  Saml.  Postleth- 
waite,  Esq.,  related  by  marriage  to  the  late  Mr.  Dunbar. 
From  Mr.  P.  and  his  amiable  lady,  I  met  with  every  atten- 
tion and  kindness  which  friendship,  hospitality,  and  po- 
liteness could  have  possibly  dictated. 

To  my  enquiries  concerning  the  horticulture  and  agri- 
culture of  Natchez,  Mr.  P.  informed  me,  that  the  peach 
and  fig,  as  well  as  the  pear  and  the  quince,  succeed  ex- 
tremely well.  The  apple  trees  also,  introduced  from  Ken- 
tucky, afforded  nearly  equal  success.  The  cherry,  the 
gooseberry,  and  the  currant,  though  thriving,  scarcely 
produce  at  all.  The  pomegranate,  and  the  myrtle,  grow 
and  fruit  almost  as  in  their  native  climate.  The  orange 
and  lemon  require  some  shelter  from  the  prevailing  winter. 
Grapes  attain  to  tolerable  perfection,  but  the  clusters  are 
often  blighted,  apparently  by  the  humidity  of  the  atmos- 
phere. The  kernels  of  dates  which  have  been  planted, 
germinate  and  grow  with  considerable  vigour.  The 
olive,  [233]  which  so  many  years  ago  was  introduced  by 
the  first  French  settlers,  and  said,  by  Du  Pratz,  to  have 
succeeded,  is  now  entirely  lost. 

Cotton,  which  constitutes  the  staple  commodity  and 
wealth  of  this  country,  has,  like  all  other  crops,  a  consider- 
able tendency  to  impoverish  the  soil;  before  the  settle- 
ment became  so  much  condensed,  and  land  so  advanced 
in  value,  no  method  of  improving  the  worn  out  lands  was 
ever  thought  of.  Such  fields  were  then  left  waste,  and 
new  lands  still  continually  cleared.  Of  late  years  some 
attention  has  been  paid  towards  renovating  the  soil,  by 
plowing  in  the  herb  of  the  cotton,  after  being  thrashed 
to  pieces  as  it  stands  in  the  field.    A  much  more  conve- 


302  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

nient  and  expeditious  method,  however,  is  that  which  Mr. 
P.  has  practised,  who  employs  a  loaded  harrow  or  a  roller 
armed  with  knives,  which  divides  the  plant  also  into  much 
smaller  pieces.  The  seed,  which  forms  three-fourths  of 
the  crop  in  weight,  being  very  oleaginous,  would  likewise 
return  to  the  soil  a  considerable  share  of  nourishment,  as 
appears  by  the  experiment  of  applying  it  to  maize,  which, 
thus  treated,  grows  as  luxuriant  as  when  manured  with 
gypsum.  The  seed  of  the  cotton  also,  when  scalded, 
and  mixed  with  a  little  salt,  forms  a  nourishing  and  agree- 
able food  for  cattle. 

Of  late  years,  a  prevailing  disease  has  injured  the  crops 
of  this  plant.  From  what  I  learn,  it  appears  to  be  of  the 
same  nature  as  that  which  destroys  the  grapes,  and  de- 
pends apparently  upon  the  state  of  the  atmosphere,  pro- 
gressing with  more  or  less  rapidity  in  proportion  to  its 
humidity.  The  disease  in  question  attacks  the  extremity 
of  the  peduncle,  appearing,  at  first,  like  a  moist  or  oily 
spot,  which  is  succeeded  by  a  sphacelous  state  of  the 
integuments,  and  an  abortion  of  the  capsule. 

Although  we  perceive  but  little  attention  paid  to  science 
or  literature  in  this  territory,  it  does  not  by  [234]  any  means 
appear  to  be  destitute  of  public  patronage,  as  there  is  a 
very  handsome  endowment  in  lands  appropriated  by  the 
state  for  the  building  and  support  of  a  college.  Some 
difficulty,  now  nearly  obviated,  as  I  understood,  had  been 
the  means  of  retarding  the  progress  of  the  institution."^ 
The  inhabitants  of  Natchez,  generally  speaking,  as  in 
most  of  the  southern  states,  live  in  ease  and  affluence. 

^^  By  act  of  February  20,  18 19,  Congress  donated  thirty-six  sections  of 
public  land  to  the  legislature  of  Mississippi,  in  trust,  to  endow  a  ' '  seminary  of 
learning."  The  lands  were  sold  at  auction,  notes  were  taken  in  payment,  half 
of  them  were  never  collected,  and  the  proceeds  of  those  which  were  paid  were 
lost  by  the  failure  of  the  Planters'  Bank,  in  1840. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  303 

To  my  enquiries  concerning  the  aboriginal  Natchez, 
Mr.  P.  said,  he  was  inclined  to  believe  them  now  extinct, 
as  some  years  ago  he  had  heard  that  only  two  or  three 
individuals  of  them  then  remained.  Their  first  flight,  after 
the  cruel  defeat  and  massacre  which  took  place  in  their 
fort,  was  across  the  river,  to  what  is  now  called  Sicily 
island,  a  body  of  land  at  this  time  settled,  of  about  five 
miles  in  width,  partly  insulated  by  the  overflows  of  the 
Tensaw,  and  rising  into  a  hill  considerably  above  the  reach 
of  inundation.  The  unfortunate  Natchez  were  not,  how- 
ever, suffered  to  remain  in  peace,  and  being  again  routed 
by  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies,  were,  on  the  verge 
of  extermination,  driven  to  seek  refuge  among  the  neigh- 
bouring Indians. ^^^  From  my  friend,  Mr.  Ware,  of  the 
Mississippi  Territory,  I  learn,  that  there  still  exists  a  small 
village  of  the  Natchez  on  the  banks  of  the  Tallipoosee, 
in  Alabama,  governed  by  a  chief,  named  Coweta,  who 
joined  the  United  States  against  the  Lower  Creeks  in  the 
late  war. 

Mr.  P.  informs  me,  that  in  digging,  some  time  ago,  into 
a  neighbouring  mound,  to  the  depth  of  a  few  feet,  frag- 
ments of  a  sword  blade,  and  some  other  relics  of  European 
warfare,  were  found,  together  with  beads  and  remains 
which  appeared  to  have  accompanied  an  aboriginal  inter- 
ment. From  these  circumstances,  it  would  appear,  that 
some  courageous  opponent  of  the  French  had  made  a 
desperate  stand  upon  this  sacred  ground,  in  order  to 
annoy  his  enemies,  [235]  and  to  sell  his  life  as  dear  as  pos- 


^  Early  in  1731,  Perier,  governor  of  Louisiana,  attacked  a  fort  which  the 
Natchez  had  built  near  the  confluence  of  Ouachita  and  Black  rivers.  A  num- 
ber of  warriors  eluded  the  French  and  escaped;  but  the  remaining  Indians, 
including  the  chief  men  of  the  tribe  and  several  hundred  women  and  children, 
were  captured  and  sold  as  slaves  in  San  Domingo.  The  remnant  of  the  tribe 
retreated  to  the  Chickasaw,  who  continued  the  war.     See  ante,  note  147. —  Ed. 


304  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

sible  upon  the  tomb  of  his  ancestors.  I  am  the  more 
inclined  to  hazard  this  opinion,  not  only  from  the  cir- 
cumstances related  (of  the  broken  fragments  of  European 
weapons,  and  the  decorations  of  a  warrior),  but  likewise 
from  the  assertion  of  the  aged  Illinois  chief,  made  at  Kas- 
kaskia,  who,  on  being  interrogated  as  to  the  use  and  origin 
of  the  lofty  mounds  in  that  neighbourhood,  answered, 
that  his  forefathers  had  employed  them  as  situations  of 
defence  against  their  enemies  the  Iroquois. 

Mr.  Ware  informs  me,  that  aboriginal  remains  abound 
in  the  vicinity  of  Natchez.  Twelve  miles  above  the  town 
there  is  a  square  fort  of  three  or  four  acres  area,  furnished 
with  several  gateways,  and  erected  on  a  commanding  situ- 
ation. About  12  miles  below  the  town  there  is  likewise  a 
group  of  mounds. 

Considerable  numbers  of  Choctaws  appeared  at  this 
season  straggling  through  the  streets  of  Natchez,  either 
begging  or  carrying  on  some  paltry  traffic,  but  chiefly  for 
the  sake  of  liquor.  I  am  informed  that  civilization  is 
making  some  advances  among  those  who  live  in  the  nation, 
and  who  have  consequently  abandoned  their  ancient  wan- 
dering habits.  Those  of  them  we  see  here  are  meanly 
dressed  and  of  a  swarthy  complexion.  Their  ancient 
mode  of  exposing  the  dead  upon  scaffolds,  and  afterwards 
separating  the  flesh  from  the  bones,  is  falling  into  disuse, 
though  still  practised,  as  Mr.  Ware  informs  me,  by  the 
six  towns  of  the  Choctaws"^  on  the  Pascagoula.  They 
still  entertain  the  same  tradition  of  their  origin  which  was 
current  in  the  time  of  Du  Pratz,  though  he  believes  them 
to  have  emigrated  into  the  country  which  they  now  pos- 
sess.    The  legend  is,  that  they  sprung  out  of  a  hill,  situ- 

^'  For  a  sketch  of  the  Choctaw,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  volume  iv  of  our  series, 
note  187. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  305 

ated  contiguous  to  Pearl  river,  which,  Mr.  Ware  tells  me, 
they  still  visit  and  venerate.  The  Creeks  entertain  a 
tradition"^  of  coming  from  the  west  side  of  the  Mississippi, 
and  that  too  at  so  recent  a  date,  as  to  have  heard  of  the 
landing  of  White  people  [236]  on  the  Atlantic  coast  soon 
after  their  arrival.  The  Seminoles,  Utchis,  and  Yama- 
sees  are  a  portion  of  those  more  ancient  people  whom  they 
found  in  possession  of  the  country,  and  with  whom  they 
carried  on  an  exterminating  warfare.  Indeed,  many  of 
the  people  of  that  country  discovered  by  Soto,  and  some 
of  them  numerous  and  powerful,  are  now  no  longer  in 
existence.  Those  whom  he  calls  the  Cutifa-chiqui,  then 
governed  by  a  female,  held  a  court  equally  as  dignified 
as  that  of  Powhatan  in  Virginia. 

The  Choctaws  possess  in  an  eminent  degree  that  thirst 
for  revenge,  which  forms  so  prominent  a  trait  in  the  dispo- 
sition of  the  man  of  America.  By  far  too  indiscriminate  in 
its  object,  murder  and  accidental  death  are  alike  fatal  to 
the  perpetrator,  and  scarcely  any  lapse  of  time,  or  conces- 
sion short  of  that  of  life,  is  taken.  It  is  but  a  few  years  ago, 
that  two  Choctaws  in  the  town  of  Natchez,  firing  at  each 
other,  in  the  same  instant,  fell  both  dead  on  the  spot :  one 
of  them,  in  defence  of  a  life  which  he  had  forfeited ;  the 
other,  in  quest  of  revenge  for  the  death  of  a  relative. 

By  a  recent  treaty, ^^^  effected  through  the  influence  of 

^'  For  the  migration  legend  of  the  Creek,  see  Brinton,  ' '  National  Legend 
of  the  Chahta-Muskotee  Tribes,"  in  Historical  Magazine,  February,  1870; 
also  Gatschet,  "A  Migration  Legend  of  the  Creek  Indians,"  in  Brinton's  Li- 
brary 0}  Aboriginal  American  Literature  (Philadelphia,  1884),  iv.  See  also 
Transactions  of  the  Academy  of  Science  at  St.  Louis,  1886-91,  v.  De  Soto 
found  the  Creek  in  their  historic  abode  in  Georgia  and  Alabama. —  Ed. 

*^'  This  treaty  was  completed  October  18,  1820.  In  exchange  for  the  Choc- 
taw lands  in  Mississippi  it  reserved  for  them  the  territory  lying  between  Arkansas 
and  Canadian  rivers  on  the  north,  and  Red  River  on  the  south,  with  a  western 
boundary  rvmning  due  south  from  the  source  of  the  Canadian  to  the  Red,  and 


306  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

general  Jackson,  the  Choctaws  are  now  about  to  relinquish 
the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi,  and  to  exchange  their 
lands  for  others  in  the  territory  of  Arkansa,  situated  be- 
twixt Arkansa  and  Red  rivers,  and  extending  from  the 
Quapaw  reservation  to  the  Pottoe.  In  consequence  of 
this  singular  but  impolitic  measure  of  crowding  the  abo- 
rigines together,  so  as  to  render  them  inevitably  hostile 
to  each  other,  and  to  the  frontier  which  they  border, 
several  counties  of  the  Arkansa  territory  will  have  to  be 
evacuated  by  their  white  inhabitants,  who  will  thus  be 
ruined  in  their  circumstances,  at  the  very  period  when  the 
general  survey  of  the  lands  had  inspired  them  with  the 
confident  expectation  of  obtaining  a  permanent  and  legal 
settlement. 

[237]  February  4th.]  To-day  we  left  Natchez,  and  in 
the  distance  of  15  miles  passed  Ellis's  Cliffs,  another  por- 
tion of  re-entering  high  land,  broken  into  a  very  pictur- 
esque landscape,  decorated  with  pines  and  magnolias. 
These  cliffs,  no  way  essentially  different  from  those  above, 
present  here,  immediately  above  the  carbonaceous  bed,  a 
very  thick  stratum  of  white  sandy  clay,  so  far  indurated  as 
to  withstand  the  washing  which  has  carried  away  the 
superincumbent  soil. 

In  the  course  of  the  night  we  arrived  at  Fort  Adams,"" 
another  spur  of  the  high  land;  a  term  which  can  only  be 
used  in  reference  to  the  alluvion,  as  the  apparent  undula- 
tion is  here  nothing  more  than  an  adventitious  subsidence 
or  washing  of  the  soil,  the  ravines  and  gullies  being  occa- 
sioned by  its  friable  nature.     Rock,  however,  appears  at 

an  eastern  running  from  Point  Remove  on  the  Arkansas  to  a  point  three  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  Little  River.  The  portion  of  this  tract  lying  within  the  limits 
of  Arkansas  was  ceded  to  the  United  States  January  20,  1825. —  Ed. 

^^  For  a  brief  sketch  of  Fort  Adams,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  our  volume  iv, 
note  211  —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  307 

the  base  of  the  lofty  hill,  on  which  stands  a  block  house  of 
the  late  garrison."^  A  tavern,  a  store,  and  two  or  three 
other  houses  are  here  established  for  the  convenience  of 
the  interior. 

7th.]  To-day  we  arrived  at  the  settlement  of  bayou 
Sarah,  a  mile  up  which  stream  is  situated  the  town  of  St. 
Francisville,"^  and  passed  a  line  of  opulent  plantations 
on  the  Louisiana  bank  of  the  river  called  Point  Coupec^*^' 
From  hence  we  begin  to  perceive  the  orange,  though  not 
very  thriving.  Sugar  is  also  planted  thus  far,  and  appears 
to  succeed.  Mons.  Poydras,"*  a  bachelor  80  years  of 
age,  owns  and  employs  in  this  settlement  betwixt  4  and 
500  negroes,  which,  together  with  property  in  New 
Orleans,  amounts  to  an  estate  of  several  millions  of 
dollars.     His  plantations  at  Point  Coupee  are  principally 

^  Some  of  this  rock  is  an  impure  argillaceous  limestone;  but  the  principal 
part  consists  of  an  indurated  and  parti-coloured  clay,  subject  to  disintegration, 
in  which  state  it  resembles  the  pink-coloured  clay  heretofore  noticed. —  Nuttall. 

°^  St.  Francisville  dates  from  the  period  of  Spanish  dominion  in  Louisiana. 
When  Feliciana  Parish  was  divided  in  1824,  St.  Francisville  was  made  seat  of 
justice  of  West  FeUciana.  It  has  since  been  practically  absorbed  by  Bayou 
Sara,  which  was  originally  merely  the  river  landing  of  the  older  tovra. —  Ed. 

^  This  point  derived  its  name  from  the  fact  that  Iberville,  on  his  ascent  of 
the  river  in  1699,  cut  down  a  number  of  trees  which  obstructed  one  of  the  chan- 
nels, thus  changing  the  course  of  the  river  so  as  eventually  to  cut  off  the  point. 
The  name  means  cut-off  point. 

Pointe  Couple  gives  its  name  to  one  of  the  most  fertile  parishes  in  Louisiana. 
The  parish  also  has  an  interesting  history.  The  mouth  of  Red  River,  in  the 
northern  end  of  the  parish,  is  the  spot  where  De  Soto  is  thought  to  have  died. 
Frenchmen  from  Canada,  Illinois,  and  Vincennes  settled  at  Pointe  Couple  prior 
to  1 712  —  before  the  founding  of  New  Orleans.  Slaves  were  introduced  in 
1719,  and  attempts  made  at  cotton  culture  as  early  as  1785.  Efforts  to  intro- 
duce sugar  cane  began  in  1776,  but  for  a  number  of  years  met  with  small  suc- 
cess.—  Ed. 

^^  JuUen  Poydras  was  Louisiana  Territory's  delegate  in  Congress  (1809-10), 
president  of  the  state  constitutional  convention  (1812),  first  president  of  the 
senate,  and  one  of  the  first  presidential  electors.  One  of  the  principal  streets 
of  New  Orleans  bears  his  name.  He  was  also  known  in  the  state  as  a  philan- 
thropist.    See  post,  note  238. —  Ed. 


308  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

employed  in  the  lucrative  business  of  planting  and  making 
sugar. 

8th.]  We  again  obtained  sight  of  the  high  land  in  [238] 
the  cliffs  near  Thompson's  creek,^^^  and,  as  usual,  on  the 
eastern  side  of  the  river.  About  three  feet  above  the 
present  level,  we  also  observed  the  occurrence  of  the 
bovey-coal  or  lignite,  overlaid  by  massive  beds  of  fer- 
ruginous clays  and  gravel.  This  high  land,  without  again 
approaching  to  the  immediate  margin  of  the  river,  con- 
tinues at  no  great  distance  from  hence  to  Baton-Rouge. 

9th.]  Early  this  morning  we  passed  the  thriving  town 
of  Baton-Rouge,^^®  where  a  garrison  has  been  established 
ever  since  its  cession.  Not  far  from  hence,  the  high 
lands  or  primitive  soil  terminates,  beyond  which,  to  the 
sea,  the  whole  country  is  alluvial  and  marshy.  Con- 
tinued lines  of  settlements  still  present  themselves  on 
either  bank,  and  cotton  and  sugar  are  the  great  articles  of 
their  agricultural  opulence. 

About  3  o'clock  in  the  morning,  we  experienced  a  heavy 
squall  from  the  north-east,  accompanied  by  torrents  of 
rain,  and  were  in  considerable  danger  of  losing  the  flat, 
with  all  our  property  and  baggage.  Ever  since  leaving 
Natchez,  we  have  had  weather  like  summer,  and  vegeta- 
tion already  advances. 

loth  and  nth.]  We  have  in  view  an  almost  uninter- 
rupted line  of  settlements  on  either  hand  which  continue 
to  New  Orleans.  These  planters  are  nearly  all  of  French 
or  Spanish  extraction,  and,  as  yet,  there  are  among  them 
but  few  Americans.     Their  houses  are  generally  built  of 

"*  Thompson's  Creek  forms  the  boundary  between  East  and  West  Feliciana 
parishes.  It  joins  the  Mississippi  at  Port  Hudson,  ten  miles  below  Bayou 
Sara. —  Ed. 

