22 
FROM BIG COW CREEK TO WALNUT CREEK. 
easily ascended—in a little rivulet of warm dirty water. A few bushes and fewer trees mark 
its course to the north and south of us. It soon unites with Little Cow creek. The grass is now 
thickly interspersed with plats of buffalo-grass, and the whole vegetable growth is smaller and 
less luxuriant than we have heretofore passed. The days are oppressively hot, and the dews 
very heavy every night. Prairie-dog towns of large extent begin to make their appearance, 
with their various inhabitants—dogs, snakes, and owls. The country passed to-day is very 
level, with but one or two small rises. From our last camp to the present—both off the road— 
the distance is 20 miles. 
July 8.—We left camp at half-past 6 o’clock this morning, and were more forcibly struck with 
the change in the character of the soil and vegetation than on any previous day; the former 
being more dry and sandy, the latter smaller, finer, and very short—not the grass only, but most 
kinds of plants, which have a wide range of prairie on which they flourish. The sand-hills of 
the Arkansas come into the road about twelve miles west from Big Cow- creek ; but they were 
soon passed, and we struck the level bottom of that river, which we had observed to the south of 
us all the morning, marked in its course by a few scattered cotton-woods along its shores and on 
its islands. It is a broad stream where the road first approaches it, divided by islands into two 
or three channels. Its current is rapid, its waters yellow, and its bed full of quick-sands; so 
that it is not always easy to ford it. It varies in depth. At present its waters are unusually 
high, being from one to six feet in various places as it is crossed. The road travelled is generally 
very dry at this season of the year, but to-day water filled every hole and buffalo wallow ; but 
the road is finely dried from the recent rains. The cotton-wood on the northern bank of the 
Arkansas, at our camp, has been nearly all consumed for fuel by the caravans and travellers 
who annually pass here. We occasionally see a few Kansas Indians, who, at this season, frequent 
this part of their hunting grounds to hunt the buffalo, which are usually found here in large num¬ 
bers. We have as yet, however, seen but a few scattered bulls, and have no hunters ambitious 
enough to pursue them. Distance from Big Cow creek to the Arkansas, 18 miles; to camp, 20 
miles. 
July 9.—Just as we were leaving camp this morning our train took fright at a rabbit pursued 
by a dog, and took to the prairie in every direction, at full speed, and, however serious to us, it 
was an amusing sight. The teams were, however, quieted in a few moments, and brought 
back to the road, which, in a couple of hours, brought us to Walnut creek, where we encamped 
just after 8 o’clock in the morning, among a motley host of Kansas, Osage, and Sac Indians, 
of all ages, sexes, and conditions. Walnut creek this morning is three feet deep, and some ten 
yards or more in width. There are fine cool springs in the banks, which, after so much pool and 
stagnant water, we enjoy very greatly. General Garland’s command passed our camp at 11 
o’clock, all in fine health; and we also parted here with Governor Merriwether and party, in 
equally fine condition. Our morning’s march was only seven miles. While remaining in this' 
camp we have suffered from mosquitoes beyond anything we have ever before experienced, or of 
which we have ever read; and, although our sentinels were doubled in number, we had repeatedly 
to turn out and quiet our animals to prevent their running off to escape the agony of the bites. 
Fortunately, during the last evening that we remained, a fresh wind sprung up, and we expe¬ 
rienced no further trouble from these insects. Our camp, of all points in the neighborhood, was 
the most free from this curse. In the middle of the day, in riding into Major Johnson’s camp on 
the opposite bank of the creek, our horses would become frantic ; and such was the case for miles 
around. The land is low on the creek, and subject to be overflowed, as is evident from the 
drift-wood scattered upon the prairies. 
MAIN JOURNAL RESUMED. 
July 13.—As we moved forward this morning, Captain Gunnison rode up Walnut creek with 
Major Johnson to see the site selected by this officer for building a military post. It is on the 
