86 REMAINS OP CAMPS. 



is very large, and possesses, in a remarkable degree, all the elements 

 necessary for constituting a rich and productive agricultural district. 



Including the valleys embraced within the Witchita mountains, there 

 are, upon a very moderate estimate, at least from seventy- five to eighty 

 thousand acres of tillable lands upon the waters of this stream. In the 

 valley of Otter creek there are also several thousand acres of rich alluvial 

 lands, with timber in abundance; and upon Elk, Sweetwater, and the 

 other small affluents of the North Fork, much land is found which would 

 rank with our government surveyors as "first rate" in quality. All these 

 would make up an aggregate of at least one hundred and fifty thousand 

 acres of land, upou which cotton, corn, and most other grains could be 

 produced abundantly. 



Could they be persuaded to lay aside their wandering habits and 

 cultivate the soil, the amount of land here alluded to would be more 

 than sufficient to sustain all the natives inhabiting this section of coun- 

 try ; and the luxuriant and nutritious grasses which everywhere abound 

 throughout the entire extent of the river basin, would furnish an inex- 

 haustible amount of forage and grazing for their numerous animals. 

 The winters here are mild, and it is seldom that the snow covers the 

 ground more than a day or two at a time. There is a constant supply 

 of good running-water upon all the minor tributaries to the North Foik, 

 and sufficient woodland to supply farmers with fuel for a great number 

 of years. 



The soil in the valley of the main trunk of the river, as well as upon 

 the Salt Fork, is thin and sandy, with very little timber or palatable 

 water ; and the country here possesses but few of the requisites essential 

 to agriculture. 



The Comanches and Kioways resort in great numbers to the waters 

 of the north fork of Red river, where they find forage for their animals 

 abundant during the winter months. Vestiges of their camps were 

 everywhere observed along the whole course of the valley, from the 

 Witchita mountains to the sources ; and the numerous remains of the 

 stumps of trees, which had been cut down by them at different periods, 

 indicated that this had been a favorite resort for them during many 

 years. In several places we found camps that had only been deserted 

 but a few days, and some where the fires were still burning. From the 

 great extent of surface upon which the grass was cropped at some of 

 these cam ping- pi aces, and from the multitude of tracks still remaining, 

 we inferred that they were supplied with immense numbers of animals ; 

 and they are undoubtedly attracted here by the superior quality of the 

 grass, and the great abundance of cotton-wood which is found along 



