PART I. 
ITINERARY. 
CHAPTER I. 
From Fort Smith to Scullyville. 
Commencement of the survey.—Thunder-storm.—Ring’s plantation.—Scullyville.—Arrival of stores at Fort Smith.—Explorations 
in vicinity of the Poteau.—Visit to Fort Coffee.—Choctaw Academy.—Account of the Choctaws and their'government. 
July 14, 1853.—From Camp Wilson, a few hundred yards south of the fort, the survey was 
commenced, with chain, compass, and level. The astronomical and barometric stations were 
connected with the town and with the flag-staff at the barracks. The chainmen and rodmen 
being ignorant of their duties, little more than teaching them could this day he accomplished. 
The parties at present are divided as follows: Mr. Albert Campbell, surveyor; Mr. Hutton, 
leveller; Mr. Sherburne, barometric observer; Messrs. Jones and Gaines, signal hearers; Messrs. 
Garner and Parke, astronomical assistants. Our astronomical instruments consist of two sex¬ 
tants of 8-inch radius, divided to 10", by Gambey, of Paris; artificial horizons of Mercury; and 
three box chronometers, two of them old and much worn. With these, observations were made 
which gave for the position of Camp Wilson latitude 35° 22' 55" north, longitude 94° 29' west 
of Greenwich. 
July 15— Camp 1.—We struck camp, and moved south-southwest 10 miles, to Ring’s planta¬ 
tion. The survey was continued with railroad transit, chain, and spirit-level. Descending the 
bluff hank, we crossed the Poteau river at the ferry, and proceeded through the dense forest 
that covers the bottom lands of the delta between the Poteau and Arkansas rivers. Upon over¬ 
taking the surveying party, progress was found to he so slow, on account of the thick under¬ 
growth, that it became necessary to replace the level by a barometer. Being still obliged, 
however, to digress from the road, the hope of bringing up the survey to camp before dark van¬ 
ished, and at the approach of sunset we entered an ambulance to follow the train. We had 
not driven far when the tongue broke, compelling us to leave the wagon and proceed on foot. 
To increase our troubles a storm came up, with thunder, lightning, and a flood of rain. Mr. 
Albert Campbell and Mr. Jones were my companions, the latter not yet recovered from a severe 
attack of fever. As the last glimmering of twilight faded away we reached an Indian farm¬ 
house where camp was to have been pitched, and found that the train had been conducted by 
the wagon-master to Ring’s house, two and a half miles beyond. Resuming our march, the 
darkness, except when relieved by vivid forks of lightning, was so intense beneath the dense 
foliage of trees that twined their arched branches overhead, that we were obliged at every turn 
Note— The special descriptions of the topographical features of the country with regard to the construction of a railroad 
have been omitted from the itinerary and embodied in Part II of the Report. The itinerary is intended to give only a general 
sketch of the field operations. 
