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SCENES 
 
 ADYENTURES 
 
 |mi-Stl|iinE lltgion 
 
 OF THE 
 
 OZAEK MOUNTAINS OF MISSOURI 
 AND ARKANSAS, 
 
 WHICH WERE FIRST TRAVERSED BY DE SOTO, IN 1541. 
 
 BY HENRY ROWE SCHOOLCRAFT. 
 
 H 
 
 MccAj 7^ 
 
 \ s^ 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 LIPPINCOTT, GRAMBO & CO 
 
 1853. 
 
'w^ 
 
 S3^ 
 
 Enteretl, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by 
 
 HENRY ROWE SCHOOLCRAFT, 
 
 in the Office of the Clerk of the District Court for the District of Columbia. 
 
 (iv) 
 
 '3, -I 
 
To the Memory 
 
 OF 
 
 DE WITT CLINTON, 
 
 LATE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF KEW YORK, &C. AC. &C., 
 
 AN EARLY FRIEND, DURING THE YEARS DEVOTED TO THESE EXCURSIONS 
 
 INTO THE GREAT AREA OF THE WEST; — 
 
 A MAN WHO WAS EMINENT IN VARIOUS WAIKS OF LIFE ; — 
 
 WHO, BY HIS EXALTED FORECAST, WISE COUNSELS, AND STEADY POLICY, 
 
 CONTRIBUTED TO THE HIGHEST BENEFITS AND RENOWN OF HIS 
 
 NATIVE ST ATE;- 
 
 THESE RECORDS OF INCIDENTS OF EXPLORATORY TRAVEL, 
 
 ABE DEDICATED WITH THE SINCEREST SENTIMENTS OF RESPECT AND REGARD 
 
 FOR HIS CHARACTER AND NAME, 
 
 WHICH 1 EVER ENTERTAINED FOR HIM WHILE LIVING, ^ 
 
 AND CONTINUE TO CHERISH NOW THAT HE IS DEAD. 
 
 HENRY E. SCHOOLCRAFT. 
 
PEEFACE. 
 
 These early adventures In the Ozarks corapreliend my first 
 exploratory effort in the great area of the West. To traverse 
 the plains and mountain elevations west of the Mississippi, 
 "which had once echoed the tramp of the squadrons of De Soto 
 — to range over hills, and through rugged defiles, which he had 
 once searched in the hope of finding mines of gold and silver \ 
 
 rivalling those of Mexico and Peru ; and this, too, coming as ' 
 
 a climax to the panorama of a long, long journey from the 
 East — constituted an attainment of youthful exultation and 
 self-felicitation, which might have heen forgotten with its ter- 
 mination. But the incidents are perceived to have had a value 
 of a different kind. They supply the first attempt to trace the 
 track of the Spanish cavaliers west of the Mississippi. The 
 name of De Soto is inseparably connected with the territorial 
 area of Missouri and Arkansas, which he was the first Euro- 
 pean to penetrate, and in the latter of which he died. 
 
 Four-and-thirty years have passed away, since the travels 
 here brought to view, were terminated. They comprise a 
 period of exciting and startling events in our history, social 
 and political. With the occupancy of Oregon, the annexation 
 
 (v) 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 of Texas, the discoveries in California, and the acquisition of 
 New Mexico, the very ends of the Union appear to have been 
 turned about. And the lone scenes and adventures of a man 
 on a then remote frontier, may be thought to have lost their 
 interest. But they are believed to possess a more permanent 
 character. It is the first and only attempt to identify De 
 Soto's march west of the Mississippi ; and it recalls reminis- 
 cences of scenes and observations which belong to the history 
 of the discovery and settlement of the country. 
 
 Little, it is conceived, need be said, to enable the reader to 
 determine the author's position on the frontiers of Missouri 
 and Arkansas in 1818. He had passed the summer and fall 
 of that year in investigating the geological structure and mine- 
 ral resources of the lead-mine district of Missouri. He had 
 discovered the isolated primitive tract on the sources of the 
 St. Francis and Grand rivers — the "Coligoa" of the Spanish 
 adventurer — and he felt a strong impulse to explore the regions 
 west of it, to determine the extent of this formation, and fix 
 its geological relations between the primitive ranges of the 
 Alleghany and Rocky mountains. 
 
 Reports represented it as an alpine tract, abounding in pic- 
 turesque valleys and caves, and replete Avith varied mineral 
 resources, but difficult to penetrate on account of the hostile 
 character of the Osage and Pawnee Indians. He recrossed 
 the Mississippi to the American bottom of Illinois, to lay his 
 plan before a friend and fellow-traveller in an earlier part of 
 his explorations, Mr. Ebenezer Brigham, of Massachusetts, who 
 agreed to unite in the enterprise. He then proceeded to St. 
 Louis, where Mr. Pettibone, a Connecticut man, and a fellow- 
 voyager on the Alleghany river, determined also to unite in 
 this interior journey. The place of rendezvous was appointed 
 
PREFACE. VU 
 
 at Potosi, about forty miles west of the Mississippi. Each 
 
 one was to share in the preparations, and some experienced 
 
 hunters and frontiersmen were to join in the expedition. But 
 
 it turned out, when the day of starting arrived, that each one 
 
 of the latter persons found some easy and good excuse for 
 
 declining to go, principally on the ground that they were poor 
 
 men, and could not leave supplies for their families during so 
 
 » 
 long a period of absence. Both the other gentlemen came 
 
 promptly to the point, though one of them was compelled by 
 
 sickness to return ; and my remaining companion and myself 
 
 plunged into the wilderness with a gust of adventure and 
 
 determination, which made amends for whatever else we 
 
 lacked. 
 
 It is only necessary to add, that the following journal 
 narrates the incidents of the tour. The narrative is drawn 
 up from the original manusciript journal in my possession. 
 Outlines of parts of it, were inserted in the pages of the Belles- 
 lettres Repository, by Mr. Van Winkle, soon after my return 
 to New York, in 1819 ; from whence they were transferred by 
 Sir Richard Phillips to his collection of Voyages and Travels, 
 London, 1821. This latter work has never been republished 
 in the United States. 
 
 In preparing the present volume, after so considerable a lapse 
 of time, it has been thought proper to omit all such topics as are 
 not deemed of permanent or historical value. The scientific 
 facts embraced in the appendix, on the mines and mineralogy 
 of Missouri, are taken from my publication on these subjects. 
 In making selections and revisions from a work which was at 
 first hastily prepared, I have availed myself of the advantage 
 of subsequent observation on the spot, as well as of the sugges- 
 tions and critical remarks made by men of judgment and 
 science. 
 
Vm PREFACE. 
 
 A single further remark may be made : The term Ozark is 
 applied to a broad, elevated district of highlands, running from 
 north to south, centrally, through the States of Missouri and 
 Arkansas. It has on its east the striking and deep alluvial 
 tract of the Mississippi river, and, on its west, the woodless 
 buffalo plains or deserts which stretch below the Rocky Moun- 
 tains. The Osage Indians, who probably furnish origin for 
 the term, have occupied all its most remarkable gorges and 
 eminences, north of the Arkansas, from the earliest historical 
 times; and this tribe, with the Pawnees ("Apana"), are sup- 
 posed to have held this position ever since the days of De Soto. 
 
 Washington, January 20, 1853. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Introduction .»....-.. . .-. Page 13 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Junction of the Ohio with the Mississippi — Difficulty of Ascending 
 the latter with a Barge — Its turbid and rapid Character — Inci- 
 dents of the Voyage — Physical Impediments to its Navigation — 
 Falling-in Banks — Tiawapati — Animals — Floating Trees — 
 River at Night — Needless and laughable Alarm — Character of 
 the Shores — Men give out — Reach the first fast Lands — Mineral 
 Products — Cape Girardeau — Moccasin Spring — Non-poetic geo- 
 graphical Names — Grand Tower — Struggle to pass Cape Garlic. 22 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Pass Cape Garlic — Obrazo River — ClifiFs — Emigrants — Cape St. 
 Comb — Bois Brule Bottom — Paroquet — Fort Chartres — Kas- 
 kaskia — St. Genevieve — M. Breton — The Mississippi deficient 
 in Fish — Antiquities — Geology — Steamer — Herculaneum — 
 M. Austin, Esq., the Pioneer to Texas — Journey on foot to St. 
 Louis — Misadventures on the Mararaec — Its Indian Name — 
 Carondelet — St. Louis, its fine Site and probable future Import- 
 ance — St. Louis Mounds not artificial — Downward Pressure of 
 the diluvial Drift of the Mississippi 32 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Resolve to proceed further West — Night Voyage on the Mississippi 
 in a Skifi" — An Adventure — Proceed on foot West to the Mis- 
 souri Mines — Incidents by the Way — Miners' Village of Shib- 
 boleth — Compelled by a Storm to pass the Night at Old Mines — 
 Reach Potosi — Favourable Reception by the mining Gentry — 
 Pass several Months in examining the Mines — Organize an Ex- 
 pedition to explore Westward — Its Composition — Discourage- 
 ments on setting out — Proceed, notwithstanding — Incidents of 
 
 the Journey to the Valley of Leaves 43 
 
 (ix) 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 Horses elope — Desertion of our Guide — Encamp on one of the 
 Sources of Black River — Head-waters of the River Currents — 
 Enter a romantic Sub-Valley — Saltpetre Caves — Description of 
 Ashley's Cave — Encampment there — Enter an elevated Summit 
 
 — Calamarca, an unknown Stream — encounter four Bears — 
 North Fork of White River 54 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Descend the Valley — Its Difficulties — Horse rolls down a Precipice 
 
 — Purity of the Water — Accident caused thereby — Elkhorn 
 Spring — Tower Creek — Horse plunges over his depth in Ford- 
 ing, and destroys whatever is deliquescent in his pack — Absence 
 of Antiquities, or Evidences of ancient Habitation — a remarkable 
 Cavern — Pinched for Food — Old Indian Lodges — The Beaver 
 
 — A deserted Pioneer's Camp — Incident of the Pumpkin . . 65 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Abandon our Camp and Horse in search of Settlements — Incidents 
 of the first Day — Hear a Shot — Camp in an old Indian Lodge — 
 Acorns for Supper — Kill a Woodpecker — Incidents of the second 
 Pay — Sterile Ridges — AVant of AVater — Camp at Xight in a 
 deep Gorge — Incidents of the third Day — Find a Horse-path, 
 and pursue it — Discover a Man on Horseback — Reach a Hun- 
 ter's Cabin — Incidents there — He conducts us back to our old 
 Camp — Deserted there without Provisions — Deplorable State — 
 Shifts — Taking of a Turkey , 74 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Proceed West — Bog our Horse — Cross the Knife Hills — Reach 
 the Unica, or White River — Abandon the Horse at a Hunter's, 
 and proceed with Packs — Objects of Pity — Sugar-Loaf Prairie 
 
 — Camp under a Cliff — Ford the Unica twice — Descend into a 
 Cavern — Reach Beaver River, the highest Point of Occupancy 
 
 by a Hunter Population 83 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Obstacle produced by the Fear of Osage Hostility — Means pursued 
 to overcome it — Natural Monuments of Denudation in the Lime- 
 stone Cliffs — Purity of the Water — Pebbles of Yellow Jasper — 
 Complete the Hunters' Cabins — A Job in Jewellery — Construct 
 a Blowpipe from Cane — What is thought of Religion 95 
 
CONTENTS. XI 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Proceed into the Hunting-Country of the Osages — Diluvial Hills 
 and Plains — Bald Hill — Swan Creek — Osage Encampments 
 
 — Form of the Osage Lodge — The Habits of the Beaver — Dis- 
 cover a remarkable Cavern in the Limestone Rock, having na- 
 tural Vases of pure Water — Its geological and metalliferous 
 Character — Reach the Summit of the Ozark Range, which is 
 found to display a broad Region of fertile Soil, overlying a 
 mineral Deposit 101 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Depart from the Cave — Character of the Hunters who guided the 
 Author — Incidents of the Route — A beautiful and fertile Coun- 
 try, abounding in Game — Reach the extreme north-western 
 Source of White River — Discoveries of Lead-ore in a Part of its 
 Bed — Encamp, and investigate its Mineralogy — Character, Va- 
 lue, and History of the Country — Probability of its having been , 
 traversed by De Soto in 1541 109 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Severe winter Weather on the Summit of the Ozarks — False Alarm 
 of Indians — Danger of my Furnace, etc., being hereafter taken 
 for Antiquities — Proceed South — Animal Tracks in the Snow — 
 Winoca or Spirit Valley — Honey and the Honey-Bee — Buffalo- 
 Bull Creek — Robe of Snow — 3Iehausca Valley — Superstitious 
 Experiment of the Hunters — Arrive at Beaver Creek 115 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Descend White River in a Canoe — Its pure Water, Character, and 
 Scenery — Places of Stopping — Bear Creek — Sugar-Loaf Prairie 
 
 — Big Creek — A River Pedlar — Pot Shoals — Mouth of Little 
 North Fork — Descend formidable Rapids, called the Bull Shoals 
 
 — Stranded on Rocks — A Patriarch Pioneer — Mineralogy — 
 Antique Pottery and Bones — Some Trace of De Soto — A Trip 
 
 by Land — Reach the Mouth of the Great North Fork 120 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 Detention at the Mouth of the Great North Fork — Natural His- 
 tory of the Vicinity — Great Blocks of Quartz — Imposing Preci- 
 pices of the Calico Rock — A Characteristic of American Scenery 
 
 — Cherokee Occupancy of the Country between the Wliite and 
 Arkansas Rivers — Its Effects on the Pioneers — Question of the 
 Fate of the Indian Races — Iron-ore — Descent to the Arkansas 
 Ferries — Leave the River at this Point — Remarks on its Char- 
 acter and Productions 128 
 
XU CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Ancient Spot of De Soto's crossing White River in 1542 — Lameness 
 produced by a former Injury — Incidents of the Journey to the St. 
 Francis River — De Soto's ancient Marches and Adventures on 
 this River in the search after Gold — Fossil Salt — Copper — The 
 ancient Ranges of the Buffalo 134 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Proceed North — Incidents of the Route — A severe Tempest of 
 Rain, which swells the Stream — Change in the Geology of the 
 Country — The ancient Coligoa of De Soto — A primitive and 
 mineral Region — St. Michael — Mine a La Motte — Wade through 
 Wolf Creek — A Deserted House — Cross Grand River — Return 
 to Potosi 142 
 
 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE WEST. 
 
 Two Letters, addressed to the Hon. J. B. Thomas, U. S. Senate, 
 Washington 146 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY, AND MINES. 
 
 1. A View of the Lead-Mines of Missouri 153 
 
 2. A patalogue of the Minerals of the Mississippi Valley 198 
 
 3. Mineral Resources of the Western Country. A Letter to Gen. 
 
 C. G. Haines 215 
 
 GEOGRAPHY. 
 
 1. Missouri 222 
 
 2. Hot Springs of Washita 231 
 
 3. Memoir of White River 233 
 
 4. List of Steamboats on the Mississippi River in 1819 239 
 
 ANTIQUITIES AND INDIAN HISTORY. 
 
 1. Articles of curious Workmanship found in ancient Indian Graves 241 
 
 2. Ancient Indian Cemetery found In the Maramec Valley 243 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 De Soto, in 1541, was the true discoverer of the Missis- 
 sippi river, and the first person who crossed it, who has left a 
 narrative of that fact ; although it is evident that Cabaca de 
 Vaca, the noted survivor of the ill-fated expedition of Narvaez 
 in 1528, must, in his extraordinary pilgrimage between Florida 
 and the eastern coasts of the gulf of California, have crossed 
 this river, perhaps before him ; but he has not distinctly men- 
 tioned it in his memoir. Narvaez himself was not the disco- 
 verer of the mouth of the Mississippi, as some persons have 
 conjectured, inasmuch as he was blown off the coast and lost, 
 east of that point. The most careful tracing of the narrative 
 of his voyage in boats along the Florida shore, as given by De 
 Vaca, does not carry him beyond Mobile bay, or, at farthest, 
 Perdido bay.* 
 
 De Soto's death frustrated his plan of founding a colony 
 of Spain in the Mississippi valley ; and that stream was al- 
 lowed to roll its vast volume into the gulf a hundred and thirty- 
 two years longer, before it attracted practical notice. Pre- 
 cisely at the end of this time, namely, in 1673, Mons. Jolliet, 
 accompanied by James Marquette, the celebrated enterprising 
 missionary of New France, entered the stream at the conflu- 
 ence of the Wisconsin, in accordance with the policy, and a 
 plan of exploration, of the able, brave, and efficient governor- 
 general of Canada, the Count Frontenac. Marquette and his 
 companion, who was the chief of the expedition, but whose 
 
 * Vide Narr. of Cabaca de Vaca, Smith's Tr., 1851. 
 2 (13) 
 
14 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 name has become secondary to his ovm, descended it to the 
 mouth of the Arkansas, the identical spot of De Soto's demise. 
 La Salle, some five or six years later, continued the discovery 
 to the gulf: and Hennepin extended it upward, from the point 
 where Marquette had entered it, to the falls of St. Anthony, 
 and the river St. Francis. And it is from this era of La 
 Salle, the narrators of whose enlarged plans, civic and eccle- 
 siastical, recognised the Indian geographical terminology, that 
 it has retained its Algonquin name of Mississippi. 
 
 It is by no means intended to follow these initial facts by 
 recitals of the progress of the subsequent local discoveries in 
 the Mississippi valley, which were made respectively under 
 French, British, and American rule. Sufficient is it, for the 
 present purpose, to say, that the thread of the discovery of the 
 Mississippi, north and west of the points named, was not taken 
 up effectively, till the acquisition of Louisiana. Mr. Jefferson 
 determined to explore the newly acquired territories, and 
 directed the several expeditions of discovery under Lewis and 
 Clark, and Lieut. Z. M. Pike. The former traced out the 
 Missouri to its sources, and followed the Columbia to the 
 Pacific ; while the latter continued the discovery of the Mis- 
 sissippi river above St. Anthony's falls, where Hennepin, and 
 perhaps Carver, had respectively left it. The map which Pike 
 published in 1810 contained, however, an error of a capital 
 geographical point, in regard to the actual source of the Mis- 
 sissippi. He placed it in Turtle lake, at the source of Tui'tle 
 river of upper Lac Cedre Rouge, or Cass lake, which lies in 
 the portage to Red lake of the great Red River of the North, 
 being in the ordinary route of the fur trade to that region. 
 
 In 1820, Mr. Calhoun, who determined to erect a cordon 
 of military posts to cover the remotest of the western settle- 
 ments, at the same time that he despatched Major Long to 
 ascend to the Yellowstone of the Missouri, directed the ex- 
 treme upper Mississippi to be examined and traced out to its 
 source. This expedition, led by Gov. Cass, through the upper 
 lakes, reached the mouth of Turtle river of the large lake 
 beyond the upper cataract of the Mississippi, which has since 
 borne the name of the intrepid leader of the party. It was 
 
INTRODUCTION. 15 
 
 satisfactorily determined that Turtle lake was not the source, 
 nor even one of the main sources, of the Mississippi ; but that 
 this river was discharged, in the integrity of its volume, into 
 the western end of Cass lake. To determine this point more 
 positively, and trace the river to its source, another expedition 
 was organized by the Department of War in 1832, and com- 
 mitted to me. Taking up the line of discovery where it had 
 been left in 1820, the river was ascended up a series of rapids 
 about forty miles north, to a large lake called the Amigegoma ; 
 a few miles above which, it is constituted by two forks, having 
 a southern and western origin, the largest and longest of which 
 was found* to originate in Itasca lake, in north latitude 37° 
 13' — a position not far north of Ottertail lake, in the high- 
 lands of Hauteur des Terres. 
 
 So far as the fact of De Soto's exploration of the country 
 west of the Mississippi, in the present area of Missouri and 
 Arkansas, is concerned, it is apprehended that the author of 
 these incidents of travel has been the first person to identify 
 and explore this hitherto confused part of the celebrated 
 Spanish explorer's route. This has been traced from the nar- 
 rative, with the aid of the Indian lexicography, in the third 
 volume of his Indian History (p. 50), just published, accompa- 
 nied by a map of the entire route, from his first landing on the 
 western head of Tampa bay. Prior to the recital of these 
 personal incidents, it may serve a useful purpose to recall the 
 state of geographical information at this period. 
 
 The enlarged and improved map of the British colonies, with 
 the geographical and historical analysis, accompanying it, of 
 Lewis Evans, which was published by B. Franklin in 1754, 
 had a controlling effect on all geographers and statesmen of 
 the day, and was an important element in diffusing a correct 
 geographical knowledge of the colonies at large, and particu- 
 larly of the great valley of the Mississippi, agreeably to modern 
 ideas of its physical extent. It was a great work for the time, 
 and for many years remained the standard of reference. In 
 some of its features, it was never excelled. Mr. Jefferson 
 
 * 291 years after De Soto's discovery, and 159 after Marquette's. 
 
16 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 quotes it, in his Notes on Virginia, and draws from it some 
 interesting opinions concerning Indian history, as in the allu- 
 sion to the locality and place of final refuge of the Eries. It 
 was from the period of the publication of this memoir that the' 
 plan of an " Ohio colony," in which Dr. Franklin had an active 
 agency, appears to have had its origin. 
 
 Lewis Evans was not only an eminent geographer himself, 
 but his map and memoir, as will appear on reference to them, 
 embrace the discoveries of his predecessors and contemporary 
 explorers, as Conrad Wiser and others, in the West. The 
 adventurous military reconnoissance of Washington to fort Le 
 Boeuf, on lake Erie, was subsequent to this publication. 
 
 Evans's map and analysis, being the best extant, served as 
 the basis of the published materials used for the topographical 
 guidance of General Braddock on his march over the Alle- 
 ghany mountains. Washington, himself an eminent geogra- 
 pher, was present in that memorable march ; and" so judicious 
 and well selected were its movements, through defiles and over 
 eminences, found to be, that the best results of engineering 
 skill, when the commissioners came to lay out the great Cum- 
 berland road, could not mend them. Such continued also to 
 be the basis of our general geographical knowledge of the 
 West, at the period of the final capture of fort Du Quesne by 
 General Forbes, and the change of its name in compliment to 
 the eminent British statesman, Pitt. 
 
 The massacre of the British garrison of Michilimackinac in 
 1763, the investment of the fort of Detroit in the same year by 
 a combined force of Indian tribes, and the development of an 
 extensive conspiracy, as it has been termed, against the western 
 British posts under Pontiac, constituted a new feature in Ameri- 
 can history ; and the military expeditions of Cols. Bouquet and 
 Bradstreet, towards the West and North-west, were the conse- 
 (^uence. These movements became the means of a more perfect 
 geographical knowledge respecting the West than had before 
 prevailed. Hutchinson's astronomical observations, which were 
 made under the auspices of Bouquet, fixed accurately many 
 important points in the Mississippi valley, and furnished a 
 framework for the military narrative of the expedition. In 
 
INTRODUCTION. 17 
 
 fact, the triumphant march of Bouquet into the very strong- 
 holds of the Indians west of the Ohio, first brought them 
 effectually to terms ; and this expedition had the effect to open 
 the region to private enterprise. 
 
 The defeat of the Indians by Major Gladwyn at Detroit had 
 tended to the same end ; and the more formal march of Colonel 
 Bradstreet, in 1764, still further contributed to show the abo- 
 rigines the impossibility of their recovering the rule in the 
 West. Both these expeditions, at distant points, had a very 
 decided tendency to enlarge the boundaries of geographical 
 discovery in the West, and to stimulate commercial enterprise. 
 
 The Indian trade had been carried to fort Pitt the very year 
 of its capture by the English forces ; and it may serve to give 
 an idea of the commercial daring and enterprise of the colo- 
 nists to add, that, so early as 1766, only two years after Bou- 
 quet's expedition, the leading house of Baynton, Wharton & 
 Morgan, of Philadelphia, had carried that branch of trade 
 through the immense lines of forest and river wilderness to 
 fort Chartres, the military capital of the Illinois, on the Mis- 
 sissippi.* Its fertile lands were even then an object of scarcely 
 less avidity. f Mr. Alexander Henry had, even a year or two 
 earlier, carried this trade to Michilimackinac ; and the English 
 flag, the symbol of authority with the tribes, soon began to 
 succeed that of France, far and wide. The Indians, finding 
 the French flag had really been struck finally, submitted, and 
 the trade soon fell, in every quarter, into English hands. 
 
 The American revolution, beginning within ten years of this 
 time, was chiefly confined to the regions east of the Allegha- 
 nies. The war for territory west of this line was principally 
 carried on by Virginia, whose royal governors had more than 
 once marched to maintain her chartered rights on the Ohio. 
 Her blood had often freely flowed on this border, and, while 
 the great and vital contest still raged in the Atlantic colonies, 
 she ceased not with a high hand to defend it, attacked as it 
 was by the fiercest and most deadly onsets of the Indians. 
 
 * MS. Journal of Matthew Clarkson, in the possession of Wm. Duane, 
 Esq., Philadelphia, 
 tibid. 
 
 2* B 
 
18 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 In 1780, General George Rogers Clark, the commander 
 of the Virginia forces, visited the vicinity of the mouth of the 
 Ohio, by order of the governor of A'irginia, for the purpose 
 of selecting the site for a fort, which resulted in the erection 
 of fort Jefiferson, some few miles (I think) below the influx of 
 the Ohio, on the eastern bank of the Mississippi. The United 
 States were then in the fifth year of the war of independence. 
 All its energies were taxed to the utmost extent in this con- 
 test ; and not the least of its cares arose from the Indian tribes 
 who hovered with deadly hostility on its western borders. It 
 fell to the lot of Clark, who was a man of the greatest energy 
 of character, chivalric courage, and sound judgment, to capture 
 the posts of Kaskaskia and Vincennes, in the IlHnois, with 
 inadequate forces at his command, and through a series of 
 almost superhuman toils. And we are indebted to these con- 
 quests for the enlarged western boundary inserted in the defi- 
 nitive treaty of peace, signed at Paris in 1783. Dr. Franklin, 
 who was the ablest geographer among the commissioners, made 
 a triumphant use of these conquests ; and we are thus indebted 
 to George Rogers Clark for the acquisition of the Mississippi 
 valley. 
 
 American enterprise in exploring the country may be said 
 to date from the time of the building of fort Jefferson ; but it 
 was not till the close of the revolutionary war, in 1783, that 
 the West became the favorite theatre of action of a class of 
 bold, energetic, and patriotic men, whose biographies would 
 form a very interesting addition to our literature. It is to be 
 hoped that such a work may be undertaken and completed 
 before the materials for it, are beyond our reach. How nume- 
 rous this class of men were, and how quickly they were followed 
 by a hardy and enterprising population, who pressed Avestward 
 from the Atlantic borders, may be inferred from the fact that 
 the first State formed west of the Ohio river, required but 
 twenty years from the treaty of peace for its complete organi- 
 zation. Local histories and cyclical memoirs have been pub- 
 lished in some parts of the West, which, though scarcely known 
 beyond the precincts of their origin, possess their chief value 
 as affording a species of historical material for this investigation. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 19 
 
 Pioneer life in the West must, indeed, hereafter constitute a 
 prolific source of American reminiscence ; but it may be 
 doubted whether any comprehensive work on the subject will 
 be effectively undertaken, while any of this noble band of 
 public benefactors are yet on the stage of life. 
 
 The acquisition of Louisiana, in 1803, became the period 
 from which may be dated the first efibrts of the United States' 
 government to explore the public domain. The great extent 
 of the territory purchased from France, stretching west to the 
 Pacific ocean — its unknown boundaries on the south, west, and 
 north — and the importance and variety of its reputed resources, 
 furnished the subjects which led the Executive, Mr. Jeffer- 
 son, to direct its early exploration. The expeditions named 
 of Lewis and Clark to Oregon, and of Pike to the sources of 
 the Mississippi, were the consequence. Pike did not publish 
 the results of his search till 1810. O^ving to the death of 
 Governor Meriwether Lewis, a still greater delay attended the 
 publication of the details of the former expedition, which did 
 not appear till 1814. No books had been before published, 
 which diffused so much local geographical knowledge. The 
 United States were then engaged in the second war with Great 
 Britain, during which the hostility of the western tribes pre- 
 cluded explorations, except such as could be made under arms. 
 The treaty of Ghent brought the belligerent parties to terms ; 
 but the intelligence did not reach the country in season to 
 prevent the battle of New Orleans, which occurred in January 
 1815. 
 
 Letters from correspondents in the West, which were often 
 published by the diurnal press, and the lectures of Mr. W. 
 Darby on western and general geography, together with verbal 
 accounts and local publications, now poured a flood of informa- 
 tion respecting the fertility and resources of that region, and 
 produced an extensive current of emigration. Thousands were 
 congregated at single points, waiting to embark on its waters. 
 The successful termination of the war had taken away all fear 
 of Indian hostility. The tribes had suffered a total defeat at 
 all points, their great leader Tecumseh had fallen, and there 
 was no longer a basis for any new combinations to oppose the 
 
20 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 advances of civilization. Military posts were erected to cove? 
 the vast line of frontiers on the west and north, and thus fully 
 to occupy the lines originally secured by the treaty of 1783. 
 In 1816, Mr. J. J. Astor, having purchased the North-wesi 
 Company's posts, lying south of latitude 49°, established the 
 central point of his trade at Michilimackinac. A military post 
 was erected by the government at the falls of St. Anthony, 
 and another at Council Bluffs on the Missouri. The know- 
 ledge of the geography and resources of the western country 
 was thus practically extended, although no publication, so far 
 as I am aware, was made on this subject. 
 
 In the fall of 1816, I determined to visit the Mississippi 
 valley — a resolution which brought me into the situations 
 narrated in the succeeding volume. In the three ensuing 
 years I visited a large part of the West, and explored a con- 
 siderable portion of Missouri and Arkansas, in which De Soto 
 alone, I believe, had, in 1542, preceded me. My first publica- 
 tion on the results of these explorations was made at New 
 York, in 1819. De Witt Clinton was then oji the stage of 
 action, and Mr. Calhoun, with his grasping intellect, directed 
 the energies of the government in exploring the western do- 
 main, which, he foresaw, as he told me, must exercise a con- 
 trolling influence on the destinies of America. 
 
 In the spring of 1818, Major S. II. Long, U. S. A., was 
 selected by the War OflSce to explore the Missouri as high as 
 the Yellowstone, and, accompanied by a corps of naturalists 
 from Philadelphia, set out from Pittsburgh in a small steamer. 
 The results of this expedition were in the highest degree 
 auspicious to our knowledge of the actual topography and 
 natural history of the far West, and mark a period in their 
 progress. It was about this time that Colonel H. Leavenworth 
 was directed to ascend the Mississippi, and establish a garrison 
 at the mouth of the St. Peter's or Minnesota river. Early in 
 1820, the War Department directed an exploratory expedition 
 to be organized at Detroit, under the direction of Lewis Cass, 
 Esq., Governor of Michigan Territory, for the purpose of 
 surveying the upper lakes, and determining the area at the 
 sources of the Mississippi — its physical character, topography, 
 
INTRODUCTION. 21 
 
 and Indian population. In the scientific corps of tins expedi- 
 tion, I received from the Secretary of War the situation of 
 mineralogist and geologist, and published a narrative of it. 
 This species of public employment was repeated in 1821, 
 during which I explored the Miami of the Lakes, and the 
 Wabash and Illinois ; and my position assumed a permanent 
 form, in another department of the service, in 1822, when I 
 took up my residence in the great area of the upper lakes. 
 
 It is unnecessary to the purposes of this sketch to pursue 
 these details further than to say, that the position I occupied 
 was favorable to the investigation of the mineral constitution 
 and natural history of the country, and also of the history, 
 antiquities, and languages and customs, of the Indian tribes. 
 For a series of years, the name of the author has been con- 
 nected with the progress of discovery and research on these 
 subjects. Events controlled him in the publication of separate 
 volumes of travels, some of which were, confessedly, incom- 
 plete in their character, and hasty in their preparation. 
 Had he never trespassed on public attention in this manner, 
 he would not venture, with his present years, and more ma- 
 tured conceptions of a species of labor, where the difficulties 
 are very great, the chances of applause doubtful, and the 
 rewards, under the most favorable auspices, very slender. As 
 it is, there is a natural desire that what has been done, and 
 may be quoted when he has left this feverish scene and gone 
 to his account, should be put in the least exceptionable form. 
 Hence the revision of these travels. 
 
INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 JUNCTION OF THE OHIO WITH THE MISSISSIPPI — DIFFICULTY OF 
 ASCENDING THE LATTER WITH A BARGE — ITS TURBID AND 
 RAPID CHARACTER — INCIDENTS OP THE VOYAGE — PHYSICAL 
 IMPEDIMENTS TO ITS NAVIGATION — FALLING-IN BANKS — TIA- 
 WAPATI — ANIMALS — FLOATING TREES" — RIVER AT NIGHT — > 
 NEEDLESS AND LAUGHABLE ALARM — CHARACTER OP THE SHORES 
 — MEN GIVE OUT — REACH THE FIRST FAST LANDS — MINERAL 
 
 PRODUCTS CAPE GIRARDEAU — MOCCASIN SPRING — NON-POETIC 
 
 GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES — GRAND TOWER — STRUGGLE TO PASS 
 CAPE GARLIC. 
 
 I REACHED the junction of the Ohio with the Mississippi on 
 the last day of June, 1818, with feelings somewhat akin to 
 those of one who performs a pilgrimage ; — for that Algonquin 
 name of Mississippi had heen floating through my mind ever 
 since boyhood, as if it had been invested with a talismanic 
 power. 
 
 The reading of books of geography, however, makes but a 
 feeble impression on the mind, compared to the actual objects. 
 Born on one of the tributaries of the Hudson — a stream whose 
 whole length, from the junction of the Mohawk, is less than 
 two hundred miles — I had never figured to myself rivers of 
 such magnificent length and velocity. I had now followed 
 down the Ohio, in all its windings, one thousand miles ; it was 
 not only the longest, but the most beautiful river which I had 
 
 (22) 
 
DESCENT OF THE OHIO 23 
 
 ever seen ; and I felt something like regret to find it at last 
 swallowed up, as it were, by the turbid and repulsive Missis- 
 sippi. The latter was at its summer flood, and rushed by like 
 a torrent, which seemed to be overcharged with the broken- 
 down materials of half a continent. 
 
 De Soto had been the first European to gaze upon this heady 
 mass of waters, urging downward everything that comes within 
 their influence, and threatening to carry even their own banks 
 into the gulf. We came, in a large, heavily-manned barge, to 
 the very point of the influx of the Ohio, where Cairo is now 
 located. It was early in the afternoon ; but the captain of our 
 craft, who was a stout-hearted fellow, of decision of character 
 and a full-toned voice, deemed it best to come-to here, and wait 
 till morning to grapple Avith the Mississippi. There were some 
 old arks on the point, which had been landed in high water, 
 and were now used as houses ; but I retained my berth in the 
 barge, and, after looking around the vicinity, amused myself 
 by angling from the sides of the vessel. The only fish I caught 
 was a gar — that almost single variety of the voracious species 
 in these waters, which has a long bill, with sharp teeth, for 
 arousing its prey, apparently, from a muddy bottom. The 
 junction of two such streams as the Ohio and Mississippi, 
 exhibits a remarkable struggle. For miles, along the eastern 
 shores of the Mississippi, the clear blue waters of the Ohio are 
 crowded to the banks ; while the furious current of the former, 
 like some monster, finally gulps it down, though the mastery 
 is not obtained, I am told, till near the Chickasaw blufis. 
 
 Early in the morning (1st July), the voice of the captain 
 was heard, and the men paraded the sides of the deck, with 
 their long poles shod with iron ; and we were soon in the gurg- 
 ling, muddy channel, struggling along its eastern shore. The 
 men plied their poles with the skill of veterans, planting them 
 as near the margin of the channel as possible, and placing the 
 head of the pole against the shoulder, while they kept their 
 footing by means of slats nailed across the footway. With 
 every exertion, we made but five miles the first day. This 
 slowness of ascent was, however, very favorable to observation. 
 I was the only passenger on board, except two adventurers 
 
21 ASCENDING THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 from the Youghioghany, in Western Pennsylvania, wlio had 
 freighted the barge, and were in the position of supercargoes. 
 Such tugging and toiling I had never before seen. It seemed 
 to me that no set of men could long stand it. The current 
 ran as if it were charged with power to sweep everything down 
 its course. Its banks were not proof against this impetuosity, 
 and frequently fell in, with a noise ' and power which threat- 
 ened to overwhelm us. This danger was often increased by 
 the floating trees, which had fallen into the stream at higher 
 points. And when, after a severe day's toil, the captain 
 ordered the boat to be moored for the night, we felt an insecu- 
 rity from the fear that the bank itself might prove treacherous 
 before morning. 
 
 Nothing in the structure of the country appeared to present 
 a very fixed character. The banks of the river were elevated 
 from ten to fifteen feet above the water, and consisted of a 
 dark alluvium, bearing a dense forest. When they became 
 too precipitous, which was an indication that the water at these 
 points was too deep for the men to reach bottom with their 
 poles, they took their oars, and crossed to the other bank. 
 When night came on, in these damp alluvions, and darkness 
 was added to our danger, the scene was indeed gloomy. I 
 remember, this evening, we tried most perseveringly to drink 
 our tea by a feeble light, which appeared to be a signal for the 
 collection of insects far and near, who, by their numbers and 
 the fierceness of their attacks, made it impossible to bring our 
 cups to our mouths without stopping to brush away the fierce 
 and greedy hordes of musquitoes. Amongst the growth, cane 
 and cotton-wood were most conspicuous. 
 
 I had a specimen of boatman manners to-day, which should 
 not certainly be a subject of surprise, considering the rough- 
 and-ready life and character of that class. Having laid down 
 on the top deck of the barge a mineralogical specimen to which 
 I attached value, and gone temporarily away, I found, on my 
 return, that it had been knocked to pieces by one of the men, 
 who acted, probably, like the boy who broke the fiddle, " to 
 get the music out" of it. On expressing my disapproval of 
 this, to one who evidently had not the most distant idea of the 
 
TEDIOUS PROGRESS. 25 
 
 scientific value of " a stone," he made some trite remark, that 
 "there was more where this came from," and then, stretching 
 himself up at his full length of six feet, with sinews which had 
 plainly become tense and hard from the use of the setting-pole, 
 he exclaimed, "Help yourself!" 
 
 July 2d. The toils of this day were similar to those of the 
 last. It was a perpetual struggle to overcome the force of the 
 current by poles placed in the bed, and, when that became too 
 deep, we sought for shallower shores. We encountered the 
 same growth of trees along the banks. The land became some- 
 what more elevated. The insects were in such hordes, that it 
 was amazing. We proceeded but about six miles to-day, and 
 they were miles of incessant toil. 
 
 July 3d. To the ordinary dangers and efforts of this day, 
 were added the frequent occurrence of snags and sawyers, or 
 planters — terms which denote some of the peculiar impediments 
 of Mississippi navigation. The captain of our craft, who was 
 a courageous and vigilant man, was continually on the look-out 
 to avoid these dangers, and put-to, at night, at the foot of a 
 large cane-covered island, by which he avoided, in some mea- 
 sure, the sweep of the current, but was yet in jeopardy from 
 falling-in banks. He requested me, in this exigency, to take 
 a pole, and, from the bow, sound for bottom, as we crossed the 
 river, to avoid shoals. This I did successfully. We estimated 
 our ascent this day at seven miles. 
 
 July 4th. The perils and toils of the crew did not prevent 
 their remembrance of the national anniversary ; and the cap- 
 tain acknowledged their appeal in the morning by an extra 
 measure of " old Monongahela." We then set forward against 
 the wild, raging current. From the appearance of the wild 
 turkey and large grey squirrel ashore, it is probable that we 
 are passing out of the inundated region. In other respects, 
 the face of the country and its productions appear the same. 
 After ascending about six miles, when the time approached for 
 looking' out for a place to moor for the night, a storm of wind 
 3 
 
26 ASCENDING THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 suddenly arose, which dashed the water into the barge. "We 
 put ashore in haste, at a precipitous bank of an island, which 
 fell in during the night very near to us, and put us in moment- 
 ary peril. To leave our position in the dark, would be to take 
 the risk of running afoul of snags, or encountering floating 
 trees ; but as early as the light appeared on the morning of 
 the 5th, we left the spot immediately, crossing to the western 
 bank. By diligence we made eight miles this day, which 
 brought us to the first settlement at Tiawapeta bottom, on the 
 Missouri shore. This is the first land that appears sufficiently 
 elevated for cultivation. The settlement consists of six or 
 eight farms, where corn, flax, hemp, potatoes, and tobacco, are 
 abundantly raised. The peach and apple-tree also thrive. I 
 observed the papaw and persimmon among the wild fruits. 
 
 July 6th. The downward movement of the water, and its 
 gurgling and rush as it meets with obstacles, is very audible 
 after the barge has been fastened to the shore for the night, 
 when its fearful impetuosity, surcharged as it is with floating 
 wrecks of forest life, is impressive to the listener, while night 
 has thrown her dark pall over the scene. 
 
 Early in the morning, the oarsmen and polemen were at 
 their masculine toils. I had feared that such intense applica- 
 tion of muscle, in pushing forward the boat, would exhaust 
 their strength ; and we had not gone over three miles this day, 
 when we were obliged to lay-by for the want of more compe- 
 tent hands. The complaining men were promptly paid, and 
 furnished with provisions to return. While detained by this 
 circumstance, we were passed by a boat of similar construction 
 to our own, laden with planks from Olean, on the sources of 
 the Alleghany river, in New York. This article had been 
 transported already more than thirteen hundred miles, on its 
 way to a market at St. Louis, where it was estimated to be 
 worth sixty dollars per thousand feet. 
 
 While moored along this coast, the day after we had thus 
 escaped from the treacherous island, we seemed to have taken 
 shelter along a shore infested by wild beasts. " Grizzly bear !" 
 was the cry at night. We were all alarmed by a snorting and 
 
LUDICROUS ALARM. 27 
 
 disturbance at the water's edge, a short distance below us, 
 which, it was soon evident, proceeded from a large, light- 
 colored, and furious animal. So far, all agreed. One of our 
 Pennsylvanians, who had a choice rifle, prepared himself for 
 the attack. The captain, who had no lack of resolution, and 
 would, at any rate, have become bold by battling the Missis- 
 sippi river for six or seven days, had some missiles ; and all 
 prepared to be useful on the occasion. As I carried nothing 
 more deadly than a silver crucible and some acids, I remained 
 on the upper deck of the barge. From this elevation I soon 
 saw, by the dim moonlight, the whole party return, without 
 having fired a gun. It turned out that the cause of this un- 
 usual disturbance was a large white hog, which had been shot 
 in the head and snout with swan-shot, by some cruel fellows, 
 the preceding day, and came at night to mitigate its burning 
 and festering wounds by bathing in the river. 
 
 July 7th. Having procured some additional hands, our 
 invincible captain pressed stoutly forward, and, at an early 
 hour, we reached the head of Tiawapeta bottom, where a short 
 stop was made. At this point, the bed of the Mississippi ap- 
 pears to be crossed by a chain of rocks, which oppose, however, 
 no obstruction to its navigation. Such masses of it as appear 
 on shore, are silico-carbonates of lime, and seem to belong to 
 the metalliferous system of Missouri. About half a mile above 
 the commencement of this chain, I observed, at the foot of an 
 elevation near the water's edge, a remarkable stratum of white 
 aluminous earth, of a rather dry and friable character, resem- 
 bling chalk, and which, I afterwards observed, was extensively 
 used by mechanics in Missouri as a substitute for that article. 
 Masses, and in some instances nodules, of hornstone, resem- 
 bling true flint, are found imbedded in it ; yet it is not to be 
 confounded with the chalk formation. It yields no effervjescence 
 with nitric, and is wholly destitute of carbonic, acid. Portions 
 of the stratum are colored deeply by the red oxide of iron. 
 Scattered along the shores of the river at this place, I observed 
 large, angular masses of pudding-stone, consisting chiefly of 
 silicious pebbles and sand, cemented by oxide of iron. 
 
28 ASCENDING THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 I now began to breathe more freely. For seven days we 
 had been passing through such a nascent region, down which 
 the Mississippi swept at so furious a rate, that I never felt 
 sure, at night, that I should behold another day. Had the 
 barge, any day, lost her heading and got athwart the stream, 
 nothing could have prevented the water from rushing over her 
 gunwales, and sweeping her to destruction. And the Avhole 
 district of the alluvial banks was subject to be momentarily 
 undermined, and frequently tumbled in, with the noise and 
 fury of an avalanche, threatening destruction to whatever was 
 in the vicinity. 
 
 Owing to the increased firmness of the shore, and the rein- 
 forcement of hands, we ascended this day ten miles. We 
 began to feel in better spirits. 
 
 July 8th. The calcareous and elevated formation of rocks, 
 covered Avith geological drift, continued constantly along the 
 Missouri shore ; for it was this shore, and not the Illinois side, 
 that we generally hugged. This drift, on ascending the eleva- 
 tions, consisted of a hard and reddish loam, or marly clay, 
 filled with pebble-stones of various kinds, and fragments and 
 chips of hornstone, chert, common jasper, argillaceous oxide 
 of iron, radiated quartz, and quartz materials, betokening the 
 disruption, in ancient eras, of prior formations. The trees 
 observed on the diluvial elevations were oaks, sassafras, and, 
 on the best lands, walnut, but of sparse growth ; with a dense 
 forest of cotton-wood, sycamore, and elm, on the alluvions. On 
 ascending the river five miles, we came to the toAvn of Cape 
 Girardeau, consisting of about fifty wooden buildings of all 
 sorts, with a post-office and two stores. We were now at the 
 computed distance of fifty miles above the influx of the Ohio. 
 We went no farther that day. This gave me an opportunity 
 to explore the vicinity. 
 
 I had not yet put my foot ashore, when a fellow-passenger 
 brought me a message from one of the principal merchants of 
 the place, desiring me to call at his store, and aid him in the 
 examination of some drugs and medicines which he had newly 
 received. On reaching his store, I was politely ushered into 
 
CAPE GIRARDEAU. 29 
 
 a back room, where some refreshments were handsomely set 
 out. The whole thing was, in fact, designed as a friendly wel- 
 come to a professional man, who came neither to sell nor buy, 
 but simply to inquire into the resources and natural history of 
 the country. At this trait of hospitality and appreciation in 
 a stranger, I took courage, and began to perceive that the 
 West might be relied on. 
 
 I found the town of Cape Girardeau situated on an eleva- 
 tion of rich, red, marly soil, highly charged with oxide of iron, 
 which is characteristic of the best arable soils of the mine 
 country. This soil appears to be very readily dissolved in 
 water, and carried off rapidly by rains, Avhich furnishes a solu- 
 tion to the deep gulfs and gorges that disfigure many parts of 
 the cultivated high grounds. If such places were sown with 
 the seeds of grass, it would give fixity to the soil, and add 
 much to the beauty of the landscape. 
 
 July 9th. We resumed our journey up the rapid stream 
 betimes, but, with every exertion, ascended only seven miles. 
 The river, in this distance, preserves its general character ; the 
 Missouri shores being rocky and elevated, while the vast allu- 
 vial tracts of the Illinois banks spread out in densely wooded 
 bottoms. But, while the Missouri shores create the idea of 
 greater security by their fixity, and freedom from treacherous 
 alluvions, this very fixity of rocky banks creates jets of strong 
 currents, setting around points, which require the greatest 
 exertions of the bargemen to overcome. To aid them in these 
 exigencies, the cordelle is employed. This consists of a stout 
 rope fastened to a block in the bow of the barge, which is then 
 passed over the shoulders of the men, who each at the same 
 time grasp it, and lean hard forward. 
 
 July 10th. To me, the tardiness of our ascent, after reach- 
 ing the rock formations, was extremely favorable, as it facili- 
 tated my examinations. Every day the mineralogy of the 
 western banks became more interesting, and I was enabled 
 daily to add something to my collection. This day, I picked 
 up a large fragment of the pseudo pumice which is brought 
 3* 
 
80 ASCENDING THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 down the Missouri by its summer freshets. This mineral 
 appears to have been completely melted ; and its superficies is 
 so much enlarged by vesicles filled with air, and its specific 
 gravity thereby so much reduced, as to permit it to float in 
 water. We encamped this evening, after an ascent of seven 
 miles, at a spot called the Moccasin Spring, which is contained 
 in a crevice in a depressed part of the limestone formation. 
 
 July 11th. This day was signalized by our being passed by 
 a small steamer of forty tons burden, called the Harriet, laden 
 with merchandise for St. Louis. Viewed from our stand-point, 
 she seemed often nearly stationary, and sometimes receded, in 
 her efforts to stem the fierce current ; but she finally ascended, 
 slowly and with labor. The pressure of the stream, before 
 mentioned, against the rocky barrier of the western banks, 
 was found, to-day, to be very strong. With much ado, with 
 poles and cordelle, we made but five miles. 
 
 July 12th. We passed the mouth of Great Muddy river, 
 on the Illinois shore, this morning. This stream, it is said, 
 affords valuable beds of coal. The name of the river does not 
 appear to be very poetic, nor very characteristic, in a region 
 where every tributary stream is muddy ; the Mississippi itself 
 being muddy above all others. But, thanks to the Indians, 
 they have not embodied that idea in the name of the Father 
 of rivers ; its greatness, with them, being justly deemed by 
 far its most characteristic trait. 
 
 About two miles above this locality, we came to one of the 
 geological wonders of the Mississippi, called the Grand Tower. 
 It is a pile of limestone rocks, rising precipitously from the 
 bed of the river in a circular form, resembling a massive castle. 
 The height of this geological monument may be about one 
 hundred feet. It is capped by some straggling cedars, which 
 have caught a footing in the crevices. It might, with as much 
 propriety as one of the Alps, be called the Jungfrau (Virgin) ; 
 for it seems impossible that any human being should ever have 
 ascended it. The main channel of the river passes east of it. 
 There is a narrower channel on the west, which is apparently 
 
CAPE GARLIC. 31 
 
 more dangerous. We crossed the river below this isolated 
 cliff, and landed at some cavernous rocks on the Illinois side, 
 which the boatmen, with the usual propensity of unlettered 
 men, called the Devil's Oven. We then recrossed the river, 
 and, after ascending a distance along the western shore, were 
 repulsed in an attempt, with the cordelle, to pass Garlic Point. 
 The captain then made elaborate preparations for a second 
 attempt, but again failed. A third effort, with all our appli- 
 ances, was resolved on, but with no better success ; and we 
 came-to, finally, for the night, in an eddy below the point, 
 having advanced, during the day, seven miles. If we did not 
 make rapid progress, I had good opportunities of seeing the 
 country, and of contemplating this majestic river in one of its 
 most characteristic phases — namely, its summer flood. I 
 pleased myself by fancying, as I gazed upon its rushing eddies 
 of mud and turbid matter, that I at least beheld a part of the 
 Rocky mountains, passing along in the liquid state ! It was 
 a sight that would have delighted the eyes of Hutton ; for 
 methinks the quantity of detritus and broken-down strata 
 would not have required, in his mind, many cycles to upbuild 
 a continent. 
 
 Mountains to chaos are by waters hurled, 
 And re-create the geologic world. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 PASS CAPE GARLIC — OBRAZO RIVER — CLIFFS — EMIGRANTS — CAPE 
 ST. COMB — BOIS BRULE BOTTOM — PAROQUET — FORT CHARTRES — 
 KASKASKIA — ST. GENEVIEVE — M. BRETON — THE MISSISSIPPI 
 DEFICIENT IN FISH — ANTIQUITIES — GEOLOGY— STEAMER — HER- 
 CULANEUM — M. AUSTIN, ESQ., THE PIONEER TO TEXAS — JOURNEY 
 ON FOOT TO ST. LOUIS — MISADVENTURES ON THE MARAMEC 
 — ITS INDIAN NAME — CARONDELET — ST. LOUIS, ITS FINE SITE 
 AND PROBABLE FUTURE IMPORTANCE — ST. LOUIS MOUNDS NOT 
 ARTIFICIAL — DOWNWARD PRESSURE OF THE DILUVIAL DRIFT 
 OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 July 13tli. We renewed the attempt to pass Cape Garlic 
 at an early hour, and succeeded after a protracted and severe 
 trial. But two of our best men immediately declared their 
 unwillingness to proceed farther in these severe labors, in which 
 they were obliged to pull like oxen ; and they were promptly 
 paid off by the captain, and permitted to return. The crew, 
 thus diminished, went on a short distance further with the 
 barge, and came-to at the mouth of the Obrazo river, to await 
 the effort of our commander to procure additional hands. We 
 had not now advanced more than two miles, which constituted 
 the sum of this day's progress. While moored here, we were 
 passed by four boats filled with emigrants from Vermont and 
 Western New York, destined for Boon's Lick, on the Missouri. 
 I embraced the occasion of this delay to make some excursions 
 in the vicinity. 
 
 July 14th. Having been successful in obtaining a reinforce- 
 ment of hands from the interior, we pursued the ascent, and 
 made six miles along the Missouri shore. The next day (15th) 
 
 (32) 
 
EMIGRANTS. 33 
 
 we ascended seven miles. This leisurely tracing of the coast 
 revealed to me some of the minutest features of its geological 
 structure. The cliffs consist of horizontal strata of limestone, 
 resting on granular crystalline sandstone. Nothing can equal 
 the beauty of the varying landscape presented for the last two 
 days. There has appeared a succession of the most novel and 
 interesting objects. Whatever pleasure can be derived from 
 the contemplation of natural objects, presented in surprising 
 and picturesque groups, can here be enjoyed in the highest 
 degree. Even art may be challenged to contrast, with more 
 effect, the bleak and rugged cliff with the verdant forest, the 
 cultivated field, or the wide-extended surface of the Missis- 
 sippi, interspersed with its beautiful islands, and winding 
 majestically through a country, which only requires the im- 
 provements of civilized and refined society, to render it one 
 of the most delightful residences of man. Nor is it possible to 
 contemplate the vast extent, fertility, resources, and increasing 
 population of this immeasurable valley, without feeling a desire 
 that our lives could be prolonged to an unusual period, that 
 we might survey, an hundred years hence, the improved social 
 and political condition of the country, and live to participate 
 in its advantages, improvements, and power. 
 
 All the emigrants whom we have passed seem to be buoyed 
 up by a hopeful and enterprising character ; and, although 
 most of them are manifestly from the poorest classes, and are 
 from twelve to fifteen hundred miles on their adventurous 
 search for a new home, from none have I heard a word of 
 despondency. 
 
 July 16th. I observed to-day, at Cape St. Comb, large 
 angular fragments of a species of coarse granular sandstone 
 rock, which appear to be disjecta memhra of a much more 
 recent formation than that underlying the prevalent surface 
 formation. 
 
 The gay and noisy paroquet was frequently seen, this day, 
 wheeling in flocks over the river ; and at one point, which was 
 revealed suddenly, we beheld a large flock of pelicans standing 
 along a low, sandy peninsula. Either the current, during 
 
 c 
 
34 ASCENT OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 to-day's voyage, was less furious, or the bargemen exerted 
 more strength or skill ; for we ascended ten miles, and en- 
 camped at the foot of Bois Brule (Burnt-wood) bottom. The 
 term "bottom" is applied, in the West, to extensive tracts of 
 level and arable alluvial soil, whether covered by, or denuded 
 of, native forest trees. "VVe found it the commencement of a 
 comparatively populous and flourishing settlement, having on 
 the next day (17th) passed along its mai-gin for seven miles. 
 Its entire length is twelve miles. 
 
 July 18th. The most prominent incidents of this day were 
 the passing, on the Illinois shore, of the celebrated site of fort 
 Chartres, and the influx of the Kaskaskia (or, as it is abbre- 
 viated by the men, Ocaw or Caw) river — a lai-ge stream on the 
 eastern shore. These names will recall some of the earliest 
 and most stirring scenes of Illinois history. The town of 
 Kaskaskia, which is the present seat of the territorial govern- 
 ment, is seated seven miles above its mouth. 
 
 Fort Chartres is now a ruin, and, owing to the capricious 
 channel of the Mississippi, is rapidly tumbling into it. It had 
 been a regular work, built of stone, according to the principles 
 of military art. Its Avails formerly contained not only the chief 
 element of military power in French Illinois, but also sheltered 
 the ecclesiastics and traders of the time. In an old manuscript 
 journal of that fort which I have seen, a singular custom of the 
 Osages is mentioned, on the authority of one Mons. Jeredot. 
 He says (Dec. 22, 1766) that they have a feast, which they 
 generally celebrate about the month of March, when they 
 bake a lai'ge (corn) cake of about three or four feet diameter, 
 and of two or three inches thickness. This is cut into pieces, 
 from the centre to the circumference; and the principal chief 
 or warrior arises and advances to the cake, when he declares 
 his valor, and recounts his noble actions. If he is not contra- 
 dicted, or none has aught to allege against him, he takes a 
 piece of the cake, and distributes it among the boys of the 
 nation, repeating to them his noble exploits, and exhorting 
 them to imitate them. Another then approaches, and in the 
 same manner recounts his achievements, and proceeds as be- 
 
PONTIAC. 35 
 
 fore. Should any one attempt to take of the cake, to whose 
 character there is the least exception, he is stigmatized and 
 set aside as a poltroon. 
 
