Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1842-07-19

all Oeen driven 10 TIE SOu(us
To the left oft ridge the imme-
date vicinity was even more desolate,
but the fertile bottoms of the Brassos,
with their luxuriant growth of timber,
we're still visible, and the Camanche
Peak, rising high above the other hills,
gave grandeur and subimity to a scene
which would otherwise have been mo-
notonous. This peak is celebrated
as a looking-out point for the Canaan
che, commanding, as il does, a COM
pIete view of the country around as
far as the eye can reach-and hence
its name.
Late in the evening we reached
small spring ofwater where we encam-
ped and the grass being excellentin the
vicinity remained nearly all the next
day to rest the jaded cattle and repair
the rickety wagons. Many Of the
latter were half worn out when we STAR
ted, and the rough road over which
we travelled was far from improving
them. Late in the afternoon we again
started and at night reached a noble
spring in grove Of post oaks-a grove
which turned out to be the outskirt of
the celebrated Cross timbers.
The Cross Irm6ers-".S Seeing the Elc-
plant" md a joke IN relation-More
of the Cross FINDERS FallaciouS
Fancies and Contcctiondry-Arri-
cal al Noland's RiUer-Determina
ton 10 Destroy Tents, &c Crossing
The stream-A Serious Loss, DC.
Up to the 21st Of July, one month
from the time we left the Brushy, our
course had been nearly north, and the
country principally rolling prairie with
no timber except on the borders Of the
different streams we had crossed. The
road, although at the time we consid-
cred it extremely bad, was a McAda-
mixed turnpike in comparison to what
we were now compelled TO encounter.
There is an eS preston in very COM
mon use in Texas -"Ive seen the
Elephant" The first time | heard i
was the day we entered the Cross Tim.
beIs, or rather in the evening after We
had encamped. | had already seer
"sights" Of all kinds-animals of al.
most every species-and felt ready tC
believe almost anything | heard; hut
knew very we'll we were not in an ele
! plant grange" although ignorant o
the nature Glhe expression.
y green one"was however caught,
and quite a laugh was raised in CAM
at hts expense-a laugh in which my
self joined, but at the same time an
frank enough to say [ did not know
exactly what was laughing at.
"Well Pve seen the elephant" re
marked an old canIpaiSncr, tired dowr
and worn out with the latigues Of tht
day.
San elephant" said youugster
opening his eyes with establishment
IL didn't know there were any ele
plants in this country"
81 have seen the elephant" COOL,
rejoiued the first speaker.
"a real, sure enough elephant?
again inquired the green one.
All within hearing, many Of WHOM
} understood the thing, burst into hear
, ty ct Of laughter on seeing how easil
r the young man had walked into ira
j which, although not set for that pul
pose, had caught him, The joke {
I the expression 1 will explain. Whe
f a man is disappointed in any thing b
= undertakes, when he has seen enough
d when he gets sick and tired Of any 10
r he may have set himself about, he ha
1 ''seen an eIePh0rt." We had bee
buffeting about during the day, cuttin
r away trees. crossing deep ravines an
: gulIes, and turning and twisting som
e fifteen or tweaty miles TO gain five
: we had finally been obliged 10 encam
e by a mud-hole of miserable water all
y the spies had been unable 10 find an
d ahead-this combination of ills indl
: ced the old hunter to remark, "PN
e seen the elephant" and upon Il
a same principle | will here state that
n by this time seen the animal myself.
z The immense western prairies a
y bordered, for hundreds of miles
g their eastern side, with a belt of fore
land known as the Cross Timber
IT The course of this range is near
d north and south, some forty or fl
2. miles in width, and the growth is pri
y cipally small post oaks and blackjack
IS Here and there the traveller will I'll
lie small valley where the timber
re large and the land rich and fertile, al
ID occasionally a small prairie intervene
< but the general face Of the country
r. broken and hilly and the soil thin.
Sc that portion through which we pass
d, and we spent nearly a fortnight in t
it Cross Timbers, we found the count
Of broken and full Of deep and almc
i'd impossible gullies. These, in the r
le ny season, carry off the waters fro
the hills TO the larger streams outsi
as the woods, but in the mouth of il
5 we found them all dry. Had we be
es able To cut directly across the limb,