Arkansas intelligencer., 1844-07-06

tced hunter-and every eye glistens with eaoer
ness and excitement. We readily succeeded !,
killing number, but on examination thew prove,
too poor for use. We also were lucky enough +,
capture twelve buffalo calves and but for the raj,
and after-foods, we should. have brought them al
nome, or the greater portion.
! We concluded it was best to lot our cam, ro
main on tho Red Fork, with part of our mon :,
guard and herd the pack horses, while tho rest NJ
US continued our journey to the Salt Plains. which
we shortly reached.
we liked Our camp at small spring, fresh wa
Ter 10 appearance, about a mile or two from .be
plains but on tasting the water we found i, time.
1ured with salt, or rather possessed of very b;,.
Ter inoe escrlbabe taste. his WATERWAYS the nurcs,
VIZ oouu nhd' however, and we nude il ~i.s
SThe gnauruv Of ra and other rep,ile,
"SIIcIl Nc was afnazin the former appea red
different species from the rat,le-snake hitherto
known to US; far longer and more Vicious. Thev
give their a'arum with their rattles, the instant of
strangers approach, with head and tail erect. in
warlike attitude, prepared for offensive and dc.
fensive battle.
We had no uneasiness on accoun: of the wild
western Prarle Indian, for we saw none of them,
nor was single trace or trail any where Disco
vered.
FROM our camp we proceeded to hunt the plains
and found the salt most plentiful The mine, or
rather stratum, IS located in the bed of small
cree" II Is about one hundred yards wide and
nearly three hundred long, tho upper part Being
div lded by tho creek division into rate branch
es, at which forking' we stopped, pursuing the
VEN no farther. though-it very probably extends
much beyond the point of our Investigations
At q medium calculation we reckoned that the
So' covered tho surface of the earth to the depth
Of onchaf inch.
We examined Tho q, I. ,,,.t ,..
" satisfied, collecting much as we could con.
venIentIy cram into our wallets, which we had
brought with US for that purpose and then return
Cd TO our camp some fifteen miles distant, where
we found all right
"neh we first gained the north bank of the
hed Fork, we ran the buffalo across to the south
siue' SO on reaching and resting that day at camp
we crossed the stroam early next morning, with
a view of killing buffalo enough to furnish our
party with meat sufficient to feed us on our route
homeward. On hunting them u second time, how.
ever we could find mono that we're fat enough for
'oou' out Killed several bulls which bore the an
Peui'nce OF twenty or moro years OF age. Old
hunters coun; buffao's age bv the number of
rings upon his horns. and by this rule we Judged
also. HowbeIt, we made the best selection we
could, aud packed away quantity to serve in
eu or other provisions, should the latter fall short
before gaining tho settlements.
Our hunt hnIshcd, we started on the bnck truck :
out what was our astonishment YOU may ina gine,
20 ma tho stream raging and turbid, filling its
banks and perfectly impossible; our wonder b..
ing greatly Increased by the sight of no cloud the
sound OF no thunder, however distant. Wo sal
down on It's banks forced to sup upon our poor
ouialo meat, nnd to lie down upon the grass TO
sleep without blankets. But the stream running
very swiftly, the waters ran down as rapidly, and
hy for osr
re-cross, the water swimming only our smaller
ponies.
We Immediately pulled up stakes and COM
menced our departure from tho camp, towards
our home, having to entire satisfaction fulfill
ed the object of our jaunt, taking with US our buf.
falo meat and calves. The great and consecutive
rains had BY this time, began their inundaions.
and by reason of their continued coIdness made
our travel dull. heavy, and weary, for the ensuing
five days. Finally we began to despair of ever
reaching the settlements with yes; the EARTH
in the meantime, had become so marshy and miry.
that we were obliged to leave calves, and
make the best of our way homewards. 80.
About this junc.ure, our Agen, was compelled.
by business, to leave rs, his interpreter and two
others accompanying him. He, on arriving with
in seventy five miles of the Creek Agency, was
fortunate enough to procure himself n canoe,
which soon ended his trip. By the way, tho most
expeditions mode of travelling at that particular
time, was in canoes; the waters being extremely
high, while the land was very boggy.
The heavens constantly were growing black,
and the rain, constant, fell in torrents, perfect
deuges.
When we reached tho south bank Of tho main
Arkansas above tho mouth of the Red Fork, we
lay by one day, in a cont nual shower of rain,
and finding little or no probability oft soon
ing, or the river falling to anything like ordinary
stage, We put ourselves in attitude for crossing:
very laborious and dangerous task, first wading
then swimming mile, brough: once more to
the North bank of the Arkansas river, upon dry
ground. There is more novelty and danger, to
sa y-nothns of excitement, ia crossing on horse
back, such wild and rapid stream tho AR.
kansas then was than in hundred buffalo chases.
At the end of the thirty days travel we snfe'y
sat down a. our firesides again. We found the
whole country fooded with water; all the "rver
bottoms" entirely submerged; farms were crumb'
ling into the rivers houses, fences, and stock wert
all drifting down the current of tho mighty Ar
kansas, aid the universal prevalence Of rain
threatened another food.
| will here take the liberty of saying. that or
my departure from home on :he twenty-eighth OF
April, that it n settled opinion among tn.
"knowisg ones,' that Texas was Or shortly
would be annexed TO the United States. At home
I to