New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-25

th Whthe Cana1isn forks " the Ar
stead a Rcd RIVER that we bad been exploring oar
hOlstf beng merry WON out with he fatigue Of the
long journey, and the being too f. ADVANCED 70
soh 4 Of our returning 10 guest Of The s1uree of Red
hiFeT with The possibility o. exploring II before winter
"sf dernec advisable n give over TIE enterprise fJr
~ preseni, sBd mske way to toe settlements upon
Uic Aikbras. We were led 10 tie Commission OF this
nSttEe IN Consequence Of not being sble 70 procure
COOS guide acquainted with thst part Of the eounay
Our only dependence IN this respect WIS upon Pkgs
nap which assgLs the head waters Of Red River the
APPARENT Locality Of those Of the Cshsdisn.r
thus II vii be seer that Of al the expeditions vhieh
have atU Hpted the exploration Of the Red river none
GJcceeded 10 reaching if sources
Tie hexicsns, and the Indians Contiguous 20 their
territory, ere in tie habit Of calling any stream the
waters q which have red appearance. Rio Colora
90 or Red nver and IN region Of red clay, Ike that
upon q Csuadian. which imparts 70 the water Grim
Sol cast Il DOtsuTpTisng that this river should have
received from them the appellatiOn OF Rio COloradO
and THE fact will account for the mistake into which
Baron Humboldt was led when he stated that the Rel
ryer Of hstchocLes rises fifty miles east OF Santa
re (Which Information he hsve received from the
meScsns) sndit wrslso account for the mistakes Of
Col. Long end Lieut.. Pike
On the Jth OF March l5j2 | received ar order from
the War Department 10 take escort Of my con-
pauy, then sta1oned At Fort Belknsp. the Brazos
river in Texas with few Delaware Indians 70 de
Interpreters and hunters and proceeded 20 explore Red
river from the confluence Of Csshe Creek 1.-THE highest
point that had been examined it, In com
yIsnce with this order Immediately repaired % Fort
Belknop. where arrived the 3Cb day Of April and
the Cd dsy Of May left that place for the initial point
Of NY reconnaissance, whence on the 9Th commenced
Casbe Creek lie a stream Of very considerable ma-u
ude which takes ts rise 10 the wichita Mountains. and
uDites with Red River, one hundred and twenty miles
above the WGshta and one hundred miles above the
hi. hest settlement upon the river. About fifty miles
above this confluence found that Red River divided
into two nearly equal branches Following the north
branch for forty ues arrived at another fork the
bTsLches Of which alec Of about equal magnitude
We continued upon the most nortbefly Of these. aud
ster travelling three hundred and seventy mles arrived
az it, sources on the 10Th day OF June latitude 5 de-
gees IL minutes north and longitude l0l degrees 81
/ minutes seconds west from Greenwich
Az the observations taken here made our present po
sifion only about twenty five miles from the Canadian
! River in the same longitude (where had passed IN
1e4g) anxious 10 determine how these results
responded with those arry ed at that occasion. par
culsry the Canadian had by several travellers been
mistaken for Red River Accordingly, vi Ia small de-
tschment for an escort made excursion across the
intervening country and found the road had made IN
1919 with the rver in the relative position indicated BY
astronomical observations At the head oil Red RIVER
This 10 matter Of much eradication and inter
est developed and confirmed the accuracy Of our
calculations regarding the geographical positions OF both
points.
After having completed the examination Of the north
branch Of Red River turned south, elevated
waving prairie country aud Travelled thirty miles, when
reached the middle salt fork Of the river which
ascended ~ lie source and again resumed the south
course, and marking fifty mles in this direction IL
brought US 10 the valley of the south principal branch
Of the river On arriving al this stream, which the Ca
nsnches call keche an que homo or Prairie dog town
River go named for the reason presume, that vast
number of dogs are found along its valley. Indeed In
one place, the head Of the river, passed Tor
! twenty-five miles through continuous community OF
these quadrupeds Supposing its extent to have been
the in other directions the town would occupy
area OF CPS square miles $4,000 acres with the bur
the usual distances Of about twenty yards apart
and each containing family Of FIVE Elk dogs the az.