 It is said by some of the oldest and most intelligent inhabit- 
 ants of St. Louis, that about 1768, when the British had 
 obtained possession of fort Chartres, a very nefarious transac- 
 tion took place in that vicinity, in the assassination of the 
 celebrated Indian chief Pontiac. Tradition tells us that this 
 man had exercised great influence in the North and West, and 
 that he resisted the transfer of authority from the French to 
 the English, on the fall of Canada. Carver has a story on 
 this subject, detailing the siege of Detroit in 1763, which has 
 been generally read. The version of Pontiac's death in Illi- 
 nois, is this : — While encamped in this vicinity, an Illinois 
 Indian, who had given in his adherence to the new dynasty 
 of the English, was hired by the promise of rum, by some 
 English traders, to assassinate the chief, while the latter was 
 reposing on his pallet at night, still vainly dreaming, perhaps, 
 of driving the English out of America, and of restoring his 
 favorite Indo-Gallic empire in the West. 
 
 July 19th. We ascended the Mississippi seven miles yester- 
 day, to which, by all appliances, we added eleven miles to-day, 
 which is our maximum ascent in one day. Five miles of this 
 distance, along the Missouri shore, consists of the great public 
 field of St. Genevieve. This field is a monument of early 
 French policy in the days of Indian supremacy, when the agri- 
 cultural population of a village was brought to labor in prox- 
 imity, so that any sudden and capricious attack of the natives 
 could be efi'ectively repelled. We landed at the mouth of the 
 Gabarie, a small stream which passes through the town. St. 
 Genevieve lies on higher ground, above the reach of the inun- 
 dations, about a mile west of the landing. It consists of some 
 three hundred wooden houses, including several stores, a post- 
 ofiice, court-house, Roman Catholic church, and a branch of 
 the Missouri Bank, having a capital of fifty thousand dollars. 
 The town is one of the principal markets and places of ship- 
 ment for the Missouri lead-mines. Heavy stacks of lead in 
 
36 ST. GENEVIEVE. 
 
 pigs, are one of the chief characteristics which I saw in, and 
 often piled up in front of, its storehouses ; and they give one 
 the idea of a considerable export in this article. 
 
 July 20th. I devoted this day to a reconnoissance of St. 
 Genevieve and its environs. The style of building reminds 
 one of the ancient Belgic and Dutch settlements on the banks 
 of the Hudson and Mohawk — high-pointed roofs to low one- 
 story-buildings, and large stone chimneys out-doors. The 
 streets are narrow, and the whole village as compact as if built 
 to sustain a siege. The water of the Mississippi is falling 
 rapidly, and leaves on the shores a deposit of mud, varying 
 from a foot to two feet in depth. This recent deposit appears 
 to consist essentially of silex and alumine, in a state of very 
 intimate mixture. An opinion is prevalent throughout this 
 country, that the water of the Mississippi, with every impu- 
 rity, is healthful as a common drink ; and accordingly the 
 boatmen, and many of the inhabitants on the banks of the 
 river, make use of no other water. An expedient resorted to 
 at first, perhaps, from necessity, may be continued from an 
 impression of the benefits resulting from it. I am not well 
 enough acquainted with the chemical properties of the water, 
 or the method in which it operates on the human system, to 
 deny its utility ; but, to my palate, clear spring-water is far 
 preferable. A simple method is pursued for clarifying it: a 
 handful of Indian meal is sprinkled on the surface of a vessel 
 of water, precipitating the mud to the bottom, and the super- 
 incumbent water is left in a tolerable state of purity. 
 
 July 2] St. We again set forward this morning. On ascend- 
 ing three miles, we came to Little Rock ferry — a noted point 
 of crossing from the east to the west of the Mississippi. The 
 most remarkable incident in the history of this place is the 
 residence of an old French soldier, of an age gone by, who 
 has left his name in the geography of the surrounding country. 
 M. Breton, the person alluded to, is stated to be, at this time, 
 one hundred and nine years of age. Tradition says that he 
 was at Braddock's defeat — at the siege of Louisbourg — at the 
 
INDIAN ANTIQUITIES. 37 
 
 building of foi't Chartres, in the Illinois — and at the siege of 
 Bergen-op-Zoom, in Flanders. While wandering as a hunter, 
 after his military services had ended, in the country about 
 forty miles west of the Mississippi, he discovered the extensive 
 lead-mines which continue to bear his name. 
 
 We ascended this day twelve miles, which is the utmost 
 stretch of our exertions against the turbid and heavy tide of 
 this stream. Our captain (Ensminger) looked in the evening 
 as if he had been struggling all day in a battle, and his men 
 took to their pallets as if exhausted to the last degree. 
 
 July 22d. I have seen very little, thus far, in the Missis- 
 sippi, in the shape of fish. The only species noticed has been 
 the gar ; one of which I caught, as described, from the side of 
 the boat, while lying at the mouth of the Ohio. Of all rivers 
 in the West, I should think it the least favorable to this form 
 of organized matter. Of the coarse species of the catfish and 
 buffalo-fish which are found in its waters, I suppose the freshet 
 has deprived us of a sight. 
 
 Of antiquities, I have seen nothing since leaving the Ohio 
 valley till this day, when I picked up, in my rambles on shore, 
 an ancient Indian dart, of chert. The Indian antiquities on 
 the Illinois shore, however, are stated to be very extensive. 
 Near the Kaskaskia river are numerous mounds and earth- 
 works, which denote a heavy ancient population. 
 
 The limestone cliffs, at the place called Dormant Rocks, 
 assume a very imposing appearance. These precipitous walls 
 bear the marks of attrition in water-lines, very plainly im- 
 pressed, at great heights above the present water-level ; creat- 
 ing the idea that they may have served as barriers to some 
 ancient ocean resting on the grand prairies of Illinois. 
 
 We were passed, near evening, by the little steamer Harriet, 
 on her descent from St. Louis. This vessel is the same that 
 was noticed on the 11th, on her ascent, and is the only repre- 
 sentative of steam-power that we have observed.* Our ascent 
 this day was estimated at thirteen miles. 
 
 * I found fifty steamers of all sizes on the Mississippi and its tributa- 
 ries, of which a list is published in the Appendix. 
 
 4 
 
38 JOURNEY ON FOOT. 
 
 July 23d. Passing the Flatten creek, the prominence called 
 Cornice Rock, and the promontory of Joachim creek, an ascent 
 of five miles brought us to the town of Herculaneum. This 
 name of a Roman city buried for ages, gives, at least, a moral 
 savor of antiquity to a country whose institutions are all new 
 and nascent. It was bestowed, I believe, by Mr. Austin, who 
 is one of the principal proprietors of the place. It consists 
 of between thirty and forty houses, including three stores, a 
 post-office, court-house, and school. There are three shot- 
 towers on the adjoining cliffs, and some mills, with a tan-yard 
 and a distillery, in the vicinity. It is also a mart for the lead- 
 mine country. 
 
 I had now ascended one hundred and seventy miles from the 
 junction of the Ohio. This had required over twenty-two 
 days, which gives an average ascent of between seven and 
 eight miles per day, and sufficiently denotes the difficulty of 
 propelling boats up this stream by manual labor. 
 
 At Herculaneum I was introduced to M. Austin, Esq. — a 
 gentleman who had been extensively engaged in the mining 
 business while the country was yet under Spanish jurisdiction, 
 and who was favorably known, a few years after, as the prime 
 mover of the incipient steps to colonize Texas. Verbal inform- 
 ation, from him and others, appeared to make this a favorable 
 point from which to proceed into the interior, for the purpose 
 of examining its mineral structure and peculiarities. I there- 
 fore determined to leave my baggage here until I had visited 
 the territorial capital, St. Louis. This was still thirty miles 
 distant, and, after making the necessary preparations, I set 
 out, on the 26th of the month, on foot. In this journey I was 
 joined by my two comjoagnons de voyage from Pennsylvania 
 and Maryland. We began our march at an early hour. The 
 summer had now assumed all its fervor, and power of relaxa- 
 tion and lassitude on the muscles of northern constitutions. 
 We set out on foot early, but, as the day advanced, the sun 
 beat down powerfully, and the air seemed to owe all its pater- 
 nity to tropical regions. It was in vain we reached the summit 
 land. There was no breeze, and the forest trees were too few 
 and widely scattered to afford any appreciable shade. 
 
THE MARAMEC RIVER. 39 
 
 The soil of the Missouri uplands appears to possess a uni- 
 form character, although it is better developed in some localities 
 than in others. It is the red mineral clay, which, in some of 
 its conditions, yields beds of galena throughout the mine coun- 
 try, bearing fragments of quartz in some of its numerous 
 varieties. In these uplands, its character is not so well marked 
 as in the districts further west ; geologically considered, how- 
 ever, it is identical in age and relative position. The gullied, 
 character of the soil, and its liability to crumble under the 
 effect of rain, and to be carried off, which was first noticed at 
 Cape Girardeau, is observed along this portion of the river, 
 and is most obvious in the gulfy state of the roads. 
 
 What added greatly to our fatigue in crossing this tract, was 
 the having taken a too westerly path, which gave us a round- 
 about tramp. On returning to the main track, we forded Cold 
 river, a rapid and clear brook ; a little beyond which, we 
 reached a fine, large, crystal spring, the waters of which bub- 
 bled up briskly and bright, and ran off from their point of 
 outbreak to the river we had just crossed, leaving a white 
 deposit of sulphur. The water is pretty strongly impregnated 
 with this mineral, and is supposed to have a beneficial efi'ect 
 in bilious complaints. The scenery in the vicinity of the spring 
 is highly picturesque, and the place is capable of being made 
 a delightful resort. 
 
 Ywe miles more brought us to the banks of the Maramec 
 river, where we arrived at dark, and prevailed with the ferry- 
 man to take us across, notwithstanding the darkness of the 
 night, and the rain, which, after having threatened a shower 
 all the afternoon, now began to fall. The Maramec is the 
 principal stream of the mine country, and is the recipient of 
 affluents, spreading over a large area. The aboriginal name 
 of this stream, INIr. Austin informed me, should be written 
 "Marameg." The ferryman seemed in no hurry to put us 
 over this wide river, at so late an hour, and with so portentous 
 a sky as hung over us, threatening every moment to pour down 
 floods upon us. By the time we had descended from his house 
 into the valley, and he had put us across to the opposite shore, 
 it was dark. We took his directions for finding the house at 
 
40 AN UNPLEASANT PREDICAMENT. 
 
 which we expected to lodge ; but it soon became so intensely 
 dark, that we pursued a wrong track, which led us away from 
 the shelter we sought. Satisfied at length that we had erred, 
 we knew not what to do. It then began to pour down rain. 
 "We groped about a while, but finally stood still. In this posi- 
 tion, we had not remained long, when the faint tinkling of a 
 cow-bell, repeated leisurely, as if the animal were housed, fell 
 on our ears. The direction of the sound was contrary to that 
 we had been taking ; but we determined to grope our way 
 cautiously toward it, guided at intervals by flashes of lightning 
 which lit up the woods, and standing still in the meanwhile to 
 listen. At length we came to a fence. This was a guide, 
 and by keeping along one side of it, it led us to the house of 
 which Ave were in search. We found that, deducting our mis- 
 adventure in the morning, we had advanced on our way, 
 directly, but about fifteen miles. 
 
 July 2Tth. We were again on our path at a seasonable 
 hour, and soon passed out of the fertile and heavily timbered 
 valley of the Maramec. There noAV commenced a gentle ridge, 
 running parallel to the Mississippi river for twelve miles. 
 In this distance there was not a single house, nor any trace 
 that man had bestowed any permanent labor. It was sparsely 
 covered with oaks, standing at long distances apart, with the 
 intervening spaces profusely covered with prairie grass and 
 flowers. We frequently saw the deer bounding before us ; and 
 the views, in which we sometimes caught glimpses of the river, 
 were of a highly sylvan character. But the heat of the day 
 was intense, and we sweltered beneath it. About half-way, we 
 encountered a standing spring, in a sort of open cavern at the 
 foot of a hill, and stooped down and drank. We then went 
 on, still "faint and wearily," to the old French village of Ca- 
 rondelet, which bears the soubriquet of Vede-pouche (empty 
 sack). It contains about sixty wooden buildings, arranged 
 mostly in a single street. Here we took breakfast. 
 
 Being now within six miles of the place of our destination, 
 and recruited and refreshed, we pushed on with more alacrity. 
 The first three miles led through a kind of brushy heath, Avhich 
 
ST. LOUIS. 41 
 
 had the appearance of having once been covered with large trees 
 that had all been cut away for firing, with here and there a dry 
 trunk, denuded and white, looking like ghosts of a departed 
 forest. Patches of cultivation, with a few buildings, then 
 supervened. These tokens of a better state of things increased 
 in frequency and value till we reached the skirts of the town, 
 which we entered about four o'clock in the afternoon. 
 
 St. Louis impressed me as a geographical position of super- 
 lative advantages for a city. It now contains about five hun- 
 dred and fifty houses, and five thousand inhabitants. It has 
 forty stores, a post-office, a land-ofiice, two chartered banks, a 
 court-house, jail, theatre, three churches, one brewery, two dis- 
 tilleries, two water-mills, a steam flouring-mill, and other 
 improvements. These elements of prosperity are but indica- 
 tions of what it is destined to become. The site is unsurpassed 
 for its beauty and permanency ; a limestone formation rising 
 from the shores of the Mississippi, and extending gradually to 
 the upper plain. It is in north latitude 38° 36', nearly equi- 
 distant fi-om the Alleghany and the Rocky mountains. It is 
 twelve hundred miles above New Orleans, and about one thou- 
 sand below St. Anthony's falls. 
 
 No place in the world, situated so far from the ocean, can 
 at all compare with St. Louis for commercial advantages. It 
 is so situated with regard to the surrounding country, as to 
 become the key to its commerce, and the storehouse of its 
 wealth ; and if the whole western region be surveyed with a 
 geographical eye, it must rest with unequalled interest on that 
 peninsula of land formed by the junction of the Missouri with 
 the Mississippi — a point occupied by the town of St. Louis. 
 Standing near the confluence of two such mighty streams, an 
 almost immeasurable extent of back country must flow to it 
 with its produce, and be supplied from it with merchandise. 
 The main branch of the Missouri is navigable two thousand 
 five hundred miles, and the most inconsiderable of its tributary 
 streams will vie with the largest rivers of the Atlantic States. 
 The Mississippi, on the other hand, is navigable without inter- 
 ruption for one thousand miles above St. Louis. Its affluents, 
 
 the De Corbeau, Iowa, Wisconsin, St. Pierre, Rock river. Salt 
 4 * 
 
42 ITS GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION. 
 
 river, and Desmoines, are all streams of the first magnitude, 
 and navigable for many hundred miles. The Illinois is navi- 
 gable three hundred miles ; and ■when the communication 
 between it and the lakes, and between the Mississippi and lake 
 Superior, and the lake of the Woods — between the Missouri and 
 the Columbia valley — shall be effected; communications not 
 only pointed out, but, in some instances, almost completed by 
 nature ; what a chain of connected navigation shall we be- 
 hold ! And by looking upon the map, we shall find St. Louis 
 the focus where all these streams are destined to be discharged 
 — the point where all this vast commerce must centre, and 
 where the wealth flowing from these prolific sources must pre- 
 eminently crown her the queen of the west. 
 
 My attention was called to two large mounds, on the western 
 bank of the Mississippi, a short distance above St. Louis. I 
 have no hesitation in expressing the opinion that they are geo- 
 logical, and not artificial. Indian bodies have been buried in 
 their sides, precisely as they are often buried by the natives in 
 other elevated grounds, for which they have a preference. 
 But the mounds themselves consist of sand, boulders, pebbles, 
 and other drift materials, such as are common to undisturbed 
 positions in the Mississippi valley generally. 
 
 Another subject in the physical geography of the country 
 attracted my notice, the moment the river fell low enough to 
 expose its inferior shores, spits, and sand-bars. It is the pro- 
 gressive diffusion of its detritus from superior to inferior posi- 
 tions in its length. Among this transported material I observed 
 numerous small fragments of those agates, and other silicious 
 minerals of the quartz family, which characterize the broad 
 diluvial tracts about its sources and upper portions. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 RESOLVE TO PROCEED FURTHER WEST — NIGHT VOYAGE ON THE 
 MISSISSIPPI IN A SKIFF — AN ADVENTURE — PROCEED ON FOOT 
 WEST TO THE MISSOURI MINES — INCIDENTS BY THE WAY — 
 MINERS' VILLAGE OF SHIBBOLETH — COMPELLED BY A STORM TO 
 PASS THE NIGHT AT OLD MINES — REACH POTOSI — FAVORABLE 
 
 RECEPTION BY THE MINING GENTRY PASS SEVERAL MONTHS 
 
 IN EXAMINING THE MINES — ORGANIZE AN EXPEDITION TO EX- 
 PLORE WESTWARD — ITS COMPOSITION — DISCOURAGEMENTS ON 
 SETTING OUT — PROCEED, NOTWITHSTANDING — INCIDENTS OF THE 
 JOURNEY TO THE VALLEY OF LEAVES. 
 
 I WAS kindly received by some persons I had before known, 
 particularly by a professional gentleman with whom I had 
 descended the Alleghany river in the preceding month of 
 March, who invited me to remain at his house. I had now 
 proceeded about seventeen hundred miles from my starting- 
 point in Western New York ; and after passing a few days in 
 examining the vicinity, and comparing facts, I resolved on the 
 course it would be proper to pursue, in extending my journey 
 further west and south-west. I had felt, for many years, an 
 interest in the character and resources of the mineralogy of 
 this part of what I better knew as Upper Louisiana, and its 
 reported mines of lead, silver, copper, salt, and other natural 
 productions. I had a desire to see the country which De Soto 
 had visited, west of the Mississippi, and I wished to trace its 
 connection with the true Cordillera of the United States — the 
 Stony or Rocky mountains. My means for undertaking this 
 were rather slender. I had already drawn heavily on these in 
 my outward trip. But I felt (I believe from early reading) an 
 irrepressible desire to explore this region. I was a good 
 
 (43) 
 
44 NIGHT VOYAGE ON THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 draughtsman, mapper, and geographer, a ready penman, a 
 rapid sketcher, and a naturalist devoted to mineralogy and 
 geology, with some readiness as an assayer and experimental 
 chemist ; and I relied on these as both aids and recommenda- 
 tions — as, in short, the incipient means of success. 
 
 When ready to embark on the Mississippi, I was joined by 
 my two former companions in the ascent from the mouth of the 
 Ohio. It was late in the afternoon of one of the hottest sum- 
 mer days, wfien we took our seats together inji light skiff at 
 St. Louis, and pushed out into the Mississippi, which was still 
 in floqd, but rapidly falling, intending to reach Cahokia that 
 night. But the atmosphere soon became overcast, and, when 
 night came on, it was so intensely dark that we could not dis- 
 criminate objects at much distance. Floating, in a light pine 
 skiff, in the centre of such a stream, on a very dark night, our 
 fate seemed suspended by a thread. The downward pressure 
 of the current was such, that we needed not to move an oar ; 
 and every eye was strained, by holding it down parallel to the 
 water, to discover contiguous snags, or floating bodies. It 
 became, at the same time, quite cold. We at length made a 
 shoal covered with willows, or a low sandy islet, on the left, or 
 Illinois shore. Here, one of my Youghioghany friends, who 
 had not yet got over his 2^^nchant for grizzly bears, returned 
 from reconnoitering the bushes, with the cry of this prairie 
 monster with a cub. It was too dark to scrutinize, and, as we 
 had no arms, we pushed on hurriedly about a mile further, and 
 laid down, rather than slept, on the shore, without victuals or 
 fire. At daylight, for which we waited anxiously, we found 
 ourselves nearly opposite Carondelet, to which we rowed, and 
 where we obtained a warm breakfast. Before we had finished 
 eating, our French landlady called for pay. Whether any- 
 thing on our part had awakened her suspicions, or the decep- 
 tion of others had rendered the precaution necessary, I cannot 
 say. Recruited in spirits by this meal, and by the opening of 
 a fine, clear day, we pursued our way, without further misad- 
 venture, about eighteen miles, and landed at Herculaneum. 
 
 The next day, which was the last of July, I set out on foot 
 for the mines, having directed my trunks to follow me by the 
 
JOURNEY ON FOOT. 45 
 
 first returning lead-teams. My course led through an open, 
 rolling country, covered with grass, shrubs, and prairie flowers, 
 and having but few trees. There was consequently little or no 
 shade, and, the weather being sultry, I suiFered much from heat 
 and thirst. For the space of about twelve miles, the road ran 
 over an elevated ridge, destitute of streams or springs. I did 
 not meet an individual, nor see anything of the animal creation 
 larger than a solitary wild turkey, which, during the hottest 
 part of the day, came to contest Avith me for, or rather had 
 previously reached, some water standing in a wagon-rut. I 
 gained the head of the Joachim creek before nightfall, and, 
 having taken lodgings, hastened down to a sheltered part of 
 the channel to bathe, after which I enjoyed a refreshing night's 
 sleep. The aboriginal name of this stream was " Zwashau," 
 meaning pin-oak, as I was told by an old hunter whom I met. 
 The next day I was early on my way ; and I soon began to 
 discover, in the face of the country, evidences of its metallife- 
 rous character. Twelve miles brought me to the valley of 
 Grand or Big river, one of the principal tributaries of the 
 Maramec. In descending the high grounds, I observed nu- 
 merous specimens of the brown oxide of iron ; and after cross- 
 ing the ferry, the mineral locally called mineral blossom, 
 (radiated quartz,) of which I had noticed slight traces before, 
 developed itself in fine specimens. The first mining village I 
 came to, bore the name of Shibboleth. At this place there was 
 a smelting furnace, of the kind called a log-furnace. Here I 
 first saw heaps of the ore of lead commonly found. It is the 
 sulphuret, of a broad glittering grain, and cubical fracture. 
 It is readily smelted, being piled on logs of equal length, and 
 adjusted in the before-named furnace, where it is roasted till 
 the sulphur is driven off; when desulphurated, it melts, and 
 the metal is received on an inclined plane and conducted into 
 an orifice, from which it is ladled into moulds. From fifty to 
 sixty per cent, is obtained in this way. Shibboleth is the 
 property of John Smith T. ; a man whose saturnine temper 
 and disposition have brought him into collision with many 
 persons, and given him a wide-spread notoriety both in Mis- 
 souri and Tennessee. 
 
46 THE MINING REGION. 
 
 I lingered along so leisurely, and stopped so often to exa- 
 mine objects by the way, that my progress was not rapid. I 
 obtained some corn-bread and milk at a house, and pursued 
 my journey to Old Mines, where a heavy storm of rain arose. 
 I took shelter at a neighboring house, where I remained during 
 the night. The next morning I walked into Potosi, and took 
 lodgings at Mr. William Ficklin's. This gentleman Avas a 
 native of Kentucky, where most of his life had been passed in 
 the perils and adventures attending the early settlement of 
 that State. His conversation was replete with anecdotes of 
 perilous adventures which he had experienced ; and I was 
 indebted to him for some necessary practical points of know- 
 ledge in forest life, and precautions in travelling in an Indian 
 country. 
 
 The day after my arrival was a local election day, for a 
 representative from the county in the territorial legislature, to 
 which Mr. Austin the younger was returned. This brought 
 together the principal mining and agricultural gentlemen of the 
 region, and was a circumstance of some advantage to me, in 
 extending my acquaintance, and making known the objects of 
 my visit. In this, the Austins, father and son, were most kind 
 and obliging. Indeed, the spirit with which I was received by 
 the landed proprietors of the country generally, and the frank- 
 ness and urbanity of their manners and sentiments, inspired 
 me with high hopes of success in making a mineralogical survey 
 of the country. 
 
 I found the geological structure of the country, embracing 
 the mines, to be very uniform. It consists of a metalliferous 
 limestone, in horizontal strata, which have not been lifted up 
 or disturbed from their horizontality by volcanic forces ; but 
 they have been exposed to the laws of disintegration and ele- 
 mental action in a very singular manner. By this action, the 
 surface of the formation has been divided into ridges, valleys, 
 and hills, producing inequalities of the most striking and pic- 
 turesque character. 
 
 There are some forty principal mines, in an area of about 
 seventy miles by thirty or forty in breadth. The chief ore of 
 lead smelted is galena. The associated minerals of most pro- 
 
GEOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 47 
 
 minence are sulphate of barytes, sulphuret of zinc, calcareous 
 spar, and crystallized quartz, chiefly in radiated crystals. I 
 spent upwards of three months in a survey of the mines of 
 chief consequence, noting their peculiarities and geological 
 features. By far the most remarkable feature in the general 
 structure of the country, consists of the existence of a grani- 
 tical tract at the sources of the river St. Francis. This I par- 
 ticularly examined. The principal elevations consist of red 
 sienite and greenstone, lying in their usual forms of mountain 
 masses. The geological upheavals which have brought these 
 masses to their present elevations, appear to have been of the 
 most ancient character ; for the limestones and crystalline 
 sandstones have been deposited, in perfectly horizontal beds, 
 against their sides. 
 
 Feeling a desire to compare this formation with the structure 
 of the country west and south of it, extending to the Rocky 
 mountains, and satisfied at the same time that these primary 
 peaks constituted the mineral region of De Soto's most north- 
 erly explorations, I determined to extend my explorations 
 south-westwardly. The term " Ozark mountains" is popularly 
 applied to the broad and elevated highlands which stretch in 
 this direction, reaching from the Maramec to the Arkansas. 
 Having obtained the best information accessible from hunters 
 and others who had gone farthest in that direction, I deter- 
 mined to proceed, as early as I could complete my arrange- 
 ments for that purpose, to explore those elevations. 
 
 Colonel W. H. Ashley, who had penetrated into this region, 
 together with several enterprising hunters and woodsmen, 
 represented it as metalliferous, and abounding in scenes of 
 varied interest. It had been the ancient hunting-ground of 
 the Osages, a wild and predatory tribe, who yet infested its 
 fastnesses ; and it was represented as subject to severe risks 
 from this cause. Two or three of the woodsmen, who were 
 best acquainted with this tract, expressed a willingness to ac- 
 company me on a tour of exploration. I therefore, in the 
 month of October, revisited St. Louis and Illinois, for the pur- 
 pose of making final arrangements for the tour, and obtained 
 the consent of Mr. Brigham and Mr. Pettibone, previously 
 
48 DIFFICULTIES AT STARTING. 
 
 mentioned, to accompany me. A day was appointed for our 
 assembling at Potosi. I then returned to complete my arrange- 
 ments. I purchased a stout, low-priced horse, to carry such 
 supplies as were requisite, made his pack-saddle with my own 
 hands, and had it properly riveted by a smith. A pair of 
 blankets for sleeping ; a small, short-handled frying-pan ; a 
 new axe, a tin coffee-pot, three tin cups, and the same number 
 of tin plates ; a couple of hunting-knives ; a supply of lead, 
 shot, ball, powder, and flints ; a small smith's hammer, and 
 nails for setting a horseshoe ; a horse-bell and strap ; a pocket 
 compass ; a gun, shot-pouch, and appendages, containing a 
 space for my diary ; a mineral-hammer, constructed under my 
 own directions, so as to embrace a small mortar on one face, 
 and capable of unscrewing at the handle, which could be used 
 as a pestle ; a supply of stout clothing, a bear-skin and oil- 
 cloth, some bacon, tea, sugar, salt, hard bread, &c., constituted 
 the chief articles of outfit. The man of whom I purchased the 
 horse called him by the unpoetic name of "Butcher." 
 
 It was the beginning of November before my friends arrived, 
 and on the sixth of that month we packed the horse, and took 
 our way over the mineral hills that surround Potosi, making 
 our first encampment in a little valley, on the margin of a 
 stream called Bates's creek. 
 
 It was fine autumn weather ; the leaves of the forest were 
 mostly sere, and the winds scattered them about us with an 
 agreeable movement, as we wound among the hills. We were 
 evidently following an old Indian trail, and, finding a rather 
 tenable old wigwam, constructed of poles and bark, we pitched 
 upon it as our first place of encampment. My kind host from 
 Kentucky, with whom I had been staying, accompanied us thus 
 far, to see us safely in the woods, and taught me the art of 
 hobbling a horse, and tying on his night-bell. The hunters, 
 who had talked rather vaingloriously of their prowess among 
 wild animals and Osages, one by one found obstacles to impede 
 their going. Finally, one of my companions was compelled to 
 return, owing to a continued attack of fever and ague. I 
 determined, nevertheless, to proceed, thinking that a hunter 
 could be found to join us before quitting the verge of civiliza- 
 
FIKST NIGHT IN THE WILDERNESS. 49 
 
 tion. Having unpacked Butcher, prepared him for the night, 
 stowed away the baggage, and built a fire, I took my gun and 
 sallied out into the forest, while my companion prepared things 
 for our supper. I found the greatest abundance of large black 
 and grey squirrels in a neighboring wood, and returned with a 
 number of the finest of them in season to add to our evening's 
 meal. 
 
 A man's first night in the wilderness is impressive. Our 
 friends had left us, and returned to Potosi. Gradually all 
 sounds of animated nature ceased. When darkness closed 
 around us, the civilized world seemed to have drawn its cur- 
 tains, and excluded us. We put fresh sticks on the fire, which 
 threw a rich flash of light on our camp, and finally wrapped 
 ourselves in our blankets, and, amidst ruminations on the pecu- 
 liarities of our position, our hopes, and our dangers, we sank 
 to sleep. 
 
 Nov. 7th. The first thing listened for this morning was the 
 tinkle of our horse's bell. But Butcher was gone. All my 
 precautions had been in vain. The poor beast appeared to 
 have had a presentiment of the hard fare that was before him, 
 and, although his fore-feet were tethered, and he must lift up 
 both together to jump, yet, having a strong recollection of the 
 corn-fodder and juicy blades left behind him, he had made his 
 way back to the mines. I immediately went in pursuit of him. 
 He was easily tracked until he got to a space of rank herbage, 
 •where I lost the track, and hearing, at the same moment, a 
 bell to the left, I pursued the sound over hill and through dale, 
 till I came out at a farm-yard on Mine creek, four miles below 
 Potosi, where I found the bell whose sound I had followed 
 attached to the neck of a stately penned ox. The owner told 
 me that Butcher had reached the mines, and been sent back to 
 my camp by his former owner. I had nothing left but to 
 retrace my steps, which, luckily, were but the shorter line of 
 an acute triangle. I found him at the camp. It was, how- 
 ever, ten o'clock before our breakfast was despatched, and the 
 horse repacked ready for starting. We took the labor of lead- 
 ing the horse, and carrying the compass and guiding, day 
 5 D 
 
60 THE PINERY — LAW'S FORK. 
 
 about, so as to equalize these duties, and leave no cause for 
 dissatisfaction. Our trail carried us across the succession of 
 elevated and arid ridges called the Pinery. Not a habitation 
 of any kind, nor the vestiges of one, was passed ; neither did 
 we observe any animal, or even bird. The soil was sterile. 
 hard, and flinty, bearing yellow pines, with some oaks. Our 
 general course was west-south-west. The day was mild and 
 pleasant for the season. For a computed distance of fourteen 
 miles, we encountered a succession of ascents and descents, which 
 made us rejoice, as evening approached, to see a tilled valley 
 before us. It proved to be the location of a small branch of 
 the Maramec river, called by its original French name of 
 Fourclie a Courtois. The sun sank below the hills as we en- 
 tered this valley. Some woodcock flew up as we reached the 
 low ground ; but as we had a cabin in view, and the day was 
 far gone, we moved on toward our principal object. Presently 
 the loud barking of dogs announced our approach ; they 
 Beemed, by their clamor, as pertinacious as if two wolves or 
 panthers Avere stealing on the tenement, till they were silenced 
 by the loud commands of their master. It was a small log 
 building, of the usual construction on the frontiers, and af- 
 forded the usual hospitality, and ready accommodations. They 
 gave us warm cakes of corn-bread, and fine rich milk ; and, 
 spreading our blankets before the fire, we enjoyed sound slum- 
 bers. Butcher, here, had his last meal of corn, and made no 
 attempt to escape. 
 
 Nov. 8th. With the earliest streaks of daylight we adjusted 
 our pack for the horse, and again set forward on the trail. In 
 the course of two miles' travel, we forded a stream called Law's 
 Fork, and also the branch of the Maramec on which we had 
 lodged the previous night. We soon after descried a hunter's 
 cabin, a small and newly erected hut in the midst of the forest, 
 occupied by a man named Alexander Roberts. This proved 
 the last house we encountered, and was estimated to be twenty 
 miles from Potosi. Some trees had been felled and laid 
 around, partially burned ; but not a spot of ground was in cul- 
 tivation. Dogs, lean and hungry, heralded our approach, as 
 
OBTAIN A GUIDE. 51 
 
 in the former instance ; and thej barked loud and long. On 
 reaching the cabin, we found that the man was not at home, 
 having left it, his wife said, with his rifle, at an early hour, in 
 search of game. She thought he would be back before noon, 
 and that he would accompany us. We decided to await his 
 return, and in the meanwhile prepared our frugal breakfas^ 
 In a short time, Roberts returned ; he was a chunky, sinister- 
 looking fellow, and reminded me of Ali Baba, in the " Forty 
 Thieves." He had a short, greasy buckskin frock, and a 
 pointed old hat. His wife, who peeped out of the door, looked 
 queer, and had at least one resemblance to Cogia, which seemed 
 to be "starvation." The hunter had killed nothing, and 
 agreed to accompany us, immediately beginning his prepara- 
 tions. He at the same time informed us of the fear enter- 
 tained of the Osages, and other matters connected with our 
 journey in the contemplated direction. About ten o'clock he 
 was ready, and, leading a stout little compact horse from a pen, 
 he clapped a saddle on, seized his rifle, announced himself as 
 ready, and led off. The trail led up a long ridge, which ap- 
 peared to be the dividing ground between the two principal 
 forks of the Mararaec. It consisted of a stiff loam, filled with 
 geological drift, which, having been burned over for ages by 
 the Indians, to fit it for hunting in the fall of the year, had 
 little carbonaceous soil left, and exhibited a hard and arid 
 surface. Our general course was still west-south-west. After 
 proceeding about four miles, our path came to the summit of 
 an eminence, from which we descried the valley of the Ozau, 
 or Ozark fork. This valley consisted entirely of prairie. 
 Scarcely a tree was visible in it. The path wound down the 
 declivity, and across the valley. The soil appeared to be fer- 
 tile. Occupying one bank of the stream, nearly in the centre 
 of the valley, we passed a cluster of Indian wigwams, inha- 
 bited alone by the old men, women, and children ; the young 
 men being absent, hunting. We found them to be Lenno- 
 Lenapees, or, in other words, Delawares ; being descendants 
 of the Indians whom William Penn found, in 1682, in the 
 pleasant forest village of Coacquannok, where Philadelphia 
 now stands. Strange, but not extraordinary history ! They 
 
62 INDIANS — WILD VENISON. 
 
 have been shoved back by civilization, in tlie course of a hun- 
 dred and thirty-six years' mutations, over the Alleghanies — 
 over the Mississippi — into the spurs of these mountains. 
 Where they will be after the lapse of a similar period, no one 
 can say. But this can be said — that the hunting of deer will 
 |dve out ; and if they do not betake themselves to some other 
 means of subsistence, they will be numbered among the 
 nations that were. 
 
 Roberts informed me that four or five miles lower down the 
 valley was a village of Shawnees, and, higher up, another vil- 
 lage of Delawares. 
 
 On reaching the uplands on the west side of the valley, we 
 pursued the trail up its banks about four or five miles, and 
 encamped by daylight near a clump of bushes at a spring. As 
 I was expert in striking and kindling a fire, this became a duty 
 to w^hich I devoted myself during the entire journey, while my 
 companion busied himself in> preparations for our repast. 
 Roberts reconnoitred the vicinity, and came in with a report 
 that we had reached a game country. 
 
 We were now fairly beyond the line of all settlements, even 
 the most remote, and had entered on that broad highland tract 
 to which, for geographical distinction, the name of Ozark moun- 
 tains is applied. This tract reaches through Missouri and 
 Arkansas, from the Maramec to the Wachita, and embraces 
 the middle high lands between the plains at the foot of the 
 Rocky mountains, and the rapids of the Maramec, St. Fran- 
 cis, Osage, White, Arkansas, and other principal streams; 
 these traverse a belt of about two hundred miles east and 
 west, by seven hundred miles north and south. It is a sort 
 of Rheingau, through which the rivers burst. 
 
 Nov. 9th. Early in the morning, Roberts brought in the 
 carcase of a fine deer ; and we made our first meal on wild 
 venison, cut fresh smoking from the tenderest parts, and 
 roasted on sticks to suit our tastes. This put every one in the 
 best of spirits, and we packed a supply of the meat for our 
 evening's repast. Seeing that Roberts was more at home 
 among the game, and that he had but a sorry knife for the 
 
THE VALLEY OF LEAVES. 53 
 
 business, I loaned him a fine new belt and knife, with its 
 sheath, for the day. We now travelled up the Ozark fork 
 about eighteen miles. The weather was exhilarating, and the 
 winds were careering with the leaves of the forest, and cast- 
 ing them in profusion in cur track. As we came near the 
 sources of the river, we entered a wide prairie, perfectly 
 covered for miles with these leaves, brought from neighboring 
 forests. At every step the light masses were kicked or brushed 
 away before us. This plain, or rather level vale, was crowned 
 in the distance by elevations fringed with tall trees which still 
 held some of their leafy honors, giving a very picturesque cha- 
 racter to the landscape. I booked the scene at night, in my diary, 
 as Cliola, or the Valley of Leaves. We held our way over 
 the distant eminences, and at length found a spring by which 
 we encamped, at a rather late hour. It had been a hazy and 
 smoky day, like the Indian summer in Atlantic latitudes. We 
 were in a region teeming with the deer and elk, which fre- 
 quently bounded across our path. The crack of Roberts's 
 rifle, also, added to the animation of the day's travel ; though 
 we might have known, from his unsteady bandit-eye, that he 
 meditated something to our damage. 
 
 5 * 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 HORSES ELOPE — DESERTION OP OUR GUIDE — ENCAMP ON ONE OP 
 THE SOURCES OF BLACK RIVER — HEAD- WATERS OF THE RIVER 
 CURRENTS — ENTER A ROMANTIC SUB-VALLEY — SALTPETRE CAVES 
 — DESCRIPTION OF ASHLEY's CAVE — ENCAMPMENT THERE — 
 ENTER AN ELEVATED SUMMIT — CALAMARCA, AN UNKNOWN 
 
 STREAM ENCOUNTER FOUR BEARS — NORTH FORK OF WHITE 
 
 RIVER. 
 
 Nov. 10th. "While we laid on our pallets last night, the 
 trampling of hoofs was frequently heard ; but at length the 
 practised ear of the hunter detected that these were the sounds 
 of wild animals' hoofs, and not of our horses. This man's eye 
 had shown an unwonted degree of restlessness and uneasiness 
 during the afternoon of the preceding day, while witnessing 
 the abundant signs of deer and elk in the country ; but this 
 excited no suspicions. He was restless during the night, and 
 was disturbed at a very early hour, long before light, by this 
 trampling of animals. These sounds, he said to me, did not 
 proceed from the horses, which were hobbled. He got up, and 
 found both animals missing. Butcher's memory of corn and 
 corn-fodder, at his old master's at Potosi, had not yet deserted 
 him, and he carried the hunter's horse along with him. I 
 immediately jumped up, and accompanied him in their pursuit. 
 There was some moonlight, with clouds rapidly passing. We 
 pursued our back-track, anxiously looking from every eminence, 
 and stopping to listen for the sound of the bells. Roberts 
 occasionally took up a handful of leaves, which were thickly 
 strewn around, and held them up in the moonlight, to see whe- 
 ther the corks of the horses' shoes had not penetrated them. 
 When he finally found this sign, he was sure we were in the 
 
 (54) 
 
DESERTION OF OUR GUIDE. 55 
 
 right way. At length, when we had gone several miles, and 
 reached an eminence that overlooked the broad plain of the 
 Valley of Leaves, we plainly descried the fugitives, jumping 
 on as fast as possible on the way back. We soon overhauled 
 them, and brought them to camp by daybreak, before my com- 
 panion had yet awaked. 
 
 Roberts now sallied out, and in a few minutes fired at and 
 killed a fat doe, which he brought in, and we made a break- 
 fast by roasting steaks. Roberts had expressed no dissatisfac- 
 tion or desire to return, but, sallying out again among the deer 
 on horseback, said he would rejoin us presently, at a future 
 point. We travelled on, expecting at every turn to see him 
 reappear. But we saw no more of him. The rascal had not 
 only deserted us at a difficult point, but he carried oif my best 
 new hunting-knife — a loss not to be repaired in such a place. 
 
 We at length came to a point where the trail forked. This 
 put us to a stand. Which to take, we knew not ; and the 
 result was of immense consequence to our journey, as we after- 
 wards found ; for, had we taken the right-hand fork, we should 
 have been conducted in a more direct line to the portions of 
 country we sought to explore. We took the left-hand fork, 
 which we followed diligently, crossing several streams running 
 to the north-west, which were probably tributary to the Mis- 
 souri through the Gasconade. It was after dark before we 
 came to a spot having the requisites for an encampment, par- 
 ticularly water. It was an opening on the margin of a small 
 • lake, having an outlet south-east, which we finally determined 
 to be either one of the sources of the Black river, or of the 
 river Currents. 
 
 We had now travelled about twenty miles from our last 
 camp, in a southerly direction. We did not entirely relinquish 
 the idea of being rejoined by Roberts, nor become fully satis- 
 fied of his treachery, till late in the evening. We had relied 
 on his guidance till we should be able to reach some hunters' 
 camps on the White or Arkansas rivers ; but this idea was 
 henceforth abandoned. Left thus, on the commencement of 
 our journey, in the wilderness, without a guide or hunter, we 
 were consigned to a doubtful fate ; our extrication from which 
 
66 CURRENTS RIVER — LOSE THE TRAIL. 
 
 depended wholly upon a decision and self-reliance, which he 
 only knows how to value, who is first called to grapple with 
 the hardships of western life. 
 
 It was the edge of a prairie where we had halted. Wood 
 was rather scarce ; hut we made shift to build a good fire, and 
 went to sleep with no object near us, to excite sympathy, but 
 our horse, who was securely belled and tethered. When we 
 awoke in the morning, the fire was out, and a pack of wolves 
 were howling within a few hundred yards of our camp. Whether 
 the horse feared them, I know not ; but he had taken his posi- 
 tion near the embers of the fire, where he stood quite still. 
 
 Nov. 11th. In passing two miles, we crossed a small stream 
 running south-east, which evidently had its source in the little 
 lake at our last night's encampment. The trail beyond this 
 was often faint ; in the course of eight or ten miles, we began 
 to ascend elevations covered with pines, but of so sterile and 
 hard a soil, that we lost all trace of it. We wound about 
 among these desolate pine ridges a mile or two, till, from 
 one of the higher points, we descried a river in a deep valley, 
 having a dense forest of hard wood, and every indication of 
 animal life. Overjoyed at this, we mended our pace, and, by 
 dint of great caution, led our pack-horse into it. It proved 
 to be the river Currents, a fine stream, with fertile banks, and 
 clear sparkling waters. The grey-squirrel was seen sporting 
 on its shady margin, and, as night approached, the wild turkey 
 came in from the plains to drink, and make its nightly abode. ' 
 After fording the river, we soon found our lost trail, which we 
 followed a while up the stream, then across a high ridge which 
 constituted its southern banks, and through dense thickets to 
 the summits of a narrow, deep, and dark limestone valley, 
 which appeared to be an abyss. Daylight left us as we wound 
 down a gorge into its dreary precincts ; and we no sooner 
 found it traversed by a clear brook, than we determined to 
 encamp. As the fire flashed up, it revealed on either side 
 steep and frowning clifls, which might gratify the wildest spirit 
 of romance. This stream, with its impending cavernous clifis, 
 I designated the Wall-cave or Ononda valley. 
 
WALL-CAVE VALLEY. 57 
 
 We had advanced this day about eighteen or twenty miles. 
 We had an opportunity, while on the skirts of the high prairie 
 lands, to fire at some elk, and to observe their stately motions ; 
 but, being still supplied with venison, we were not willing to 
 waste the time in pursuing them. Our course varied from 
 south to south-west. 
 
 Nov. 12th. Daylight fully revealed our position. We were 
 in a valley, often not more than six hundred feet wide, with 
 walls of high precipitous limestone rock. These cliffs were 
 remarkable for nothing so much as their caverns, seated uni- 
 formly at a height of forty or fifty feet above the ground, in 
 inaccessible positions. I do not know the number of these 
 caves, as we did not count them ; but they existed on either 
 side of the valley as far as we explored it. Most of them 
 were too high to reach. A tree had fallen against the cliff 
 near one of them, by climbing which I reached a small ledge 
 of the rock that afforded a little footing, and, by cautiously 
 groping along, the orifice was finally reached and entered. It 
 proved interesting, although of no great extent ; but it con- 
 tained stalactites depending in clusters from the walls. Of 
 these, I secured a number which were translucent. Slender 
 crystals of nitrate of potash, of perfect whiteness and crystal- 
 line beauty, were found in some of the crevices. Having 
 secured specimens of these, I again got out on the ledge of 
 rock, and, reaching the tree, descended in safety. 
 
 About half a mile higher up the valley, on its south side, 
 we discovered a cavern of gigantic dimensions. The opening 
 in the face of the rock appeared to be about eighty or ninety 
 feet wide, and about thirty high. A projection of rock on one 
 side enabled us to enter it. A vast and gloomy rotundo 
 opened before us. It very soon, after the entry, increases in 
 height to sixty or seventy feet, and in width to one hundred 
 and fifty or two hundred feet, forming an immense hall. This 
 hall has another opening or corridor, leading to a precipitous 
 part of the cliff. It extends into the rock, southerly, an un- 
 explored distance, branching off in lateral avenues from the 
 main trunk. We explored the main gallery five or six hun- 
 
58 ASHLEY'S CAVE. 
 
 dred yards, when we found obstructions. The roof has been 
 blackened by the carbonaceous effect of fires, kindled by 
 Indians or white men, who have visited it, in former years, in 
 search of nitrous earth. In some parts of it, compact bodies 
 of pebbles and reddish clay, very similar to that found on the 
 cliffs, are seen, which creates an idea that the cavern must 
 have been an open orifice at the geological era of the diluvial 
 deposits. This earth, by being lixiviated with common house- 
 ashes, produces a liquid which, on evaporation, yields saltpetre. 
 The cave, I was informed at Potosi, has been visited for this 
 purpose by Colonel Ashley, and it appropriately bears his 
 name. Finding it a perfect " rock-house," and being dry, and 
 affording advantages for some necessary repairs to our gear, 
 and arrangements for the further continuation of our explora- 
 tions, we, about four o'clock in the afternoon, removed our 
 camp up the valley, and encamped within it. We could shelter 
 ourselves completely in its capacious chambers in case of rain, 
 of which there were indications, and take a calm view of the 
 course it seemed now expedient to pursue. Thus far, we had 
 had a trail, however slight, to follow ; but from this point there 
 was none — we were to plunge into the pathless woods, and to 
 trust ourselves alone to the compass, and the best judgment 
 "we could form of courses, distances, and probabilities. A 
 wilderness lay before us, behind us, and around us. We had 
 *' taken our lives in our hands," and we were well satisfied that 
 our success must depend on our vigilance, energy, and deter- 
 mination. In addition to the exertion of providing food, and 
 repairing our clothing, which, as we urged our way, was pay- 
 ing tribute to every sharp bush we pressed through, we had to 
 exercise a constant vigilance to prevent Indian surprises ; for 
 experience had already taught us that, in the wilderness, where 
 there is no law to impose restraint but the moral law of the 
 heart, man is the greatest enemy of man. 
 
 Nov. 13th. The threatening appearance of the atmosphere 
 induced us to remain most of the day in our rock-house, which 
 was devoted to devising a more safe and compact mode of car- 
 rying specimens, to repairs of our pack-saddles, a reconstruc- 
 
A RAINY DAY — JOURNEY RESUMED. 59 
 
 tion of the mode of packing, &c. We then made a further 
 reconnoissance of the cavern, and its vicinity and productions. 
 I had paid particular attention to the subject of the occurrence 
 of animal bones in our western caves, as those of Europe had 
 recently excited attention ; but never found any, in a single 
 instance, except the species of existing weasels, and other very 
 small quadrupeds, which are to be traced about these castel- 
 lated and cavernous cliffs. As evening approached, a flock of 
 turkeys, coming in from the plain to the top of the cliflf above 
 the cavern, flew down on to the trees directly in front of us, 
 sheltered as we were from their sight, and afforded a fine 
 opportunity for the exercise of our sportsmanship. 
 
 Nov. 14th. The rain which had threatened to fall yester- 
 day, poured down this morning, and continued with more or 
 less violence all day. Our packages, clothing, arms and ac- 
 coutrements, were thoroughly overhauled and examined. We 
 had still supplies of everything essential to our comfort. Our 
 bacon had not been seriously trenched on, while the forest had 
 amply supplied us with venison, and our groceries bade fair to 
 last us till we should strike some of the main southern streams, 
 or till our increasing powers of endurance and forest skill 
 should enable us to do without them. 
 
 Nov. 15th. This morning, the sky being clear and bright, 
 we left our rock abode in the Wall-cave valley. We ascended 
 this valley a short distance, but, as it led us too far west, and 
 the brush proved so thick as to retard our progress, we soon left 
 it. With some ado, the horse was led to the top of the cliff". 
 A number of lateral valleys, covered with thick brush, made 
 this a labor by no means light. The surface of the ground 
 was rough, vegetation sere and dry, and every thicket which 
 spread before us presented an obstacle which was to be over- 
 come. We could have penetrated many of these, which the 
 horse could not be forced through. Such parts of our clothing 
 as did not consist of buckskin, paid frequent tribute to these 
 brambles. 
 
 At length we got clear of these spurs, and entered on a 
 
60 MONOTONOUS COUNTRY. 
 
 high tahle-land, where travelling became comparatively easy. 
 The first view of this vista of highland plains was magnificent. 
 It was covered with moderate-sized sere grass and dry seed- 
 pods, which rustled as we passed. There was scarcely an 
 object deserving the name of a tree, except now and then a 
 solitary trunk of' a dead pine or oak, which had been scathed 
 by the lightning. The bleached bones of an elk, a deer, or a 
 bison, were sometimes met. Occasionally we passed a copse 
 of oak, or cluster of saplings. The deer often bounded before 
 us, and we sometimes disturbed the hare from its sheltering 
 bush, or put to flight the quail and the prairie-hen. There 
 was no prominent feature in the distance for the eye to rest on. 
 The unvaried prospect at length produced satiety. We felt, in 
 a peculiar manner, the solitariness of the wilderness. We 
 travelled silently and diligently. It was a dry and wave-like 
 prairie. From morning till sunset, we did not encounter a 
 drop of water. This became the absorbing object. Hill after 
 hill, and vale after vale, were patiently ascended, and dili- 
 gently footed, without bringing the expected boon. At last 
 we came, suddenly and unexpectedly, to a small running 
 stream in the plain, where we gladly encamped. I quickly 
 struck up a cheerful fire, and we soon had a cup of tea with 
 our evening's repast. Nor was Butcher neglected. There 
 was a patch of short green grass on the margin of the brook, 
 to which he did ample justice. We were not long after supper 
 in yielding ourselves to a sound sleep. 
 
 While we were in the act of encamping, I had placed my 
 powder-flask on the ground, and, on lighting the fire, neglected 
 to remove it. As the plain was covered with dry leaves, they 
 soon took fire, and burned over a considerable space, including 
 thf spot occupied by myself and the flask. The latter was a 
 brass-mounted shooting-flask, of translucent horn, having a 
 flaw through which grains of powder sometimes escaped. Yet 
 no. explosion took place. I looked and beheld the flask, which 
 the fire had thus run over, very near me, with amazement. 
 
 Nov. 16th. We were now on an elevated summit of table- 
 land or water-shed, ■which threw its waters ofi" alternately to 
 
CALAMARCA. 61 
 
 the Missouri and Mississippi. It was covered vrith high, 
 coarse, prairie grass, and its occasional nodding clusters of 
 prairie flowers run to seed. In depressed places, the greenbriar 
 occasionally became entangled with the horse's feet, and 
 required time to extricate him. We very frequently passed 
 the head and thigh-bones of the buifalo, proving that the ani- 
 mal had been freely hunted on these plains. In the course of 
 about eight miles' travel, we passed two small streams running 
 to the north-west, which led us to think that we were diverging 
 too far towards the Missouri side of this vast highland plateau. 
 It was still some hours to sunset, and we had gone about four 
 miles farther when we reached a large, broad stream, also 
 flowing towards the north-west. It had a rapid and deep cur- 
 rent, on each side of which was a wide space of shallow water, 
 and boulders of limestone and sandstone. It required some 
 skill to cross this river, as it was too deep to ford. The horse 
 was led into the edge of the stream and driven over, coming 
 out with his pack safely on the other side. The shallow parts 
 ofiered no obstacle ; and we bridged the deeper portion of the 
 channel with limbs and trunks of trees, Avhich had been brought 
 down by the stream when in flood and left upon its banks, and, 
 being denuded of their bark, were light and dry, and as white 
 as bleached bones. 
 
 I had crossed the channel safely, after my companion ; but 
 he disturbed the bridge on stepping from it, and caused me to 
 slip from the stick. Having my gun in my right hand, I natu- 
 rally extended it, to break my fall. Each end of it, as it 
 reached the stream, rested on a stone, and, my whole weight 
 being in the centre, the barrel was slightly sprung. This bridge, 
 for the purpose of reference, I called Galamarca. After cross- 
 ing the stream, we came to a stand, and, on consultation, 
 explored it downward, to determine its general course ; but, 
 finding it to incline toward the north-west, we returned up its 
 southern bank two or three miles above our rustic bridge, and 
 encamped. 
 
 Nov. 17th. In the morning we proceeded in a south-south- 
 westerly direction, which, after keeping up the valley from the 
 
62 ENCOUNTEK WITH BEARS. 
 
 camp of Calamarca for a few miles, carried us up an elevated 
 range of hills, covered with large oaks bearing acorns. We 
 had reached the top of a ridge which commanded a view of a 
 valley beyond it, when we observed, far below us in the valley, 
 four bears on an oak, eating sWeet acorns. The descent was 
 steep and rough, with loose stones, which made it impossible to 
 lead the horse down without disturbing them. We therefore 
 tied him to a staddle, and, after looking to our priming, we 
 began to descend the height. But, as the leaves had all fallen, 
 concealment was impossible ; and when the animals became 
 alarmed, and began to come down the tree, we ran at our 
 utmost speed to reach its foot first. In this effort, my compa- 
 nion fell on the loose stones, and sprained his ankle ; I kept 
 on, but did not reach the foot of the tree in time to prevent 
 their escape, and I followed them some distance. When my 
 companion's absence led me back to him, I found him badly 
 hurt; he limped along with the utmost difficulty. I soon 
 mounted him on the pack-horse, and led up the little valley ; 
 but the pain of his ankle became so intense, that he could not 
 bear the motion, and, after proceeding a mile or two, we deter- 
 mined to halt and encamp. We had not travelled from our 
 morning's encampment more than five or six miles. I accord- 
 ingly unpacked the horse, prepared a pallet for my companion, 
 and built a fire. I then bathed his ankle with salt and warm 
 water. This done, I took my gun, and sauntered along the 
 thickets in the hope of starting some game. Nothing, how- 
 ever, was found. The shrill and unmusical cry of the blue- 
 jay, which was the largest bird I saw, reminded me of other 
 latitudes. Thoughtful, and full of apprehension at this un- 
 toward accident, I returned to our little camp, and diligently 
 renewed my antalgic applications. 
 
 Nov. 18th. A night's rest, and the little remedies in my 
 power to employ, had so far abated the pain of my companion's 
 ankle, that he again consented to mount the pack-horse, and 
 we pursued our way up the little valley in which we had en- 
 camped. We had not, however, travelled far, when we saw 
 two large black bears playing in the grass before us, and so 
 
BEAR-HUNT. 63 
 
 intently engaged in their sport that they did not observe us. 
 My companion, with my aid, quickly dismounted. We exa- 
 mined our arms, tied the horse, and, having determined to fire 
 together, had reached our several stations before the animals 
 noticed our approach. They at first ran a few yards, but then 
 turned and sat up in the high, sere grass, to see what had dis- 
 turbed them. We fired at the same moment, each having 
 singled out his mark. Both animals fled, but on reaching the 
 spot where the one I fired at had sat, blood was copiously 
 found on the grass. I pursued him and his mate over an ad- 
 joining ridge, where I lost sight of them ; but discovering, on 
 crossing the ridge, a hollow oak, into which I judged they had 
 crept, I went back for the axe to fell it. While engaged at 
 this, my companion hobbled up, and relieved me at the axe. 
 The tree at length came down with a thundering crash, par- 
 tially splitting in its fall, and I stood ready with my gun to 
 receive the discomfited inmates ; but, after gazing intently for 
 a time, none appeared. It was now evident they had eluded 
 us, and that we had lost the track. The excitement had almost 
 cured my companion's lameness ; but it returned when the 
 pursuit was over, and, resuming his position on the horse, we 
 proceeded over a succession of high, oak-covered ridges. In 
 crossing one of these, a large and stately elk offered another 
 object for our notice. He had an enormous pair of horns, 
 which it seemed he must find it diflicult to balance in browsing ; 
 but the moment he became aware of our propinquity, he lifted 
 his head, and, throwing back the antlers, they seemed to form 
 shields for his shoulders and sides while plunging forward 
 through the thickets. We stood a moment to admire his 
 splendid leaps. 
 
