394 



Ex. Doc. No. 41. 



pushed forward for ^^ Big. John spring,'^ which we reached at 5 

 o'clock. Here we luxuriated on the delightful cool water of this 

 celebrated spring, reclining under the shade of a .tall oak ^^sub 

 tegrnine querci," at whose base this, spring originatesj the tem- 

 perature of the water being only 53^j while that of the air ranges 

 above 80" 



o 



( 



We saw to-day two beautiful varieties of the evening prlmrosej 



W ., 



(orpheus rufus,) the king bird, ( 



capa tyrannus,) the grouse (tetrao cupido,) ^nd the little quail. 



Sunday, July 5fk. — We wished, as we started this morning, that 

 ■we could have taken this spring along with us, the water was so 

 beautifully clear and so cold, and the spring shaded from distance 

 around by a grove of the walnut, the sycamore, and the oak, around 

 the trunks of which the ivy (rhus radicans) clambered, and at the 

 roots of which grew beautiful lychnis. 



Two miles from our point of departure is Council grove, where 

 there is a fine stream of running water, and great quantities of 

 quartz and highly fossiliferous limestone. 



Shortly before Council grove, we passed t^e grave of a white 

 man, who had been murdered by an Osage Indian- a circular pile 

 of stones marks his resting place; from the crevices between the 

 Stones the ivy has shot forth; over the grave a long pole leans 

 mournfully. When I viewed this simple grave, my mind turned to 

 the proud monuments which afe built up by the wealthy in our 

 great cities, and which are daily leveled with the ground to give 

 place to some improvement. Here, on the wild prairie, the Indian 

 and the rude hunter pass by -this spot, and not for worlds would 

 they remove one stone. 



Continuing our march, we travelled over a distance of 20 miles, 

 ■when wc reached "Diamond spring." This is a fine large sprin'g, 

 of three or four feet across, the water extremely cold; the tem- 

 perature of the spring is 54°", while that of the air, the thermometer 

 m the shade, is 87° • 



I procured at this place a beautiful white thistle, fcnicusacarna,) 

 of delicious fragrance. 



W 



-i saw a great many night hawks 

 (chordeiles virgins) and plovers, as well as several herds of deer, 

 (cervus virerinianus.'i 



pers of the prairies. 



I also collected some of the great grasshop- 



*< 



Monday, July 6tk. — A 



^' 



over 



. „ s we set out on our march, the wagon 



mules took a freak in their heads and endeavored to run off with 

 the_ provision wagon, but the driver turned them into the wi^le 

 prairie, and soon succeeded in quieting them for a time but he had 

 several trials for- the mastery before the day's march was 

 After travelling 15 rnUes, we arrived at "Lost spring " but did not 

 stop as its appearance was not inviting. 



We noticed near the road numerous large puff balls or fungi, that 

 resembled, both in size and appearance, human skulls of most 

 beautiful whiteness; the under side is puckered as if a napkin had 

 been thrown over a round body and drawn with a string; the 

 interior resembles flour, extipt that it coheres. 



'^ 