grtgate population would fancy, exceed thst Of any
city in the world This interesting little specimen OF
the mHmmala of country has often been described
by travellers but some facts connected with their his
tory which have seen mentioned in any pub
shed account may be considered out ofplace here
In selecting position site for their towns they APP
pear 10 have regard 10 s from water which
has Induced me % believe that they 40 not require mat
element which other animals 20 frequently have occa
sion for and without which they inevitably perish
have occasionally them upon the elevate table
lands Of New sxico where there water on the
surface of the ground for twenty miles and where did
net probable that could be found by excavation
As there seldom any rains or dews upon these plains
during the summer months and "a the animals never
wander far from their burrows, think warranted
In the conclusion that they require no other aqueous
eustenence than what they receive from their food,
which il grass The rsttesnske il often found with the
dogs and has by some been considered welcome
guest OF the proprietor of the establishment but this Is
error he preys upon the dog and undoubtedly
regarded by him intruder. We found this branch
Of the stream 900 yards wide and flowing sandy
bed through exceedingly rough aud broken country
wholly impossible for wagons WAS therefore, ueder
I
from this point with smn escort of mounted men, d..
rccty along the bed Of the stream and after three days
hard hiding, with the thermometer ranging from lO9to
hoo In The shade and nothing but the most nauseating
and bitter water drink during the time we arrived At
the source OF main branch Of Red rYer In latitude
$40 lg and Longitude 1929 49, about 2lj miles IN
southeast direction from Santa re.
Three miles from the head Of the river, we found taat
Ia bed which from iis confluence with the Mississippi
to this point with one exception had been sand sudden
" changed 10 rock with the water, (which below here
a ~
over f-and much 10 delight, II was COOL aud co
trey free from salts This ualook Il for luxury,
ps we had everywhere before this found It exceedingly
unpaatahle The effect OF this water upon Us hai be'n
10 produce sickness 1T the stomach, attended with loss
of spretfe and raging and feveIish thirst, which
constantly impeiled us 10 drink " aihought had stu
contrary eject from what we desired Increasing our
hirst rather than aay ing IL AFTER intense suffering
from drinking this nsuseaipg water, we INDUCED freely
In the pure and delicious element a. we aseended along
the narrow deli through which the stream found Us
WAY; and following up for two miles the tortuous
course ofthe gorge we reached point where became
80 much Distracted with huge piles Of rocks that we
were obliged leave horses and chamber over the
remainder of the distance on foot
The Gigantic walls OF sandstone, rising 20 the enOr'
mons HIGHT OF eight hundred feet on each side gradually
clo.ed in until they only few yards ssrt aud al
lsst united above leaving long, narrow eotlot pc
meath Al the base of which the head spring OF the pnc
pal branch of Red River takes its rise THIS spring bursts
fom lis caveTnous reservoir, ana, eapins down over
The huge masses Of rock below commences It's long Jour
Dey 10 unite with other tributaries IN the nobst river In
The universe On behOldng this little rivule As WINDS
lis iortuous course down the steep descent OF the cdo
IL Is difficult 10 realize that il forms the nucleu. n the
larqest end most important rver IN America floating
steamers upon It's bosom for nearly two thousand miles,
and deposing an auvium along rs borders which rem
dcrs It's valley perhaps the most fertile In the worl1
We drsnk copious drsughts of the cool and refreshing
water i'm the spring and thereby considered ourselves,
with the Measure derived from the beautiful snd mNe~
tic scenery around us, remuncTaed for al our fatigue
and privaons The magnihcence 81 the views tha pre-
al. lvEa I
bend of the river exceeded snyhing had ever behed
n i impossible for me 70 describe the sensations OF IN
tense Measure experienced as gszed on these grand
AID novel displays OF nature.
Iter few more remarks upon the geological features
Of the country along the head waters OF Red RIVER the
lecturer next spoke considerable length oil some OF
he chief characteristics OF the Prairie Indians remark
ir tat The country embraced within the basin OF the
u,ner Red River was much frequeuted several tribes
An having similar hakt butspeAking different Ian
The most numerous and wsrhse OF these are tae ~