Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-08-11
TIN tn the Dist If Iuly ano

/ Up to the 2ist 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, al
though atthe fine we considered it ex.
tremly bad, was a McAdamized turn
pike IN comparison to what we were now
| compelled to encounter, There is an ex-
preston in very common use in Texas
'l've seen the Elephant The first
time heard it was the day we entered
the Cross Timbers, OF rather in the eve
nlng after We encamped. had already
seen "sIghts" Of all kinds--animals of al
most every species--and felt ready to be-
lleve almost any thing heard but
knew very well we were not in an ele-
plant range" although ignorant OF the
nature OF the expression.
green one' was however "caug ht,"
and quite laugh was raised in camp at
his expense--a laugh in which [ mYself
joined, but at the same time am frank e.
nough to say did not Know exactly what
| was laughing at.
Well I've seen the elephant" re-
marked an old campaigner, tired down
and worn out with the fatigues of the day.
An elephant" said youngster, O.,
pening his eyes with astonishment {;
" didn't knew there were any elephants
in this country -
IL have seen the elephant" coolly
rel oined the green one.
All within hearing, many of whom un-
derstood the thing, burst into hearty fit
of laughter on seeing how easily the
young man had walked INTO trap which
although not set for that purpose, had
caught him. The joke of the expression
| will explain. When man is disap-
pointed in any thing he undertakes, when
he has seen enough, when he gets sick
and tired of any JOB he may SET himself a
bout, he has ''seen The elephant" We
had been bnffetipg about during the day,
cutting away trees, crossing deep ravines
and gulles, and turning and twisting
some fifteen or twenty miles to gaia five
we had finally been obliged to encamp
by mud hole of miserable water and the
spies had been unable to find any ahead
this combination of ills induced the old
hunter to remark, "Pve seen the ele-
phant," and upon the same principle |
will here state that had BY this fine
seen the animal myself.
The immense western praries are bor-
dered, tor hundreds of miles on their cas-
tern side. with belt OF forest land we'll
known as the Cross Tinbers. The
course of this range is nearly north and
s,uth, some forty or fifty miles in width,
aud the grewtb is principally post oaks E.
black jacks. Here & there the traveller
will find small valley where the timber is
large and the land rich and fertile, and
occasionally a small prairie intervenes !;
but the general face of the country is
broken aud hilly and the soil thin. In
that portion through which we PISSED. and
we spent nearly fortnight in the Cross
Tlmbers, we found the country broken
and full of deep and almost impossible
gullies. These, in the rainy season, car
ry off the waters from the hills to the
larger streams outside the Gods. but in
the month Of Jaly we found them ali dry.
Had we been able to cut directly across
the tlmbers, we should have materially
expedited our journey; but we were
compelled to pursue diagonal course,
subjectlng men, cattle and horses to great
prisatlon and Suffering. to say nothing Of
the vexation cur slow and toilsome march
oee;rsiontd.
Bear and deer are found in the Cross
ftmbers and the vicintv, and small
gangs of buffalo also take shelter in them
when scattered and driven from the prai-
ries by the Indians. In many of the
trees swarms of wild bees are found af-
fordlng delicious honey-a great luxu.
ry to those engaged in a border life, for
1t Is well known that the absence of
bread stuffs Increase the appetite for
sweets of every description. Often, while
living upon nothing but poor beef, and
not half enough Of that, did falacious pic
lures OF confectionery stores in general,
and Nichols in particular, pass before
my dreaming fancies-the shadows of
pies, putfs and pat:ies, of comfts. cand-
es and creams were there, but the sub.
stance was far away.
For two or three days we kept along
the edge of the belt, every attempt to
find passage though proving futile. Or
one or three occasions distant fires were
seeh upon the hills at night, but we un-
able to get sight of the Indians who
were encamped by them.
On the night of the Esd July we reach
ed Noland's River where we encamped
until the Goth. While upon the prairies
it was evident enough that the wagons
were too heavily loaded, and at consul
tation Of the officers it was now deter
mined that portion of the dry meat
which was in bad condition, should be
lett, the tents and tent-poles, with what
ever baggage could possibly be spared,
burnt up, aud that alter giving the uag-
CONS regular oyerhauling we should re-
sumo our journey. This determination
Vas carried out, and we now had moth
ing to protect Us from rain or cold but