Return to 
the 
Boundary of 
Missouri 
— 142— 
following the river, and uniting about one hundred 
and fifty miles below with the Santa Fe trail. This 
was the road we followed. The region was the same 
monotonous, hilly, treeless, sandy prairie as before. 
On the second day we reached the so-called big timber, 
a spot on the Arkansas, some miles in extent, plenti- 
fully covered with trees. So much the scantier is the 
wood lower down. The Comanches, who play in the 
south a part similar to that of the Blackfeet in the 
north, are said to rove freely in this vicinity; but we 
had the pleasure to be spared making their acquaint- 
ance. On the fifth day we again came across herds 
of buffalo. On the sixth we reached the Santa Fe 
road. This broad road, almost a highway, has been 
gradually made by the trading expeditions which an- 
nually leave Missouri’s border with many ox-teams 
for the Mexican city. The distance from Indepen- 
dence to Santa Fe is estimated at nine hundred miles. 
The road runs southwestwardly over the prairie. It 
crosses the Arkansas a little short of half way to San- 
ta Fe. The river at that point is rather shallow, and 
the crossing is said to be not very difficult. At this 
ford we came upon the Santa Fe road, and followed it 
to the boundary of Missouri. The road from here on 
turned gradually from the river toward little streams 
that flow from the north into the Arkansas. The 
first days we went over a wide plateau, where we 
found countless buffalo, but little water. On Septem- 
ber 26th we reached Pawnee Fork; the next day, Ash 
Creek, near which there is a solitary rock in the prai- 