 These incidents had carried us a few miles out of our course. 
 We were on high broken summits, which resembled, in their 
 surface, what may be conceived of the tossing waves of a sea 
 suddenly congealed. On descending from these towards the 
 south, we came to clumps of bushes, with gravelly areas be- 
 tween, and an occasional standing pool of pure water. It was 
 very evident to our minds, as we advanced, that these pools 
 must communicate with each other through the gravel, and 
 
64 WHITE RIVER. 
 
 that there were seasons when there was more water washed 
 from the hills. On following down this formation about six 
 miles, the connection became more evident, and the sources of 
 an important river developed themselves. We were, in fact, 
 on the extreme head-waters of the Great North Fork of White 
 river ; the Unica of the Cherokees, and the Riviere au Blanc 
 of the French. The manner in which the waters develope 
 themselves on descending the southern slope of these highlands, 
 is remarkable. Thej proceed in plateaux or steps, on each of 
 which the stream deploys in a kind of lake, or elongated basin, 
 connected with the next succeeding one by a narrow rapid. 
 The rock is a grey sandstone in the lower situations, capped 
 with limestone. In some places the water wholly disappears, 
 and seems to permeate the rock. We came to a place where 
 the river, being some four feet deep, is entirely absorbed by 
 the rock, and does not again appear till a mile below, where it 
 suddenly issues from the rock, in its original volume. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 DESCEND THE VALLEY — ITS DIFFICULTIES — HORSE ROLLS DOWN 
 A PRECIPICE — PURITY OF THE WATER — ACCIDENT CAUSED 
 
 THEREBY — ELKHORN SPRING TOWER CREEK — HORSE PLUNGES 
 
 OVER HIS DEPTH IN FORDING, AND DESTROYS WHATEVER IS 
 DELIQUESCENT IN HIS PACK — ABSENCE OP ANTIQUITIES, OR 
 EVIDENCES OF ANCIENT HABITATION — A REMARKABLE CAVERN 
 — PINCHED FOR FOOD — OLD INDIAN LODGES — THE BEAVER — A 
 DESERTED PIONEER' S CAMP — INCIDENT OF THE PUMPKIN. 
 
 Nov. 19th. Daylight put us in motion. It was determined 
 to follow the valley down in its involutions, which led us, gene- 
 rally, south. We passed over some fertile, heavily timbered 
 bottoms, where I observed the elm, oak, beech, maple, ash, and 
 sycamore. We had not left our camp more than a mile, when 
 we came to the first appearance of the C. arundinacea, or cane, 
 and we soon after reached the locality of the greenbriar. Tra- 
 velling in these rich forests is attended with great fatigue and 
 exertion from the underbrush, particularly from the thick 
 growth of cane and greenbriar; the latter of which often binds 
 masses of the fields of cane together, and makes it next to 
 impossible to force a horse through the matted vegetation. 
 Our horse, indeed, while he relieved us from the burden of car- 
 rying packs, became the greatest impediment to our getting 
 forward, while in this valley. To find an easier path, we took 
 one of the summit ranges of the valley. But a horse, it seems, 
 must have no climbing to do, when he is under a pack-saddle. 
 We had not gone far on this ridge, when the animal slipped, or 
 stumbled. The impetus of his load was more than he could 
 resist. The declivity was steep, but not precipitous. He 
 rolled over and over ^or perhaps two hundred feet, until he 
 reached the foot of the ridge. We looked with dismay as he 
 6 * E (65) 
 
66 ACCIDENT TO THE HORSE. 
 
 "went, and thought that every bone in his body must have been 
 broken. When we reached him, however, he was not dead, 
 but, with our aid, got up. How he escaped we could not 
 divine, but he looked pleased when he saw us come to his relief, 
 and busy ourselves in extricating him. We unloosed his pack, 
 and did all we could to restore him. We could not find any 
 outward bruise ; there was no cut, and no blood was started. 
 Even a horse loves sympathy. After a time, we repacked 
 him, and slowly continued our route. The delay caused by 
 this accident, made this a short day's journey ; we did not 
 suppose ourselves to have advanced, in a direct line, over 
 twelve miles. The valley is very serpentine, redoubling on 
 itself. 
 
 Nov. 20th. We found the stream made up entirely of pure 
 springs, gushing from the gravel, or rocks. Nothing can 
 exceed the crystal purity of its waters. These springs are 
 often very large. We came to one, in the course of this day, 
 which we judged to be fifty feet wide. It rushes out of an 
 aperture in the rock, and joins the main branch of the river 
 about six hundred yards below, in a volume quite equal to that 
 of the main fork. I found an enormous pair of elk's horns 
 lying on one side of the spring, which I lifted up and hung in 
 the forks of a young oak, and from this incident named it the 
 Elkhorn Spring. 
 
 In forcing my way through the rank vines, weeds, and brush, 
 which encumber the valley below this point, I lost my small 
 farrier's hammer from my belt ; a loss which was irreparable, 
 as it was the only means we had of setting a shoe on our horse, 
 and had also served on ordinary occasions as a mineral-ham- 
 mer, instead of the heavier implement in the pack. 
 
 We often disturbed the black bear from his lair in the thick 
 canebrakes, but travelled with too much noise to overtake him. 
 The deer frequently bounded across the valley, while turkey, 
 squirrel, duck, and smaller game, were also abundant. 
 
 Nov. 21st. The bottom-lands contftiued to improve in ex- 
 tent and fertility as we descended. The stream, as it wears 
 
PROVOKING OCCURRENCE. 6T 
 
 its way into deeper levels of the stratification of the country, 
 presents, on either side, high cliffs of rock. These cliffs, which 
 consist of horizontal limestone, resting on sandstone, frequently 
 present prominent pinnacles, resembling ruinous castellated 
 walls. In some places they rise to an astonishing height, and 
 they are uniformly crowned with yellow pines. A remarkable 
 formation of this description appeared to-day, at the entrance 
 of a tributary stream through these walled cliffs, on the left 
 bank, which I called Tower Creek ; it impressed one with the 
 idea of the high walls of a ruined battlement. 
 
 The purity and transparency of the water are so remarka- 
 ble, that it is often diflficult to estimate its depth in the river. 
 A striking instance of this occurred after passing this point. I 
 was leading the horse. In crossing from the east to the west 
 bank, I had led Butcher to a spot which I thought he could 
 easily ford, without reaching above his knees. He plunged in, 
 however, over his depth, and, swimming across with his pack, 
 came to elevated shores on the other side, which kept him so 
 long in the water, and we were detained so long in searching 
 for a suitable point for him to mount, that almost everything 
 of a soluble character in his pack was either lost or damaged. 
 Our salt and sugar were mostly spoiled ; our tea and Indian 
 meal damaged ; our skins, blankets, and clothing, saturated. 
 This mishap caused us a world of trouble. Though early in 
 the day, we at once encamped. I immediately built a fire, the 
 horse was speedily unpacked, and each particular article was 
 examined, and such as permitted it, carefully dried. This 
 labor occupied us till a late hour in the night. 
 
 Nov. 22d. Up to this point we had seen no Osages, of 
 whose predatory acts we had heard so much at Potosi, and on 
 the sources of the Maramec ; nor any signs of their having 
 been in this section of the country during a twelvemonth, cer- 
 tainly not since spring. All the deserted camps, and the 
 evidences of encampment, were old. The bones of animals 
 eaten, found on the high plains east of Calamarca, and at 
 the Elkhorn spring, were bleached and dry. Not a vestige 
 had appeared, since leaving the Wall-cliffs, of a human being 
 
68 A NIGHT IN A CAVE. 
 
 having recently visited the country. The silence and desolate- 
 ness of the wilderness reigned around. And when we looked 
 for evidences of an ancient permanent occupation of the region 
 by man, there were none — not a hillock raised by human 
 hands, nor the smallest object that could be deemed antiqua- 
 rian. The only evidences of ancient action were those of a 
 geological kind — caverns, valleys of denudation, beds of drift, 
 boulders, water-lines and markings on the faces of cliflfs, which 
 betokened oceanic overflow at very antique or primary periods. 
 
 The difficulties attending our progress down the valley, 
 induced us to strike out into the open prairie, where travelling 
 was free, and unimpeded by shrubbery or vines. Nothing but 
 illimitable fields of grass, Avith clumps of trees here and there, 
 met the eye. We travelled steadily, without diverging to the 
 right or left. AYe sometimes disturbed covies of prairie birds; 
 the rabbit started from his sheltering bush, or the deer enli- 
 vened the prospect. We had laid our course south-south-west, 
 and travelled about twenty miles. As evening approached, 
 we searched in vain for water, to encamp. In quest of it, we 
 finally entered a desolate gorge, which seemed, at some sea- 
 sons, to have been traversed by floods, as it disclosed boulders 
 and piles of rubbish. Daylight departed as we wound our way 
 down this dry gorge, which was found to be flanked, as we 
 descended, with towering cliffs. In the meantime, the heavens 
 became overcast Avith dense black clouds, and rain soon began 
 to fall. We scanned these lofty clifis closely, as we were in a 
 cavernous limestone country, for evidences of some practicable 
 opening which might give us shelter for the night. At length, 
 after daylight had gone, the dark mouth of a large cavern 
 appeared on oui' left, at some twenty or thirty feet elevation. 
 The horse could not be led up this steep, but, by unpacking 
 him, we carried the baggage up, and then hobbled and belled 
 the poor beast, and left him to pick a meal as best "he could in 
 this desolate valley. It was the best, and indeed the only 
 thing, we could do for him. 
 
 It was not long before I had a fire in the cave, which threw 
 its red rays upon the outlines of the cavern, in a manner which 
 would have formed a study for Michael Angelo. It seemed 
 
CAVE OF TULA. 69 
 
 that internal •waters had flowed out of this cavern for ages, 
 carrying particle by particle of the yielding rock, by which 
 vast masses had been scooped out, or hung still in threatening 
 pendants. Its width was some forty feet, its height perhaps 
 double that space, and its depth illimitable. A small stream 
 of pure water glided along its bottom, and went trickling down 
 the cliff. 
 
 The accident in crossing the stream had saturated, but not 
 ruined our tea ; and we soon had an infusion of it, to accom- 
 pany our evening's frugal repast — for frugal indeed it became, 
 in meats and bread, after our irreparable loss of the day pre- 
 vious. Nothing is more refreshing than a draught of tea in 
 the wilderness, and one soon experiences that this effect is due 
 neither to milk nor sugar. The next thing to be done after 
 supper, was to light a torch and explore the recesses of the 
 cave, lest it should be occupied by some carnivorous beasts, 
 who might fancy a sleeping traveller for a night's meal. Sally- 
 ing into its dark recesses, gun and torch in hand, we passed 
 up a steep ascent, which made it difficult to keep our feet. 
 This passage, at first, turned to the right, then narrowed, and 
 finally terminated in a low gallery, growing smaller and smaller 
 towards its apparent close. This passage became too low to 
 admit walking, but by the light of our torch, which threw its 
 rays far into its recesses, there appeared no possibility of our 
 proceeding further. We then retraced our steps to our fire in 
 the front of the cave, where there were evidences of Indian 
 camp-fires. We then replenished our fire with fuel, and spread 
 down our pallets for the night. My companion soon adjusted 
 himself in a concave part of the rock, and went to sleep. I 
 looked out from the front of the cave to endeavor to see the 
 horse ; but although I caught a sound of his bell, nothing 
 could be seen but intense darkness. The rain had been slight, 
 and had abated ; but the cliffs in front, and' the clouds above 
 the narrow valley, rendered it impossible to see anything 
 beyond the reach of the flickering rays of our fire. To its 
 precincts I returned, and entered up my journal of the events 
 of the day. Our situation, and the peculiarities of the scenery 
 around us, led me to reflect on that mysterious fate which, in 
 
70 INSPIRED BY THE MUSE. 
 
 every hazard, attends human actions, and, by the light of the 
 fire, I pencilled the anne'xed lines, and clapt down the cavern 
 in my journal as the Cave of Tula.* 
 
 LINES WRITTEN IN A CAVE IN THE WILDERNESS OF ARKANSAS. 
 
 ! thou, who, clothed in magic spell, 
 Delight'st in lonely wilds to dwell, 
 Resting in rift, or wrapped in air, 
 Remote from mortal ken, or care : 
 Genius of caverns drear and wild, 
 Hear a suppliant wandering child — 
 One, who nor a wanton calls, 
 Or intruder in thy walls : 
 One, who spills not on the plain, 
 Blood for sport, or worldly gain, 
 Like his red barbarian kin. 
 Deep in murder — foul in sin ; 
 Or, with high, horrific yells. 
 Rends thy dark and silent cells ; 
 But, a devious traveller nigh. 
 Weary, hungry, parched, and dry ; 
 One, who seeks thy shelter blest, 
 Not to riot, but to rest. 
 
 Grant me, from thy crystal rill, 
 
 Oft my glittering cup to fill ; 
 
 Let thy dwelling, rude and high, 
 
 Make my nightly canopy. 
 
 And, by superhuman walls. 
 
 Ward the dew that nightly fulls. 
 
 Guard me from the ills that creep 
 
 On the houseless traveller's sleep — 
 
 From the ravenous panther's spring, 
 
 From the scorpion's poisoned sting, ' 
 
 From the serpent — reptile curst — 
 
 And the Indian's midnight thrust. 
 
 Grant me this, aerial sprite, 
 
 And a balmy rest by night, 
 
 Blest by visions of delight ! 
 
 Let me dream of friendship true, 
 
 And that human ills are few ; 
 
 Let me dream that boyhood's schemes 
 
 Are not, what I've found them, dreams; 
 
 *De Soto. 
 
RETURN TO THE NORTH FORK. 71 
 
 And his hopes, however gay, 
 Have not flitted fast away. 
 Let me dream, I ne'er have felt, 
 Ease that pleases, joys that melt; 
 Or that I shall ever find 
 Honor fair, or fortune kind ; 
 Dream that time shall sweetly fling. 
 In my path, perpetual spring. 
 Let me dream my bosom never 
 Felt the pang from friends to sever; 
 Or that life is not replete, 
 Or with loss, pain, wo, deceit. 
 Let me dream, misfortune's smart 
 Ne'er hath wrung my bleeding heart ; 
 Nor its potent, galling sway, 
 Forced me far, ! far away ; 
 Let me dream it — for I know, 
 When I wake, it is not so!* 
 
 Nov. 23d. My first care this morning was to find Butcher, 
 who had been left, last night, with a sorry prospect. He was 
 not to be found. I followed our back track to the plains, 
 whither he had gone for his night's meal. By the time I 
 returned with him, the forenoon was wellnigh gone. We then 
 travelled to the south-east. This brought us, in due time, 
 again into the valley of the North Fork. We found it less 
 encumbered with vines and thickets, and very much widened 
 in its expansion between blufi" and bluff. We forded it, and 
 found, on its eastern margin, extensive open oak plains. On 
 one of the most conspicuous trees were marks and letters, 
 which proved that it had been visited and singled out for settle- 
 ment by some enterprising pioneer. From the open character 
 of the country, we could not get near to large game ; and we 
 now found that our supply of ball and shot was near its close. 
 We passed down the valley about ten miles, and encamped. 
 Since the loss of our corn-meal, we had had nothing in the 
 shape of bread, and our provisions were now reduced to a very 
 small quantity of dried meat. We had expected, for some 
 
 * These lines were published in the Belles-Lettres Repository in 1821, 
 and shortly after, with a commendation, in the New York Statesman. 
 
72 SCARCITY OF FOOD. 
 
 days, to have reached either Indian or vrhite hunters' camps. 
 Our anxiety on this head now became intense. Prudence , 
 required, however, that, small as our stores were, they should 
 be divided with strict reference to the probability of our not 
 meeting with hunters, or getting relief, for two or three days. 
 
 Nov. 24th. The stick frames, without bark, of several 
 Indian lodges, were passed to-day, denoting that they had not 
 been recently occupied. Travelling down the opposite side 
 of the vale from that taken by my companion, who had charge 
 of the horse, I came to a point on the bank of the river, where > 
 I discovered two grown beavers sporting in the stream. The 
 tail of this animal, which appears clumsy and unwieldy in the 
 dead specimen, gives the animal a graceful appearance in the 
 water, where it makes him appear to have a very elongated 
 body. After diving about for some time, they came to the 
 shore, and sat in front of their wauzh, as it is termed by the 
 Algonquins, or lodge, which in this case was a fissure in the 
 rock. I was perfectly screened by a point of the rock from 
 their view, and sat with my gun cocked, reserving my fire, a 
 few moments, the more perfectly to observe them, when both 
 animals, at the same instant, darted into their holes. 
 
 Under the influence of a keen appetite, and a tolerably open 
 forest, we pressed on, this day, about fifteen miles ; the horse 
 being, as usual, our chief hindrance. 
 
 Nov. 25th. I took the horse's bridle over my arm this 
 morning, and had proceeded through open woods about ten 
 miles, when we descried, from a little summit, a hut in the 
 distance, which had some traits of the labor of white men. 
 This gave animation to our steps, in the hope of finding it 
 occupied. But, as we approached, we could discern no smoke 
 rising up as the sign of occupancy, and were disappointed to 
 find it an abortive effort of some pioneer, and, at the moment, 
 called it Camp No. We afterwards learned that it had 
 been constructed by one Martin, who, as there was not a foot 
 of land in cultivation, had probably aimed to subsist by the 
 chase alone. The location was well chosen. A large cane- 
 
INCIDENT OF THE PUMPKIN. 73 
 
 brake flanked the river, suflBcient to give range to horses and 
 cattle. A little tributary stream bounded a fertile piece of 
 upland, east of this. The hut was built of puncheons, sup- 
 ported on one side by a rude ridge-pole, leaving the front of it 
 open, forming a shed which had a roof and floor. But the 
 stream had now dried up. We found a plant of cotton, boiled 
 out, among the adjacent weeds, which proved the soil and 
 climate suitable to its culture. We were now well within the 
 probable limits of Arkansas. 
 
 It was determined to encamp at this spot, turn the horse 
 into the adjacent canebrake, where the leaves were green, to 
 deposit our baggage and camp apparatus in one corner of the 
 hut, and, after making light packs, to take our arms, and pro- 
 ceed in search of settlements. This required a little time. 
 To reach a point where civilization had once tried to get a 
 foothold, however, was something ; and we consoled ourselves 
 with the reflection that we could not be remote from its skirts. 
 
 The next day (26th) I made an excursion west of the river, 
 from our position, about five miles, to determine satisfactorily 
 our situation. I found, on the opposite side of the valley, a 
 little higher up, at the foot of the clifi", another small (white 
 man's) hut, which had also been abandoned. In a small patch 
 of ground, Avhich had once been cleared, there grew a pumpkin 
 vine, which then had three pumpkins. This was a treasure, 
 which I at once secured. I found that one of them had been 
 partially eaten by some wild animal, and determined to give it 
 to my horse, but could not resist the inclination first to cut off 
 a few slices, which I ate raw with the greatest appetite. The 
 taste seemed delicious. I had not before been aware that my 
 appetite had become so keen by fasting ; for we had had but 
 little to eat for many days. Between the horse and myself, 
 we finished it, and had quite a sociable time of it. With the 
 other two, which were the largest, I rode back to camp, where, 
 having a small camp-kettle, we boiled and despatched them, 
 without meat or bread, for supper. It does not require much 
 to make one happy ; for, in this instance, our little luck put us 
 in the best of humor. 
 7 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ABANDON OUR CAMP AND HORSE IN SEARCH OF SETTLEMENTS — 
 INCIDENTS OF THE FIRST DAY — HEAR A SHOT — CAMP IN AN 
 OLD INDIAN LODGE — ACORNS FOR SUPPER — KILL A WOODPECKER 
 
 INCIDENTS OF THE SECOND DAY — STERILE RIDGES — WANT OP 
 
 WATER — CAMP AT NIGHT IN A DEEP GORGE — INCIDENTS OF THE 
 THIRD DAY — FIND A HORSE-PATH, AND PURSUE IT — DISCOVER 
 A MAN ON HORSEBACK — REACH A HUNTER's CABIN — INCIDENTS 
 THERE — HE CONDUCTS US BACK TO OUR OLD CAMP — DESERTED 
 THERE WITHOUT PROVISIONS — DEPLORABLE STATE — SHIFTS — 
 TAKING OF A TURKEY. 
 
 Nov. 27th. Action is the price of safety in the woods. 
 Neither dreams nor poetic visions kept us on our pallets a mo- 
 ment longer than it was light enough to see the grey tints of 
 morning. Each of us prepared a compact knapsack, contain- 
 ing a blanket and a few absolute necessaries, and gave our 
 belts an extra jerk before lifting our guns to our shoulders ; 
 then, secretly wishing our friend Butcher a good time in the 
 canebrake, we set out with a light pace towards the south. 
 My companion Bonee* was much attached to tea, and, as the 
 article of a small tin pot was indispensable to the enjoyment 
 of this beverage, he burthened himself with this appendage by 
 strapping it on his back with a green sash. This was not a 
 very military sort of accoutrement ; but as he did not pride 
 himself in that way, and had not, in fact, the least notion of 
 the ridiculous figure he cut with it, I was alone in my unex- 
 pressed sense of the Fridayishness of his looks on the march, 
 day by day, across the prairies and through the woods, with this 
 not very glittering culinary appendage dangling at his back. 
 
 * Elision of Pettibone. 
 
 (74) 
 
A DISAPPOINTMENT. 75 
 
 Hope gave animation to our steps. We struck out from the 
 valley southerly, which brought us to an elevated open tract, 
 partially wooded, in which the walking was good. After tra- 
 velling about six miles, we heard the report of a gun on our 
 left. Supposing it to proceed from some white hunter, we tried 
 to get into communication with him, and hallooed stoutly. 
 This was answered. I withdrew the ball from my gun, and 
 fired. We then followed the course of the shot and halloo. 
 But, although a whoop was once heard, which seemed from its 
 intonation to be Indian, we were unsuccessful in gaining an 
 interview, and, after losing a good deal of time in the effort, 
 were obliged to give it up, and proceed. We had now lost 
 some hours. 
 
 Much of our way lay through open oak forests, with a thick 
 bed of fallen leaves, and w^e several times searched under these 
 for sweet acorns ; but we uniformly found that the wild turkeys 
 had been too quick for us — every sweet acorn had been 
 scratched up and eaten, and none remained but such as were 
 bitter and distasteful. On descending an eminence, we found 
 the sassafras plentifully, and, breaking ofif branches of it, 
 chewed them, which took away the astringent and bad taste 
 of the acorns. 
 
 As night approached, we searched in vain for water on the 
 elevated grounds, and were compelled to seek the river valley, 
 where we encamped in an old Indian wigwam of bark, and 
 found the night chilly and cold. We turned restlessly on our 
 pallets, waiting for day. 
 
 Nov. 28th. Daylight was most welcome. I built a fire 
 against the stump of a dead tree, which had been broken off 
 by lightning at a height of some thirty or forty feet from the 
 ground. We here boiled our tea, and accurately divided about 
 half an ounce of dried meat, being the last morsel we had. 
 While thus engaged, a red-headed woodpecker lit on the tree, 
 some fifteen or twenty feet above our heads, and began peck- 
 ing. The visit was a most untimely one for the bird. In a 
 few more moments, he lay dead at the foot of the tree, and, 
 being plucked, roasted, and divided, furnished out our repast. 
 
76 MAKE A MEAL OF HICKORY NUTS. 
 
 "VVe then gave the straps of our accoutrements a tight jerk, by 
 way of preventing a flaccid stomach — an Indian habit — and 
 set forward with renewed strength and hope. We travelled 
 this day over a rolling country of hill and dale, with little to 
 relieve the eye or demand observation, and laid down at night, 
 fatigued, in the edge of a canebrake. 
 
 Nov. 29th. A dense fog, which overhung the whole valley, 
 prevented our quitting camp at a very early hour. When it 
 arose, and the atmosphere became sufficiently clear to discern 
 our way, we ascended the hills to our left, and took a west- 
 south-west course. 
 
 Nothing can exceed the roughness and sterility of the coun- 
 try we have to-day traversed, and the endless succession of 
 steep declivities, and broken, rocky precipices, surmounted. 
 Our line of march, as soon as we left the low grounds of the 
 river valley, led over moderately elevated ridges of oak-open- 
 ings. We came at length to some hickory trees. Beneath 
 one of them, the nuts laid in quantities on the ground. We 
 sat down, and diligently commenced cracking them ; but this 
 was soon determined to be too slow a process to satisfy hungry 
 men, and, gathering a quantity for our night's encampment, 
 we pushed forward diligently. Tramp ! tramp ! tramp ! we 
 walked resolutely on, in a straight line, over hill and dale. 
 Trees, rocks, prairie-grass, the jumping squirrel, the whirring 
 quail — we gave them a glance, and passed on. We finally saw 
 the sun set ; evening threw its shades around ; night presented 
 its sombre hue ; and, as it grew dark, it became cloudy and 
 cold. Still, no water to encamp by was found, and it finally 
 became so dark that we were forced to grope our way. By 
 groping in the darkness, we at length stood on the brink of a 
 precipice, and could distinctly hear the gurgling sound of run- 
 ning Avater in the gulf below. It was a pleasing sound ; for 
 we had not tasted a drop since early dawn. Had we still had 
 our horse, we should not have been able to get him down in 
 the darkness ; but, by seizing hold of bushes, and feeling our 
 way continually, we reached the bottom, and encamped imme- 
 diately by the stream. It was a small run of pure mountain 
 
WELCOME SIGHT. 77 
 
 water. Soon a fire arose on its banks. We cracked a few of 
 the nuts. We drank our accustomed tin-cup of tea. We 
 wrapped ourselves in our blankets upon its immediate margin, 
 and knew no more till early daylight, when a cold air had quite 
 chilled us. 
 
 Nov. 30th. We were happy to get out of this gulf at the 
 earliest dawn. After travelling a couple of miles, we stepped 
 suddenly into a well-beaten horse-path, running transversely 
 to our course, with fresh horse-tracks leading both ways. We 
 stopped to deliberate which end of the path to take. I thought 
 the right-hand would conduct us to the mouth of the river 
 which we had been pursuing down, where it could hardly fail 
 there should be hunters or pioneer settlers located. My com- 
 panion thought the left hand should be taken, without offering 
 any satisfactory reason for it. I determined, in an instant, to 
 rise above him mentally, by yielding the point, and set out with 
 a firm and ready pace to the left. We travelled diligently 
 about three miles without meeting anything to note, but were 
 evidently going back into the wilderness we had just left, by a 
 wider circuit, when my companion relented, and we turned 
 about on our tracks toward the mouth of the river. We had 
 not gone far, and had not yet reached the point of our original 
 issue from the forest, when we descried a man on horseback, 
 coming toward us. Joy flashed in our eyes. When he came 
 up, he told us that there was a hunter located at the mouth of 
 the river, and another, named Wells, nearly equidistant on the 
 path he was pursuing ; and that, if we would follow him, he 
 would guide us to the latter. This we immediately determined 
 to do, and, after travelling about seven miles, came in sight 
 of the cabin. 
 
 Our approach was announced by a loud and long-continued 
 barking of dogs, who required frequent bidding from their mas- 
 ter before they could be pacified. The first object worthy of re- 
 mark that presented itself on our emerging from the forest, was 
 a number of deer, bear, and other skins, fastened to a kind of 
 rude frame, supported by poles, which occupied the area about 
 the house. These trophies of skill in the chase were regarded 
 
78 REACH A hunter's CABIN. 
 
 with great complacency by our conductor, as he pointed them 
 out, and he remarked that Wells was " a great hunter, and a 
 forehanded man." There were a number of acres of ground, 
 from which he had gathered a crop of corn. The house was a 
 substantial, new-built log tenement, of one room. The family 
 consisted of the hunter and his wife, and four or five children, 
 two of whom were men grown, and the youngest a boy of about 
 sixteen. All, males and females, were dressed in leather pre- 
 pared from deer-skins. The host himself was a middle-sized, 
 light-limbed, sharp-faced man. Around the walls of the room 
 hung horns of the deer and buffalo, with a rifle, shot-pouches, 
 leather coats, dried meats, and other articles, giving unmis- 
 takeable signs of the vocation of our host. The furniture was 
 of his own fabrication. On one side hung a deerskin, sewed 
 up in somewhat the shape of the living animal, containing 
 bears' oil. In another place hung a similar vessel, filled with 
 wild honey. 
 
 All the members of the family seemed erudite in the know- 
 ledge of woodcraft, the ranges and signs of animals, and their 
 food and habits ; and while the wife busied herself in preparing 
 our meal, she occasionally stopped to interrogate us, or take 
 part in the conversation. When she had finished her prepa- 
 rations, she invited us to sit down to a delicious meal of warm 
 corn-bread and butter, honey and milk, to which we did ample 
 justice. A more satisfactory meal I never made. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon when our supper was prepared, 
 and we spent the evening in giving and receiving information 
 of the highest practical interest to each party. AVells recited 
 a number of anecdotes of hunting, and of his domestic life. 
 We repaid him with full accounts of our adventures. What 
 appeared to interest him most, was the accounts of the bears 
 and other wild animals we had seen. When the hour for rest 
 arrived, we opened our sacks, and, spreading our blankets on 
 a bearskin which he furnished, laid doAvn before the fire, and 
 enjoyed a sound night's repose. 
 
 Dec. 1st. We were up with the earliest dawning of light, 
 and determined to regain our position at Camp No, on the 
 
RETURN TO OUR CAMP. Y9 
 
 Great North Fork, with all possible despatch, and pursue our 
 tour westward. We had understood from the conversation of 
 the hunters among themselves, that they designed forthwith to 
 proceed on a hunting excursion into the region we had passed, 
 on the Great North Fork, and determined to avail ourselves 
 of their guidance to our deposits and horse. We understood 
 that our course from that point had been circuitous, and that 
 the place could be reached by a direct line of twenty miles' 
 travel due north-west. We purchased from our host a dressed 
 deerskin for moccasins, a small quantity of Indian corn, some 
 wild honey, and a little lead. The corn required pounding to 
 convert it into meal. This we accomplished by a pestle, fixed 
 to a loaded swing-pole, playing into a mortar burned into an 
 oak stump. The payment for these articles, being made in 
 money, excited the man's cupidity; for, although he had pre- 
 viously determined on going in that direction, he now refused 
 to guide us to Camp No, unless paid for it. This was also 
 assented to, with the agreement to furnish us with the carcase 
 of a deer. 
 
 By eleven o'clock, A. M., all was ready, and, shouldering 
 our knapsacks and guns, we set forward, accompanied by our 
 host, his three sons, and a neighbor, making our party to con- 
 sist of seven men, all mounted on horses but ourselves, and 
 followed by a pack of hungry, yelping dogs. Our course was 
 due north-west. As we were heavily laden and sore-footed, 
 our shoes being literally worn from our feet by the stony tracts 
 we had passed over, the cava-lcade were occasionally obliged to 
 halt till we came up. This proved such a cause of delay to 
 them, that they finally agreed to let us ride and walk, alter- 
 nately, with the young men. In this way we passed over an 
 undulating tract, not heavily timbered, until about ten o'clock 
 at night, when we reached our abandoned camp, where we 
 found our baggage safe. A couple of the men had been de- 
 tached from the party, early in the morning, to hunt the stipu- 
 lated deer ; but they did not succeed in finding any, and came 
 in long before us, with a pair of turkeys. One of these we 
 despatched for supper, and then all betook themselves to 
 repose. 
 
80 TT^ .7] 
 
 ■MW^mS OCT - 
 
 ]qkv«s> m^ stood 
 onotj vUdk secc: 
 
 ^lalw of tfce Onife^ * -ae 
 
 Wiv «f dfee Taller^ 
 
 
 ForST Tfcie^tts. at$ i&ieT 
 
 
SHOOT A TURKEY. 81 
 
 position. If we had called it camp " No" from our disappoint- 
 ment at not finding it inhabited on our first arrival, it was now 
 again appropriately camp "No," from not obtaining adequate 
 relief from the hunters. We had procured a dressed buckskin 
 for making moccasins. We had a little pounded corn, in a 
 shape to make hunters' bread. W^e had not a mouthful of 
 meat. I devoted part of the day to making a pair of Indian 
 shoes. We had not a single charge of shot left. We had 
 procured lead enough to mould just five bullets. This I 
 carefully did. I then sallied out in search of game, scanning 
 cautiously the neighboring canebrakc, and fired, at different 
 times, three balls, unsuccessfully, at turkeys. It was evident, 
 as I had the birds within range, that my gun had been sprung 
 in the heavy fall I had had, as before related, in the cross- 
 ing Calamarca. My companion then took his gun, and also 
 made an unsuccessful shot. When evening approached, a 
 flock of turkeys came to roost near by. We had now just one 
 ball left ; everything depended on that. I took it to the large 
 and firm stump of an oak, and cut it into exactly thirty-two 
 pieces, with geometrical precision. I then beat the angular 
 edges of each, until they assumed a sufficiently gwbular shape 
 to admit of their being rolled on a hard surface, under a pres- 
 sure. This completed their globular form. I then cleansed 
 my companion's gun, and carefully loaded it with the thirty- 
 two shot. We then proceeded to the roost, which was on 
 some large oaks, in a contiguous valley. I carried a torch, 
 which I had carefully made at the camp. My companion took 
 the loaded gun, and I, holding the torch near the sights at the 
 same time, so that its rays fell directly on the birds, he selected 
 one, and fired. It proved to be one of the largest and hea- 
 viest, and fell to the earth with a sound. We now returned to 
 camp, and prepared a part of it for supper, determining to 
 husband the remainder so as to last till we should reach settle- 
 ments by holding a due west course. 
 
 Dec. 4th. We had prepared ourselves to start west this 
 day ; but it rained from early dawn to dark, which confined us 
 
 F 
 
82 PREPARE FOR A FRESH SALLY. 
 
 closely to our cabin. Kain is one of the greatest annoyances 
 to the woodsman. Generally, he has no shelter against it, and 
 must sit in it, ride in it, or walk in it. Where there is no 
 shelter, the two latter are preferable. But, as we had a split- 
 board roof, we kept close, and busied ourselves with more per- 
 fect preparations for our next sally. I had some minerals that 
 admitted of being more closely and securely packed, and gladly 
 availed myself of the opportunity to accomplish it. Our foot 
 and leg gear, also, required renovating. Experience had been 
 our best teacher from the first ; and hunger and danger kept 
 us pei-petually on the qui vive. and made us wise in little 
 expedients. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PROCEED WEST BOG OUR HORSE — CROSS THE KNIFE HILLS — 
 
 REACH THE UNICA, OR WHITE RIVER ABANDON THE HORSE 
 
 AT A hunter's, and PROCEED WITH PACKS — OBJECTS OF PITY 
 
 SUGAR-LOAF PRAIRIE — CAMP UNDER A CLIFF — FORD THE 
 
 UNICA TWICE — DESCEND INTO A CAVERN -r- REACH BEAVER 
 RIVER, THE HIGHEST POINT OF OCCUPANCY BY A HUNTER 
 POPULATION. 
 
 Dec. 5th. The rain ceased during the night, and left us a 
 clear atmosphere in the morning. At an early hour we com- 
 pleted the package of the horse, and, taking the reins, I led 
 him to the brink of the river, and with difficulty effected a 
 passage. The cliffs which formed the Avestern side of the val- 
 ley, presented an obstacle not easily surmounted. By leading 
 the animal in a zigzag course, however, this height was finally 
 attained. The prospect, as far as the eye could reach, was 
 discouraging. Hill on hill rose before us, with little timber, it 
 is true, to impede us, but implying a continual necessity of 
 crossing steeps and depressions. After encountering this 
 rough surface about two miles, we came into a valley having a 
 stream tributary to the Great North Fork of White river, which 
 we had quitted that morning, but at a higher point. In this 
 sub-valley we found our way impeded by another difficulty — 
 namely, the brush and small canes that grew near the brook. 
 To avoid this impediment, I took the horse across a low piece 
 of ground, having a thicket, but which appeared to be firm. 
 In this I was mistaken ; for the animal's feet soon began to 
 sink, and ere long he stuck fast. The effort to extricate him 
 but served to sink him deeper, and, by pawing to get out, he 
 continually widened the slough in which he had sunk. We 
 
 (83) 
 
84 ACCIDENT TO THE HORSE. 
 
 then obtained poles, and endeavored to pry him up ; hut our 
 own footing was continually giving way, and we at length be- 
 held him in a perfect slough of soft black mud. After getting 
 his pack off, we decided to leave him to his fate. We carried 
 the pack to dry ground, on one side of the valley, and spread 
 the articles out, not without deeply regretting the poor beast's 
 plight. But then it occurred to us that, if the horse were 
 abandoned, we must also abandon our camp-kettle, large axe, 
 beds, and most of our camp apparatus ; and another and con- 
 centrated effort was finally resolved on. To begin, we cut 
 down two tall saplings, by means of which the horse was pried 
 up from the bottom of the slough. He was then grasped by 
 the legs and turned over, which brought his feet in contact 
 with the more solid part of the ground. A determined effort, 
 both of horse and help, now brought him to his feet. He 
 raised himself up, and, by pulling with all our might, we 
 brought him on dry ground. I then led him gently to our 
 place of deposit, and, by means of bunches of sere grass, we 
 both busied ourselves first to rub off the mud and wet, and 
 afterwards to groom him, and rub him dry. When he was 
 properly restored, it was found that he was able to carry his 
 pack-saddle and pack ; and he was led slowly up the valley 
 about three miles, where we encamped. The grass in this 
 little valley was of a nourishing quality, and by stopping early 
 we allowed him to recruit himself. We did not estimate our 
 whole distance this day at more than nine miles. 
 
 Dec. 6th. Butcher had improved his time well in the tender 
 grass during the night, and presented a more spirited appear- 
 ance in the morning. We were now near the head of Bogbrook, 
 which we had been following ; and as we quitted its sides, long 
 to be remembered for our mishap, we began to ascend an ele- 
 vated and bleak tract of the Mocama or Knife hills, so called, 
 over which the winds rushed strongly as we urged our way. 
 Few large trees were seen on these eminences, which were 
 often bare, with a hard cherty footing, replaced sometimes by 
 clusters of brambles and thickets. In one of these, a valuable 
 couteau de chasse was swept from its sheath at my side, and 
 
DISMAL PROSPECT. 85 
 
 lost. I was now reduced to a single knife, of the kind fabri- 
 cated for the Indians, under the name of scalper. For a dis- 
 tance of sixteen miles we held on our way, in a Avest-south-west 
 course, turning neither to the right nor left. As night ap- 
 proached, we found ourselves descending into a considerable 
 valley, caused by a river. The shrubbery and grass of its 
 banks had been swept by fire in the fall, and a new crop of 
 grass was just rising. We formed our encampment in this 
 fire-swept area, which afforded Butcher another benefit, and 
 made some amends for his scanty fare among the bleak emi- 
 nences of the Ozarks. This stream proved to be the Little 
 North Fork of White river. We here despatched the last 
 morsel of our turkey. 
 
 Dec. 7th. The ascent of the hills which bounded the valley 
 on the south-west was found to be very difiicult ; and when the 
 summit was reached, there spread before us an extensive 
 prairie, of varied surface. Trees occasionally appeared, but 
 were in no place so thickly diffused as to prevent the growth 
 of a beautiful carpet of prairie grass. When we had gone 
 about six miles, a bold mound-like hill rose on our left, which 
 seemed a favorable spot for getting a view of the surrounding 
 country. We had been told by the hunters that in travelling 
 fifteen miles about west, we should reach a settlement at Sugar- 
 loaf Prairie, on the main channel of the Unica or White river. 
 But on reaching the summit of this natural lookout, we could 
 descry nothing that betokened human habitation. As far as 
 the eye could reach, prairies and groves filled the undulating 
 vista. On reaching its foot again, where our horse was tied, 
 we changed our course to the south, believing that our direc- 
 tions had been vague. We had gone about a mile in this direc- 
 tion, when we entered a faint and old horse-path. This gave 
 animation to our steps. We pursued it about three miles, 
 when it fell into another and plainer path, having the fresh 
 tracks of horses. We were now on elevated ground, which 
 commanded views of the country all around. Suddenly the 
 opposite side of a wide valley appeared to open far beneath 
 us, and, stepping forward the better to scan it, the river of 
 
si 
 
 86 REACH A SETTLEMENT. 
 
 which we were In search presented its bright, broad, and placid 
 surface to our view, at several hundred feet below. We stood 
 admiringly on the top of a high, rocky, and precipitous cliff. 
 Instinctively to shout, was my first impulse. My companion, 
 as he came up, also shouted. We had reached the object of 
 our search. 
 
 Pursuing the brow of the precipice about a mile, a log build- 
 ing and some fields were discovered on the opposite bank. On 
 descending the path whose traces we had followed, it brought 
 us to a ford. We at once prepared to cross the river, which 
 was four or five hundred yards wide, reaching, in some places, 
 half-leg high. On ascending the opposite bank, we came to 
 the house of a Mr. M'Garey, who received us with an air of 
 hospitality, and made us welcome to his abode. He had seve- 
 ral grown sons, who were present, and who, as we found by 
 their costume and conversation, were hunters. Mrs. M'G. was 
 engaged in trying bears' fat, and in due time she invited us to 
 sit down to a meal of these scraps, with excellent corn-bread 
 and sassafras tea, with sugar and milk, served in cups. 
 
 M'Garey had a bluff frankness of manner, with an air of 
 independence in the means of living, and an individuality of 
 character, which impressed us favorably. He told us that we 
 were eight hundred miles west of the Mississippi by the stream, 
 that White river was navigable by keel-boats for this distance, 
 and that there were several settlements on its banks. He had 
 several acres in cultivation in Indian corn, possessed horses, 
 cows, and hogs, and, as we observed at the door, a hand-mill. 
 At a convenient distance was a smoke-house, where meats were 
 preserved. I observed a couple of odd volumes of books on a 
 shelf. He was evidently a pioneer on the Indian land. He 
 said that the Cherokees had been improperly located along the 
 western bank of White river, extending to the Arkansas, and 
 that the effect was to retard and prevent the purchase and 
 settlement of the country by the United States. He com- 
 plained of this, as adverse to the scattered hunters, who were 
 anxious to get titles for their lands. He did not represent the 
 Cherokees as being hostile, or as having committed any depre- 
 dations. But he depicted the Osages as the scourge and 
 
DISCOURAGING INFORMATION. 87 
 
 terror of the country. They roamed from the Arkansas to 
 the Missouri frontier, and pillaged whoever fell in their way. 
 He detailed the particulars of a robbery committed in the very 
 house we were sitting in, when they took away horses, clothes, 
 and whatever they fancied. They had visited him in this way 
 twice, and recently stole from him eight beaver-skins ; and 
 during their last foray in the valley, they had robbed one of 
 his neighbors, called Teen Friend, of all his arms, traps, and 
 skins, and detained him a prisoner. This tribe felt hostile to 
 all the settlers on the outskirts of Missouri and Arkansas, and 
 were open robbers and plunderers of all the whites who fell 
 defenceless into their hands. They Avere, he thought, particu- 
 larly to be dreaded in the region which we proposed to explore. 
 He also said that the Osages were hostile to the newly-arrived 
 Cherokees, who had migrated from the east side of the Missis- 
 sippi, and had settled in the country between the Red river 
 and Arkansas, and that these tribes were daily committing 
 trespasses upon each other. Having myself, but a short time 
 before, noticed the conclusion of a peace between the western 
 Cherokees and Osages at St. Louis, before General Clark, 
 I was surprised to hear this ; but he added, as an illustration 
 of this want of faith, that when the Cherokees returned from 
 that treaty, they pursued a party of Osages near the banks of 
 White river, and stole twenty horses from them. 
 
 Dec. 8th. On comparing opinions, for which purpose we 
 had an interview outside the premises, it seemed that these 
 statements were to be received with some grains of allowance. 
 They were natural enough for a victim of Indian robberies, 
 and doubtless true ; but the events had not been recent, and 
 they were not deemed sufficient to deter us from proceeding in 
 our contemplated tour to the higher Ozarks at the sources of 
 the river. It was evident that we had erred a good deal from 
 our stick bridge at Calamarca, from the proper track ; but we 
 were nevertheless determined not to relinquish our object. 
 
 Having obtained the necessary information, we determined 
 to pursue our way, for which purpose we turned the horse to 
 graze with M'Garey's, rid ourselves of all our heavy baggage 
 
0» CASE OF DISTRESS. 
 
 by depositing It with him, and prepared our knapsacks for this 
 new essay. When ready, our host refused to take any pay for 
 his hospitalities, but, conducting us to his smokehouse, opened 
 the door, and then, drawing his knife from its sheath, placed 
 it, with an air of pomposity, in my hand, offering the handle- 
 end, and said, " Go in and cut." I did so, taking what ap- 
 peared to be sufficient to last us to our next expected point of 
 meeting hunters. The place was well filled with buffiilo and 
 bear meat, both smoked and fresh, hanging on cross-bars. 
 
 At nine o'clock we bade our kind entertainer adieu, and, 
 taking directions to reach Sugar-loaf Praii-ie, crossed over the 
 river by the same ford which we had taken in our outward 
 track from Camp No, in the valley of the Great North Fork. 
 Relieved from the toilsome task of leading the horse, we 
 ascended the opposite cliffs with alacrity, and vigorously pur- 
 sued our course, over elevated ground, for about sixteen miles. 
 The path then became obscure ; the ground was so flinty and 
 hard, that it was in vain we searched for tracks of horses' feet. 
 Some time was lost in this search, and we finally encamped in 
 a cane bottom in the river valley. 
 
 My companion had again charged himself with the coffee- 
 pot, which he carried in a similar manner at his back ; and 
 when I came to open my pack, told me he thought I had not 
 cut deep enough into the dried bear's meat of M'Garey's smoke- 
 house. To a man who refused all pay, and had been invaria- 
 bly kind, I felt that moderation, in this respect, was due. I 
 was, besides, myself to be the carrier of it ; and we, indeed, 
 never had cause to regret the carefulness of my selection. 
 
 Dec. 9th. Finding ourselves in the river's bottom, we 
 forced our way, with no small effort, through the thick growth 
 of cane and vines. We had, perhaps, advanced seven miles 
 through this dense vegetation, when we suddenly burst into a 
 small cleared space. Here, in a little, incomplete shanty, we 
 found a woman and her young child. She had not a morsel to 
 eat, and looked half famished. Her husband had gone into 
 the forest to hunt something to eat. The child looked feeble. 
 We were touched at the sight, and did all we could to relieve 
 
PIONEER HOSPITALITY. 89 
 
 them. They had been in that position of new-comers about 
 two weeks, having come up from the lower parts of the river. 
 
 From this point, we ascended the river hills eastwardly, and 
 pursued our journey along an elevated range to the Sugar-loaf 
 Prairie — a name which is derived from the striking effects of 
 denudation on the limestone cliffs, which occupy the most ele- 
 vated positions along this valley. We were received with blunt 
 hospitality by a tall man in leather, called Coker, whose man- 
 ner appears to be characteristic of the hunter. Our approach 
 was heralded by the usual loud and long barking of dogs, and 
 we found the premises surrounded by the invariable indications 
 of a successful hunter — skins of the bear and other animals, 
 stretched out on frames to dry. 
 
 We were no sooner at home with our entertainer, than he 
 began to corroborate what we had before heard of the hostility 
 of the Osages. He considered the journey at this season 
 hazardous, as he thought they had not yet broke up their fall 
 hunting-camps, and retired to their villages on the Grand Osaw 
 (Osage). He also thought it a poor season for game, and pre- 
 sented a rather discouraging prospect to our view. My gun 
 having proved useless, we tried to obtain a rifle which he pos- 
 sessed, and seemed willing to part with, but not at a reasonable 
 price. 
 
 Mr. Coker represented the settlers of Sugar-loaf Prairie to 
 consist of four families, situated within the distance of eight 
 miles, including both banks of the river. This was exclusive 
 of two families living at Beaver creek, the highest point yet 
 occupied. 
 
 Dec. 10th. It was noon before we were prepared to depart 
 from Coker's. The old man refused to take anything for our 
 meals and lodging ; and we bade him adieu, after taking his 
 directions as to the best route to pursue to reach Beaver creek, 
 our next point. We travelled through a lightly-timbered, hilly, 
 barren country, about eight miles, when the skies became over- 
 cast, and some rain fell. It was still an early hour to encamp, 
 but we came at this time into a small ravine, with running 
 water, which had on one bank a shelving cave in the limestone 
 8* 
 
90 UNPLEASANT DILEMMA. 
 
 rock, forming a protection from the rain. We built a fire from 
 red cedar, which emitted a strong aromatic odor. The weather 
 begins to assume a wintry character ; this is the first day we 
 have been troubled with cold fingers. 
 
 Dec. 11th. We left our camp at the cave on Cedar brook, 
 and resumed our march at an early hour, and found the face 
 of the country still rough and undulating, but covered, to a 
 great extent, with brush. My companion thought we had gone 
 far enough to have struck the waters of the Beaver, and, as he 
 carried the compass this day, he deviated westward from the 
 intended course. This brought us to the banks of a river, 
 which he insisted, contrary to my opinion, must be the Beaver. 
 To me this did not seem probable, but, yielding the point to 
 him, we forded the stream at waist deep. We then ascended 
 a lofty and difficult range of river hills, and, finding ourselves 
 now at the level of the country, we held on in a westerly 
 course, till it became clearly evident, even to my companion, 
 that we were considerably west of the White river. We then 
 retraced our steps, descended the river hills to the bank of the 
 stream, and followed up its immediate margin, in search of a 
 convenient spot for encampment ; for, by this time, night ap- 
 proached rapidly. We were soon arrested by a precipitous 
 cliff, against the base of which the river washed. As the sun 
 sank lower, we felt a keen and cold wind, but could not find a 
 stick of wood on the western bank with which to kindle a fire. 
 The alternative presented to us was, either to remain here all 
 night without a fire, exposed to the chilling blast, or cross a 
 deep stream to the opposite shore, where there was an exten- 
 sive alluvial plain, covered with trees and the cane plant, and 
 promising an abundance of fuel. 
 
 Night had already closed around us, when we decided to 
 cross the river. We found it to be four or five feet deep, and 
 some tAvo hundred yards Avide. When we got over, it was 
 with great difficulty that we succeeded in collecting a suffi- 
 ciency of dry materials to kindle a fire ; and by the time we 
 had accomplished it, our wet clothes had become stiff and cold, 
 the wind at the same time blowing very fiercely. Our utmost 
 
A PHENOMENON. 91 
 
 efforts were required to dry and -warm ourselves, nor did we 
 attain these points in a sufficient degree to secure a comfort- 
 able night's rest. 
 
 Dec. 12th. The ground this morning was covered with 
 white hoar-frost, with a keen and cold air, and a wintry sky. 
 Early daylight found us treading our way across the low 
 grounds to the cliffs. We soon ascended on an elevated rocky 
 shore, bordering the river, which M-as completely denuded of 
 trees and shrubbery. It was early, the sun not having yet 
 risen, when we beheld before us, rising out of the ground, a 
 column of air which appeared to be of a warmer temperature. 
 Its appearance was like that of smoke from a chimney on a 
 frosty morning. On reaching it, the phenomenon was found 
 to be caused by a small orifice in the earth, from which rarefied 
 air issued. On looking down intently, and partially excluding 
 the light, it was seen to be a fissure in the limestone rock, with 
 jagged, narrow sides, leading down into a cavern. I deter- 
 mined to try the descent, and found the opening large enough 
 to admit my body. Feeling for a protuberance on which to 
 rest my feet, and closely pressing the sides of the orifice, I 
 slowly descended. My fear was that the crevice would sud- 
 denly enlarge, and let me drop. But I descended in safety. 
 I thus let myself down directly about twenty feet, and came 
 to the level floor of a gallery which led in several directions. 
 The light from above was sufficient to reveal the dark outlines 
 of a ramified cavern, and to guide my footsteps for a distance. 
 I went as far in the largest gallery as the light cast any direct 
 rays, but found nothing at all on the floor or walls to reward 
 my adventure. It was a notable fissure in a carbonate of lime, 
 entirely dry, and without stalactites. What I most feared in 
 these dim recesses, was some carnivorous animal, for whose 
 residence it appeared to be well adapted. Having explored it 
 as far as I could command any light to retrace my steps, I 
 returned to the foot of the original orifice. I found no diffi- 
 culty, by pressing on each side, in ascending to the surface, 
 bringing along a fragment of tlie limestone rock. I afterwards 
 observed, while descending the river, that this cavern was in a 
 
92 THE LITTLE TOWER. 
 
 high, precipitous part of the coast, of calcareous rock, the foot 
 of which was washed by the main channel of White river. 
 
 "VVe now resumed our march, and, at the distance of about 
 six miles, reached Beaver creek, a mile or two above its mouth. 
 It is a beautiful, clear stream, of sixty yards wide, with a depth 
 of two feet, and a hard, gravelly bottom. We forded it, and, 
 keeping down the bank, soon fell into a horse-path, which led 
 us, in following it about a mile and a half, to a hunter's dwell- 
 ing, occupied by a man named Fisher. He received us in a 
 friendly manner, and we took up our abode with him. Six or 
 eight hundred yards higher, there was another cabin, occupied 
 by a man named Holt. Both had been but a short time located 
 at this place ; they had not cleared any ground, nor even 
 finished the log houses they occupied. Both buildings were on 
 the bank of the river, on the edge of a large and very fertile 
 bottom, well wooded, and with "a very picturesque coast of 
 limestone opposite, whose denuded pinnacles had received the 
 name of the Little Tower. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 OBSTACLE PRODUCED BY THE FEAR OF OSAGE HOSTILITY — MEANS 
 PURSUED TO OVERCOME IT — NATURAL MONUMENTS OF DENUDA- 
 TION IN THE LIMESTONE CLIFFS — PURITY OF THE "WATER — PEB- 
 BLES OF YELLOW JASPER — COMPLETE THE HUNTERS' CABINS — 
 A JOB IN JEWELLERY — CONSTRUCT A BLOWPIPE FROM CANE — 
 WHAT IS THOUGHT OP RELIGION. 
 
 Dec. ]3th. Holt and Pisher were the highest occupants of 
 the White river valley. They had reached this spot about four 
 months before, and had brought their effects partly on pack- 
 horses, and partly in canoes. The site was judiciously chosen. 
 A finer tract of rich river bottom could not have been found, 
 while the site commanded an illimitable region, above and 
 around it, for hunting the deer, buffalo, elk, and other species, 
 besides the beaver, otter, and small furred animals, which are 
 taken in traps. We tried, at first vainly, to persuade them to 
 accompany us in our further explorations. To this they replied 
 that it was Osage hunting-ground, and that that tribe never 
 failed to plunder and rob all who fell in their power, particu- 
 larly hunters and trappers. And besides, they were but recent 
 settlers, and had not yet completed their houses and improve- 
 ments. 
 
 As we were neither hunters nor trappers, we had no fears 
 of Osage hostility ; for this was, in a measure, the just retribu- 
 tion of that tribe for an intrusion on their lands, and the 
 destruction of its game, which constituted its chief value to 
 them. Nor did we anticipate encountering them at all, at this 
 season, as they must have withdrawn, long ere this, to their 
 villages on the river Osage. 
 
 (93) 
 
94 NEW ARRANGEMENTS. 
 
 Dec. 14tb. There appears no other way to induce the 
 hunters to go with us, but to aid them in completing their cot- 
 tages and improvements. This we resolved to do. Holt then 
 af^reed to accompany us as a guide and huntsman, with the 
 further stipulation that he was to have the horse which had 
 been left at M'Gary's, and a small sum of money, with liberty 
 also to undertake a journey to the settlements below for corn. 
 Hereupon, Fisher also consented to accompany us. 
 
 Dec. 15th. This obstacle to our movements being over- 
 come, we busied ourselves in rendering to the hunters all the 
 assistance in our power, and made it an object to show them 
 that we could do this effectively. We began by taking hold 
 of the frow and axe, and aiding Holt to split boards for cover- 
 ing a portion of the roof of his bouse. I doubt whether my 
 companion had ever done the like work before ; I am sure I 
 never had ; but baving thrown myself on this adventure, I 
 most cheerfully submitted to all its adverse incidents. 
 
 Dec. 16th. This morning, Holt and Fisher — the latter 
 accompanied by his son, with three horses — set out on their 
 journey to purchase corn, leaving us, in the interim, to provide 
 fuel for their families ; a labor by no means light, as the cold 
 was now severe, and was daily growing more intense. To-day, 
 for the first time, we observed floating ice in the river ; and, 
 even within the cabins, water exposed in vessels for a few 
 moments, acquired a thin coating of ice. 
 
 Dec. 17th. At daybreak we built a substantial, rousing fire 
 in the cabin, of logs several feet long ; we then pounded the 
 quantity of corn necessary for the family's daily use. This 
 process brings the article into the condition of coarse grits, 
 which are boiled soft, and it then bears the name of homony. 
 Of this nutritious dish our meals generally consist, with boiled 
 or fried bear's bacon, and a decoction of sassafras tea. The 
 fat of the bear is very white and delicate, and appears to be 
 more digestible than fresh pork, which is apt to cloy in the 
 
EXPLORATION OF THE CLIFFS. 95 
 
 stomach. After breakfast, wishing to give the hunters evidence 
 of our capacity of being useful, we took our axes and sallied 
 out into the adjoining wood, and began to fell the trees, cut 
 them into proper lengths for firewood, and pile the brush. 
 About five o'clock, we were summoned to our second meal, 
 which is made to serve as dinner and supper. We then car- 
 ried up the quantity of firewood necessary for the night. This 
 consumed the remainder of the short December day ; and, 
 before lying down for the night, we replenished the ample fire. 
 This sketch may serve as an outline of our daily industry, 
 during the eleven days we tarried with the hunters. 
 
