The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-09-08

the tops of waving corn, the joyous laugh
of school bound children. Yet the man
who has reason to be proud of his eoun-
try's triumphs in subduing the wider
ness, need but remove the veil of few
years, and see those startled sons of the
forest listen with mingled awe and pleas
ure to the busy hum of civilization, the
sounds of industry, the snort of the iron
steed, rushing madly through vallies then
teeming with life
can't see what is to prevent Kansas
being great stock region besides pos
sessing fine grass everywhere. there was
never a country better watered every
creek has innumerable branches : all
these have almost from head to mouth,
rock or pebbly bottoms, and invariably
clear pure water 1t is a general opin-
ion, and think well founded, that the
streams are fed by springs in the beds of
the creeks; at night, however warm the
day, this water becomes quite cool +; very
few places are miry. Independent of
the creeks, numerous drains are covering
the country in various directions, with
more or less good water in them. In all
streams are found large ponds of consid-
erable depth, where fish abound and
though there is no perceptible current,
the water never stagnates.
Every night thus far, rain has fallen
somewhere in our neighborhood two
or three showers have struck us-the
same thing happened on our previous
trip; yet the quantity of water falling is
not sufficient to muddy the soil, it being
quickly absorbed by the earth.
Shortly after coming in sight of the
waters of Big Blue, we struck the Inde-
pendence trail-smooth and hard /; some
of the hill sides are so covered with frag-
ments of flint as to oe completely mac
adamized, which fact may prove advan-
tageous to teamsters in muddy weather.
We are now at our old camping place,
the first one reached when We started
east on the first parallel, on a branch of
the Black Vermiliion nearly every man
has been slightly unwell since leaving
Leavenworth. In my own person the
opposite has been the case to be attrib-
uted to my getting away from the good
things of Messrs. Emory & Berthoud,
which admonishes me, on my return not
TO be SO anxious to eat up my dollars
worth. Once more down to beans and
bacon, and though tear involuntarily
rises to the surface, when grinding a
piece of old bread, at the thoughts of
how their guests are smackin5 their lips; /;
yet the prospects of robbing an Indian
corn field or mellon patch is before US
ana we dash it away. a glimpse from
the Independence road, of the country
we shall have to start upon, leads me to
think we shall have rough time among
the bluffs of the Big Blue but We are
all about recovered-in fne spirits, and
the morning early will find US on our
southwark way. upon the Cd division of
the guide meridian. We are all alive to
the anxiety of the Surveyor General to
have these lines prepared for IA prompt
and speedy survey of this portion of the
Territory, and | trust and believe that
the settlers interested will have the op-
portunity. at an early day of knowing
where their lines are. We have been a
little delayed in getting back here, but
that is owing to the fact that most of our
way was without a road. and our knowl-
edge of the country northward admon-
ished us to travel rather circuitously in
order to avoid crossing great number
of streams. The experience gained upon
the last trip will enable us to guard
against many delays, and ere this reaches
you We shall be foundering among the
hills and hollows of Kansas river. | con
clude this scrawl by saying with the
Irishman, that if you don't get this let
ter, it will be because no one comes along
to carry it. If | get it started, | will
write you again from Kansas river, if |
don't please wait till you see me-
Yours truly, W +.