^  For  a  sketch  of  Baton  Rouge,  see  Cuming's  Tour,  our  volume  iv,  note 
216. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  309 

wood,  with  piazzas  for  shade  in  the  summer.  Notwith- 
standing their  comparative  opulence,  they  differ  Httle 
either  in  habits,  manners,  or  dress  from  the  Canadians. 
Dancing  and  gambhng  appear  to  be  their  favourite 
amusements.  The  men,  as  usual,  are  commonly  dressed 
in  blanket  coats,  and  the  women  wear  handkerchiefs 
around  their  heads  in  place  of  bonnets.  The  inhabitants 
do  not  appear  to  be  well  supplied  with  merchandize,  and 
the  river  is  crowded  with  the  boats  of  French  and  Spanish 
[239]  pedlars,  not  much  larger  than  perogues,  but  fitted 
up  with  a  cabin,  covered  deck,  and  sails. 

Another  vast  monopolizer  of  human  liberty,  along  the 
coast  (as  the  borders  of  the  Mississippi  are  termed  by  the 
French),  is  general  Wade  Hampton,^"  who  possesses  up- 
wards of  400  slaves,  and  has  obtained  at  one  crop  500 
hogsheads  of  sugar,  and  1000  bales  of  cotton,  then  collec- 
tively worth  upwards  of  150,000  dollars:  in  the  United 
States  an  immense  fortune,  without  any  additional  prop- 
erty, and  equal  to  that  of  almost  any  English  nobleman. 
But,  with  the  means  of  being  so  extensively  useful,  I  do 
not  learn  that  either  this  gentleman  or  Mons.  Poydras,^^^ 
expend  any  adequate  part  of  their  immense  property  to 

^'  This  famous  South  Carolinian  was  bom  in  1754.  He  served  under  Ma- 
rion and  Sumter  during  the  Revolution;  was  in  Congress  1795-97,  1803-05; 
entered  the  army  as  colonel  in  1808;  was  promoted  to  a  brigadier-generalship 
in  1809  and  stationed  at  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  superseded  by  General 
James  Wilkinson  (1812);  served  on  the  northern  frontier  in  1813,  and  resigned 
his  commission  in  1814.  When  he  died,  in  1835,  he  was  reckoned  the  wealth- 
iest planter  in  the  South.  Several  of  his  descendants  bore  the  same  christian 
name. —  Ed. 

^*  Mons.  P.  has,  I  understand,  endowed  a  place  in  New  Orleans  for  the 
education  of  female  orphans. —  Nuttall. 

Comment  hy  Ed.  The  institution  was  on  Julia  Street,  west  of  Carondelet, 
and  was  built  in  1814.  In  addition  to  Poydras's  gift,  it  received  $4,000  from 
the  state.  This  was  not  Poydras's  only  philanthropic  deed.  A  college  "for 
indigent  females"  was  estabhshed  at  Pointe  Coupee  in  1829,  on  an  endowment 
of  $20,000,  bequeathed  by  him. 


3 1  o  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

public  advantage.  And,  more  than  that,  these  unfortunate 
slaves,  the  engines  of  their  wealth,  are  scarcely  fed  or 
clothed  in  any  way  bordering  on  humanity.  Their  com- 
mon allowance  of  food,  is  said  to  be  about  one  quart  of 
corn  per  day !  Thus  miserably  fed,  they  are  consequently 
driven  to  theft  by  the  first  law  of  nature,  and  subject  the 
country  to  perpetual  depredation.  How  little  wealth  has 
contributed  towards  human  improvement,  appears  suffi- 
ciently obvious  throughout  this  adventitiously  opulent 
section  of  the  Union.  Time  appears  here  only  made  to 
be  lavished  in  amusement.  Is  the  uncertainty  of  human 
life  so  great  in  this  climate,  as  to  leave  no  leisure  for  any 
thing  beyond  dissipation?  The  only  serious  pursuit, 
appears  to  be  the  amassing  and  spending  of  that  wealth 
which  is  wrung  from  the  luckless  toil  of  so  many  unfor- 
tunate Africans,  doomed  to  an  endless  task,  which  is  even 
entailed  upon  their  posterity.  "O  slavery,  though  thou- 
sands in  all  ages  have  drank  of  thee,  still  thou  art  a  bitter 
draught!" 

An  evil,  however,  which  has  been  so  long  established, 
[240]  cannot  be  eradicated  at  a  single  blow.  The  aboli- 
tion of  domestic  slavery  must  be  a  work  of  time.  Let  an 
age  be  chosen  at  which  it  shall  cease  to  operate;  say  a 
limit  of  28  or  30  years.  Let  the  negroes  be  sent  into  the 
civilized  world  with  the  rudiments  of  education,  and  the 
means  of  obtaining  a  livelihood.  After  acquiring  their 
freedom,  it  is  highly  probable,  that  they  would  still  con- 
tinue to  seek  the  employment  of  their  former  masters,  and 
the  neighbourhood  in  which  they  were  born.  The  project 
of  transporting  the  free  negroes  to  the  country  in  which 
they  originated  appears  extremely  rational,  and  ought  to 
be  promoted  by  every  means  in  the  power  of  the  public. 
We  are  sensible  that  the  negroes  who  remain  in  the  society 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalPs  Journal  311 

of  the  whites,  must  ever  be  subjected  to  the  degradation 
of  an  inferior  cast.  They  were  not  formed  to  mingle 
indiscriminately  amongst  us;  but  though  they  may  be 
inferior  to  us  in  intellect  and  civilization,  they  were  un- 
doubtedly born  to  the  possession  of  rational  liberty. 

In  the  contiguous  country  of  Opelousa,^^'  so  called  from 
the  Indians  who  formerly  lived  in  it,  there  are  extensive 
and  fertile  prairies,  where  great  herds  of  cattle  are  raised 
for  the  market  of  New  Orleans.  A  year  ago,  about  12,000 
head  were  sold  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  at  the  rate 
of  from  30  to  35  dollars  each. 

From  hence  to  New  Orleans,  now  86  miles  distant,  the 
whole  coast  is  defended  from  inundation  by  an  embank- 
ment or  trench  of  earth,  thrown  up  with  about  the  same 
labour  as  that  which  is  bestowed  upon  a  common  ditched 
fence.  In  this  simple  way,  millions  of  acres  of  the  richest 
land,  inexhaustible  by  crops,  is  redeemed  from  waste,  and 
we  have  now  the  pleasure  of  viewing  an  almost  uninter- 
rupted line  of  opulent  settlements  continued  from  Baton- 
Rouge,  to  more  than  50  miles  below  New  Orleans. 

[241]  Among  the  more  common  reptiles  of  this  country, 
already  beginning  to  appear  abroad,  I  know  of  none  more 
curious,  than  a  kind  of  Cameleon  lizard,  of  frequent  occur- 
rence, and  in  some  measure  related  to  that  celebrated 
species,  excepting  that  the  colours  which  it  assumes  are 
only  those  with  which  it  is  familiar  in  nature ;  such  as  ash- 
colour  in  the  vicinity  of  a  pale  object,  dark  brown  upon  the 
ground,  or  on  the  trunks  of  trees,  and  a  bright  green  amidst 
verdant  herbage. 

17th.]  After  another  detention  of  two  days  by  the  prev- 
alence  of  a    strong  south-west  wind,  we  continued  our 

"'  West  of  the  river,  around  the  present  parish  of  St.  Landry. —  Ed. 


312  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

voyage,  and  early  this  morning  passed  the  great  planta- 
tion of  general  Hampton,  situated  about  70  miles  from 
New  Orleans,  at  Ouma  point,  the  name  of  a  nation  or 
tribe  of  Indians  now  nearly  extinct,  and  who,  with  the 
remains  of  the  Chetimashas,  once  living  nearly  opposite 
to  bayou  la  Fourche,  are  at  this  time  existing  in  a  partly 
civilized  state  on  the  bayou  Plaquemine.^*"  The  learned 
Peter  S.  Duponceau,^"  Esq.  informs  me,  that  the  lan- 
guage of  the  Chetimashas,  a  people  said,  by  Du  Pratz, 
to  be  a  branch  of  the  Natchez,  appears  to  be  radically  dis- 
tinct from  that  of  the  other  aborigines  of  the  southern 
states.  From  hence  the  banks  of  the  river  are  lower, 
and  the  labour  of  keeping  up  the  levees  greater,  though 
the  rise  of  the  river  is  slower,  its  width  and  uniformity  of 
channel  more  considerable,  and  now  almost  destitute  of 
islands  or  bars.  The  river  is  very  probably  influenced  in 
this  respect  by  the  embankments,  which  are  continued 
almost  without  interruption  from  Fort  Adams  nearly  to 
Fort  Placquemine."^  We  had  now  in  view  a  perpetual 
succession  of  the  habitations  of  the  richest  planters,  sur- 
rounded with  groups  of  negro  cabins.  They  are  almost 
exclusively  engaged  in  the  planting  of  sugar,  and  possess 
establishments  no  way  inferior  to  those  of  the  West  India 
Islands,  some  of  them  being  valued  at  as  much  as  100,000 

'*"  Point  Houmas  is  just  below  Donaldsonville.  The  Hoxunas  numbered 
only  about  sixty  souls  at  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century.  On  the 
Chetimachas,  see  ante,  note  147.  Bayou  La  Fourche  enters  the  Mississippi 
at  Donaldsonville,  and  must  not  be  confounded  with  another  stream  of  the  same 
name  in  La  Fourche  Parish.  The  mouth  of  Bayou  Plaquemine,  is  at  the  town 
of  Plaquemine,  in  Iberville  Parish. —  Ed. 

^"  Peter  Stephen  Duponceau  was  a  Frenchman  who  served  on  Baron 
Steuben's  staff  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  afterwards  (1781),  became 
a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  He  was  well-known  as  an  author  of  legal  essays 
and  a  student  of  Indian  philology.     He  died  in  Philadelphia  in  1844. —  Ed. 

'^^  Thirty  miles  above  the  mouth  of  the  river. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  3 1 3 

dollars,  every  [242]  thing  included.  As  the  settlements 
are  chiefly  in  single  lines  along  the  bank  of  the  river,  the 
land  is  commonly  sold  by  the  measurement  in  front,  run- 
ning back  about  40  arpents,^^'  and  have  been  disposed  of 
at  as  much  as  3000  dollars  per  arpent  in  front,  or  75  dollars 
per  arpent  actual  measurement. 

Notwithstanding  the  fearful  t5Tanny  exercised  over  the 
slaves  on  these  large  plantations,  the  annals  of  this  settle- 
ment are  not  without  the  remembrance  of  serious  symp- 
toms of  revolt.  About  nine  years  ago,  a  party  of  negroes, 
equipped  with  arms,  liberated  themselves,  after  destroying 
their  master  with  two  or  three  other  individuals  who  at- 
tempted to  oppose  them,  and  were  not  subdued  until 
totally  destroyed  by  the  neighbouring  militia.  There 
were  of  them  300,  who  were  routed  near  to  Red  Church, 
about  twenty-four  miles  above  New  Orleans;  so  that, 
betwixt  the  fears  of  inundation,  the  efforts  of  the  enslaved 
Africans  to  emancipate  themselves,  and  the  fatality  of  the 
climate,  the  opulent  planters  of  Louisiana  possess  no  en- 
viable advantage  over  the  happy  peasant,  who  dwells  in 
the  security  which  honest  industry  and  salutary  frugality 
afford  him.^" 

The  excessive  attachment  to  gambling  which  charac- 
terises the  inhabitants  of  Louisiana,  and  the  love  of  specu- 
lation, exhibited   in   the  great  and   transitory  influx  of 

^^  The  arpent  of  Paris  is  less  than  the  English  and  United  States  statute 
acre,  as  512  is  to  605.  The  arpent  is  used  in  Louisiana,  and  other  places  in 
America  inhabited  by  the  French,  as  a  measure  of  length;  each  arpent  is  equal 
to  29.1  Gunter's  chain,  very  nearly;  consequently,  40  arpents  amounts  to  116.4 
Gunter,  or  2660.8  yards. —  Note  by  Mr.  Darby. —  Nuttall. 

^**  The  outbreak  occurred  in  January,  181 1,  in  the  parish  of  St.  John  the 
Baptist.  See  account  in  Martin,  History  of  Louisiana  (New  Orleans,  1827), 
ii,  p.  300;  also  Gayarre,  History  0}  Louisiana  (New  Orleans,  1903),  iv,  p.  266. 
An  earHer  uprising  took  place  in  1795  on  the  Poydras  plantation  (see  ante,  note 
234),  during, the  owner's  absence  in  the  United  States.  See  Gayarre,  iii,  p. 
354  —  Ed. 


314  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

foreigners  and  citizens  from  the  northern  states,  is  now 
ostensibly  checked  by  a  species  of  taxation  called  license. 
Thus,  every  store-keeper  pays  an  annual  assessment  of 
1 10  dollars  to  the  commonwealth.  Every  pedlar  1 2  dollars. 
Every  Pharo  bank  and  Roulette  table  500  dollars  a  year, 
and  every  Billiard  table  50  dollars.  In  excuse  for  thus 
tolerating  the  Pharo  bank  and  the  Roulette,  the  legislature 
affirm  their  inability  to  check  the  evil  by  punishment. 

[243]  1 8th.]  This  morning  we  arrived  at  New  Orleans,^*^ 
now  said  to  contain  about  45,000  inhabitants,  a  great  pro- 
portion of  whom  are  of  French  extraction  and  retain  their 
mother  tongue.  The  situation  of  the  town,  which  was 
begun  in  1718,  is  rendered  unhealthy  by  the  swamp  which 
circumscribes  its  western  suburb,  and  which  continues  at 
all  seasons  totally  impassable.  A  short  canal  crosses  it, 
forming  a  communication  with  the  bayou  St.  John,  and 
lake  Ponchartrain,  by  which  means  a  commercial  com- 
munication is  opened  to  Mobile,  Pensacola,  and  the  Ala- 
bama territory. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  city,  and  along  the  coast, 
the  beautiful  groves  of  orange  trees,  orchards  of  the  fig, 
and  other  productions  of  the  mildest  climates,  sensibly 
indicate  our  approach  to  the  tropical  regions,  where  the 
dreary  reign  of  winter  is  for  ever  unknown.  But  little 
pains  as  yet  have  been  taken  to  introduce  into  this  coun- 
try, though  so  thickly  settled,  the  ornamental  and  useful 
plants  which  it  is  calculated  to  sustain.  We  yet  neither 
see  the  olive,  the  date,  nor  the  vineyard,  notwithstanding 
the  adaptation  of  the  climate  to  their  culture.  That  the 
date  itself  would  succeed,  an  accidental  example  in  the  city 

^^  The  headquarters  of  the  French  colony  in  Louisiana  were  first  estabhshed 
(1699)  at  Biloxi,  now  within  the  limits  of  the  state  of  Mississippi.  In  1701  they 
were  removed  to  Mobile,  there  remaining  until  the  site  of  New  Orleans  was 
chosen  by  Bienville,  acting  governor  under  Law's  Mississippi  Company. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  3 1 5 

renders  probable.  This  palm,  which  grows  in  Orleans 
street,  has  attained  the  height  of  more  than  30  feet,  with 
a  trunk  of  near  18  inches  in  diameter,  and  has  flowered 
annually  for  the  space  of  several  years.  The  period  of 
inflorescence  appears  to  be  about  the  commencement  of 
April,  but  being  only  a  staminiferous  plant,  it  has  not  con- 
sequently produced  any  fruit. 

That  fatal  epidemic,  the  yellow  fever,  was  last  summer 
unusually  prevalent,  and  carried  off  probably  5  or  6000 
individuals,  a  great  part  of  whom  were,  as  usual,  emigrants 
from  the  northern  states,  and  different  parts  of  Europe. 
By  what  I  can  learn,  the  hospital  in  this  place  is  very  ill 
suited  to  the  recovery  of  those  patients  who  are  hurried  to 
it  during  the  rage  [244]  of  this  disease.  They  are  crowded 
almost  to  contact;  so  that  the  contagion  acquires  force 
and  fatality  in  the  very  institution  formed  for  its  recovery. 
Many,  however,  flock  to  this  last  refuge  for  the  indigent 
and  miserable,  in  a  state  which  precludes  all  hopes  of 
recovery. 

The  expense  of  medical  assistance,  the  difficulty  of 
obtaining  attendance,  and  the  selfish  and  fearful  supine- 
ness  which  seizes  upon  all  classes  at  this  awful  season, 
serves  to  increase  the  fatal  gloom  which  surrounds  the 
unhappy  stranger,  thus  often  inhumanly  abandoned  by 
all  society,  and  left,  before  the  approach  of  the  fatal  mo- 
ment, like  a  carcase  to  the  vultures! 

The  scene  of  crowded  graves  which  appals  the  eye  in 
the  general  burying-ground,  marked  by  boards,  or  covered 
tombs,  inscribed  with  mournful  remembrances ;  the  hosts 
which  are  swept  off,  also,  interred  in  forgotten  crowds,  and 
consigned  to  relentless  oblivion,  appeared  thickly  to 
chequer  the  whole  surface  of  the  earth,  and  warn  the 
stranger,  in  no  ambiguous  phrase,  of  the  fatal  climate  in 


3 1 6  Rarly  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

which  he  sojourns.  These  crowds  of  sepulchres  are  not 
the  slow  accumulation  of  an  age,  as  a  section  of  these  re- 
mains is  frequently  dug  up  and  consumed,  to  give  place  to 
the  renewed  harvest  of  death.  "^ 

The  prevailing  religion  is  that  of  the  Catholics;  though 
there  is  also  a  handsome  church  erected  by  the  Presby- 
terians.^*' 

Science  and  rational  amusement  is  as  yet  but  little  culti- 
vated in  New  Orleans.  There  are  only  three  or  four 
booksellers  to  supply  this  large  city  and  populous  neigh- 
bourhood. The  French  inhabitants,  intermingled  with 
the  African  castes  in  every  shade  of  colour,  scarcely  exceed 
them,  generally  speaking,  in  mental  acquirements.  Every 
thing  like  intellectual  improvement  appears  to  be  vitiated 
in  its  source,  nothing  exists  to  inspire  emulation,  and 
learning,  as  in  the  West  [245]  Indies,  has  no  existence  be- 
yond the  mechanism  of  reading  and  writing.  Something 
like  a  museum  was  begun  in  the  city  a  few  years  ago,  but 
by  a  protean  evolution  it  has  been  transformed  into  a 
coffee-house  for  gambling.  In  another  part  of  the  city,  an 
assemblage  of  specimens  of  the  fine  arts,  busts,  medallions. 


^*'  The  recurrent  yellow  fever  epidemics  at  New  Orleans  were  due  in  no  small 
degree  to  the  former  unsanitary  condition  of  the  city.  Throughout  the  nine- 
teenth century,  her  sewage  was  poured  into  open  gutters,  and  not  until  1899 
were  active  steps  taken  to  construct  a  sewerage  system  conforming  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  modem  sanitary  science.  The  low  level  of  the  city  made  the  drainage 
droblem  a  difficult  one  from  the  engineering  point  of  view. —  Ed. 