 Dec. 18th. I have mentioned the fondness of my compa- 
 nion for tea. This afternoon he thought to produce an agree- 
 able surprise in our hostess's mind, by preparing a dish of 
 young hyson. But she sipped it as she would have done the 
 decoction of some bitter herb, and frankly confessed that she 
 did not like it as well as the forest substitutes, namely, sassa- 
 fras, dittany, and spicewood. And the manner in which she 
 alluded to it as " store tea," plainly denoted the article not to 
 be numbered among the wants of a hunter's life. 
 
 Dec. 19th. The river having been closed with ice within 
 the last two days, we crossed it this afternoon to visit the two 
 pyramidal monuments of geological denudation which mark 
 the limestone range of the opposite shore. I determined, if 
 possible, to ascend one of them. The ascent lies through a 
 defile of rocks. By means of projections, which could some- 
 times be reached by cedar roots, and now and then a leap or 
 a scramble, I succeeded in ascending one of them to near its 
 apex, which gave me a fine view of the windings of the river. 
 The monuments consist of stratified limestone, which has, all 
 but these existing peaks, crumbled under the efiects of disin- 
 tegration, I observed no traces of organic remains. It 
 appeared to be of the same general character with the metal- 
 liferous beds of Missouri, and is, viewed in extenso, like that, 
 based on grey or cream-colored sand-rock. I found this lime- 
 stone rock cavernous, about seven miles below. 
 
96 TRAGIC AFFAIR. 
 
 In crossing the river, I was impressed with the extreme 
 purity of the water. The ice near the cliifs having been 
 formed during a calm night, presented the crystalline purity 
 of glass, through which every inequality, pebble, and stone in 
 its bed, could be plainly perceived. The surface on which we 
 stood was about an inch thick, bending as we walked. The 
 depth of water appeared to be five or six feet ; but I was told 
 that it was fully twenty. The pebbles at this place are often 
 a small, pear-shaped, opaque, yellow jasper. They appear to 
 have been disengaged from some mineral bed at a higher point 
 on the streanj. 
 
 Dec. 20th. Observed as a day of rest, it being the Sabbath. 
 The atmosphere is sensibly milder, and attended with haziness, 
 ■which appears to betoken rain. . 
 
 Dec. 21st. We employed ourselves till three o'clock in 
 hewing and splitting planks for Holt's cabin floor, when rain 
 compelled us to desist. 
 
 The following circumstance recently occurred here : Two 
 hunters had a dispute about a horse, which it was alleged one 
 had stolen from the other ; the person aggrieved, meeting the 
 other some days after in the woods, shot him dead. He imme- 
 diately fled, keeping the woods for several weeks ; when the 
 neighboring hunters, aroused by so glaring an outrage, assem- 
 bled and set out in quest of him. Being an expert woodsman, 
 the off"ender eluded them for some time ; but at last they ob- 
 tained a glimpse of him as he passed through a thicket, when 
 one of his pursuers shot him through the shoulder, but did not 
 kill him. This event happened a few days before our arrival 
 in this region. It will probably be the cause of several mur- 
 ders, before the feud is ended. 
 
 Dec. 22d. The rain having ceased, we resumed and com- 
 pleted our job of yesterday at Holt's. The atmosphere is' 
 hazy, damp, and warm. 
 
 My medical skill had not been called on since the affair at 
 the Four Bear creek, where my companion sprained his ankle. 
 
PKACTISE MEDICINE. 97 
 
 The child of Mrs. Holt -was taken ill with a complaint so 
 manifestly bilious, that I gave it relief by administering a few 
 grains of calomel. This success led to an application from her 
 neighbor, Mrs. F., whose delicate situation made the responsi- 
 bility of a prescription greater. This also proved favorable, 
 and I soon had other applicants. 
 
 Dec. 23d. About ten o'clock this morning, Holt and Fisher 
 returned, laden with corn. The day was mild and pleasant, 
 the severity of the atmosphere having moderated, and the sky 
 become clear and bright. They appeared to be pleased with 
 the evidences of our thrift and industry during their absence, 
 and we now anticipated with pleasure an early resumption of 
 our journey. To this end, we were resolved that nothing 
 should be wanting on our part. We had already faithfully 
 devoted seven days to every species of labor that was neces- 
 sary to advance their improvements. 
 
 Dec. 24th. I had yesterday commenced hewing out a table 
 for Holt's domicile, from a fine, solid block of white-ash. I 
 finished the task to-day, to the entire admiration of all. We 
 now removed our lodgings from Fisher's to Holt's, and em- 
 ployed the remainder of the day in chinking and daubing his 
 log house. 
 
 Of these two men, who had pushed themselves to the very 
 verge of western civilization, it will be pertinent to say, that 
 their characters were quite difierent. Holt was the better 
 hunter, and more social and ready man. He was quick with 
 the rifle, and suffered no animal to escape him. Fisher was 
 of a more deliberative temperament, and more inclined to sur- 
 round himself with the reliances of agriculture. He was also 
 the better mechanic, and more inclined to labor. Holt hated 
 labor like an Indian, and, like an Indian, relied for subsist- 
 ence on the chase exclusively. Fisher was very superstitious, 
 and a believer in witchcraft. Holt was scarcely a believer in 
 anything, but was ever ready for action. He could talk a 
 little Chickasaw, and had several of their chansons, which he 
 sung. Both men had kept for years moving along on the 
 9 G 
 
98 PREPARATIONS FOR A START. 
 
 outer frontiers, ever ready for a new remove ; and it was plain 
 enough, to the listener to their tales of wild adventure, that 
 they had not been impelled, thus far, on the ever advancing 
 line of border life, from the observance of any of the sterner 
 virtues or qualities of civilized society. There were occasions 
 in their career, if we may venture an opinion, when to shoot a 
 deer, or to shoot a man, were operations that could be per- 
 formed "agreeably to circumstances." To us, however, they 
 were uniformly kind, frank, friendly ; for, indeed, there was no 
 possible light in which our interests were brought in conflict. 
 We were no professed hunters, and our journey into the Ozark 
 hunting-grounds was an advantage to them, by making them 
 better acquainted with the geography of their position. 
 
 They could not quit home on such a journey, however, 
 without leaving some meat for tjieir families ; and they both 
 set out to-day for this purpose. It appeared that they had, 
 some days before, killed on a river bottom, about twelve miles 
 above this point in the river valley, a buifalo, a bear, and a 
 panther ; but, not having horses with them, had scaffolded the 
 carcases of the two former. Notwithstanding this precaution, 
 the wolves had succeeded in reaching the buffalo meat, and 
 had partly destroyed it. The carcase of the bear was safe. 
 They returned in the afternoon with their trophies. They 
 also brought down some of the leg-bones of the buffalo, for 
 the sake of their marrow. They are boiled in water, to cook 
 the marrow, and then cracked open. The quantity of marrow 
 is immense. It is eaten while hot, with salt. We thought it 
 delicious. 
 
 We learn by conversing with the hunters that a high value 
 is set upon the dog, and that they are sought with great avi- 
 dity. We heard of one instance where a cow was given for a 
 good hunting dog. 
 
 Dec. 25th, Christmas day. At our suggestion, the hunters 
 went out to shoot some turkeys for a Christmas dinner, and, 
 after a couple of hours' absence, returned with fourteen. In 
 the meantime, we continued our labors in completing the 
 house. 
 
A JOB OF JEWELLERY. 99 
 
 I prevailed on our hostess, to-day, to undertake a turkey- 
 pie, with a crust of Indian meal ; and, the weather being mild, 
 we partook of it under the shade of a tree, on the banks of 
 the river. 
 
 Dec. 26th. Having now obviated every objection, and con- 
 vinced the hunters that no dangers were to be apprehended at 
 this late season from the Osages, and having completed the 
 preparations for the tour, to-morrow is fixed on as the time of 
 starting. 
 
 Our hostess mentioned to me that she had a brass ring, 
 which she had worn for many years, and declared it to be an 
 infallible remedy for the cramp, with which she had been much 
 afflicted before putting it on, but had not had the slightest 
 return of it since. She was now much distressed on account 
 of having lately broken it ; and, observing the care I bestowed 
 on my mineralogical packages, she thought I must possess skill 
 in such affairs, and solicited me to mend it. It was in vain 
 that I represented that I had no blowpipe or other necessary 
 apparatus for the purpose. She was convinced I could do it, 
 and I was unwilling to show a disobliging disposition by refus- 
 ing to make the attempt. I therefore contrived to make a 
 blowpipe by cutting several small pieces of cane, and fitting 
 one into the other until the aperture was drawn down to the 
 required degree of fineness. A hollow cut in a billet of wood, 
 and filled with live hickory coals, answered instead of a lamp ; 
 and with a small bit of silver money, and a little borax applied 
 to the broken ring, with my wooden blowpipe, I soon soldered 
 it, and afterwards filed ofi" the redundant silver with a small 
 file. I must remark that the little file and bit of borax, with- 
 out which the job could not have been accomplished, was pro- 
 duced from the miscellaneous housewife of my hostess. 
 
 Dec. 27th. Rain, which began at night, rendered it impos- 
 sible to think of starting to-day. It was the Sabbath, and 
 was improved as a time of rest and reflection. I took the 
 occasion to make some allusions, in a gentle and unobtrusive 
 way, to the subject, and, in connection with some remarks 
 
100 IDEAS OF RELIGION. 
 
 ■which one of my entertainers had made a few days previously, 
 on the subject of religion generally, condense the following 
 observations : — He said that while living on the banks of the 
 Mississippi, a few years ago, he occasionally attended religious 
 meetings, and thought them a very good thing ; but he had 
 found one of the preachers guilty of a gross fraud, and deter- 
 mined never to go again. He thought that a man might be as 
 good without going to church as with it, and that it seemed to 
 him to be a useless expenditure, &c. ; very nearly, indeed, the 
 same kind of objections which are made by careless and un- 
 believing persons everywhere, I fancy, in the woods or out of 
 them. 
 
 The hardships of the hunter's life fall heavily on females. 
 Mrs. Holt tells me that she has not lived in a floored cabin for 
 several years — that during this period they have changed their 
 abode many times — and that she has lost four children, who 
 all died under two years. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PROCEED INTO THE HUNTING-COUNTRY OF THE OSAGES — DILUVIAL 
 HILLS AND PLAINS — BALD HILL — SWAN CREEK — OSAGE ENCAMP- 
 MENTS FORM OF THE OSAGE LODGE — THE HABITS OF THE 
 
 BEAVER — DISCOVER A REMARKABLE CAVERN IN THE LIMESTONE 
 ROCK, HAVING NATURAL VASES OF PURE WATER — ITS GEOLO- 
 GICAL AND METALLIFEROUS CHARACTER — REACH THE SUMMIT 
 OF THE OZARK RANGE, WHICH IS FOUND TO DISPLAY A BROAD 
 REGION OF FERTILE SOIL, OVERLYING A MINERAL DEPOSIT. 
 
 My stay, which I regarded in the light of a pilgrimage, at 
 the hunters' cabins, was now drawing to a close. I had origi- 
 nally reached their camps after a fatiguing and devious march 
 through some of the most sterile and rough passages of the 
 Ozarks, guided only by a pocket compass, and had thrown 
 myself on their friendship and hospitality to further my pro- 
 gress. Without their friendly guidance, it was felt that no 
 higher point in this elevation could be reached. Every objec- 
 tion raised by them had now been surmounted. I had waited 
 their preliminary journey for corn for their families, and my 
 companion and myself had made ourselves useful by helping, 
 in the mean time, to complete their cabins and improvements. 
 While thus engaged, I had become tolerably familiar with their 
 character, physical and moral, and may add something more 
 respecting them. Holt, as I have before indicated, was a pure 
 hunter, expert with the rifle, and capable of the periodical 
 exertion and activity which hunting requires, but prone to take 
 his ease when there was meat in the cabin, and averse to all 
 work beside. He was of an easy, good-natured temper, and 
 would submit to a great deal of inconvenience and want, before 
 he would rouse himself. But when out in the woods, or on the 
 9 * (101) 
 
102 JOURNEY RESUMED. 
 
 prairies, he was quite at home. He knew the habits and range 
 of animals, their time for being out of their coverts, the kind 
 of food they sought, and the places where it was likely to be 
 found. lie had a quick eye and a sure aim, and quadruped or 
 bird that escaped him, must be nimble. He was about five feet 
 eight inches in height, stout and full faced, and was particu- 
 lar in his gear and dress, but in nothing so much as the skin 
 wrapper* that secured his rifle-lock. This was always in 
 perfect order. 
 
 Fisher was two or three inches taller, more slender, lank of 
 features, and sterner. He was a great believer in the bewitch- 
 ing of guns, seemed often to want a good place to fire from, 
 had more deliberation in what he did, and was not so success- 
 ful a sportsman. He had, too, when in the cabin, more no- 
 tions of comfort, built a larger dwelling, worked more on it, 
 and had some desires for cultivation. When on the prairie, 
 he dismounted from his horse with some deliberation ; but, 
 before he was well on terra firma, Holt had slid off and killed 
 his game. The shots of both were true, and, between them, 
 we ran no danger of wanting a meal. 
 
 It was the twenty-eighth day of December before every 
 objection to their guiding us was obviated, and, although 
 neither of them had been relieved from the fear of Osage hos- 
 tility, they mounted their horses in the morning, and announced 
 themselves ready to proceed. Our course now lay toward 
 the north-west, and the weather was still mild and favorable. 
 We ascended through the heavily-timbered bottom-lands of the 
 valley for a mile or two, and then passed by an easy route 
 through the valley cliffs, to the prairie uplands north of them. 
 After getting fairly out of the gorge we had followed, we 
 entered on a rolling highland prairie, with some clumps of 
 small forest trees, and covered, as far as the eye could reach, 
 with coarse wild grass, and the seed-pods of autumnal flowers, 
 nodding in the breeze. It was a waving surface. Sometimes 
 the elevations assumed a conical shape. Sometimes we crossed 
 a depression with trees. Often the deer bounded before us, 
 and frequently the sharp crack of the rifle was the first inti- 
 mation to me that game was near. Holt told me that the 
 
A DETERMINED FOLLOWER. 103 
 
 error of the young or inexperienced hunters was in looking too 
 far for their game. The plan to hunt successfully was, to 
 raise the eye slowly from the spot just before you, for the game 
 is often close by, and not to set it on distant objects at first. 
 We moved on leisurely, with eyes and ears alert for every 
 sight and sound. A bird, a quadruped, a track — these were 
 important themes. 
 
 When night approached, we encamped near the foot of an 
 eminence, called, from its appearance, the Bald Hill. An 
 incident occurred early in our march, which gave us no little 
 concern. A fine young horse of one of the neighboring hunt- 
 ers, which had been turned out to range, followed our track 
 from White river valley, and, notwithstanding all the efforts 
 of our guides, could not be driven back. At length they fired 
 the dry prairie-grass behind us, the wind serving, deeming this 
 the most effectual way of driving him back. The expedient 
 did not, however, prove eventually successful ; for, after a 
 while, the animal again made his appearance. We lost some 
 time in these efforts. It was thought better, at length, that I 
 should ride him, which was accomplished by placing a deerskin 
 upon his back by way of saddle, with a kind of bridle, &c. 
 The animal was spirited, and, thus mounted, I kept up with 
 the foremost. 
 
 We travelled to-day about ten miles. The day was clear, 
 but chilly, with a north-westerly wind, which we had to face. 
 Holt had killed a young doe during the day, which was quickly 
 skinned, and he took along the choice parts of it for our eve- 
 ning's repast. Part of the carcase was left behind as wolf s- 
 meat. 
 
 Dec. 20th. Little change appeared in the country. For 
 about six miles we travelled over hill and dale, meeting nothing 
 new, but constantly expecting something. We then descended 
 into the valley of Swan creek — a clear stream of thirty yards 
 wide, a tributary of White river. Its banks present a rich 
 alluvial bottom, well wooded with maple, hickory, ash, hag- 
 berry, elm, and sycamore. We followed up this valley about 
 five miles, when it commenced raining, and we were compelled 
 
104 DESERTED OSAGE LODGES. 
 
 to encamp. Protection from the rain, however, was impossi- 
 ble. We gained some little shelter under .the broad roots of a 
 clump of fallen trees and limbs, and passed a most comfortless 
 night, being wet, and without a fire. 
 
 The next morning, (Dec. 30th,) at the earliest dawn, we 
 were in motion. After ascending the Swan creek valley about 
 nine miles, through a most fertile tract, we fell into the Osage 
 trail, a well-beaten horse-path, and passed successively three 
 of their deserted camps, which had apparently been unoccu- 
 pied for a month or more. The poles and frames of each lo^ge 
 were left standing, and made a most formidable show. The 
 paths, hacked trees, and old stumps of firebrands, showed that 
 they had been deserted in the fall. The fear of this tribe now 
 appeared to have left the minds of our guides. These encamp- 
 ments were all very large, and could probably each have 
 accommodated several hundred persons. 
 
 The form of the Osage lodge may be compared to a hemi- 
 sphere, or an inverted bird's-nest, with a small aperture left in 
 the top for the escape of smoke, and an elongated opening at 
 the side, by way of door, to pass and repass. It is constructed 
 by cutting a number of flexible green poles, sharpened at one 
 end, and stuck firmly in the ground. The corresponding tops 
 are then bent over and tied, and the framework covered with 
 linden bark. These wigwams are arranged in circles, one line 
 of lodcres within another. In the centre is a scaffolding for 
 meat. The chief's tent is conspicuously situated at the head 
 of each encampment. It is different from the rest, resembling 
 an inverted half cylinder. The whole is arranged with much 
 order and neatness, and evinces that they move in large par- 
 ties, that the chiefs exercise a good deal of authority. 
 
 The Osages are a tribe who have from early times been pro- 
 minent in the south-west, between the Arkansas and Missouri. 
 The term Osage is of French origin ; it seems to be a transla- 
 tion of the Algonquin term Assengigun, or Bone Indians. 
 Why ? They call themselves Was-ba-shaw, and have a curious 
 allegory of their having originated from a beaver and a snail. 
 They are divided into two bands, the Little and Great Osages, 
 the latter of whom make their permanent encampments on the 
 
LIFE IN THE WILDERNESS. 105 
 
 river Osage of the Missouri. The Ozarks appear from early 
 days to have been their hunting-grounds for the valuable furred 
 animals, and its deep glens and gorges have served as nurseries 
 for the bear. They are one of the great prairie stock of tribes, 
 who call God Wacondah. They are physically a fine tribe of 
 men, of good stature and courage, but have had the reputation, 
 among white and red men, of being thieves and plunderers. 
 Certainly, among the hunter population of this quarter, they 
 are regarded as little short of ogres and giants ; and they tell 
 most extravagant tales of their doings. Luckily, it was so 
 late in the season that we were not likely to encounter many 
 of them. 
 
 In searching the precincts of the old camps, my guides 
 pointed out a place where the Indians had formerly pinioned 
 down Teen Friend, one of the most successful of the white 
 trappers in this quarter, whom they had found trapping their 
 beaver in the Swan creek valley. I thought it was an evidence 
 of some restraining fear of our authorities at St. Louis, that 
 they had not taken the enterprising old fellow's scalp, as well 
 as his beaver packs. 
 
 Life in the wilderness is dependent on contingencies, which 
 are equally hard to be foreseen or controlled. We are, at all 
 events, clearly out of the jurisdiction of a justice of the peace. 
 And the maxim that we have carefully conned over in child- 
 hood, "No man may put off the law of God," is but a feeble 
 reliance when urged against the Osages or Pawnees. 
 
 Deeming themselves now high enough up the Swan creek 
 valley, my guides determined to leave it, and turned theii' 
 horses' heads up a gorge that led to the open plains. We now 
 steered our course north-west, over an elevated plain, or prai- 
 rie, covered, as usual, with ripe grass. We followed across this 
 tract for about twenty miles, with no general deviation of our 
 course, but without finding water. In search of this, we pushed 
 on vigorously till night set in, when it became intensely dark, 
 and we were in danger of being precipitated, at every step, 
 into some hole, or down some precipice. Darkness, in a prai- 
 rie, places the traveller in the position of a ship at sea, without 
 a compass ; to go on, or to stop, seems equally perilous. For 
 
106 SAGACITY OF THE EEAVER. 
 
 some two hours we groped our way in this manner, when one 
 of the guides shouted that he had found a standing pool. 
 Meantime, it had become excessively dark. The atmosphere 
 •was clouded over, and threatened rain. On reaching the pool, 
 there was no wood to be found, and we were compelled to en- 
 camp without a fire, and laid down supperless, tired, and cold. 
 
 My guides were hardy, rough fellows, and did not mind these 
 omissions of meals for a day together, and had often, as now, 
 slept without camp-fires at night. As the object seemed to be 
 a trial of endurance, I resolved not to compromit myself by 
 appearing a whit less hardy than they did, and uttered not a 
 word that might even shadow forth complaint. This was, how- 
 ever, a cold and cheerless spot at best, with the wide prairie 
 for a pillow, and black clouds, dropping rain, for a covering. 
 
 The next morning, as soon as it was at all light, we followed 
 down the dry gorge in which we had lain, to Findley's Fork — 
 a rich and -well-timbered valley, which we descended about five 
 miles. As we rode along through an open forest, soon after 
 entering this valley, we observed the traces of the work of the 
 beaver, and stopped to view a stately tree, of the walnut spe- 
 cies, which had been partially gnawed off by these animals. 
 This tree was probably eighteen or twenty inches in diameter, 
 and fifty feet high. The animals had gnawed a ring around 
 it, but abandoned their work. It had afterwards been under- 
 mined by the freshets of the stream, and had fallen. "Was it 
 too hard a work ? If so, it would seem that some instinct akin 
 to reason came to their aid, in leading them to give up their 
 essay. 
 
 There was now every appearance of a change of weather. 
 It was cold, and a wintry breeze chilled our limbs. I thought 
 my blood was as warm as that of my guides, however, and rode 
 on cheerfully. At length. Holt and Fisher, of their own mo- 
 tion, stopped to kindle a fire, and take breakfast. We had 
 still plenty of fresh venison, which we roasted, as each liked, 
 on spits. Thus warmed and refreshed, we continued down the 
 valley, evidently in a better philosophical mood ; for a man 
 always reasons better, and looks more beneficently about him, 
 this side of starvation. 
 
A REMARKABLE CAVERN. 107 
 
 I observed a small stream of pure water coming in on the north 
 side, -whicli issued through an opening in the hills ; and as this 
 ran in the general direction we were pursuing, the guides led 
 up it. We were soon enclosed in a lateral valley, with high 
 corresponding hills, as if, in remote ages, they had been united. 
 Very soon it became evident that this defile was closed across 
 and in front of us. As we came near this barrier, it was found 
 that it blocked up the whole valley, with the exception of the 
 mouth of a gigantic cave. The great width and height of this 
 cave, and its precipitous face, gave it very much the appear- 
 ance of some ruinous arch, out of proportion. It stretched 
 from hill to hill. The limpid brook we had been following, ran 
 from its mouth. On entering it, the first feeling was that of 
 being in "a large place." There was no measure for the eye 
 to compute height or width. We seemed suddenly to be be- 
 holding some secret of the great works of nature, which had 
 been hid from the foundation of the world. The impulse, on 
 these occasions, is to shout. I called it Winoca.* On ad- 
 vancing, we beheld an immense natural vase, filled with pure 
 water. This vase was formed from concretions of carbonate 
 of lime, of the nature of stalagmite, or, rather, stalactite. It 
 was greyish-white and translucent, filling the entire breadth of 
 the cave. But, what was still more imposing, another vase, 
 of similar construction, was formed on the next ascending pla- 
 teau of the floor of the cave. The water flowed over the lips 
 of this vase into the one below. The calcareous deposit seems 
 to have commenced at the surface of the water, which, conti- 
 nually flowing over the rims of each vase, increases the 
 deposit. 
 
 The height of the lower vase is about five feet, which is 
 inferable by our standing by it, and looking over the rim into 
 the limpid basin. The rim is about two and a half inches thick. 
 Etruscan artists could not have formed a more singular set of 
 capacious vases. 
 
 The stream of water that supplies these curious tanks, rushes 
 with velocity from the upper part of the cavern. The bottom 
 
 * From the Osage word for an underground spirit. 
 
108 GEOLOGICAL CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY. 
 
 of the cave is strewed with small and round calcareous concre- 
 tions, about the size of ounce balls, of the same nature with 
 the vases. They are in the condition of stalagmites. These 
 concretions are opaque, and appear to have been formed from 
 the impregnated waters percolating from the roof of the cavern. 
 There are evidences of nitric salts in small crevices. Geolo- 
 gically, the cavern is in the horizontal limestone, which is 
 evidently metalliferous. It is the same calcareous formation 
 which characterizes the whole Ozark range. Ores of lead (the 
 sulphurets) were found in the stratum in the bed of a stream, 
 at no great distance north of this cave ; and its exploration for 
 its mineral wealth is believed to be an object of practical 
 importance. 
 
 I had now followed the geological formation of the country 
 far south-westwardly. The relative position of the calcareous, 
 lead-bearing stratum, had everywhere been the same, when not 
 disturbed or displaced. Wide areas on the sources of the Ma- 
 ramec, Gasconade, and Osage, and also of the Currents, Spring 
 river, and Elevenpoints and Strawberry, were found covered 
 by heavy drift, which concealed the rock ; but wherever valleys 
 had been cut through the formation by the stream, and the 
 strata laid bare, they disclosed the same horizontality of de- 
 posit, and the same relative position of limestone and sand- 
 stone rock. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 DEPART FROM THE CAVE CHARACTER OF THE HUNTERS WHO 
 
 GUIDED THE AUTHOR INCIDENTS OF THE ROUTE — A BEAUTIFUL 
 
 AND FERTILE dOUNTRY, ABOUNDING IN GAME — REACH THE EX- 
 TREME NORTH-WESTERN SOURCE OP WHITE RIVER — DISCOVERIES 
 OF LEAD-ORE IN A PART OP ITS BED — ENCAMP AND INVESTI- 
 GATE ITS MINERALOGY CHARACTER, VALUE, AND HISTORY OP 
 
 THE COUNTRY — PROBABILITY OF ITS HAVING BEEN TRAVERSED 
 BY DE SOTO IN 1541. 
 
 It was the last day of the year 1818, when we reached the 
 cave of Winoca, as described in the preceding chapter, on the 
 Ozark summit. An inspection of the country had shown the 
 fact that the mineral developments of its underlying rocks were 
 of a valuable character, while the surface assumed the most 
 pleasing aspect, and the soil, wherever examined, appeared to 
 be of the very richest quality. The bold, rough hunters, who 
 accompanied me, thought of the country only as an attractive 
 game country, which it was a great pity, they said, that the 
 Indians alone should occupy ; and they had very little curi- 
 osity about anything that did not minister to their imme- 
 diate wants. They had lived for so long a time by the 
 rifle, that they had a philosophy of the rifle. It was the ready 
 arbiter between themselves, and the animal creation, and the 
 Indians, and even other hunters. Neither the striking agri- 
 cultural or mineral resources of the country, arrested much 
 attention on their part. And as soon as I was ready to relin- 
 quish my examinations at the cave and proceed, they were ready 
 to resume their horses and lead forward. Unfortunately, it 
 was now severely cold, and everything in the heavens prognos- 
 ticated its increasing severity. 
 
 10 (109) 
 
110 SEVERE COLD. 
 
 On leaving the Valley of the Cave, and ascending the hills 
 that environed it, we passed over a gently sloping surface of 
 hill and vale, partly covered with forest trees, and partly in 
 prairies. I have seldom seen a more beautiful prospect. The 
 various species of oaks and hickories had strewed the woods 
 with their fruits, on which the bear and wild turkey revelled, 
 while the red deer was scarcely ever out of sight. Long before 
 the hour of encampment had arrived, the hunters had secured 
 the means of our making a sumptuous evening meal on wild 
 viands ; and when, at an early hour, we pitched our camp on 
 the borders of a small brook. Holt, who was ever ready with 
 the rifle, added a fat brandt from this brook to our stores. We 
 had not travelled more than twelve miles, but we hud a sharp 
 wind to face, the day being severe ; and nothing was so agree- 
 able, when we halted, as the fire, around which we enjoyed 
 ourselves, as we each displayed our skill in forest cookery. 
 There was cutting, and carving, and roasting, in the true 
 prairie style. We then prepared our couches and night-fires, 
 and slept. At the earliest peep of light, we were again in 
 motion. 
 
 The 1st of January, 1819, opened with a degree of cold 
 unusual in these regions. Their elevation is, indeed, consider- 
 able ; but the wind swept with a cutting force across the 
 open prairies. We were now on the principal north-western 
 source of White river, the channel of which we forded in the 
 distance of two miles. The western banks presented a naked 
 prairie, covered with dry grass and autumnal Aveeds, with here 
 and there a tree. We pushed on towards the north-east. The 
 prairie-hen, notwithstanding the cold, rose up in flocks before 
 us, as we intruded upon their low-couched positions in the 
 grass. Of these. Holt, whose hunting propensities no cold 
 could restrain, obtained a specimen ; he also fired at and killed 
 a wild goose from the channel of the river. On passing about 
 four miles up the western banks of the stream, we observed a 
 lead of lead-ore, glittering through the water in the bed of the 
 river, and determined to encamp at this spot, for the purpose 
 of investigating the mineral appearances. The weather was 
 piercingly cold. We found some old Indian camps near at hand, 
 
CONSTRUCT A LEAD-FURNACE. Ill 
 
 and procured from them pieces of bark to sheath a few poles 
 and stakes, hastily put up, to form a shelter from the wind. A 
 fire was soon kindled, and, while we cooked and partook of a 
 forest breakfast, we recounted the incidents of the morning, 
 not omitting the untoward state of the weather. When the 
 labor of building the shanty was completed, I hastened to 
 explore the geological indications of the vicinity. 
 
 The ore which had attracted our notice in the bed of the 
 stream, existed in lumps, which presented bright surfaces where 
 the force of the current had impelled its loose stony materials 
 over them. It was a pure sulphuret of lead, breaking in cubi- 
 cal lines. I also observed some pieces of hornblende. It was 
 not easy to determine tjie original width of the bed of ore. Its 
 course is across the stream, into the banks of red marly clay 
 on which we had encamped. Its geological position is in every 
 respect similar to the metalliferous deposits at Potosi, except 
 that there were no spars, calcareous or barytic, in sight, I 
 gathered, in a few minutes, a sufficient number of specimens 
 of the ore for examination, and employed myself in erecting, 
 on the banks of the river, a small furnace, of the kind called 
 "log-furnace" in Missouri, to test its fusibility. In the mean 
 time, my New England companion took a survey of the sur- 
 rounding country, which he pronounced one of the most fertile, 
 and admirably adapted to every purpose of agriculture. Much 
 of the land consists of prairie, into which the plough can be 
 immediately put. The forests and groves, which are inter- 
 spersed with a park-like beauty through these prairies, consist 
 of various species of oaks, maple, white and black walnut, elm, 
 mulberry, hackberry, and sycamore. 
 
 Holt and Fisher scanned the country for game, and returned 
 to camp with six turkeys and a wolf. Their fear of the Osages 
 had been only apparently subdued. They had been constantly 
 on the look-out for signs of Indian enemies, and had their 
 minds always filled with notions of hovering Osages and Paw- 
 nees. The day was wintry, and the weather variable. It 
 commenced snowing at daylight, and continued till about eight 
 o'clock, A. M. It then became clear, and remained so, with 
 occasional flickerings, until two o'clock, when a fixed snow- 
 
112 FERTILE COUNTRY. 
 
 storm sat in, and drove me from my little unfinished furnace, 
 bringing in the hunters also from the prairies, and confining 
 us strictly to our camp. This storm continued, without miti- 
 gation, nearly all night. i 
 
 Jan. 3d. The snow ceased before sunrise, leaving the country 
 wrapped in a white mantle. The morning was cold ; the river 
 began to freeze about nine o'clock, and continued till it was 
 closed. The weather afforded an opportunity for continuing 
 the explorations and examinations commenced yesterday. I 
 found that the red clay afforded a good material for laying the 
 stones of my lead-furnace, and continued working at it for a 
 part of the day. The hunters came in with the carcases of 
 two deer, and the skin of a black wolf. Except in its color, I 
 could not distinguish any permanent characteristics in the lat- 
 ter difiering from the large grey wolf, or coyote. Its claws, 
 snout, and ears, were the same — its tail, perhaps, a little more 
 bushy. The size of this animal, judging from the skin, must 
 have been double that of the little prau-ie-wolf, or myeengun 
 of the Indians of the North. 
 
 I found the bed of the stream, where it permitted examina- 
 tion, to be non-crystalline limestone, in horizontal beds, corre- 
 sponding to the formation observed in the cave of Winoca. Its 
 mineral constituents were much the same. The country is one 
 that must be valuable hereafter for its fertility and resources. 
 The prairies which extend west of the river are the most ex- 
 tensive, rich, and beautiful, of any which I have yet seen west 
 of the Mississippi. They are covered with a most vigorous 
 growth of grass. The deer and elk abound in this quarter, and 
 the buffalo is yet occasionally seen. The soil in the river valley 
 is a rich black alluvion. The trees are often of an immense 
 height, denoting strength of soil. It will probably be found 
 adapted to corn, flax, hemp, wheat, oats, and potatoes ; while 
 its mining resources must come in as one of the elements of its 
 future prosperity. 
 
 I planted some peach-stones in a fertile spot near our camp, 
 where the growth of the sumac denoted unusual fertility. And 
 it is worthy of remark that even Holt, who had the antipathy 
 
THE OZARK RANGE. 113 
 
 of an Indian to agriculture, actually cut some bushes in a cer- 
 tain spot, near a spring, and piled them into a heap, by way 
 of securing a pre-emption right to the soil. 
 
 The region of the Ozark range of mountain-development is 
 one of singular features, and no small attractions. It exhibits 
 a vast and elevated tract of horizontal and sedimentary strata, 
 extending for hundreds of miles north and south. This range 
 is broken up into high cliffs, often wonderful to behold, which 
 form the enclosing walls of river valleys. The Arkansas itself 
 forces its way through, about the centre of the range. The 
 Washita marks its southern boundary. The St. Francis and 
 the Maramec, at the mouth of the former of which De Soto 
 landed, constitute its northern limits. The junction of the 
 Missouri with the Mississippi may be said to be its extreme 
 northern development. The Missouri, from the influx of the 
 Osage, is pushed northward by the Ozark range. It rests, on 
 the south, upon the primitive granites, slates, and quartz rock, 
 of Washita. The celebrated Hot Springs issue from it. The 
 long-noted mines of Missouri, which once set opinion in France 
 in a blaze, extend from its north-eastern flanks. The primitive 
 sienites and hornblende rock of the sources of the St. Francis 
 and Grand rivers, support it. The Unica or White river, the 
 Strawberry, Spring river, Currents and Black rivers, descend 
 from it, and join the Mississippi. The Great and Little Osage, 
 and the Gasconage, flow into the Missouri. The great plains, 
 and sand-desert, which stretches at the eastern foot of the 
 Rocky mountains, lie west of it. It is not less than two hun- 
 dred miles in breadth. No part of the central regions of the 
 Mississippi valley exhibits such a variety in its geological con- 
 stituents, or such a striking mineralogical development. Its 
 bodies of the ore of iron called iron-glance, are unparalleled. 
 These are particularly developed in the locality called Iron 
 Mountain, or the sources of the St. Francis. Its ores of lead, 
 zinc, antimony, and manganese, are remarkable. Its lime- 
 stones abound in caves yielding nitre. Salt and gypsum are 
 found in the plains on its western borders. Its large blocks 
 of quartz rock, which are found north of the Arkansas river, 
 particularly scattered over the formations crossing the Little 
 10* H 
 
114 ROUTE OF DE SOTO. 
 
 Bed, Buffalo, and White rivers, about the Buffalo shoals, fur- 
 nish indications of the diluvial gold deposit, -which would justify 
 future examination. 
 
 Through these alpine ranges De Soto roved, with his chival- 
 rous and untiring army, making an outward and inward expe- 
 dition into regions which must have presented unwonted hard- 
 ships and discouragements to the march of troops. To add to 
 these natural obstacles, he found himself opposed by fierce 
 savage tribes, who rushed upon him from every glen and defile, 
 and met him in the open grounds with the most savage energy, 
 His own health finally sank under these fatigues ; and it is 
 certain that, after his death, his successor in the command, 
 Moscoso, once more marched entirely through the southern 
 Ozarks, and reached the buffalo plains beyond them. Such 
 energy and feats of daring had never before been displayed in 
 North America ; and the wonder is at its highest, after behold- 
 ing the wild and rough mountains, cliffs, glens, and torrents, 
 over which the actual marches must have laid. 
 
 Some of the names of the Indian tribes encountered by him, 
 furnish conclusive evidence that the principal tribes of the 
 country, although they have changed their particular locations 
 since the year 1542, still occupy the region. Thus, the Kapa- 
 has, who then lived on the Mississippi, above the St. Francis, 
 are identical with the Quappas, the Cayas with the Kanzas, 
 and the Quipana with the Pawnees. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 
 SEVERE WINTER WEATHER ON THE SUMMIT OF THE OZARKS — 
 
 FALSE ALARM OF INDIANS DANGER OF MY FURNACE, ETC., 
 
 BEING HEREAFTER TAKEN FOR ANTIQUITIES — PROCEED SOUTH 
 
 ANIMAL TRACKS IN THE SNOW — WINOCA OR SPIRIT VALLEY 
 
 HONEY AND THE HONEY-BEE — BUFFALO-BULL CREEK — ROBE 
 
 OP SNOW — MEHAUSCA VALLEY — SUPERSTITIOUS EXPERIMENT OP 
 THE HUNTERS — ARRIVE AT BEAVER CREEK. 
 
 The indications of severe weather, noticed during the last 
 day of December, and the beginning of January, were not de- 
 ceptive ; every day served to realize them. We had no ther- 
 mometer ; but our feelings denoted an intense degree of cold. 
 The winds were fierce and sharp, and snow fell during a part 
 of each day and night that we remained on these elevations. 
 We wrapped our garments closely about us at night, in front 
 of large fires, and ran alternately the risk of being frozen and 
 burnt. One night my overcoat was in a blaze from lying too 
 near the fire. This severity served to increase the labor of our 
 examinations ; but it did not, that I am aware, prevent any- 
 thing essential. 
 
 On the fourth day of my sojourn here, a snow-storm began, 
 a little before one o'clock in the morning ; it ceased, or, as the 
 local phrase is, "held up," at daybreak. The ground was now 
 covered, to a depth of from two to three inches, with a white 
 mantle. Such severity had never been known by the hunters. 
 The winds whistled over the bleak prairies with a rigor which 
 would have been remarkable in high northern latitudes. The 
 river froze entirely over. The sun, however, shone out clearly 
 as the day advanced, and enabled me to complete my examina- 
 
 (115) 
 
116 FALSE AL^RM. 
 
 tions, as fully as it -was practicable to do, under tlie existing 
 state of the weather. 
 
 It happened, on this day, that my companion had walked a 
 mile or two west, over the smooth prairie, to get a better view 
 of the conformation of the land, returning to camp before the 
 hunters, who had also gone in the same general direction. On 
 their coming back, one of them, whose head was always full of 
 hostile Osages, fell on his returning track in the snow, and 
 carefully traced it to our camp. He came in breathless, and 
 declared that the Osages were upon us, and that not a moment 
 was to be lost in breaking up our camp, and flying to a place 
 of security. When informed of the origin of the tracks, he 
 still seemed incredulous, and could not be pacified without some 
 difficulty. We then prepared, by collecting fuel, and increas- 
 ing our bark defences against, the wind and snow, to pass 
 another night at the camp. 
 
 I had now followed the Ozarks as far as it seemed practica- 
 ble, and reached their W'CStei'n summit, notwithstanding every 
 discouragement thrown in my way by the reports of the hunt- 
 ers, from the first moment of my striking the White river ; 
 having visited the source of nearly every river which flows from 
 it, both into the Missouri and the Mississippi. I had fully 
 satisfied myself of its physical character and resources, and 
 now determined to return to the camps of my guides at Beaver 
 creek, and continue the exploration south. 
 
 It was the 5th of January, 1819, when we prepared our last 
 meal at that camp, and I carefully put up my packages in such 
 portable shape as might be necessary. Some time was spent 
 in looking up the horses, which had been turned into a neigh- 
 boring canebrake. The interval was employed in cutting our 
 names, with the date of our visit, on a contiguous oak, which 
 had been previously blazed for the purpose. These evidences 
 of our visit were left, with the pit dug in search of ore, and 
 the small smelting- furnace, which, it is hoped, no zealous anti- 
 quarian will hereafter mistake for monuments of an elder 
 period of civilization in the Mississippi valley. When this was 
 accomplished, and the horses brought up, we set out with ala- 
 crity. The snow still formed a thin covering on the ground, 
 
HONEY IN THE WILDERNESS. 117 
 
 and, being a little softened by the sun, the whole surface of the 
 country exhibited a singular map of the tracks of quadrupeds 
 and birds. In these, deer, elk, bears, wolves, and turkeys, 
 were prominent — the first and last species, conspicuously so. 
 In some places, the dry spots on the leaves showed where the 
 deer had lain during the storm. These resting-spots were 
 uniformly on declivities, which sheltered the animal from the 
 force of the wind. Frequently we crossed wolf-trails in the 
 snow, and, in one or two instances, observed places where they 
 had played or fought with each other, like a pack of dogs — 
 the snow being tramped down in a circle of great extent. We 
 also passed tracts of many acres, where the turkeys had 
 scratched up the snow, in search of acorns. We frequently 
 saw the deer fly before us, in droves of tAventy or thirty. They 
 will bound twenty feet at a leap, as measured, on a gentle de- 
 clivity. This animal is impelled by a fatal curiosity to stop 
 and turn round to look at the cause of its disturbance, after 
 running a distance. It is at this moment that the hunter 
 generally fires. 
 
 About noon, we reached and crossed Findley's Fork, or the 
 Winoca valley — the locality of the cave. Two miles south of 
 it, in ascending an elevation, our ears were saluted by a mur- 
 muring sound in the air, which the hunters declared to be 
 single bees, flying in a line. I observed one of them directing 
 its flight to the top of a large oak, which was thus indicated 
 as the repository of their honey. My companion and myself 
 proceeded to chop it down, while the hunters stood by. It was 
 of the white-oak species, and was judged to be two feet and a 
 half across. When it fell, a hollow limb was fractured, dis- 
 closing a large deposit of most beautiful white honeycombs. 
 We ate without stint, sometimes dipping cooked pieces of veni- 
 son (we had no bread) in the fluid part. The remainder was 
 then wrapped up in a freshly flayed deerskin, and firmly tied, 
 to be carried to the hunters' cabins at Beaver creek on one of 
 the horses. 
 
 We now resumed our route. As evening approached, we 
 entered the head of a valley formed out of the plain, toward 
 our right. It turned out to be a stream known to them, in 
 
118 LOSE OUR WAY. 
 
 their biiifalo hunts, as Bull creek. Here we encamped, having 
 travelled about twenty miles. The weather continued mode- 
 rately cold during the day, the sun not having attained suffi- 
 cient power to melt the snow. A single deer was the trophy 
 of this day's hunt. 
 
 Mornincr found us, as we arose from our couches, in a small, 
 brushy, and tangled valley, through which it was not easy to 
 make our way. The weather was raw, cold, and lowering, and 
 the hunters did not seem inclined to make an early start. It 
 was determined to replenish our fire, and breakfast, first. It 
 was a rough region, and cost some exertion and fatigue to get 
 out of its tangled defiles, and ascend the plains south of it. 
 These impediments consumed so much time, that we made but 
 slow progress. The atmosphere was so obscure, that it was 
 difficult to determine the proper course ; and it was evident 
 that the guides did not know exactly where they were. At 
 length they entered one of the lateral valleys of Swan creek, 
 the Mehausca of the Osages. In this, after following it down 
 some distance, we encamped. The atmosphere was clouded 
 up, and betokened falling weather. 
 
 The next morning, (Jan. 7th), when I awoke, I felt an extra 
 pressure of something on my blanket, which had the effect to 
 keep off the wind, and produce warmth ; and on opening its 
 folds, I threw off a stratum of an inch or two of snow. We 
 had been fatigued by the day's march, and slept soundly. 
 
 Some eight miles' travel brought us to the junction of this 
 little tributary with the Mehausca, where our guides, by recog- 
 nizing known objects, reassured themselves of their true posi- 
 tion. It was, however, still hazy and obscure, and doubts soon 
 attain arose in their minds as to the proper course. After 
 travelling some miles in this perplexity, they were at length 
 relieved by obsei'ving a known landmark in the peak of Bald 
 hill. This mark was, however, soon lost sight of, and, the 
 atmosphere still continuing overclouded, dark, and hazy, they 
 speedily became again bewildered. I was surprised at this ; it 
 denoted a want of precision of observation, which an Indian 
 certainly could not have been charged with. He is able, in 
 the worst weather, to distinguish the north from the south face 
 
ARRIVE AT BEAVER CREEK. 119 
 
 of a mature and weathered tree — a species of knowledge, of 
 the utmost consequence to him in his forest wanderings. 
 
 An experiment, of letting a certain horse take his course 
 homeward, by throwing the reins upon his neck, was adopted 
 by our guides ; but after trying it for some time, it was found 
 necessary to give it up. It was clear that the animal was 
 going directly from home ; and Fisher, who believed in be- 
 witched guns, was obliged to yield the point. Not long after 
 resuming the reins, Holt announced, in the dense atmosphere 
 which enveloped us, that we were ascending the valley hills 
 that border the main channel of White river. As soon as this 
 was verified, and we had reached the highest point, the guides 
 both fired their rifles, to advertise their families, on the bot- 
 tom-lands below, of their approach ; and ^e were soon wel- 
 comed, at the hunters' cabins at the mouth of Beaver creek, 
 "by dogs, women, and children, all greasy and glad." 
 
 During this trip, I had listened to frequent recitals of the 
 details of hunting the bear, beaver, deer, and other animals, 
 the quality of dogs, the secret of baits, &c. — a species of forest 
 lectures, the details of which, at the moment, were new to me, 
 and had the charm of novelty, and the merit of information ; 
 but which it is unimportant, at this length of time, to repeat.* 
 
 * Vide Journal of a Tour into the Interior of Missouri and Arkansas. 
 London, 1821. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 DESCEND WHITE RIVER IN A CANOE — ITS PURE WATER, CHARAC- 
 TER, AND SCENERY — PLACES OF STOPPING — BEAR CREEK 
 
 SUGAR-LOAF PRAIRIE — BIG CREEK A RIVER PEDLAR — POT 
 
 SHOALS — MOUTH OF LITTLE NORTH FORK — DESCEND FORMIDA- 
 BLE RAPIDS, CALLED THE BULL SHOALS STRANDED ON ROCKS 
 
 — A PATRIARCH PIONEER — MINERALOGY — ANTIQUE POTTERY 
 
 AND BONES — SOME TRACE OF DE SOTO A TRIP BY LAND — 
 
 REACH THE MOUTH OF THE GREAT NORTH FORK. 
 
 I DETERMINED to descend the river from the hunters' cabins 
 at Beaver creek, being the highest location to which a pioneer 
 hunting population had pushed, and with this view purchased 
 a large and new canoe, of about twenty feet in length, from 
 the enterprising hunters. Putting into this such articles from 
 our former packs as were deemed necessary, and some provi- 
 sions, I took the bow, with a long and smooth pole to guide it 
 in rapids and shoals, and gave the stern to my companion, with 
 a steering-paddle. It was now the 9th of January. Bidding 
 adieu to our rough, but kind and friendly guides, we pushed 
 into the stream, and found ourselves floating, with little exer- 
 tion, at the rate of from three to four miles per hour. The 
 very change from traversing weary plains and prairies, and 
 ascending steep cliffs, was exhilarating and delightful. 
 
 White river is one of the most beautiful and enchanting 
 streams, and by far the most transparent, which discharge their 
 waters into the Mississippi. To a width and depth which entitle 
 it to be classed as a river of the third magnitude in Western 
 America, it unites a current which possesses the purity of 
 crystal, with a smooth and gentle flow, and the most imposing, 
 diversified, and delightful scenery. Objects can be clearly 
 
 (120) 
 
WHITE RIVER — ITS SCENERY. 121 
 
 seen in it, througli the water, at the greatest depths. Every 
 pebble, rock, fish, or shell, even the minutest body which occu- 
 pies the bottom of the stream, is seen with the most perfect 
 distinctness ; and the canoe, when looking under it, seemed, 
 from the remarkable transparency of the water, to be sus- 
 pended in air. The Indians, observing this peculiarity, called 
 it Unica, which is the transitive form of white. The French 
 of Louisiana merely translated this term to la riviere au 
 Blanc. It is, in fact, composed of tributaries which gush up 
 in large crystal springs out of the Ozark range of mountains, 
 and it does not receive a discoloured tributary in all its upper 
 course. These gigantic springs, which are themselves a curi- 
 osity, originate in the calcareous or sandstone strata of that 
 remarkable chain, and are overlaid by a heavy oceanic deposit 
 of limestone, quartz, hornstone, and chert pebbles, which serve 
 as a filtering-bed to the upspringing waters. Sometimes these 
 pebbles are found to be jasper, of a beautiful quality. 
 
 The scenery of its shores is also peculiar. Most frequently 
 the limestone, which has been subjected to the destructive 
 power of the elements, is worn into pinnacles of curious spiral 
 shapes. Where the river washes the base of these formations, 
 a high and precipitous wall of rock casts its shadow over the 
 water. On the shores opposite to such precipices, there is 
 invariably a rich diluvial plain, covered by a vigorous forest 
 of trees, clothed in all the graceful luxuriance of a summer 
 foliage. 
 
 If the shores be examined to any distance inland, the calca- 
 reous rock is found to exhibit frequent caverns, where the per- 
 colation of the water^ has produced stalactites of beautiful 
 forms, or the concretions are spread upon the floors of these 
 caves in curious masses. 
 
 Often, upon the shores, we observed the graceful doe. At 
 early hours in the morning, the wild turkeys appeared in large 
 flocks, with their plumage glistening in the light. The duck, 
 goose, and brant, often rose up before us, and lighted in the 
 stream again below us ; and we thus drove them, without 
 intending it, for miles. Sometimes, perched on some high 
 pinnacle or towering tree, the eagle, hawk, or heron, surveyed 
 
 n 
 
122 AN OLD PIONEER. 
 
 our descent, as if it were an intrusion upon their long undis- 
 turbed domain. 
 
 A few miles below our point of embarkation, we passed, on 
 the left shore, a precipitous wall of calcareous rock, on the 
 summit of which I observed the location of the cavern, into 
 the mouth of which I descended some twenty or thirty feet, on 
 my outward journey ; and it now seemed probable that the 
 ramifications which I saw by the dim light admitted, were of 
 an extensive cliaracter. 
 
 As the shades of night overtook us, a hunter's cabin was 
 descried on the left shore, where a landing was made. It 
 proved to be occupied by a person of the name of Yochem, who 
 readily gave us permission to remain for the night. He told 
 us we had descended thirty miles. He regaled us hospitably 
 with wild viands, and, among other meats, the beaver's tail — a 
 dish for epicures. 
 
 Resuming the descent at an early hour, a couple of miles 
 brought us to the inlet of Bear creek — a stream coming in on 
 the right side, which is described as long, narrow, and crooked. 
 Nothing denoted that man had ever made his residence along 
 this part of the stream. We floated on charmingly. At every 
 turn, some novel combination of scenery presented itself. As 
 evening drew near, a hunter's cabin appeared on our right, 
 and, a coujale of miles further, another on our left, near one 
 of those natural monuments of denudation common to the lime- 
 stone of this river, which is called the Sugar-loaf. We stopped 
 for the night at this habitation, and found it to be occupied by 
 a Mr. Coker. The old man received us with the usual frank 
 and friendly air and manner of a hunter. More than fifty 
 years must have marked his frontier pilgrimage on its con- 
 stantly shifting boundary. He stood some six feet three in 
 height, was erect and thin, and looked like one of the patriarchs 
 of the woods, who, cherishing his personal independence and 
 Lis rifle, had ever relied upon his own arm for a support, and 
 distrusted nothing on earth half so much as Indians. In his 
 view, the Osages were the perfection of robbers; and he con- 
 gratulated us on getting out of their country with our scalps 
 safely on our heads, and our "plunder" (a common word here 
 
THE POT SHOALS. 123 
 
 for baggage) untoucliecL It appeared from his estimates that 
 •we had descended the river twenty-five miles. 
 
 Rain fell copiously during the night ; hut it ceased before 
 daylight (11th), by the earliest gleams of which we were again 
 in motion, descending the pellucid river. At the computed 
 distance of sixteen miles, we passed the mouth of Big river, a 
 considerable stream on the left banks, where I halted a few 
 moments to see a new location which had just been commenced. 
 A small clearing had been made in the dense canebrake, and a 
 log house commenced. Shortly below this spot, we encountered 
 a river pedlar, ascending the stream with his commodities in a 
 canoe. On conversing with him, I found his knowledge of 
 affairs very local and partial. Of the outer world, and of its 
 news, he knew nothing. 
 
 At every stage of our progress, the river was increasing in 
 its volume ; and, soon after this occurrence, we observed its 
 velocity accelerated, and almost imperceptibly found ourselves 
 gliding rapidly over the Pot Shoals. This rapid appeared less 
 formidable than had been anticipated. I rose up to observe 
 the draught of the current, and, by a few strokes of the pole, 
 kept the canoe in the force of the stream. About seven miles 
 below these shoals, and just as evening closed in, a house ap- 
 peared on the left shore. It proved to be M'Garey's, at whose 
 domicile we had originally struck on crossing the wilderness 
 from Potosi. He was glad to hail our return from a region, 
 against the Indian occupants of which, he had decidedly warned 
 us on our outward trip, but from whom we had fortunately 
 received no injury. lie informed us that we had this day 
 descended the river forty miles, that being the received distance 
 to Sugar-loaf Prairie. 
 
 Vife Viere indeed cordially received as old acquaintances, and 
 congratulated on our perseverance in visiting a region where 
 Indian hostility w^as so much to be dreaded. On learning that 
 the Osages had retired west, and that the country abounded in 
 game, one of the sons of our host prepared to push into that 
 region. M'Garey told us that he had delivered "Butcher," 
 agreeably to our order,' to Holt; but the latter, on travelling 
 a day's journey toward Beaver creek, had found him too feeble 
 
124 A PERILOUS SITUATION. 
 
 to proceed, and, after taking off his shoes, had abandoned him 
 to the wolves. Sad emblem of the fate of persons who have 
 served great men, till they have reached some pinnacle where 
 the service is forgotten, because no longer necessary ! 
 
 Nearly opposite, but a little below this cabin, we passed, on 
 the 12th, the mouth of the Little North Fork ; a stream origi- 
 nating in a broken region on the left bank, and having some 
 alluvions at its mouth. Evidences of habitation became more 
 frequent below the Little North Fork, which caused me to 
 cease noting their succession in my journal. 
 
 Nothing of special interest occurred to mark the day's pro- 
 gress, till we reached, at an advanced hour in the afternoon, 
 the Bull shoals. At this formidable rapid, the river probably 
 sinks its level fifteen or twenty feet in the space of half a 
 mile. Masses of limestone rock stand up in the bed of the 
 river, and create several channels. Between these the river 
 foams and roars. When I arose in the canoe to take a view 
 of the rapid into which we were about to plunge, the bed of 
 the stream appeared to be a perfect sheet of foam, whirling 
 and rushing with great force and tumult. As I knew not the 
 proper channel, and it was too late to withdraw, the only step 
 left was to keep the canoe headed, and down we went most 
 rapidly. Very soon the canoe leaped on a round rock, driving 
 on it with great force, and veered about crosswise. In an 
 instant I jumped into the water at the bows, while my compa- 
 nion did the same at the stern, and, by main force, we lifted it 
 over the ledge, got in quickly, and again headed it properly. 
 We were, emphatically, in the midst of roaring rapids ; their 
 very noise was deafening. The canoe had probably got down 
 six hundred yards, when a similar difficulty occurred, at the 
 head of a second shute or bench of rocks, reaching across the 
 river. In an instant, it again struck. It was obviated by 
 getting into the water, in the same way as on the first occa- 
 sion; only, however, to put our strength and skill to. the test 
 a third time, after which we shot down to the foot of the rapids 
 safely. We had managed neither to ship water, nor to lose a 
 piece of baggage. We were, however, thoroughly wetted, but 
 kept our position in the canoe for five miles below the rapid, 
 
ANTIQUITIES — SOME TRACE OF DE SOTO. 125 
 
 bringing us to the head of Friend's settlement. We landed, 
 at a rather early hour in the evening, at a log building on the 
 left shore, where we were hospitably received by Teen Friend, 
 a man of mature age and stately air, the patriarch of the 
 settlement. It was of him that we had heard stories of Osage 
 captivity and cruelty, having visited one of the very valleys 
 where he was kept in "durance vile." 
 
 The antiquities and mineral appearances in that vicinity 
 were represented as worthy of examination ; in consequence 
 of which, I devoted a part of the next day (13th) to these 
 objects. The neighboring hills consist of stratified limestone. 
 The surface of the soil exhibits some fragments of hornstone 
 and radiated quartz, with indications of iron-ore. At the 
 shoals, traces of galena and calcareous spar occui". 
 
 Mr. Friend, being familiar from personal observation with 
 the geography and resources of the country at large, states 
 that rock-salt is found between the south fork of White river 
 and the Arkansas, where the Pawnees and Osages make use 
 of it. It is presumed that this salt consists of crystalline 
 masses from the evaporation of saline water. He represents 
 the lead-ores on its north-western source, which we had par- 
 tially explored, as very extensive. 
 
