306 Expedition to the 



enlarged the sphere of our acquaintance with its upper 

 branches, we are still unfortunately ignorant of the true po- 

 sition of its sources. 



Three years after the cession of Louisiana to the United 

 States, a small party known by the name of the "^ Exploring 

 Expedition of Red river," and consisting of Captain Sparks, 

 Mr. Freeman, Lieutenant Humphrey, and Dr Custis, with 

 seventeen private soldiers, two non-commissioned officers, 

 and a black servant, embarked from St. Cathariue's landing, 

 near Natches, on board several barges and small boats, with 

 instructions to ascend Red river to its sources. On the 3rd 

 of May, 1806, they entered Red river, expecting to be able 

 to Ascend with their boats to the country of the Pawnee Pi- 

 qua Indians. Here it was their intention to leave their boats, 

 and packing their provisions on horses, which they should 

 purchase of the Pawnees, they were to " proceed to the top 

 of the mountains," the distance being, as they believed, 

 about three hundred miles. 



On the l9th May, they arrived at Natchitoches, distant 

 from the Mississippi 184 miles 266 perches, measured by 

 log line and time. At this place they delayed some days, and 

 having received information that their advance would be 

 opposed by the Spaniards, they resolved to increase the 

 strength of their party by retaining a detachment which had 

 been ordered by the secretary of war to join them at Nachi- 

 toches, " for the purpose of assisting the exploring party to 

 ascend the river to the upper end of the great raft, and to 

 continue as far afterward as might appear necessary, to re- 

 pel by force any opposition they might meet with." 



Accordingly twenty men were selected from the garrison 

 at Natchitoches, and, under the command of Lieutenant Du- 

 forest, joined the exploring party. 



blishment in that quarter. The Yatasse village was about forty miles 

 northwest of the present town of Natchitoches in the settlement of Bayou 

 Pierre. 



Darby on the authority of La Harpe. 