^^'  The  first  Protestant  congregation  in  New  Orleans  was  the  Christ  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church.  It  was  organized  in  the  autumn  of  1805,  but  did  not 
erect  a  building  until  1816.  No  other  Protestant  organization  existed  in  the 
city  until  the  efforts  of  Rev.  EUas  Cornelius,  of  Connecticut,  led  to  the  formation 
(1818)  of  a  Presbyterian  congregation  under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Sylvester 
Lamed,  a  graduate  of  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  The  building  referred 
to  in  the  text  was  erected  by  his  congregation  and  its  friends  in  1819,  on  St. 
Charles  Street,  between  Gravier  and  Union  streets.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire 
in  1851. —  Ed. 


i8i8-i82o]  N utt air s  'Journal  317 

mosaics,  and  paintings,  is  also  associated  with  the  dice  and 
bottle. 

The  market,  at  this  season,  by  no  means  dear,  or  bearing 
any  thing  like  a  reasonable  proportion  with  the  extrava- 
gant charges  of  the  public  entertainers,  appeared  to  be 
tolerably  well  supplied,  though  singularly  managed,  and 
that  entirely  by  negro  slaves,  who  spread  out  the  different 
articles  in  petty  quantities,  like  the  arrangement  of  an 
apple  stall,  charging,  however,  at  the  rate  of  about  100 
per  cent  for  the  trouble.  Superfine  flour  now  sold  at  the 
low  rate  of  six  dollars  per  barrel;  bacon  and  cheese  at  10 
cents  the  pound,  salt  butter  at  25  cents;  sugar  at  seven 
dollars  per  cwt. ;  coffee  25  to  30  dollars  per  cwt. ;  rice  seven 
dollars  per  cwt.  Fresh  beef,  however,  and  that  by  no 
means  good,  sold  at  25  cents  per  pound.  As  in  the  West 
Indies,  the  principal  market  appears  to  be  on  Sunday  in 
the  forenoon.  In  the  afternoon  the  negroes  assemble  in 
the  suburbs  of  the  city,  and  amuse  themselves  by  dancing. 
When  thus  assembled  by  common  friendship,  if  they  have 
any  reflection,  they  must  be  convinced  of  the  efficient  force 
which  they  possess  to  emancipate  themselves;  they  are, 
however,  strictly  watched  by  the  police,  and  the  sole  ob- 
ject of  their  meeting  appears  to  be  amusement. 

Some  idea  of  the  extensive  commerce  carried  on  in  the 
western  states  and  territories  with  New  Orleans,  may  be 
formed  from  the  number  of  steam-boats  alone,  now  75  in 
number,  besides  other  craft  and  shipping,  which  navigate 
the  Mississippi  and  its  numerous  tributary  streams.  But 
in  consequence  of  the  general  [246]  and  unfavourable 
fluctuation  in  the  commerce  of  the  United  States,  the 
number  of  these  vessels  is  become  greater  than  their  actual 
employment  will  warrant.  A  majority  also  of  the  steam- 
boats have  this  year  lain  unemployed  for  more  than  six 


318  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

months,  in  consequence  of  the  extraordinary  lowness  of 
water;  but  the  valuable  staple  produce  of  Louisiana,  must 
always  insure  to  its  inhabitants  a  preponderating  balance 
of  wealth. 


[247]    APPENDIX 


SECTION  I 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  ANCIENT  ABORIGINAL  POPULATION 
OF  THE  BANKS  OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI,  AND  THE  CON- 
TIGUOUS  COUNTRY. 

This  wilderness,  which  we  now  contemplate  as  a  dreary 
desert,  was  once  thickly  peopled  by  the  natives,  who,  by 
some  sudden  revolution,  of  which  we  appear  to  be  igno- 
rant, have  sunk  into  the  deepest  oblivion.  In  the  abridged 
account  of  the  great  enterprise  of  Ferdinand  de  Soto  by 
Purchas,  begun  in  the  year  1539,  we  read  of  numerous 
nations  and  tribes,  then  inhabiting  the  banks  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi, of  whom,  except  the  Chicafas,  the  Cherokees 
(called  more  properly  Chelaques),  and  the  small  remnant 
of  the  Kaskaskias,  and  Tonicas,  not  an  individual  remains 
to  reveal  the  destinies  of  his  compatriots.  Their  extinc- 
tion will  ever  remain  in  the  utmost  mystery.  The  agency 
of  this  destruction  is,  however,  fairly  to  be  attributed  to 
the  Europeans,  and  the  present  hostile  Indians  who  pos- 
sess the  country.  It  is  from  these  exterminating  and 
savage  conquerors,  that  we  in  vain  inquire  of  the  unhappy 
destiny  of  this  great  and  extinguished  population,  and  who, 
like  so  many  troops  of  assassins,  have  concealed  their  out- 
rages by  an  unlimited  annihilation  of  their  victims. 

[248]  As  this  part  of  the  American  history  is  very  ob- 
scure and  neglected,  I  shall  probably  be  excused  for  intro- 
ducing it  at  greater  length  than  would  otherwise  have  been 
necessary. 

De  Soto,  after  encountering  considerable  difficulty  and 
hardship,  in  his  progress  through  the  interior  of  what  then 


320  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

was  called  Florida,  arrived,  at  length,  amongst  the  Chica- 
gas,  who  occupied  pretty  near  the  same  country  in  which 
we  find  them  at  present.  The  principal  object  of  the 
commander,  and  those  who  had  embarked  with  him  from 
the  island  of  Cuba,  of  which  he  was  governor,  appears,  as 
usual,  to  have  been  a  search  for  the  precious  metals;  and 
the  natives,  ever  willing  to  rid  themselves  of  those  whom 
they  feared  and  hated,  kept  perpetually  instigating  the 
adventurers  to  distant  pursuits.  The  plain,  on  which  we 
find  them  encamped,  previous  to  their  proceeding  across 
the  Mississippi  (which  did  not  at  that  time  bear  this  name), 
and  to  which  they  had  been  conducted  by  their  native 
guides,  could  have  been  no  other  than  one  of  the  Chicasaw 
Bluffs,  or  ancient  crossing-places,  and  apparently  the 
lowest.  While  busied  here  in  providing  boats  for  crossing, 
they  were  visited  by  a  party  of  the  natives  who  descended 
the  river,^*^  and  declared  to  the  governor  (Soto),  that  they 
were  the  subjects  of  a  great  lord  (or  chief),  whose  name 
was  Aquixo,  who  governed  many  towns,  and  a  numerous 
people  on  the  west  side  of  the  Great  River  (or  Mississippi), 
and  they  came  to  inform  him,  that  the  chief  with  all  his 
men  would  come  to  await  his  commands.  The  following 
day,  the  cazique^^^  arrived  with  200  canoes  full  of  Indians, 
[249]  armed  with  their  bows  and  arrows,  painted  and  de- 
corated with  feathers  of  various  colours,  and  defended  with 
shields  made  from  the  skins  of  the  bison ;  the  warriors  were 
numerously  arranged  from  the  head  to  the  stem  of  the 
boats.  The  canoe  of  the  cazique  was  furnished  with  a 
tilt  over  the  stem,  beneath  which  he  sat,  and  gave  his 

^**  Purchas's  Pilgrims,  vol.  IV.  p.  1546. —  Nuttall. 

'*^  This  Peruvian  title  for  chieftain  is  employed  throughout  the  narrative,  by 
Garcilasso  de  la  Vega,  the  author  of  the  history,  and  himself  a  descendant  of 
the  Incas,  who  chose  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  Soto,  one  of  the  conquerors  of  his 
country. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  321 

commands.  The  canoes  of  the  lesser  chieftains  were  also 
equipped  in  the  same  manner.  Approaching  the  bank, 
the  cazique  addressed  the  governor,  saying,  he  came  to 
visit,  to  honour,  and  obey  him,  inasmuch  as  he  was  the 
greatest  lord  upon  earth,  and  that  he  now  waited  his  com- 
mands. The  governor  returned  him  thanks,  and  desired 
him  to  come  on  shore  to  hold  some  further  communication. 
Without,  however,  attending  to  this  request,  the  chief  sent 
a  present  to  the  governor  of  three  canoes  loaded  with  fish, 
and  loaves  made  of  the  pulp  of  persimmons.""  Receiving 
this  present,  the  governor  again  invited  him  to  the  shore, 
but  without  success.  The  cazique,  baffled  in  his  purpose 
of  deceiving  Soto,  whom  he  found  in  readiness,  began  now 
to  row  off,  on  which,  the  governor  instantly  ordered  the 
cross-bow-men  to  fire  a  volley  at  the  natives,  in  which  five 
or  six  of  them  fell.  Still  they  retired  in  good  order,  not 
a  man  deserting  his  oar,  though  his  fellow  warrior  dropped 
at  his  side.  They  afterwards  attempted  several  times  to 
land,  but  as  often  fled  to  their  canoes  on  the  approach  of 
the  Spaniards.  The  canoes  were  very  large  and  well  made, 
being  also  decorated  with  tilts,  plumes,  paveses,  and  flags. 

The  river  (Mississippi)  de  Soto  found  to  be  almost  a 
mile  broad.  A  man  who  stood  still  could  scarcely  be 
discerned  from  the  opposite  shore.  The  current  was 
strong  and  deep,  with  the  water  always  muddy,  and  con- 
tinually charged  with  floating  trees. 

[250]  Having  passed  the  Rio  Grande  (as  he  calls  it),  and 
travelled  up  the  bank  about  three  miles,  he  came  to  a  great 
town  of  Aquixo,  from  whence  the  inhabitants  had  fled. 
They  discovered  a  party  of  30  Indians  coming  over  the 
adjoining  plain  to  reconnoitre  their  movements,  but  on 
perceiving  the  Spaniards  they  instantly  fled.     They  were, 

""  Called  Prunes  by  the  Spaniards. —  Nuttall. 


322  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

however,  pursued  by  the  cavalry,  who  killed  10  of  them, 
and  took  15  prisoners.  As  the  town  to  which  Soto  pro- 
ceeded was  situated  near  to  the  bank  of  the  river,  he  left 
a  detachment  to  bring  up  the  boats,  and  proceeded  with 
the  rest  of  his  armament  by  land,  but  finding  it  diSicult  to 
keep  along  the  bank,  which  was  obstructed  by  the  entrance 
of  creeks,  left  the  boats  exposed  to  the  annoyance  of  the 
natives,  but  understanding  which,  he  instantly  dispatched 
a  party  of  cross-bow-men  to  their  defence.  Here  he  broke 
up  the  boats,  but  saved  the  iron  for  future  contingencies. 
The  following  day,  he  proceeded  up  the  river  in  quest  of 
the  province  called  Pacaha,  which  he  was  informed  lay 
contiguous  to  Chisca,  where  the  Indians  had  told  him  of 
the  existence  of  gold.  On  his  way  he  passed  through 
great  towns  of  Aquixo,  from  all  of  which  the  inhabitants 
had  fled  at  his  approach.  Here  he  was  informed,  by 
some  of  the  natives  whom  they  had  taken,  that  three  days 
journey  further  up  the  river  there  dwelt  a  great  cazique 
named  Casqui.^"    He  crossed  a  small  river  upon  a  bridge, 

^*  The  same  apparently  with  Kaskaskia,  spelled  Kaskasquia  by  Father 
Charlevoix,  and  Caskaquia  by  Du  Pratz.  This  band,  as  well  as  the  Kahoquias, 
Tamaroas,  Peorias,  and  Pimeteois,  formed  part  of  the  Illinois  nation,  now 
nearly  aU  extinct,  though  they  could  once  enumerate  as  many  as  twenty  thou- 
sand souls.  They  were  found  inhabiting  the  rivers  which  still  retain  their  name, 
and  have  fallen  before  the  Iroquois,  and  the  Chicasa  nations,  with  whom  they 
waged  war.  Their  name  of  Illinois,  or  Illinese  of  La  Hontan,  so  much  like 
Leni-Lenape,  or  that  of  the  Delawares,  and  signifying,  in  common  vsdth  that 
appellation,  the  original  or  genuine  men,  besides  the  tradition  of  their  having 
come  in  company  with  the  Miamies  from  the  borders  of  Hudson's  bay  or  the 
North  Pacific,  and  their  speaking  nearly  the  same  language,  as  related  by  Char- 
levoix,* appear  as  so  many  proofs  of  the  common  origin  of  these  two  people.  It 
is  also  related  by  the  same  author  (before  their  arrival  in  the  country,  which 
they  so  extensively  occupied  in  the  time  of  Soto's  incursion,  and  in  which  they 


*  Fifty  years  ago  (1720)  the  Miamis  were  settled  at  Chicago,  and  were,  at  this  time, 
"divided  into  three  villages,  one  at  the  river  St.  Joseph,  a  second  on  Miami  of  Lake  Erie, 
and  the  third  called  the  Watanons  of  the  Wabash."  "There  is  scarcely  a  doubt,"  adds 
Charlevoix,  "but  that  this  nation  and  the  Illinois  were  not  long  since  one  people,  consider- 
ing the  affinity  of  their  languages."     Charlevoix,  Hist.  Journ.  p.  114. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalV s  'Journal  323 

[251]  and  the  rest  of  the  day,  until  sun-set,  they  were  con- 
tinually wading  in  water  either  waist  or  knee  deep.  At 
length,  they  gained  the  dry  land,  and  congratulated  them- 
selves, as  they  were  under  some  apprehension  of  passing 
the  night  in  that  dismal  situation.  At  noon  they  arrived 
at  the  first  town  of  Casqui,  and  found  the  Indians  unpre- 
pared for  resistance.  Here  the  Spaniards  took  many  of 
both  sexes  prisoners,  and  considerable  stores  of  garments^" 
and  skins,  as  well  in  the  first  town,  as  in  a  second,  which 
was  surprised  by  the  cavalry,  and  lay  about  half  a  league 
distant.  They  found  this  country  to  be  higher,  drier,  and 
more  champaign  than  any  part  which  they  had  yet  seen 
contiguous  to  the  river;  from  which  we  are  fully  satisfied, 
that  the  country  thus  described,  can  be  no  other  than  the 
Little  Prairie,  and  that  chain  of  high  lands  which  continues 
to  New  Madrid,  in  the  vicinity  of  which,  there  are  also 
many  [252]  aboriginal  remains.  The  neighbouring  fields 
abounded  with  walnut  trees,  bearing  round  nuts  with  soft 
shells,  and  with  leaves  which  they  considered  to  be  smaller 
than  usual  f^^  of  these  nuts  the  Indians  had  collected  a 
store  for  use.  Here  they  also  found  mulberries,  and  red^" 
and  grey  plumbs.^^**  The  trees  appeared  as  fruitful  as  if 
they  had  been  protected  in  orchards,  and  the  woods  gen- 
erally were  very  thin.  De  Soto  continued  travelling  two 
days  through  the  country  of  Casqui  before  he  arrived  at 

lived  till  the  period  of  their  approaching  extinction),  they  had  settled  along  the 
borders  of  the  river  des  Moins,  or  Moingona,  of  the  Mississippi,  virhich  gave 
name  to  one  of  their  tribes.  The  friendship  which  they  cultivated,  about  a 
century  ago,  with  the  Osages,  and  the  Arkansas,  who  are  the  same  people,  and 
some  incidental  resemblances  between  them,  lead  us  to  believe  them  also  com- 
monly related  by  language  and  descent. —  Nuttall. 

^^  These  "mantels,"  as  they  are  called  by  Purchas,  were  fabricated  from 
coarse  threads  of  the  bark  of  trees  and  nettles. —  Nuttall. 

^^  Probably  Pecans  {Carya  olivceformis) . —  Nuttall. 

^"  Prunus  chicasa  ?  —  Nuttall. 

^"*  P.   hiemalis. —  Nuttall. 


324  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

the  town  inhabited  by  the  cazique;  most  part  of  the  way 
was  over  champaign  country,  -filled  with  great  towns,  al- 
ways within  view  of  each  other.  Soto  sent  an  Indian  to 
announce  his  arrival  to  the  cazique,  desiring  his  friendship 
and  fraternity.  To  which  he  answered,  by  graciously 
bidding  him  welcome,  and  making  an  offer  of  his  services 
to  accomplish  all  that  he  requested.  The  chief  also  met 
him  with  a  present  of  skins,  garments,  and  fish.  After 
which  compliments  de  Soto  found  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  towns  peaceable  and  friendly,  and  their  chiefs  and 
elders  coming  out  to  congratulate  him  with  presents.  The 
cazique,  attended  by  a  numerous  train  of  his  people,  re- 
spectfully awaited  the  approach  of  the  governor,  about  half 
a  league  from  the  town. 

Friendly  compliments  were  again  exchanged,  and  the 
cazique  made  an  offer  of  his  houses  for  de  Soto  to  lodge 
in;  he,  however,  excused  himself  from  accepting  this 
civility  on  prudential  motives,  and  encamped  in  the  ad- 
joining fields. 

The  cazique  went  to  the  town,  and  afterwards  returned 
again  accompanied  by  many  Indians  singing.  As  soon  as 
[253]  they  arrived  in  the  presence  of  the  governor,  they  all 
prostrated  themselves  upon  the  ground.  After  which,  the 
cazique  besought  him,  as  he  was  the  son  of  the  Sun,  and 
a  great  lord,  to  restore  two  blind  men  to  their  sight,  which 
he  had  brought  along  with  him.  The  governor,  however, 
excused  himself,  and  referred  him  to  the  Supreme  Being 
and  author  of  health,  and,  on  the  occasion,  had  a  cross  set 
up  for  them  to  worship,  in  remembrance  of  Jesus  Christ, 
who  died  thereon. 

The  governor  now  inquired  of  the  chief  the  distance  to 
Pacaha,  and  was  told,  that  it  was  one  day's  journey;  that 
at  the  termination  of  the  country  of  Casqui,  there  was  a 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  325 

lake  like  a  brook,  which  ran  into  the  Mississippi  (or  Rio 
Grande),  and  that  he  would  send  men  before  him  to  con- 
struct a  bridge  for  his  convenience  in  passing  it.  The 
same  day  the  governor  took  his  departure,  he  lodged  at  a 
town  belonging  to  Casqui;  the  following,  he  passed  some 
other  towns,  and  came  to  the  lake,  which  was  half  a  cross- 
bow shot  over,  deep,  and  running  with  a  considerable  cur- 
rent. The  bridge,  constructed  of  logs,  was  completed  on 
his  arrival.  The  cazique  of  Casqui  attended  upon  the 
governor,  accompanied  by  his  people. 

The  cazique  of  Pacaha,  it  appears,  was  at  enmity  with 
the  Casqui,  and  fled  at  the  approach  of  Soto  and  his  sup- 
posed allies,  notwithstanding  his  endeavours  to  pacify 
them.  Some  of  them,  whom  he  took  prisoners  in  an 
adjoining  town,  would  have  fallen  victims  to  their  natural 
enemies  but  for  his  interposition.  In  the  town  which  they 
sacked,  they  found  great  store  of  woven  garments,  besides 
deer  skins,  lion  skins  (panther  skins,  in  all  probability),  as 
well  as  bear  and  cat  skins.  They  also  found  targets  of 
bison  hides. 

[254]  De  Soto,  at  length,  entered  into  Pacaha,  and  took 
up  his  lodging  in  the  town  where  the  chief  was  accustomed 
to  reside ;  which  is  described  as  large,  walled,  and  defended 
with  towers,  through  all  which  were  cut  loopholes  for  arms. 
The  town  was  well  supplied  with  maize,  besides  a  promis- 
ing harvest  then  in  the  field.  Within  from  a  mile  and  a 
half  to  three  miles,  were  also  other  large  towns,  sur- 
rounded with  enclosures  of  pickets.  That  now  occupied 
by  de  Soto,  was  situated  contiguous  to  a  large  lake,  which 
filled  a  ditch  thrown  up  nearly  round  the  town.  By  a  weir 
thrown  over  the  outlet  of  the  lake,  abundance  of  fish  were 
continually  ready  for  the  use  and  amusement  of  the  chief, 
and  with  the  nets  which  the  Spaniards  found  in  the  town. 