 If, as is probable, De Soto ranged over these regions in his 
 extensive marches between the St. Francis and Arkansas, his 
 exploratory parties may have reached the locality of crystal- 
 line salt referred to, and he would have found the buffalo in 
 several positions east of that place. 
 
 The antiquarian objects to which my attention was called, 
 afforded the greatest degree of interest. They consisted of 
 pieces of earthenware, some antique fragments of bone, and a 
 metallic alloy, resting in a substance resembling ashes, and 
 also arrow-heads. The metallic alloy, of which Mr. F. gave 
 me a specimen, resembles a combination of lead and tin. But 
 what adds to the interest attending the discovery of these 
 articles, is the fact, that they lie, apparently, below the diluvial 
 deposits, bearing a heavy forest, and at the geological line of 
 intersection with the consolidated rocks. 
 
 From the apparent vestiges in this quarter, I am of opinion 
 11* 
 
126 NEW ENGLAND PIONEEK. 
 
 that De Soto's "Tanico" must be located in this vicinity, and 
 that he crossed the White river near this place. A march 
 ■west of this point, over a hilly country, would bring him into 
 the fertile valley of the Little Red river, or Buffalo creek — 
 his probable Tula, where his people first tasted the flesh of this 
 animal, and where he recruited his army for a new effort. 
 
 These inquiries occupied the morning. It was late before 
 we embarked, and, at some four miles below, we landed on the 
 right shore, at a Mr. Zadock Lee's, being the first New Eng- 
 lander whom we had met in this region. With him we took 
 dinner. He appeared pleased to see us, and conducted me to 
 see some antique, white, lirae-like masses, in the earth, near 
 the bank of the river, which had the appearance of decayed 
 bones. Rumor speaks of some other antiquities in this quarter 
 of the country, in the shape of bricks, concealed by the un- 
 disturbed soil ; but I saw nothing of this kind. While here, 
 Mr. Lee's son returned from the forest with the flesh of the 
 bear and buffalo, the fruits of his own prowess in the chase, 
 and amused us with an account of his recent exhibition of 
 skill in these departments. We embarked and descended the 
 river six miles, to a Mr. Jacob Yochem's, who received us 
 with hospitality, and added no little, by his conversation, to 
 our local lore. 
 
 It was determined, the next morning, (14th,) to loan our 
 canoe, which was a capacious, new, and clean vessel, made 
 from white-ash, to our host, to enable him to transport his 
 hunter products to a market at the mouth of the Great North 
 Fork, leaving our baggage to be brought that way. The dis- 
 tance by water is thirty-five miles ; by land, probably not 
 more than eighteen or twenty. By this step, we avoided the 
 dangers of navigating two formidable rapids, called the 
 Crooked Creek and Bufi\ilo Shoals ; the former situated fifteen, 
 and the latter twenty miles below Yochem's. 
 
 We left our host's at a seasonable hour in the morning, 
 taking a good horse-path ; and we walked diligently till near 
 dusk, before reaching our destination. We then had the whole 
 volume of White river between us and our purposed place of 
 lodgment, which was at the residence of a man named Mat- 
 
JOUKNEY ON FOOT. 127 
 
 ney. It was the only house "within a considerable distance at 
 which shelter for the night could be obtained ; and we did not 
 hesitate long between the two alternatives presented to us — 
 either of lying out in the woods all night, or of fording the 
 river, with the depth of which we were not acquainted. "We 
 chose the latter, and accordingly prepared for the attempt. 
 At the shallowest part we could find, it was about four feet 
 deep in the channel ; but we struggled through, and reached 
 the house just at nightfall, wet and chilly. We were hospi- 
 tably received, and speedily made ourselves comfortable. We 
 had been told that the distance was fifteen miles ; but to us, 
 who had diligently footed it, it seemed more than twenty. 
 
 ~y 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 DETENTION AT THE MOUTH OF THE GREAT NORTH FORK — NATU- 
 RAL HISTORY OF THE VICINITY — GREAT BLOCKS OF QUARTZ — 
 IMPOSING PRECIPICES OF THE CALICO ROCK — A CHARACTERISTIC 
 OF AMERICAN SCENERY — CHEROKEE OCCUPANCY OF THE COUN- 
 TRY BETWEEN THE WHITE AND ARKANSAS RIVERS — ITS EFFECTS 
 ON THE PIONEERS — QUESTION OF THE FATE OF THE INDIAN 
 RACES — IRON-ORE — DESCENT TO THE ARKANSAS FERRIES — LEAVE 
 THE RIVER AT THIS POINT — REMARKS ON ITS CHARACTER AND 
 PRODUCTIONS. 
 
 The canoe had not yet arrived, nor was there any tidings 
 of it the next morning ; so that there was no alternative, in 
 our present situation, but to wait patiently. I determined to 
 improve the delay by exploring the neighborhood. It is a 
 geographical point of some importance, being the head of the 
 navigation of White river for all large craft ascending from 
 the Mississippi. As yet, nothing but keel-boats have ascended. 
 Between the point of our embarkation at Beaver creek and 
 this spot, the river has a fall of about sixty feet, at four rapids, 
 which do not probably extend over a mile or two in the aggre- 
 gate. The stream, during the rest of the way, has a fine, 
 lively current, seldom of great velocity, and never stagnates. 
 The Great North Fork, the scene of our former ramblings, 
 enters a short distance below the foot of the Buffalo Shoals, 
 rendering the draught of water practicable, it is believed, for 
 steamboats at all seasons. 
 
 I found the pebble-stones and boulders on the margin and 
 bed of the river, which I leisurely examined, to afford a true 
 representation of the formations which had been observed in 
 traversing the elevated and broken surface of the Ozarks. 
 
 (128) 
 
PECULIARITIES OF SCENERY. 129 
 
 They consist of the various limestones and sandstones of the 
 region, with a partial mixture of quartz rock, red sienite, horn- 
 stone, argillaceous rock, and the peculiar, egg-shaped, coarse 
 yellow jasper, which appears to have been imbedded in some 
 of its strata. On ascending the cliffs west of the valley, they 
 were observed to consist of the characteristic limestone of the 
 region, in horizontal layers, the upper strata containing im- 
 pressions of shells. Very large angular masses of quartz rock 
 lie near the bases of these cliffs. Some of the angles of these 
 masses would probably measure fourteen feet. Their position 
 here appears to be quite anomalous, as, from the absence of 
 attrition, they are clearly not of the erratic block group. 
 They appear to indicate a primitive formation near. 
 
 The half hunter, half farmer, to whom we had loaned our 
 canoe, came with a number of his companions in the evening, 
 and entered on a scene of merriment, to which, as the cabin 
 had but one room, we were compelled to be unwilling spectators 
 during the livelong night, though, from its character, not par- 
 ticipating at all therein. As soon as there was light sufficient 
 to discern objects (16th), we embarked, rejoiced to get clear 
 of this extraordinary nocturnal scene. About half a mile 
 below, we passed the mouth of the Great North Fork, and, 
 some five or six miles further, entered and descended a swift 
 channel, called the Crooked rapids, where there probably has 
 been some slight geological disturbance in the bed of the 
 river, observable in very low stages of water. 
 
 At the distance of ten miles more, a sudden turn of the 
 river brought us in full sight of the picturesque, elevated, and 
 precipitous shore, called the Calico Rock. This presents a 
 most imposing facade, on which are observable the imitative 
 forms of fantastic architectural devices. The wall is quite 
 precipitous throughout. It is the calcareous rock of the region. 
 Its summit is overlaid with ochreous clays of various colors, 
 which, through the action of the elements, have imparted their 
 fanciful hues to portions of the cliff. This abrupt species of 
 scenery is quite peculiar to the American landscape. A still 
 more imposing section of it is presented in the Pictured Rocks 
 of Lake Superior. Nothing of this kind marks the banks of 
 
 I 
 
130 DISSATISFACTION OF SETTLERS. 
 
 the Rhine, so much eulogized by travellers ; for all its forma- 
 tions partake of the parabolic, or curved lines of the primitive, 
 and the eye is relieved by these gradations ; but, in the brusque 
 scenes of the West, the precipices are as marked as if they 
 had been hewn down by some gigantic broad-axe. There are 
 some sections, in keeping with these harsh landscapes, on the 
 Mississippi, along the Missouri shores — less prominently along 
 the Illinois borders, near Alton — and at places in Iowa and 
 Wisconsin ; but more characteristic in Minnesota, as the river 
 escapes from its primitive plains, and plunges over the falls 
 of St. Anthony. We descended about thirty miles this day, 
 and found lodgment, at night, at a house on the left bank,, 
 occupied by a Mr. Jeflfery. 
 
 The next morning (17th), on descending five miles, we 
 stopped at a Mr. Williams's to prepare breakfast, where some 
 persons were gathering to hear an itinerant preacher. Twenty 
 miles lower, we stopped for the night, at a widow Lafferty's. 
 
 From the remarks made at the places where we have been 
 entertained by the hunters and settlers on this river, there is 
 considerable dissatisfaction with a treaty* made with the Che- 
 rokee Indians, by which a part of that nation are assigned a 
 location between the north banks of the Arkansas and the 
 south bank of White river. Many of them, including our 
 hostess to-night, and the M'Gareys, Lees, and Matneys above, 
 have lands in cultivation, with dwelling-houses, stock, and 
 improvements, of more or less value, on the south banks of the 
 river ; which, as they apprehend, under the operation of this 
 treaty, they are to relinquish to the Cherokees. 
 
 The truth is, the first white occupants of the frontiers, 
 though generally rough men, and without a title to the lands 
 they settle on, are the pioneers of civilization ; and by thus 
 taking their lives in their hands, and encountering the perils 
 of the wilderness and of Indian hostility, they lay the govern- 
 ment under a strong obligation to protect them. The natural 
 hatred of races is such, that they are everlastingly on ill terms 
 
 * Treaty of 8th July, 1817. Tide Indian Treaties, p. 209. 
 
/ 
 
 / ■ 
 
 REFLECTIONS ON THE FATE OF THE INDIAN. 131 
 
 V 
 
 with the Indians, and the Indians with them. It is difficult to 
 say which of the two races, during this period of contact, is 
 most suspicious of the other. 
 
 The Indians, also, look up to the government with strong 
 claims for justice and protection. The frontier, at the begin- 
 ning of the sixteenth century, was on and near the Atlantic 
 borders, from Maine to Georgia, and long continued east of 
 the Alleghany mountains. It is already west of the Missis- 
 sippi river, that mighty geographical highway, which, like a 
 longitudinal line, stretches across seventeen degrees of latitude, 
 every mile of which will, ere long, be settled and cultivated by 
 the Anglo-American race. As the population presses first on 
 the Indian's hunting-grounds, and next on his cornfields, he 
 flies before the irresistible tide, and takes shelter at some more 
 remote western point. But he is hardly well seated on his new 
 hunting-grounds — he has hardly begun to reap his new corn- 
 fields — when the pioneers of the same race that disturbed him 
 before, are upon him ; and again, and again he must fly before 
 the resistless — the uncontrollable tide of migration. It is a 
 providential reflux in the wave of races. It is something to be 
 observed, rather than to be apprehended and understood. It 
 seems to say, that the surface of the habitable earth was not 
 formed for the permanent occupancy of races who rely on the 
 pleasing and exciting uses of the bow and arrow ; and that 
 labor, which was, at the first, declared to be the proper condi- 
 tion of man, is destined to sweep away, if it cannot merge in 
 its on-rush, these erratic and picturesque tribes. Where their 
 frontiers will be found, a hundred years hence, the voice of 
 history, looking to the past, may only tell ; but this appears 
 more appreciable and clear — that the perpetuation of the race 
 as one of the elements of mankind, must depend, in the sequel, 
 however long that sequel be postponed, on his substantial 
 adoption of the principles of industry, letters, and Christianity. 
 The " tents of Shem," however we may read the prediction, are 
 still to be occupied, if they are not now^, by a broad philanthi'opy, 
 to be merged into those of the higher civilization of Japhet. 
 For, the civilization and the moral elevation of man is the great 
 object of revelation ; and it appears clear, and conformable to 
 
132 A FANCIED TREASURE. 
 
 reason, that, where future history is taught in the Pentateuch 
 by figures, it should be figuratively, and not dogmatically, 
 explained. 
 
 On leaving Mrs. Lafferty's, in the morning of the 18th, we 
 descended about five miles, and stopped to breakfast at a Mr. 
 Jones's. Rumor had pointed out this place as the locality of 
 a tin-mine. The frontiersmen are greatly disposed to excite 
 each other's imaginations by reports of mines and discoveries, 
 every one of which is fancied to be some new Potosi or El 
 Dorado. Our host was not backward in bringing to me some 
 specimens of his supposed treasure. It consisted of several 
 heavy lumps of the ore called, by mineralogists, iron glance. 
 It had the usual color, great weight, and high metallic lustre. 
 He represented it as occurring, in large bodies, about eight or 
 ten miles north of his house, on high lands, at the surface. 
 
 We had proceeded some miles on our way, when a large 
 black bear was discovered on the shore. It appeared to be 
 about to plunge in for the purpose of crossing the river, when 
 our presence alarmed it, and the animal, with its usual clumsy 
 gait, betook himself to the woods again. The clumsiness of 
 this animal's motions seems to be owing to the bluntness of its 
 hind paws, which q.ppear as if, we should suppose, it arose from 
 re-curved legs. The Indians laugh at the gait of bruin. We 
 had encountered this species several times before, and always, 
 as on this occasion, found it disposed to flee. 
 
 Fifteen miles below Jones's cabin, we passed Harden's ferry, 
 the house being on the right bank ; and, two miles further on, 
 ■we passed Morrison's ferry. Continuing our descent eight 
 miles lower, we landed at a place called Poke Bayou, where 
 we were hospitably received by a Mr. Robert Beam The river 
 had now become a magnificent body of water, still clear and 
 beautiful. We were here within the boundaries of the Missis- 
 sippi alluvions. No highlands are visible for some distance 
 before reaching Harden's. The river winds through broad, 
 fertile plains, bearing a most vigorous growth of forest trees. 
 The banks are elevated some thirty feet above the water, and, 
 as the stream increases in depth and strength, they become 
 
ORIENTAL ASPECT OF THE COUNTRY. 133 
 
 subject to be undermined by the flood. The cane, which is 
 common to the river in its entire length, even to the highest 
 elevations of the Ozarks, is here of a tall and most vigorous 
 growth. It is this plant, I apprehend, more than any other 
 feature, which gives an oriental cast to these alluvial tracts ; 
 and I was almost ready, at some points, where "the growth 
 concealed the trunks of the heavy forest, to see the hippopo- 
 tamus and elephant display their clumsy forms. For these, 
 however, we had the bufiFalo, the cougar, and the bear, whose 
 crackling strength, as they passed through these reedy mazes, 
 had, on more than one occasion during our rambles, reminded 
 us of the great muscular power of these boasted objects of 
 hunter skill and enterprise. Often had a fine dog, in the nar- 
 rations of the hunters, paid the penalty of coming within the 
 stroke of the latter ; and we could sympathise with the loss 
 of an animal, which is of the highest value in his pursuits. It 
 is due to this class of men to say, that, however rough they 
 are in their manners, we were uniformly received by them with 
 a frank hospitality, which appears to be always a point of honor 
 with them ; nor did any of the number, to whom reward was 
 proffered for entertainment, ever condescend to receive a cent 
 for anything in the shape of food or lodging. 
 
 The point of our landing was at the crossing of the lower 
 Arkansas road. About twelve or fourteen buildings of all/ l^""^ 
 sorts were clustered together, forming a small village, which is 
 now called Batesville ; being the only one which had been 
 encountered since leaving Potosi. 
 
 12 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 ANCIENT SPOT OF DE SOTO's CROSSING WHITE RIYER IN 1542 — 
 LAMENESS PRODUCED BY A FORMER INJURY — INCIDENTS OF THE 
 
 JOURNEY TO THE ST. FRANCIS RIVER DE SOTO'S ANCIENT 
 
 MARCHES AND ADVENTURES ON THIS RIVER IN THE SEARCH 
 AFTER GOLD — FOSSIL SALT— COPPER — THE ANCIENT RANGES OF 
 THE BUFFALO. 
 
 I DETERMINED to quit the river at this point, and, after a 
 night's rest, made the necessary arrangements. 
 
 There is almost a moral certainty that De Soto must have 
 crossed the river above this place. The make of the land, and 
 the custom of the Indians in choosing the best ground for a 
 path to travel from village to village, would determine this. 
 His position, after crossing the Mississippi at the mouth of the 
 St. Francis, and reaching the high grounds of the latter, would 
 lead the natives who were his guides to keep the elevated and 
 dry ranges leading to the buffalo country, west ; and he must 
 have crossed the affluents of the Black and Currents rivers at 
 a high point towards the Ozarks. The dry and open woods 
 afforded the best ground for the march of his cavalry ; and 
 when he attempted to reach the salt and buffalo country from 
 the region east of White river, the roughness of the country 
 would lead him to the central points of that stream. It would 
 be interesting, as a point of antiquarian interest, to know 
 where the old Indian paths were located. The roads, in all 
 parts of the country, were based on these. They led to the 
 most practicable fords of rivers, they avoided swamps and 
 boggy grounds, and evinced a thorough geographical know- 
 ledge of the conformation of the country. 
 
 (134) 
 
DISABLED BY LAMENESS. 135 
 
 To travel where De Soto had travelled, and where he had 
 performed some of his heroic feats, had something pleasing, at 
 least, in the association. Doubtless, had the first occupants 
 of Upper Louisiana been as mindful of historical reminiscences 
 as they were set on repeating his search for gold and silver 
 mines, they might have been rewarded by finding some of the 
 straggling bones of his broken-down Andalusian cavalry. The 
 fragments of broken arms and trappings were yet, perhaps, 
 concealed by the accumulated rank vegetable soil of Arkansas 
 and Southern Missouri, whence the plough may at no distant 
 day reveal them. 
 
 It was ten o'clock on the morning of the 19th, when, having 
 made every necessary preparation, we left Mr. Bean's. I 
 regretted the necessity of making a selection from my collec- 
 tion of minerals and geological specimens. We set out with 
 great alacrity. For the first five miles, we passed over a level, 
 fertile tract, with several plantations ; the remaining thirteen 
 miles were comparatively sterile and uneven, without settle- 
 ments. We had passed about seventeen miles of the distance, 
 when my right foot and ankle began to flinch. I was not sen- 
 sible of any slip or sprain in walking, but rather believe it 
 resulted from too much ardour and anxiety to get forward. I 
 had, about four years previously, dislocated and injured the 
 same ankle in leaping down a precipice in the Green moun- 
 tains, having mistaken a granitical shelf of rock at its base, 
 which was covered with autumnal leaves, for soft soil. I be- 
 lieve the suddenness and alacrity of this day's travel, after 
 leaving the quietude of the canoe, had awakened a sympathy 
 in the injured nerves. In a short time, the pain was unendu- 
 rable. With great effort I walked a mile further, and reached 
 a double log house, the mistress of which bathed the ankle with 
 salt and water, and made other applications. Some allevia- 
 tion, but no permanent relief, was obtained. I then laid down 
 under the hope of being better, but awoke on the morning of 
 the 20th with little or no abatement of the pain, and inflam- 
 mation. A traveller on horseback, coming along that morning 
 on a fine animal, agreed, for a small compensation, to let me 
 ride to the south fork of Strawberry river, while he went afoot. 
 
136 MINERAL INDICATIONS. 
 
 This helped me over tTrelve miles of the road, where his path 
 diverged ; and I felt so much relieved by it, on dismounting, 
 that I managed, by easy stages, to walk four miles farther, 
 which brought us to the main river. The afternoon was not 
 yet spent ; but the pain of my ankle had returned before reach- 
 ing the river, and I found it in vain to press forward, without 
 adequate repose. 
 
 The next morning (21st), my travelling companion, who 
 cared nothing for natural history or antiquities, and was urgent 
 to push on, left me, and returned to St. Lpuis. Left alone, I felt, 
 for a few moments, a sense of isolation ; but I was now in a 
 region where there was no longer any danger to be appre- 
 hended for the want of the first necessaries of life. My 
 lameness required nothing, indeed, but perfect repose. The 
 people were kind, and, when I ascertained that my hostess was 
 a sister of one of the hunters who had guided me in the most 
 remote parts of my wanderings in the Ozarks, there was a 
 manifest point of sympathy. 
 
 I found by inquiry that there were appearances of a mineral 
 deposit in this vicinity, which seemed to connect the hilly 
 grounds of Strawberry river with similar indications which 
 have been noticed near the Bull shoals, on White river. Ap- 
 pearances denote the existence of sulphuret of lead in the 
 vicinity. The sulphate of barytes, calcareous spar, and white 
 crystalline masses of quartz, characterize the uplands. When 
 my foot and ankle would bear it, I proceeded by easy paces 
 northward, going, the first day after leaving the Strawberry 
 valley, ten miles, which brought me to a place called Dogwood 
 Springs, so named from the cornus florida. The next day I 
 went ten miles further, when I came to the banks of Spring 
 river, where I was entertained by Major Haynes. Here I 
 first saw cotton in the fields, being the unpulled bolls of the 
 autumn crop, which had not been thought worth gathering. 
 
 Feeling no injury to result from these easy marches, which 
 gave me time to examine the appearances of the surface, I 
 ventured a little farther on the recovery of my ankle, and, the 
 third day, went nineteen miles. In this distance I crossed the 
 
SHELTER REFUSED. 137 
 
 stream called Elevenpoints, a tributary to Spring river, and 
 came, at a rather late hour in the evening, into a small valley 
 called Foosh-e-da-maw, a popular corruption of the French 
 Fourche H Thomas. It was quite dark when I applied for a 
 night's lodging at a small cabin, being the only one I had 
 encountered for many miles. The man and his wife, who were 
 its only occupants, were manifestly not blessed with much of 
 this world's goods ; but they were kind, and, though they had 
 already gone to bed, and had but one room, they permitted me 
 to occupy a part of the floor. Spare bed they had none ; but, 
 had they possessed ever so many, I did not require one. 
 Camping out under the open heavens so long, had created a 
 habit which made it impossible for me to rest in a soft bed. I 
 had declined one the night before, at Spring river, and thrown 
 myself on a single blanket, on the hard puncheons. I wished 
 to keep my nerves up to this tense state, and the hardy habits 
 of the woodman, while I was compelled to foot my way, and 
 take my chances for rough fare, for some time. 
 
 With the earliest gleams of light I was up, and walked four 
 miles to breakfast. Twelve more brought me to Hicks's ferry, 
 on a large stream called the Currents. I had camped on the 
 source of this river, in the cliffs of the Ozarks, on my outward 
 trip, and found the region remarkable for its large saltpetre caves. 
 It was here a river of eight feet deep, and three hundred yards 
 wide. At this spot I should have stopped ; for, after going 
 beyond it, I found the country was thinly settled, which com- 
 pelled me to walk some time after nightfall, before I could find 
 a house ; and, on presenting myself, the man proved to be 
 surly and gruff, and denied me lodging. It was evident to me, 
 from words that passed, that his wife was expecting to be ill ; 
 and, as the house was small, there seemed some reason for his 
 apparent unkindness. I had already come twenty-three miles ; 
 the night was dark, and threatened rain ; and the next house 
 distant. I should have been happy to exclaim, with the poet, 
 
 " Turn, gentle hermit of the dale, and guide my lonely way \" 
 
 but there was no gentle hermit in sight. It was clearly not a 
 question of poetry, but was likely to be one of sober, down- 
 12* 
 
138 GENUINE HOSPITALITY. 
 
 right prose. I said to him, finally, after a look into the black 
 darkness and desolate woods, that I would only claim my length 
 on the floor, and, to give no uneasiness to his good lady, be 
 ofi" at the slightest intimation. He consented, and I laid down 
 without receiving any notice of the lady's expected illness till 
 morning, when I left my pallet at a very early hour. For 
 three miles beyond, it was a rough region, through which it 
 required daylight to pass, and where I must have lost my way 
 in the dark, had I gone on, the night previously. 
 
 I stopped at a cottage for breakfast. It was occupied by a 
 poor woman. Everything bore tokens of this fact. She ap- 
 peared to have little in the way of eatables herself, but was 
 very willing, in the article of breakfast, to share that little 
 with me. I had passed the night before supperless, after a 
 long day's walk, and the morning's air had further excited my 
 appetite ; still, I should have gone on, had another habitation 
 been near at hand ; but what the good woman wanted in means, 
 she made up in readiness and hearty good-will ; and, if the 
 meal was not sumptuous, I arose as well satisfied as if I had 
 breakfasted with a lord. 
 
 Thus refreshed, I went on ten miles, which brought me to 
 the banks of Little Black river. Two miles beyond this stream, 
 I stopped at the house of a Mr. Reeves, at an early hour in 
 the afternoon, my ankle giving indications of returning lame- 
 ness. Quiet, and a night's repose, had the efiect to relieve 
 these symptoms, and I was enabled cautiously to continue my 
 journey the next day. Daylight was ever my signal for rising, 
 and, by easy stages, I made seventeen miles during the day, 
 walking early and late. The first six miles of this distance 
 were made before I stopped for breakfast, and the next ten 
 miles brought me to the ferry over Big Black river — a clear, 
 rapid stream, which, in its progress to the south, is the reci- 
 pient of all the before-mentioned streams, from the Strawberry 
 river, north ; and is itself, finally, a tributary of White river, 
 maintaining through it a free navigation with the Mississippi. 
 After crossing the ferry, I went about half a mile further, and 
 took up my night's lodgings at a Mr. Bollinger's. I felt no 
 further weakness of my foot and ankle, and was happy in the 
 
THEATRE OF DE SOTO'S MOVEMENTS. 139 
 
 reflection that my cautious movements had been such as not to 
 overtax the strength of my nerves. Indeed, from this point, 
 (till 1830,) I experienced no further symptoms of lameness. 
 
 On the next morning (28th), I walked seven miles, and took 
 breakfast at a Mr. Esty's, where I fell in with the old road, 
 which had originally been laid, when the country came to be 
 settled, on the ancient Indian path. The elevated lands be- 
 tween Black river and the St. Francis, had evidently been the 
 line of march of De Soto, when (in 1541) he set forward from 
 " Quiquate," on the St. Francis, toward the "north-west," in 
 search of Coligoa. Any other course between west and south- 
 west, would have involved his army in the lagoons, and deep 
 and wide channel, of Black river, which forms a barrier for 
 about one hundred and fifty miles toward the south ; while 
 this dividing ground, between the Black river and St. Francis, 
 consists chiefly of dry pine lands and open uplands, ofiering 
 every facility for the movements of his cavalry, which were 
 ever the dread of the Indians. 
 
 The first Indian village which De Soto reached, after cross- 
 ing the Mississippi — probably at the ancient Indian crossing- 
 place at the lower Chickasaw blufls — and pushing on through 
 the low grounds, was on reaching the elevations of the St. 
 Francis, immediately west of his point of landing. The place 
 was called Casquin, or Casqui ; a name which will be recog- 
 nized as bearing a resemblance to one of the Illinois tribes, who 
 have long been known under the name of Kaskaskias. From 
 this place on the high lands of the St. Francis, he ascended 
 that river, keeping the same side of its current, through a fine 
 country, abounding in the pecan and mulberry, a distance of 
 seven leagues, to the central position of the Casquins. Here 
 it was, and not on the immediate banks of the Mississippi, that 
 he erected a gigantic cross, formed out of a pine tree, which, 
 after it was hewn, a hundred men could not lift. 
 
 From this place, after a rest of several days, he was led, by 
 the wily chief, to march against the village and chief of Capaha, 
 who was his hereditary enemy, and who had, in past encoun- 
 ters, proved himself more than his equal in prowess. De Soto 
 
140 IDENTiriCATION OF INDIAN TRIBES. 
 
 was cauglit in this trap, which had nearly proved fatal to his 
 gallant army. 
 
 Descending the high grounds, evidently, towards the north- 
 east, and crossing alluvial tracts, by a march of about six days 
 he reached the enemy, well posted, strong in numbers, and of 
 great bravery, on the pastoral elevations, which we are disposed 
 to look for at the site of the modern Spanish town of New 
 Madrid. Capaha took shelter on a thickly wooded island in 
 the Mississippi river, where De Soto, assisted by his allies, 
 attacked him in canoes, and from which his allies, and after- 
 wards he himself, were glad to retreat. The chief was a most 
 brave, energetic young man, and fought against his combined 
 enemies with the spirit inspired by long acknowledged success. 
 This place formed the extreme northern limit of De Soto's 
 expedition on the line of the Mississippi, and must have been 
 north of 35°. After this effort, he retraced his steps slowly 
 back to Casqui. 
 
 The Kapahas, of whom the Sioux are ethnologically a branch, 
 have occupied the west banks of the Mississippi, extending to 
 the base of the Rocky mountains, as long as we have known 
 that stream. They have been inveterate enemies of the whole 
 Algonquin race, to which the Kaskaskias and Illinois belonged; 
 and it is not improbable that they had, at this early day, not 
 only encountered the Spaniards, but that, after their with- 
 drawal, they fell on the Casquins, and drove them east of the 
 Mississippi, into the country of the Illinois. 
 
 While De Soto was in the country of Capaha, he learned 
 that about forty leagues distant, (west, it must needs have 
 been,) there were, in the hill country, quantities of fossil salt, 
 and also a yellowish metal, which he supposed to be gold. He 
 despatched two trusty and intelligent men, with Indian guides 
 and carriers, to procure samples. After an absence of eleven 
 days, they returned, with six of the Indians laden with crystals 
 of salt, and one of them with metallic copper. A hundred 
 and twenty miles west of the supposed point of starting, would 
 carry the messengers across the valley of White river, and far 
 into the Ozark plains and elevations, between the south fork 
 of that stream, and the north banks of the Arkansas — the 
 
KENTUCKY CURRENCY. 141 
 
 same region, in fine, mentioned, in a prior part of these 
 sketches, as yielding those articles, on the authority of the 
 experienced woodsman, Teen Friend. The country through 
 which these messengers passed was sterile and thinly inha- 
 bited ; but they reported it to be filled with herds of buffalo. 
 These reports led him to march down the banks of the St. 
 Francis, till he reached the village called Quiguate. From 
 thence, having heard of a locality called Coligoa, where he 
 thought there might be gold, he marched again north-west in 
 search of it. This march, in which he followed a single Indian 
 guide, must have led him to the foot of the rough, mountain- 
 ous, granitic, and mineral region, at the sources of the St. 
 Francis. But this search proved also a disappointment. He 
 was informed that, six leagues north of Coligoa, the buffalo 
 existed in vast herds ; but that, if he would reach a rich pro- 
 vince, he must march south. It is possible that, in this lati- 
 tude, he may have, a little, exceeded the utmost point reached 
 by him on the Mississippi ; and he hence confined his adven- 
 turous marches to Southern Missouri and Arkansas. 
 
 Having taken the road again, after my halt at Esty's, I 
 travelled diligently ten miles, at which distance I reached the 
 ferry of Dr. Bettis, at the St. Francis. The scene was rural 
 and picturesque, the river winding along in a deep and rapid 
 bed, between elevated and fertile banks. From appearances, 
 and old fields, it seemed altogether such a spot as might have 
 answered the glowing Spanish descriptions of Casqui. The 
 ferry was managed by a black man ; and we cut an American 
 half-dollar on the top of an oak stump, agreeably to the Ken- 
 tucky mode, to adjust the ferriage. On landing on the north 
 bank, I pursued my journey six miles farther, to one Smith's. 
 It was now the 28th of January, and the weather so mild, that 
 I this day found the witch-hazel in bloom. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 PROCEED NORTH — INCIDENTS OF THE ROUTE — A SEVERE TEMPEST 
 OF RAIN, WHICH SWELLS THE STREAM — CHANGE IN THE GEO- 
 LOGY OF THE COUNTRY — THE ANCIENT COLIGOA OF DE SOTO 
 
 A PRIMITIVE AND MINERAL REGION — ST. MICHAEL — MINE A LA 
 MOTTE — WADE THROUGH WOLF CREEK — A DESERTED HOUSE — 
 CROSS GRAND RIVER — RETURN TO POTOSI. 
 
 I LEFT my night's quarters before daylight was fairly deve- 
 loped. The sky was, indeed, heavily overcast, and it soon 
 commenced raining. Expecting to find a house at no great 
 distance, I kept on, the rain at the same time assuming a more 
 settled form, and falling with steadiness. It was seven miles 
 before I reached shelter (Swaim's). I was thoroughly wetted, 
 and, the storm continuing without abatement, I remained until 
 the next morning. The atmosphere was then clear, and the 
 sun rose pleasantly ; but the roads were a perfect quagmire. 
 An immense body of rain had fallen. Every little rivulet 
 roared as if it were a torrent that was out of all patience to 
 deliver its quantum of water to the swollen St. Francis. The 
 ground was perfectly saturated with water ; but I picked my 
 way four miles to breakfast. It had been my intention to cross 
 the St. Francis, and take the route through Caledonia to 
 Potosi ; but after travelling sixteen miles towards the north- 
 west, and reaching the fords, I found them too much swollen 
 to make the attempt. 
 
 After crossing the St. Francis, towards the north, there are 
 strong indications of a change in the geological structure of 
 the country. The horizontal limestone and sandstone series 
 still continue for a distance ; but they are covered with large 
 blocks of sienite and granite. What is remarkable in these 
 
 (142) 
 
REGION OF DE SOTO'S COLIGOA. 143 
 
 blocks, is their angular character, which denotes that they 
 have not been carried far south of their original beds. These 
 blocks increase in frequency and size as we approach the pri- 
 mitive highlands of the St. Francis. And I at length stood, 
 gazing at these rough, red, crystalline peaks, and high orbi- 
 cular knobs, which reach up from beneath and through the 
 calcareous and sedimentary series, without having lifted up the 
 latter into inclined positions, or in the least disturbing their 
 horizontality — a proof of their priority of position. 
 
 I passed the night near the fords, at a farmer's ; and finding 
 it impossible, the next morning, to pursue this route, or to get 
 a boat or canoe to cross the river, obtained directions for mak- 
 ing my way north-eastwardly, towards St. Michael's. I was 
 now in the probable region of De Soto's Coligoa, the utmost 
 north-westwardly point of his explorations. And it ceased to 
 be a matter of surprise that the Indians had given him such 
 wonderful accounts of the mineral wealth of the sources of the 
 St. Francis. The white inhabitants, at this day, have similar 
 notions. They perceive such an unusual geological display 
 before and around them, that they suppose it indicates mineral 
 treasures. There are stories afloat of all kinds of mineral disco- 
 veries — not of gold, indeed, which was De Soto's search, but of 
 tin, lead, copper, iron, cobalt, and antimony. The iron moun- 
 tains of Bellevieu, so called, are part of this development. At 
 a place called the Narrows, the river rushes between alpine 
 peaks of sienite and black hornblende rock, which lies in 
 huge and confused heaps, plainly indicating ancient volcanic 
 action. I had examined this region, with minuteness, the pre- 
 vious summer, in an excursion through the southern limits of 
 the lead-mines, and now revisited some of the points, respect- 
 ing which, my curiosity was unsatisfied. I wandered among 
 these attractive peaks about ten miles, and slept at a house 
 (Burdett's), to the occupant of which, I had carried a letter of 
 introduction the year before. 
 
 The next day (Feb. 1) proved rainy ; but I took advantage 
 of intervals in the weather to advance on my general course 
 about three miles. The sky, the next morning, was still 
 cloudy, dark, and unsettled. When it indicated signs of clear- 
 
144 WADE THROUGH WOLF CREEK. 
 
 ing up, I was advised of another ford of the St. Francis, at a 
 higher point ; and I proceeded a part of the way to reach it ; 
 but accounts discouraged me, and I bent my steps to the vil- 
 lage of St. Michael. Two miles north of this, I came to the 
 noted lead-mine of La Motte, the most southerly in position 
 of the Missouri circle of mines. At this place, they raised 
 large tubular masses of lead-ore, from its position in the red, 
 marly clay. The slags drawn from the ash-furnace denoted, 
 by the intensity of their blue color, its connexion with the 
 oxide of cobalt. Ten miles beyond these mines, after passing 
 an uninhabited tract, I entered Cook's settlement, where I slept. 
 
 Next day, I was again in motion at early dawn. The effects 
 of the late copious rains were still an impediment to travelling ; 
 but I experienced no further symptoms of lameness, and felt the 
 desire to press on, increasing in, proportion as I drew near my 
 starting-point in the prior autumn. I felt that I had succeeded 
 in the accomplishment of a trip of some peril, through a noted 
 mountainous range, into which all but one of my original party 
 had failed to accompany me, and my guides had deserted me 
 at a moment of peculiar peril. It was also true that my only 
 companion had rather abruptly left me, when taken lame on 
 the road. I could not, as I approached the spot of organizing 
 my party for this exploration, help feeling a degree of buoyancy 
 of spirits, while returning to it, in the hope of again meeting 
 familiar acquaintances face to face. 
 
 Under this impulse, and with the high health produced by 
 daily exercise, I travelled ten miles on the following day. On 
 reaching Wolf creek, it was found to be filled to overflowing, 
 It was already dark ; and a ruinous, tenantless house, with the 
 doors and windows standing open, was the only object that 
 presented itself on the opposite bank. Horse or canoe, there 
 was none ; but there could be no hesitation in attempting to 
 cross it. The waters, in the deepest parts of the channel, 
 reached to my breast. I came out, of course, dripping ; it 
 was still two miles to the next house, and, casting furtive 
 glances at the masses of darkness in the deserted dwelling, and 
 with a path muddy and indistinct, I hurried on to the point of 
 my destination. 
 
RETURN TO POTOSI. 145 
 
 It was the 4tli of February when I crossed Big river, the 
 Grande river of the days of Crozat and the financier Law. I 
 was carried across it in the ferry-boat, and took my way over 
 the sylvan, long, sweeping mineral hills, which stretch toward 
 Potosi, entering that busy town at a seasonable hour, having 
 travelled fifteen miles. The first acquaintance I encountered, 
 on reaching within a few miles of it, was a Major Hawkins — 
 a surveyor, an old resident, and a good woodsman, who, cor- 
 dially extending his hand to welcome my return, exclaimed, 
 " I thought the Indians or the wolves had long ago eaten you 
 up." This was the first intimation I received that there had 
 been any temerity in the plan for this expedition. 
 
 Potosi was now selected as the place for drawing up an 
 account of the mines, and the mineralogical productions and 
 resources, of the country — a memoir on which, was published 
 at New York in the autumn of this year (1819), and which is 
 inserted, in a revised form, in the Appendix to these sketches. 
 
 13 
 
PHYSICAL GEOGEAPHY OF THE WEST. 
 
 T'VVO LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE HOX. J- B. THOMAS, U. S. 
 SEyATR WA5HrS"GT0X. 
 
 PoTOSi, Missouri, Feb. 9th, 1819. 
 
 Sib : I beg leave to address you on the subject of mj recent expe- 
 dition into the Ozark region. When I was at jour house at Cahokia, 
 I mentioned to you ejt design of making a tour into the interior of 
 the Territory. I hare just returned from the excursion. Two per- 
 sons were associated with me in the enterprise ; but one of them, our 
 mutual friend, Mr. Brigham, was compelled by Ulness to relinquish 
 the journey, and return, after he had reached Potosi. 
 
 We prc-ceeded in a south-west direction, which carried us across the 
 sources of the Maramec and Gasconade. We then entered on the 
 elevated highlands, which alternately pour their waters into the Mis- 
 souri and 3Iississippi rivers, reaching, in their development, to the 
 Washita river. Through this rough alpine range, the Arkansas, 
 rising in the Rocky mountains, f>enetrates, and is the only river that 
 completely separates the chain. Our explorations were confined to 
 the region lying on its northern banks. Winter overtook us on the 
 sources of the White river, giving us a few days of severe weather, 
 but offering, generally, no imt-ediment to travelling. There is much 
 that is most striking and picturesque in the scenery of this region, and 
 not less in its productions and physical character. Nowhere, proba- 
 blv, on the globe, is there such a remarkable succession of limestone 
 caverns, and large, transparent springs. At several places, large 
 brooks flow abruptly out of crevices in the rock ; and at one place, a 
 flowing stream. Spring river, thus originates. We found the ores of 
 lead, iron, and manganese, in large bodies. The high uplands are 
 often rent by precipitous valleys and large chasms, caused by the force 
 of these streams. These valleys are well wooded, and contain the 
 riehest soiL And this broad region must at no distant day attract 
 
 (146) 
 
LETTEfiS TO 6EKAT0B THOMAS. 147 
 
 settlement, and will afford facilities for agricultare and mining, •vrliile 
 its abundant water-power gives it great advantageg for Tnilling and 
 manufeictares. 
 
 The countrv is a continuation of the limestone and sandstone fcoma- 
 tions of the west banks of the ?IississippL The numl>er and extent 
 of the caverns in this formation, is. indeed, remarkable. Thej jieli 
 saltpetre earth, wherever they have been explored. Xitrate of p-c/tash 
 has been manufactured in some of these caves, and transported across 
 the wilderness for eighty miles ; and a valuable traffic in this article 
 may be established. In the district between the head- waters of White 
 river and the Arkansas, salt is found, in a crystallized state, in the 
 prairies. The region is stiU oc-cupied by herds of the bu^lo, dk, 
 deer, and by the bear, and smaller animals of the latitude, which 
 renders it an attractive country to hunters and trappers. 
 
 The Osage Indians, who inhabit it, are the cause of fear and alarm 
 to this class ; but it did not appear to us, from the sparse numbers cf 
 the Indians, and the f»eriodical flying visits they are in the habit of 
 making the eastern and northern parts of it, that there is ground c£ 
 permanent apprehension fitim this source. The f-c-Iiey of locating the 
 Cherokees on the north banks of the Arkansas, may well be ques- 
 tioned ; and I have heard this arrangement much spoken against- 
 
 Indeed. the agricultural value of the country has been much under- 
 rated. Independent of the mineral discoveries mentioned, the arable 
 lands of the Ozark summit-level c-onstitute one of the richest and 
 most l>eautiful districts in the Territory. The high grass and flowers 
 which cover the prairie-lands, impart the m-3st sylvan aspect to the 
 scene. Springs of the purest water abound, and, by avoiding the 
 chasms, the country is susceptible of being traversed by roads. It 
 only requires to be better known, to attract the notice of emigrants, 
 and win some day l>ear a great population. I do not doubt that the 
 high road fix)m St. Louis to Fort Smith wiU probably cross this tract 
 of country. Such a route must greatly shorten the distanc-e. 
 
 I cannot refer you to a correct map of the country, and therefore 
 enclose you a sketch, explanatory of my route. From a conversation 
 with Mr. Brigham, I cannot mistake your friendly infuence in these 
 explorations. I am desirous to extend them to other farts of the 
 frvntiers. I understand that the Secretary of War entertains eiJaiged 
 and enlightened views on the subject I should be pleased to l-e 
 employed in this branch of the public service. 
 
 I am, with respect, your ob"t serv't, 
 
 HZXBT R. SCHOC'LCSAJT, 
 
148 LETTERS TO SENATOR THOMAS. 
 
 n. 
 
 PoTosi, Feb. 15, 1819. 
 
 Sir : I bad tbe bonor, on tbe 9tb instant, to address you on tbe 
 subject of my journey into tbe region of tbe Ozarks. You will allow 
 me again to trouble you on tbe subject of explorations. 
 
 Government bas long been acquainted, by reports, witb tbe existence 
 of native copper on tbe Upper ^Mississippi, and tbe banks of lake Supe- 
 rior. I believe tbe attempt was made about 1798, to bave tbe localities 
 explored. I know not wbat success attended tbat attempt. Probably 
 tbe remoteness of tbe country, and tbe bostility of tbe Indian tribes, 
 were unfavorable. But I am persuaded tbat tbe object is one of 
 importance. 
 
 Tbe mineralogy of tbose regions became tbe topic of early interest, 
 even in tbe days of tbe Frencb supremacy. Copper appears to cba- 
 racterize an extensive area. It is "stated to break out in tbe imme- 
 diate vicinity of St. Antbony's falls, and to continue tbrougb to tbe 
 soutbern sbores of lake Superior. In its exploration, otber traits of 
 tbe natural bistory of tbe country would be developed. 
 
 Tbe establisbment of a military post at St. Antbony's falls, renders 
 tbe present a favorable time for exploring tbe region. Its features 
 and resources are objects of deep interest; and it appears to be tbe 
 policy of tbe government, in tbe disposition of its western and north- 
 ern posts, to prepare tbe way for ascertaining tbese traits at tbe 
 earliest period. Tbe position of tbe most advanced posts wbich are 
 now in tbe process of location, is sucb as to aflford great facilities for 
 exploration. Tbe hostilities of tbe Indians are repressed, and a sur- 
 vey of tbese parts of tbe public domain could now be effected witb 
 comparative safety, and at little expense. 
 
 Should you think tbe appointment of an agent for this purpose, to 
 accompany some of the military movements, would be favorably 
 received by tbe Secretary of War, may I indulge tbe hope tbat, in 
 recommending it, you will remember me in the premises ? 
 I am, with respect, your ob't serv't, 
 
 Henry R. Schoolcraft. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS 
 
 MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY, ANTIQUITIES, 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF THE WESTERN COUNTRY. 
 
 13 * (149) 
 
LIST OF PAPERS. 
 
 A. MINERALOGY, GEOLOGY, AND MINES. 
 
 1. A View of the Lead-Mines of Missouri. 
 
 2. A Catalogue of the Minerals of the Mississippi Valley. 
 
 3. Mineral Resources of the Western Country. A Letter to Gen. 
 
 C. G. Haines. 
 
 B. GEOGRAPHY. 
 
 1. Missouri. 
 
 2. Hot Springs of Washita. 
 
 3. Memoir of Whits River. 
 
 4. List of Steamboats on the Mississippi River in 1819. 
 
 C. ANTIQUITIES AND INDIAN HISTORY. 
 
 1. Articles of curious workmanship found in ancient Indian Graves. 
 
 2. Ancient Indian Cemetery found in the Maramec Valley. 
 
 (150) 
 
I. LEAD-MINES OF MISSOURI. 
 
 A MEMOIR ON THE GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY OF MISSOURI, 
 DRAWN UP IN 1819. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 When we reflect on the history of our own country — its ad- 
 vance in arts, commerce; and agriculture, and the rapidity with which 
 its population has increased, and its resources been developed — the 
 mind is with difficulty brought to believe that all this has taken place 
 within a comparatively short period. These developments are parti- 
 cularly striking in the region west of the Alleghany mountains. A 
 new world has, as it were, been discovered in the Mississippi valley^ 
 which, under the strong impulse of emigration, has been transformed, 
 as if by superhuman exertions. No sooner had its great fertility and 
 productiveness become known, than a universal desire for con-ect 
 information sprang up. Our first travellers in that region did little 
 more, however, than glance at its most obvious and grand features; 
 and with respect to some topics, such as its antiquities and natural 
 history, these notices have had the effect rather to stimulate, than to 
 gratify curiosity. 
 
 But, whatever information has been published respecting the coun- 
 try, its mineralogy and geology have remained wholly unnoticed. 
 The mines of Missouri, especially, have failed to attract the consider- 
 ation which they merit. To supply this deficiency, I have written 
 the following memoir. It is the result of no ordinary degree of op- 
 portunity of observation upon the particular mines, and their geolo- 
 gical position in the great metalliferous limestone formation west of 
 the Mississippi. Besides visiting the principal mines, and traversing 
 
 (151) 
 
152 PREFACE. 
 
 the country thoroughly, to ascertain the character and value of its 
 mineral resources and geological developments, I made an exploratory 
 tour through the broad and elevated region of the Ozarks, lying west 
 and south of this celebrated tract, extending into the Territory of 
 Arkansas. If, therefore, I have failed to collect a body of facts suffi- 
 cient to impress the reader with a sense of the extent, value, and 
 importance of the country, and particularly of its mines and mine- 
 rals, it can hardly be ascribed to a want of opportunity, or, indeed, 
 of assiduity in the study or arrangement of my facts. 
 
 The historical data here recorded, respecting Renault's operations, 
 have never, I believe, appeared in print. They were elicited in the 
 course of a legal investigation, instituted between the heirs-at-law of 
 Renault, the agent of Crozat, in 1723, and sundry individuals, who 
 claimed the same grants on the authority of a date subsequent to the 
 transfer of Louisiana to the United States. 
 
 The drawings I give of the lead-furnaces which are peculiar to that 
 section of country, are from actual measurement, done under the eye 
 of an operative smelter of approved skill at Potosi, and are conceived 
 to be minutely correct. 
 
 Henry R. Schoolcraft. 
 
 New York, Nov. 25, 1819. 
 
 In republishing this memoir, advantage has been taken of several 
 judicious suggestions respecting it, made in a critical notice of it, by 
 the able editor of the American Journal of Science, in the volume 
 of that work for 1821. 
 
 H. R. S. 
 
 Washingtox, Jan. 20, 1853. 
 
A VIEW OF THE LEAD-MINES OF MISSOURI. 
 
 SECTION I. 
 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MINES. 
 
 The rage for adventure, which the brilliant exploits of Cortez, Pizarro, 
 and other Spanish adventurers, had excited throughout Europe, continued 
 for a long time to agitate the public mind, and had not abated at the 
 commencement of the eighteenth century, when an idea of the mineral 
 riches of Louisiana had become prevalent. Gold and silver were then 
 the chief objects which engrossed attention ; and in search of them, the 
 earliest discoverers were led to penetrate into the interior. The physical 
 aspect of the country was in general such as to flatter the most sanguine 
 expectations of mineral wealth ; and the further the country became 
 known, the more interesting was found its mineralogical character. To 
 men whose preconceived ideas of a country were already high, such 
 appearances must have had the most inspiriting effect, and lightened the 
 embarrassments they encountered in exploring a wilderness. Many of 
 the useful metals were thus met with, and gold and silver mines were 
 reported to have been discovered in several places. Red river, the Arkan- 
 sas, and ^le river La Platte of the Missouri, were particularly mentioned ; 
 and from the evidence which is afforded by the discovery of ancient fur- 
 naces, &c., there is reason to conclude that those metals were wrought at 
 a very early period. Judging from appearances, they were ready to 
 conclude the country exhaustless in mines ; and the most exaggerated 
 accounts of them appear to have been transmitted to Europe, particularly 
 to France, where a lively interest was felt in the prosperity of the infant 
 colonies in Louisiana and Illinois ; and in the descriptions published at 
 that day, the lands are reputed to equal in fertility the banks of the Nile, 
 and the mountains to vie with the wealth of Peru. 
 
 It was in this supposition of the immense wealth of Louisiana, both in 
 the vegetable and mineral kingdoms, that the renowned Mississippi 
 scheme originated, which, from the imposing character it was made to 
 assume under the guidance and direction of M. Law, drew upon it the 
 
 (153) 
 
154 APPENDIX. 
 
 eyes, not only of France, but of all Europe, and produced one of the most 
 memorable disappointments recorded in the annals of commercial specu- 
 lation. 
 
 Louis XIV., by letters patent, bearing date September 14th, A. D. 1712, 
 granted to Anthony Crozat, Counsellor of State, Secretary of the House- 
 hold, &c., the exclusive privilege of commerce of that district of country, 
 now known as the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Illinois, 
 and the Territories of Missouri and Arkansas, with the proprietary right 
 of the mines and minerals he should discover in the country, reserving 
 the fifth part of allj^ullion of gold and silver, and the one-tenth of the 
 produce of all other mines. The exclusive privilege of commerce was 
 granted for a term of fifteen years ; but the right of the mines was 
 conveyed in perpetuity to him and his heirs, on the condition that such 
 mines and minerals should revert back to the crown of France, whenever 
 the working of them was discontinued for three years together. The 
 bounds of Louisiana, as granted to Crozat, are described in these words : 
 " Bounded by New Mexico, (on the west,) and by the lands of the English 
 of Carolina, (on the east,) including all the establishments, ports, havens, 
 rivers, and principally the port and haven of the Isle of Dauphine, here- 
 tofore called Massaerfe ; the river of St. Louis, heretofore called Missis- 
 sippi, from the edge of the sea as far as the Illinois ; together with the 
 river of St. Philip, heretofore called Ouabache (Wabash) ; with all the 
 countries, territories, lakes within land, and the rivers which fall directly 
 or indirectly into that part of the river of St. Louis." 
 
 In the month of August, A. D. 1717, M. Crozat solicited permission to 
 retrocede to the crown his privilege of the exclusive commerce and the 
 mines of Louisiana, which was granted by an arret of the Council of State, 
 during the minority of Louis XV. In the same month, letters patent 
 were granted by the Council of the Regency to an association of indivi- 
 duals at Paris, under the name of " The Company of the West," by which 
 they were invested with the exclusive privilege of the commerce of Louis- 
 iana, and the working of the mines, to the same extent as it was enjoyed 
 under the grant of Crozat. These letters patent were dated on the 23d 
 (if August, A. D. 1717, registered 6th September of the same year, and 
 were to be in force on the 1st of January, 1718, and to continue for a 
 period of twenty-five years. By them, not only such grants and privileges 
 were conveyed as had previously been enjoyed by Crozat ; but they were 
 invested with additional powers, rights, and privileges. The territory 
 was granted in free allodium, [enfraiic allien,) in lordship and in justice, 
 the crown reserving to itself no other rights or duties but those of fealty 
 and liege homage, which the company was required to pay to the king, 
 and to his successors at each mutation of kings, with a crown of gold of 
 the weight of thirty marks. The boundaries were the same as described 
 in the grant to Crozat ; and the mines and mining grounds, opened or 
 discovered during the term of its privilege, were declared to belong to the 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MINES. 155 
 
 company incommutably, without being holden to pay any rents or pro- 
 ceeds whatever. The company was also invested with the right to sell 
 and alienate the lands of its concession, at whatever price or rents they 
 might fix, and even to grant them en franc allieu, without reserving the 
 rights of justice or lordship. It was also provided, that if, after the expi- 
 ration of the twenty-five years for which the exclusive privilege of com- 
 merce was granted, the king should not see proper to continue the 
 privilege by a new grant, all the lands and islands, mines, and mining 
 grounds, which the Company of the West should have inhabited, worked, 
 improved, or disposed of on rent, or any valuable consideration whatever, 
 should remain to it for ever in fee simple, to use and dispose of as a pro- 
 per inheritance, on the simple condition that the company should never 
 sell such lands to any other than the subjects of France. 
 
 A company incorporated with such ample rights and privileges, did not 
 fail to draw upon it the attention of the speculative, or to enlist the aid 
 of the enterprising capitalists of the French metropolis. The country 
 of the Illinois was reputed rich beyond comparison : the financial esti- 
 mates submitted to the view of the public, offered prospects of unusual 
 gain, and capitalists flocked with avidity from all quarters to enrol them- 
 selves as members of the company, and partake of the promised wealth. 
 If anything had been wanting to accelerate the pace of adventurers, or 
 to fan the ardor of hope, it was the genius, the financial abilities, and the 
 commanding influence of M. Law, who was placed at the head of the 
 company, and was the moving power in every transaction. Hence, it is 
 no subject for surprise that the most extravagant anticipations were 
 entertained by the members of the Company of the West, or that the 
 unusual splendor of the Mississippi scheme was only equalled by the 
 signal disappointment in which it eventuated. 
 
 In the year after the Company of the West had been instituted by the 
 royal patent of the king, they formed an establishment in the country of 
 the Illinois, at fort Chartres ; and in order to promote the objects of their 
 institution, and to encourage the settlement of the country, held out the 
 most liberal inducements to French emigrants, and made them donations 
 of all lands which they should cultivate or improve. Miners and mecha- 
 nics were also encouraged to emigate; and the city of New Orleans, 
 which had been founded during the last year of the authority of Crozat 
 (1717), received a considerable accession to its population in the fall of 
 the same year, and settlements began to extend along the banks of the 
 Mississippi, and in the country of the Illinois. 
 
 Among the number of adventurers to Illinois, was Philip Francis 
 Renault, (the son of Philip Renault, a noted iron-founder at Consobre, 
 near to Mauberge, in France,) who came over as the agent of the Com- 
 pany of St. Philips, an association of individuals which had been formed 
 under the patronage of the western company, for prosecuting the mining 
 business in the upper country of Louisiana and Illinois. It appears also 
 
156 APPEXDIX. 
 
 that he was a member of the Company of the West, and he is spoken of 
 as " Director-General of the mines of the Royal Company in Illinois f a 
 name by -which not only the present State of Illinois, but a vast district 
 of the adjoining country, appears then to have been known, 
 
 Renault left Franco in the year 1719, with two hundred artificers and 
 miners, provided with tools, and whatever else was necessary for carrying 
 the objects of the company into effect. In his passage he touched at the 
 island of St. Domingo, and purchased five hundred slaves for working the 
 mines ; and, entering the Mississippi, pursued his voyage up that river to 
 New Orleans, which he reached some time in the year 1720, and soon 
 afterwards proceeded on his way to Kaskaskia, in Illinois. Kaskaskia 
 was then inhabited solely by the French, and was one of the earliest posts 
 occupied by them when they began to extend themselves from Canada, 
 along the great western lakes, and down the Ohio and Mississippi. Renault 
 established himself in the vicinity of this town, near fort Chartres, at a 
 spot which he named St. Phillips, (now called the Little Village,) and 
 from this sent out his mining and exploring parties into various sections 
 of Illinois and Louisiana. These parties were either headed by himself, 
 or by M. La Motte ; an agent versed'in the knowledge of minerals, whom 
 he had brought over with him. In one of the earliest of these excursions 
 La Motte discovered the lead-mines on the St. Francis, which bear his 
 name ; and, at a subsequent period, Renault made the discovery of those 
 extensive mines north of Potosi, which continue to be called after him. 
 Other mines of lead were also found, but their distinctive appellations 
 have not survived ; and a proof of the diligence with which Renault pro- 
 secuted the object, is furnished by the number and extent of the old dig- 
 gings which are yet found in various parts of the country. These dig- 
 gings are scattered over the whole mine country; and hardly a season 
 passes, in which some antique works, overgrown with brush and trees, 
 are not found. 
 
