Rocky Mountains. 301 



idse of his family. From the occasional occurrence of the skulls 

 of deer and elk with the horns interlocked with each other, 

 and from the fact above mentioned, it appears that the con- 

 tests of these animals, at the season of their orgasm, often 

 prove fatal to both parties. From the form of their horns, and 

 the manner of fighting, it seems probable they must often be 

 entangled with each other, and when this is the case both 

 fall an easy prey to the wolves.* 



The Saline has an entire length of about one hundred and 

 fifty miles, running all the way nearly parallel to the Wa- 

 shita, to its confluence near the latitude 33° north. Alter 

 entering the state of Louisiana, the Washita receives from 

 the east, the Barthelemi, the Bceuf, the Macon, and the Ten- 

 sa, all of which having their sources near the west bank of 

 the Mississippi, may be considered as inosculating branches 

 of that river, since at times of high floods they are fed from 

 it. The western tributaries are the Saluder, ]Derbane, and 

 Ocatahoola, deriving their sources from a spur 'of the 

 Ozark mountains, which in the northern part of Louisiana 

 divides the broad alluvial valley of Red river from that of 

 the Mississippi. About twenty miles southwest from the 

 confluence of the Tensa, Washita, and Ocatahoola the lat- 

 ter expands into a considerable lake, and sends off" a branch 

 to Red river. Indeed the Washita might, without great im- 

 propriety, be considered as entering the Mississippi at the 

 point where its waters unite with those of the Ocatahoola 

 and Tensa. The periodical inundations cover the country 

 westward to this point, and even in times of low water the 

 channels communicating with the Mississippi are numerous. 

 From this point there is an uninterrupted connection through 



* From Ihe observations we had the opportunity of making, it appears 

 that numbers of male bisons, particularly such as have become enfeebled 

 by age, perish annually in the terrible conflicts of their rutting season. 

 We have sometimes seen the horns of the younger bulls spliotered almost 

 to the roots; and have met wiih great numbers of carcasses of such as had 

 apparently been killed in battle. 