326  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

they  supplied  themselves  to  their  utmost  satisfaction. 
Amongst  them  we  readily  recognize  the  Silurus  or  Cat-fish, 
which  the  natives  called  Bagres;  those  of  the  lakes  were 
about  the  bigness  of  pikes,  but  in  the  river  (Mississippi), 
they  occasionally  found  some  which  weighed  upwards  of 
loolbs.  There  was  another  which  they  called  the  Pele- 
fish,  destitute  of  scales,  and  with  the  upper  jaw  extended 
in  front  a  foot  in  length,  in  the  form  of  a  peel  or  spatula."^ 

From  this  place,  De  Soto  despatched  a  troop  of  30 
horse  and  50  foot  to  the  province  of  Calufa,  to  ascertain 
the  practicability  of  proceeding  to  Chisca,  where  the 
natives,  it  may  be  remembered,  had  informed  him  of  the 
existence  of  a  mine  of  gold  and  of  copper.  The  country 
over  which  [255]  they  proceeded,  for  seven  days,  was  an 
uninhabited  desert  (probably  in  consequence  of  inunda- 
tion), and  they  returned  almost  exhausted  with  famine  and 
fatigue,  existing  almost  entirely  upon  green  plums,  and 
stalks  of  maize,  which  they  found  in  a  poor  town  of  six  or 
seven  houses.^^*  From  thence,  towards  the  north,  they 
learnt  that  the  country  was  very  cold  and  thinly  settled, 
and  so  overrun  with  herds  of  bison,  that  it  was  scarcely 
possible  to  defend  their  maize  from  depredation ;  they  also 
afforded  the  principal  article  of  provision  on  which  the 
natives  subsisted. 

Perceiving  no  possibility  of  supplying  his  troops  in 

^^^  Of  this  singular  fish,  I  received  circumstantial  accounts  at  the  Post  of 
Arkansa.  It  also  exists  in  the  Ohio,  and  is  the  Platyrostra  edentula  of  Lesueur, 
described  in  the  Journal  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia, 
vol.  i.  part  2,  pp.  227,  228,  and  229,  and  alhed  to  the  Polyodon  of  Lacepede. 
The  plain  description  of  this  very  local  and  curious  animal,  affords  additional 
evidence,  if  it  were  necessary,  of  the  truth  of  the  relations  of  Garcilassa  de 
la  Vega,  notwithstanding  the  scepticism  of  some  of  the  later  French  writers. — 

NUTTALL. 

^'  This  inundated  country  appears  to  be  the  Great  Swamp,  which  com- 
mences below  Cape  Girardeau,  said  to  be  60  miles  long. —  Ntjttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  327 

marching  over  this  desert  country,  de  Soto,  from  the  in- 
formation of  the  Indians,  determined  to  change  his  course 
and  proceed  towards  the  south,  where  he  had  information 
of  the  existence  of  a  great  province  called  Quigaute, 
affording  abundance  of  provision.  To  this  country  the 
governor  now  directed  his  march,  and,  at  length,  arrived 
in  the  town  usually  occupied  by  the  chief;  by  the  way  he 
received  presents,  of  numerous  skins  and  woven  garments, 
but  the  cazique,  justly  afraid  to  meet  the  invaders  of  his 
country,  absented  himself  from  them.  This  town  is  re- 
corded by  La  Vega,  to  have  been  the  largest  which  they 
had  yet  seen  in  Florida. 

According  to  their  custom,  the  Spaniards  took  all  the 
men  and  women  whom  they  could  conveniently  seize  as 
their  prisoners.  This  arbitrary  step  produced  the  desired 
effect,  and  they  now  all  came  forward  to  prove  their  obedi- 
ence to  the  mandates  of  the  general.  The  cazique  and 
his  two  wives  were  detained  in  the  house  of  the  governor, 
who  made  inquiry  of  them  concerning  the  neighbouring 
[256]  country  and  its  inhabitants.  They  said,  that  to- 
wards the  south,  down  the  river,  there  were  large  towns, 
and  chiefs  who  governed  extensive  countries  and  numer- 
ous people;  and  that,  toward  the  north-west,  there  was  a 
province,  contiguous  to  certain  mountains,  called  Coligoa. 
To  this  place  the  governor  and  all  his  officers  resolved  to 
go,  supposing  that,  as  a  mountainous  country,  it  might,  in 
all  probability,  afford  mines  of  the  precious  metals.  The 
country,  which  they  had  yet  seen  on  the  western  borders 
of  the  Mississippi,  was  low  and  alluvial,  and  promised 
nothing  but  agricultural  wealth,  which  had  never  entered 
into  the  sinister  views  of  these  El  Dorado  adventurers. 
The  distance  from  Pacaha  to  Quigaute  they  considered  to 
be  about  200  miles. 


328  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

They  now  proceeded  for  seven  days  through  desolate 
forests,  abounding  in  shoal  lagoons,  affording  an  abun- 
dance of  fish.  The  Indians  of  Coligoa  had  never  before 
seen  Europeans,  and  at  their  approach  fled  up  the  river, 
near  to  whose  banks  their  town  was  situated.  The  chief, 
however,  and  a  number  of  both  sexes,  were  taken  prisoners 
by  the  orders  of  Soto.  Presents  of  garments  and  deer 
skins  were  brought  in  to  the  governor,  and  among  them 
were  two  robes  of  the  bison,^"  which,  within  10  or  12  miles 
of  their  town,  were  said  to  be  abundant,  and  that  the  coun- 
try was  cold  and  thinly  inhabited. ^^^ 

Here  our  adventurers  were  again  informed  of  a  fertile 
and  well  inhabited  country,  called  Cayas,  still  lying 
towards  the  south.  From  Quigaute  to  Coligoa,  they  sup- 
posed the  distance  to  be  about  80  miles.  The  soil  here 
[257]  appeared  to  be  extremely  productive,  and  was  planted 
with  maize,  kidney  beans,  and  pumpkins.  The  chief  of 
Coligoa  provided  them  with  a  guide  to  Cayas,  but  did  not 
accompany  them  in  person.  After  a  journey  of  five  days, 
they  came  to  a  province  called  Palisema.  The  chief  left 
his  house  for  de  Soto  in  a  state  of  preparation,  but  did  not 
wait  an  interview.  A  party  of  horse  and  foot  were  sent 
to  detect  him,  but  returned  without  success;  they  met  with 
many  people,  but,  in  consequence  of  the  roughness  of  the 
country,  detained  none  of  them  as  prisoners,  except  a  few 
women  and  children.  The  town  was  small  and  scattered, 
and  but  ill  supplied  with  maize.  He  afterwards  pro- 
ceeded to  another  town  called  Tatalicoya,  and  carried 
with  him  the  chief,  who  conducted  him  in  four  days  to 


'*''  Called  ox-hides. —  Nuttall. 

^^  This  mountainous  country  and  province  of  Coligoa,  was,  in  all  proba- 
bility, situated  towards  the  sources  of  the  St.  Francis,  or  the  hills  of  White  river. 
—  NxrrTALL. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  yournal  329 

Cayas.  De  Soto  was  disappointed  by  the  scattered  ap- 
pearance of  the  population  in  this  province,  and  imagined 
he  had  been  deceived,  but  was  informed,  that  the  space 
inhabited  was  very  considerable,  and  the  land  fertile.  The 
town  which  they  arrived  in  was  called  Tanico,^^®  and  was 
situated  near  to  a  river.  The  governor  spent  a  month  in 
the  province  of  Cayas,  which  abounded  with  maize  and 
pasturage  for  their  horses.  In  the  neighbourhood  there 
was  a  lake  of  very  hot  and  somewhat  brackish  water. 
Here  the  party  provided  themselves  with  salt,  which  they 
had  long  been  in  want  of,  and  which  they  found  the 
natives  in  the  practice  of  using  and  fabricating  from  this 
water.^°" 

From  Cayas,  de  Soto  proceeded  to  Tulla,  but  here  he 
found  the  town  abandoned  at  the  news  of  his  approach. 
The  chief,  however,  came  accompanied  by  80  Indians, 
[258]  who  brought  with  them  a  present  of  bison  robes, 
which,  at  this  advanced  season  of  the  year,  proved  very 
acceptable  to  the  party.  La  Vega  greatly  admired  the 
decorum  and  propriety  with  which  these  natives  behaved 
in  their  intercourse  and  addresses  to  the  governor.  Tow- 
ards the  west,  de  Soto  was  informed  of  a  thinly  inhabited 
country,  but  that  towards  the  south-west,  there  were  great 
towns,  especially  in  a  province  called  Autiamque,  ten 
days'  journey  from  Tulla,  or  about  160  miles,  and  a  coun- 
try well  supplied  with  maize.  To  this  place  they  pro- 
ceeded, after  dismissing  the  two  caziques  of  Cayas  and 
TuUa,  with  an  intention  of  spending  the  winter  which 
now  approached,  and  which  they  expected  would  detain 
them  for  the  space  of  two  or  three  months.     They  pro- 

^'  The  same  people  with  the  Tunicas,  called  also  Tonicas,  by  Charlevoix 
and  Du  Pratz. —  Nuttall. 

^'^  These  are  evidently  the  salt  waters  of  the  Washita. —  NtrrrALL. 


3 30  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

ceeded  five  days  over  very  rough  mountains,  and  at  length 
came  to  a  town  called  Quipana,^"  situated  between  hills. 
Here  awaiting  in  ambush,  they  succeeded  in  taking  two 
Indians,  who  told  them  that  Autiamque  was  six  days' 
journey  distant,  and  that  there  was  another  province 
towards  the  south,  eight  days'  journey  off,  abounding  in 
maize  and  well  peopled,  which  was  called  Guahate;  but, 
as  Autiamque  was  nearer,  the  governor  proceeded  in  that 
direction.  After  travelling  three  days,  they  came  to  a 
town  called  Anoixi;  previous  to  entering,  he  surprised  it 
by  a  troop  of  horse  and  foot,  and  took  many  men  and 
women  prisoners.  Within  two  days  after,  they  entered 
another  town  called  Catamaya,  and  lodged  in  the  adjoin- 
ing fields.  Two  Indians  came  with  a  pretended  message 
from  the  chief,  to  learn  the  intention  of  the  Spaniards. 
Soto  desired  them  to  tell  their  lord,  that  he  wanted  to  hold 
a  conference  with  him.  But  the  Indians  never  returned, 
nor  any  other  message  [259]  from  the  cazique.  The  fol- 
lowing day  they  entered  the  town,  which  was  deserted  by 
its  fearful  inhabitants,  and  in  it  they  found  as  much  maize 
as  they  wanted.  That  day  they  lodged  in  a  forest,  and 
the  following  they  arrived  at  Autiamque.  Here  they 
found  abundance  of  maize,  French  beans,  walnuts,  and 
prunes  (or  persimmons  dried) ;  they  also  took  some  of  the 
natives  busied  in  carrying  off  the  provision  which  their 
wives  had  hidden.  The  surrounding  country  was  open 
and  well  inhabited.  The  governor  lodged  in  the  best  part 
of  the  town,  and  fortified  his  troops  by  a  strong  picket  fence 
after  the  manner  of  the  natives.  Near  to  the  town,  there 
was  a  river  (the  Washita),  which  passed  through  the 
province  of  Cayas,  and  which  was  every  where  well  peo- 
pled.    They  spent  three  months  in  Autiamque,  and  were 

^"  Probably  the  same  as  the  Quapaws. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaWs  'Journal  331 

well  supplied  with  provision,  amongst  which  La  Vega 
enumerates  conies  (or  hares),  some  of  which  were  larger 
than  those  of  Spain ;  these  the  natives  caught  by  means  of 
spring  traps.  The  snow  was  here  so  considerable,  that 
for  one  month  they  never  left  the  town,  except  for  fire- 
wood, and  were  obliged  to  follow  the  path  which  was 
beaten  on  purpose  by  the  horsemen. 

On  the  6th  of  March,  1542,  de  Soto  departed  from 
Autiamque,  and  proceeded  to  Nilco,  which  the  Indians 
said  was  contiguous  to  the  Mississippi  (or  Rio  Grande), 
from  whence  it  was  his  determination  to  proceed  to  the  sea, 
and  procure  a  reinforcement  of  men  and  horses,  as  now 
he  had  but  400  men  left  out  of  the  thousand  with  which 
he  landed,  and  40  horses,  some  of  which  were  become 
lame.  De  Soto  here  experienced  an  irreparable  loss  in 
the  death  of  John  Ortiz,  a  Spaniard,  who  had  accom- 
panied the  previous  expedition  of  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez, 
being  taken  prisoner  by  the  natives  of  the  bay  of  Spirito 
[260]  Santo,  in  East  Florida,  amongst  whom  he  had  ac- 
quired much  of  the  manners  and  language  of  the  Indians. 
Besides  his  loss  as  an  interpreter,  they  were  likewise 
bereft  of  a  guide,  and  made  many  unnecessary  wanderings 
and  errors  in  their  route.  They  spent  10  days  in  travel- 
ling from  Autiamque  to  a  province  called  Ayays;  and 
came  again  to  a  town  situated  near  to  the  Washita  (or  the 
river  of  Cayas  and  Autiamque).  Here  he  passed  the  river 
by  means  of  a  boat  which  they  built  on  purpose,  but  for 
four  days  after  they  could  not  travel  for  snow.  When  the 
snow  had  now  ceased,  they  went  through  a  wilderness, 
and  a  country  so  enswamped  and  full  of  lakes,  that  they 
travelled  one  time  a  whole  day  in  water  from  the  knee  to 
the  stirrup,  and  sometimes  they  were  obliged  to  swim. 
At  length,  they  arrived  at  a  town  called  Tutelpinco,  which 


332  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

was  abandoned,  and  destitute  of  maize;  near  to  it  there 
passed  a  lake  communicating  with  the  river,  by  an  outlet 
which  now  ran  with  a  considerable  current. 

De  Soto  spent  a  whole  day  in  seeking  a  passage  across 
this  lake,  and  all  without  success.  Returning  at  night  to 
the  town,  he  met  with  two  Indians,  who  showed  him  the 
passage,  which  they  effected  the  following  day  by  means 
of  hurdles  or  rafts  of  cane.  After  travelling  three  days, 
they  came  to  a  town  of  the  territory  of  Nilco,  called  Tianto. 
Here  they  took  30  natives,  and  among  them  two  chiefs. 
De  Soto,  according  to  his  custom  of  levying  contribution 
on  the  natives,  dispatched  a  party  beforehand  to  Nilco, 
to  prevent  the  Indians  from  gaining  time  to  carry  away 
their  provision.  The  party  passed  through  three  or  four 
large  towns,  and  in  the  town  where  the  chief  resided,  which 
was  four  mOes  from  where  the  governor  had  remained, 
they  found  many  Indians  armed  with  their  bows  and 
arrows,  standing  apparently  on  the  defensive.  But  as  soon 
[261]  as  the  Spaniards  began  to  approach,  without  more 
ado,  they  set  fire  to  the  house  of  the  chief,  and  fled 
over  a  contiguous  lake,  which  was  not  fordable  for  the 
horses. 

The  next  day  they  arrived  at  Nilco,  and  lodged  in  the 
cazique's  town,  which  stood  in  a  prairie,  and  was  in- 
habited for  the  space  of  half  a  mile.  Within  three  miles 
were  other  large  towns,  well  stored  with  the  usual  kind  of 
provision.  The  Spaniards  considered  this  as  the  best 
inhabited  country  which  they  had  seen  in  Florida,  except 
Cofa  and  Apalache.  A  deputation  came  to  Soto  in  the 
name  of  the  chief,  with  a  present  of  a  garment  of  fur,  and 
a  string  of  pearls,  to  which  the  commander  made  a  suitable 
return.  This  Indian  promised  to  return  in  two  days,  but 
never  fulfilled  his  promise,  and  in  the  night,  the  Indians 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  333 

were  perceived  carrying  away  their  maize,  and  erecting 
cabins  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 

This  river,  which  ran  by  NUco,  was  again  recognized 
as  the  same  which  passed  by  Cayas  and  Autiamque,  and 
from  its  contiguity  to  the  Mississippi,  appears  to  have 
been  the  Red  river.  Near  to  its  confluence,  was  situated 
what  La  Vega  calls  the  province  of  Guachoya.  Three 
days  after  his  arrival  at  Nilco,  the  commander  came  to 
Guachoya,  where  he  hoped  to  hear  of  the  sea,  and  recruit 
his  men  while  the  brigantines  should  be  building,  which 
he  intended  to  dispatch  to  the  Spanish  settlements.  He 
took  up  his  residence  in  the  town  of  the  chief,  which  was 
fortified  with  pickets,  and  situated  about  a  cross-bow  shot 
from  the  Mississippi. 

The  chief  of  Guachoya  came  to  the  commander,  ac- 
companied by  many  of  his  people,  who  brought  presents 
of  fish,  dogs,  deer  skins,  and  woven  garments.  He  was 
asked  concerning  the  distance  from  hence  to  the  sea,  to 
which  [262]  he  could  receive  no  answer,  and  was,  more- 
over, informed  that  no  more  towns  or  settlements  were  to 
be  met  with  on  that  side  of  the  river  in  descending.  Soto 
suspecting  the  truth  of  this  disagreeable  information,  sent 
one  of  his  officers  with  eight  horsemen  down  the  river 
to  acquire  more  certain  intelligence,  and  to  learn,  if 
possible,  the  distance  and  practicability  of  proceeding  to 
the  sea.  This  messenger  travelled  eight  days  through 
sunken  lands,  and  was  not  able  to  proceed  in  all  that  time 
more  than  about  30  miles,  in  consequence  of  the  obstruc- 
tion of  bayous,  cane  brakes,  and  almost  impenetrable 
forests,  which  were  entirely  destitute  of  habitations. 

At  this  news,  as  well  as  at  the  desperate  situation  of  his 
affairs,  the  commander  fell  sick  with  despondence.  But 
previous  to  taking  to  his  bed,  he  sent  an  Indian  messenger 


334  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

to  the  chief  of  Quigalta,  to  declare  to  him,  that  he  was  of 
the  offspring  of  the  sun  (a  pretention  which  was  supported 
by  the  princes  of  the  Natchez),  and  that,  as  such,  he  had 
been  every  where  obeyed  and  served;  that  he  requested 
him  to  accept  of  his  friendship,  and  visit  him,  as  he  would 
be  gratified  by  his  presence;  and  that,  as  a  mark  of  his 
esteem  and  obedience,  he  hoped  he  would  bring  something 
with  him,  of  that  which  was  most  esteemed  in  his  country; 
to  which,  however,  the  chief  returned  the  following  inde- 
pendent answer: 

*  'That  as  to  his  relation  with  the  sun,  he  would  believe 
it  if  he  would  dry  up  the  river.  He  paid  no  visits,  but, 
on  the  contrary,  received  obedience  and  tribute,  either 
willingly  or  by  force,  from  all  the  people  with  which  he 
was  acquainted.  Therefore,  if  he  desired  an  interview, 
it  would  be  most  proper  for  him  to  pay  the  visit.  If  his 
intentions  were  peaceable,  he  would  be  received  [263]  with 
hospitality,  but  if  he  wished  for  war,  he  could  attend  him 
in  the  town  where  he  now  resided,  but  that,  for  him,  or 
any  other  mortal,  he  would  not  step  back  a  foot." 

