CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER I. 
From Fort Leavenworth, via Westport, Fort Riley, and Smoky Hill Fork, to Pawnee Fork; also, via Santa 
Fe road to Council Grove and Walnut Creek—June 15th to July 13, 1853. 
Page. 
Allusion to the death of Captain Gunnison and his assistants.—Extract from instructions from the War Department to 
Captain Gunnison—Arrival at St. Louis, Kansas, and Fort Leavenworth.—Country from Fort Leavenworth to 
Westport.—Camp at Shawnee Mission, near Westport: its altitude above the Gulf of Mexico.—Arrival of the 
escort under Captain Morris.—Teamsters and mules.—First march.—Gentlemen composing the party.—Instru¬ 
ments provided.—The train: why used.—Cedar creek: its timber.—Bull creek.—McClannahan and party, with stock 
for California.—Emigrants.—Division of party.—Route via Kansas river and Smoky Hill Fork.—Wahkarrussi bot¬ 
tom.—Timber.—Inviting appearance of the Kansas bottom: its fertility and railroad practicability.—Indian houses 
and grain fields.—Delaware guides.—Uniontown.—Rocky hills.—Storm.—Country approaching Fort Riley.—Cross¬ 
ing the Kansas.—Fort Riley.—Crossing the Republican Fork or Pawnee river.—Yalley of the Smoky Hill Fork: 
its fertility and timber.—Sycamore creek.—Wagon road route from Fort Riley west.—Sand-hills.—Crossing Nepe- 
holla or Solomon’s Fork.—Short grass begins to appear.—Practicability of a wagon road to the Saline Fork.— 
Stream swollen: its passage and character.—First appearance of buffalo-grass.—Meadows of the Saline and Kansas 
rivers.—Smoky Hill.—Buffalo sign.—Lone Oak ford of the Kansas.—Railroad line thence to the Huerfano.—Sand¬ 
stone ridges or bluffs.—Character of the soil.—Chalybeate spring.—First buffalo.—Passing from the waters of the 
Smoky Hill to those of the Arkansas river.—Sand-banks on the Little Arkansas.—Large fields of helianthus.— 
Indicated line for a wagon road west from Fort Riley.—Walnut creek.—Military parties and encampments.— 
Guides discharged.—Character of the country for roads of any kind.—Bridges.—Change in climate and character of 
the country.—Journal of the party following the Santa Fe road from Bull creek.—Black Jack creek.—Timber.— 
Bituminous coal.—Willow spring.—Stampede of emigrant horses.—Rock creeks.—One Hundred and Ten Mile 
creek.—Indian houses and fields.—Dwissler’s, Dragoon, and Prairie Chicken creeks.—Elm, Bluff, and Big Rock 
creeks.—Council Grove.—Timber and fields of corn.—Civil and military parties en route for New Mexico.—Incident 
in Governor Merriwether’s life.—Diamond spring.—Lost spring.—Scarcity of timber and monotonous character of the 
country.—Snipe—Cottonwood creek.—Annoyance from flies and mosquitoes.—Turkey creek.—Miserable water.— 
Little Arkansas.—View of the Arkansas river bottom.—Owl and Cow creeks_Change in the character of the soil 
and vegetation of the country.—Dog towns.—Sand-hills.—Arkansas river.—Kansas, Osage, and Sac Indians.—Walnut 
creek.—Suffering from mosquitoes.—Site for a military post.—Timber on Walnut creek.—Pawnee Rock.—Ferru¬ 
ginous sandstone.—Ash creek.—Grass and soil.—Pawnee Fork.—Timber.—Altitude of camp on Pawnee Fork above, 
and distance from, that near Westport.—Osage and Kansas Indians... 9 
CHAPTER II. 
From Pawnee Fork to the crossing of the Arkansas river at the mouth of the Apishpa—July 14 to 
August 2, 1853. 
Forks of the Santa F6 road.—Coon creek: bad water.—Indian hunting grounds.—Dryness of the country.—Bois de 
vache.—Wolf in pursuit of a rabbit.—Return to the Arkansas river.—Comanche Indians.—Fort Atkinson.—Dryness 
of the Arkansas river at times.—Kioway camp.—Indian war party against the Pawnees.—Shaved-Head, a Comanche 
chief: his leave-taking.—Captives among Indians.—Ascent from Pawnee Fork.—Grass of the country.—Bluffs and 
rolling prairie.—Islands in the river.—Cimmaron route ford.—Line of proposed road from Fort Riley to this ford.— 
Sandy road.—Plains of the river bottom.—Scarcity of fuel.—Dull monotony of the Arkansas.—Winds.—Altitude 
above Fort Atkinson and distance from it: altitude above the Gulf of Mexico.—Unsuccessful sportsmen.—Prairie 
dogs in great numbers.—Incrustations of salt.—Iron ore.—Big Timber.—Bent’s trading station.—Sandstone bluffs.— 
Scarcity of grass—Purgatory creek.—Bent’s Fort.—Game.—Fords.—Advantageous position for a military post.— 
Timpas creek.—Railroad route indicated.—Smoky atmosphere.—View of the Spanish peaks.—Artemisia.—Game.— 
Crossing the Arkansas at the mouth of the Apishpa.—The river easily bridged.—Hills and bluffs.—Grades for thirty- 
four miles.—View of the mountains and peaks. 
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