Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-08-09
~~AAH

come familiar with prairie life in the service OF the
fur companies in the Indian country. In addition
to these, he was accompanied by HENRY BRANT,
son of Col. j. b. Brant, of st. Louis, young
man of nineteen years OF age; and RANDOLPH. a
lively boy of twelve, son of the Hon. Thomas III.
, Benton, for the development of mind and body
which such an expedition would give"
On the 18th July, /" whilst hating for dinner after
march OF about thirteen miles, on the banks of one
of the many little tributaries TO the Kansas which
look like trenches in the PRAIRIE and usually well
tlmbered," Capt. FREMONT " rode of some miles TO
the left attracted by the appearance of cluster of
huts the mouth of the Vermillon. twas large
but deserted Kansas village, scattered in open
wood, along the margin of the stream. on spot
chosen Wifh the customary Indian fondness for
beauty of scenery" We make this short extract
because We are glad to add the testimony OF SO
good authority as Capt. FREMONT in proof OF this
pleasing trait of the Indian character. This love
of nature and of natural things appears to be pre-
dominating feature of Capt. FREMoNT's character,
and it fitted him in peculiar manner Tor his enter
| prise. He had to traverse an immense country,
where the foot of civilized man had as yet scarcely
i trod and where the rich stores Of Nature, in the
mineral, the vegetable and the animal world, pre-
scented much that had yet never been looked upon
by the eye of science. How necessary was it,
therefore, that he should possess not only the feel
1
ton Of what around him, but also the Judgment
which could estimate, and the science which could
describe, the novelties which he met with. We
think that he combined these requisites in very
rare degree. To these qualities he added perse-
verance which difficulties could weary, courage
which no danger could appal, and hardness Of
frame which excess of toll, deprivation of food and
rest, and exposure of every kind, could subdue.
On the goth June, he says:
s'Aong route the anoha has been very abundant
but variable bloom-in some places bending beneath the
weight of purple clusters in others without flower.
seems to love best the sunny slopes with dark soil and south
e exposure Every where the WITH and reminds
us Of cultivated gardens and civilization 1t scattered over
the praires III small bouquets and when glerng in the
dew and waving in the pleasant breeze Of the early morning.
is the most beautiful of the prairie flowers The atensa
absnthe prairie sage, is varouy called increasing
in size and gers like silver the southern breeze
its leaves to the All these plants have their insect
inhabitants variousy coored taking generally the hue of
the flower which they i've The arfemisia has its
small fly accompanying through every change of elevation
and aitude and, wherever have the ascpias tube
rosa have always remarked too, the flower large but
tery SO nearly resembling in color to be dstnguhabe
at little distance only by the motion of its wings"
! On the 22d, when hating at Wyeth's Creek, he
met with very unexpected mark of civilization,
in the appearance $ of pack Of cards, lying loose
on the grass, marking an encampment of our Ore
| gon emigrants."
i 4
noticed in the following very graphic paragraphs
Atour evening camp June 49, abousunse three figures
which glasses out to be
Indians They proved be Cheyennes-twom men, and boy
OF thirteen About month SINCE they had left their people
the south fork Of the river three hundred miles to the
westward and party of only four number had been the
Pawnee villages horse stealing excursion from which
they were returning unsuccessful. They mseraby
mounted wild horses from the Arkansas plains and had no
weapons than bows and long spears and they been
he coul1 nj Inv
have escaped. They mortified by their i'll success and
said the Pawnees cowars who shut up their horses in
their lodges at night invited them to supper with me, and
Randolph and the young Cheyenne who had been cycling
each other suspciousy and curousy became intimate
friends. After supper sat down upon the grass and
placed sheet of paper between us which they traced
rudey but with certain degree of relative truth, the
courses OF the countr which lay between and their vii
lagos, and of which desired to have information Their
companions they told had taken route over the
hills but they had mounted of the submits spy out
the country whence they had caught glimpse Of party
and confident Of good treatment the hands of the whites
fastened to join company"
"The air the next morning at SUNRISE the Their
momete standing AZ and sufficiently cold make
overcoats very comfortable few miles brought the
midst of the buffalo, swarming immense numbers over the
plains where they had left scarcely blade of grass standing
Mr. Peuss who skeching little distance the rear
had al first noted them large groves of timber In the
sight Of such Of life the traveller feels strange
ton Of grandeur We had heard from distance dull and
confused mumurng, and when in view of their
dark masses there not among who did not feel
his heart beat quicker II the early part of the day. when
the herds feeding and every where they motion
Here and there huge old bull rolling in the grass, and
clouds Of dust in the air from parts of the bands
each the of obstinate fight Indians and buffalo
make the poetry and life of the prairie, and camp full
OF their exhlaraon In place Of the quiet monoony of the
march, relieved only by the cracking Of the whip and
dronce done efant de garce shouts and songs resound
ed from every part of the ne and evening camp al
the of feaa which terminated only
with departure the following morning At any time Of
night might pieces Of the delicate and choicest
meat roasting appods sticks around the fire, and the
guard without company With pleasant weather
and enemy fear abundance Of the most excellent
meat and scarcity of bread tobacco they ENJOYING
| the oasis Of a voyageur's hfe."
As riding slowly along this afternoon (July
coudsof dust in the ravnes among the hills the right sud-
denly attracted attention, and in few column after
column Of buffalo gaoping down. making directly to the
river BY the time the leading herds had reached the
the prairie darkened with the dense Tmme-
dately before us when the bands first down the
valley stretched unbroken line, the head of which
lost among the hills the opposite side and still they
poured down from the ridge right From hill TO bill,
the prairie bottom certainly not less than miles wide
and, allowing the animals be feet apart and only ten in
line, there already eleven thousand in view Some
idea thus be formed Of their they
cuped the whole plain In short time they surrounded
every sde extending several miles in the rear and
ward far the eye could reach leaving around us
advanced open Of only three hundred yards
This movement Of the buffalo indicated the presence Of
| Indians on the North fork.
81 halted earlier than usual about forty miles from the
junction. and all hands busiy engaged in preparing
feast celebrate the day. The kindness Of our friends at
St. Louis had provided with large supply Of excellent
and rich fruit cake and when these added
maccaron soup and vaousy prepared dishes Of the choicest