Rocky Mountai7is. 169 



were awakened by the commencement of a heavy fall of 

 rain, from which, as we had not been able to setup our tent, 

 we had no shelter. 



On the following morning, after several hours spent in 

 most laborious travelling, like that of the preceding day, we 

 found ourselves emerging from the river bottom, and, to 

 our great satisfaction, exchanging the cane-brakes for open 

 woods. At the foot of the hill, lay a deep morass, covered 

 with the Nelumbo and other aquatic plants. It had, proba- 

 bly, been the former bed of the Arkarisa. Observing water 

 in some parts of it, several of the party attempted to pene- 

 trate to it, to drink, but the quaking bog was found so deep 

 and soft as to be wholly impassable. 



After ascending the hills, we pursued our course nearly 

 due north, through open woods of oak and nyssa, until we 

 reached the prairie, and soon after discovered a large and 

 frequented path, which we knew could be no other than that 

 leading to Fort Smith. On emerging from the low grounds, 

 we had no longer the prospect of boundless and monotonous 

 plains. We were in a region of mountains and forests in- 

 terspersed wit-h open plains, but these were of limited ex- 

 tent. 



12th. We resumed our journey at sunrise. The weather 

 was cool and the morning fair. The wide and densely 

 wooded valley of the Arkansa lay on our right. The course 

 of the river was marked by a long and undulating line of 

 mist, brightening in the beams of the rising sun. Beyond, 

 rose the blue summits of the Point Sucre and Cavaniol moun- 

 tains, " in the clear light, above the dews of morn." Though 

 the region about us had all the characters of a mountain 

 district, we could discover little uniformity in the direc- 

 tion of the ranges. The Cavaniol and Point Sucre moun- 

 tains stand on opposite sides of the Poteau, near the mouth 

 of the Meline fork, and are parts of low ridges running 

 from southwest to northeast. On the north side of the Ar- 



VOT.. TT. 22 



