The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-04-13
PRAIRIE DOG ClrY-RED RIVER


PRAIRIE DOG ClTY-RED RIVER.
Human. are some'ia aggregating in various
for instance but it is re-
erved to this sgreat country" to beat the |
foild in a large city as well as in lakes, rivers
nd independence, and that city populated only I
y dogs and snakes! Don't look increduluus,
or Captain Marcy, OF the Army, who was re-
ported as massacred with his command away
Up Red River, last summer, has Il und, located,
md described This wonderful "Dog Town" In
paper recently read by Captain Marcy, before
he American Geographical Society in New
York, be gave an interesting description of
be Important discoveries made by him at the
head of Red River, the first white explorer who
reached its sources. On the I'd of May, 1852
Cspt. ~. left Fort Belnap, in Texas, and on
l6thyf June reached the sources of the
hfnfk of Red RIVER. After examination,
burned south, and in 30 miles struck
He or salt fork of the river, which they
~ I'D to lis source, and again resumed
soNh direction, and after marching fifty miles
arrived at the South or principal branch Capt.
Marcy states that the "Prairie Dog Town Riv-
er, SO named from the vast number of dogs
found along its valley. Capt. M. says tina: the
party in one place near the head of the river,
uous community Of these quadrupeds Suppos
ing its extent to have been the same in other
directions, Capt. Marcy states that the town
would occupy an area of 624 square miles, or
500, GOO acres. with the burrows at the usual
distance of 20 yards apart, and each containing
family of five or six dogs, the aggregate po-
pulation would exceed that of any city in the
world. In giving an account of the habits OF
the prairie dogs the Captain states many int r
estng facts. The dogs, judging from the loca-
ton OF their towns, require no other aqueous
sustenance than hat which they receive from
their food which is grass. The rattle snake is
often found with the dogs, and has by some been
considered welcome guest OF the proprietor OF
the establishment; but than is an error, as he
preys upon the dog, and is undoubtedly regard
ed by him as an intruder. After leaving this
interesting point, the country became iinra 'sible
to wagons, and the Captain, with small cs-
cort of mounted men, proceeded directly along
the bed of the stream after three days hare
riding, with the thermometer ranging from III.
to | 10 deg. in the shade, and nothing but the
most bitter and nauseating water to drink, DUR
ing the time, they arrived at the source of the
main branch of Red River, in latitude 81 deg
IL min, and longitude l02 deg. 80 min, abou
22o miles in southeast direction from SAINT;
Fe
In time, Dog Town will probably become
great attraction on the route of pleasure tourist
to the head waters of Red River, the scener,
of which Captain Marcy describes in CLOWN!
language. Up to within three miles of the hea'
OF the river, from its confluence with the Mis-.
sisspp, the bed has been sand, with singh
excepton.-Three miles from its sourte tn
stream wound its way along narrow dell, ant
when within one mile of its head the gorge wa
so filed with piles of rocks that the party hal
to chamber OH foot. Captain M. says:
"The gigantic walls of sandstone, rising t
the enormous height of eight hundred feet, OF
each side gradually closed in, until they wer
only few yards apart, and at last united abov
leaving long, narrow carridor beneath, at tn
base OF which the head sl,rina OF the prnctpa
branch { Rad River tax, its rise. This sprIn
bursts from It cavefn US reservoir, and leapu
| down over the hinge masses OF rocks below
| commences is long journey 10 unite with othe
| tributaries III the nublest river in the universe
On henoidng this list!e rivaleI, as It winds it
| tortuous course down the steep ascent OF tn
canon, 1T is difficult to realize that it forms til
| nucleus to the largest and most iuportan. rive
in the universe, floating steamers upon is bo
som for nearly two thousand miles, AND depa
sting aiuvium along its borders which render
its valley perhaps the most fertile in tn
world
awe drank copious draughts of the cool an
refreshing water in the spring, and thereby con
! sideriDg ourselves, with the pleasure derive
! from the beautiful and majestic scenery aroun
US, renumerated for all our fatigue and prlva
lions. The magnificence of the views, tina
presented themselves to our eyes, ap
preached the head of the river, exceeded every
thing had ever beheld 1t is impossible 70
me to describe the sensations of intense pleas
ure | experienced as | gazed on these gran,
and novel displays Of nature.
"The stupendous escarpments of the soil,
| rock, rising to such a height as TO exclude tn,
| rays of the sun for a great portion of the day
were worn by the lapse oftine, and the actions
| of water and weather, into the most fantasti,
| forms which it required but little effort of thu
ina gination to convert into works of art ant
all united in forming one of the most sublime
and picturesque scenes that can be imagined
| and we all, with one accord, stopped and gazet
with wonder and admiration upon panorama
which was now opened TO the eyes of civilized
man.
"All here wore an aspect of nature as j
sprang in o existence--nature on It's unreclaim
ed sublimity a d wldness-and it inspiredEm,
with that veneration which one is apt to feel il
contemplating the beauty and grandeur of thu
Sovereign Architect, stamped apparently a
with his own eternity
From the head of this branch of the river
Capt. Marcy returned to the main body of Iii
command, and from the point they had occu
pied, travelled down between the two sou,l
branches. reaching Arbuckle in the Chickasay
! nation on the 30th of July, where they frs
heard the reporteeo generally circulated of III
massacre of the party by the Camanches.-
| Cteretand Her.