CHAPTER IX. 



Madura auran tiaca — Birds — Falls of the Canadian — Green 

 arg-illaceous sandstone — Northern and Southern tributaries 

 of the Canadian — Cotton-xvood — Arrival at the Arkansa-^ 

 Cane- brakes — Cherokees — Belle Point. 



The region we were now traversing, is one of great fertili- 

 ty, and we had daily occasion to regret that our visit to it had 

 not been made earlier in the season. Many unknown plants 

 were observed, but their flowering season being past, the 

 fruit of many (if them having ripened and fallen, we were 

 deprived of the means of ascertaining the name and place of 

 such as had been heretofore described, and of describing 

 such as were new. We had, however, the satisfaction to 

 recognize some interesting productions, among which we 

 may enumerate a very beautiful species of Bignonia, and the 

 bow-wood or Osage orange.* The rocky hills abound in 



• Madura aurantiaca ofJ^uttaH. A description of tliis interesting' 

 tree, may be seen in Mr. Nuttall's valuable work, on the Genera of 

 North American plants, page 233, vol. 2d. That description was drawn 

 from specimens, cultivated in the g:arden of Mr. Choteau, at St. Louis, 

 where, as might be expected, the tree did not attain its full size and 

 perfect character. In its native wilds, the maclura is conspicuous by 

 its showy fruit, in size and external appearance, resembling the largest 

 oranges. The leaves are of an oval form, with an undivided margin, 

 and the upjier surface of a smooth shining green; they are five or six in- 

 ches long, and from two to three wide. The wood is of a yellowish co- 

 lour, uncommonly fine and elastic, affording the material most used for 

 bows, by all the sav\ges from the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains. 

 How far tov arris tlic North, ils use extends, we have not been in formed, 

 butwehavfcoften seen it among the lower tribes of the Missouri, who procure 

 it in trade from the Osagcs, and the Pawnees of Red river. The bark, 

 fruil, &c., when wounded, discharges a copious milky sap, which soon dries 

 on exposuie and is insoluble in water contaiiiing probably, like the milky 

 juices of many of the uRTrcA.ffia largo intermixture of Coatchouc or Gum 

 Elastic. Observing this property in the milky juice of the fruit, we were 