 Renault, being probably disappointed in the high expectations he had 
 formed of finding gold and silver, turned his whole force towards the 
 smelting of lead ; and there is reason to conclude that very great quan- 
 tities were made. It was conveyed from the interior on pack-horses (the 
 only mode of transportation which was practicable at that early period). 
 The lead made by Renault was sent to New Orleans, and thence chiefly 
 shipped for France. That he also discovered copper, is probable, as a 
 grant of land made to him at Old Peora, on the Illinois river, embraces a 
 copper-mine. 
 
 Renault's operations were, however, retarded and checked, from a 
 quarter where it was least expected. By an edict of the king, made at 
 Paris, in May, 1719, the Company of the West was united to the East 
 India and Chinese Company, under the title of the Company Royal of the 
 Indies [La Compagnie Roi/ale des Indies). And in 1731, the whole terri- 
 tory was retroceded to the crown of France, the objects of the company 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MINES. 157 
 
 having totally failed ; and Renault Avas left in America, witliout the means 
 of prosecuting the shining business. His exertions in behalf of the com- 
 pany were not, however, overlooked by the government, and four several 
 grants of land were made to him in consideration of his services. These 
 grants bear date June 14th, A. D. 1723, and cover the Mine La Motte, 
 and some other very valuable tracts, which, after having laid dormant for 
 a period of about sixty years, have recently been claimed by the repre- 
 sentatives of his heirs-at-law. 
 
 Renault, however, remained in Illinois several years after the explosion 
 of the Mississippi scheme, and did not return to his native country until 
 1742. With him the greater part of his workmen returned ; the slaves 
 were sold, and the mining business fell into neglect. Here is a period to 
 the first attempt at mining in Louisiana. The country was ceded to Spain 
 in 1762, and taken possession of in 1769. 
 
 After Renault's departure, little or nothing appears to have been done 
 in the way of mining ; and, even after the Spanish had taken possession 
 of the country, the lead-mines were but little attended to. The force 
 which Renault had with him was sufficient to protect him from the attacks 
 of the savages ; but, after his departure, the settlements on the Missis- 
 sippi, feeble in themselves, could not furnish protection to such as might 
 be disposed to work at the mines. The Spanish, however, in a few years 
 ufter taking possession of the country, did something ; and in process of 
 time new discoveries were made, and the mining business began to assume 
 a more respectable character. The principal discovery made under the 
 Spanish authority was that of Mine h Burton, which takes its name from 
 a person of the name of Burton, or Le Breton,* who, being out on a hunt 
 
 * The following sketch of the life of Burton is given by Colonel Thomas H. 
 Benton, of St. Louis, in the Enquirer of that city, October 16, 1818 : — " He is a 
 Frenchman, from the north of France. In the fore-part of the last century, he 
 served in the Low Countries, under the orders of Marshal Saxe. He was at Fonte- 
 noy when the Duke of Cumberland was beat there by that Marshal. He was at 
 the siege of Bergen-op-Zoom, and assisted in the assault of that place when it was 
 assailed by a division of Marshal Saxe's army, under the command of Count Lowen- 
 dahl. He has also seen service upon this continent. He was at the building of fort 
 Chartres, on the American bottom; afterwards went to fort Du Quesne (now Pitts- 
 burgh), and was present at Braddock's defeat. From the life of a soldier, Burton 
 passed to that of a hunter ; and in this character, about half a century ago, while 
 pursuing a bear to the west of the Mississippi, he discovered the rich lead-mines 
 which have borne his name ever since. His present age cannot be ascertained. He 
 was certainly an old gnldier at fort Chartres, when some of the people of the pre- 
 sent day were little children at that place. The most moderate computation will 
 make him a hundred and sixj He now lives in the family of Mr. Micheaux, at the 
 little rock ferry, three miles above St. Genevieve, and walks to that village almost 
 every Sunday to attend mass. He is what we call a square-built man, of five feet 
 eight inches high, full chest and forehead; his sense of seeing and hearing some- 
 what impaired, but free from disease, and apparently able to hold out against time 
 for many years to come." 
 
 14 
 
158 APPENDIX. 
 
 in that quarter, found the ore lying on the surface of the ground. This i 
 man, who is still living in the vicinity of St. Genevieve, at the advanced ' 
 age of one hundred and nine years, had been employed vrhile a youth 
 under Renault. The period of this discovery it would be very difficult 
 now to ascertain, Burton himself being unable to fix it. It has probably 
 been known about forty years. 
 
 The processes of mining pursued under the Spanish government appear 
 to have been very rude and imperfect, not more than fifty per cent, of 
 lead being got from the ore. The common open log furnace was the only 
 one employed, and the lead-ashes were thrown by as useless. 
 
 In 1797, Moses Austin, Esq., performed a journey from the lead-mines 
 in Wythe county, Virginia, to the Mine k Burton, in Louisiana, and 
 obtained a grant of land one league square, from the Spanish authorities, 
 in consideration of.erecting a reverberatory furnace, and other works, for 
 prosecuting the mining business at those mines. This he commenced in 
 1798, previous to which time no furnace for smelting the ashes of lead 
 had been erected. Mr. Austin sunk the first regular shaft for raising the 
 ore, and introduced some other improvements which were found benefi- 
 cial. He also, in 1799, erected a shot-tower, in which patent shot of an 
 approved quality were made. A manufactory of sheet-lead was com- 
 pleted during the same year, and the Spanish arsenals at New Orleans 
 and Havana drew a considerable part of the supplies for their navy from 
 this source. 
 
 About this time, a few other American families crossed over into Lou 
 isiana Territory, and settled in the neighborhood of the mines. These, 
 from their more enlightened and enterprising spirit, were an acquisition 
 to the mining interest ; and as their earliest attention was directed to it, 
 the lead business began to revive ; and at the time the Territory was taken 
 possession of by the United States, the mines were extensively and advan- 
 tageously worked.* The Mine i\ Ilobino, Mine il Martin, and many others, 
 were shortly afterwards discovered. Since the year 1804, the number of 
 mines has been astonishingly multiplied; Shibboleth, A'ew Diggings, 
 Lebaum's, and Bryan's mines, are among the latest discoveries of 
 consequence. 
 
 The lead-mines did not fail to attract the earliest attention of the 
 American government ; and, immediately after the occupation of the 
 Territor}', measures were taken to ascertain their situation, the method 
 
 * The following is a list of the principal mines worked under the Spanish govern- 
 ment, with their situation : 
 
 Mine La Motte Head of St. Francis river. 
 
 Mine a Joe On Flat river. 
 
 Mine il Burton On a branch of Mineral Fork. 
 
 Old Mines do. do. 
 
 Renault's Mines On Mineral Fork, or Fourche Arno. 
 
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE MINES. 159 
 
 of working them, &c. Several laws have since been enacted on the 
 subject, and a reservation made of all discoveries upon public lands. 
 
 The emigration to Louisiana, which had partially commenced under 
 the Spanish government, took a more decided character after the cession 
 of the country to the United States, but has been particulaidy great within 
 the last few years. 
 
 In 1812, that part of Louisiana bordering on the gulf of Mexico, 
 including New Orleans, and extending up the Mississippi to 33° north 
 latitude, was erected into a State under the name of Louisiana, and the 
 remainder formed into a territorial government by the name of Missouri, 
 There is a petition now before Congress (Feb. 1819) for the admission of 
 IMissouri into the Union on a footing with the original States. By this 
 petition it is contemplated that White river will form the southern bound- 
 ary ; and the country between that and the northern line of Louisiana, 
 including our claims on the Spanish, will be erected into a territorial 
 government, under the name of Arkansas.* 
 
 Kespecting the present state of the lead-mines, it is only necessary here 
 to add, that they are worked in a more improved manner than at any 
 former period ; that they are more extensive than when the country came 
 into the hands of the United States, and of course give employment to a 
 greater number of miners, while every season is adding to the number of 
 mines ; and that the ores may be considered of the richest kind. Every 
 day is developing to us the resources of this country in minerals, and 
 particularly in lead ; and we cannot resist the belief that, in i-iches and 
 extent, the mines of Missouri are paralleled by no other mineral district. 
 In working the mines, in raising and smelting the ore, and in the estab- 
 lishment of the diflerent manufactures dependent upon it, there is much 
 to be done. Though the processes now pursued are greatly superior to 
 those in use under the French and Spanish governments, there is still 
 ample room for improvement. The earth has not yet been penetrated 
 over eighty feet ! We know not what may be found in the lower strata 
 of the soil. There is reason to believe that the main bodies of ore have 
 not yet been hit upon ; that they lie deeper, and that we have thus far 
 only been engaged upon the spurs and detached masses. There is also 
 reason to believe that bodies of the ores of zinc exist in the district of the 
 mines, and that copper will be aiforded by the lower strata of earth. It 
 is found overlaid by lead-ores in many of the European mines ; and the 
 geognostic character of the country leads us to conclude that it may also 
 be found here. 
 
 The want of capitalists in the mine country, and of practical skill in 
 the boring, blasting, sinking shafts and galleries, oppose obstacles to the 
 
 * A law erecting the Territory of Arkansas from the southern part of Missouri, 
 has since passed; but its northern boundary is extended so as to include all White 
 Tiver above the latitude of 36° 30', 
 
160 APPENDIX. 
 
 Buccessful progress of mining. There is but one regular hearth-furnace 
 fur smelting in the whole district ; and that is on the modern plan of 
 English furnaces. There are not over four or five regular shafts in about 
 forty mines ; there is not an engine, either by horse, steam, or water 
 power, for removing water from the mines, several of which have been 
 abandoned on this account, with rich prospects of ore in view. In fine, 
 there is little of that system which characterizes the best-conducted Euro- 
 pean mines, and which, by an application of the most recent discoveries 
 in mechanics, chemistry, and philosophy, render them the admiration of 
 every intelligent visiter. Should the subject attract the attention of 
 mining capitalists, the circumstance would form a new era in the history 
 of the mining operations of this country. Something also remains to bo 
 done by the government ; the existing laws are inadequate to the purposes 
 for which they were enacted. That feature restricting leases to three 
 years, is injudicious ; the period is so short, that it deters those who are 
 most able from engaging in it at all. It is desirable that such a system 
 should be established as would indicate the annual produce of the mines, 
 number of hands employed, and such other facts as are necessary in form- 
 ing a series of statistical tables on the subject. The want of such data 
 has hitherto prevented us from properly estimating the importance of the 
 mines in a national point of view. The acquisition of a scientic know- 
 ledge of minerals should also be facilitated in this quarter. There should 
 be a mineralogical school located in the country, where students might be 
 instructed in that useful science. In a country so rich in minerals, and 
 whose wealth will always so much depend upon a proper development of 
 these resources, the knowledge of mineralogy should be laid open to every 
 one, and should be within the reach of such as do not wish, or cannot 
 get, the other branches of a liberal education. To obtain this knowledge 
 now, a person would be compelled to travel to remote parts of the Union, 
 and to incur an unreasonable expense. No one who is conversant with 
 the advantages which Germany has derived from such a seminary, will 
 deny the utility of a similar one in the United States. 
 
 Yet, with all the disadvantages under which the lead-mines have been 
 viewed, there are many who may be surprised to find their annual pro- 
 ducts, from the best information, stated at three millions of pounds; and 
 from this some idea may be formed of their riches and extent, and, when 
 they come to be properly and regularly worked, how greatly they will 
 contribute to the national wealth.* 
 
 * Tho following are the principal historical epochs of Louisiana, chronologically 
 arranged : 
 
 A. D. 
 
 Discovered by Ferdinand de Soto, and named Florida 1539 
 
 Visited by the French from Canada 1674 
 
 ] Settlement made by La Salle 1683 
 
 A settlement made at Beloxi 16'J9 
 
SECTION II. 
 
 TOPOaRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL OUTLINE OP THE MINE 
 COUNTRY. 
 
 The district of country formerly known as the lead-mines of Louisiana, 
 extends from the head-waters of the St. Francis, in a north-west direction, 
 to the Maramec, a distance of seventy miles, by about forty-five in width, 
 having the Mississippi on its eastern borers. It is included, very nearly, 
 between 37° and 38° north latitude, and comprises an area of about three 
 thousand square miles. Most of the mines are situated witliin a circle 
 of this general area, of which Potosi and Mine i\ Burton constitute a 
 centre. 
 
 The rock formation of the country appears to be simple and uniform. 
 At the lowest depths observed in valleys, there is a crystalline sandstone, 
 which often consists of transparent quartzose grains, adhering by the 
 force of aggregation. The lead-bearing limestone reposes upon this. 
 Both formations are deposited in perfectly horizontal strata. Valleys 
 which carry streams have been worn down into this formation, presenting 
 this order of arrangement very satisfactorily. A stratum of red, marly 
 clay, spreads over the limestone. Above this, constituting the top layer, 
 or surface soil, rests a bed of diluvial materials, filled with broken-down 
 fragments of rock, masses of radiated quartz, and chips of hornstone. 
 Vegetable matter and black sand form a covering over such parts of this 
 diluvial deposit as constitute valleys and agricultural plains. The Mis- 
 sissippi river lays open this formation along its western banks, from the 
 influx of the Missouri to Cape Girardeau. 
 
 Beneath this metalliferous column lie the primitive rocks. The most 
 striking feature of this kind is found in the occurrence of a primitive 
 formation at the sources of the river St. Francis. My attention was 
 arrested by this fact, soon after I began to examine the mine country. 
 This formation consists of sienite, rather than granite ; the mica being 
 
 Granted to Crozat by Louis XIV., 14th September 1712 
 
 New Orleans founded by the French 1717 
 
 Retroceded to the crown by Crozat " 
 
 Granted to the Company of the AVest " 
 
 Retroceded by the Company of the West 1731 
 
 Ceded by France to Spain , 1762 
 
 First occupied by the Spanish 1769 
 
 Ceded to the United States 1803 
 
 Taken possession of by the United States, 20th December " 
 
 Louisiana became a State, August 1812 
 
 Missouri Territory erected, 4th June " 
 
 14 * L (161) 
 
162 APPENDIX. 
 
 generally replaced or represented by hornblende. The feldspar, which 
 constitutes three-fourths of the mass, is of a dull red hue. The rock in 
 connection is greenstone trap, which is sometimes porphyritic. I observed 
 small masses of sulphuret of iron in some parts of this rock. The up. 
 heaval of this formation appears to have been of the most ancient era 
 of geological action ; for the stratified limestones and sandstones, which 
 lie upon or in juxtaposition to these elevations, have not been disturbed 
 in their horizontality. The altitude of this primitive tract does not pro- 
 bably exceed one thousand feet above the waters of the St. Francis river. 
 Vast blocks of the red sienite have been detached, and scattered south- 
 wardly over the secondary rocks, apparently by the force of some antique 
 deluge, setting from the north. The whole series of formations may be 
 judged of by the following diagram : 
 
 The general aspect of the country is sterile, though not mountainous. 
 The lands lie rolling, like a body of water in gentle agitation. In some 
 places they rise into abrupt cliffs, where the rock formations appear. 
 Generally, they present the form of diluvial ridges, sparingly covered 
 with forest, and bearing a growth of prairie-grass and herbage. The 
 western banks of the Mississippi, between St. Genevieve and Hercula- 
 neum, present a mural front to this district, in a series of elevated per- 
 pendicular cliffs of compact limestone. The whole coast extending to 
 St. Louis, appears to be sufficiently elevated to have served as a former 
 barrier to waters covering the low grounds of Illinois. The strata exhibit 
 ancient water-marks of a diluvial character. They are broken through, 
 from the west, by small streams draining the mine country. 
 
 No indications of lead-ore have been found in these cliffs. The mines 
 are situated at considerable distances west of them ; and when the ob- 
 server has arrived at their localities, he finds the ore often lying in the 
 unconsolidated soil. This soil is a stiff, reddish-colored clay, filled with 
 fragments of cherty stones, quartz, and small gravel, clearly attesting its 
 diluvial character. This soil extends to the depth of from ten to twenty 
 feet, or more, and is based on limestone rock. It is so firm, in some 
 places, as almost to resist the pickaxe ; in others, it partakes more fully 
 of marl, and is readily penetrated. The ore lies in this marly clay, and 
 
OUTLINE OF THE MINE COUNTRY. 163 
 
 is often accompanied by sulphate of Larytes and calcareous spar. The 
 country is particularly characterized by radiated quartz, which is strewn 
 in detached pieces over the ground, and is also found imbedded in the 
 soil at all depths. This substance is here called blossom of lead, or mine- 
 ral blossom. Pyrites, and some other ores of iron, are also found in 
 detached masses upon the surface, and, very rarely, lead-ore. 
 
 Such is the general character of the mineral lands, which are covered 
 ■with a stunted growth of oaks, denominated post-oaks. Walnut is found 
 in some instances out of the valleys. A ridge of yellow pine extends west 
 of the mines, between the St. Francis and Maramec, and is more decidedly 
 barren than the grounds covered with oak. All the open, elevated tracts, 
 are clothed with herbage, Avhich hides their flinty aspect, and gives the 
 country a picturesque appearance. The minor slopes and ravines are 
 often rendered almost impassable by hazel, vines, and other bramble, 
 ■which appear to be indicative of a better, or rather a deeper soil. The 
 whole area of upland soil, which rests as a mantle over the rocks, is a 
 diluvium, which must, we think, be referred to an early period of diluvial 
 action. 
 
 The only true alluvium of the mines appears to be confined to the val- 
 ley's or plains, which are, consequently, the principal seats of cultivation, 
 and thus derive an additional value fi"om their contiguity to the barren 
 tracts. This alluvium rests on the red marl-clay, or mineral diluvium ; 
 the latter of which is uniformly found on penetrating it. Some of the 
 mines exist in, and have been pursued beneath, this top alluvion, across 
 the valleys. Others are seated beneath an arable soil, bearing a forest. 
 Many of the most barren and stony parts of the elevated lands are, on 
 the contrary, destitute of mines. The depth of the mineral soil varies 
 exceedingly. It barely conceals the rock formations in many of the more 
 elevated positions, and frequently does not conceal them. It is deepest 
 in the plains and depressed grounds, being accumulated much in the 
 manner we should expect, on the supposition of a general diluvial 
 submersion. 
 
 The principal objection to a general diluvial action, involving the whole 
 Mississippi valley, appears to arise from the admission of the limestone 
 rock's being the true locality of the ore. But we think there are too 
 many facts in support of this opinion, to leave any reasonable grounds 
 for questioning it. Several of the mines in the mineral soil have been 
 traced down into the rock, and have been pursued through apertures, 
 closing and expanding in the manner of true veins. In the numerous 
 cases where the rock has put a stop to further mining, and it has exhi- 
 bited no signs of ore, it may be supposed that the ore has been moved, 
 by diluvial force, from the original position of the mine, and been finally 
 deposited, with the soil, upon unmetalliferous portions of the rock. And 
 could we with certainty determine the course of diluvial action, the prin- 
 ciples of mining might be, in some respects, employed in searching for 
 
164 APPENDIX. 
 
 the original vein. It is evident, from the unscratched and unbroken 
 surface of much of the ore and its spars, that it could not have been 
 transported far ; while the portions of it called gravel ore, which evince 
 its diluvial character, are manifest proofs of a change, more or less exten- 
 sive, in the general position of the ore. 
 
 With respect to the character of the limestone, we have been perplexed 
 ■with its protean character, and, to avoid apparent contradictions, were 
 led, at first, to adopt distinctions of strata, which we very soon saw were 
 untenable. It is evidently the American equivalent for the metalliferous 
 limestone of England, and, as a formation, is of the transition era. In a 
 specimen of this rock, now before us, taken from a fresh excavation at 
 Potosi, forty feet below the surface of the soil, and thirty-one feet below 
 the original surface of the rock, the structure is in part compact, and in 
 part granular ; the compact portions having minute shining crystalline 
 points, and the granular being without any appearance of crystallization, 
 but changing, in the width of about forty lines, from compact granular 
 to a dull arenaceous structure, quite friable between the fingers. Part of 
 the mass is vesicular, and the vesicles are studded over with minute crys- 
 tals of white opaque quartz. The two extremes of this specimen have the 
 appearance of totally different formations, j'et are both calcareous. By 
 experiment, I found a portion of the lower arenaceous part almost com- 
 pletely soluble, in the cold, in nitro-sulphuric acid; and the actual 
 residuum was, in part, owing to a defect in trituration. 
 
 Most of the limestone rock disclosed by excavation in the mines, is of 
 the granulated kind ; while the structure of the rock above the surf\\ce, 
 where the strata are exposed to the weather, as in clifis and hill-sides, is 
 of the solid, glistening, pseudo-compact variety. Both these varieties, as 
 shown in the specimen, are geologically identical, notwithstanding their 
 striking diflFerences in hardness, structure, colour, and particularly in 
 crystalline lustre. This lustre is, however, as shown by examination with 
 the magnet, owing almost exclusively to minute facets of calcareous 
 crystals, which render it rather sparry than crystalline. 
 
 We have examined large portions of this rock, in all its varieties, for 
 organic remains ; but have not succeeded in finding any well-character- 
 ized species, although a further and fuller search might, and probably 
 would, disclose some species. We observed a single mass of the rock, an 
 imperfectly columniform structure, apparently organic. The rock is 
 rather vesicular than cavernous in its structure. The heavy deposit of 
 diluvium conceals the surface. But if the appearances in the mine-dig- 
 gings are to be received as general indicia, the surface of the concealed 
 rock is extremely rough and irregular, standing up, in the mineral soil, 
 in huge lumps, which renders the general depth at which it may be 
 reached, a question of great uncertainty. 
 
 It has been intimated that the sparry-compact, and the dull granulated 
 varieties of the limestone, are often contiguous ; and we have seen, by 
 
OUTLINE OF THE MINE COUNTRY. 165 
 
 the examination of a hard specimen, that they are geologically identical 
 as a formation. If this compact variety from the mines be compared 
 with the principal formation in the precipitous cliffs forming the western 
 banks of the Mississippi, in front of the mine tract, they will be found 
 to coincide in so many points, that these two localities may be deemed 
 parts of the same formation, and as being identical in age. The prin- 
 cipal differences consist in the occurrence of organic remains in the strata 
 along the banks of the Mississippi ; a discovery attributable to the more 
 full exposure of these cliffs to observation. There is also an apparent 
 absence of the granulated, or sand-lime variety. These two calcareous 
 tracts are not, however, continuous, being separated by a formation of 
 granular quartz, or white crystalline sandstone, which runs nearly pa- 
 rallel with the Mississippi for a distance, a few miles west of it. This 
 stratum of rock, which appears to be rather a quartzose sandstone than a 
 granular quartz, reappears west of Potosi, in the barren area called the 
 Pinery, and is also apparent at several localities between the waters of 
 the Maramec and the St. Francis. 
 
 At a point thirty miles west of the Mississippi, in about the latitude 
 of St. Genevieve, the primitive formation reveals itself in a series of moun- 
 tain masses of granite, which cover a comparatively extensive area. This 
 tract appears to be the nucleus of the country, rising through the great 
 secondary formations which intervene between the Alleghany and the 
 Rocky mountains. Its western limits have not yet been explored ; but 
 it probably covers an area of not less than a hundred square miles. The 
 mines lie north of it. This granite is composed almost exclusively of 
 reddish feldspar and quartz. The proportion of mica is small, and this 
 mineral is often absent. It has been employed as a material for mill- 
 stones. It is connected with greenstone, which is sometimes poi'phyritic. 
 
 We have now three formations of rock, as constituting the mine series; 
 and it only remains to point out their relative position and extent, with 
 the best means at our command. This might seem to be a very simple 
 process, and would indeed be so, were it not that the area over which the 
 formations extend is extensive, and is covered with deep formations of the 
 diluvial and alluvial character, bearing a forest. The primitive is imme- 
 diately succeeded by the two latter. Mine t\ La Motte is situated in the 
 mineral diluvium, and is distant about two miles from the granite on 
 Blackford's fork. The first appearance of rock, in situ, north of this 
 point, is at Rock creek, a few miles distant, where the granular quartzose 
 sandstone appears. There is no further appearance of rock in this direc- 
 tion for many miles. The white crystalline sand-caves of St. Genevieve 
 are seated in this formation. It is again disclosed on the Platten creek, 
 and in the elevations west of the Joachim creek, called Fort Rock, and 
 in the white sand-caves near Ilerculaneum. Whether it is continued 
 farther in the approach to the Maramec, cannot be stated ; but the line 
 .of country which is thus traversed by it, is probably sixty miles. The 
 
166 APPENDIX. 
 
 only point where this rock appears on the banks of the Mississippi, is in 
 the range of the Cornice Rocks. 
 
 Proceeding west across this formation, the mineral diluvium succeeds, 
 and conceals the rock formations ; but, wherever they are disclosed by 
 the action of the streams, and by excavations, the metalliferous limestone 
 appears, which constitutes the lowest stratum yet found in the mine 
 region proper. But it is to be observed, that no excavations of any con- 
 siderable depth have been made ; the rock has not been penetrated to 
 any great depth. The principal seat of the mines consists of the 
 area included within the circuits of the Grand river and Mineral Fork, 
 constituting the main tributaries of the Maramec. These streams extend 
 Bomething in the shape of a horse-shoe around the mines. Immediately 
 west and south-west of this area, the white sandstone reappears, extend- 
 ing south towards the granite. The position of the two formations may 
 be represented by a pair of expanded dividers, opening northward ; the 
 two shanks of which denote the sandstone ridges, and the head, or rivet, 
 the primitive. 
 
 The most valuable mineral products of the mines, in addition to lead, 
 are iron and salt ; the latter of which is made, in limited quantities, at a 
 saline spring at Madansburgh, in the county of St. Genevieve. Other 
 indications of it exist at one or two localities in the township of Bellevieu, 
 and on the Maramec river, where efforts were formerly made to manu- 
 facture salt. 
 
 Iron-ores are found at numerous points ; but no body of the ores of this 
 metal is known, comparable, in extent or value, to the locality of Belle- 
 vieu, called the Iron Mountain. The ore exists, at this place, in a very 
 massive form. It is in the state of a micaceous oxide. It has been tried 
 in a slag furnace, and smelted easily, without a flux. The iron obtained 
 was of a very malleable quality, and spread freely under the hammer. 
 This locality is embraced by the waters of Cedar creek, which, at tjie dis- 
 tance of seven miles, are stated to afford a water-power adequate for the 
 reduction and working of the ore. About five miles distant, at Stout's 
 settlement, occurs another body of this ore. 
 
 Zinc is found, in the form of a sulphuret, in small quantities, at several 
 of the lead-mines in Washington county. A single mass of the sulphuret 
 of antimony has been discovered in the granitical district, which affords 
 also a locality of coarse graphite, and some other minerals, which will be 
 noticed in the sequel. 
 
 A sulphur spring exists a few miles west of the Mississippi, in Jeffer- 
 son county. The water issues, in a copious stream, from an aperture, 
 situated near a cliff of the compact limestone. It is of a bright, transpa- 
 rent quality, but indicates, by its taste, its sulphureous impregnation, 
 and deposits sulphur, in a whitish pulpy form, on the pebblestones and 
 fallen vegetation of the brook which issues from the spring. 
 
OUTLINE OF THE MINE COUNTRY. 167 
 
 Topographically considered, the mine country is a hilly and uneveu 
 tract, having a considerable elevation above the waters of the Mississippi. 
 It is well watered, with numerous springs, brooks, and streams, and, from 
 the prevalence of a firm diluvial soil, affords facilities for roads. The 
 climate is favorable to health. The manner in which the smelting of the 
 ores is performed, being in the open air, is probably less injurious to 
 those engaged in it, than if the furnaces were enclosed with buildings. 
 
 Some losses are" sustained in the death of cattle, which die with a dis- 
 ease called the mine sickness. Cows and horses, which are frequently 
 seen licking around old furnaces, often die without any apparent cause. 
 Cats and dogs are taken with violent fits, which never fail, in a short 
 time, to terminate their lives. This is usually attributed, by the inhabi- 
 tants, to the effects of sulphur, driven off from the ores in smelting. It 
 is more probable that it arises from the sulphurous acid in its combina- 
 tion with barytes, which may operate as a poison to animals. The sick- 
 ness is wholly confined tft quadrupeds.* 
 
 The soil thrown out of the pits, at the abandoned mines, is found to 
 produce some plants, and even trees, which are not peculiar to the sur- 
 face. Such are the Cottonwood and the beech-grape, species which are 
 usually confined to the arenaceous alluvions of valleys. And we think 
 their growth here is not promoted by the mineral clay, which is mani- 
 festly of a fertilizing property, when cast on the surface ; but to the 
 disintegration of the sand-lime, producing a soil favorable to such pro- 
 ductions. The sensitive brier, observed in the mine district, is evidently 
 not of this class, as it is found remote from any mine excavations. 
 
 ® On this passage, Mr. Silliman remarks, " that sulphur is not poisonous to men 
 
 or animals The carbonate of barytes is eminently poisonous ; but we have 
 
 never heard that the sulphate is so. May not the licking around the furnaces 
 expose the cattle to receive lead, in some of its forms, minutely divided? or, if it 
 be not active in the metallic state, both the oxide and the carbonate, which must 
 of course exist around the furnaces, would be highly active and poisonous. Is it 
 not possible, also, that some of the natural waters of the country may, in conse- 
 quence of saline or acid impregnations, dissolve some of the lead, and thus obtain 
 saturnine qualities? We must allow, however, that we are not acquainted with the 
 existence of any natural water thus impregnated." — Jouk. Sci., Vol. III. 
 
SECTIOX III. 
 LOCAL POSmOS OF THE SEVERAL IflSES. 
 
 Succi tiw fiist diseoTcxy of lead in tids Tertitoty, die Boalcr Annies 
 has been audi m c re aa ed, aad hardl j n aeaaoi^ paaMa witfaoni Kme new 
 dtteorerf. Every dueoverjr of inq»Mtaaee eoon beeoaie* tiie centre of 
 ■uouag attzaetioD. Aa tlw ore ia fiwad m tlK dflarial aoil, it ia gese- 
 zallj exhaaeted oa leadiiag the adid voek; and after fte n et iatin g a eon- 
 liidetaUe area of tW aa»we villi aay.orbot poatial saeeeai^lfcc loealitj 
 ia a h a tt don o d. and n new one aoi^bt. A« Oe nunea a» woifcnd witfaont 
 capital, and the ore ia £spened over a wide aj«a, tbe nnnber of loealiliea 
 is alaaoct indefin^ Upwardaof tetyprineipal aHb-diatiiete.4t«ki>ovn« 
 BMat of vfaidi ate spfiropriatelj den oiina t a d dij^in^. The eavlieat 
 dieecrreij, at Mine k Barton, baa been one af the aMat valnafcle, and alill 
 Dontinnea to afiMid Ike ore. Mine i In Hotto baa aba fvered an esten- 
 Mve dcpcwlk aad >• atill anrrbamited Hem I^g^nga, SbStibtMk, and 
 Bicfawooda, are aaaong tbe diaeirveriea of bttnr date, wbidi bave jiMed 
 Tcrjrlar^qiiaotitiMofore. Bat ti^ aM}de of niniag in tbe dihrrial anl 
 moat <ubaoat it of ita mineral eontenta, aad direct arioeta, in after reare, 
 w tbe trae poaitaon af tbe ore, in die ealeareoaa rodk. Sa loag aa tbe 
 •«a«eb eontinnee in tbe aail, tbe banaear will iiaitake of Ae aaeertaintf 
 vbicb wm attm dt it, and whidi re ad r r i it laAer aa obfeet of t e a rpora ry 
 fsiliTpnae, tbaa a fixed eaqrtojnMat. 
 
 In tbe aeaicb far ai« m Ae aeil, a eane ely any nnifi ir ai ymts^^m 
 eaa be cettoialy n^ed an. Geaecatly, toeky and bamn l oc a lijaea are 
 ^ivoided, and lar;^ and deep beda of tbe red aMtalli£eroa« elay aong^ &r. 
 Xbe oeeomMee «f eryatallked qnaxtB, or apara, on tbe anrfiMe, is regarded 
 only aa a general indieation, bat eaanot be dq»endedon to enanre loeal 
 sneeeet. Tbeae auasea are fiEwnd to be <listrit«ted on aad tbrot^ tbe 
 top awl, aa otber debris, bong aoaaetxnaea eoatagoons to, aad softimea 
 raaote fivat, vre. Bat tbfgr are never, so far aa I have observed, tomod 
 wiA thu ore. 
 
 Tbe t&etb(«d of sfar e bia g fur aad raaaia^ Iba ore, ia aiaqde. Having 
 fiz«d «o a spot ior diggfa^ ^e operator leasniys off aboat ei|^t feet 
 afttare. A piebaxeaadsbovdareaaedlbrientoviagtbacartbL Aprae- 
 tiaed baad viU piteb tbe eardi from a depdi of «|^ or ten feet A 
 tnadlaas aad badcet are Aea frfaeed over tbe pit^ aad tbe exesvBtion tbaa 
 eonttaned. Shnall detagbed Msssra of ore, or qiaia. are often foand ia 
 tbe aoil, in approaefaing a larger body. Hie ore is tbe anlplraret, or 
 gakfta. It baa a brua4, glitUrriog i^rain, ai»d is readily diristUe into 
 eaU«al fragaaenta. . It otsenrs ia beda, or detnebed aiasses, wbieb are de* 
 posited borixoBiaIfy ia tbe aoiL Tbcy are often awawpanied by tbe 
 aa lp bat f of barytes,orby calc arp a as apar; siianf liaiai by Meade, or iron 
 
POSITION OF THE MIXES. 169 
 
 pyrites. The ore is often connected with the barvtic spar, indicating the 
 latter to be a true matrix. The direction of these beds of ore appears to 
 be irregular. Veins of ore are confined to the rock. 
 
 The variety of ore called t/-nicd ore, differs from the preceding chiefly 
 by its marks of attrition, and connection with diluvial pebble-stones. No 
 spars have been noticed in these gravel-beds, although it is probable that 
 a careful search might detect them. 
 
 The calcareous spar is most abundant in connection with rock diggings. 
 It is translucent, or transparent, and often exhibits the property of double 
 refraction. The miners, who employ their own conventional terms, call 
 this substance (/lass tiff, to distinguish it from the sulphate of barytes, 
 which is denominated tiff. Much of the radiated quarta of this district 
 bears the marks of diluvial action. It is not uncommon to find masses 
 of it, in which the angles of the crystals are quite defaced. Veins of ore 
 in the rock correspond generally, in their course, I think, with the cardi- 
 nal points, in the instances of their being pursued horizontally. But 
 they dip at various angles with the plain, or sink perpendicularly into 
 the rock. 
 
 The horizontal position of the ore-beds in the red clay soil, may be 
 regarded as an evidence of its being a diluvial deposit. 
 
 The metalliferous, red, marly clay, is, in tine, the most interesting geo- 
 logical problem connected with the mines, and is calculated to show us 
 how little we know of the true eras of the diluvial deposits. After every 
 examination which we have been able to make, we are decidedly of the 
 opinion that this formation belongs te the diluvial, and not to the alluvial 
 era. It seems, indeed, to assert a claim to be considered, among the 
 western strata, as immediately succeeding the secondary. It lies directly 
 next to, and upon, the limestone rock. We have witnessed the progress 
 of an excavation on the public square of Potosi, in which the soil was 
 removed down to the n^)ck, and a clean area of its surface was exposed. 
 There was no other stratum below it, and between the clay and rock. 
 And such we believe to be its general position. The radiated quartz and 
 pebble drift is above it, and, consequently, constitutes a subs*<quent de- 
 posit. And hence it is that the numerous fragmentary masses of the 
 former, called mineral blossom, are no sure indications of the subterra- 
 neous presence of ore. The gravel-ore and mixed diluvial gravel is like- 
 wise a newer deposit, coinciding with the era of the primitive and second- 
 ary boulders. No largo primitive boulders, however, exist in the mine 
 district, if we except the angular fragments of granite, south of St. 
 Michael, which are, indeed, just without the lead-yielding area. Pebbles 
 of common quartz, granite, and greenstone, are found in the surface soil, 
 and are also to be observed, in accumulated masses, in the beds of brooks. 
 Occasionally an orbicular mass of these rocks, of the size of a melon, is 
 observed. It is evident, from these appearances, that no fiMrmatious of 
 the primitive exist, towards the sources of the Mississippi, for a great 
 
 15 
 
170 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 distance, as it is from this direction that diluvial action appears to have 
 been propagated. This clay soil is free from boulders, and is of a homo- 
 geneous texture. It partakes, in its qualities, so largely of marl, as to 
 operate as a manure, on being thrown out of the pits, and, after a few 
 years, is covered with a very rank growth of trees, vines, &c. This is a 
 characteristic trait of the locality of abandoned diggings. 
 
 The following is a catalogue of the mines. It comprises those of most 
 note, which are now worked, or have been at some former period. 
 
 1. Mine li Burton. 23. 
 
 2. Mine il Robino. 24. 
 
 3. Mine h Martin. 25. 
 
 4. New Diggings. 26. 
 
 5. Citadel Diggings. 27. 
 
 6. Perry's Diggings. 28. 
 . Hawkins's Mine. 29. 
 
 8. Rosebury's Mine. 30. 
 
 9. Austin's Shaft. 31. 
 
 10. Jones's Shaft. - 32. 
 
 11. Rocky Diggings, (Prairie de 33. 
 
 Roche). 34. 
 
 12. Gravelly Diggings. 35. 
 
 13. Brushy-run Diggings. 36. 
 
 14. Stricklin's Diggings. 37. 
 
 15. Bibb's Diggings. 38. 
 
 16. Tebault's Diggings, (Pinery), 39. 
 
 17. Mine Astraddle. 40. 
 
 18. Masson's Diggings, or Partney's. 41. 
 
 19. J. Scott's Diggings. 42. 
 
 20. T. Scott's Diggings. 43. 
 
 21. Micheaux's Diggings. 44. 
 
 22. Henry's Diggings. 45. 
 
 Moreau's Diggings. 
 Tapley's Diggings. 
 Lambert's Diggings. 
 Old Mines. 
 Mine Shibboleth. 
 Elliot's Mines. 
 Belle Fountains. 
 Cannon's Mines. 
 Little Diggings. 
 Becquet's Diggings. 
 Mine Liberty. 
 Renault's Mines. 
 Miller's Mine. 
 Mine Silvers. 
 Fourche h Courtois. 
 Pratt's Mine, Big river. 
 Lebaum's Mine, Richwoods. 
 Mine ii Joe, Flat river. 
 Bryan's Mines, Hazel run. 
 Dogget's Mine, do. 
 Mine La Motte, St. MichaeL 
 Gray's Mine, Big river. 
 M'Kane's Mine, Dry creek. 
 
 The most noted mines are Mine tY Burton, New Diggings, Shibboleth, 
 Richwoods, Old Mines, and the numerous mines on the waters of the 
 Mineral Fork of Grand river. Mine ;\ La Motte, Mine il Joe, and Bryan's 
 Mines, are east and south of the principal group of mines in "Washington 
 county, and at a considerable distance from them. A few general remarks 
 may be applied to all these mines. 
 
 The mines possess one general character, although there are some 
 peculiarities which I shall hereafter mention. The ore is found in de- 
 tached pieces and solid masses, in beds, in red clay, accompanied by 
 sulphate of barytes, calcareous spar, blende, iron pyrites, and quartz. 
 The ore is of that kind called, by mineralogists, lead-glance, or galena, 
 and is the sulphuret of lead, of chemistry. As it is dug up or quarried 
 from the adhering spar, it presents a very rich appearance. It has a 
 
POSITION OF THE MINES. 171 
 
 broad, glittering grain, of a lead-gray colour, which passes into a bluish 
 shade. The ore is easily broken by the blow of a hammer, and may be 
 pounded to a fine powder, still preserving its glittering appearance. In 
 breaking it, it always separates in cubes. Sometimes detached lumps of 
 four or five pounds weight, of a cubical form, are found imbedded in the 
 clay. Its primitive figure of crystallization is particularly observable 
 after the ore has been desulphurated by heat, which, at the same time, 
 increases its splendor, and renders the lines of intersection between the 
 facets more plainly discoverable. 
 
 The clay, or red earth, in which the ore is found, appears to partake 
 largely of marl ; and a difi"erence of quality is to be observed at the dif- 
 ferent mines. It all, however, operates more or less as a stimulant to 
 vegetation, on being thrown out of the pits. Mixed with the clay are 
 innumerable pieces of radiated quartz, very beautiful in appearance. 
 This forms the first stratum, and is about fourteen inches in depth ; then 
 succeeds a stratum of red clay, four or five feet thick, and sparingly 
 mixed with substances of the same kind ; after this, a layer of gravel 
 and rounded pebbles, of a silicious character, ensues ; these are about a 
 foot in depth, and lead-ore, in small detached lumps, is then found. This 
 is of the description called gravel-ore, and no spars are found accompa- 
 nying it. The greatest proportion of lead-ore is, however, found imbed- 
 ded in marly clay, accompanied by the sulphate of barytes, and resting 
 on limestone rock. The rock is struck at a depth of from fifteen to 
 twenty feet, and is a metalliferous limestone, of a semi-crystalline struc- 
 ture, lying in horizontal beds. It is traversed by veins of lead-ore. 
 Sometimes these expand in the shape of caves, where masses of galena 
 occur. 
 
 The most valuable substance accompanying the lead-ore, is an ore of 
 zinc, which is found at several of the mines. Another substance, found 
 with the ore in considerable quantities, is the sulphate of barytes. This 
 is sometimes in immediate connection with the ore, but more frequently 
 in contiguous masses, in the clay. 
 
 The sulphate of barytes, called ^i^ by the lead-diggers here, is the same 
 substance called cawh by English miners. It is very white, opaque, and 
 very heavy, and may be considered as the proper matrix of the lead-ore. 
 
 There are also found considerable quantities of calcareous spar, parti- 
 cularly in the caves and veins in rock. This substance is often observed 
 in large orbicular or irregular masses, which have the appearance of 
 external attrition. On breaking them, they fall into rhombs, which are 
 very transparent and glittering ; in color, they are either white, or honey- 
 yellow. 
 
 Pyrites are common at the mines, sometimes crystallized in regular 
 cubes of a beautiful brass-yellow color, and, at others, found in tabular 
 masses, or mixed with blende, sulphate of barytes, or calcareous spar. 
 Quartz is found throughout the whole mine district, both on the surface 
 
172 APPENDIX. 
 
 of the ground, and at all depths below. It is generally in the form of 
 tabular pieces, whose sui'faces are thickly studded over with small pyra- 
 mids of transparent rock-crystal, and present an appearance of the ut- 
 most beauty and splendor, looking like so many diamonds set over the 
 surface of white stone. These crystals are frequently grouped in the 
 form of a hemisphere, circular, or oviform, solitary or in clusters, forming 
 the different varieties of mamillary and radiated quartz, and, when met 
 with in their pristine beauty, present a very rich and brilliant appear- 
 ance. It has acquired the popular name of blossom of lead, or mineral 
 blossom, a term perfectly significant of its supposed affinity. 
 
 The exterior stratum of red clay, with its ores and minerals, will be 
 best understood by comparing it to a garment thrown over the rock- 
 formations of the country. The search for ore has been generally con- 
 fined to these clay diggings, which are pursued, very much, with the 
 apparatus of common well-digging. If, on reaching the rock, no vein of 
 ore is discovered, the work is generally dropped. 
 
 On viewing the district on a large scale, this external clay stratum 
 appears to have originally derived its mineral contents from veins in the 
 calcareous, lead-yielding rock. This metalliferous rock has evidently, in 
 former ages, been scooped out by rivers and streams, forming valleys and 
 vast diluvial plateaux, where the abraded materials were deposited. The 
 original subterranean veins were concealed by these geological changes. 
 
 Some of the mines exhibit traits that may be mentioned. Mine La 
 Motte is one of the oldest mines in the Territory, having been discovered 
 in 1720, by the person whose name it bears. The mines are very exten- 
 sive, and a large quantity of ore is annually raised. They are situated 
 within two miles of St. Michael, Madison count}', and on the head-waters 
 of the river St. Franqoia. No spars are found accompanying the ore ; 
 iron pyrites is occasionally met with, and plumbago is found in the vici- 
 nity. The ore, which is less brilliant, and differs in other characters 
 from any other in the mine tract, is at the same time more refractory ; in 
 some instances, the greatest difficulties have been experienced in the 
 smelting. Hence, an idea has originated that it is combined with other 
 metals ; but no experiments, I believe, have been made to ascertain this 
 point. 
 
 On a visit to these mines, I observed the inside of the ash-furnace 
 beautifully tinged with a blue color of considerable intensity. This fur- 
 nace is built of a white sandstone, which becomes vitrified on the surface, 
 forming glass. We are acquainted with no substance which will commu- 
 nicate a blue color to glass in fusion but cobalt ; hence, it is not unrea- 
 sonable to infer that this metal is volatilized during the smelting, and is 
 thus brought into contact with the liquefied surface of the stone, impart- 
 ing to it the color noticed. That the ores of La Motte contain an unusual 
 portion cf sulphur, is very probable. I draw this inference both from its 
 refractory nature and dull appearance. Sulphur always renders an ore 
 
POSITION OF THE MINES. 173 
 
 refractory ; for, when it is expelled by torrefaction, the ore melts easily. 
 Its dull aspect is not less conclusive ; for, the more an ore is roasted, and 
 the more sulphur there is driven off, the brighter it grows. This is evi- 
 dent to every smelter, who cannot fail to observe the surprising brilliancy 
 the ore assumes after it has gone through the first operation in the log 
 furnace. That the difficulties daily experienced in smelting the La Motte 
 ores are, therefore, attributable to the extraordinary quantity of sulphur 
 they contain, is extremely probable ; for, even if they were united with 
 other metals, with silver or with cobalt, these would not increase their 
 infusibility, except by the extra quantum of sulphur they brought with 
 them. At least, wo have no facts to prove that a simple alloy does not 
 melt as easily as a pure metal, while there are many to show that alloys 
 are of the most easy fusibility. 
 
 The quantity of ore raised at New Diggings has been very great, a 
 regular vein having been found ; but they were abandoned several years 
 ago on account of the water, which rushed in with such rapidity, that to 
 remove it every morning with a common windlass and bucket was found 
 a work of such labor as to render the business unprofitable. The mines 
 were left with the most flattering veins of ore in view. The general cha- 
 racter of these mines is such as to justify the erection of a steam-engine, 
 and other works for prosecuting the business on an extensive scale ; and 
 their revival at some future period may be confidently looked for. 
 
 Mine Renault is situated about six miles north-north-west of Mine a 
 Burton, in a very rocky part of the country, which affords some of the 
 most picturesque views of mountain scenery. The region is strongly 
 marked by mineral appearances, rendering it probable that other sub- 
 stances of value, besides lead, may exist in that vicinity. Ores of zinc 
 are abundant at this mine, and a body of micaceous oxide of iron is found 
 in the neighborhood. 
 
 Bryan's Mines are seated on Hazel run, and are among the most recent 
 discoveries of consequence. Near a million pounds of lead were made 
 hero during the first year of the discovery. The mine is characterized 
 by yielding no heavy spar ; sometimes a little calcareous spar is found, 
 and then adhering to the ores ; a circumstance which I have nowhere else 
 observed. Much of the ore of these mines is found in tabular pieces, 
 which are sonorous in a considerable degree ; the ore is brilliant, and 
 smelts readily, yielding the same as at Mine a Burton. 
 
 Gray's Mine, situated on Big river, in the northern extremity of the 
 mine tract, is remarkable for a body of white clay, which was discovered 
 in searching for ore. In sinking several pits at this mine, a stratum of 
 clay of an unusual appearance was struck at the depth of from eight to 
 ten feet, and no ore was procured at those places ; the diggings were 
 abandoned in consequence of the clay, which covers a considerable area 
 of ground on the banks of Big river. Tnis mineral substance bears a 
 striking resemblance to specimens of a pyrous crucible clay. 
 
 15* 
 
174 APPENDIX. 
 
 Elliott's Mines He upon the Mineral Fork, and are characterized by the 
 abundance of pyrites, and the beauty of the calcareous spar found there. 
 Considerable quantities of blende were also met with, and strong indica- 
 tions of the existence of copper are furnished. During the remarkable 
 earthquakes of 1812, a fine spring of water at the mouth of the mines 
 suddenly became warm and foul, and in a few days dried up entirely, and 
 no water has run there since. Illuminations in the atmosphere (arising 
 doubtless from phosphorus) are frequently observed in this vicinity on 
 the approach of night. 
 
 At Mine ^ Burton, there is found adhering to the sides of the log-hearth 
 furnace, a grayish-white sublimated matter, of great weight, which I take 
 to be a sublimate of lead. It is considered as chiefly sulphur or arsenic 
 by the lead-smelters, and is thrown by as useless. It is found at every 
 furnace, and a very large quantity could be annually collected. This 
 induced me to undertake some experiments on the subject. I was con- 
 vinced, on reflection, that there could be no sulphur, at least no consider- 
 able quantity of sulphur, in it, from the fact that all sulphur, or other 
 inflammable matter, expelled from the ore in the furnace, would undergo 
 immediate combustion. This is also'observable in the color of the flame 
 while the ore is torrified. Indeed, every person conversant with the 
 nature of this substance must know that it cannot be otherwise. The 
 furnace is entirely open, and does not rise over seven or eight feet in 
 height ; consequently, there is no opportunity for it to condense. That 
 the sulphuric acid is driven off, is undoubted ; for, whenever sulphur is 
 burned, this acid is set at liberty ; but it has no opportunity for entering 
 into a new combination within the body of a log furnace. 
 
 The idea of arsenic in the substance alluded to, is perfectly erroneous, 
 and has originated in an ignorance of the nature of the ores of these 
 mines. It is the sidplmret of lead, and not the arseniate. That there is 
 a small portion of silver and antimony in combination with the ore, is 
 probable ; but they too are mineralized by sulphur. Reflecting on this, 
 I became convinced of the popular error, and, to ascertain the point, 
 made the following experiments : 
 
 A. I took a lump of the sublimated matter, freed from adhering impu- 
 rities, and reduced it to the state of a fine powder by pulverizing in an 
 agate mortar, and trituration. Of this I mixed six parts with four of pul- 
 verized borax, and a little charcoal, and submitted it to the intense heat 
 of a small chemical furnace. On removing the crucible, I found a button 
 of metallic lead in the bottom, weighing nearly four. 
 
 B. Dissolved a quantity of the powdered sublimate in nitric acid ; it 
 effected a ready solution, with violent effervescence. Poured on liquid 
 carbonate of potash until no more precipitate fell. I then collected the 
 precipitate, and washed away the superfluous alkali by clear water, and 
 dried it in the shade. The result was a very fine, and a very white pow- 
 der, of considerable weight. This was a carbonate of lead (white lead). 
 
POSITION OF THE MINES. 175 
 
 With a quantity of the white lead thus made, I mixed linseed oil, and 
 painted a board. The color was of the most delicate white, and it gave 
 a good body. On inspecting this board several months afterwards, I 
 found the color inclining a little to yellowish. But perhaps it stands as 
 well as any white lead would, prepared from litharge, by solution in nitric 
 or acetic acids, and precipitation by carbonated alkali. 
 
 C. Mixed eight parts of sublimate with twelve of muriate of soda, and 
 fused in a crucible, with a tight cover, in a high heat. Result, a yellow, 
 hard, heavy, vitrified mass, resembling muriate of soda and lead. 
 
 M'Kain's Mine is situated on a small stream called Dry creek, running 
 into Big river not far from its junction with the Maramec. The mine is 
 worthy of remark only on account of a body of steel-grained lead-ore 
 found there. This ore is found to yield less lead in smelting than the 
 common broad-grained ore, and, as may be inferred from its texture, 
 contains silver. 
 
 So little has been done, of late years, in mining in the rock, that the 
 character of the veins must be judged of from limited facts. But there 
 can be no question, from what is known, that the true scene of mining 
 operations is the rock. 
 
 Along the west banks of the Mississippi, and also in some of the inte- 
 rior valleys, we observe that the metal-bearing limestone rests on crys- 
 talline sandstone. Both preserve a horizontal position, and both are 
 deposited, at the distance of about seventy miles south of Potosi, upon 
 pre-existing formations of sienitic granite, embracing hornblende rock ; 
 some of the latter of which is porphyritic. 
 
 These primitive formations mark the geography of the country at the 
 sources of the St. Francis. They form alpine peaks, through which the 
 river forces its way. Mine k La Motte is within two miles east of this 
 tract. These peaks have been raised to their present position without 
 disturbing the horizontality of the limestones and sandstones. Honce 
 the conclusion of their prior elevation. 
 
 At a still further southern point, and before reaching the banks of the 
 St. Francis at Bettis's ferry, the horizontal rocks again appear. But, in 
 this instance, sienitic and granitic boulders are scattered over the south- 
 ern series of the calcareous strata, showing, with equal clearness, that 
 the geological era of the boulder stratum was posterior to the deposition 
 of the horizontal strata, and that the force which scattered the boulder 
 stratum was from the north. 
 
SECTION IV, 
 METHOD or WORKING THE MINES. 
 
 The method of raising the ores, and the processes pursued in separating 
 the metal, are, upon the whole, extremely simple. A pickaxe and shovel 
 are the only tools in use. for removing the earth ; and the drill, rammer, 
 and priming-rod, are added when it is necessary to blast. Having deter- 
 mined on the spot for digging, the process commences by measuring oif 
 a square of about eight feet, and throwing out the earth, spar, and gravel, 
 until the miner sinks beneath the depth he can throw the earth. An expert 
 hand will pitch his earth clear out of the pit from a depth of ten, twelve, 
 and even fifteen feet. At this depth a common windlass and bucket are 
 placed over the centre of the pit, and the digging continued by drawing 
 up the earth, spar, and ores, if any are found, in the manner pursued in 
 sinking a well. During his progress, the miner is notified of his approach 
 to a body of ore, by small detached lumps occasionally found imbedded 
 in the soil, within a few feet of the surface. Sometimes lumps on the 
 top of the ground determine on the place for digging. The spar is also 
 a sign by which he judges, as there is seldom a body of spar found with- 
 out lead-ore. There are also other signs by which an experienced digger 
 is advertised of his prospects, and encouraged to proceed with cheerful- 
 ness in his work. These are, peculiar appearances in the texture of the 
 spar, and sometimes minute specks of ore scattered through it, the 
 changes in the color, and other qualities of the earth, gravel, &c. If 
 these appearances are promising, and bits of ore are occasionally met 
 with, he is encouraged to sink down a great depth ; but if they should 
 fail, he is generally induced to abandon the pit, and commence at another 
 place. 
 
 In searching for ore, the soil, the slope of the hills, spar, blossom, trees, 
 
 &c., are taken as guides, and some are obstinately attached to these signs. 
 
 Others, who have been fortunate in finding ore where these appearances 
 
 were least promising, wholly disregard them, and pay no attention to 
 
 rules. In general, there is a greater disposition to trust to luck and 
 
 chance, and stumble upon ore, than by attending to mineral character, to 
 
 be sure of success. As those who search by rules are generally incapable 
 
 of those minute remarks on the distinguishing character- and geological 
 
 situation of minerals, which are necessary in order to ensure success, it 
 
 frequently happens that they meet with disappointments. An incident 
 
 of this kind is enough to perplex a man who has not habituated himself 
 
 to reasoning on the subject, and to weaken his belief in the affinity of 
 
 ores and stones. Such a man will not stop to compare and reconcile 
 
 facts, which are seemingly opposite, or to investigate the nature of general 
 
 principles. 
 
 (170) 
 
METHOD OF WORKING THE MINES. 177 
 
 Hence miners exclaim on the uncertainty of finding ores by rules 
 drawn from the observations of science ; that the strata of the earth are 
 irregular, and not to be depended upon like the rock formations in 
 Europe ; and that, in fine, we have no guides by which its mineral trea- 
 sures are to be sought, and that, in so confused a soil, chance is the best 
 guide. Such a man is more ready to follow the mysterious guidance of 
 the divining-rod than the light of reason, and would be easily persuaded 
 that fortune is more surely the result of blind chance, than of feasible 
 schemes, well planned and well executed. 
 
 There would be, nevertheless, some truth in the uncertainties and the 
 confusion complained of, were those circumstances among the observa- 
 tions of scientific men. But it will be hazarding little to say, that when 
 such observations are made, there will be found as much regularity, har- 
 mony, and order, in the superposition of the strata, as generally exist. 
 The few facts I have noticed, lead to this conclusion. 
 
