24 BUFFALOES SEEN. 



June 4. — We made an early start this morning, and tra veiled in the 

 direction of a chain of bluffs which appeared to us to be upon the 

 branch of the river we were ascending ; but on reaching them we found 

 ourselves upon a creek running towards the Salt Fork, the bluffs of 

 which we could see from the top* of an eminence near the creek, about 

 eight miles distant. 



To regain our route we were obliged to turn directly north, and 

 march about six miles in this direction, when we again came in sight of 

 the main North Forlc. In our route we have passed near several hills 

 of similar formation to that of the gypsum bluffs before described; Sul- 

 phate of lime is found in large quantities throughout this section, and 

 occurs in various degrees of purity, from the . common plaster of Paris 

 'to the most beautifully 'transparent selenite I have ever seen. I ob- 

 • served several specimens, -from one to two inches in thickness, that were 

 as absolutely colorless and limpid as pure water. 



We are encamped upon the elevated prairie near a clump of trees, 

 where. we find water ' standing in pools. AVe have found the grass 

 abundant, and the water and wood sufficiently so for our purposes at 

 all our eamps since we left our visitors the Witchitas. 



As I was riding' to-day with one of our Delawares, about three miles 

 in advance of the train, we suddenly (as we rose upon an eminence in 

 the prairie) came in sight of four buffalo cows with calves, very quietly 

 grazing in a valley below us. We at once put spurs to our horses, and, 

 with our rifles in readiness, set out at a brisk gallop in pursuit ; but, un- 

 fortunately, they had " the wind" of us, and were instantly bounding 

 off over the hills at full speed. We followed them about three miles, 

 but as they were much in advance at the outset we could not overtake 

 them without giving our horses more labor than we cared about, and so 

 abandoned the chase. Our greyhounds caught two young deer upon 

 the open prairie to-day, and they have had several chases in pursuit of 

 the antelope, but have not as yet been able to come up with them. The 

 latitude of our present position is 35° 15' 43". 



June 5. — After marching nearly a mile from our last camp, we 

 crossed a running brook of clear water, which had a slightly sulphurous 

 taste and odor. It rises in the hills to the southwest and runs rapidly, 

 like a mountain stream, into the main river. The appearance of this 

 stream reminded me so forcibly of some I have seen in the mountains 

 of Pennsylvania, that I searched it faithfully, expecting to see the 

 spotted trout, but only found a few sun-fish and minnows. 



From this brook to our present position, the country we traversed 

 was exceedingly monotonous and uninteresting, being a continuous sue- 



