Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1843-10-21
Ny DEAR FAluER:

0RT " ACHlTA, heu NiNeEt
Aog. D, 1913.
Nix DEAR FATHER:
returned To this post The | ST INST from my
tour the Prairies, that portion Of my company
which left Fort Gibson having been moved
10 this post IN the interim. We are here unItef,
and this is TO be our home for a lime.-l informed
YOU in hasty letter of my departure from Fort
Gibson to over,ake Captain Greene. We travelled
about 20 miles up the north side OF the Arkansas,
where the cross timbers' come against that
stream. These cross iimbers get their name
from being continuous belt Of timber, oil 20 or 30
miles in width, running north and south, from the
Red river 10 the Arkansas, aud some distance
beyond 1t, separating the grand prarles of the
West from those Of the east side OF II II IS com
posed Of black Jack oak, principally, and filled IN
with grape vines and plumb bushes making the
passage OF it very dtfcult, for the most part. We
crossed The Arkansas river above this, and kept
up the south bank until we came within hundred
miles o. the rocky mountains. About 200 miles
from Fort Gibson came TO the great Salt plain,
This was one object Of our journey, and the
sight truly gratifying. The bed OF The river
Che Nescutunga) widencd, being near
miles IN width, AMI ten in length; the river run
ming by one side Of it, through small channel
in the sand, while this upper plain throughout was
covered by crust Of salt white snow. We
approached IL through sand hills, and when within
1 > miles Of il, the plain looked like an I'M
mense salt lake which bad dried up and left the
salt in its bed. We found the salt TO have To-
col origin. ii comes to the river in creek which
is very salt. This overtiows the plain and leaves
the water crystalize the surface. Heavy
rains will wash the salt away: but the overflow
from the creek comes at the same time to bring
more salt for chry stalIzation. AT this point we
first began to find Bufllo These animals were,
ten years ago, to be found east of Fort Gibson;
they are found in strip of country Of $50
miles the base of the mountains They
siau red - hers IA n n fe
years the Indians who are now dependent on
them for a support must 90 TO work or staryc.
Around the salt plain is The hunting ground OF
The Osages, the largest, as well as the most rascal
ly and cowardly of oil the Indians. We fell
among them and the old Captain trusting to
well known Indian rule "never TO steal from
person they encamp WITH" put too small
guard one night, and some of them stole ten of
horses and two mules; this embarrassed US
not little. They tried TO make out that the
Pawnees had been among them ard taken some
shallow; although they led me false trail for
30 miles with party IN pursuit at full galloP.
We afterwards surprised party OF them, one
of them mounted on Of our mules, which
convinced us of their guilt
Within two days journey Of the Great Salt
Plain we came to the Salt Rock i, is called.
We found it to be ia the bed Of the SemIrone,
stream south of the the Great Plain is on and
is immense spring OF salt water, rising al the
base of high clay hill, and bos up over space
of 100 acres, chrystalizng as fast as 1t reaches
The surface, forming a rock Of salt oil the
cove so hard that W broke mattock IN vain
attempts to get a mass of it. The holes where
the water comes out are lined with salt as far
do ~n as the arm could reach.
After leaving the salt region, wa turned our
brides home wards, came 5. f. for 200 miles,
mostly on the south side Of the Canadian. Here
Capt. Boone separated from me to find our way
to this post. He told were about 100
miles from Fort Wachita; il proved in tho end
TO be much farther; and being mislnformed by
two Kickapoos, whom Col. Harner, (as after
wards found DUTY had imprisoned at this post, we
were led as,ray, and before we discovered our
error ran out Of provisions This was severe
blow to US all; yet we got IN safely.