New-York tribune., 1841-11-09
From the Evansville Is.) Journal.
L An TIE EAR WEST.

Louis, with vic* Of ascertaning the object OF
the visit bv the company raising for the Pacific
Ocean. When arrived at ST. Louis | found
had 10 proceed 10 Independence the upper country
on the Missouri riv r, and adjoining the Indian
boundary four hundred miles further There |
found three different Caravans busily recruiting
The Rev. Bishop Srui1th, with Caravan 10 cstab-
lsh mission amongst the Back-Fcet IHdians. in
the valley of the Columbia river, who left with the
Caravan to California, by way OF the head waters
Of the Columbia river. commanded by Col. Bar
tetson aud hchma, composed of about 90 per-
sons, male and female The second TO California
composed OF about 100 men, and about 80 women
and children-the yearly Caravan composed OF
rchants to this city, Chewawa and Sonora, com
posed of about so men, and 40 wagons, loaded
with rnerchandizc, &c. The Caravans all left be-
tween the 9Th and 10 h OF May. After ascertain
ing the object OF the California caravan, Gov Boggs
and myself having understood positively u caravan
was to leave from Santa Fe, to Join the same one
BY the way Of Columbia, raised | 0 men and agreed
TO leave in time 10 evertake the Santa tc company
at or near the Arkansas, but tue evening previous
TO onr departure, the Governors wife was taken
un~ell, and be was compelled to abandon the adj
venture Accordingly on the l9th of May, my
self with three others, with three little wagons.
loaded with provisions and arms, and three riding
mules left the line of Missouri for the Far West
The Indian country as far the Council Grove,
two hundred miles from the line. is perhaps as fine
d tract OF country can be found In tie wCrld,
there is rather a scarcity of timber. bat in soil and
water none superior. The Council Grove, as it is
called. is the ancieat site of Il once proud and
mighty city. 1t is situated on the maia White
river, which here forms a crescent curve of about
miles in circumference, and contains more than
IA &C.. l.. 4, -.
times as large as those near Vincennes-those in
the centre are in the form of II square, many con-
tanning surface of more than two acres, some in
the form of triangle, and others perfectly round.
Here the Pawnee Arapsh, Cumanchee, Loup., and
Eutaw Indians, all OF whom are at war with each
other, meet and smoke the pipe of peace once
year. Every person and thing are sacred for
many miles around the peaceful grove.
This ceremo y has been handed down Tor many
centuries TO the red men by their forciathcrs, and
here their chiefs and great men are brou- ht from
hundreds of miles to be i.ierrtd-one Of whom,
out a few weeks before we pissed, had proud
mound of stones erected to his memory, with
pole painted red and seal lp appended thereto, to
show that he had been great brave. The nume-
rous camps every where 10 be around here,
once convince The tfavCier that here is the great
rendezvous of thousands annually. From thence
onward for 400 miles, there Is nothing 10 be seen
but one eternal desert without oue-even one soli-
tary stick Of timber to cheer the eye for thirty
davs Nothing here is TO be had bu, Buffalo dung
to cook the food that used. but OF this the whole
prairics are covered. and II is excellent ubs,i-
tu,e We overlook the caravan in sisht OF the Ar
kansas, about 400 mics from the line of tie [.
States. and 500 from ST Louis without trouble by
the Indians, and attached ourselves thereto for
duty in crossing the river which Is much larger
than at the mouth, and always muddy and rolling
her quicksand into bars almost every hour, so that
fords and crossings dangerous and uncertain.
From the Arksnsa, river the scarcity OF water
commences, and even the little that is 10 be had is
SO deeply imprcgnated with salt sui phAr and -,
fhnt stern Acccssiy alone brings the traveller the
use of it, On the Simcronc river there one or
two good springs a, one of which We met ot The
Araphoe Indians 800 warriors, who treated us
with proper friendship, clatcd with their success
ten dav before. when i'll battle they killed seventy
FIVE Pawnces. We gtathed them with encamp-
ing on the battle-ground. where the unburlcd bo
dies were yet almost unbroken. The next day we
visited their Lodge, six miles from the battle
ground where we had It full view OF savage life in
a perfect state of nature; among 500 women ard
children there were but few that had ever .eiore
seen the dress and equpage of the white man.-
were cheered in eight or ten days with the far-dis
tant appearance OF the Rocky Mountains. From
day to day as we approached them, the beauty OF
the scenery Increased and when within twcn'y
miles the reflection of the through the melting
snow tina, etrrnally crowns their highest peaks, Is
splendid be,ond all description. Here the trave-
Ter bchods a chain OF many hundreds, nay, thou
sands of miles, pile up. as II were. until they
reach TO heaven with stone, uncovered with shrub
berv or vcrdure of any kind nothing but the
white caps OF snow and the rough and ieruhc
precipiccs varied for the eye 10 behold, until YOU
reach the crossings of Red river at the foot OF the
mountain. and here the pine AID cedar tree again
on the mountain side and IN the valley srccis iHe
eve once more; and here on this plain We had TO
encounter 500 Eutaw warriors. but after repeated
skirmishngs, they were tain TO retreat without ei-
fccring any damage e consequence. From here
to the good town of Bogas we found water, weod
and COED cheer.
The caravan arrived in this city on the 2d
July, all in good health in less than TWO months
the quickest "Trip ever made over the desert Now
for Santa Re or the Holy City. 1t is situated in
valley 10 miles long and from = TO wide,
surrounded bv immense mountains covered with
pine and cedar trees, and affords the most beau-
uful scene the eve can conceive, or the mind ina
p1ne. Santa Fe is the seat of Government OF New
Mexico, and is commanded by Governor Gene
raj. Ii is also a military post, port Of entry and
depository of all the ancient archives of the
neiehboring States. The houses are built OF raw
briek. TWO feet long, six inches deep, and one
fao, vide made with straw and mud, and dried
in the sun, and such is their durability that many
houses more than TWO hundred years old arc
standing and look well; they are only one story
+ bieh handsomely whitewsshed inside, with DIRT
floor s Even the place in which his EN'elleney
resides has no oiher than dirt floor bat they
are generally covered with carpets the houses
are covered with stones and dirt, and are nat