54 



CHAPTER IV 



Country from the frontiers to Big Blue, its geological character, &c.— Novel cure foi 

 fever and ague. — Indian trails.— Game. — Sage rabbits. — Antelope, and their pa 

 culiarities. — Beaver cuttings. — Big Blue and its vicinity. — Dangerous cr.unt^^^— 

 Pawnee bi-avery.— Night-alarm, (Prairies on fire.)— Platte river.-- -Predominant 

 characteristics oi" the Grand Prairies, and theory explanatory nf their plienorae- 

 nou.— Something to laugh at.—" Big Jim," and the antelope. 



Sept. 26ih. We are now camped upon a small creel?, nearly destitute 

 of tirnber, within two miie.s of Big Blue, or the N. W. branch of tiiC 

 Kansas river. The geography of this pait of the country is incorrectly 

 described upon all the pubilL-^hed m;!p^ I ha^re yet seen. The Republican 

 Fork, which is the principal branch of the Kansas, is uniformly represented 

 i;.s the most northwesterly branch of that ri'vxr, forming a junction with it 

 at or below the usual crossing. This is not the case. 



The two forks of Blue, from the northwest, united, form a laigo and 

 important stream, which, according to my impression, discliargcs Its v.-aters 

 into tlie Kansas itself, and not into the Republican. Of this, however, I 

 am not quite positive. But be that as it may, ailmitting- the Republican to 

 be tlie main stream, Big Blue must be, as a matter of course, the most 

 northwesterly branch of the Kansas river. 



Proceeding up tlie Blue, the geological character of the country under- 

 «-oes an entire and radical change, and tlie traveller is introduced to a difrer- 

 ent order of tl^angs from that previously observed. 



Perhaps, therefore, it is not out of place to present a general review of 

 the territory thus far. 



The interval from the frontier of Missouri to Big Blue, a distance up- 

 wards of two hundred miles, affords great uniformity in all its more promi- 

 nent characteristics. It generally comprises beautifully undulating prai- 

 ries, of a moist argillaceous soil, rich in sedimentary deposites and vege- 

 table matter. It is somewhat rocky in places, but well watered by the 

 almost innumerable streams that find their way into the Kansas, Platte 

 and Arkansas rivers. The creck^, with b;it few exceptions, are heavily 

 timbered with oak, hickory, walnut, maple, Cottonwood, and other varieties 

 f ,'aiid in more eastern forests. The Iiills too, in some parts, are more 

 than usually abundant in springs, and covered with stately groves, as taste- 

 fulij'^ arranged as if planted by the hand of man, while luxuriant grass 

 and fragrant flowers usurp the place of underbrush. The prairies, hem- 

 med in on every side by the woodlands fkirtiiig the water-courses, present 

 to the eye proud oceans of flowery verdure, tossing their wavelets to the 

 breeze and perfuming the air with the breath of spring. 



Tlie streams are clear, with rocky or pebbly bottoms and hig':, steep 

 banks — abounding in choice specimens of the finny tribes and varieties of 

 tin testaceous, oi^er, of the genus rnu?cula. The valley of the Kansaa is 



