New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-25

me that within bis recollection the buffalo MAJ
been so abundant on the plains, that Inousaut ;n
were found close up to the ROCKY M ouu."'.
| range, and that their numbers were 80 49,
| that they would break their heads against 'lo
\ mountain cliffs In the winter season. no"e'ei,
/ the buffalo extend themselves over greater
1 belt of country east and west. They then are
found near the Arkansas River and remain
there TO craze and to shelter themselves rom
| SNOW storms under cover OF the 10" piulS VI
hills which line the bank OF the rIver at IT. 1roin
900 10 400 wards distant from It's margin. Inc,
have in this way afforded opportunities to XII
them in winter from the doors and windows Oh
the quarters at Fort Atkinson.
| These natives OF the American desert are
fast disappearing from the face Oh tue earn
! each successive year finds them diminished IN
numbers and their range more crcumscriDed.
| The prairie Indians seem TO be aware oi tnS,
and buffalo meat being their great dependence
for winter food, the day is evidently not tar
! distant when the plains will be abandoned Doth
| BIZ Indians and buffalo.
As an illustration Of the danger with Wmch
the hunting of the buffalo on foot Is always at
tended. | will here state that one oil the parry
Of Keptuckians of whom have already spoken,
| being on foot, shot at and wounded builaiO
bull. the animal Immediately attacked him,
wounded him by great activity and presence
| of mind after being tossed the last time, he
seized the animals horns and quickly threw
! himself as he described it, at q distance OF ten
feet from him. drew his hunting knife and pre-
pared for desperate defense; for minute
! both stood eyeng each other, when the buffalo
decided TO relnquish the contest aud numbered
off to rejoin bis comrades.
Another instance which was related TO me by
Mai S, was that of Pawnee Indian who
was employed in the camp Of the U. 5. troops
some wears ago On the Platte River. A drove
of buffalo, under some apparent alarm, took It's
way in full career across the river and through
the camp AS they emerged from the river on
the side of the camp, the Pawnee let fly an ar
row at one of them, which had no sOonerpi pierced
| his flesh than he dashed after the Indian, who
ran through the camp TO escape, but was so
closely pursued by bis enraged antagonist that
as a last means of escape, he was compelled to
leap off the bank into the river, when the buff
falO was almost at his heels; the buffalo dashed
madlv after him into the stream, passed him IN
! his leap and swan 10 a sand-bar in the middle
of the river where he fell dead from the effects
of the wound which he had received.
! But TO return to our route from Big Cow
Creek: we here found the buffaO-grass of the
surrounding plains completely shorn down TO
the ground in their progress. The innumerable
buffalo trails that cover the main road show that
they always travel in single files when moving
from one place to another, and not grazing; we
always observed them moving in this way and
am told this is usually their travelling order,
and that when they have reached tract of fine
grass they will all at once and with great pre-
cision form "foric0rd into line" and eat down
the grass for miles as if il had been moved with
scythe.
About o'clock in the day Of 4th June we
struck the Arkansas River at what is called
the Big Bend j was expecting to see toler-
ably large stream of water with banks at least
ten or fifteen feet high instead Of which the
banks were low and the water shallow, enabling
| the men to wade across at not more than knee
depth, to bring fre-wOod from the opposite
bank or to hunt in the country south of the
river Here and there were skirts of cotton
wood trees but not fourth of the proportion
of timber which anticipated | should see.
suppose the river is fordable either at the Bend
or some other point above or below our camp
during its very highest stages in spring and
summer. At Fort Atkinson, which is situated
upon the north bank of the Arkansas, 96 miles
beyond the Bend, and since the establishment
Of that Fort by u. 5. troops, the bed of the
river has been perfectly dry
Between the Cow Greeks and the Bend we
observed the first specimens of prickly-pear
seen upon our route. 1t is found more or less
all the way to Santa Fe. While encamped at
the Bend some of our men killed an elk, whose
huge carcase with its enormous antlers were
with difficulty conveyed TO camp. l shonld
hardly dare to say what was the size Of this
animals antlers, but am confident they were
from four to FIVE feet in vertical hight, and
would readily measure six feet between the
fins ar Ot nj
lOpe we're also seen in this vicinity, though
from the shyness of this animal few were
killed
The route we now followed was along the bor-
der of the Arkansas River, and distant from it
| from quarter Of q mile to two and FIVE or more
miles. Walnut Greek, six or seven miles beyond
the Bend, is a stream about the size of the Lit
| tie Arkansas, and is tolerably well wooded for
| prairie stream. We were now in the midst of
! the haunts of the Pawnee Indians, the most
thievsh and incorrigible of all the prairie tribes,
and were obliged, in camping, TO take extra pre-
cautions Travellers have been shot TO death by
these Indians while sitting at their camp fires on
Walnut Creek and Pawnee Fork. Our nightly
Enclosure for securing our animals was formed
by pitching the tents of the companies in one
| line parallel TO the direction of the stream at
about goo or 800 yards distant from its margin,
and by extending along the two remaining sides,
the wagons, which united the oenk of the stream
with the line of tents During the day the ani-
mails were herded outside this inclOsure, or cor
raj, as the Me1icans term all such Enclosures for
securing cattle, sheep or horses, and at night
were picketed inside, where there was generally
sufficiency Of grass TO give them tolerable
feed.
After passing Walnut Greek the road passes
over almost level prairie, with soil much inter
mixed with sand, due TO the proximity OF the
road TO the river bank, which here is but little
over quarter of mile distant from it. At this
Pointwe found much larger proportion of the
| prickly-pesr.
Pawnee-R Rock % miles beyond Walnut creek.