EXPLORATIONS FROM A. D. 1852 TO A D. 1857. | 85 
M. Von Hippel, C. Weiss, F. Wheaton, A. Schott, J. Houston, D. Hinkle, B. Burns, E. ‘A. 
Phillips, and J. O’ Donoghue. Captain G. Thom, Topographical Engineers, had charge of the 
office in computing the work and projecting the maps of both boundary surveys. 
SURVEY OF ROAD FROM BIG SIOUX TO MENDOTA, BY BREVET CAPTAIN J. L. RENO, UNITED STATES ORD- 
NANCE, IN 1853. 
Captain Reno was assisted in this survey, which was made with chain and compass, by Mr. 
James Tilton (now surveyor general of Washington Territory) and Mr. A. Cross. 
The map now in the Topographical Bureau has never been published. The report forms 
printed House Ex, Doc. No. 97, 1st session 33d Congress. 
EXPLORATIONS OF THE SOURCES OF THE BRAZOS AND BIG WITCHITA RIVERS, BY CAPTAIN R. B. MARCY, 
FIFTH INFANTRY, IN 1854. 
The report of this forms Senate Executive Document, No. 60, Ist session 34th Congress. 
It is accompanied by a map of the region explored on a scale of eight miles to an inch. Cap- 
tain Marcy was accompanied by Major Neighbors, Indian agent, and Dr. G. G. Shumard, 
geologist, and escorted by 45 men of the Tth infantry, under Lieutenants N. B. Pearce and 
G. Chapin. An odometer, compass, aneroid barometer, and thermometer, composed his main 
instruments. 
The object of the expedition was to find suitable lands to reserve for the Indians. 
The command was organized at Fort Washita, and proceeded thence, on the California road, 
to Fort Belknap. Captain Marcy then explored north along the headwaters of the West Fork 
of the Trinity, thence across the head streams of the Little Witchita, and over into the valley . 
of the Big Witchita. Here, in longitude 993?, he left his wagon train, and with a small pack 
train ascended to the head of the Big Witchita, and thence southwest, crossing the head 
streams of the Brazos, where they issue from a small range of mountains about as high as the 
Witchita mountains. He now travelled south until he crossed the South Fork, and thence came 
east until he struck the Qua-qua-he-no or Paint creek, thence northeast, until he struck the 
Brazos, where he met his wagon trains. The expedition now proceeded south, explored a 
portion of the Clear Fork, located on it a reservation for the southern Camanches, and then 
went back to Fort Belknap. Captain Marcy ascertained that what had heretofore been called 
the Double Mountain Fork of the Brazos is a branch of the Clear Fork, and he calls it Paint 
creek. I-have retained the name Double Mountain Fork. No astronomical observations being 
made, he adopted the positions sf oa le and Phantom Hill, from Johnson's map of 
Texas. 
FUR HUNTERS OF THE FAR WEST, BY ALEXANDER ROSS, IN TWO VOLUMES; PUBLISHED BY SMITH, 
ELDER & Co. LONDON: 1855. 
This book begins with the transfer of Astoria to the British Northwest Company, and gives 
the history of this company down to its union with the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1821, which 
closes the 1st volume. The 2d volume is a narrative of some expeditions conducted by the 
author for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1825 and previous years. On one of these he led 
a large trapping party into the Snake country, and visited the sources of Salmon, Malade, 
'Goddin’s, and Reid's or Boisé rivers, giving a very interesting account of much country as yet 
unexplored by any surveying expedition, and, I believe, undescribed in any other book. The 
information concerning it is of great value and interest. 
