Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-08-09

midnight came before all the different par.
! ties arrived in camp.
A passage out of our difficulties was
| found next morning, and after windinr
| about until noon among the hills, we ~
length reached beautiful table land GOV
cred with musqueet trees. So sud.
denly did we leave the Tough and uneven
surface OF the valley, and so great was the
transition, that the scenic world of the
theatre was brought forcibly TO nv mind
the change from the humble cottage of
| the dancing girl TO the Hindoo paradise
IN LA Bayadere" standing out in bold
relief.
To realize this have but TO say that on
starting in the morning rothing was to be
seen but rough and ragged succession
of bills before us-piled one upon another,
and each succeeding hill rising above its
neighbor. At the summit Of he highest
oftheSe bills the beautiful and fertile plai
came suddenly in view, and not one Of us
anticipated any thing Of the kind until We
were Immediately upon it. The country
between the Cross Timbers and the Rocky
Mountains rises by steps, for can call
them nothing else. AS the traveller Jour.
neys west he meets, every fifty or sixty
| miles, with ridge of high bills or noun
! tains. As he ascends these he anticipates
a corresponding descent on the opposite
side; but in a majority of instances. on
reaching the SUBMITS, he finds rothing be.
fore him but level and fertile prairie
! This is certainly the case south Of Red
River, whatever it may be above.
We halted an hour or two on reaching
the beautiful table land, to rest orr weary
cattle and give our horses an opportunity
TO Craze. Little villages of prairie dogs
were scattered about upon the prairie, and
numbers were shot by the men to help out
their scanty ratons The fat Of this ami.
NAL, old hunters say, is an infalble rem.
edy for the rheumatism. In the evening
| we started on and al shutdown encamped
upon the banks of a running stream of
fresh water. The blue tops of three or
four high mountains were discovered in
the distance, answering the description
Carlos had given Of The Crors.
We were awakened cary next morning
by the warbing of iuaumcrable singing
birds Perchtd among the bushes along the
borders ofthe stream. Among the notes
| | noticed those Of the robin. the lark and
| the blue bird, and as it was the first time
any ofthem had been heard from the dav
we started, thoughts Of home and civiliza-
| ton came fresh to tie heart here among
The western Wild. How these birds ev-
er strayed so far from their usual haunts,
for they are seldom found except in the
immediate vicinity of settlements, is more
than | can account for. There they were
however, telling us Of scenes we had long
been strangers to, and giving US pleasing
but tallacious promises Of q speedy return
TO the haunts Of at least standardization.
IN our fond imaginings they typi6ed the
dove, telling us the wilderness had beer
passed; bur, alas! their notes, like the sy-
ren's, were sung but TO deceive.
Mountains more plainly risiJIe-BrigM
| ARttciPHionS-H0rscs Stolen at Night
| -Arrjral at Caggma Cdmp--Nu'
merous Parties Of Indians SEN
Again find that zee cannot go Ahead
| Parties sent out-Gioomy fOrebo9ings,
| Inspiriting as was the singing Of TIE
BIRDS, we we're obliged TO leave them in
the middle of their concert and pursue
our weary march. Throughout the day
we had an excellent road, and when night
came we had made something like TWEEN.
ty miles, sti in northwest direction
which was considered our course
The mountains which had been first
seen the day previous were now more
: plainly visible, and well answered the de-
scripton Carlos had given of the the land
: marks in the neighborhood of the Narrows
of Red River. The opinion advanced by
many that we were approaching the end
of our journey spread a general Joy
through camp-and these opinions gath
cred fresh strength upon the return of two
small hunting parties after night, who re-
), peated that they bad seen what appeared
b to be Mexican cart tracks upon the pral'
RE. With thankful hearts we swallowed
our scantv supper that night, and the bur
then of our dreams, after retiring to rest
upon the ground, was Thread and butter,
potatoes, and the substantials of life
things that had long been strangers but
were not easily forgotten.
)r In the morning it was found that seve'
u Tai IOISGS uIu hClC Il 'SSli1Ss dllI
e. although search was made ley never
If were recovered. The night was clear
and bright, and the guard neither saw mol
heard anything to excite their suspiscions
but the animals were irIetrevaty gone
n. stolen, doubtless by marauding party o
Id Indians.
no About noon we crossed the bed of ;
ch stream which was evidently large rive
X during the RAINY season. At this time Blu
II. little water was found, and that so salt
lie was impossible to drink it. Toward
night we came to the banks Of clea
=; and delicious fresh water stream, the wa
- ters of which were bubbling along over
= bed of golden sand. Running neari
le' north and south, a distance of some 81
on miles to our left, was the chain of hills
'lc have previously mentioned, and risln
" above the rest were three peaks whlc
a. really deserved the names of mountains
es' We crossed the stream with the waggor
en- and encamped Immediately on the othe
side.
EN- Scarcely had we unsaddled our horse
!" and turned them loose before one of OF
lGo hunting parties came in and reported TIL
III - brd,, of Indians vvaro N, orr in