The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-08-18
INDIAN EXPEDITION, CAMP McLAREN,(
"s TRAVERSE, JUNE 2Sth 1863.

Fv,r~n ptcu. Il have no doubt let.
ter from this part of he world SO fa'
away from all civilization, a.'o upon Inc
extreme summit Of the slope, down
which the waters roll to the Gulf Of Mex
co, would be acceptable if interesting,
but l have been SO nearly used up on the
marcE here it is certainly great effort
to indite an epistle Of any sort, much less
an acceptable one, and so barren of incl
dent has been our journey thus far, l
might be held excusabe did refrain al
together, but as poor letter sometimes
is like poor excuse, "better than nome"
| will try and rough off something for
your perusal.
Instead of following up the Minnesota
after crossing the Imptah which
empties in just below Lac qui Pare, we
have made a round about course bearing
west and north until we arrived ct this
place. The country has been nearly
naked prairie, except where we crossed the
Yellow Earth and Milestone rivers
{" Mankareoza and izuza") and so
dried up and parched by the fiery heat
of the sun that vegetation, except in the
sloughs, is nearly extinct, and the ground
is baked and fssured as il subjected to a
furnace seven times heated, and although
we always find water. it is generally
these little frog ponds called lakes by
courtesy.
A word about these little lakes the
country is full of them. and at a distance
they look pleasing, but truly "distance
lends enchantment," for on a near ap.
proach, they are so green and Shiny, so
filled with weeds and rushes. SO warm.
such taste to the water-ah, there
language fails me sulphuretted hydro
gen, uery stale eggs, and New York
sewer. might, if mingled together, give
some faint idea OF its excellence, but i
forbear, After straining it through a
fine cloth to make tea, black skum
arises on boiling. adhesive as tar, but tai
is jockey club and citronela compared
10 it, and this water we must drink oil
die. We sink wells whenever we can,
and although you might not relish water
drawn from the filterings of slough, tc
us it is perfectly delightful. Now and
then lake is found which better merit,
the name, and is partly an exception
White Heron Lake. by which we campet
the night OF the 25th, is from two tc
three miles long and mile wide, th'
I shore bold, and in measure rocky i
seems little gem in the midst Of thu
sterile prairie around. but even here the
water is so turbid the bottom cannot b,
seen at the depth Of six inches. w
crossed several beds Of ponds where tn
waters drying up had left thick in
florescence Of alkali of all shades 0
i color, from pure white TO dark browl
and reddish purple.
We were favored and tantalized a fe,
days ago by the mirage" Of the plains
II was near the close of a long and dust
, march, not a breath of air had bee
stirring all day. the thermometer mark
ed i20 in the sun, and wave after way
of hea, rolled over us, each seeming les
bearable than the last, and many poo
+, fellow had given out and crawled into a
ambulance or wagon as near dead
: alive. How il was with others | cannC
say, but my thoughts went back to tn
old well at home, and its cool drippin
bucket. and the clear waters Of th
Wapsipinecon--and oh it were worth
years purchase of life for deep draugl
from the one. and plunge into th
other; when from the head of the co
+ E5 a-Ak