The Arkansas advocate., 1831-03-09

Hon. W NJ. l.. MARCY, late a Judge Of the Su- ,reme Court of the State of New-Y ork, has been Elected Senator in Congress from that State, in snIace Of the Hon. .Nutbaa ,Saadford whose term of service expired the 4th inst Alr Marcy is deci-# ded friend of tie administration of Gen. Jackson.
 JAMES MoSRoE.--iiie bi fo r the relief of James Monroe late President of the U States, passed the House of Representatives, and was read the first tine in the Senate, on the 7th ult. when Mir. Poia- derter, stating his intention to propose amend nent to the bili its second reading was postponed. This bill proposes to allow Mr. Monroe S30,G00, if upon examination of his accounts, somuch shall \ be found due. serhe follow ing REPORT of Iient. Datpsoa, of the II. 5. Army, who accompanied the late exploring delegation of Chocktaw and Chickasaw Indians, made to the Col. Comdt at Cantonment Gibson, was furnished for publication at our particular re quest To those who wish to become acquainted with the country ceded to the lndlanss ths report must be interesting.
 cASToSMEET GIBsoS, 29fh .yan. 1881.
 +R:--I have the honor to report, that in pursu-. ance of your order, of the Eth December last, proceeded with the party of men under my nand from this Post, to the Illinois Shoals of the Arkansas, at which point crossed that river after remaining al Mr. Wchber'sa short time, to pete my outfit for tour of service in the woods, 5y putting in good order, the arms deposited at that place, intended for our service
 From Webbers, 1 continued my route to the Delaware village, where l arrived on the 18th. The river bottom the west side of the Arkansas. at the Illinois Shoals, IS about three miles in dh
 where 1 crossed 1t, and in point of fertility even surace,a and valuable timber deservesto be noticed as being in my estimation, the finest body of land of the same extent, which I have seen west of the Mississippi. The Delaware village referred to- is situated on large creek, about one mile from it's junction with the Canadian river. into which 1t dis charges itself from the north, and contains six or eight families. There is another of larger size, on the south side of the Canadian, three miles above the first mentioned, and about fifteen twenty miles below the Forks
 Having understood from Col Gaines in conver- sation previous to his departure westward that he desirous of making particular examination of the bottoms on the right bank of the Canadian, eonlectured that the most probable chance of srik- ing his trail. would be to follow np t.c he'd Of tie river, which almost dry, and easily forded at all points.
 After marching up it's bed some six or eight niles discovered large trail on the bar, and fellow ed 1t out into the river bottom; from the appearance ot an epcampmeDt fonnd there, | judged 1t to be that of the Chocktaw party, from which they had departed two or three days before. From this point the trail turned s. " over high ridge ofmountains which we crossed--the mouth of the North Fork, being visible from it's summit
 After march of ten or twelve miles, through poor mountain land. descended into the valley of stout sized creek. running N. and emptyng in- to tue Canadian. The bottoms of this creek arc fertile, and adloin rich wel-timhe cred upland. @1SsttiS 1iiiS itteth ana pursuing tne trai D. w. five six miles farther through post oak hats and hickory upland, we reached the edge Of the small praries which stretch along the Canadian at an av- craze distance from 1t of ten miles, and to my prise found the of the trail suddenly np- ed to s. 2. the prospect m front bounded by lofty ridge The size of the trail, with the course. rem dered me doubtful whether 1t was that of be Choek- taws and believing that if it them, I should find them on the Canadian | pursued z. w. course 10 that river, in hopes of either overriding them point higher up, or hearing of them from In- dian hunters.
 Continuing my march mp the bed of the river to point thirty or forty miles above the Fork, met party of three Delawares who were joined next day by the whole Delaware town, returning home from hunt, west of the Washita. From them I learned that there were no parties except Chero- kees above me, that the whole country bordering on the river burnt, and that could not suhsist my horses. The want of food for them severely felt, even at this early period as ' could find no cane, any thing else for them to eat except dry sedge. Finding that the condition of the country would not permit to remain determined to leave it, and cross the head waters or the creeks emptying into the Canadian, which the Dela- wares assured me ! would find plentiful food for horses, circumstance which had induced the Chocktaw party to leave the Canadian at point lower down. Knowing the necessity of making great speed to enable me to overtake tie party nd the importance of finding good range every night, employed an old Delaware guide, and striking across the country distance ofaaout fifteen miles
 igain ie n with the trall had left, and continu- Ing our route $. w. ten miles farther, found the camp of the Chocktaws and Chickasaws, who had lolned each oter at this point.
 fhe Canadian river, at the place left it, is near lY as vide the Arkansas; the banks are exceed ihgly low, ettbe bottoms do not eyince marks of overflow n many places they are narrow in width very brnsy, and not fertile the bottoms of the Arkansas being of a more light and sandy charac- ter. The ridges approach very close on the eouter margin of the bottoms; the timber consists of oak ash, hickory, cedar, and bois 'arc. It struck me as being very low in stature for bottom timber and but indifferent for the purposes ofhe agrculturast The navigation of the Canadian, should judge to be olerabiy good for light steam boats and keels, during the spring the he'd of the river is markedly free from snags and sawyers, and indeed rom all such incidental o5seneiIons: the channel