280 Expedition to the 



settlers who intend a permanent residence in the situations 

 they first occupy. Removing from place to place with their 

 cattle, horses, and swine, they confine themselves to one spot 

 no longer than the range continues to afford a sufficient sup- 

 ply of the articles most necessary to life. When the canes 

 are fed down and destroyed, and the acorns become scarce, 

 the small cornfield, and the rude cabin are abandoned, and 

 the squatter goes in search of a place where all the original 

 wealth of the forest is yet undiminished. Here he again builds 

 his hut, removes the trees from a few acres of land, which sup- 

 ply their annual crop of corn, while the neighbouring woods, 

 for an extent of several miles, are used both as pasture and 

 hunting grounds. Though there is in this way of life an evi- 

 dent tendency to bring men back to a state of barbarism, we 

 have often met among the rudest of the squatters with much 

 hospitality and kindness. Near White river, we called at a 

 house to purchase food for ourselves, and our horses, but 

 having no silver money our request was refused, although 

 we offered the notes of the Bank of Missouri, then in good 

 credit. In a few miles we arrived at another cabin, where 

 we found every member of the numerous family sick with 

 the ague and fever, except one young girl. But here they 

 were willing to furnish every refreshment their house afford- 

 ed. There were at this time very few houses, particularly 

 in the settlements about White river, which did not exhibit 

 scenes of suffering similar to those in the one, of which we 

 were now the reluctant guests. W'^e have seen some instances, 

 where of a family of eight or ten, not a single individual 

 was capable of attending to the services of the household, 

 or of administering to the wants of his suffering relatives. 

 In these instances, we thought it better to pitch our tents at 

 a little distance, and intrude ourselves no farthe , than was 

 necessary to procure corn, and other indispensable supplies. 

 On the evening of the 30th we halted at a little rivulet 

 called Bayou Cura. The dwelling of our landlord consisted, 



