20 EXPLORATIONS FROM A. D. 1800 TO A. p. 1832. 
the stream from the mouth of the Missouri to what is called Upper Red Cedar lake, 
(since named Cass lake,) and examined Turtle river, an affluent of this to its sources. He also 
examined Leech lake and Leech river, to its junction with the Mississippi. His map of the river 
gives its general direction with considerable accuracy, and is the more creditable to him, since, 
in his own language, ‘‘in the execution of this voyage I had no gentlemen to aid me, and I 
literally performed the duties (as far as my limited abilities permitted) of astronomer, com- 
manding officer, clerk, spy, guide, and hunter." 
Lieutenant Pike's second expedition was to the sources of the Arkansas, with the intention 
of passing thence south to those of Red river of Louisiana, and descending this stream to 
Natchitoches. He was accompanied by Lieutenant James B. Wilkinson, U. S. A., and Dr. J. 
H. Robinson, M.D., and was provided with a sextant, chronometer, and compasses. He started 
from Belle Fontaine, (near the mouth of the Missouri,) ascended this river to near the mouth 
of the Osage, and thence up the latter to the great Osage village. Here, abandoning his boats, 
he ascended to one of its sources by land, and proceeded westwardly, crossing Grand river, 
(also called Neosho river.) Thence, turning toward the north, he crossed, successively, the 
Smoky Hill Fork, the Grand Saline, and Solomon's Fork, (the latter two of which he errone- 
ously represents as running into the Republican Fork,) and reached the Republican Fork at 
the Pawnee village. Proceeding thence southward, he recrossed the several branches which 
flow into the Smoky Hill Fork, and reached the Arkansas river near the mouth of Pawnee 
Fork. Here he detached Lieutenant Wilkinson, with five men, to make a reconnaissance of 
the Arkansas down to its mouth, which he successfully accomplished. 
Lieutenant Pike set out with the remainder of the party to explore the river to the mount- 
ains. Arriving at a southern branch, the ‘‘ Third fork," (called on Major Long’s map the St. 
Charles river, now known as the Greenhorn river,) he built a small fort, and, leaving it 
defended by a portion of his party, started toward the northwest to examine the ‘‘Grand Peak.” 
Arriving within sixteen miles of it, on the 27th of November, he saw, from the summit of a 
mountain, where the snow was three feet deep and the thermometer 4° below zero, that this 
peak towered above him to a height equal to the altitude above its base of the one upon 
which he stood. He therefore abandoned the idea of climbing it, as he believed ‘no human 
being could have ascended to its pinnacle." This peak, he says, ‘‘ was so remarkable as to be 
known to all the savage nations for hundreds of miles around, and to be spoken of with admira- 
tion by the Spaniards of New Mexico, and was the bounds of their travels northwest." He 
estimated its elevation above the sea 18,581 feet.* 
Lieutenant Pike returned to his fort at the mouth of the ‘‘Third fork," and continued his 
exploration up the Arkansas. Ascending one of its northwestern branches, he crossed the 
divide at its source, and was much surprised to discover a stream forty yards wide flowing 
toward the northeast, which he concluded was the Platte, (the south forks of which it prob- 
ably was.) He had expected to find there the source of Red river, running to the south- 
west. Continuing on in the northwest course, he struck another stream, which he supposed 
was Red river.. Subsequently, discovering his error, he concluded that it was the source 
of the Pierre-jaun, (Yellowstone,) and it is so mentioned on the title page of the book. 
Major Long, in his map of the expedition to the Rocky mountains, in 1820, represents this 
stream as the source of Lewis’ Fork of the Columbia. Mr. James, who wrote the narrative of 
9 See discussion of the altitude of this peak in describing Major Long’s expedition to the Rocky mountains. 
vod m, Hil D fe c ez e v eme a‏ که 