When  the  messenger  returned  with  this  unexpected 
answer,  the  governor  was  confined  to  his  bed,  and  sick  of 
a  fever,  but  expressed  a  mortification  that  he  was  not 
immediately  prepared  to  cross  the  river  (Mississippi), 
which  was  here  very  rapid,  and  chastise  the  pride  of  this 
chief  of  Quigalta.^"^  The  river  is  here  described  as  being 
a  mile  in  width,  and  16  fathoms  deep,  having  both  banks 
thickly  inhabited  by  the  natives. 

The  enterprising  Soto,  sensible  of  the  approach  of  death, 
called  around  him  the  officers  of  his  ruined  army,  and,  in 
their  presence,  appointed  Louis  de  Mososco  de  Alvarado 

'"  From  the  geographical  situation,  this  aboriginal  province  must  have  been 
that  of  the  Natchez. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttalV s  'Journal  335 

their  succeeding  captain  general  and  governor.  The 
following  day,  the  21st  of  May,  1542,  Ferdinand  de  Soto 
died,  near  to  the  confluence  of  Red  river  with  the  Missis- 
sippi. Mososco,  now  reduced  to  stratagem,  determined 
to  conceal  his  death  from  the  natives,  because  that  Soto 
had  made  them  believe  that  the  Christians  were  immortal, 
and  because  they  were  impressed  with  a  high  opinion  of 
his  vigilance  and  valour,  and,  seeing  him  now  removed 
by  death,  they  might  be  instigated  to  take  up  arms  against 
the  miserable  handful  of  troops  that  remained.  Knowing 
the  inconstancy  of  their  friendship,  and  their  credulity, 
de  Soto  made  them  believe  he  possessed  the  art  of  prying 
into  their  inmost  secrets,  without  their  knowledge;  and, 
that  the  figure  which  appeared  in  a  mirror,  which  he 
showed  them,  disclosed  to  him  all  their  intentions,  by 
which  means  they  were  often  deterred  from  practising 
treachery  against  him. 

[264]  Mososco,  after  concealing  the  body  of  Soto  for 
three  days,  had  him  at  length  removed  and  buried  in  the 
secrecy  of  the  night,  near  one  of  the  gates  of  the  town 
within  the  wall.  The  Indians,  however,  having  seen  him 
sick,  suspected  what  in  truth  had  happened;  and,  passing 
by  the  place  of  his  interment,  where  the  earth  was  fresh, 
the  circumstance  became  a  matter  of  conversation  among 
them,  in  consequence  of  which,  Mososco  had  the  body 
disinterred  in  the  night,  and  wrapt  up  with  a  ballast  of 
sand,  and  committed  to  the  deep  of  the  river.  At  length, 
the  chief  of  Guachoya  inquired  for  Soto,  and  was  in- 
formed by  Mososco,  that  he  was  gone  for  a  while  to  heaven, 
as  he  had  often  done  before,  and  because  his  stay  was 
now  to  be  protracted  for  a  considerable  time,  he  had 
appointed  him  to  fill  his  place  in  the  interim.  The  chief, 
still,  however,  believed  that  he  was  dead,  and  ordered 


336  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

two  handsome  Indians  to  be  brought  and  sacrificed, 
according  to  their  custom  on  the  death  of  a  chief,  in  order 
that  they  might  wait  upon  him  hereafter.  Mososco  still 
insisted,  that  de  Soto  was  not  dead,  but  gone  to  heaven, 
and  that  of  his  own  soldiers,  he  had  taken  such  as  were 
necessary  to  serve  him,  and  desiring  the  Indians  to  be 
loosed,  advised  the  chief  hereafter  to  desist  from  such  an 
inhuman  practice.  Upon  this,  the  intended  victims  being 
set  at  liberty,  one  of  them  refused  to  return  with  his  chief 
because  of  his  inhumanity,  and  attached  himself  to 
Mososco. 

After  some  deliberation  concerning  their  intended  route, 
they  came,  at  length,  to  the  conclusion  of  attempting  a 
passage  to  New  Spain  over  land,  as  more  practicable  than 
the  way  by  sea.  After  passing  through  several  Indian 
towns  whose  names  are  now  unintelligible,  we  find  him,  at 
length,  among  the  Naguatex  (or  Natchitoches). 

[265]  After  proceeding  in  a  western  direction,  about  300 
miles  from  the  Mississippi,  they  came  to  a  river  called 
Daycao,  which  Purchas  conjectures  to  be  the  Rio  del  Oro 
of  Cabeza  de  Vaca.  From  hence,  after  encountering  the 
inclemencies  and  hardships  of  the  commencing  winter, 
they  found  it  necessary  to  return  to  the  confluence  of  Red 
river  and  the  Mississippi,  as  it  was  impossible  for  them'to 
subsist  among  the  wandering  natives  of  the  sterile  wilder- 
ness they  were  approaching,  and  over  which,  the  natives 
themselves  merely  migrated  and  hunted,  being  destitute 
of  any  supply  of  maize,  and  spending  a  wandering  life, 
like  that  of  the  Arabs,  subsisting  upon  the  Tunas  (prickly 
pears),  and  roots  of  the  plains. 

Having  returned  to  Minoya,  considerably  reduced  by 
a  sickness,  which  bordered  on  the  typhus  fever,  they  com- 
menced building  boats  for  the  purpose  of  descending  the 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  337 

Mississippi  to  the  sea.  In  the  month  of  March,  though 
there  had  not  been  rain  previous  for  a  month,  the  river 
took  such  a  rise,  that  in  its  overflow  it  reached  to  Nilco, 
18  miles  distant,  and  from  the  natives,  Mososco  under- 
stood that  the  flood  was  equally  extensive  on  the  opposite 
side.  In  the  town  occupied  by  the  Spaniards,  which  was 
somewhat  elevated,  the  water  reached  to  the  stirrups  on 
horseback;  and  for  two  months  they  never  stirred  out  of 
their  houses,  except  on  horseback  or  in  canoes. 

From  an  Indian,  who  was  tortured  for  the  purpose, 
Mososco  learnt,  that  the  caziques  of  Nilco,  Guachoya, 
Taguanate,  and  others,  to  the  number  of  about  20  chiefs, 
commanding  many  people,  had  determined  to  fall  upon 
him  by  treachery.  The  signal  for  the  destruction  of  the 
Spaniards  on  which  they  had  agreed,  was  the  time  of  mak- 
ing a  present  to  the  commander.  The  Indian,  who  gave 
this  [266]  information,  was  detained  in  close  confinement, 
and  the  day  arriving  for  the  delivery  of  the  first  presents, 
30  Indians  appearing  with  fish,  Mososco  ordered  their 
right  hands  to  be  cut  off,  and  sent  them  back  in  this  con- 
dition to  their  chief.  He  also  sent  word  to  the  cazique  of 
Guachoya,  that  he  and  the  rest  of  the  conspirators  might 
come  when  they  pleased,  as  he  was  prepared  for  them, 
and  could  readily  divine  all  their  intentions  as  soon  as 
thought  of.  This  circumstance  threw  them  into  conster- 
nation, and  the  chiefs  respectively  came  forward  to  excuse 
themselves. 

Their  boats  being  finished  in  the  month  of  June,  the 
summer  flood  again  visited  the  town,  and  without  any 
farther  trouble,  the  boats  were  now  launched  and  conveyed 
into  the  Mississippi.  They  shipped  22  of  the  best  horses 
which  they  had  in  the  camp,  and  of  the  rest  they  made 
provision.     They  left  Minoya  on  the  second  of  July,  1543, 


338  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

being  now  reduced  to  320  men,  who  occupied  seven  brig- 
antines.  They  were  17  days  in  descending  to  the  sea, 
which  they  considered  to  be  a  distance  of  about  500  miles 
from  the  place  of  their  departure;  and,  indeed,  pretty  well 
corresponding  with  the  present  estimated  distance.  In 
the  course  of  their  descent,  they  were  repeatedly  attacked 
by  the  natives. 

On  the  1 8th  of  July,  they  arrived  in  the  gulf  with  a  fair 
wind,  and  continued  with  a  moderate  breeze  for  two  days, 
to  their  great  astonishment  still  in  fresh  water,  and  were 
greatly  tormented  by  musquetoes.  After  coasting  two 
and  fifty  days,  they  at  length  arrived  in  the  river  of  Panuco 
the  loth  of  September,  1543,  and  were  in  all  311  men. 

Such  is  a  brief  sketch  of  this  memorable  expedition, 
which  opened  the  northern  hemisphere  of  the  New  World 
[267]  to  the  enterprize  and  industry  of  the  Europeans, 
and  whence  civilized  society  has  derived  far  more  lasting 
and  important  advantages,  than  could  ever  have  accrued 
from  the  mere  discovery  of  the  precious  metals. 

[268]    SECTION  II 

THE  HISTORY  OF   THE   NATCHEZ 

We  see  nothing,  says  CharlevoLx,  in  their  outward  ap- 
pearance that  distinguishes  them  from  the  other  savages 
of  Canada  and  Louisiana.  They  seldom  made  war,  living 
in  quiet  possession  of  their  country,  and  having  no  am- 
bition to  distinguish  themselves  by  conquering  their 
neighbours.  Their  despotic  form  of  government,  accom- 
panied by  some  taste  for  parade  and  courtly  magnificence, 
and  the  great  servility  of  their  subjects,  appeared  to  be 
the  shadow  of  a  departing  power,  and  concomitant  popu- 
lation, such  as  had  been  unparalleled  in  the  history  of  the 
northern  natives. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  339 

Their  great  chief  pretended  to  derive  his  origin  from 
the  Sun,  which  was  Ukewise  the  principal  object  of  their 
adoration. ^®^  He  was  always  chosen  from  the  family  of 
the  nearest  female  relative  of  his  predecessor,  and  his 
mother  was  also  invested  with  considerable  power,^®^  and 
considered  [269]  as  an  auxiliary  chief.  She,  no  less  than 
the  Great  Sun,  dispensed  with  the  lives  and  liberties  of 
their  subjects.  The  lesser  chiefs  and  the  people  never 
approached  them  without  uttering  three  salutations,  in  a 
loud  and  mournful  tone,  which  it  was  necessary  to  repeat 
on  retiring,  and  also  to  walk  out  from  their  presence  back- 
wards. Even  when  they  happened  to  meet  them,  they 
were  obliged  to  arrange  themselves  on  either  side  of  the 
path,  and  repeat  the  customary  salutation  as  they  passed. 
Their  subjects  likewise  brought  them  the  best  of  their 
harvests,  of  their  hunting,  and  their  fishing.  And  no  per- 
son, not  even  their  nearest  relatives,  or  those  of  noble  fam- 


^•^  The  Hurons  also,  according  to  the  same  author,  pretended  that  their 
hereditary  chiefs  were  descended  from  the  sun,  and  continued  the  descent  by  the 
females  in  the  same  manner. —  Nuttall. 

^'*  In  a  speech  made  to  governor  Clinton,  in  1788,  by  Domine  Peter,  a  native 
orator,  on  the  part  of  the  Senecas  and  Cayugas,  the  authority  of  the  female  chief- 
tains is  acknowledged,  by  the  speaker,  and  thus  apologized.  "Our  ancestors 
considered  it  a  great  offence  to  reject  the  counsels  of  their  women,  particularly 
(that)  of  the  female  governesses  (or  chieftains).  They  were  esteemed  the  mis- 
tresses of  the  soil  (as  they  solely  attended  to  the  labours  of  agriculture).  Who, 
said  they,  bring  us  into  being  ?  Who  cultivate  our  lands,  kindle  our  fires  (or 
administer  food  to  the  calls  of  hunger),  but  our  women  ?  &c."  Governor  Clin- 
ton's Discourse,  December,  181 1,  App.  p.  80. 

As  the  mothers  of  the  slain  in  battle,  the  women  had  the  controul  of  prison- 
ers, either  to  adopt  or  destroy  them  at  will,  and  their  interposition  to  procure 
peace,  and  stay  hostilities,  was  universally  acknowledged.  We  have  a  re- 
markable example  of  this  in  the  history  of  the  Delawares,  who,  at  the  instigation 
of  the  Iroquois,  became  a  nation  of  mediators,  and  were  thus  said  to  have 
assumed  one  of  the  distingmshing  functions  of  the  female  sex,  and  were,  con- 
sequently, debarred  from  active  war  and  masculine  distinction.  See  Hecke- 
•welder's  History  0}  the  Delawares,  in  the  report  of  the  Historical  Committee  of 
the  American  Philosophical  Society, —  Nuttall. 


340  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

ilies,  when  invited  to  eat  with  them,  had  a  right  to  put  their 
hand  to  the  same  dish,  or  to  drink  out  of  the  same  vessel. 
Every  morning,  as  the  sun  appeared,  the  great  chief 
came  to  the  door  of  his  cabin,  and  turning  himself  towards 
the  East,  bowed  to  the  earth,  and  howled  three  successive 
times.  A  pipe  dedicated  to  this  purpose  was  then  brought 
to  him,  out  of  which  he  smoked  tobacco,  blowing  the  fume 
towards  the  sun,  and  the  other  three  quarters  of  the 
world.^'^ 


^'*  This,  which  Sir  William  Jones  considered  as  the  ritual  of  the  Tartars,  is 
also  employed  by  the  Sioux  or  Naudowessies,  as  I  have  repeatedly  witnessed. 

According  to  the  observations  of  Mr.  Wm.  Bartram,  the  Creeks  likewise 
practised  the  same  ceremony. 

An  invocation  not  very  dissimilar  to  this  sacred  ceremony,  is  that  of  Aga- 
memnon in  the  Ihad;  thus  translated  by  Pope: 

Then  loudly  thus  before  th'  attentive  bands 
He  calls  the  gods,  and  spreads  his  lifted  hands: 

O  first  and  greatest  power !  whom  all  obey, 
Who  high  on  Ida's  holy  mountain  sway, 
Eternal  Jove !  and  yon  bright  orb  that  roUs 
From  east  to  west,  and  views  from  pole  to  pole ! 
Thou  mother  Earthl  and  aU  ye  living  Floods; 
Infernal  Furies!  and  Tartarian  Gods; 

Hear  and  be  witness. 

Pope's  Iliad,  Book  III.  lines  344-354. 
According  to  Humboldt,  in  his  Monumens  de  I'Amerique,  vol.  ii.  pp.  54  and 
55,  the  Mexican  cycle  of  52  years  was  divided  into  four  indictions  of  13  years, 
in  reference  to  the  jour  seasons  of  the  year,  the  four  elements,  and  the  cardinal 
points.  The  most  ancient  division  of  the  zodiac,  according  to  Albategnius,*  is 
that  into  four  parts.  "These  four  signs,"  he  adds,  "of  the  equinoxes  and  the 
solstices,  chosen  from  a  series  of  20  signs"  (the  number  of  days  in  the  Mexican 
month),  "recal  to  mind  the  four  royal  stars,  Aldebaran,  Regulus,  Antares,  and 
Fomahault,  celebrated  in  all  Asia,  and  presiding  over  the  seasons. t  In  the  new 
continent,  the  indictions  of  the  cycle  of  52  years,  formed,  as  we  would  say,  the 
four  seasons  of  the  grand  year,  and  the  Mexican  astrologers  were  pleased  to  see 
presiding  over  each  period  of  13  years  one  of  the  four  eqviinoctial  or  solstitial 

signs." NUTTALL. 

*  De  Scientia  Stellarum,  cap.  2  (ed.  Bonon.  1645)  p.  3. 
tFirmicus,  lib.  vi.  c.  i. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  341 

[270]  The  actions  of  the  Great  Chief  were  allowed  to  be 
without  impeachment ;  and  his  life,  according  to  an  ancient 
and  solemn  compact,  could  never  become  forfeited  by  his 
crimes.  Indeed  the  death  of  the  Great  Sun  was  consid- 
ered the  greatest  national  calamity  which  could  happen, 
and  superstition  had  brought  it  to  be  considered  as  an 
omen  of  the  cessation  of  their  theocracy,  and  of  the  de- 
struction of  the  world.  Their  sons  were  termed  nobles, 
an  honour  which  was  likewise  attainable  by  the  merito- 
rious of  inferior  rank.  The  common  people  laboured 
under  a  degrading  [271]  appellation,  not  indeed  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  French  epithet  of  canaille,  or  our  own 
term  the  mob,  or  the  vulgar.  They  carried  this  distinc- 
tion even  into  their  language,  as  there  were  different  modes 
of  addressing  the  vulgar  and  nobles. ^^^ 

When  either  the  male  or  female  sun  died,  all  their 
allouez,  or  intimate  attendants,  devoted  themselves  to 
death,  under  a  persuasion  that  their  presence  would  be 
necessary  to  maintain  the  dignity  of  their  chief  in  the 
future  world.  The  wives  and  husbands  of  these  chiefs 
were  likewise  immolated  for  the  same  purpose,  and  con- 
sidered it  the  most  honourable  and  desirable  of  deaths. 


^  The  following  example  of  the  noble  and  common  language  of  the  Natchez, 
is  given  by  Du  Pratz.*  In  calling  one  of  the  conmion  people  he  would  say, 
aquenan,  that  is,  "hark  ye;"  if  to  a  sun  or  one  of  the  nobles,  the  address  would 
be  magani,  which  also  signifies  the  same.  To  one  of  the  common  people,  calling 
at  his  house,  he  would  say,  tachte-cahanacte,  "are  you  there,"  or  "I  am  glad  to 
see  you."  To  a  sun  the  same  thing  is  expressed  by  the  word  apapegouaiche. 
Again,  according  to  their  custom,  I  say  to  one  of  the  common  people,  petchi, 
"sit  you  down;"  but  to  a  sun,  caham.  In  other  respects  the  language  is  the 
same;  as  the  difference  of  expression  seems  only  to  take  place  in  matters  relating 
to  the  persons  of  the  suns  and  nobles,  to  distinguish  them  from  the  people. — 

NUTTALL. 


♦Hist.  Louisian.  p.  328. 


342  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

More  than  a  hundred  victims  were  sometimes  sacrificed  to 
the  names  of  the  Great  Chief.  ^"  The  same  horrible  cer- 
emonies, in  a  more  [272]  Hmited  degree,  were  also  exer- 
cised at  the  death  of  the  lesser  chiefs. 

At  the  death  of  one  of  their  female  chiefs,  Charlevoix 
relates,  that  her  husband  not  being  noble  was,  according 
to  their  custom,  strangled  by  the  hands  of  his  own  son. 
Soon  after,  the  two  deceased  being  laid  out  in  state,  were 
surrounded  by  the  dead  bodies  of  12  infants,  strangled  by 
the  order  of  the  eldest  daughter  of  the  late  female  chief, 
and  who  had  now  succeeded  to  her  dignity.  Fourteen 
other  individuals  were  also  prepared  to  die  and  accompany 
the  deceased.  On  the  day  of  interment,  as  the  procession 
advanced,  the  fathers  and  mothers  who  had  sacrificed 
their  children,  preceding  the  bier,  threw  the  bodies  upon 
the  ground  at  different  distances,  in  order  that  they  might 
be  trampled  upon  by  the  bearers  of  the  dead.  The  corpse 
arriving  in  the  temple  where  it  was  to  be  interred,  the  14 
victims  now  prepared  themselves  for  death  by  swallowing 
pills  of  tobacco  and  water,  and  were  then  strangled  by  the 
relations  of  the  deceased,  and  their  bodies  cast  into  the 
common  grave,  and  covered  with  earth. 

