28th Coneress, ' [SENATE.] : [ a 5 
2d Session. 
REPORT. 
Wasuineton, March 1, 1843. 
To Colonel J. J. Asx 
Chief of the Piece of Topographical Sagtuaird: 
Sim: Agreeably to your orders to explore and report upon the eouniey 
betwee? the frontiers of Missouri and the South Pass in the Rocky moun- 
tains, and on the line of the Kansas and Great Platte rivers, I sat out from 
Washington city on the 2d day of May, 1842, and arrived at St. Louis, by 
way of New York, the 22d of May, where the necessary preparations were 
completed, and the expedition commenced. I proceeded in a steamboat to 
Chouteau’s landing, about four hundred miles -by water from St. Louis, 
and near the mouth of the Kansas river, whence we proceeded twelve 
miles to Mr. Cyprian Chouteau’s trading house, where we Pompleiod: our 
final arrangements for the expedition. 
weather, which interfered with astronomical observations, delayed 
us several days in the early part of June at this post, which is on the nent 
bank of the Kansas river, about ten miles above the mouth, 
yond the western boundary of Missouri. The sky cleared off at iength, 
and we were enabled to determine our position, in longitude 94° 25' 46”, 
and latitude 39° 5'57".. The elevation above the sea is about, 700 feet. 
Our camp, in the mean ‘time, presented an animated and bustling scene. 
All were busily occupied in completing the necessary AERBDRIARC RR for 
our cainpaign in the wilderness, and profiting by this short d 
verge of civilization, to provide ourselves with all the little oveninits 
comfort in the nomadic life we were to. lead for the ensuing s 
y, however, -th leriel Pee teop.cen, 
horses, and even miiles—ceettled & feito its place, ‘and by the 10th we were 
ready to depart; but, before we mount our horses, I —_ give a short de- 
seription of the party with which I performed this serv 
I had collected in the mimes of St. Louis twenty-one men, ai. 
cipally Creole and Canadian voyageurs, who had become familiar with 
prairie life in the service of the fur ae in the Indian country. Mr. 
Charles Preuss, a native of a my a ssistant ih the topographi- 
cal part of the survey. L. Maxwell, of f Kas askia, had been engaged as 
hunter, and Christopher ein (more familiarly known, for his exploits in 
the mountains, as Kit Carson) was our ak tk The persons engaged in 
St. Louis were : 
Clément Lambert, J. B. L’Esperance, J. B. Lefevre, Benjamin Potra, 
Louis Gouin, J. B. Dumés, Basil A Ta Francois Tessier, Benjamin 
Cadotte, Joseph Clément, Daniel § Leonard Benoit, Michel Morly, 
Bernier, Honoré Ayot, F ny is Bade: 
Louis Ménard, pd Ruelle, Mien: oh 
| Proue. 
1 
. * * 2 Mae pat Pee MENG 
