[uy : aoe 
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 
tegmine querci,’ at whose base this spring originates; the tem- 
perature oi the water being only 53°, while that of the air ranges’ 
above 80°. ; ; Ag 
We saw to-day two beautiful varieties of the evening primrose, 
{cnothera biennis,) the white and the yellow. We noticed amongst. 
- the birds the brown thrush, (orpheus rufus,) the king bird, (musei- 
capa tyrannus,) the grouse (tetrao cupido,) and the little quail. 
unday, July 5th.—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. Ais: 
Shortly before Council grove; we passed the 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 are 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. ae 
Continuing our march, we travelled over a distance of 20 miles, 
when we reached “Diamond spring.” This is a fine large springy 
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 
in the shade, is 87° 
I procured atthis place a beautiful white thistle, (enicusacarmay) 
of delicious fragrance. We saw a great. many night hawk* 
. (chordeiles virgins) and plovers, as well as several herds of deer, 
(cervus virginianus.) I also collected some of the great grasshoP” 
Monday, July 6ih,—As we set out on our march, the re : 
mules took a freak in their heads and endeavored to run off Ww! 
— ‘ g a 
We noticed near the road numerous large puff balls or fungi, that 
= resembled, both in: size and appearance, human skulls of ™® 
ost > 
coheres. 
