CHAPTER XII. 



/cnnination of the great bend of the Arkansa — letan war 

 party — Little Arkansa — Red rivers fork — Little Neosho 

 and Little Verdigris, 



August 10th. The great bend of the Arkansa terminates 

 here, and as our horses have fed insufficiently for several days 

 past, we lay by for the day, to give them an opportunity of re- 

 cruiting. S. S. E. winds prevailed, and at noon exerted a con- 

 siderable force; the extreme heat was y6 degrees. The hun- 

 ters brought in a deer and bison. 



11th. Having jerked our meat, and our horses being re- 

 freshed, we set forward at an early hour. The sandy soil and 

 growth of sunflowers, still continues on the river bottoms, 

 and the surface of the opposite bank, still swells into occa- 

 sional hillocks of naked sand. The rice bird, (Emberiza 

 oryzivora, L.j was feeding on the seeds of the sunflower, and 

 the bald eagle was seen sailing high in the air. 



We have, hitherto, generally been able to procure a suffi- 

 cient supply of small drift wood for our culinary purposes, 

 but at this noon-day halting place, we were obliged to dis- 

 patch a man across the river, to collect enough to kindle a 

 fire. From our evening encampment, not a tree was within 

 the range of sight. 



This day was extremely warm, the mercury at three 

 o'clock indicating 96 degrees, a temperature not decreased 

 by a nimbus in the west, pouring rain with some thunder. In 

 the evening, lightning played beautifully amongst the min- 

 gled cirrostratus and cumulus clouds, with which the hea- 

 vens became overcast. 



In the afternoon, we passed the termination of the sand 