The  Natchez,  together  with  the  remains  of  the  Grigras 
and  Thioux,  who  had  become  incorporated  with  them,  did 


^'"  Among  the  Mexicans,  prisoners,  rather  than  domestics  and  attendants, 
were  devoted  to  death  at  the  obsequies  of  the  great,  as  victims  to  that  spirit  of 
revenge  so  deeply  cherished  by  savage  or  barbarous  nations.  So  even  Achilles, 
lamenting  over  the  body  of  Patroclus,  says,  x 

Ere  thy  dear  relics  in  the  grave  are  laid, 
Shall  Hector's  head  be  offer' d  to  thy  shade; 
That,  with  his  arms,  shall  hang  before  thy  shrine; 
And  twelve  the  noblest  of  the  Trojan  line, 
Sacred  to  vengeance,  by  this  hand  expire: 
Their  lives  effus'd  around  thy  flaming  pyre. 

Pope's  Iliad,  Book  XVIII.  lines  391-396.— Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  343 

not,  in  1720,  amount  to  more  than  1200  warriors.^^^  Only 
six  or  seven  years  prior  to  this  period,  their  warriors  were 
estimated  at  4000.  This  rapid  decrease  they  attributed 
to  the  prevalence  of  contagious  diseases,  by  which  they 
had  been  wasted,  for  it  does  not  appear  that  they  were 
ever  addicted  to  war,  having  long  lived  in  peace  with  the 
neighbouring  nations,  who  venerated  their  sacred  insti- 
tutions, and  acknowledged  their  political  ascendancy  and 
power.  Their  dominion  once  extended  from  the  borders 
of  bayou  [273]  Manchac  to  the  banks  of  the  Ohio,  and 
they  numbered  not  less  than  500  suns  or  caziques.  De- 
scended from,  and  confederated  with  them,  were  the  Taen- 
sas  of  the  Mobile,  and  the  Chetimashas  of  bayou  Plac- 
quemine,  remnants  of  whom  still  exist,  not  far  from  the 
sites  where  they  were  first  found  by  the  French  colonists, 
and  against  whom  they  waged  an  unsuccessful  war. 

The  Natchez  had  a  distinct  tradition  of  migrating  to 
the  Mississippi,  from  the  coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  at 
two  distinct  periods  of  time.  A  part  of  the  nation  (prob- 
ably about  the  period  of  the  first  establishment  of  the 
Mexican  monarchy)  fled  from  the  threatening  oppression 
of  their  natural  enemies,  and  living  in  undisturbed  tran- 
quillity for  several  generations  in  their  newly  acquired 
territory,  they  became  very  populous,  and  were  only 
joined  by  the  Great  Sun  after  the  arrival  and  invasion  of 
the  Spaniards,  with  whom  at  first  they  had  entered  into 
an  alliance.  As  to  their  ultimate  oriental  origin,  it  ap- 
pears to  be  merely  connected  with  their  presumption  of  a 
descent  from  the  sun,  which  first  illuminates  the  eastern 
hemisphere.  It  was  this  superstition  which  proved  so 
fatal  to  the  Mexicans,  who  venerated  as  a  celestial  race 
the  Spanish  conquerors,  because  they  had  arrived  from 

***  Du  Pratz  Hist.  Louisian.  p.  313  {Ed.  Lond.). — Nuttaxl. 


344  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

the  region  of  the  rising  sun.  Traces  of  the  natural  wor- 
ship of  the  two  great  luminaries  of  day  and  night,  were 
every  where  visible  throughout  the  regions  of  the  New 
World,  and  continue  to  be  practised  by  those  who  are 
still  unbiassed  by  the  influence  of  the  European  nations.^^^ 
The  Hurons,  no  [274]  less  than  the  Muyscas  of  the  plain 


^*  The  great  Deity  of  the  savages  of  the  river  Bourbon,  and  the  river  St. 
Therese,  Hudson's  Bay,  is  the  sun.  When  they  deUberate  on  any  important 
affair,  they  make  him,  as  it  were,  smoke.  They  assemble  at  day-break  in  a 
cabin  of  one  of  their  chiefs,  who,  after  having  hghted  his  pipe,  presents  it  three 
times  to  the  rising  sun;  then  he  guides  it  with  both  hands  from  the  east  to  the 
west,  prajdng  the  sun  to  favour  the  nation.  This  being  done,  all  the  assembly 
smoke  in  the  same  pipe.  Charlevoix,  Hist.  Journ.  p.  io8  (Ed.  Lond.).  The 
Sioux  also  practise  the  same  rites. 

Gookin,  in  1674,  says,  "Some,  for  their  God,  adore  the  sun;  others  the 
moon;  some  the  earth,  others  the  fire,  and  like  vanities.  Yet,  generally,  they 
acknowledge  one  great  supreme  doer  of  good;  and  him  they  call  Woonand  or 
Mannitt;  another,  that  is,  the  great  doer  of  evil  or  mischief;  and  him  they  call 
Mattand,  which  is  the  Devil,  &c."  Compare  this  relation  with  the  invocation 
of  Agamemnon,  already  quoted,  from  which  it  scarcely  differs  in  any  particular. 

Traces  of  the  adoration  of  the  sun  are  discoverable  also  in  Colden's  History 
of  the  Five  Nations,  not  only  among  the  Iroquois,  but  also  with  the  neighbouring 
nations :  thus  among  the  attestations  to  a  treaty  of  peace  made  with  the  Iroquois, 
by  a  band  of  the  Utawas,  we  find  the  following.  ' '  Let  the  sun,  as  long  as  he 
shall  endure,  always  shine  upon  us  in  friendship."  With  which  apostrophe  was 
delivered  a  figure  of  the  sun,  sculptured  of  red  marble.*  A  similar  figure  was 
again  presented  to  the  Five  Nations  by  the  Utawas  and  a  branch  of  the  Hurons 
(called  Dionondadies)  jointly,  in  another  treaty  concluded  between  them.f 

At  a  treaty  in  which  general  Harrison  assisted,  towards  the  commencement 
of  the  last  war,  the  council-house  being  crowded,  a  chief  arriving  late  was  suf- 
fered to  stand  some  time  unheeded,  until  the  general  sent  him  a  chair,  as  from 
his  father.  He  refused  the  offer,  saying,  probably  in  allusion  to  their  ancient 
beUef,  "The  sun  is  my  father,  the  earth  my  mother,  and  my  seat  is  the  ground." 

The  sacred,  or  eternal,  fire  is  also  described  in  the  following  incidental  re- 
mark, made  by  a  chief  speaker  of  the  Five  Nations :  ' '  Before  the  Christians 
arrived  amongst  us,  the  general  council  of  the  Five  Nations  was  held  at  Onon- 
dago,  where  there  has,  from  the  beginning  (or  from  the  remotest  time)  been 
kept  a  fire  continually  burning,  made  of  two  great  logs  whose  flame  was 
never  extinguished."! — Nuttall. 

*  Colden'.s  Hist.  Five  Nations,  third  edition,  i.  p.  115. 
tlbid.  i.  p.  185. 
t  Ibid.  vol.  i.  p.  176. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  ^Journal  345 

of  Bogata,  in  the  equatorial  regions,  personified  the  moon 
in  their  female  deity,  Atahentsic,  who  was  the  mother  of 
the  fratricide  [275]  Jouskeka,  or  the  sun,""  betwixt  whom 
were  divided  the  powers  of  good  and  evil.  The  moon 
possessing  the  attributes  of  Hecate,  and  the  sun  those  of 
Phoebus,  Apollo,  or  Osiris  the  brother  of  Isis,  or  the 
moon.^" 


""  Charlevoix,  Hist.  Joum.  p.  249.     {Ed.  Land.). —  Nuttall. 

^'*  In  ancient  times,  before  the  moon  accompanied  the  earth  (says  the  myth- 
ology of  the  Muyscas  or  Mozcas  Indians),  the  inhabitants  of  the  plain  of  Bogota 
lived  like  barbarians,  naked,  without  agriculture,  without  laws,  and  without 
worship.  Suddenly  there  appeared  among  them  an  aged  man,  who  came  from 
the  plains  east  of  the  Cordillera  of  Chingasa:  he  seemed  to  be  of  a  different 
race  from  that  of  the  indigenes,  for  he  had  a  long  and  tufted  beard.  He  was 
known  by  three  different  names;  under  that  of  Bochica,  Nemquetheba,  and 
Zuhe.  This  aged  person,  after  the  manner  of  Manco-Capac,  taught  men  to 
clothe  themselves,  to  construct  dwellings,  to  cultivate  the  earth,  and  to  unite  in 
society.  He  brought  with  him  a  woman,  to  whom  tradition  gave  also  the  three 
names  of  Chia,  Yubecayguaya,  and  Haythaca.  This  female  was  of  an  uncom- 
mon beauty,  but  exceedingly  wicked,  counteracting  her  husband  in  every  thing 
which  he  undertook  for  the  good  of  men.  By  her  magic  art  she  swelled  the 
river  Funzha  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  water  inundated  the  whole  valley  of 
Bogota.  This  deluge  destroyed  the  greatest  part  of  the  inhabitants,  a  few  only 
escaping  upon  the  svraimits  of  the  neighbouring  mountains.  The  old  man, 
irritated,  drove  the  beautiful  Haythaca  from  the  earth;  she  then  became  the 
moon,  which,  from  that  period,  commenced  to  enlighten  our  planet  during  the 
night.  Afterwards  Bochica,  son  of  the  sun,  taking  pity  on  the  men  who  were 
dispersed  upon  the  mountains,  broke,  with  his  powerful  hand,  the  rocks  which 
close  the  valley  on  the  side  of  Canaos  and  Tequendama.  By  this  opening  he 
carried  off  the  water  of  the  lake  of  Funzha,  reunited  again  the  people  of  the 
valley  of  Bogota,  constructed  towns,  introduced  the  worship  0}  the  sun,  nomi- 
nated two  chiefs,  between  whom  he  divided  the  ecclesiastic  and  secular  power, 
and  then  retired,  under  the  name  of  Idacanzas,  into  the  sacred  valley  of  Iraca, 
near  to  Tanja,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  exercises  of  the  most  austere  penance, 
for  the  space  of  two  thousand  years.  Humboldt's  Vues  des  Cordilleres,  et  Monu- 
mens  des  Peuples  indigenes  de  I'Amerique.     Vol.  I.  pp.  87,  88.     (Ed.  Octavo.). 

The  Jouskeka,  who  destroyed  his  brother,  and  the  Atahentsic  of  the  Hurons, 
also,  in  some  measure,  resemble  the  Cihuacohuatl  or  woman  of  the  serpent, 
adored  by  the  Mexicans,  and  figured  in  their  hieroglyphic  paintings.  This 
goddess  was  regarded  as  the  mother  of  the  human  race,  and  in  the  painting 
alluded  to,  pubUshed  by  Himiboldt,  she  is  accompanied  familiarly  by  a  serpent, 
and  in  the  same  symbohcal  sketch  there  are  two  smaller  figures  engaged  in 


346  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

[276]  The  great  ritual  of  this  religion,  which  obtained 
throughout  America,  is  the  pipe  which  was  filled  with  the 
inebriating  tobacco,  and  smoked  in  offering  to  this  great 
luminary,  and  to  the  four  quarters,  or  the  surrounding 
horizon  of  the  visible  world,  which  it  illuminates.  Asso- 
ciated with  this  adoration,  as  simple  as  natural,  was  that 
of  preserving  an  eternal  fire  in  some  sacred  place  appro- 
priated to  this  purpose,  as  well  as  for  the  celebration  of 
their  festivals  and  deliberative  councils.  The  pipe  was 
brought  forward  on  every  solemn  occasion,  and  to  ratify 
every  serious  pledge  of  peace,  integrity,  and  friendship. 
The  rites  of  hospitality,  sanctioned  by  this  ceremony,  were 
irrefragable,  as  well  as  every  commercial  and  political  con- 
tract. The  Hurons  say,  that  the  Indian  nations  derived 
the  sacred  pipe  from  the  great  luminary  to  whom  it  is 
dedicated,  and,  that  it  was  first  presented  to  the  western 
nation  of  the  Pawnees,"^  a  tradition  which  I  have  found 
corroborated  by  the  nation  of  the  Mandans  and  the  Mini- 
tarees.  Those  people,  as  well  as  the  Naudowessies,  in- 
fluenced by  an  idolatrous  regard  for  the  sun,  make  offer- 
ings of  their  most  valuable  effects,"'  and,  occasionally, 
even  of  the  lives  of  their  prisoners.  The  Mexicans  immo- 
lated hosts  of  human  victims  to  their  cruel  and  imaginary 
deities. 

If  the  Natchez  refrained  from  cruel  offerings  to  their 
[277]  gods,  they  failed  not  to  sacrifice  many  human  vic- 
tims at  the  death  of  their  caziques,  who  pretended  to  de- 
rive their  origin  from  the  sun. 

combat,  as  if  to  designate  the  Cain  and  Abel  of  the  Hebrews,  and  which  were 
considered  in  Mexico  as  the  children  of  the  female  deess.     Humboldt,  vol.  I. 

pp.  235,  236. —  NUTTALL. 

*"  Charlevoix,  p.  133. —  Nuttall. 

*"  They  present  robes  of  the  bison  painted  with  the  rays  of  the  sun,  exposing 
them  upon  poles,  set  up  in  the  prairies. —  Nuttall. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  347 

In  their  other  superstitions,  manners,  and  customs,  they 
dififer  too  little  from  the  rest  of  the  aborigines  to  tolerate 
the  repetition.  Their  peculiar  usages  are  in  some  degree 
still  kept  up  by  those  confederated  tribes  which  we  call 
the  Creeks  or  Muskogolgees,  to  whom  they  appear  to  have 
been  more  intimately  related,  than  any  other  of  the  re- 
maining aborigines.  Among  these  people  fire  is  still 
venerated,  and  the  appearance  of  the  new  moon  announced 
with  festivity  and  gladness.  According  to  the  relation  of 
my  venerable  friend,  Wm.  Bartram,  there  existed  also 
among  them  a  language  of  distinction  and  of  honour,  and 
an  aristocratic  acknowledgment  of  superior  and  inferior 
order  in  their  society. 

The  occasion  of  that  signal  depopulation  which  the 
Natchez  had  experienced,  when  first  discovered  by  the 
French,  must  ever  remain  in  unaccountable  uncertainty. 
The  prevalence  of  fatal  and  contagious  diseases  at  one 
period  more  than  another,  is  scarcely  admissible  in  a 
country  which  had  ever  exhibited  the  same  aspect,  and 
amongst  a  people  who  had  never  inhabited  crowded  towns 
or  cities.  From  the  migratory  and  unsettled  character 
of  the  more  northern  natives,  and  their  acknowledged 
superiority  in  arms,  particularly  the  Iroquois,  with  whom 
they  warred,"^  may  be  with  more  probability  deduced 
the  real  cause  of  this  destruction.  The  valley  of  the 
Ohio,  and  the  interior  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  still 
exhibit  unequivocal  and  numerous  remains  of  a  vast  [278] 
population,  who  had  begun  to  make  some  imperfect 
advances  towards  power  and  civilization.  Works  were 
constructed  for  public  benefit,  which  required  the  united 

^'*  When  La  Salle  was  among  the  Natchez,  in  1683,  he  saw  a  party  of  that 
people,  who  had  been  on  an  expedition  against  the  Iroquois.  Tonti's  account 
of  La  Salle's  Expedition  (Ed.  Lond.),  p.  112. —  Nuttall. 


348  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

energy,  skill,  and  labour  of  a  devoted  multitude.  We,  in 
vain,  look  for  similar  subordination  among  the  existing 
natives;  by  their  own  tradition  they  destroyed  this  race, 
as  foreigners,  and  gained  possession  of  their  country  and 
their  fortresses,  abandoning  them  as  the  barbarians  of  the 
north  did  the  cities  of  Europe,  and  thus  prostrating  every 
advance  which  had  been  made  beyond  the  actual  limits 
of  savage  life. 

These  devoted  people,  the  Mexicans  of  the  north,  were 
not,  however,  relieved  by  their  acquaintance  with  the 
civilized  world.  They  had  peaceably  suffered  the  French 
to  settle  around  them,  and  assisted  them  when  in  the 
utmost  want  and  necessity.  They  thus  saved  the  lives  of 
those,  who  were  about  to  prove  their  mortal  enemies  and 
oppressors. 

The  first  quarrel  which  took  place  betwixt  the  French 
and  Natchez,  in  the  year  1722,  was  occasioned  by  the 
insolence  and  injustice  of  a  common  soldier  of  the  fort, 
who,  demanding  in  an  unreasonable  manner  a  debt  from 
an  aged  warrior  of  the  White  Apple  village,  proceeded 
by  unjust  pretences  to  instigate  the  guard  to  shoot  him, 
which  proved  mortal,  and  for  which  rashness  he  received 
from  the  commander  nothing  more  than  a  reprimand. 

The  village,  determined  on  revenge,  fell  upon  two 
Frenchmen  in  their  neighbourhood,  and  at  last  upon  the 
settlement  of  St.  Catharine.  The  great  chief,  however, 
called  the  Stung  Serpent,  at  the  entreaty  of  the  command- 
ant of  Fort  Rosalie,  succeeded  in  producing  a  cessation 
of  hostilities,  and  soon  afterwards  a  peace. 

Notwithstanding  this  favourable  posture  of  affairs,  M. 
[279]  De  Biainville,  the  governor,  violating  every  principle 
of  honour  and  of  justice,  a  few  months  afterwards,  in  the 
midst  of  peace,  surprised  the  unfortunate  Natchez  of  the 


1818-1820]  NuttalTs  'Journal  349 

offending  village,  and  falling  upon  them  in  cold-blooded 
treachery,  obliged  them  to  give  up  their  aged  chief,  whose 
head  he  had  demanded  of  his  people. 

Some  years  after  this  affair,  the  tyranny  and  injustice 
of  the  Sieur  de  Chopart,  who  commanded  the  post  of 
Natchez,  had  nearly  proved  fatal  to  the  whole  of  the 
French  settlement  in  Louisiana.  Soon  after  arriving  at 
the  post,  he  projected  forming  an  eminent  settlement,  in 
order  to  gratify  his  ambition,  and  amongst  all  the  situa- 
tions which  he  examined,  none  could  satisfy  him  but  the 
vUlage  of  the  White  Apple,  which  was  not  less  than  a 
square  league  in  extent.  The  commandant,  without 
further  ceremony,  ordered  the  chief  to  remove  his  huts 
and  his  people,  as  soon  as  possible,  to  some  other  quarter. 
To  which  the  Sun  of  the  Apple  deliberately  replied,  that 
his  ancestors  had  lived  in  that  village  for  almost  as  many 
years  as  there  were  hairs  in  his  head,  and  that  therefore 
they  had  a  just  right  to  continue  there  unmolested. 

The  Sun,  without  making  any  impression  on  the  mind 
of  the  inexorable  Chopart,  withdrew,  and  assembled  the 
council  of  his  village,  who  represented  to  the  commandant 
that,  at  present,  their  corn  was  only  shooting,  and  if  now 
neglected,  would  be  lost  both  to  themselves  and  the 
French,  who  were  not  numerous  enough  to  tend  it.  But 
this  excuse,  though  just  and  reasonable,  was  menacingly 
rejected. 

