Washington telegraph., 1853-04-13
Head Waters of Red River.

quence of the reported massacre of his command
by the Camanches, has lately read very interest
nag paper before the American Statistical and Ge-
I o9TaphIcal Society IN New York, relative to his
| explorations of the sources OF Red River
This officer left Fort Belznap, on the Brazos
river Texas, on the Cd day of May last under
| orders from the War Department to explore Red
River from the confluence of the Cashe creek
the highest point that had been examined to its
/ sources. About 1tty miles above Cashe creek
he found the river divided into two nearly equal
| branches Taking the north branch for about
forty miles, the river again divided and he follow
/ ~ the mostnortherlv. After travelling 370 miles
its sources were reached in latitude 359 ) north
and longitude 1Clo 81 05 west OF Greenwich
/ Finding by observation that he was only about
! twenty-five miles from the Canadian river where
1 he had passed in 1919, he made an excul sion
/ across the intervening country, and found the
road he had made in that year. We extract the
| following remarks on his subsequent course and
the country he crossed in Captain MAKcz's own
/ words:
After having completed the examination of the
north branch OF Red River, we turned south over
/ an elevated waving prairie country, and Travelled
| thirty mics, when we reached the middle or salt
fork oi the river which we assembled to its source
| and again resumed the south course, and march
| ing fifty miles in this direction il brought Us to
to the valley ot the south or the principal branch
! of the river.
! We found this branch Of the stream one thou
sand yards wide and flowing over a sandy bed,
| through an exceedingly rough and broken coun-
/ Try, wholly impossible for wagons. was. there
| fore, under the necessity Of leaving my wagon
fIain and proceeding tgcm this point with small
escort OF mounted men, directly along the bed Of
| the stream; and after three days hard riding
with the thermometer ranging from 102 to I10
degrees In the shade, and nothing but the most
nauseatlng ard bitter water to drink during the
/ TINS, we at length arrived at the source of the
main branch OF the Red River in latitude 34
| deg. II, and longitude 192 deg. % about 225
| miles in Z Southeast direction from Santa Fe
! Three miles from the head Of the river we
found that its bed. which from its confluence with
the Mississippi TO this point, with one exception
/ had been sand. suddenly changed to rock with
/ the the water, (which below here had been tur-
bid and bitter,) flowing clearly and rapidly over
it-and. much to our delight, it was cool and en-
| tireiy free from salts.
Following up lar, two miles the tortuous course
| al the gorge, we reached point where ii became
! so mach obstrueted with huge piles of rocks that
we were Obliged 10 leave our horses and Chamber
over the remainder of the distance on loot
The gigantic walls of sandstone rising to the
enormous height OF 500 feet on each side, gradu-
allE closed in. until thew Were only few wards
| apart and at last united above Us. leaving long
| narrow corridor beneath, at the base OF which
/ the head spring OF the principal branch eff Red
! River takes its rise This spring bursts from its
! cayeTnoJs reservoirs. and ieaping down over the
4 huge masses OF rock below commences lis long
journey TO unite with other tributaries in the no.
! bIest river in the universe.
On behoidlug this little tivulet, as it winds its
| toEtuous course down the steep descent Of the
eGa0H, It is difficult to realize that it forms the
| muscles to the largest and most important river
/ in America, floating steamers upon its bosom for
nearly 1900 miles, and deposting an alluvium
along It's borders which renders its valley perhaps
| the most fertile in the world.
| The magnilcence OF the views that presented
! themselves to cur eyes as we approached the
! head of the river exceeded any thing ever be-
! held. The stupendous escarpnlents Of the solid
Ireck, rising to such height as TO exclude the
rays Of the sun for greatportion of the day. were
Worn away by the lapse Of time and the action Of
/ water and the weather into the most fantastic
forms which itrequired but little effort Of the i'm
aglnation to convert into works of art all united
/ III forming one Of the most sublime and pictures
! que scenes that can be imagined, and ali. with
! one accord, stepped and gazed with wonder and
| admiration upon panorama which was now for
the first time exhibited to the eyes of civilized
| man.
From the head of this branch of the river re-
/ turned to the main body Of my command, and
from the point they had occupied Travelled down
| between the two south branches, reaching Fort
Arbucie, in the Chickasaw Nation, on the 30th
| DAY of July
It was here that Capt Marcy first heard the
report Of his having been p1assacred by the Ca
manches. He supposes the report to have origin
ated with these Indians as they had manifested no
! friendly disposition and had always avoided the
/ party. The following remarks in regard TO the
country viii be found interesting
Ia hasty glance at the face of the country over
which we passed, one OF the most striking and
anomalous features that presents itself is narrow
chr f H. e.
( called the Cross Inbers. extending from the Ar
! kansas river, in 4 southwestery direction. TO the
/ BTazos, some five hundred miles. This belt di-
! vides the arabic lands from the great praiTies
which, Tor the most part are arid and STERILE
/ Upon the east side there are numerous spring
t brooks, flowing over very productive champaign
country, with an abundance Of timber and an ey-
ubeTant vegetation, teamjng with the delightful
perfume ofiowers of the most brilliant hues, here
and there iuterspersed with yerdant glades and
small praiTies atfoTiing ine1haustbe grazing and
! the most beautiful natural meadows that can be
imagined. sOn the other site commence those
/ barren and desoiate wastes, where but few and
uniuportant streams greet the eye Of the travel
er, and but little wood is found except on the inn
mediate borders of the water courses.
From the point where Red River leaves the
| Cross Tln1berss the country suddenly changes its
! character. The bluffs approach nearer the river
and the bottoms, which below this are broad and
exceedingly rich and productive, contract and do
not support that dense and heavy vegetation
which characterzes the lower portions Of the
valley. The undergrowth of canebrakes and
vines disappear, and is no more seen throughout
the entire extent OF the river The lands adjacent
gradually rise and exhibit broad and elevated
sWells, with spacious intervening valleys. The
soil continues to become more and more sterile
as we ascend, until we reach 1GI9 of west lougi-
tde; and from this point 70 the head Of the river
with very few exceptions, there is no more arabic
land.
Several erroneous opinions have for many years
been entertained in regard to the country upon the
head waters of Red River. For instance, 1t has
generally been supposed, from the circumstance Of
heavy rise occurring in the river during the