PAWNEE ROCKS. 296 



Three or four Mexican ladies and several children (being the family of 

 one of the Spanish traders, from Chihuahua) were also included with the 

 new accession ; but the most noted personage among the whole was Old 

 Spy Buck, the famous Shawnee war-chief, who had distinguished himself 

 as the leader of a small band of his countrymen in connection with Kirker 

 and the Americans employed by the governments of Santa Fe and Chihu- 

 ahua to fight the Apache and Navijo Indians. 



The old chieftain was on his return home, venerable in age and covered 

 with scars, which gave indubitable evidence of the place he had occupied in 

 the hour of danger. The history of his exploits would fill a volume far 

 more interesting in its details than those of the proudest heroes of fiction. 



Pawnee Fork afl^orded an inexhaustible supply of cat-fish, which were 

 caught in great numbers by our party. I know of no other stream near, 

 upon the Atlantic side of the mountains, where fish are found in any quan- 

 tity or size worth naming. 



This creek heads at the eastern extremity of the " Divide," in the 

 vicinity of the Smoky Hill branch of the Kansas, and by pursuing a south- 

 ern course for about one hundred and fifty miles, finds its discharge in the 

 Arkansas. It is heavily timbered, and is known among the Indians as Otter 

 creek, on account of the great number of those animals found upon it. 

 The valley which skirts it is several miles broad, and very fertile, present- 

 ing a large extent of excellent land, well adapted to cultivation. 



While here, I became acquainted with the salutary properties of gun- 

 powder in an interesting case. My horse, having been bitten by a rattle- 

 snake, was cured by the following simple process : The wound being 

 slightly creased immediately above and below, a small portion of powder 

 was burnt upon it for four or five times in succession, which completely 

 destroyed the effects of the poison. I am informed by those who have 

 repeatedly tried this remedy, that it has never been known to fail when 

 promptly apphed. 



On the 21st of May, we finally effected a crossing, and by the 24th haa 

 reached Walnut creek, twenty miles distant, where high water again op- 

 posed a present barrier to further progress. The bottoms were so com- 

 pletely flooded that we were forced to occupy an adjoining eminence for a 

 camp. 



Tins stream is heavily timbered, and derives its name from the abun- 

 dance of black w^alnut found along its banks. Its valley is very similar to 

 that of Pawnee Fork as regards size and fertihty, wliile the country be- 

 tween the two is evidently possessed of a good soil. 



About twelve miles below Walnut creek, near the trail, is a huge and 

 isolated mass of coarse sandstone, known as the Pawnee Rocks. This is 

 a noted landmark, and, like Independence Rock elsewhere spoken of, is 

 covered with the names of passers by, en route to and from the mountains 

 and Mexican States. 



Here was a confused medley of cognomens, — English, French, Spanish, 

 German, Irish, and Scotch, — all entered upon the register of fancied immor- 

 tality; and here, too, as I glanced over the strange catalogue, a number of our 



