y 



Ex. Doc. No. 41. • . 395 



i 



Continuing our journey, we pressed forward rapidly, in order to 

 ■reach Cottonwood fork, which is nearly thirty miles from the 

 place where we were encamped this morning. We had a tedious 

 inarch and did not reach the creek until 3 o'clock. 



Our animals were very much jaded, and add to this that, the 

 moment we reached our goal, myriads of horse flies attacked our 

 cavalcade furiously. In the efforts of the beasts to rid themselves 

 of the flies, they often became entangled in the '' cabrestoesj we 

 were obliged to protect some of them by loose clothing; the mos- 

 quitoes, too, were troublesome to horses and riders. 



Cottonwood fork is a tributary of the Neosha, as well as Coun- 

 cil grove creek and the waters intermediate. This stream is tim- 

 bered with large cotton wood trees that keep a continued rustling 

 of their leaves, for the slightest breeze makes them tremble. 



We noticed here thickets of the elder (S. canadensis) m full 



The beautiful monarda (M. allophyla) covered the low 



bloom. 



str^ 



and close to the water's edge, a dense growth of the long leaved 

 willows overhung the clear water, in which sported the black bass, 

 the cat fish, and the sun fish. Just where the road crosses, there 



fine pool of water, from five to six' feet deep and twelve feet 



IS a 



wide. 



Tuesday, July 7.— We concluded that it would De oest lo remaiii 

 here for the day, as our animals looked much barrassed by what 

 they have already undergone. We employed ourselves m ^getting 

 all our affairs arranged in complete order; for we expect tnat this 

 is the last stop that we shall make for some time to come, ^yery- 

 thing was overhauled, our clothes were all washed, and all those 

 ^irraLements, such as a journey of this kind suggest, but which 

 our^continued movement did not permit us to accomplish, were this 



dftv executed 



Around our camp the ground looked golden with the different va- 



" the eolden rod, (solidago,) and along the'stream we saw 



ritles of 







.) 



om the "camp we saw some antelope, (dicranocerus tur- 

 cii^w, =u we sent out an old voyageur with the Indian l^^nUr^a 

 pursuit of them; but they returned unsuccessful, and reported that 



the antelope were extremely shy. . ,v ■ 



About 4 o'clock several companies of volunteers made their ap- 

 pearance, and until it was quite late we heard the tramp of ho.rses, 

 the clashing of sabres, and jingling of spurs; at last they al ar- 

 rived, and the camp was quiet, save the howl of the sentinel 



^Olf. . Ho, 



Wednesday, July S.—ki 5 o'clock this morning w€ were on tke 

 loute for the Turkey creeks; they are three in number, and unite a 

 few miles below the points where our road crosses them; the day 



r^ 



^as 



We had n^w reached the short grass, that is not more than four 



d 



( 



