a | 
13 ae 
of soft sand stone, which, in turn, over Jew a blue shale, and some- 
times. Ninian, | Wecciption of mar rt 
igher up the river, we find the same formation, but in additien 4 
argillaceite lime stone, containing so and other impressions _ a 
of shells in great variety, and in more than one instance distinct 4 
impressic s of oyster shells. The ay both cases about 6°, and ~ ‘. 
a little: n «8 of east. 
he soil of the plains:is a rae rai intermixed with the og 
exuvie of animals and vegetable matter, supporting ascanty vege- 
tation, The eye wanders in vain over these immense wastes in 
search of trees. Not one is to be seen. ‘The principal growth is 
the buffalo grass, cacti.in endless variety, though diminutive; yucca a 
angustifolia, (soap plant;) ‘the Darlingtonia brachyloba, schrankia 
uncinata, prairie gourd (cucurbita aurantia,) and very rarely that 
wonderful plant, the Ipomea leptophylla, called by the hunter man 
root, from the similarity of its root in size and shape to the body 
of aman. It is esculent, and serves to sustain human life in n some 
of the many vicissitudes of hunger and privation to which n who 
oam the prairies, as an occupation, are subjected. 
cP ly 24—Near the dry mouth of the Big Sandy creek, the i 
angustifolia, palmillo of.the Spaniards, or soap plant, first madeits 
appearance, and ss ages a new change in the ‘soil and vegetation 
of the prairies. 
The narrow strip which I have described as the bottom land o! 
rot the army of the west whilst on the river. The fase 
' magnitude found on its course is the cotton-wood, (pop 
de nsis,) and it frequently happens that not one of ‘these 
vole day’s journey, and the buffalo dung and wild sag odd 
ee tute the only fuel to be procured. About 35 miles before » reaching — 
~Bent’s Fort is found what is called the “big timber.” Here the — 
é. valley of the river widens, and the banks on either side fall towards — 
it in genthe; Popes. The ‘ big timber” isa thinly scattered pte, P 
of large co on woods not more than three quarters of a mile wide, © 
and three or four miles long. Itis here the Chyennes, Arapah ite 
and the Kioways sometimes winter, to avail themselves of 
scanty supply of wood for fuel, and to let their animals browse" 
_ the twigs and bark ofthe cottongood. The buffaloes are s 
~ times driven by the severity of the winter, which “is here in 
for the latitude, to the same place to feed upon the cotton 
To 1% point, which has been indicated to the Sor no 
suitable one for a military pont Mr. “Bent thin 
_ establishment. 
ae “In addition to the grasses and cotton n-wood mentioned, v 
the bottoms wild ple ) 
