SU5TDAM CREEK. 25 



cession of barren sand-hills, producing no other herbage than the arte- 

 misia, and a dense growth of dwarf oak bushes, about eighteen inches 

 high, which seem to have attained their full- maturity, and bear an 

 abundance of small acorns. The same bush is frequently met with 

 upon the Canadian river, near this lor^itude, and is always found upon 

 a very sandy soil. Our camp is in the river valley near a large spring 

 of sulphurous water, in the midst of a grove of cotton-wood trees. 

 Upon a creek we passed to-day on the opposite bank of the river we 

 noticed pecan, elm, hackberry, and cotton-wood trees. The grass still 

 continues, good, and the water of the main river, although not good, 

 can be used. The bed of the river is here one hundred yards wide, 

 with but little water passing over the surface, being mostly absorbed.by 

 the quicksands. Our Indians brought in three deer this evening, and 

 the greyhounds have caught a full-grown doe 'in a" fair chase upon the 

 open prairie. We occasionally see a few turkeys, but they are not as 

 abundant as we found them below here. There are several varieties of 

 birds around our camp — among which we saw the white owl, meadow- 

 lark, mocking-bird, king-bird, swallow, swallow-tailed fly-catcher, and 

 quail. 



June 6. — Starting at 3 o'clock this morning, we crossed the river 

 near our last camp, and passed over a very elevated and undulating 

 prairie for ten miles, when we reached a large creek flowing into Red 

 river, which, in compliment to my friend, Mr. J. R. Suydam, of New 

 York city, who accompanied the expedition, I have called "Suydam 

 creek," It is thirty feet wide; the water clear, -but slightly brackish, 

 and flows rapidly over a sandy bed between abrupt clay banks, which 

 are fringed with cotton-wood trees. As the water in the main river 

 near our camp is very bitter, we were obliged to make use of that in 

 the creek. 



Above our present encampment there appears to be a range of sand- 

 hills, about three miles wide, upon each side of the river, which are 

 covered with the same herbage as those we passed below here. 



We have seen the trail of a large party of Comanches, which our 

 guide says passed here two days since, going south. I regret that we 

 did not encounter them, as I was anxious to make inquiries concerning 

 our onward route. These Indians were travelling with their families. 

 Upon a war expedition they leave their families behind, and never carry 

 lodges, encumbering themselves with as little baggage as possible. On 

 the other hand, when they travel with their families, they always carry 

 all their worldly effects, including their portable lodges, wherever they 

 go ; and as they seldom find an encampment upon the prairies where 