 Having raised a suiEcient quantity of ore for smelting, the next pro- 
 cess consists in separating the spar, and cleaning the ore from all extra- 
 neous matter. This is done by small picks, tapered down to such a point 
 that a careful hand may detach the smallest particle of adhering spar. 
 It is necessary that the ore should be well cleaned, as it would otherwise 
 prove refractory in smelting. If there be any lumps of uncommon size, 
 they are beaten smaller. The object is to bring the lumps as near as may 
 be to an uniform size, so that the heat may operate equally in desulphur- 
 ating the ore. It is desirable that the lumps should be about the size 
 of a man's two fists, or perhaps fifteen pounds' weight : if too small, a 
 difficulty and a waste is experienced in smelting. In this state, the ore 
 is conveyed to the primary furnace, (see Plate I.) and piled on the logs 
 prepared for its reception. When the charge is put in, which may in a 
 common way be about five thousand pounds, it is surrounded by logs of 
 wood, and covered over at the top, the fire being lit up at the mouth 
 below. A gentle warmth is created at first, which is raised very gradu- 
 ally, and kept at this point for about twelve hours, to allow the sulphur 
 to dissipate ; the heat is then increased for the purpose of smelting the 
 ore, and, in twelve hours more, the operation is completed, and the lead 
 obtained. Wood is occasionally added as the process goes on, and there 
 is a practical nicety required in keeping the furnace in proper order, 
 regulating the draught of air, &c., so that some smelters are much more 
 expert, and thereby extract a greater quantity of lead from a like body 
 of ore, than others. This furnace is called the log furnace, and, so far 
 as I know, is peculiar to this country. It is of a very simple construc- 
 tion, consisting of an inclined hearth, surrounded by walls on three sides, 
 open at top, and with an arch for the admission of air below. Upon the 
 whole, it appears well adapted to the present situation and circumstances 
 of the neople. It is cheap, simple, may be built at almost any place, and 
 answers the purpose very well. A good furnace of this kind may be 
 
 M 
 
178 APPENDIX. 
 
 built at a cost of from fifty to sixty dollars, every expense considered ; 
 and one of the most considerable items in the sum total is the bill of the 
 mason, -who cannot be hired, in this region, to work for less than two 
 dollars per day. 
 
 Plate I., Figure 1. A Perspective View of the Log Furnace. - 
 
 a, the front wall, 8 feet long, 7 feet in height, and 2 feet in thickness. 
 
 b b, the side walls, 8 feet long, and 2 feet thick. 
 
 c, the hearth, 2 feet wide, and 8 feet in length. 
 
 d d, the ledges on each side of the hearth, 10 inches in height, and 1 foot 
 wide. These serve to elevate the logs above the hearth, at the same 
 time creating a draught for the air, and passage for the lead. 
 
 e, the eye of the furnace, or arch, 2 feet across at bottom, with an arch 
 
 thrown in a half circle, or a flat stone laid across at the height of 
 the ledges. 
 
 f, the iron ladle for dipping out the melted lead. 
 
 g, the iron mould. Every bar of lead cast in this, is called a pig. 
 
 h, the hole in the ground, for the reception of the lead as it runs from 
 the furnace. 
 
 Figure 2, is a perspective view of the furnace from the back or open 
 part. The same letters used in Figure 1 apply to the same parts of the 
 furnace in this figure. 
 
 Figure 3. Ground Plan, 
 a, the eye or arch in front. 
 6 h, the side walls, 
 c, the hearth. 
 d d, the ledges. 
 
 The process of charging the furnace may be mentioned. Three large 
 oak logs, rolled in from the back side, and resting at each end on these 
 ledges, fill up the width of the furnace ; small split logs are then set up 
 all around on the two sides and front ; the ore is then piled on until the 
 furnace is full, and logs are then piled over it, beginning at the back, 
 and continuing over to the front, so that the ore is completely surrounded 
 by wood. This furnace is always built on the slope of a hill, as repre- 
 sented in Plate I., Fig. 1 ; and the hearth is laid on an angle of 45°, so 
 that it falls four feet in a distance of eight. Two furnaces of the size 
 here described are generally built together, by which there is a saving 
 of the expense of one wall, and the work is rendered stronger, one serv- 
 ing as a support to the other. Not only so, but the same number of 
 hands will keep a double-eyed furnace in blast, which are required at a 
 single one. It takes three hands, one to cart wood during the day-time, 
 and the other two to relieve each other alternately, every twelve hours, at 
 the furnace. When a charge is melted oflF, the furnace is cooled, new 
 
Log IffeartJt JPurnacf 
 
 FislU, 
 
 
METHOD OF WORKING THE MINES. 179 
 
 logs and upright pieces put in, and the whole operation begun anew. 
 Twenty-four houi-s is the time generally allotted for each smelting, but it 
 often takes thirty-six ; and when there is bad wood and want of attention, 
 it requires still longer, and indeed the result is never so good. 
 
 The ore is estimated to yield, in the large way, fifty per cent, the first 
 smelting. A considerable portion of what is put in, however, does not 
 become completely desulphurated, and is found in the bottom of the fur- 
 nace after cooling. This is chiefly the smallest lumps, which have fallen 
 through the apertures that burn between the logs, before they were tho- 
 roughly roasted, and thus, getting out of the way of the heat, lie entan- 
 gled with the ashes. Some lumps, which are too large, also escape 
 complete desulphuration, and either remain unmelted, or else, when the 
 fire is raised, melt altogether into a kind of slag, and produce little or no 
 metallic lead. This constitutes what are called the lead-ashes. The 
 larger pieces, consisting of ore but partially desulphurated, ai*e carefully 
 picked out from among the ashes, and added at the next smelting in the 
 log furnace ; while the remainder is thrown by in heaps for further 
 examination. 
 
 The lead-ashes are still rich in lead, and, when a sufficient quantity 
 has accumulated from repeated smeltings, it is taken off to a proper place 
 contrived for the purpose, and separated from the cinders, wood-ashes, 
 and other adhering impurities. This is done by washing the whole in 
 buddies, one set below another, in the manner of the potter, when it is 
 necessary to search his clays. The ashes, which consist of clotted lumps 
 of a moderate hardness, are first pounded to a gross powder, and then 
 introduced into the water through a sieve. The wood-ashes and other 
 impurities, being lighter, swim on the top, and, by letting off the water, 
 are thus carried away. Fresh water is added, the ashes briskly stirred 
 with a hoe, and the water again let off, carrying a further portion of 
 impurity with it. By repeating this operation several times, the lead- 
 ashes are brought to the required degree of purity. Thus washed, they 
 are carried to a furnace of a different construction, called the ash furnace 
 (see Plate II.), and undergo a second smelting. 
 
 Plate II., Figure 1. A Perspective Vieio of the Ash Furnace, 
 a, the ash-pit, 2 feet wide, 6 feet long, and 20 inches in height. 
 &, the mouth of the fire-arch, a foot square. 
 
 c, the mouth of the flue, where the charge is put in. 
 
 d, the iron pot for the lead to flow in, when the furnace is tapped. 
 
 Figure 2, is a longitudinal section through the furnace, at right angles 
 with the front, showing the curve of the arch, flue, &c. 
 a, the ash-pit. 
 6, the grates, 10 inches square, and 3 feet long ; these are pieces of hewn 
 
 stone. 
 €, the mouth of the fire-arch. 
 
180 APPENDIX. 
 
 d, the saniee, consisting of two stones, 3 feet long, and 3 feet 6 inchea 
 
 ■wide, ■with a thickness of G or 7 inches. They reach from the bottom 
 of the ash-pit to a foot above the basin-stone, the interstice between 
 them being rammed full of clay, and the whole measuring 18 inches 
 across. (This keeps the lead, slag, &c., from running into the fire- 
 arch, and is an important part of the furnace, requiring considerable 
 skill and accuracy in the construction.) 
 
 e, the basin-stone, 4 feet square, and 1 foot thick. 
 
 f, the flue, or throat, 10 feet long, 22 inches wide, and 11 inchea in 
 
 height. This must be continued a foot and a half over the mouth 
 of the flue, or apron, making the whole length eleven and a half 
 feet ; some prefer the flue twelve and a half feet. 
 
 g, the mouth of the flue or apron, where the furnace is charged ; this 
 
 flares from 22 inches to 3 feet, in a distance of 3 feet, (as shown in 
 Fig. 3.) 
 Ji, the fire-arch, 3 feet high in the centre, 18 inches high where the arch 
 begins to spring, and the same over the centre of the basin-stone. 
 
 Figure 3. Ground Plan. 
 
 From a to 6, 8 feet ; from b to c, 8 feet 6 inches ; from a to ^, 8 feet 6 
 inches ; from e to^", G feet ; from e to g, 13 feet. 
 h, the basin, 4 feet long, and 22 inches wide, except in the centre, where 
 
 it is 24 inches wide. 
 i, the flue. 
 7c, the mouth of the flue, or apron, 3 feet at the front, and 22 inches in 
 
 the rear. 
 I, the santee. 
 m, the fire-arch, with grates at bottom. (This is 22 inches wide at each 
 
 end, 24 inches in the centre, and 5 feet long from the inside of its 
 
 mouth to the santee.) 
 «, the mouth of the fire-arch. 
 0, the iron pot for the lead to flow into, set in the curve made in the wall 
 
 for convenience of tapping. 
 p, the curve in the wall for drawing off the slag. 
 
 Figure 4, is a perspective view of the mouth of the flue where the fur- 
 nace is charged. 
 
 From rt to 6, G feet ; from a to c, 5 feet ; from a to d, 1 foot. 
 
 c, the mouth of the flue, 22 inches wide, and 11 high. (This flares out 
 to 3 feet in the distance of 3 feet, the flue covering half of it, so that the 
 heat may be thrown down on the ashes. 
 
 One of the principal points to be attended to in building an ash-furnace 
 is the elevation of the flue. It should rise 5\ feet in 10; some prefer 5i 
 in 11. If the ascent be too steep, the ore will run down into the basin 
 
^s7t Furrti*t-rf: 
 
 X"2. 
 
 Pi^.U. 
 
 n^m. 
 
 Pi^JV". 
 
METHOD OF WORKINa THE MINES. 181 
 
 before it gets hot, which is detrimental. If the ascent be too low, the 
 bottom of the flue next to the basin will soon be eaten away by the heat, 
 and thus in a short time undermine and destroy the furnace. 
 
 The flux employed is also a matter of moment. Sand, and pulverized 
 flinty gravel, are mixed with the lead-ashes before smelting. The object 
 of this is to promote the vitrification of the slag, which would otherwise 
 remain stiff; the particles of revived lead would not sink through to the 
 bottom, but remain entangled with it, and thus be lost. Lime is also 
 sometimes employed for the same purpose ; and indeed any earth would 
 operate as a flux to the scoriaceous part of the lead-ashes, if added in a 
 due proportion, particularly the alkaline earths. Lime and barytes, both 
 of which are afi"orded in plenty at the mines, might therefore be advan- 
 tageously employed, when no sand or easy-melting silicious gravel could 
 be obtained. Good fusible sands are readily attacked and liquefied by 
 submitting to heat with oxides of lead, alkaline salts, or any other alka- 
 line or metallic flux ; hence their extreme utility in glass, enamels, and 
 all other vitrescent mixtures. When, therefore, silicious sand can be 
 obtained, it will be found a more powerful flux to lead-ashes than either 
 gravel, lime, spars, or any other substance, if we except the fluor spar. 
 This is probably better adapted as a flux than even silicious sands ; but 
 it has not yet been brought to light at the lead-mines. Perhaps the lower 
 strata of the earth may afi"ord it. It is found at a lead-mine near Cave 
 in-Rock, on the right bank of the Ohio river, in the State of Illinois, and, 
 with the exception of a little found at Northampton, Massachusetts, is 
 the only place where this rare, useful, and beautiful mineral, occurs in 
 the United States.* 
 
 The situation for an ash-furnace is always chosen on the declivity of a 
 hill, as represented in the plate. The inside work, or lining, consists of 
 slabs of hewn limestone, laid in clay-mortar, and backed by solid ma- 
 sonry. Although a stone less adapted for furnaces could hardly be found, 
 yet it is made here to answer the purpose, and is an evidence of the inge- 
 nuity of men in making a bad material answer when a good one cannot 
 
 * I was mistaken in supposing this the only locality of the fluate of lime in the 
 United States. It has also been found "in Virginia, near 'Woodstock or Miller's 
 town, Shenandoah county, in small loose masses, in the fissures of a limestone con- 
 taining shells. (Barton.) — In Maryland, on the west side of the Blue Ridge, with 
 sulphate of barytes. (Hayden.) — In New Jersey, near Franklin Furnace, in Susses 
 county, disseminated in lamellar carbonate of lime, and accompanied with mica 
 and carburet of iron ; also near Hamburg, in the same county, on the turnpike to 
 Pompton, in a vein of quartz and feldspar. (Bruce.) — In New York, near Saratoga 
 Springs, in limestone ; it is nearly colorless, and penetrated by pyrites. — In Ver- 
 mont, at Thetford. — In Connecticut, at Middletown, in a vein, and is -accompanied 
 by sulphurets of lead, zinc, and irom (Bruce.) — In Massachusetts, at the lead-mine 
 in Southampton, where it is imbedded in sulphate of barytes, or granite ; its colors 
 are green, purple, <fec. — In New Hampshire, at Rosebrook's Gap, in the White 
 (Mountains, in small detached pieces- (Gibbs.)" — Cleveland's Mineralogy. 
 
 16 
 
182 APPENDIX. 
 
 be found. No sandstone or freestone, of that refractory kind used in 
 glass and iron furnaces, is afforded in this vicinity ; and the smelters seem 
 to prefer rebuilding their furnaces often, to incurring the expense of 
 transporting good infusible sandstones from a distance. It is not perhaps 
 duly considered, that a furnace built of refractory materials, although 
 expensive in the erection, ■would be sufficiently durable to warrant that 
 expense, and outlast several built of limestone, which burn out every 
 blast, and have to be rebuilt from the foundation. 
 
 Limestone is a combination of the pure earth lime with carhonic acid 
 and water ; it is a carbonate of lime. When subjected to a red heat, it 
 parts with its carbonic acid and water, and, if the operation be continued 
 long enough, is converted into quicklime. This effect, therefore, takes 
 place as well' in the lead-furnace as in the limekiln, and with this differ- 
 ence only — that in the former it is laid in a wall, protected in some degree 
 from the heat, and will not part with its carbonic acid readily ; while in 
 the latter it is broken into comparatively small lumps, exposed to the heat 
 on all sides, and is easily and readily converted into quicklime. 
 
 Nevertheless, although this calcination is constantly progressing, an 
 ash-furnace will last from fifteen to twenty days, according to the skill 
 which has been displayed in its construction, and the particular quality 
 of the stone employed. When the stone partakes of clay (alumina), it 
 runs into a variety of argillaceous limestone, and is manifestly better 
 adapted to resist the effects of fire. Whenever the furnace is cooled, so 
 that the stone can attract moisture from the atmosphere, it falls into 
 quicklime. This change does not, however, take place rapidly ; for the 
 burning has seldom been uniform, and the stones have either been over- 
 burned, or not burned enough ; so that it requires several days, and even 
 weeks, to assume the powdery state. 
 
 An ash-furnace, built of limestone, is estimated to cost a hundred dol- 
 lars. This includes every expense, and such a furnace lasts during one 
 blast, say fifteen or twenty days ; perhaps, with great care, it will run a 
 month. During this time, from sixty to ninety thousand pounds of lead 
 ought to be made. 
 
 When a furnace is completed, it requires several days to dry it, and 
 bring it to the proper state for smelting. About ten da^'s are usually 
 spent in this. The fire is begun very moderately at first, being only the 
 warmth of a hot smoke, and is kept so for the first five days, by which 
 means the moisture of the mortar and stone is gradually expelled, and 
 without any danger of cracking the stone, or otherwise injuring the fur- 
 nace. It is then raised a little every day until the furnace is brought up 
 to a full red heat, when it is ready for the first charge of ashes. 
 
 The operation begins by shovelling a layer of ashes on the mouth of 
 the flue, then adding a thin layer of sand or flinty gravel as a flux, and 
 then more ashes ; and so adding gravel and ashes alternately^ until the 
 required quantity is shovelled up. This is suffered to lie here and grow 
 
METHOD OF WORKING THE MINES. 183 
 
 thoroughly hot before it is shoved down the flue into the basin ; for, if 
 introduced cold, it would check the heat too suddenly, and prove inju- 
 rious in the result. When hot, the charge is shoved down the flue with 
 a long-handled iron hoe, and another portion of ashes and gravel imme 
 diately shovelled on the mouth, suffered to heat, and then pushed down 
 as before. This operation of heating and charging is continued until the 
 furnace has a full charge, which may require about six hours, and in two 
 hours more the furnace is ready for tapping. The slag, which is in a 
 very fluid state on the top of the lead, is first drawn off, and the aperture 
 closed up with stone and mortar. The smelter then goes to the opposite 
 side of the furnace, and prepares for drawing off the lead by di'iving a 
 stout sharp pointed iron bar through the side of the furnace, at a parti- 
 cular place contrived for this purpose. On removing the bar, the metallic 
 lead flows out into a large iron pot set in the ground, and accompanied 
 by a considerable quantity of a semi-metallic substance, called zane. 
 This is lead not perfectly revived, being combined with some earthy par- 
 ticles, and oxide of lead. The zane occupies the top of the pot, and is 
 first ladled out into hemispherical holes dug in the clay near by. This 
 substance is of the consistence of the prepared sand used by brass- 
 founders when hot, but acquires considerable solidity when cold. The 
 metallic lead is then ladled into iron moulds of about eighteen inches in 
 length, and yielding a pig of lead of about fifty pounds each. The quan- 
 tity of zane made at each tapping is about equal to that of metallic lead. 
 This is afterwards taken to the log furnace, and readily converted into 
 lead. The lead made at the ash-furnace is not thought to be of so pure 
 a quality as tha.t of the first smelting made at the log furnace. It un- 
 doubtedly contains any other metals that may be combined with the ore, 
 and is therefore more refractory. Such lead is thought to be a little 
 harder, and some pretend to discover a lighter color. 
 
 The lead-ashes are reckoned to yield fifteen per cent, of lead (zane and 
 all), which, added to the first smelting, makes an average product of 
 sixty-five per cent. This estimate will hold good uniformly, when the 
 ores have been properly dressed, and the smelting well performed. Any 
 spar adhering to the ore, renders it refractory ; blende and pyrites have 
 the same effect. The latter is particularly injurious, as it consists chiefly 
 of sulphur ; a substance known to render all ores refractory. 
 
 The slag created by the ash-furnace is a heavy, black, glassy substance, 
 well melted, and still containing a portion of lead. Some attempts have 
 been made to obtain a further portion of lead from it, by smelting with 
 charcoal in a blast-furnace ; but the undertaking has not been attended 
 •with complete success, and is not generally thought to warrant the ex- 
 pense. The per centage of lead recovered from the slag is not estimated 
 at over ten, and, with the utmost success, cannot be reckoned to exceed 
 twelve. 
 
 Some practical and miscellaneous observations may here be added. 
 
184 APPENDIX. 
 
 Metallic lead in the pig is now (Feb. 1819) worth $4 percwt. at the mines. 
 It sells for $4 50 on the banks of the Mississippi, at St. Genevieve and 
 Herculaneum ; for $5 50 in New Orleans ; and is quoted at $6 in Phila- 
 delphia. This is lower than has ever been known before, (except at ovi 
 period,) and a consequent depression in the mining business is felt. There 
 is a governmental duty of one cent per pound on all bar and pig lead 
 imported into the United States ; but it does not amount to a prohibition 
 of foreign lead from our markets. Perhaps such a prohibition might be 
 deemed expedient. It is what the lead-smelters here call for ; and cer- 
 tainly the resources of this country are very ample, not only for supply- 
 ing the domestic consumption, but for exportation. 
 
 Those who dig the ore do not always smelt it. The merchants are 
 generally the smelters, and either employ their own slaves in raising the 
 ore, or pay a stipulated price per cwt. to those who choose to dig. For 
 every hundred pounds of ore, properly cleaned, the digger receives two 
 dollars. He works on his own account, and runs the risk of finding ore. 
 It is estimated that an ordinary hand will raise a hundredweight per day, 
 on an average of a year together. This, however, depends much upon 
 luck ; sometimes a vast body is fallen upon, with a few hours' labor ; at 
 others, many weeks are spent without finding any. lie who perseveres 
 will, however, generally succeed ; and the labor bestowed upon the most 
 unpromising mine, is never wholly lost. The above average has been 
 made by those long conversant with the business, and upon a full consi- 
 deration of all risks. 
 
 Custom has established a number of laws among the miners, with 
 regard to digging, which have a tendency to prevent disputes. Whenever 
 a discovery is made, the person making it is entitled to claim the ground 
 for twenty-five feet in every direction from his pit, giving him fifty feet 
 square. Other diggers are each entitled to twelve feet square, which is 
 just enough to sink a pit, and afibrd room for throwing out the earth. 
 Each one measures and stakes ofi" his ground, and, though he should not 
 begin to work for several days afterwards, no person will intrude upon it. 
 On this spot he digs down, but is not allowed to run drifts horizontally, 
 so as to break into or undermine the pits of others. If appearances ai'e 
 unpromising, or he strikes the rock, and chooses to abandon his pit, he 
 can go on any unoccupied ground, and, observing the same precautions, 
 begin anew. In such a case, the abandoned pit may be occupied by any 
 other person ; and sometimes large bodies of ore are found by the second 
 occupant, by a little work, which would have richly rewarded the labors 
 of the first, had he persevered. 
 
 In digging down from fifteen to twenty feet, the rock is generally 
 struck ; and as the signs of ore frequently give out on coming to the rock, 
 many of the pits are carried no further. This rock is invariably lime- 
 stone, though there are many varieties of it, the texture varying from 
 very hard and compact, to soft and friable. The former is considered by 
 
METHOD OF WOKKING THE MINES. 185 
 
 the diggers as a flinty stone ; the latter is called rotten limestone ; and, 
 from its crumbling between the fingers, and falling into grains, there is 
 a variety of it called sandstone. It is all, however, a calcareous car- 
 bonate, will burn into quicklime, and, as I find on experiment, is com- 
 pletely soluble in nitric acid. As no remains or impressions of shells, 
 animalculaj, or other traces of animal life, are to be found in it, I con- 
 clude it to be what geologists term metalliferous limestone ; a conclusion 
 which is strengthened by its semi-crystalline fracture. It exhibits 
 regular stratification, being always found in horizontal masses. How 
 far this formation extends, it would be difiicult to determine ; but, so far 
 as my observation goes, it is invariably the basis on which the mineral 
 soil at Mine k Burton, and the numerous mines in its vicinity, reposes. 
 It is overlaid by secondary limestone in various places on the banks of 
 the Mississippi, between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis. It is also seen 
 passing into a variety of secondary marble, in several localities. I 
 have seen no specimens of this mineral, however, which can be consi- 
 dered as a valuable material in sculpture. 
 
 I have already mentioned Hie per centage of lead obtained by smelting 
 in the large way. I shall here add the result of an assay made on the 
 ore. One hundred parts of ore yielded as follows : 
 
 Metallic lead 82 
 
 Sulphur driven ofi" by torrefaction 11 
 
 Earthy matter, and further portion of sulphur, either 
 
 combined with the scoria, or driven off by heat. ... 7 by estimation. 
 
 100 
 
 The ore experimented upon was the common ore of Mine k Burton, (ga- 
 lena.) I took a lump of the purest ore, completely freed from all sparry 
 and other extraneous matter, beat it into a very gross powder, and roasted 
 for an hour and a half in a moderate heat, with frequent stirring. On 
 vreighing the mass, it had lost 11 of sulphur. I now beat this to a very 
 fine powder, and treated it with a' strong flux of nitre and dry carbonate 
 of soda, adding some iron filings to absorb the last portions of sulphur. 
 The whole was enclosed in a good Hessian crucible, previously smeared 
 with charcoal, with a luted cover, and exposed for twenty minutes to the 
 high heat of a small chemical blast-furnace. 
 
 The richest species of galena, of which we have any account, is that 
 of Durham, England. An analysis of a specimen of this ore by Dr. 
 Thompson, gave the following result: 
 
 Lead 85 13 
 
 Sulphur 13 02 
 
 Oxide of iron 5 
 
 98 65 
 
 16* 
 
 f 
 
186 APPENDIX. 
 
 Many of the English, and nearly all the German ores, are, however, much 
 poorer. Of five several experiments made by Vauquelin on ores from 
 dijfferent mines in Germany, sixty-five per cent, of lead was the richest, 
 and all were united with uncommon portions of carbonated lime and 
 silex. 
 
 The button of metallic lead found at the bottom of the crucible in 
 chemical assays, contains also the silver, and other metals, if any should be 
 present in the ore. So also, in smelting in the large way, the metallic lead 
 is always united with the other metals. When ores of lead contain any 
 considerable portion of silver, they assume a fine steel grain ; and the 
 crystals, which are smaller than in common galena, oftener afi"ect the 
 octahedral, than the cubical figure. They are also harder to melt ; and 
 the lead obtained is not of so soft and malleable a nature as that pro- 
 cured from the broad-grained, easy-melting ore. 
 
 The proportion of silver in lead varies greatly. It is sometimes found 
 to yield as high as twelve per cent., and is then called argentiferous lead- 
 glance ; but, in the poorest ores, it does not yield more than one ounce 
 out of three hundred. To separate the silver from the lead, a process is 
 pursued called the refining of lead, or cupellation. This is efi'ected by 
 exposing the lead to a moderate heat in a cupel, and removing the oxide 
 as soon as it forms on the surface, until the whole is calcined, leaving 
 the silver in the bottom of the cupel. The lead in this process is con- 
 verted into litharge, the well-known substance of commerce ; and the 
 silver is afterwards refined by a second process, in which the last por- 
 tions of lead are entirely got rid of. This process is known at the German 
 refineries under the name of silber brennen, burning silver. 
 
 The rationale of cupellation is simply this. Lead on exposure to heat, 
 with access of air, is covered by a thin pellicle or scum, called an oxide ; 
 and by removing this, another is formed ; and so, by continuing to take 
 off the oxide, the whole quantity of lead is converted into an oxide. It 
 is called an oxide, because it is a combination of lead with oxygen (one 
 of the principles of air and of water.) By this combination, an increase 
 of weight takes place, so that a hundred pounds of bar-lead, converted 
 into the state of an oxide, will weigh as much over a hundred, as the 
 weight of the oxygen which it has attracted from the atmosphere. Silver, 
 however, on being exposed to heat in the same situation, cannot be con- 
 verted into an oxide ; it has no attractive power for oxygen. Hence, 
 when this metal is contained in a bar of lead, the lead only is oxygenated 
 on exposure in a cupel ; whilst the silver remains unaltered, but con- 
 stantly concentrating and sinking, till the lead is all calcined. This is 
 known, to a practised eye, by the increased splendor assumed by the 
 metal. 
 
 I do not think the ore of Mine h Burton contains a sufficient quantity 
 of silver to render the separation an object. This is to be inferred from 
 its mineralogical character, from the mathematical figure and size of the 
 
PRODUCT OF THE MINES. 187 
 
 crystal, its color, splendor, &c. The territory is not, however, it is be- 
 lieved, deficient in ores which are valuable for the silver they contain. 
 The head of White river, the Arkansas, the Maramec, and Strawberry 
 rivers, all afford ores of lead, the appearance of which leads us to conclude 
 they may yield silver in considerable quantity. 
 
 SECTION V. 
 ANNUAL PRODUCT, AND NUMBER OF HANDS EMPLOYED. 
 
 On this head, it is very difScult to procure proper information. The 
 desultory manner in which the mines have been wrought, and the imper- 
 fect method in which accounts have been kept, when kept at all, with 
 other circumstances, which are in some measure incidental to the opera- 
 tions of mining in a new country, oppose so many obstacles in the way 
 of obtaining the desired information, that I find it impossible to present 
 a correct statement, from authentic sources, of the annual product of the 
 mines for any series of years. When Louisiana was first occupied by 
 the United States, Mine h Burton and Mine La Motte were the principal 
 mines wrought ; but the few Americans who had emigrated into the terri- 
 tory, under the Spanish government, were fully aware of the advantages 
 to be derived from the smelting of lead, and, united to the emigrant 
 population which shortly succeeded, made many new discoveries, and the 
 business was pi'osecuted with increased vigor, and to a much greater 
 extent. The interior parts of the country, and such as had before been 
 deemed dangerous on account of the Indians, were now eagerly explored ; 
 and the fortunate discovery of several immense bodies of ore near the 
 surface of the ground, whereby the discoverers enriched themselves by a 
 few days' labor, had a tendency greatly to increase the fame of the mines, 
 and the number of miners. But, as generally happens in new countries, 
 among the number of emigrants were several desperate adventurers, and 
 men of the most abandoned character. Hence, the mines soon became 
 the scene of every disorder, depravity, and crime, and a common rendez- 
 vous for renegadoes of all parts. It is by such persons that many of the 
 mines were discovered, and several of them wrought ; and it is, therefore, 
 no subject of surprise, that, on inquiry, no accounts of the quantity of 
 lead made, and the number of hands employed, are to be found. 
 
 To secure the public interest, and remedy, in some degree, the irregu- 
 larities practised at the mines, a law was passed in Congress, a few years 
 after the cession of Louisiana, reserving all lead-mines, salt-springs, &c., 
 which should be discovered on the public lands, subsequent to that pe- 
 riod ; and the Governor of the Territory was, at the same time, author- 
 
188 APPENDIX. 
 
 ized to grant leases to discoverers for three years. The great defect of 
 that law appears always to have been, that a specific agent was not at the 
 Bame time authorized to be appointed for the general superintendence, 
 inspection, and management of mines — an office which, from its nature, 
 can never be properly incorporated with that of the territorial executive, 
 and which, with every inclination, it is presumed his other avocations 
 would prevent him from discharging either with usefulness to the public, 
 or satisfaction to himself. But, whatever be the defect of the law, cer- 
 tainly the advantages which the government proposed to derive from it 
 have not accrued. No revenue, it is understood, has yet been realized 
 under it, and we are now as much at a loss how to arrive at a true state- 
 ment of the mineral product of Missouri, as if the mines had never been 
 a subject of governmental legislation. 
 
 When a discovery of lead has been made, the miners from the neigh- 
 boring country have flocked to it, and commenced digging as usual, no 
 one troubling himself about a lease ; and thus the provisions of the act 
 have been in a great measure disregarded. Men of respectability, and 
 of sufficient capital to carry on mining in a systematic manner, have, it 
 is believed, been frequently deterred from making applications for leases, 
 from the short period for which only they can be granted. It would not 
 warrant the expense of sinking shafts, erecting permanent furnaces, gal- 
 leries, and other works necessary for prosecuting the business to advan- 
 tage ; for, no sooner would such works be erected, and the mines begin 
 to be effectually wrought, than the expiration of the lease would throw 
 them into the hands of some more successful applicant. 
 
 But, although we have no data to form an authenticated schedule of 
 the annual product of the mines for any required number of years, there 
 is something to be obtained by collecting and comparing facts, detached 
 and scanty as they are. Something also is to be acquired by consulting 
 the books which have been kept of late years in the warehouses on the 
 Mississippi, where the lead is sent for exportation, and some information 
 is also to be gleaned from various other sources. It is from information 
 thus obtained that I proceed to an enumeration of the products of the 
 different mines, and the number of persons to whom they furnish employ- 
 ment and support, satisfied, at the same time, that although the informa- 
 tion may not be all that could be desired, yet it is all which, without the 
 most extraordinary exertions, could be obtained. 
 
 The amount of crude ore delivered at the furnaces of Mine Shibboleth, 
 during one of its most productive years (1811), was something rising of 
 5,000,000 of pounds. The ore of this mine is estimated to yield, in the 
 large way, from 60 to 70 per cent., reckoned at 62^, which is probably a 
 fair average. The product of the mine in 1811 was 3,125,000 pounds. 
 Shibboleth is, however, one of the richest mines in the Territory, and this 
 is the product of one of those years in which it was most profitably 
 worked. It was then a new discovery, vast bodies of ore were found near 
 
PRODUCT OF THE MINES. 189 
 
 tlie surface, and the number of miners drawn together by the fame of its 
 riches was uncommonly great. It has since declined, although the ore 
 is still constantly found ; and I am informed by Colonel Smith, the pre- 
 sent proprietor, that the product this year (1819) will be about one million 
 of pounds. 
 
 The number of persons employed in digging lead at Mine k Burton has 
 been constantly lessening for the last four or five years ; and this cele- 
 brated mine, which has been worked without interruption for more than 
 forty years, and is stated to have yielded as high as three millions per 
 annum, is manifestly in a state of decline. During the last summer 
 (1818), the greater part of which I resided at that place, there were not 
 more than thirty miners employed ; and the' total product of the different 
 pits, shafts, and diggings, composing this mine, did not exceed half a 
 million of pounds. Of this quantity, Messrs. Samuel Perry & Co. were 
 the manufacturers of about 300,000 lbs. They contemplate realizing an 
 increased quantity during the present year. John Rice Jones, Esq., is 
 also engaged in penetrating the rock in search of ore, with the most flat- 
 tering pi'ospects, and is determined, as he informs me, to sink through 
 the upper stratum of limestone, and ascertain the character of the suc- 
 ceeding formations. It is highly probable, reasoning from geognostic 
 relations, that the lower formations will prove metalliferous, yielding 
 both lead and copper ; a discovery which would form a new era in the 
 history of those mines. The present mode of promiscuous digging on 
 the surface would then be abandoned, and peojjle made to see and to 
 realize the advantages of the only system of mining which can be perma- 
 nently, uniformly, and successfully pursued, viz., by penetrating into the 
 bowels of the earth. 
 
 Several other persons of intelligence and capital are also engaged in 
 mining at this place, and it is probable that the total amount of lead 
 manufactured at this mine during the year 1819 will fall little short of 
 one million of pounds. 
 
 It is not to be inferred, however, that because the number of miners at 
 Potosi has decreased, the mines are exhausted. On the contrary, there 
 is reason to conclude, as already mentioned, that the principal bodies of 
 ore have not yet been discovered, and that it is destined to become the 
 seat of the most extensive and important mining operations. The ore 
 heretofore raised at these mines has been chiefly found in the stratum of 
 earth which forms the surface of that country, and is bottomed on 
 the limestone. This stratum consists of a stifi" red clay, passing in some 
 places into marl, and in others partaking more of the silicious character 
 forming a loam, and imbedding the ores of lead, accompanied by the 
 various mineralogical species before mentioned. These minerals are often 
 of a very attractive character for cabinets. 
 
 The depth of this soil is sometimes thirty feet ; and in this the 
 diggings have been chiefly done, requiring no other machinery than is 
 
190 APPENDIX. 
 
 used in well-digging ; and the stratum of rock has generally put a stop 
 to the progress of the miner, although veins of ore penetrating it have 
 often invited him in the pursuit. But it requires different tools, ma- 
 chinery, and works, for mining in rock ; the process is also more tedious 
 and expensive, and is considered especially so by those who have been 
 accustomed from their youth to find bodies of ore by a few days' digging 
 in the earth, and who, if they should work a fortnight at one place, and 
 not fill! upon a bed of ore, would go away quite disheartened. The 
 principal search has therefore been made in the sub-stratum of clay, 
 ■where large bodies of ore are sometimes found by a day's, and sometimes 
 by an hour's work. Hence, in the neighborhood of Potosi, the ground 
 has been pretty well explored, and more search and labor is required to 
 find it than in other and more distant places, where new mines continue 
 annually to be discovered. But, with the exception of Austin's shaft, 
 who sunk eighty feet, and the mines opened by Jones, the rock at this 
 mine remains unpenetrated. Austin found large quantities of ore filling 
 crevices in the rock, and the appearances were flattering when the last 
 work was done. In sinking down, a change in the rock was expe- 
 rienced, passing from compact solid gray limestone, by several grada- 
 tions, into a loose granulated limestone, very friable, and easily reduced 
 to grains. This stone was in some instances completely disintegrated, 
 forming a calcareous sand ; and the most compact bodies of it, on a few 
 weeks' exposure at the mouth of the shaft, fall into grains. These grains 
 are, however, wholly calcareous, and readily soluble in nitric and muriatic 
 acids. The portion which I submitted to experiment was taken up com- 
 pletely, nor was any sediment deposited by many months' standing. On 
 going deeper, the rock again graduated into a compact limestone, very 
 hard, and of a bluish-gray color, in which were frequently found small 
 cavities studded over with minute pyramids of limpid quartz. These 
 variations in the structure of the earth and rock in that place, are still 
 observable by the stones, spars, and other minerals, lying around the 
 mouths of the mines ; and, upon the whole, the appearances are such as 
 to justify a conclusion that the lower strata of rocks at Potosi, and the 
 numerous mines in its vicinity, are of a highly metalliferous character, 
 and such as to warrant the expenditures incident to a search. 
 
 From a statement lately drawn up, and certified by the proprietors of 
 warehouses at Herculaneum, it appears that the total quantity of pig 
 and bar lead, and shot, exported from that place, from January 1, 1817, 
 to June 1, 1818, a period of eighteen mouths, was 3,194,249 pounds. 
 Herculaneum may be considered the depot for the lead of Mine Shibbo- 
 leth, Richwoods, Bellefontaine, a portion of the lead of Mine k Burton 
 and Potosi, and a few other mines in that neighborhood. Perhaps nearly 
 or quite half of the whole quantity of lead yearly smelted at the Missouri 
 mines, is shipped fi'om this place. Here then is an average product of 
 
PRODUCT OF THE MINES. 191 
 
 2,395,667 pounds per annum, for the years 1S17 and 1818, from those 
 mines which send their lead to Ilerculaneum. 
 
 Assuming the ground that these mines produce only half of what is 
 annually made at the whole number of mines, which I conclude may be 
 a true estimate, we shall arrive at the conclusion, that the annual pro- 
 duct of the Missouri mines for those years was four millions, seven hun- 
 dred and ninety-one thousand, three hundred and thirty-four pounds. 
 This, estimated at the present price of four cents per pound, gives us a 
 sum of one hundred and ninety-one thousand, six hundred and fifty- 
 three dollars. This is the produce of one year ; and supposing the mines 
 to have produced th* same average quantity during every year since they 
 have been in possession of the United States, we have a sum of throe 
 millions, sixty-six thousand, four hundred and forty-eight dollars ; which 
 is more than the original cost of Louisiana, as purchased from France 
 during the administration of President Jefferson. Let those who have 
 any doubts of the value of our mines, reflect upon this, and consider 
 that it was the product of a year when the mines were in a manifest 
 state of decline, and wrought wholly by individuals, with a foreign com- 
 petition to oppose, and without the benefits resulting from a systematic 
 organization of the mining interest. 
 
 Nearly all the lead smelted at the Missouri mines is transported in 
 carts and wagons from the interior to St. Genevieve and Ilerculaneum, 
 As it must necessarily be deposited for storage at those places, it was 
 naturally expected that authentic accounts of the lead manufactured in 
 the Territory for many years, might be obtained on application. But in 
 this, I experienced some degree of disappointment. At St. Genevieve, 
 although a warehouse has been kept at the landing for many years, the 
 lead sent to town has not all been stored. From the earliest time, and 
 before the establishment of a warehouse by IMr. Janies, the French inha- 
 bitants of St. Genevieve had all been more or less engaged in the storage, 
 purchase, and traflSc of lead. Every dwelling-house thus became a store- 
 Louse for lead, and, in these cases, no regular accounts were kept of the 
 quantities received or delivered. The same practice has, in some mea- 
 sure, continued since, so that it is impossible to obtain, with any preci- 
 cision, the amount shipped from this place. At Herculaneum, a ware- 
 house has been kept since the year 1816 ; and on application to Mr. 
 Elias Bates, the proprietor, he was so obliging as to allow me permission 
 to peruse his book of receipts, for the purpose of making extracts. The 
 following details embrace the receipts of lead at that place for a period 
 of two years and eleven months, ending May 18, 1819. 
 
192 APPENDIX. 
 
 I. A Se]-ies of Receipts, from June 16, 181G, to December 31 of the same 
 year, being a period of six months and fourteen days. 
 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts 52,781 lbs. 
 
 2 57,097 
 
 3 55,039 
 
 4 58,892 
 
 5 50,639 
 
 6 63,787 
 
 7 55,663 
 
 8 47,287 
 
 Aggregate of separate individual acc'ts during same period. 322, 134 
 
 Total 763,319 
 
 II. A Series of Receipts from Zlst Dec. 1816, to 51st Dec. 1817. 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts 12,375 lbs. 
 
 2 51,521 
 
 3 49,023 
 
 4 60,576 
 
 5 54,242 
 
 6 47,321 
 
 7 60,956 
 
 8 51,420 
 
 9 , 43,774 
 
 10 42,694 
 
 11 47,958 
 
 12 15,482 
 
 537,343 
 Aggregate of separate individual acc'ts during same period . 501,903 
 
 Total 1,039,246 
 
 III. A So'ies of Receipts f-om 31st Dec. 1817, to 31st Dec. 1818. 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts 24,261 lbs. 
 
 2 45,981 
 
 3 31,041 
 
 4 39,424 
 
 6 34,711 
 
 6 44,266 
 
 7 31,315 
 
 8 56,442 
 
 9 33,932 
 
 341,372 
 Aggregate of separate individual acc'ts during same period. 112,203 
 
 Total 453,575 
 
PKODUCT OF THE MINES. 193 
 
 IV. A Series of Receipts from ilst Dec. 1818, to ISth May 1819. 
 
 Fol. 1. Aggregate of receipts 14,764 lbs. 
 
 2 44,323 
 
 3 44,628 
 
 103,715 
 Aggregate of separate individual acc'ts during same period. 26,211 
 
 Total 129,926 
 
 RECAPITULATION. 
 
 1816 763,319 lbs. 
 
 1817 1,039,246 
 
 1818 453,575 
 
 1819 129,926 
 
 Total 2 386,066 
 
 During eighteen months of the same period, from Dec. 31st, 1816, to 
 June 1st, 1818, there was deposited with, and shipped by, sundry other 
 persons in Herculaneum, as ascertained by Colonel S. Hammond and M. 
 Austin, Esq., 517,495 pounds of lead, together with patent shot, manu- 
 factured by Elias Bates and Christian Wilt, to the amount of 608,350 
 pounds. For the remaining part of the estimated term, (two years and 
 eleven months,) it is reasonable to presume that a like quantity of lead 
 was exported through private channels at Herculaneum, and a like quan- 
 tity of shot manufactured by Messrs. Bates and Wilt. This will make 
 the quantity of pig and bar lead shipped by individuals, 1,034,990 
 pounds, and the quantity of patent shot manufactured, 1,356,700 pounds ; 
 which two sums, added to the receipts of Mr. Bates's warehouse, as de- 
 tailed above, gives us an aggregate amount of 4,757,990 pounds, for the 
 period of two years and eleven months. St. Genevieve, as has already 
 been mentioned, is probably the storehouse for one-half of the mines, 
 and may therefore be estimated to have received and exported the same 
 quantity of pig and bar lead during the same period, making a total of 
 9,515,512 pounds, which gives an average product of more than three 
 million of pounds of lead per annum. 
 
 It would be interesting to know in what proportion the different mines 
 have contributed to this amount. The above details show us their col- 
 lective importance ; but we should then be enabled to estimate their 
 individual and comparative value. With this view, I have compiled, 
 from the best information, the following 
 
 17 N 
 
194 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 No. of hands. 
 
 160 
 
 240 
 
 210 
 
 140 
 
 I 910,100.... 80 
 
 600,000 60 
 
 [ 45,000 20 
 
 450,000, 
 
 40 
 
 Mines. Pounds of lead 
 
 Mine h Burton 1,500,000. . 
 
 Mine Shibboleth 2,700,000. , 
 
 Mine La Motte 2,400,000. , 
 
 Richwoods 1,300,000. . 
 
 Bryan's Mines 
 
 Dogget's Mines 
 
 Perry's Diggings.... 
 
 Elliot's Mines 
 
 Old Mines 
 
 Bellefontaine 
 
 Mine Astraddle ..... 
 
 Mine Liberty , 
 
 Renault's Mines ..... 
 
 Mine Silvers 
 
 Miller's Mines 
 
 Cannon's Diggings . . 
 
 Becquet's Diggings . . 
 
 Little Mines 
 
 Rocky Diggings 
 
 Citadel Diggings .... 
 
 Lambert's Mine 
 
 Austin's Mines ..... 
 
 Jones's Mines 
 
 Gravelly Diggings -. 
 
 Scott's Mine ,^ ^„^ 
 
 ^. , ,T f }■ 50,000 20 
 
 Mine a Martin ' 
 
 Mine k Robino J 
 
 75,000 30 
 
 .1,160,000 130 
 
 11,180,000 
 
 1130 
 
 In this estimate are included all persons concerned in the operations 
 of mining, and who draw their support from it ; wood-cutters, teamsters, 
 and blacksmiths, as well as those engaged in digging and smelting lead- 
 ore, &c. The estimate is supposed to embrace a period of three years, 
 ending 1st June, 1819, and making an average product of 3,726,666 lbs. 
 per annum, which is so near the result arrived at in the preceding 
 details, as to induce a conclusion that it is essentially correct, and that 
 the mines of Missouri, taken collectively, yield this amount of pig-lead 
 annually. 
 
 The United States acquired possession of the mines in the year 1803, 
 
PRODUCT OF THE MINES. 195 
 
 fifteen years ago last December ; and, assuming the fact that they have 
 annually produced this quantity, there has been smelted, under the 
 American government, fifty-five million pounds of lead. 
 
 On the view which has now been taken of the Missouri mines, it may 
 be proper here to remark — 
 
 1. That the ores of these mines are of the richest and purest kind, and 
 that they exist in such bodies as not only to supply all lead for domestic 
 consumption, but also, if the purposes of trade require it, are capable of 
 supplying large quantities for exportation. 
 
 2. That although at different periods the amount of lead manufiictured 
 has been considerable, yet this produce has been subject to perpetual 
 variation, and, upon the whole, has fallen, in the aggregate, far short of 
 the amount the mines are capable of producing. To make these mines 
 produce the greatest possible quantity of lead of which they are capable, 
 with the least possible expense, is a consideration of the first political 
 consequence, to which end it is desirable that the reserved mines be dis- 
 posed of, to individuals, or that the term for which leases are granted be 
 extended from three to fifteen years, which will induce capitalists, who 
 are now deterred by the illiberality of governmental terms, to embark in 
 mining. That there be laid a governmental duty of two and a half cents 
 per pound on all imported pig and bar lead, which will exclude foreign 
 lead from our markets, and afi"ord a desired relief to the domestic manu- 
 facturer. The present duty is one cent per pound. But this does not 
 prevent a foreign competition ; and the smelters call for, and appear to 
 be entitled to, further protection. 
 
 3. That although the processes of mining now pursued are superior to 
 what they were under the Spanish government, yet there is a very mani- 
 fest want of skill, system, and economy, in the raising of ores, and the 
 smelting of lead. The furnaces in use are liable to several objections. 
 They are defective in the plan, they are constructed of improper mate- 
 rials, and the workmanship is of the rudest kind. Hence, not near the 
 quantity of metallic lead is extracted from the ore which it is capable, 
 without an increase of expense, of yielding. There is a great waste 
 created by smelting ore in the common log furnace, in which a consider- 
 able part of the lead is volatilized, forming the sublimated matter which 
 adheres in such bodies to the sides of the log furnaces, and is thrown by 
 as useless. This can be prevented by an improvement in its construction. 
 To pursue mining with profit, it is necessary to pursue it with economy ; 
 and true economy is, to build the best of furnaces, with the best of mate- 
 rials. At present the furnaces are constructed of common limestone. 
 which soon burns into quicklime, and the work requires rebuilding from 
 the foundation. Not only so, but the frequency with which they require 
 
196 APPENDIX. 
 
 to be renewed, begets a carelessness in those who build them, and the 
 work is accordingly put up in the most ordinary and unworkmanlike 
 manner. Instead of limestone, the furnaces ought to be constructed of 
 good refractory sandstone, or apyrous clay, in the form of bricks, which 
 will re^-ist the action of heat for a great length of time. Both these sub- 
 stances are the production of that country, and specimens of them are 
 now in my possession. 
 
 4. From the information afforded, it has been seen that the mines are 
 situated in a country which affords a considerable proportion of the rich- 
 est f\irming-lands, producing corn, rye, wheat, tobacco, hemp, flax, oats, 
 &c., in the greatest abundance, and that no country is better adapted for 
 raising cattle, horses, hogs, and sheep. The country is well watered, 
 and with the purest of water ; the climate is mild and pleasant, the air 
 dry and serene, and the region is healthy in an unusual degree. Every 
 facility is also afforded by its streams for erecting works for the manu- 
 facture of white and red lead, massicot, litharge, shot, sheet-lead, mineral 
 yellow, and the other manufactures dependent upon lead. The country 
 also abounds with various useful minerals besides lead, which are calcu- 
 lated to increase its wealth and importance. It is particularly abundant 
 in iron, zinc, manganese, sulphur, salt, coal, chalk, and ochre. 
 
 5. That a systematic organization of the mining interest would have a 
 tendency to promote the public welfare. To this end, there should be 
 appointed an officer for the inspection and superintendence of mines. 
 He should reside in the mine country, and report annually to the proper 
 governmental department on the state of the mines, improvements, &c. 
 His duty should consist in part of the following items, viz. : 
 
 a. To lease out public mines, and receive and account for rents. 
 
 b. To prevent the waste and destruction of wood on the public lands. 
 
 c. To see that no mines were wrought without authority. 
 
 d. To keep the government informed, periodically, of the quantity of 
 
 lead made at the different mines, and of new discoveries of lead, or 
 any other useful minerals ; and, 
 
 e. To explore, practically, the mineralogy of the country, in order fully 
 
 to develope its mineral character and importance. Connected with 
 these duties, should be the collection of mineralogical specimens for 
 a national cabinet of natural history at Washington. 
 
 The superintendent of mines should be a practical mineralogist, and 
 such a salary attached to the office as to induce a man of respectable 
 talents and scientific acquirements to accept the appointment. To allow 
 the manufacturers of lead every advantage consistent with the public 
 interest, the rent charged on mines should not exceed two and a half 
 per cent, on the quantity manufactured, which is equivalent to the pro- 
 posed governmental duty on imported lead, whereby the revenue would 
 
PRODUCT OF THE MINES. 197 
 
 not only be kept up, but might be considerably enhanced. The fore- 
 going details exhibit an annual produce of 3,726,666 pounds of lead, 
 which, it is presumable, may be half the quantity the mines are capable 
 of producing, with proper management. But, estimating the lead at 
 four cents per pound, and taking that as the average quantity, the annual 
 rents, at two and a half per cent., will create a revenue of thirty-two 
 thousand four hundred and ninety dollars. 
 
 This subject is believed to be one that commends itself to the attention 
 of the government, which has, from a policy early introduced, reserved 
 the mineral lands on the public domain. No one can view it in the 
 light of these facts, without perceiving the propriety and necessity of an 
 efficient organization of this branch of the public interest. 
 
 17* 
 
MINERALOGY. 
 
 A CATALOGUE OE THE MINERALS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 
 
 Ix the arrangement of this catalogue, the order introduced in Professor 
 Cleveland's niineralogical tables, has been chiefly observed. It is the com- 
 mencement of an investigation into the physical history, character, and 
 mineral resources of the West, which it will become the duty of future 
 observers to continue and perfect. The field is an extensive one, and 
 invites attention. The order and beauty that are observed in this branch 
 of natural history, afford as striking proofs as any of the other depart- 
 ments of it, of that design which, in so remarkable a manner, pervades 
 the organization of the various classes of bodies, animate and inanimate, 
 on the surface of the globe. So far as respects mineralogy, its species 
 and varieties have not all been seen, in crystallized forms, agreeably to 
 our imperfect state of microscopical knowledge ; but as far as the species 
 have been brought within observation, in the classes of crystals and crys- 
 tallized ores, they rival, in their colors and exact geometrical forms, other 
 systems of bodies. 
 
 In revising the list, those specimens are dropped, respecting which 
 further reflection or examination has shown, either that the early descrip- 
 tions were imperfect, or that the quantity of the mineral was deficient. 
 
 I. Alkaline and Earthy Salts. 
 
 1. Nitrate of potash Nitre. 
 
 2. Muriate of soda Salt. 
 
 3. Sulphate of barytes Heavy spar. 
 
 4. Carbonate of lime Calc. spar. 
 
 a. Rhombic crystals. 
 
 b. Concrete forms. 
 
 5. Fluate of lime Fluor spar. 
 
 6. Sulphate of lime Gypsum. 
 
 7. Sulphate of magnesia Magnesia. 
 
 8. Sulphate of alumine and potash. Alum. 
 
 (198) 
 
MINERALS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 
 
 199 
 
 II. Earthy 
 
 Compounds and Stones. 
 
 9. Quartz. 
 
 
 a. Hexagonal crystals. 
 
 h. Red ferruginous quartz, 
 
 b. Kadiated. 
 
 i. Tabular " 
 
 c. Chalcedony. 
 
 J. Granular " 
 
 d. Agatized wood. 
 
 k. Hoary " 
 
 e. Agate. 
 
 I. Carnelian. 
 
 y. Jasper. 
 
 TO. Buhrstone. 
 
 g. Hornstone. 
 
 n. Opalized wood. 
 
 10. Pumice. 
 
 11. Mica. 
 
 12. Feldspar. 
 
 13. Hornblende. 
 
 14. Greenstone porphyry. 
 
 15. Clay. 
 
 a. Native alumine. 
 
 16. Basanite. 
 
 17. Indian pipestone. 
 
 Opwagonite. 
 
 18. Schcerl. 
 
 19. Novaculite. 
 
 c. Reddle. b. Indurated clay. 
 
 20, 
 
 21. 
 22. 
 
 III. Combustibles. 
 Sulphur. 
 
 a. Crystallized. 
 
 b. Concrete. 
 Graphite. 
 Coal. 
 
 a. Slaty-bituminous. 
 
 b. Wood-coal. 
 Bituminous shale. 
 
 IV. Metals. 
 
 23. Native copper. 
 
 24. Iron. 
 
 25. Sulphuret of iron. 
 
 26. Iron glance. 
 
 27. Micaceous oxide of iron. 
 
 28. Brown oxide of iron. 
 
 29. Ironstone. 
 
 30. Argillaceous oxide of iron. 
 
 31. Ochrey oxide of iron. 
 
 32. Sulphuret of lead. 
 
 a. Common galena. 
 
 b. Specular. 
 
 c. Granular. 
 
 d. Cobaltic. 
 
200 APPENDIX. 
 
 33. Carbonate of lead. 
 
 34. Earthy oxide of lead. 
 
 35. Sulphuret of zinc. 
 
 36. Sulphuret of manganese. 
 
 First Class. 
 
 1. Nitre — Saltpetre. This salt, in its efflorescent state, exists exten- 
 sively in the limestone caves of Missouri and Arkansas. It also impregnates 
 the masses of earth found in these recesses. This earth is lixiviated -with 
 wood-ashes, which allows the nitre to take a crystalline form. I visited 
 a large cavern, about eighty miles south-west of Potosi, where this salt 
 was manufactured, and observed its efflorescences in other caves in the 
 Ozark range. 
 
 2. Muriate of Soda. About one hundred and fifty thousand bushels 
 of common salt are annually made from the United States' saline on Salt 
 river, in Illinois. It appears, from the remains of antique broken vessels 
 found in that locality, to have been manufactured there by the ancient 
 inhabitants. There is a saline, which has been profitably worked, on 
 Saline creek, in St. Genevieve county. Two salt springs are worked, in 
 a small way, in Jefierson county. Mo. The springs in Arkansas are 
 reported to be extensive, and rumors of rock-salt on its plains have been 
 rife, since the purchase of Louisiana. The hunters whom I met in tbe 
 Ozark range, invariably affirmed its existence, in crystalline solid masses, 
 in that quarter ; from which also, it is to be recollected, De Soto's scouts 
 brought it, in 1542. 
 
 3. Sulphate of Barytes — Heavy Spar. This mineral is found, in con- 
 siderable quantities, at the principal lead-mines of Missouri, west of the 
 Mississippi. It presents its usual characters — it is heavy, white, shining, 
 opaque, and easily fractured. It is sometimes found crested, columnar, 
 prismatic, or in tabular crystallizations. Its surface is frequently covered 
 by a yellowish, ochrey earth, or ferruginous oxide. It sometimes exists 
 as the matrix of the sulphuret of lead — more frequently, as one of its 
 accompanying minerals. 
 
 4. Carbonate of Lime. 
 
 a. Cdlc. Spar. This form of the carbonate of lime is common in the 
 lead-mine regions of Missouri. At Hazel run, it constitutes, to some 
 pxtent, the gangue of the lead-ores. It is generally imbedded in lumps 
 in the red clay mineral soil. These lumps are round, externally ; but, 
 on being broken, reveal a rhomboidal structure, and are beautifully 
 transparent. 
 
 b. Stalactites. This form of the carbonate of lime is found in a cave 
 on the head-waters of Currents river, in Missouri. The stalactites are 
 found in concretions resembling icicles hanging from the roof, or in 
 
MINEKALS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 201 
 
 columns re^iching to the floor. Tlie specimens are translucent. Stalac- 
 tites are also found in a very large cave (Winoca) on Findley's fork, one 
 of the tributaries of White river, Arkansas. They form two large vases 
 in this cave, which are filled with the most crystalline water. 
 
 c. Stalagmite (Calcareous Alabaster). The cave which has just been 
 mentioned on Findley's fork, affords this mineral in small, solid globules, 
 which strew the floor of the cave. 
 
 5. Fluor Spar. The elevated lands on the west banks of the Ohio, 
 near the picturesque shores of Cave-in-Rock, in Illinois, disclose this 
 mineral. It exhibits its well-known character. It is generally of a pur- 
 ole, or amethystine hue, and crystallized, as its primary form, in cubes. 
 Externally, these crystals are dull. Its association here is with the ores 
 of lead, which have been extensively searched for in former times. It is 
 plentifully found, sometimes in large crystals, which have an external 
 appearance as if they had been subjected to the influence of turbid water. 
 It has been thus far, chiefly, explored in the diluvial stratum. 
 