At  length,  the  old  men  proposed  to  the  commandant, 
to  be  allowed  to  remain  in  their  village  until  harvest,  and 
to  have  time  to  dry  their  corn,  on  condition,  that  each  hut 
of  the  village  should  pay,  at  a  time  appointed,  a  basket  of 
corn  and  a  fowl,  a  measure  which  would  also  afford  them 
[280]  time  to  deliberate  on  some  method  of  delivering  them- 
selves from  the  tyranny  of  the  French. 


350  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

This  proposal  succeeded  with  the  avaricious  Chopart, 
who  pretended  to  grant  them  this  respite  as  a  favour. 
The  Sun  and  council  of  the  village,  now  consulted  to- 
gether on  the  means  of  ridding  themselves  and  their 
nation  of  the  French.  They  entered  into  a  secret  con- 
spiracy to  destroy  the  whole  settlement  at  a  blow,  on  that 
odious  day  appointed  for  the  delivery  of  the  stipulated 
tribute.  They  were  also  to  endeavor  to  gain  over  the 
other  neighbouring  nations  into  the  plot,  in  order  to  com- 
plete their  success,  and  accelerate  the  fatal  project. 

To  obtain  uniformity  in  the  execution,  bundles  of  rods, 
equal  in  number,  were  to  be  delivered  to  their  several 
allies,  and  also  retained  by  themselves  in  the  recess  of  their 
temple;  one  of  which  was  to  be  withdrawn  and  broken 
each  day,  until  the  accomplishment  of  the  stated  period."* 

The  secret  councils  which  were  held  among  the  nobles 
and  elders,  gave  some  alarm  to  the  people,  and  aroused 
the  curiosity  of  the  Stung  Arm,  mother  to  the  Grand  Sun, 
who,  at  length,  wrung  from  this  chief  the  fatal  secret. 
Influenced  either  by  caprice  or  compassion,  she  destroyed 
the  concert  of  the  execution,  which  was  to  have  been  sec- 
onded by  the  Choctaws,  by  withdrawing  a  number  of  the 
rods,  and  so  hastening  the  approaching  time  of  the  mas- 
sacre. All  the  warnings  which  she  gave  to  the  commander 
and  other  individuals,  were  treated  with  disdain,  as  the 
effects  of  fear  and  cowardice. 

On  the  eve  of  St.  Andrew,  1729,  the  Natchez  left  their 
towns  preparatory  to  the  execution  of  their  plot,  and  to 
show  their  contempt  for  the  commandant,  they  had  left 
his  execution  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  vulgar,  who  was 
[281]  armed  with  a  wooden  hatchet,  no  warrior  deigning 

"*  This  method  of  recording  the  lapse  of  time  was  also  practised  by  the 
Chicasas  and  Muskogolgees,  according  to  the  relation  of  Adair. —  Nuttall. 


1818-1820]  Nutt air s  'Journal  351 

to  kill  him.  At  the  time  appointed,  the  massacre  became 
general  and  instantaneous,  and  of  about  700  persons,  but 
few  escaped  to  bear  the  fatal  intelligence  to  New  Orleans, 
the  capital. 

The  Choctaws  were  greatly  displeased  at  the  accelera- 
tion of  the  period  appointed  for  the  accomplishment  of 
the  plot  by  the  Natchez,  and  were,  in  consequence,  easily 
induced,  soon  afterwards,  to  join  the  French  against  them. 
Arriving  early  in  the  following  spring,  the  troops  appointed 
by  M.  Perier,  then  governor  of  Louisiana,  joined  by  the 
Choctaws,  made  their  attack  on  the  fort  of  the  Natchez. 
After  the  lapse  of  several  days  employed  in  firing  without 
any  great  effect,  the  besieged,  fearing  the  worst,  began  to 
sue  for  peace,  and  offered  as  a  condition  to  deliver  up  all 
their  prisoners.  The  Natchez  gaining  time  by  these 
offers  of  pacification,  took  advantage  of  the  following  night, 
and  evacuated  their  fort  with  all  their  families,  baggage, 
and  plunder. 

After  the  Natchez  had  abandoned  the  fort,  it  was  de- 
molished to  the  ground. 

A  short  time  after  their  flight,  determined  on  revenge 
against  the  Tonicas,  who  were  allies  of  the  French,  they 
destroyed  them  by  stratagem,  under  pretence  of  offering 
them  terms  of  peace. 

The  Natchez  had  now  abandoned  the  east  side  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  fortified  themselves  near  to  Silver  creek 
connected  with  the  Washita. 

M.  Perier  and  his  brother,  with  a  considerable  arma- 
ment, penetrated  to  the  retreat  of  the  unfortunate  Natchez, 
who,  struck  with  terror  at  the  sight  of  their  relentless  and 
formidable  enemies,  shut  themselves  up  in  their  fort,  and 
abandoned  themselves  to  despair  and  desperation.  Soon 
after  the  battery  had  commenced,  a  bomb  [282]  happening 


352  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

to  fall  in  the  midst  of  their  fort  amongst  the  women  and 
children,  they  were  so  struck  with  terror  and  grief  at  the 
cries  of  the  helpless,  that  they  instantly  made  the  signal  of 
capitulation.  They,  however,  started  difficulties  again  to 
obtain  time.  The  night  was  granted  them,  and  they 
attempted  a  second  flight,  but  were,  for  the  greatest  part, 
checked  and  obliged  to  retire  into  the  fort.  Those  who  did 
escape,  joined  a  party  who  were  out  a  hunting,  and  they 
altogether  retired  to  the  Chicasaws."^  The  rest  surren- 
dered themselves  prisoners,  among  whom  were  the  Grand 
Sun,  and  the  female  chiefs;  they  were  carried  to  New 
Orleans  in  slavery,  and  there  consigned  to  prison,  but  were 
shortly  after  sold  in  the  king's  plantations.  Bent  upon 
their  annihilation,  the  French  afterwards  transported  them 
to  St.  Domingo,  and  in  this  way  terminated  the  fate  of  the 
Natchez  as  a  nation,  whose  only  fault  was  that  of  patriot- 
ism, and  an  inviolable  love  of  rational  liberty. 

It  appears  that  the  small  party  who  had  sought  refuge 
among  the  Chicasaws,  still  insecure  from  the  bitter  hostili- 
ties of  the  French,  had  at  last  retired  into  the  country  of 
the  Creeks;  and,  at  this  time  occupy  a  small  village  called 
Natchez,  on  the  banks  of  the  Tallipoosee,  whose  chief, 
Coweta,  fought  under  the  banners  of  general  Jackson. 
Their  language  (said  to  be  destitute  of  the  letter  r),  and 
their  positive  affinities  to  any  existing  nation  of  the  abo- 
rigines, has  never  yet  been  ascertained,  and  remains  open 
to  the  inquiries  of  the  curious,  who  will  not  probably  long 
enjoy  the  advantage  of  contemplating  the  character  of  this 
feeble  fragment  of  a  once  numerous,  powerful,  and  ra- 
tional people. 

^"  Mr.  Brackenridge  adds,  that,  after  the  defeat  by  Perire,  about  200  of  the 
Natchez  fortified  themselves  some  distance  up  Red  river,  but  were  attacked  and 
destroyed  by  St.  Dennis.     Hist.  Louisiana,  p.  44. —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  'Journal  353 

[283]    SECTION  III 

OBSERVATIONS   ON   THE  CHICASAWS  AND  CHOCTAWS 

The  Chicasaws  and  Choctaws,  who  speak  a  language 
considerably  related,  entertain  a  tradition  in  common 
with  the  Iroquois,  the  Delawares,  the  Illinois,  and  most 
of  the  nations  of  North  America,  of  having  once  migrated 
from  the  west,  and  crossed  the  Mississippi  to  their  present 
residence.  They  are  said  to  derive  their  name  from  two 
distinguished  leaders,  Choctawby  and  Chicasawby,  who 
instigated  their  warlike  and  political  movements.  These 
personal  appellations  were  frequently  employed  by  the 
aborigines  in  the  time  of  Soto,  who  speaks,  for  example, 
of  the  Kaskaskias  and  others  by  those  who  then  held  the 
rule,  as  the  cazique  or  chief  of  Casqui,  of  Nilco,  of  Cayas, 
&c.,  all  which,  as  far  as  still  recognizable,  have  passed 
very  improperly  into  so  many  epithets  apparently  national, 
but  which  were,  in  fact,  as  we  discover  both  by  language 
and  confederation,  merely  so  many  bands  of  the  same 
people  receding  from  the  residence  of  the  original  stock, 
either  through  ambitious  caprice,  enterprize,  or  necessity. 
This  connection  among  the  Delawares  or  Lleni-lenapes, 
affording  an  easy  clue  of  origin,  was  always  readily 
acknowledged  under  the  epithets  of  grandfather,  the 
original  stock,  and  brothers  or  collateral  descendants,  by 
which  were  designated  the  receding  tribes,  and  by  a  mere 
reference  to  which,  never  for  a  moment  disputed,  the  pa- 
ternal and  ruling  authority  of  the  ancient  household  was 
universally  acknowledged  and  venerated.  From  a  neglect 
of  this  genealogical  analysis  has  arisen  that  confusion  of 
[284]  origin,  and  those  fallacious  ideas  of  Indian  nations 
and  languages  which  many  suppose  to  exist;  as  if  the 
human  family  in  America,  had  ever  consisted  of  as  many 


354  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

paltry  and  radically  dismembered  fragments,  as  there  were 
names  employed  to  designate  them.  ^' 

It  is  not  a  little  singular,  that  to  all  inquiries  of  ultimate 
residence  which  have  ever  been  made  among  the  American 
natives,  they  should  so  uniformly  refer  back  apparently 
almost  to  the  same  period  and  the  same  country.  The 
occasion  of  this  simultaneous  migration,  however  urgent 
and  important,  is  now  perpetually  locked  in  mystery.  It 
was,  undoubtedly,  instigated  by  some  important  human 
revolution,  which  appears  to  have  set  in  motion  a  vast 
hive  of  the  human  race  in  search  of  some  more  commo- 
dious state  of  subsistence.  They  were  too  barbarous  to 
have  adventured  in  quest  of  pecuniary  wealth,  and  could 
have  had  naturally  no  other  object  for  separation  greater 
than  that  which  slowly  dispersed  the  first  patriarchs  of  the 
world.  Their  migrations,  as  described  by  the  Mexicans, 
probably  took  up  a  period  of  ages,  and  the  vicissitudes  of 
fortune  which  attended  their  progress,  unrecorded  by  the 
circumstantial  pen  of  history,  and  limited  by  chronology, 
may,  probably,  contribute  to  that  extraordinary  appear- 
ance of  simultaneous  and  uninterrupted  movement,  which 
was  rather  carried  on  through  an  extended  cycle  of  time, 
than  in  the  short  space  requisite  to  the  completion  of  an 
expedition.  There  is  one  thing,  however,  certain  in  re- 
gard to  the  Chicasaws  and  their  collateral  bands,  that  they 
have  for  at  least  the  three  last  centuries  occupied  the 
countries  in  which  we  still  find  them.  For  it  was  here 
that  they  were  discovered  by  De  Soto,  and  where  they  had 
not  then  apparently  by  any  means  recently  established 
themselves.  On  what  footing  they  had  resided  as  near 
[285]  neighbours  to  the  Natchez,  I  am  unable  to  ascertain; 
they  appear  from  the  first  to  have  been  a  jealous  and 
hostile  nation,  and  became  the  bold,  cunning,  and  success- 
ful enemies  of  the  whites  from  their  first  interview  with 


i8i8-i82o]  NuttaW s  'Journal  355 

the  Spaniards,  who  certainly,  as  wanton  invaders,  did  not 
act  in  a  way  to  conciliate  the  esteem  of  the  natives.  The 
Natchez  asserted  that  they  could  once  number  no  less 
than  500  Suns  (or  chiefs  who  pretended  to  derive  their 
origin  from  that  luminary  which  they  adored),  and  that 
their  possessions  extended  in  a  continual  line  from  Natchez 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  Whether  they  had  been  dis- 
possessed and  reduced  to  the  feeble  state  in  which  they 
were  discovered  by  the  French,  through  the  enmity  of  the 
Chicasaws,  Iroquois,  or  the  Illinois,  we  cannot  now  deter- 
mine, though,  from  the  contiguity  of  the  latter,  and  their 
former  strength,  we  should  rather  conclude  them,  or  the 
northern  confederates,  to  have  been  the  destroyers  of  the 
Natchez,  than  the  Chicasaws,  as  we  find  them  and  the 
Choctaws  to  have  been  the  abettors  of  the  Natchez,  in  their 
unfortunate  contest  with  the  French,  yet  of  a  character 
extremely  versatile  and  revengeful,  insomuch  that  the 
Choctaws,  who  had  at  one  time  proffered  their  assistance, 
withdrew  it  in  favour  of  their  enemies,  in  consequence  of 
the  unforeseen  circumstance  which  to  the  Natchez  pre- 
maturely hastened  the  secret  attack  they  had  concerted 
against  their  enemies,  and  which  was  to  have  been  regu- 
lated by  the  consummation  of  a  period  of  time,  designated 
by  a  bundle  of  rods  deposited  in  the  temple,  each  of  which 
counted  for  a  day.  The  completion  of  this  fatal  period 
was,  however,  secretly  hastened,  to  destroy  the  concert 
with  the  Choctaws,  by  the  revengeful  sister  of  the  Great 
Sun,  who,  resenting  the  secrecy  her  brother  had  observed 
towards  her,  withdrew  a  number  of  [286]  the  tallies,  and 
though  by  this  means  the  main  object  was  not  defeated, 
yet  it  excited  the  fatal  jealousy  and  enmity  of  the  Choctaws, 
who  were  consequently  disconcerted  in  completing  the  in- 
tended measure  of  vengeance. 

From  the  high  tone  in  which  the  chief  of  Quigalta 


356  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

answered  the  requisitions  of  Soto,  (and  who,  occupying  the 
identical  spot  where  Natchez  now  stands,  could,  by  the 
concurrence  of  their  traditions,  scarcely  have  been  any 
other  than  the  same  people),  we  perceive  their  power  and 
independence,  although  concentrated  within  narrower 
limits,  still  highly  respectable. 

In  the  time  of  Charlevoix,  an  active  war  was  carried  on 
betwixt  the  ever  restless  and  rapacious  Chicasaws  and  the 
Illinois,  who,  by  them  and  the  Iroquois,  in  the  end  appear 
to  have  been  exterminated  as  a  nation. 

From  the  situation  which  the  Chicasaws  and  their 
branches  occupied  on  this  continent,  from  the  earliest 
period  of  history,  we  may,  I  think,  consider  them  as 
among  the  most  ancient  of  the  existing  aborigines.  To 
give  a  more  correct  idea  of  their  former  extent  and  influ- 
ence, considered  in  the  most  general  point  of  view,  I  shall 
bring  together  their  scattered  branches,  so  as  to  afford  a 
retrospect  of  the  whole.  Although  we  have  chosen  to 
speak  of  the  Chicasaw  as  the  principal  band,  which  it 
now  is,  in  consequence  of  the  reduction  or  extinction  of 
most  of  the  rest;  yet,  in  point  of  numbers,  the  Mobilians, 
now,  I  believe,  extinct,  must  have  far  exceeded  the  Chica- 
saws. They  were  discovered  by  De  Soto,  dwelling  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  present  bay  and  river  of  Mobile.  Their 
name,  by  De  Soto,  is  Mouvill.  Unwilling  to  acknowledge 
the  arbitrary  usurpation  of  their  Spanish  discoverers,  a 
battle  ensued,  which,  in  consequence  probably  of  the  in- 
equality of  arms  and  skill,  proved  very  destructive  [287] 
to  the  Mouvillians,  who  lost  2500  men.  From  so  con- 
siderable a  loss  at  the  first  outset,  and  that  without  a  sur- 
prise, it  is  evident  that  their  numbers  must  have  been 
considerable.  They  were  nearly  extinct  in  the  time  of 
Charlevoix,  who,  concerning  their  religious  rite  of  pre- 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  'Journal  257 

serving  an  eternal  fire  in  a  temple,  remarks,  that  it  ap- 
peared probable,  the  Mobilians  had,  over  all  the  people 
of  Florida,  a  kind  of  primacy  of  religion,  for  it  was  at  their 
sacred  fire  that  the  others  were  obliged  to  kindle  that, 
which,  by  accident  or  neglect,  had  been  suffered  to  go 
out."'  In  the  vicinity  of  the  Mobilians  lived  also  the 
Chatots,  in  the  time  of  Du  Pratz,  occupying  a  village  of 
about  40  huts.  A  little  north  of  Fort  Louis,  on  the  Mo- 
bille,  according  to  the  same  author,  lived  the  Thomez, 
who  were  not  more  numerous  than  the  Chatots. 

To  the  north  of  the  Apalaches,  who  gave  name  to  the 
mountains  so  called,  lived  the  Alibamas,  and  to  the  north 
of  the  Alibamas,  were  the  Abeikas  and  Conchacs,  appar- 
ently the  same  people.  Their  language  was  scarcely  at 
all  different  from  that  of  the  Chicasaws,  and  their  name 
of  conchac  is  the  Chicasaw  word  for  the  knives  which  they 
formerly  made  of  sharpened  splits  of  cane. 

The  Aquelou  Pissas,  formerly  living  within  three  or 
four  miles  of  the  site  of  New  Orleans,  had  removed,  in  the 
time  of  Du  Pratz,  to  the  borders  of  lake  Ponchartrain. 

Upon  the  Yazoo  river,  lived  the  Chacchi-oumas  (or 
Red  Cray-fish),  consisting  of  about  50  huts.  Not  far 
from  them,  also  dwelt  the  Oufe-Ogoulas  (or  the  Nation 
of  the  Dog),  occupying  about  60  huts.  The  Tapoussas 
likewise  lived  upon  the  banks  of  this  river,  and  had  not 
more  than  25  cabins.  These,  as  well  as  the  Oumas  of  the 
[288]  Mississippi,  who  still  lived  on  the  present  site  of  the 
great  plantation  of  General  Wade  Hampton,  in  the  time 
of  the  author  already  mentioned,  did  not  use  the  letter  r 
in  their  language,  and,  as  well  as  all  the  above  named  na- 
tives, appeared  to  be  branches  of  the  Chicasaws,  as  they 
spoke  either  that  language  or  its  dialects. 

^"  Charlevoix's  Hist.  Journ.  p.  323. —  Nuttall. 


358  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

Most  part  of  these  small  nations,  after  joining  the 
Natchez  in  their  unsuccessful  plot  against  the  French, 
retired  among  the  Chicasaws,  and  were  finally  incor- 
porated with  them. 

The  language  of  the  Chicasaws,  it  appears,  was  not 
unknown  on  the  western  side  of  the  Mississippi:  the 
Caddoes  or  Cadoda-quioux,  divided  into  several  extensive 
branches,  as  well  as  the  Natchitoches,  although  possessed 
of  a  peculiar  language,  as  well  as  all  the  Indians  of  Louisi- 
ana generally,  were  more  or  less  acquainted  with  the 
Chicasaw  or  Mobilian."^  And  it  was,  no  doubt,  from 
this  circumstance  that  John  Ortiz,  who  had  escaped  the 
fate  of  the  adventurers  of  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez,  and  who 
was  discovered  by  De  Soto  living  among  the  Indians  of 
East  Florida,  rendered  himself  so  easily  understood 
throughout  the  whole  of  that  extensive  route  which  was 
pursued  by  Soto. 

From  the  earliest  settlement  of  the  French  on  the 
borders  of  the  Mississippi,  the  Chicasaws  evinced  a  hostile 
disposition,  which,  indeed,  they  had  probably  cherished 
from  their  ancestors,  who  had  severely  punished  the  little 
army  of  De  Soto.  Their  hostility  is  attributed  by  Charle- 
voix to  the  friendship  which  subsisted  between  the  French 
and  the  Illinois,  their  enemies.  They  appear,  however, 
afterwards  to  have  remained  neutral,  and  would  have  [289] 
continued  so,  had  not  the  tyrannical  Biainville  commenced 
hostilities  against  them,  for  the  customary  hospitality 
which  they  had  shewn  to  the  unfortunate  remains  of  the 
Natchez,  whom  they  had  received  and  adopted.  To  the 
requisitions  of  Biainville  to  give  up  the  Natchez,  whom 
he  was  bent  on  exterminating,  the  Chicasaws  answered, 
that  the  Natchez  having  sought  their  protection,  had  been 

^"  Du  Pratz's  Hist.  Louisiana,  p.  318. —  Nuttall. 


1818-1820]  Nuttair s  journal  359 

received  and  adopted  by  them,  so  that  they  now  con- 
stituted but  one  people.  If  Biainville,  said  they,  had  re- 
ceived our  enemies,  should  we  demand  them?  or,  if  we 
did,  would  they  be  given  up  ? 

Without  listening  to  reason,  Biainville  commenced  war- 
like preparations  against  the  Chicasaws.  Supplies  of 
ammunition  were  sent  up  the  Mississippi  to  the  post  of 
Illinois,  desiring  the  commandant  to  equip  as  many  of  the 
Indians,  inhabitants,  and  troops,  as  possible,  to  join  him  at 
the  Chicasaws,  by  the  loth  of  the  following  May.  The 
Indians  attempted  in  vain  to  surprise  the  convoy,  which, 
proceeding  in  safety  to  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansa, 
left  the  gunpowder  there  without  any  manifest  reason, 
which  Artaguette,  the  commandant  at  Illinois,  under- 
standing, from  those  who  had  neglected  to  convey  it, 
immediately  sent  down  a  boat  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
it,  which  was  taken  by  a  party  of  the  Chicasaws,  after  kill- 
ing all  the  crew  except  two  individuals,  whom  they  made 
slaves. 

In  the  mean  time,  Biainville  proceeding  to  fort  Mobile, 
engaged  the  Choctaws  to  join  him  as  mercenaries. 

On  the  loth  of  March,  1736,  the  troops  being  assem- 
bled, began  their  march  the  2d  of  April,  and  arrived  at 
Tombecbee  on  the  20th,  where  they  fortified  their  camp, 
and  remained  till  the  4th  of  May,  detained  by  a  conspiracy 
among  themselves  to  destroy  the  commandant  and  garri- 
son. [290]  The  Choctaws,  who  joined  them,  were  about 
1200  in  number,  and  commanded  by  their  principal 
chief. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  they  marched  to  the  fort  of  the 
Chicasaws,  crossing  an  adjoining  rivulet  of  considerable 
depth;  the  fort  defended  the  village,  which  was  situated 
upon  an  agreeable  plain.     This  defensive  position  was 


360  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

thrown  up  on  an  eminence  with  an  easy  ascent,  around  it 
stood  several  huts,  and  others  at  a  greater  distance,  which 
appeared  to  have  been  put  in  a  state  of  defence;  and  close 
to  the  fort  ran  a  little  brook,  which  watered  a  part  of  the 
plain. 

On  approaching  the  fort  they  observed  four  Englishmen 
enter  it,  and  that  the  British  flag  was  flying.  The  attack 
was  made,  and  obstinately  maintained  for  a  considerable 
time  on  both  sides,  but  greatly  to  the  disadvantage  of  the 
French.  The  Indians,  protected  by  a  strong  stockade, 
were  under  cover  from  every  attack,  and  could  have  de- 
fended themselves  by  their  loop-holes.  In  addition  to 
which,  they  formed  a  gallery  of  flat  pallisadoes  quite  round, 
covered  with  earth,  which  screened  it  from  the  effects  of 
grenadoes.  Thus  the  troops,  after  lavishing  their  ammu- 
nition against  the  wooden  posts  of  the  Indian  fort,  were 
obliged  to  retreat,  with  the  loss  of  32  men  killed,  and 
almost  70  wounded ;  and,  abandoning  the  country,  retired 
to  fort  Mobile,  from  whence  the  militia  and  Indians  were 
disbanded. 

Mr.  Artaguette,  with  his  Illinois  troops  and  Indian  allies, 
arriving  in  the  Chicasaw  country  on  the  9th  of  May, 
waited  the  arrival  of  the  French  until  the  21st,  when, 
hearing  nothing  of  them,  and  fearful  of  the  impatience  of 
the  Indians,  made  the  attack  with  success,  at  first,  having 
forced  the  Chicasaws  to  quit  their  village  and  fort.  They 
also  attacked  another  village  with  the  same  success,  but 
[291]  hurried  away  in  the  pursuit,  M.  d' Artaguette  re- 
ceived two  wounds,  which  caused  him  and  a  small  body 
of  his  men,  46  soldiers  and  two  sergeants,  to  be  abandoned 
by  the  Indians,  and,  after  defending  their  commander  all 
that  day,  they  were  at  last  obliged  to  surrender.  The 
troops  under  Biainville  having  retired,  and  the  Indians 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  journal  361 

consequently  finding  no  opportunity  of  gaining  a  ransom 
for  their  prisoners,  put  them  all  to  death  by  slow  fire,  ex- 
cept a  sergeant,  who,  meeting  with  an  indulgent  master, 
found  means  to  make  his  escape. 

Biainville,  desirous  to  take  vengeance  upon  the  Chica- 
saws,  wrote  both  to  France  and  Canada,  requesting 
succours. 

The  reinforcements  having  arrived  from  France,  pro- 
ceeded up  the  Mississippi  to  the  Cliffs  of  Prud'homme, 
now  called  the  Chicasaw  Bluffs,  where  they  landed,  and 
fortified  their  encampment,  which  was  situated  on  a  fine 
plain,  and  called  fort  Assumption,  in  commemoration  of 
the  day  on  which  they  landed. 

They  made  wagons  and  sledges,  and  cleared  out  roads 
for  the  conveyance  of  cannon,  ammunition,  and  every 
thing  necessary  for  forming  a  regular  siege.  They  were  also 
immediately  reinforced  by  the  forces  which  they  had 
requested  from  Canada,  consisting  of  a  mixed  multitude 
of  French,  Iroquois,  Hurons,  Episingles,  Algonquins,  and 
other  nations,  led  by  the  commandant  of  the  Illinois,  with 
the  garrison  inhabitants  and  neighbouring  Indians,  as 
many  as  could  be  brought  together,  and  furnished  with 
a  considerable  number  of  horses. 

This  formidable  army,  the  greatest  that  had  ever  been 
seen  in  the  interior  of  America,  remained  in  camp  without 
undertaking  any  thing,  from  the  month  of  August,  1739, 
to  the  succeeding  month  of  March.  Provisions,  which 
[292]  were  at  first  in  plenty,  became  at  last  so  scarce,  that 
they  were  obliged  to  eat  up  the  horses,  which  were  intended 
to  draw  the  artillery,  ammunition,  and  provisions.  They 
were  also  seriously  attacked  by  sickness,  which  at  length 
inclined  M.  Biainville  to  have  recourse  to  mild  methods. 
He  therefore  detached  a  small  body  of  troops  and  Cana- 


362  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

dian  Indians  against  the  Chicasaws,  with  orders  to  make 
offers  of  peace  to  them  in  his  name,  if  they  were  inchned 
to  sue  for  it. 

What  the  general  had  foreseen  did  indeed  happen.  For 
no  sooner  had  the  Chicasaws  seen  the  French,  followed 
by  the  Indians  of  Canada,  then  they  apprehended  the 
approach  of  the  rest  of  the  numerous  army,  and  making 
signals  of  peace,  came  out  of  their  fort  in  the  most  humble 
manner,  hazarding  all  the  consequences  of  such  an  expo- 
sure, in  the  hope  of  obtaining  peace.  They  solemnly  pro- 
tested an  inviolable  friendship  to  the  French,  and  avowed 
that  they  had  been  instigated  by  the  English  to  take  up 
arms  against  them,  and  seeing  their  error  they  had  already 
separated  from  them,  and  had,  at  that  very  time,  two 
of  that  nation  whom  they  had  made  slaves,  and  of  the 
truth  of  which  assertion,  they  might,  if  they  pleased,  now 
satisfy  themselves. 

Lieutenant  de  St.  Laurent,  accompanied  by  a  young 
slave,  therefore,  went  in  order  to  ascertain  the  truth  of 
their  professions;  as  he  passed  through  the  village,  the 
women  were  heard  to  demand  him  as  a  sacrifice  to  their 
hatred,  but  were  prevented  by  the  men  from  offering  him 
any  injury.  Peace  was  now  instantly  concluded,  and  a 
few  days  after,  they  accompanied  the  commander  of  the 
detachment  in  a  considerable  body,  to  carry  the  pipe  of 
peace  to  the  French  governor,  and  to  deliver  up  the  two 
Englishmen.  They  behaved  before  M.  Biainville  with 
[293]  the  utmost  submission,  and  offered,  if  necessary,  to 
attest  their  friendship  by  making  war  upon  the  English. 
Thus  concluded  the  war  of  the  French  with  the  Chicasaws, 
about  the  beginning  of  April,  1740. 

In  the  revolutionary  war  with  Great  Britain,  they 
appear  to  have  sided  with  the  republicans;  and  displayed 


i8i8-i82o]  Nuttair s  Journal  363 

considerable  fidelity  and  courage  in  the  late  war  against 
the  Creeks,  under  the  command  of  general  Jackson. 

After  the  Iroquois,  we  are  not  acquainted  with  any 
nation  of  the  aborigines  of  North  America,  who  have 
been  so  restless  and  enterprising  as  the  Chicasaws,  and 
who  have  better  maintained  their  ground  against  every 
species  of  hostility.  They  have  not  only,  says  Du  Pratz, 
cut  off  a  great  many  nations  who  were  adjoining  them,  but 
have  even  carried  their  love  of  war  and  vengeance  as  far 
as  New  Mexico,  near  600  miles  from  the  place  of  their 
residence,  to  exterminate  a  nation  that  had  removed  to 
that  distance  from  them.  In  this  enterprise  they  were, 
however,  deceived  and  cut  off. 

The  Choctaws,  still  equally  numerous,  reckoned,  in  the 
time  of  Du  Pratz,  25,000  warriors.  We  know  but  little 
of  them  more  than  a  few  detached  customs,  and  the  tradi- 
tion, that  they  had  made  a  sudden  arrival  in  the  country 
which  they  now  occupy.  There  is  a  small  village  of  them 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  town  of  Arkansas,  but  made  up  princi- 
pally of  those,  who  had  rendered  themselves  obnoxious 
to  the  rest  of  the  nation,  who,  probably,  as  well  as  the 
Cherokees  and  Creeks,  have  found  the  necessity  of  intro- 
ducing corporeal  and  general  punishments,  for  the  benefit 
and  security  of  society. 

As  we  cannot  discover  any  mention  of  them  by  the 
historian  of  De  Soto,  they  were  perhaps,  at  that  period, 
included  amongst  the  Chicasaws.  And,  from  the  extinc- 
tion [294]  of  the  Mobilians  and  other  nations,  met  with  by 
that  adventurer,  we  are  inclined  to  believe  them  the 
modern  usurpers  of  the  country  which  they  now  possess. 
Many  of  them  live  on  the  borders  of  the  Yazoo,  and  other 
parts  of  the  Mississippi  and  Louisiana  territories.  It  is 
certain,  as  we  have  had  already  occasion  to  notice,  that 


364  Early  Western  Travels  [Vol.  13 

they  made  war  against  the  Chicasaws,  in  aid  of  the  French, 
and  that,  though  they  professed  to  aid  the  cause  of  the 
Natchez,  yet  that  afterwards,  through  mere  jealousy,  they 
had  joined  with  the  French  against  them. 

The  Choctaws,  tUl  very  late  years,  had  a  practice,  not 
indeed  peculiar,  of  exposing  their  dead  upon  scaffolds  till 
such  time  as  the  flesh  decayed,  which  was  then  separated 
from  the  bones  by  a  set  of  old  men,  who  devoted  them- 
selves to  this  custom,  and  were  called  "bone-pickers," 
after  which,  the  bones  were  interred  in  some  place  set 
apart  for  the  purpose. 

This  custom  unquestionably  arose  out  of  a  veneration 
for  the  deceased,  and  an  attachment  to  their  remains, 
which,  among  a  wandering  and  unsettled  people,  were 
thus  conveniently  removed.  A  circumstance  of  this  kind 
is  related  by  Charlevoix,"*  where  the  Indians  on  removing 
their  vUlage,  carried  with  them  also  the  bones  of  their 
dead. 

^"  Historical  Joximal;  p.  334.     (£d.  Lond.).  —  Nuttall. 


i8i8-i82o] 


Nuttair  s  yournal 


365 


[295]    SECTION   IV 

THERMOMETRICAL    OBSERVATIONS    IN    THE    ARKANSA 
TERRITORY,    DURING   THE   YEAR    1819 


A 

M. 

deg. 

A 

M. 

deg. 

P.M. 

deg. 

January  20 

12 

67 

April 

16 

7 

64 

3 

66 

21 

12 

67 

17 

7 

54 

3 

70 

March   9 

12 

50 

18 

10 

56 

4 

65 

10 

12 

50 

P.M. 

deg. 

19 

8 

54 

2 

70 

12 

8 

66 

3 

76 

20 

6 

60 

I 

74 

13 

48 

3 

60 

21 

6 

62 

3 

76 

14 

48 

3 

56 

22 

66 

6 

70 

15 

56 

3 

73 

22> 

6 

56 

I 

76 

16 

8 

28 

5 

34 

24 

6 

62 

3 

72 

17 

8 

34 

3 

48 

25 

6 

56 

2 

78 

18 

8 

42 

3 

50 

26 

7 

63 

3 

70 

19 

8 

38 

2 

50 

27 

6 

56 

3 

77 

20 

8 

48 

3 

58 

28 

6 

66 

9 

75 

21 

6 

22 

5 

48 

29 

7 

69 

I 

80 

22 

8 

48 

3 

66 

5 

80 

23 

7 

60 

3 

72 

30 

6 

66 

12 

75 

24 

6 

60 

2 

70 

May 

I 

8 

68 

25 

7 

54 

4 

78 

2 

7 

60 

4 

80 

26 

7 

42 

5 

64 

3 

7 

68 

12 

82 

27 

8 

46 

I 

66 

7 

82 

28 

7 

52 

3 

54 

4 

7 

68 

3 

78 

29 

6 

60 

2 

54 

5 

7 

68 

3 

76 

30 

7 

40 

3 

44 

6 

7 

68 

3 

68 

31 

6i 

32 

12 

58 

7 

7 

68 

3 

78 

April    I 

7 

48 

2 

68 

8 

7 

60 

3 

66 

2 

6i 

58 

3 

60 

9 

8 

68 

3 

70 

3 

7 

52 

2 

64 

10 

8 

70 

3 

86 

4 

7i 

44 

2 

60 

II 

6 

77 

4 

86 

5 

7 

40 

2 

70 

12 

8 

76 

2 

86 

6 

7 

50 

I 

70 

13 

7 

78 

4 

68 

7 

6i 

60 

2 
at  7 

76 
76 

14 

15 

7 
7 

62 

54 

4 

66 

8 

7 

64 

2 

74 

[296] 

9 

7 

56 

2 

66 

June 

23 

4 

80 

10 

7 

60 

I 

64 

24 

6 

68 

3 

82 

II 

7 

52 

3 

76 

25 

7 

74 

3 

80 

12 

7 

54 

2 

74 

26 

6 

72 

3 

76 

13 

7 

62 

3 

76 

27 

7 

74 

3 

76 

14 

7 

64 

2 

74 

28 

7 

68 

3 

80 

15 

7 

64 

3 

78 

29 

7 

70 

4 

84 

366 


Early  Western  Travels 


[Vol.  13 


A. 

M. 

ieg. 

P.M. 

deg. 

A.M. 

deg. 

P.M. 

deg. 

June   30 

7 

73 

3 

88 

August  14    7 

76 

3 

86 

July    I 

7 

76 

3-5 

86 

15    7 

76 

3 

86 

2 

7 

72 

3-5 

84 

16 

76 

3 

86 

3 

7 

73 

3 

88 

17 

76 

3 

86 

4 

8 

72 

3 

74 

18 

76 

3 

86 

5 

7 

68 

3 

74 

19 

76 

3 

86 

6 

7 

68 

3 

78 

20 

76 

3 

86 

7 

7 

69 

3 

90 

21 

76 

3 

86 

8 

7 

74 

3 

88 

22 

74 

3 

82 

9 

7 

78 

3 

90 

23 

70 

3 

78 

10 

7 

80 

3 

90 

24 

70 

3 

78 

II 

7 

73 

3 

86 

25 

70 

3 

78 

12 

7 

72 

3 

92 

26 

70 

3 

78 

13 

6 

78 

3 

90 

27 

70 

3 

78 

14 

7 

78 

3 

90 

28 

70 

3 

78 

15 

7 

80 

3 

91 

29 

70 

3 

78 

16 

7 

76 

3 

86 

30 

70 

3 

78 

17 

6 

70 

3 

84 

31 

70 

3 

78 

18 

6 

60 

3 

88 

Sept.   I 

72 

3 

82 

19 

6 

64 

3 

86 

2 

72 

3 

82 

21 

7 

70 

3 

76 

3 

74 

3 

86 

22 

7 

72 

3 

82 

4 

74 

3 

86 

23 

7 

72 

3 

88 

5 

76 

3 

86 

24 

7 

78 

3 

86 

6 

76 

3 

86 

25 

7 

72 

3 

85 

7 

76 

3 

86 

26 

7 

72 

3 

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8 

76 

3 

86 

27 

7 

70 

3 

88 

9 

76 

3 

86 

28 

7 

73 

3 

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10 

76 

3 

86 

29 

7 

76 

3 

90 

II 

74 

30 

7 

76 

3 

90 

12 

76 

3 

86 

31 

7 

76 

3 

90 

13 

70 

3 

86 

August  I 

8 

76 

3 

90 

14 

52 

2 

8 

72 

3 

90 

17 

62 

3 

88 

3 

8 

72 

3 

82 

18 

64 

3 

86 

4 

8 

72 

3 

76 

19 

72 

3 

86 

5 

8 

72 

3 

84 

20 

74 

3 

89 

6 

8 

76 

3 

84 

21 

68 

3 

84 

7 

7 

76 

3 

84 

22 

62 

3 

82 

8 

7 

76 

3 

84 

23 

60 

3 

80 

9 

7 

76 

3 

84 

24 

58 

3 

88 

10 

7 

78 

3 

86 

25 

49 

3 

70 

II 

8 

76 

3 

86 

26 

51 

3 

80 

12  """ 

^76 

3 

86 

27 

54 

3 

84 

13 

7 

76 

3 

86 

28 

64 

3 

88 

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