 6. Gypsum. Foliated masses of this mineral occur in the river cliffs in 
 St. Clair county, Illinois. It is found in large quantities near the salines 
 in Upper Arkansas. Dr. Sibley, speaking of the formation in that vici- 
 nity, aays : " It is a tract of about seventy-five miles square, in which 
 nature has arranged a variety of the most strange and whimsical vaga- 
 ries. It is an assemblage of beautiful meadows, verdant ridges, and 
 rude misshapen piles of red clay, thrown together in the utmost apparent 
 confusion, yet affording the most pleasing harmonies, and presenting in 
 every direction an endless variety of curious and interesting objects. 
 After winding along for a few miles on the high ridges, you suddenly 
 descend an almost perpendicular declivity of rocks and clay, into a series 
 of level and fertile meadows, watered by some beautiful rivulets, and 
 adorned here and there with shrubby cotton trees, elms, and cedars. 
 These meadows are divided by chains formed of red clay, and huge 
 masses of gypsum, with here and there a pyramid of gravel. One might 
 imagine himself surrounded by the ruins of some ancient city, and that 
 the plain had sunk by some convulsion of nature more than one hundred 
 feet below its former level ; for some of the huge columns of red clay rise 
 to the height of two hundred feet perpendicular, capped with rocks of 
 gypsum, which the hand of time is ever crumbling off, and strewing in 
 beautiful transparent flakes, along the declivities of the hill, glittering 
 like so many mirrors in the sun." 
 
 7. Sulphate of Magnesia. A large and curious cavern has been dis- 
 covered in the calcareous rocks at Corydon, near the seat of government 
 of Indiana, which is found to yield very beautiful white crystals of this 
 mineral. To what extent these appearances exist, is unknown ; but the 
 cavern invites exploration. 
 
202 APPENDIX. 
 
 8. Alum. EfBorescences of the sulphate of alumina exist in a calca- 
 reous cavern in the elevated ranges of Bellevieu, in the county of Wash- 
 ington, Mo. No practical use is made of it. 
 
 9. Quartz. This important family of mineral bodies exists, in many 
 of its forms, on the west banks of the Mississippi. They "will be noticed 
 under their appropriate names. 
 
 a. Granular Quartz. There is a very large body of this mineral about 
 eight miles west of St. Genevieve, near the Potosi road. It is known as the 
 site of a remarkable cave. The sides, roof, and floor of the cave, consist 
 of the most pure and white granular quartz. It is quite friable between 
 the fingers, and falls into a singularly transparent and beautiful sand. 
 Each of these grains, when examined by the microscope, is found to be a 
 transparent molecule of pure quartz. It possesses no definable tint of 
 color, is not acted upon by either nitric or muriatic acids, and appears to 
 be an aggregation of minute crystals of quartz. It occurs in several 
 caves near the road, whose sides are entirely composed of it ; and its 
 snowy hue, and granular structure, give it the appearance of reined 
 sugar. It appears to me to be composed of silex nearly or quite pure, 
 and possesses, as I find on treatment with potash, the property of easy 
 fusibility. Could the necessary alkali and apyrous clays be conveniently 
 had at this spot, I cannot conceive a more advantageous placs for a 
 manufactory of crystal glass. 
 
 b. Radiated Quartz. This mineral is found in great abundance at the 
 Missouri lead-mines, where it bears the striking name of mineral blossom, 
 or blossom of lead — an opinion being entertained that it indicates the 
 presence or contiguity of lead-ore. Examined with care, it is found to 
 consist of small crystals of quartz, disposed in radii, which resemble the 
 petals of a flower. These crystals are superimposed on a basis consisting 
 of thin lines, or tabular layers, of agate. It is found either strewn on 
 the surface of the soil, imbedded in it, or existing in cavities in the 
 limestone rock. 
 
 c. Chalcedony. This species is brought down the Mississippi or Mis- 
 Bouri, and deposited in small fragments along the Missouri shore. It also 
 constitutes the principal layers in the thin tabular, or mamillary masses, 
 which constitute the basis of the radiated quartz. Most commonly, it is 
 bluish-white, or milk-white. 
 
 d. Agatized Wood. Fragments of this mineral are brought down the 
 Missouri, and deposited, in occasional pieces, along the banks of the 
 Mississippi. 
 
 e. Huiiistone — Chert. This substance appears to have been imbedded 
 extensively in the calcareous strata of the Mississippi valley ; for it is 
 scattered, as an ingredient, in its diluvions. Frequently it is in chips, or 
 fragments, all of which indicate a smooth conchoidal fracture. Sometimes 
 it consists of parts of nodules. Sometimes it is still solidly imbedded in 
 
MINERALS OP THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 203 
 
 the rock, or consolidated strata, as on the coast below Cape Girardeau, 
 Mo. Indeed, so far as observation goes, it characterizes all the district 
 of country between the western banks of the Mississippi river, and the 
 great prairies and sand deserts at the foot of the Rocky mountains. Its 
 color is generally brown, with different shades of yellow, black, blue, or 
 red. It appears nearly allied to flint, into which it is sometimes seen 
 passing. It runs also into varieties of jasper, chalcedony, and common 
 quartz; and the different gradations from well-chara.cterized hornstone, 
 until its distinctive characters are lost in other sub-species of quartz, may 
 be distinctly marked. The barbs for Indian arrows, frequently found in 
 this region, appear to have been chiefly made of hornstone. 
 
 f. Jasper. This mineral also appears to have been imbedded in the 
 silico-calcareous rocks of the western valley ; and it is found, in the frag- 
 mentary form, on the banks of the Mississippi, and also on its plains 
 below the Rocky mountains. The fine yellow egg-shaped pebbles of 
 White river, are common jasper. Several specimens, picked up in a 
 desultory journey, possess striking beauty. The first is a uniform bottle- 
 green, very hard, and susceptible of a high polish. The second is the 
 fragment of a nodular mass, consisting of alternate concentric stripes of 
 green, brown, and yellow; the colors passing by imperceptible shades 
 into each other. A specimen found in Potosi consists of alternate stripes 
 of rose and flesh red. 
 
 g. Agate. This mineral is picked up, in a fragmentary form, along 
 the banks of the Mississippi. Its original repository appears to have 
 been the volcanic and amygdaloidal rocks about its sources, which have 
 been extensively broken down by geological mutations, during ante-his- 
 torical periods. The fragments are often beautifully transparent, some- 
 times zoned or striped. Sometimes they are arranged in angles, present- 
 ing the fortification-agate. The colors are various shades of white and 
 red, the latter being layers of carnelian. All the pieces found in this 
 dispersed state are harder than the imbedded species, and are with diffi- 
 culty cut by the lapidary. 
 
 h. Opal. A single specimen of this mineral, from the right banks of 
 the Ohio, near Cave-in-Rock, Illinois, is of a delicate bluish-white, and 
 opalesces on being held to the light. It is not acted on by acids. This 
 locality is remarkable as yielding galena, heavy spar, blende, calcareous 
 spar, fluor spar, pyrites, coal, and salt. It belongs to the great secondary 
 limestone formation of the Ohio valley. It is cavernous, and yields some 
 fossil impressions. 
 
 i. Red Ferruginous Qnartz. This occurs as one of the imbedded mate 
 rials of the diluvion of the Mississippi valley. 
 
 k. Rock Crystal. Very perfect and beautiful crystals of this mineral 
 are procured near the Hot Springs of Arkansas. They consist, generally, 
 of six-sided prisms, terminated by sis-sided pyramids. Some of these 
 
'204 APPENDIX. 
 
 are so perfectly limpid, that -writing can be read, without the slightest 
 obscurity, through the parallel faces of the crystals. 
 
 1. Fseudomorphoiis Chalcedony. Lake Pepin, Upper Mississippi. This 
 appears to have been formed by deposition on cubical crystals, which 
 have disappeared. 
 
 m. Tabular Quarlz. West bank of the Mississippi, Missouri. Of a 
 white color, semi-transparent. The plates are single, and the lines 
 perfectly parallel. 
 
 n. Hoary Quartz. West banks of the Mississippi, Mo. The character 
 of hoariness appears to be imparted by very minute crystals, or concre- 
 tions of quartz, on the surface of radiated quartz. 
 
 0. Common Quartz. This mineral is found in veins of from one to 
 eight or ten feet wide, in the argillaceous rock formation in the vicinity 
 of the Hot Springs of Washita. It is also seen, in very large detached 
 masses, on the south bank of White river. The character of these rocks 
 will not be recognized on a superficial view ; for they have a gray, time- 
 worn appearance, and are so much covered by moss, that it was not until 
 I had broken off a fragment with a hammer, that I discovered them to be 
 white quartz. Pebbles of quartz, either white or variously colored by 
 iron, are common on the shores of White river, and, joined to the purity 
 and transparency of the waters, add greatly to the pleasure of a voyage 
 on that beautiful stream. 
 
 p. Buhrstone. Raccoon creek, Indiana. This bed is noted throughout 
 the western country, and affords a profitable branch of manufacture. It 
 covers an area of from ten to fifteen acres square. Its texture is vesicu- 
 lar, yet it is sufficiently compact to admit of being quarried with advan- 
 tage, and the stones are applied to the purposes of milling with the best 
 success. 
 
 q. Sedimentary Quartz — Schoolcraftite. This mineral occurs three miles 
 from the Hot Springs of Washita. It is of a grayish-white color, partak- 
 ing a little of green, yellow, or red ; translucent in an uncommon degree, 
 with an uneven and moderately glimmering fracture, and susceptible of 
 being sf^ratched with a knife. Oil stones for the purpose of honing 
 knives, razors, or tools, are occasionally procured from this place, and 
 considerable quantities have been lately taken to New Orleans. It gives 
 a fine edge, and is considered equal to the Turkish oil-stone. It appears 
 to me, from external character and preliminary tests, to consist almost 
 entirely of silex, with a little oxide of iron. Its compactness, superior 
 softness, specific gravity, and coloring matter, distinguish it from silicioua 
 sinter. It has been improperly termed, heretofore, "novaculite." It 
 contains no alumine. It sometimes reveals partial conditions, or spots, 
 of a degree of hardness nearly equal to common quartz. 
 
 r. Carnelian. Banks of the Mississippi, above the junction of the 
 Ohio. Traces of this mineral begin to be found, as soon as the heavy 
 alluvial lands are passed. It is among the finest detritus of the minerals 
 
MINERALS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 205 
 
 of the quartz family, brought down from upper plains. The fragments, 
 in these lower positions, are small, transparent, and hard, colored red or 
 yellowish. 
 
 s. Basanite — Touchstone. This mineral is found in the Mississippi 
 detritus ; but no fixed locality has been ascertained. 
 
 10. Pumice. The light, vesicular substance, found floating down the 
 Missouri and Mississippi, is not, properly speaking, a true pumice, capa- 
 ble of the applications of that article in the arts ; but it cannot be classi- 
 fied with any other species. It is more properly a pseudo-pumice, arising 
 from partial volcanic action on the formations of some of the tributaries 
 of the Missouri, which originate in the Rocky mountains. It is brought 
 down by the June flood, sometimes in large masses, which, as the waters 
 abate, are left on the islands or shores. It is incompletely vitrified, consist- 
 ing of spongy globules. The masses are irregularly colored, agreeably 
 to the vitrified materials, red, black or brown. Its tenacity is very 
 great. 
 
 30. Mica. In the granitical, or primitive district, at the sources of the 
 St. Francis. The great body of these rocks is a sienite, or sienitic gra- 
 nite, or greenstone. Like the northern granitical tracts, the mica is 
 generally replaced by hornblende. The folia, usually, are small. 
 
 31. Feldspar. With the preceding. The great bulk of these grani- 
 tical formations consists of red feldspar. Where the greenstone becomes 
 porphyritic, the feldspar is a light green. 
 
 32. Hornblende. With the preceding. This mineral assumes its 
 crystalline form, in large areas of the sienite rock. With the two pre- 
 ceding minerals, mica and feldspar, and common quartz, it constitutes 
 the mountain peaks of that remarkable district. It is the only locality, 
 except the Washita hills, where these formations rise to an elevation 
 above the great metalliferous, sandstone, and carbonaceous deposits of 
 the central area of the Mississippi valley, south of the Sauk rapids, above 
 St. Anthony's falls, and the head-waters of the St. Peter's, or Minnesota 
 river. The latter constitute the northern limits of the great horizontal, 
 sedimentary, semi-crystallized rocks west of the Alleghanies. 
 
 33. Greenstone Porphyry. With the preceding. 
 
 34. Puddingstone. In the tongue of land formed by the junction of 
 the Ohio with the Mississippi, directly beneath the alluvial lands at the 
 old site of fort Massac, and at the village called "America." Also, in 
 large, broken blocks, along the west shores of the Mississippi, near the 
 " chalk banks," so called, in Cape Girardeau county, and at Cape Garlic, 
 on the west banks of the Mississippi. 
 
 18 
 
206 APPENDIX. 
 
 33. Native Alumine — White, friable, pure Clay. At the head of 
 Tiawapeta bottom, Little Chain of Rocks, west banks of the Mississippi, 
 Cape Girardeau county, Missouri. This remarkable body of white earth 
 is locally denominated chalk, and was thus called in the first edition of 
 this catalogue. It is employed as a substitute for chalk, but is found to 
 contain no carbonic acid, and is destitute of a particle of calcia. It 
 appears, from Mr. Jessup,* to be nearly pure alumine. The traveller, on 
 ascending; the Mississippi from the mouth of the Ohio, passes through a 
 country of alluvial formation, a distance of thirty-five miles. Here the 
 first high land presents itself on the west bank of the river, in a mode- 
 rately elevated ridge, running from south-east to north-west, and termi- 
 nating abruptly in the bank of the river, which here runs nearly at right 
 angles with the ridge, and has been worn away by the action of the water. 
 This ridge consists of secondary limestone, overlying a coarse reddish 
 sandstone, which, at the lowest stage of the water in summer, is seen in 
 huge misshapen fragments, at the immediate edge of the water, and at 
 intervals nearly half way across the river, as well as on the Illinois shore. 
 The mineral occurs in mass, abundantly. It is nearly dry, of a perfectly 
 white color, and chalky friability. It embraces masses of hornstone, 
 resembling flint. It also occurs at a higher point on the same shore, two 
 miles below the Grand Tower, 
 
 34. Plastic White Cl.\t. Gray's mine, Jefferson county. Mo. 
 
 35. OpwaguxiteI — Geognostic Red Clay. Prairie des Couteau, be- 
 tween the sources of the St. Peter's river and the Missouri. It exists in 
 lamellar masses, beneath secondary masses. It is of a dull red color, is 
 soft, compact, easily cut, and is a material much employed and valued 
 Ly the Indians for carving pipes, and sometimes neck ornaments. Occa- 
 sionally it has brighter spots of pale red. It is also found on the Red 
 Cedar, or Folle Avoine branch of Chippewa river, Wisconsin, of a darker 
 color, approaching to that of chocolate. It is polished by the Indians 
 with rushes. 
 
 III. Combustibles. 
 
 36. Sulphur. In flocculent white deposits, in a spring, Jefferson 
 county, Missouri. 
 
 37. Mineral Coal. Bituminous, slaty coal, constitutes a very large 
 geological basin in the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, where it appears to 
 have resulted from the burial of ancient forests. At Pittsburgh, I found 
 it composing thick strata in elevated grounds, on the south banks of the 
 
 * Long's Expedition. 
 
 I From "opwagun," (Algonquin) a pipe; and "lithos," (Gr.) a stone. 
 
MINERALS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. 207 
 
 Monongahela river. ■ In an excursion up that stream, it cliaracterizes its 
 banks at intervals for forty miles. It inflames easily, burns with a pitchy 
 smoke and bituminous smell, and throws out a great heat. It occurs in 
 veins in limestone, along with argillaceous slate, indurated clay, red 
 sandstone, and bituminous shale, which are arranged in alternate strata, 
 one above the other, preserving an exact parallelism with the waters 
 of the Alleghany, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers. The coal alwaj's con- 
 stitutes a vein between the shale and clay which are found immediately 
 above and below it. The clay appears to have originated from the de- 
 composition of shale ; for it may be observed in all stages of the decom- 
 position, from a well-characterized argillaceous slate, to plastic clay. 
 
 The veins of coal are from a foot to nine feet in thickness, and the 
 strata of coal, shale, limestone, &c., are repeated ; so that the sides of the 
 hills which aiford coal, exhibit several strata, with the rock intervening, 
 one above another. The greatest distance, in a perpendicular direction, 
 from one stratum to another, is perhaps one hundred feet ; and such is 
 the regularity of the coal formation in this region, that the description 
 of one pit, or bed, will apply almost equally to any other within a circuit 
 of two hundred miles, every section of which is characterized by coal. 
 Sometimes pyrites of a tin-white color are found mixed among the coal. 
 In Missoui'i, it occurs at Florrisant. 
 
 38. GRAraiTE — Plumbago. Twelve miles south of Potosi, Washington 
 county. Mo., in a large body. 
 
 39. SULPHURET OF LeaD. 
 
 a. Galena. One of the most remarkable formations of this ore in 
 America, if not in the world, is furnished by the metalliferous limestones 
 of the Mississippi. Of these, Missouri furnishes one of the most cele- 
 brated localities. These mines were first explored by the renowned 
 Mississippi Company, in 1719, and have continued to be worked during 
 the successive changes which it has experienced under the French, Spa- 
 nish, and Americans, to the present period. The number of mines now 
 •wrought is about fifty, and the quantity of lead annually smelted is esti- 
 mated at three millions of pounds. The ore is the common galena, with 
 a broad glittering grain, and bluish-gray color, and is found accompanied 
 by sulphate of barytes, blende, pyrites, quartz, and calcareous spar. It 
 yields, on assay, eighty-two per cent, of metallic lead, the remainder being 
 chiefly sulphui-. (Vide "View of the Lead-Mines.") 
 
 b. Granular Sulphurei of Lead. Mine La Motte, Madison county, 
 Missouri. 
 
 c. Cohaltic Sulplivrct of Lead. With the preceding. 
 
 40. Oxide of Lead. Earthy, yellow. Wythe county, Virginia. 
 
208 APPENDIX. 
 
 41. Carbonate op Lead. Lead-mines of Missouri. It occurs in some 
 of the mines as a crust, or thin layer, on ores of galena. 
 
 42. SuLPHURET OF ZiNC. In the form of black blende. Lead-mines 
 of Missouri. 
 
 43. Oxide of Zinc. Earthy, grayish-white. In the mineral called 
 " dry-bone." Missouri lead-mines. 
 
 44. Iron. 
 
 a. Iron Glance. In the Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob, on the sources 
 of the river St, Francis, Missouri. It occurs in vast masses, granular, 
 and sometimes specular, without irridescence. Also, on White river, 
 Arkansas. 
 
 b. Micaceous Oxide of Iron. Sources of the St. Francis river, Missouri. 
 A vein of this ore, several feet wide, is found in red sienite, on the banks 
 of the river St. Francis, at the Narrows, Madison county, Missouri Terri- 
 tory. Its unusual appearance has for several years attracted the atten- 
 tion of the inhabitants. It is situated four miles south of the extensive 
 kad-mines of La Motte, and in the centre of a highly interesting geolo- 
 gical and mineralogical section of country. The rocks at that place are 
 the old red granite and sienite, in mountain masses, with veins of green- 
 stone, greenstone porphyry, and gneiss. 
 
 c. Red Oxide of Iron. Flint river, Tennessee. 
 
 d. Brown Hcematite. On the dividing ridge between Strawberry and 
 Spring rivers, Arkansas. 
 
 e. Argillaceous Oxide of Iron — Ironstone. Banks of the Monongahela, 
 Pennsylvania. 
 
 f. Sulphuret of Iron. Accompanying the ores and vein-stones of the 
 Missouri lead-mines. 
 
 g. Magnetic Oxide of Iron. Fifteen miles below the Hot Springs, on 
 the Washita river, Arkansas. In quantity. 
 
 45. Black Oxide of Manganese. On Big Sandy river, Kentucky. 
 Also, on the sources of the Maramec and Spring rivers, Missouri, accom- 
 panied by the brown oxide of iron. 
 
 46. Native Copper. Scattered masses of this metal have been found 
 on Big river, and also in a shaft sunk near Ilarrisonville, Illinois. No- 
 thing, however, is known in America, to equal the vast quantities of this 
 metal found in the trap veins on the banks of lake Superior. 
 
 47. Sulphate of Copper. On the Washita river, fifteen miles below 
 the Hot Springs, Arkansas. 
 
CATALOGUE OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGICAL 
 
 SPECIMENS, (CONTINUED.) 
 October, 1819. 
 
 1. Sulphate of lime. Arkansas. 
 
 2. Sulphuret of lead, in quartz. Washington county, Mo. 
 
 3. Agate, from Persia. Brought by Captain Austin. 
 
 4. Serpentine. Derby, Conn. 
 
 5. Galena upon crystallized quartz. Missouri. 
 
 6. Limpid quartz. Hot Springs, Arkansas. 
 
 7. Striped agate. St. Genevieve county. Mo. 
 
 8. Sienite. Persia. 
 
 9. Silicious breccia. Illinois. 
 
 10. Sulphuret of lead. Shangum Mountain, Ulster county, N. Y. 
 
 11. Garnet, in micaceous schistus. Watertown, Litchfield county, Conn. 
 
 12. Galena, iron pyrites, &c., in quartz. Northampton, Mass. 
 
 13. Serpentine. Derby, Conn. 
 
 14. Red granite. River St. Francis, Madison county, Missouri Territory. 
 
 15. Red oxide of zinc. Sussex county, N. J. 
 
 16. Metalliferous limestone. Missouri. 
 
 17. Agate. Strawberry river, Arkansas Territory. 
 
 18. Dolomite. Stockbridge, Mass. 
 
 19. Lamellar galena. Bryan's mines, St. Genevieve county, Mo. 
 
 20. Shell-limestone. Bermuda. 
 
 21. Arseniate of cobalt, vrith nickel, in actynolite. Chatham, Conn. 
 
 22. Galena in quartz. Shangum Mountain, N. Y. 
 
 23. Regulus of antimony. 
 
 24. Granular argillaceous oxide of iron (pea ore). Staten Island, N. Y. 
 
 25. Olivine. Europe. 
 
 26. Indicolite in lamellar feldspar. Chesterfield, Mass. 
 
 27. Brucite, (Gibbs,) silicious fluate of magnesia, in transition carbonate 
 
 of lime, with graphite. Sussex county, N. J. 
 
 28. Sulphate of lime. Nova Scotia. 
 
 29. Serpentine. Hoboken, N. J. 
 
 30. Sulphuret of antimony, with crystals of carbonate of lime. Corn- 
 
 wall, England. 
 
 31. Chalcedony. Easthaven, Conn. 
 
 18 * (209) 
 
210 APPENDIX. 
 
 32. Arseniate of iron, in quartz. Connecticut. 
 
 33. Arseniate of cobalt, with iron pyrites and copper. Ireland. 
 
 34. Indurated talc. Hoboken, N. J. 
 
 35. Primitive granular limestone. Kingsbridge, N. Y. 
 
 36. Galena in quartz. Wales. 
 
 37. Carbonate and sulphuret of copper, -with calcareous spar, in sand- 
 
 stone. Schuyler's mines, Bergen county, N. J. 
 
 38. Iron pyrites (cubical). Haddam, Conn. 
 
 39. Ferruginous oxide of manganese. Greenwich street, New York city. 
 
 40. Green feldspar. Hoboken, N. J. 
 
 41. Chert. Wales. 
 
 42. Brown haematite. Salisbury, Conn. 
 
 43. Indicolite, in lamellar feldspar. Chesterfield, Mass. 
 
 44. Tremolite. Litchfield county, Conn. 
 
 45. Sappare (Cyanite of Cleveland). Litchfield county, Conn. 
 
 46. Chabasie. Deerfield, Mass. 
 
 47. Anthracite, with quartz. Rhode Island. 
 
 48. Fluate of lime. Derbyshire, Eng. 
 
 49. Asbestos. Milford, Conn. 
 
 50. Zeolite. Giants' Causeway, county of Antrim, Ireland. 
 51; Hydrate of magnesia. Hoboken, N. J. 
 
 52. Serpentine (verte antique). Milford, Conn. 
 
 53. do. (pure). Milford, Conn. 
 
 54. Pi'imitive granular limestone, equalling Carrara marble. Stock- 
 
 bridge, Mass. 
 
 55. Precious serpentine. Hoboken, N. J. 
 
 56. Beryl, in granitic rock. Haddam, Conn. 
 
 57. Sediment in the Hot Springs of AVashita, Arkansas Territory. 
 
 58. Asbestos. Milford, Conn. 
 
 59. Talc. Staten Island, Richmond county, N. Y. 
 
 60. Graphic granite. " " " 
 
 61. Amethystine quartz. Easthaven, Conn. 
 
 62. Prehinite. Hartford, Conn. 
 
 63. Jasper. Egypt. 
 
 04. Granite. Greenfield Hill, Conn. 
 
 65. Fibrous carbonate of lime, resembling zeolite. Hoboken, N. J. 
 
 66. Chalcedony. Easthaven, Conn. 
 
 67. Tremolite. Litchfield, Conn. 
 
 68. Sulphuret of antimony. Cornwall, Eng. 
 69. 
 
 70. Agate. Corker's Hook, Island of New York. 
 
 71. Sulphuret of molybdena, in granite. Bergen, N. J. 
 
 72. Cellular mass of sandstone and quartz, with crystals of quartz. 
 
 Schuyler's mines, N. J. 
 
 73. Crystallized carbonate of lime, with carb'te of copper. Same mines. 
 
MINERALS AND FOSSILS. 211 
 
 74. Micaceous oxide of iron. River St. Francis, Madison county, Mo. 
 
 75. Petrified wood. Locality unknown. 
 
 70. Sulphate of copper (blue vitriol), with carbonate of copper, in a fer- 
 ruginous sandstone. Schuyler's mines, N. J. 
 
 77. Carbonate of copper. " " " 
 
 78. Agate. South bank of White river, Arkansas Territory. 
 
 79. Sulphuret of lead, carbonate of copper, and yellow oxide of iron. 
 
 Schuyler's mines, N. J. 
 
 80. 81, 82, and 83. Calcareous spar. Lead-mines, Missouri. 
 84 and 85. Sulphuret of lead, in sulphate of barytes. " 
 
 86. Argentiferous lead-glance. Mine La Motte, Missouri. 
 
 87. Specular oxide of iron, with quartz. Bellevieu, Washington county, 
 
 Missouri. 
 
 88. Sulphuret of zinc. Lead-mines, Missouri. 
 
 89. Yellow mamillary quartz, incrusted with sulphate of barytes and 
 
 hgematitic iron. Old Mines, Missouri. 
 
 90. Lamellar sulphate of barytes. Lead-mines of Missouri. 
 
 91. Brown haBmatite. Staten Island, N. Y. 
 
 92. Greenstone porphyry. River St. Francis, Madison county. Mo. 
 
 93. Cubical lead-glance, with calcareous spar. Bryan's mines. Mo. 
 
 94. Crested sulphate of barytes. Lead-mines, Missouri. 
 
 95. Pyramidal sulphate of barytes (prism spar). " 
 
 96. Lamellar sulphate of barytes, with galena. " 
 
 97. " with crystals of calcareous spar. " 
 
 98. Blende, with iron pyrites. Elliottis mines, " 
 
 99. Flint. Locality unknown. 
 
 100. Granular sulphuret of lead. Mine La Motte, Missouri. 
 
 101. Pumice of the Missouri river. 
 
 102. Pseudo-volcanic product of same. 
 
 103. Ferruginous sulphate of barytes, on radiated quartz. Lead-mines 
 
 of Missouri. 
 
 104. Crested brown oxide of iron. Jefferson county, Mo. 
 
 105. Radiated quartz, incrusted with sulphate of barytes and iron. 
 
 Potosi, Mo. 
 100. Granular lead-ore (a sulphuret). Mine La Motte, Mo. 
 
 107. Brown oxide of iron, crystallized in octohedrons. Washington 
 
 county. Mo. 
 
 108. Mamillary quartz, on a basis of agate. River St. Francis, Mo. 
 
 109. Radiated quartz. Lead-mines of Missouri. 
 110. 
 
 111,112, 113, 114, and 115. Mamillary quartz. Lead-mines of Missouri. 
 
 110. Chalky clay. Cape Girardeau, Mo. 
 
 117. Cubical pyrites, with calcareous spar. Mineral Fork, Mo. 
 
 118. Radiated quartz, incrusted with crystallized oxide of iron. Jefferson 
 
 county. Mo. 
 
212 APPENDIX. 
 
 119. Tabular galena. Bryan's mines, Mo. 
 
 120. Kadiated quartz. Jeiferson county, Mo. 
 
 121. " " Potosi. 
 
 122. Hoary quai'tz (a variety unnoticed in the books). Potosi. 
 
 123. Galena, in heavy spar. Potosi. 
 
 124. " on radiated quartz. " 
 
 125. Carbonate of lime, covered by crystals of quartz. Potosi. 
 
 126. Metalliferous limestone, Potosi. 
 
 107 " " " 
 
 128. Granite. Missouri. 
 
 129. Radiated limpid quartz. Lead-mines of Missouri. 
 130 and 131. Sulphuret of lead. Potosi. 
 
 132. Galena, -with calcareous spar. Bryan's mines, Mo. 
 
 133 and 134. Galena, partially desulphurated by heat. Potosi. 
 
 135. Chalcedony. St. Genevieve county. Mo. 
 
 136. Madreporite. Gallatin county, Illinois. 
 
 137. Primitive granular limestone. Carrara, Italy. 
 
 138. Egyptian marble. 
 
 139. Argillaceous porphyry. France. 
 140 and 141. Milford marble. 
 
 142 and 143. Philadelphia marble. 
 
 144. Egyptian marble. 
 
 145. Bituminous shale. 
 
 146. Cubical iron-ore. Jefferson county, Mo. 
 
 147. Regulus of nickel and cobalt. 
 
 148. Tourmaline. Greensburgh, Westchester county, N. Y. 
 
 149. Graphic granite. Corlaer's Hook, N. Y. 
 
 150. Fibrous gypsum. Nova Scotia. 
 
 151. Trap. Corlaer's Hook, N. Y. 
 
 152. Tremolite, in carbonate of lime. Somerstown, Westchester county, 
 
 New York. 
 
 153. Asbestos in steatite, on carbonate of lime. New York. 
 
 154. " " " " " 
 
 155. Lamellar pyrites. Sussex county, N. J. 
 
 156. Graphite " " " 
 
 157. Pyrites, in hornblende. " " 
 
 158. Brass yellow pyrites. " " 
 
 159. Jaspery agate. Corlaer's Hook, N. Y. 
 
 160. Pyrites, with specular oxide of iron. Sussex county, N. J. 
 
 161. Sulphate of barytes. Schooley's Mountain, N. J. 
 
 162. " " Washington county, Mo. 
 
 163. Bitter spar. Hoboken, N. J. 
 
 164. Arseniate of cobalt. Chatham, Conn. 
 
 165. Sulphate of lime. Nova Scotia. 
 
 166. Granular quartz. St. Genevieve county. Mo. 
 
CATALOGUE OF SHELLS. 213 
 
 167. Sulphate of lime. Nova Scotia. 
 
 i68. Common striped jasper. Corker's Hook, N. Y. 
 
 169. Sulphate of lime. Nova Scotia. 
 
 170. Compact limestone. Herculaneum, Mo. 
 
 171. Limestone. St. Louis, Mo. 
 
 172. Fibrous quartz. Schuyler's mines, N. J. 
 
 173. Quartz. Dutchess county, &c., N. Y. 
 
 174. Sulphuret of zinc, in crystallized quartz. Ulster county, N. Y. 
 
 175. Brown haematite. Salisbury, Conn. 
 
 176. Greenstone porphyry. Madison county. Mo. 
 
 177. Galena. Missouri. 
 
 SHELLS. 
 
 1. Murex'^ canaliculatus, with Voluta mercatoria* included. 
 
 2. " " with Yoluta oliva* included. 
 
 3. " " with serpula3 attached and included. 
 
 4. Murex* carica, with two pairs Mya* arenaria. 
 
 5. Helix* ampuUacea, with two small madrepores.* 
 
 6. " " with seven Cyprasa* monita — African money. 
 
 7. Yenus* mercenaria, with four small ones ; a variety of species in- 
 
 cluded. 
 
 8. " " two valves, intermediate between the last named. 
 
 9. Cardium* leucostomum. 
 
 10. Cardium* edule. 
 
 11. Buccinum* perdix, three shells. 
 
 12. Murex* neritoideus, two shells. 
 
 13. Venus* maculata. 
 
 14. Patella* fornicata, six shells. 
 
 15. Buccinum* testiculus, two shells. 
 
 16. Yenus* Paphia, two valves. 
 
 17. Larva* of strombus gigas, six shells. 
 
 18. Buccinumf glabratum (Ebuma of Lamarck). 
 19 and 20. Cypraeaf lirabica. 
 
 21. C. sordida,* Linn. C. carneola, Lam. 
 
 22. C. caputf serpentis. Yiper's head; cowry. 
 
 23. C. exanthema.* (False argus.) 
 
 24. Buccinum* patulum. 
 
 25. Yoluta prunum.* 
 
 26. Cyprsea* lota, two shells. 
 
 * Occidental sheila. f Oriental shells. 
 
214 APPENDIX. 
 
 27. Voluta guttrata.f 
 
 28. Bulla* gibbosa, seven shells. 
 
 29. Ostrea* edulis. 
 
 30. Peetsen.* 
 
 31. Venus* tigerina. 
 
 32. Tellina* radiata. 
 
 33. Dentralium.* 
 
 34. Nerita* mammilla. 
 
 35. Bulla* ampulla. 
 
 36. Voluta oryzy.* (Rice shells.) 
 
 37. Voluta* nivea. 
 
 38. Area* glycymeris. 
 
 39. Cerea* noe. 
 
 40. Mytilus* modiolus. 
 
 * Occidental shells. f Oriental shells. 
 
MINERAL RESOURCES OF THE WEST. 
 
 A LETTER TO CHARLES G. HAINES, ESQ., SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR 
 THE PROMOTION OF INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS AT NEW YORK. 
 
 New York, October 5th, 1819. 
 
 Sir: In reply to your communication of the 4th inst., I submit the 
 Bubjoined remarks on the following questions : — 
 
 I. " To what extent are the lead, and other mines, worked in our west- 
 ern country, either by the United States' government, or by individuals ?" 
 
 In the extensive region to which this inquiry has allusion, are found 
 numerous ores, salts, ochres, and other minerals ; and the catalogue is 
 daily increasing, by the discovery of new substances, which promise to 
 become important to the commerce of the western country ; but the only 
 mines worked are those of lead, iron, and coal. 
 
 The lead-mines are situated in Missouri Territory, (formerly Upper 
 Louisiana,) and extend on the western bank of the Mississippi for a dis- 
 tance of about one hundred miles, by forty in width, comprising the 
 present counties of Washington, St. Genevieve, Jefferson, and Madison. 
 The first lead-ore was discovered by De Lochon, La Motte, and others, 
 acting under the authority of the Company of the West, as early as 1720. 
 Since which period, the number of mines has been annually increasing 
 by new discoveries, under the jurisdiction which has been successively 
 exercised over that country by France, Spain, and the United States. 
 The number of mines now worked is forty-five ; thirty-nine of which are 
 in Washington county, three in St. Genevieve, one in Madison, and two 
 in Jefferson. The quantity of lead annually smelted from the crude ore, 
 I have estimated at three million pounds ; and the number of hands to 
 whom it furnishes employment, at eleven hundred. A considerable pro.- 
 portion of these are, however, farmers, who only turn their attention to 
 mining a part of the year, when their farms do not require their labor; 
 
 (215) 
 
216 APPENDIX. 
 
 the residue are professed smelters and miners, including blacksmiths and 
 others, whose services are constantly required. The price of lead at the 
 mines is now four dollars per cwt. It is worth four dollars and fifty cents 
 on the banks of the Mississippi, at St. Genevieve and Herculaneum, and 
 is quoted at seven dollars in Philadelphia. The ore exclusively worked 
 is the common galena, or sulphuret of lead, with a broad glittering grain. 
 It is found in detached pieces and beds in red clay, and in veins in lime- 
 stone rock, accompanied by sulphate of barytes, calcareous spar, blende, 
 quartz, and pyrites. It melts easily, yielding, in the large way, from 
 sixty to seventy-five per cent, of pure metal. By chemical analysis I pro- 
 cured eighty-two per cent, of metallic lead from a specimen of common 
 ore at Mine t\ Burton. The residue is chiefly sulphur, with a little car- 
 bonate of lime and silex. It contains no silver, or at least none which 
 can be detected by the usual tests. 
 
 All the lead smelted at these mines is transported in carts and wagons 
 to the banks of the Mississippi, and deposited for shipment at Hercula- 
 neum or St. Genevieve. The different mines are situated at various dis- 
 tances, from thirty to forty-five miles in the interior, and the cost of trans- 
 portation may be averaged at seventy-five cents per cwt. In summer, 
 when the roads are in good order, it may be procured at fifty cents ; but 
 in the spring and fall, when the roads are cut up, it will cost one dollar. 
 The transportation from Herculaneum and St. Genevieve to New Orleans, 
 may now be procured at seventy cents per cwt. This is less than the 
 sum paid, previous to the introduction of steamboats on the Mississippi 
 and its tributary streams. Hence, it costs more to convey a hundred- 
 weight of lead forty miles by land, in wagons and carts, than to transjyrt 
 the same one thousand miles (the distance from Herculaneum to New 
 Orleans) by steamboats. An improvement of the streams of the mine 
 country, so as to render them navigable at all seasons for keel-boats and 
 barges, is therefore a subject of the first moment. The Maramec river, a 
 stream of one hundred and eighty miles in length, and a hundred yards 
 wide at its mouth, which enters the Mississippi eighteen miles below St. 
 Louis, draws its waters from the mining counties of Washington, JeS'er- 
 son, St. Genevieve, and the unincorporated wilderness on the south-east, 
 and the fertile counties of Franklin, and St. Louis on the north-west; and 
 its south-eastern tributaries meander throughout the mine tract. The 
 principal of these are Grand river and Mineral Fork, which are navigable 
 in spring and fall for keel-boats of a small size, and might, I believe, be 
 rendered so throughout the year, at an inconsiderable expense. 
 
 The lead-mines are exclusively worked by individuals, either under the 
 authority of leases obtained from the United States for a limited time ; 
 on lands which were granted by the French or Spanish, and the titles to 
 which have been subsequently confirmed by the United States; on un- 
 confirmed lands ; or in violation of existing laws. 
 
LETTER TO C. G. HAINES. 217 
 
 There are few sections of the valley of the Mississippi which are not 
 characterized by iron and coal. Iron-ore is abundant on the Ohio and 
 its tributaries, particularly on the Alleghany, Monongahela, and Mus- 
 kingum. It is worked at several foundries in the counties of Fayette, 
 Armstrong, and Alleghany, in Pennsylvania. The most noted furnaces 
 are at Brownsville, from which the extensive foundries at Pittsburgh are 
 chiefly supplied with pig-iron. It is also worked at Zanesville, on the 
 Muskingum, and on Brush creek, in Ohio ; and a foundry at Cincinnati, 
 and another at Louisville, in Kentucky, are supplied with pig-iron from 
 the latter place. The oi'e is chiefly of that kind called the argillaceous 
 oxide, and produces iron which is well adapted for steam-engine ma- 
 chinery, and for hollow-ware. 
 
 Stone-coal, of an excellent quality, is abundant at Pittsburgh, where 
 it is largely consumed in iron-foundries, glass-furnaces, and other manu- 
 factories, and also in private dwellings. The most extensive pits or gal- 
 leries are situated immediately opposite the city, on Coal Hill, where it 
 has been pursued into the hill eight or nine hundred yards. It is found 
 breaking out on the banks of the Alleghany at several places, at and near 
 Kittaning, where beds of it have been opened ; and I have even observed 
 traces of it in the vicinity of Olean, near the head of Genesee river, in 
 the State of New York. On the Monongahela it extends by Williams- 
 port, Brownsville, and Greensburgh, to the vicinity of Morgantown, in 
 Virginia; and such is the abundance of this mineral, and the uniformity 
 and regularity which the geological structure of this part of the country 
 presents, that there is no considerable section of it, within a circle of two 
 hundred miles in diameter around Pittsburgh, which does not aiford bods 
 of good inflammable coal. Pursuing the Ohio down from Pittsburgh, it 
 is successively worked at Wellsburg, Wheeling, Gallipolis, and Maysville. 
 In Illinois, on Great Muddy river, and at Alton ; in Missouri, at Floris- 
 sant, and on Osage river ; and in Arkansas, on the Washita river ; this 
 valuable mineral has also been found. 
 
 II. "What mines have been discovered?" 
 
 V. " Where are the most valuable mines to be found in the western 
 country ?" 
 
 The reply to these inquiries has been, in part, anticipated by the pre- 
 ceding details. Lead and other mines are, however, found in several 
 other sections of the western country. An extensive body of lead-ore is 
 found near Prairie du Chien, on the west bank of the Mississippi, about 
 five hundred miles above St. Louis. The ore is in the state of a sulphu- 
 ret, is easily reduced, and yields about sixty-two and a half per cent, of 
 metal. These mines are worked in an imperfect manner by the savages, 
 the Sacs and Foxes, the original owners of the soil ; and considerable 
 quantities are annually brought down to St. Louis by the north-west 
 
 19 
 
218 APPENDIX. 
 
 traders. Lead-ore is also found on the river Desmoines of the Mississippi, 
 where it was formerly worked by the French — on the Osage, Gasconade, 
 and Mine river of the Missouri ; on the White river and its tributaries ; 
 on the St. Francis ; and on the Arkansas, where it is combined with a 
 small proportion of silver. It is also found at Cave-in-Rock, Gallatin 
 county, Illinois, accompanied by fluor spar ; at Drennon's Lick and Mil- 
 lersburgh, in Kentucky ; and on New river, at Austinville, in Wythe 
 county, Virginia. At the latter place, it has been worked without inter- 
 ruption for nearly fifty years ; and the mines still continue to be wrought. 
 The ore is galena, accompanied by the carbonate of lead, and the earthy 
 oxide of lead ; the latter of which is worked in the large way, as is said, 
 to a profit. 
 
 Zinc is found in Washington county, Missouri, in considerable quanti- 
 ties ; but only in the state of a sulphuret. 
 
 Copper has been found in small masses, in a metallic state, on Great 
 Muddy river, and at Harrisonville, Monroe county, Illinois. A grant of 
 land made to P. F. Renault, in 1723, at Old Peoria, on the Illinois river, 
 specifies the existence of a copper-mine upon it ; but the most remarkable 
 bodies of copper which the globe affords, are stated to exist on the western 
 shores of Lake Superior, and on the Upper Mississippi. It is found in 
 the metallic state, but accompanied also, as is said, by the sulphuret and 
 carbonate of copper. The ores stretch over a very extensive region, and 
 have been traced as low as the falls of St. Anthony. There is, indeed, 
 reason to believe that copper is disseminated from the west bank of Great 
 Muddy river, in Illinois, in a north-west direction, to the western shore 
 of lake Superior, as all the streams, so far as observed, which flow either 
 north or south at right angles with such a line, afford traces of copper. 
 Thus, the Kaskaskia, the Illinois and its tributaries, the St. Peter, Wis- 
 consin, and the southern forks of the Wabash and Miami, all furnish 
 specimens of copper, as well as lead, zinc, and iron. An attempt was 
 made by President Adams to explore the copper-mines of the north-west ; 
 but I know not what success attended the undertaking. Considering the 
 certainty with which all travellers, since the days of Carver, have spoken 
 of the existence of these mines, with the daily concurrent testimony of 
 tradirs from that quarter, and their great importance in a national point 
 of view, it is matter of surprise that they have been so long neglected. 
 Is not the present an auspicious time for authorizing a mission into that 
 quarter, for the purpose of exploring its physical geography ? 
 
 Iron is a mineral common to all parts of the western country. One 
 of its most remarkable localities is the head of the river St. Francis, in 
 Missouri Territory, where it extends through a considerable part of 
 Madison and Washington counties. The most noted body is called the 
 Iron Mountain, and is situated about forty miles west of the Mississippi, in 
 BcUevieu, Washington county. The ore is here found in immense masses. 
 
LETTER TO C. Q. HAINES. 219 
 
 and forms the southern extremity of a lofty ridge of hills, which consists 
 chiefly of red granite, but terminates, in a rich alluvial plain, in a mass 
 of solid ore. It is chiefly the micaceous oxide, accompanied by the red 
 oxide, and by iron-glance. It melts very easily, producing a soft, 
 malleable iron. 
 
 Coal is not less common, and may be considered among those extensive 
 mineral formations which stretch, in so remarkable a manner, throughout 
 the vast basin included between the Alleghany and Rocky mountains. 
 Salt and gypsum may also be referred to the same great geological form- 
 ations, as they are to be traced, accompanying each other, from the west- 
 ern section of New York, to the southern banks of the Arkansas, where 
 immense quantities of salt and gypsum exist. Clay, flint, ochre of various 
 kinds, saltpetre, alum, reddle, soapstone, plumbago, oil-stone, marble, 
 serpentine, &c., may be enumerated among the useful minerals of less 
 importance, which characterize that region. 
 
 III. " To what extent and advantage do you think the mines might be 
 worked, under proper management and superintendence ?" 
 
 IV. " Are the laws of Congress, which have been passed in relation to 
 our lead-mines, salutary in their operation ?" 
 
 I have stated the amount of lead annually produced by the Missouri 
 mines at three millions of poutfds, which, on reflection, I think is suffi- 
 ciently high. But there are numerous difficulties opposed to the suc- 
 cessful progress of mining in that country, by the removal of which, the 
 amount would be greatly augmented. Some of these difficulties arise 
 from the peculiar nature of the business, from a want of skill, or of 
 mining capital in those by whom mining operations are conducted ; but 
 by far the greatest obstacle results from the want of a systematic organi- 
 zation of the mining interest by the United States, or from defects in 
 existing laws on the subject. 
 
 Immediately after the occupation of Louisiana by the United States, 
 inquiry was made into the situation and extent of the mines ; and a law 
 was passed, reserving all mines discovered on the public lands, and 
 authorizing the territorial executive for the time being to lease out such 
 mines for a period of three years. A radical defect in this law appears 
 always to have been, that there was not, at the same time, authorized the 
 appointment of a specific agent for the general management and super- 
 intendence of mines. Such an officer has long been called for, not less 
 by the public interest, than by the intelligent inhabitants of the western 
 country, who feel how nearly a proper development of its mineral wealth 
 is connected with their individual prosperity and national independence. 
 The superintendent should reside in the mine country, and such a salary 
 should be attached to the office as to induce a man of science to accept it. 
 His duty should be to report annually to Congress the state of the mines, 
 
220 APPENDIX. 
 
 their produce, new discoveries, and proposed alterations in existing laws. 
 He should lease out and receive rents for the public mines — prevent the 
 destruction of timber on mineral lands, and the working of mines with- 
 out authority, and should be charged with the investigation of the physi- 
 cal and geographical mineralogy of the country. At present, the most 
 flagrant violations of the laws are practised — mines are worked without 
 leases — wood is destroyed on lands which are only valuable for the wood 
 and the lead-ore they contain ; and the government derives but a small 
 revenue from those celebrated mines, which, whether we consider their 
 vast extent, the richness of the ore, or the quantity of metal they are 
 capable of annually producing, are unparalleled by any other mineral 
 district in the world. 
 
 There is another feature in the existing law, which is not beneficial in 
 its operation. It is that clause restricting the terms of leases to three 
 years. To embark in mining operations with profit, it is necessary to 
 sink shafts and galleries, build engines, and erect other necessary works, 
 which are, in some degree, permanent in their nature, and require much 
 time and expense in their completion. A considerable part of the period 
 must, therefore, elapse before the mine can be put in a state for working ; 
 and no sooner is that done, and it begins to afford a profit, and promises 
 a reward for the expense incurred, than the expiration of the lease throws 
 all these works into the hands of some new adventurer, or more successful 
 applicant. This prevents many from engaging in mining on the public 
 lands, and especially those who would be best able to prosecute the busi- 
 ness ; and of the number who take leases, a great proportion continue to 
 pursue the desultory method of mining in alluvial* ground, introduced at 
 an early period by the French, but which is attended with very great 
 uncertainty. 
 
 Improvements remain also to be introduced in regard to the processes 
 of mining, the furnaces employed, and the method of raising the ore. 
 Inseparable from this subject is the distribution of more enlarged prac- 
 tical and scientific views of mining and minerals generally, which might, 
 in a great degree, be effected by the dissemination of practical treatises 
 on the subject, or by the employment of experienced and skilful miners 
 from Europe. 
 
 When such improvements shall be effected, with others to which it is 
 not necessary here to advert — when miners are properly secured in the 
 object of their pursuit, either by permanent purchases from government, 
 or by leases for a long period of years — and when the facilities for trans- 
 portation which that country is destined to afford, by the improved navi- 
 gation of its streams, and by the introduction of turnpikes, roads, and 
 
 * This word is used in its common acceptation in 1819. 
 
LETTER TO C. G. HAINES. ' 221 
 
 bridges, are introduced, there is reason to conclude that the annual 
 amount of lead produced will far surpass the proceeds of those mines 
 under the present arrangement, and, indeed, it is impossible to calculate 
 the extent to which it may be carried. It is, perhaps, a moderate esti- 
 mate to say, that they are capable of being made to yield, by judicious 
 management, six millions of pounds of lead per annum, and that they 
 ■will furnish employment to three thousand hands. 
 
 During my late tour throughout the western country, including nearly 
 a year's residence in the interior of Missouri, I devoted much time to 
 this interesting subject, and have been enabled to collect a body of facts 
 on the physical resources and character of that country, and particularly 
 of its mines and minerals, which it is my design to lay before the public. 
 I must, therefore, refer you to this work, which is now in press, for fur- 
 ther details on this subject, and, in the mean time, I beg your indulgent 
 perusal of this hasty outline. 
 
 With respect. Sir, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 Henby K, Schoolceaft. 
 
 19 
 
GEOGRAPHY. 
 
 MISSOURI. 
 
 When Louisiana was admitted into the Union as an independent State, 
 all that part of the territory situated north of 33° north latitude, and 
 formerly known as Upper Louisiana, was erected into a separate territo- 
 rial government, under the name of Missouri. This term is the name 
 of a tribe of Indians who formerly dwelt near the Missouri river. The 
 Territory also included those boundless plains and unexplored countries 
 stretching from north to south, at the foot of the Rocky mountains, and 
 which pass into the province of Texas on the south, and are bounded by 
 the western line of Louisiana on the east. In the month of March of the 
 present year, the southern part of Missouri Territory, including the un- 
 incorporated regions on the west and south-west, was erected into a 
 separate Territory, under the name of Arkansas. The regions to the 
 north-west may be considered as an unincorporated wilderness, where the 
 authority of the United States, so far as the Indian title has been extin- 
 guished, is maintained in detached posts and garrisons, under the imme- 
 diate government of military commandants. The bounds of Missouri, as 
 designated in the late law respecting that country, are as follows : begin- 
 ning on the Mississippi river, in latitude 36° north, and running due west 
 on the latitude line to the river St. Francis, thence up that river to 36° 
 30^ north latitude, thence west to a point due south of the mouth of the 
 river Kanzas, thence north to a point opposite the mouth of the river 
 Desmoines, thence east to the Mississippi river, and down the middle of 
 that river to the place of beginning. 
 
 It embraces some of the most prominent geographical features of the 
 western country, and, from the meeting of such mighty streams on its 
 confines, and its relation to all the country situated north and west of it, 
 must become the key to all the commerce of those regions, and is destined 
 to have a commanding influence on the surrounding States, and on the 
 political character and mutations of that country. It is bounded by the 
 
 (222) 
 
GEOGRAPHY OF MISSOURI. 223 
 
 States of Illinois and Kentucky, from -which it is separated by the 
 Mississippi river on the east and north-east, and by the Territory of 
 Arkansas on the south. 
 
 The country west of the Mississippi differs, in some respects, from any 
 other section of the western country, and affords a variety in its physical 
 aspect which is nowhere else to be met with. A great proportion of the 
 lands in this Territory are of the richest kind, producing corn, wheat, 
 rye, oats, flax, hemp, and tobacco, in great abundance, and in great per- 
 fection. The lands bordering on the Missouri river, as far as the Terri- 
 tory extends, are rich beyond comparison. They consist of black alluvial 
 soil, of unknown depth, and partaking largely of the properties of marl ; 
 and the heavy growth of forest trees by which it is covered, indicates the 
 strength of the soil. As you recede from the banks of the rivers, the 
 land rises, passing, sometimes by almost imperceptible gradations, and 
 sometimes very abruptly, into elevated barrens, flinty ridges, and rocky 
 cliffs. A portion of the Territory is, therefore, unfit for cultivation, but 
 still serves as the matrix of numerous ores, which are distributed abun- 
 dantly in the hills and mountains of the interior. There is very little 
 land of an intermediate quality. It is either very rich or very poor ; it 
 is either bottom-land or cliff, prairie or barren ; it is a deep black marl, 
 or a high bluff rock ; and the transition is often so sudden, as to produce 
 scenes of the most picturesque beauty. Hence, the traveller in the inte- 
 rior is often surprised to behold, at one view, cliffs and prairies, bottoms 
 and barrens, naked hills, heavy forests, rocks, streams, and plains, all 
 succeeding each other with rapidity, and mingled with the most pleasing 
 harmony. I have contemplated such scenes, while standing on some lofty 
 bluff in the wilderness of Missouri, with unmixed delight ; while the deer, 
 the elk, and the buffalo, were grazing quietly on the plains below. 
 
 Situated between the 30th and 40th degrees of north latitude, the Ter- 
 ritory enjoys a climate of remarkable serenity, and temperate warmth. 
 That clear blue sky, so much admired by the aborigines, is characteristic 
 of the country ; and an atmosphere of unusual dryness, exempts the 
 inhabitants from those pulmonary complaints which are more or less the 
 consequence of a humid atmosphere. A country so situated cannot fail 
 to prove genial to the vegetable kingdom. It would be difficult to point 
 out a section of country which affords a more interesting field for the 
 botanist. Its prairies and barrens are covered with a profusion of wild 
 flowers, shrubs, and plants ; and its cultivated fields yield to the hands 
 of the planter, a great proportion of the useful vegetables of the earth. 
 Corn succeeds remarkably ; no country surpasses the banks of the Mis- 
 souri for the vigor of its crops. Wheat, rye, oats, flax, and hemp, are 
 also raised with advantage. Tobacco is an article recently introduced, 
 but is found to succeed well, and the lands are said to be well adapted to 
 its growth. Cotton is raised in the southern part of the Territory for 
 
224 APPENDIX. 
 
 family use, but is not an advantageous crop for market. The climate and 
 soil are also adapted to the growth of the sweet or Carolina potato, and 
 to fruit-trees of various kinds. The peach and the apple are most gene- 
 rally cultivated. Of wild fruits, the woods afford abundance ; among 
 which, the grape, persimmon, papaw, pecan, and filbert, are conspicuous.' 
 Some varieties of the grape are delicious, and they are very common at 
 the mines, where the inhabitants prepare a wine from them, which has 
 a pleasant flavor. 
 
 The population of the Territory, exclusive of the aborigines, has been 
 stated at 46,000, the greatest proportion of whom have emigrated into it 
 Avithin the last five years. They consist of people from various parts of 
 the United States and Europe. A large number are from Tennessee, 
 Kentucky, New York, and New England. The original inhabitants were 
 French and Spanish. There are few of the latter remaining ; but the 
 former constitute a respectable proportion of the population. 
 
 The principal towns of Missouri are St. Louis, St. Genevieve, St. 
 Charles, and Franklin. Of a lesser size, are Herculaneum, Potosi, New 
 Madrid, Cape Girardeau, Jackson, Chariton, Florissant, and Carondelet. 
 St. Louis is the capital of the Territory, and by far the largest town west 
 of Cincinnati, Ohio. It consists of about 550 houses and 5000 inhabit- 
 ants, and has two banks, three houses for public worship, a post-office, 
 theatre, land-office, and museum, including forty stores, with several mills, 
 manufactories, &c. It is eligibly situated on the western bank of the 
 Mississippi river, eighteen miles below the junction of the Missouri, 
 and, from its commanding situation, is destined to become the emporium 
 of the western country. 
 
 Franklin, at Boon's Lick, on the Missouri, has 150 houses, is the 
 thoroughfare for emigrants to that quarter, and is surrounded by one of 
 the richest bodies of land west of the Alleghany mountains, to which 
 emigration is flowing with unexampled rapidity. 
 
 St. Charles, situated twenty-one miles above St. Louis, on the Missouri, 
 is also a handsome and flourishing town. The same may be said of Cha- 
 riton, one hundred and eighty miles above, at the mouth of Chariton 
 river. 
 
 No country in the world affords such an extent of inland navigation 
 by its streams, as the basin Ij'ing between the Alleghany and Rocky 
 mountains, whose congregated waters are carried to the ocean by those 
 stupendous natural canals, the Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois. 
 The Mississippi river itself, in whose current all these majestic streams 
 unite, and are discharged into the Mexican gulf, washes the eastern 
 boundaries of the Territory, from the mouth of the river Desmoines to 
 that of the St. Francis, a distance of more than five hundred miles. The 
 Missouri, swelled by its great tributaries, the Yellowstone, Little Mis- 
 souri, Whitestone, La Platte, Kanzas, and Osage, passes diagonally 
 
GEOGRAPHY OF MISSOURI. 225 
 
 nearly through its centre, affording on both sides a widely-extended tract 
 of soil transcendently rich, and bearing a luxuriant growth of forest trees 
 and plants, interspersed with prairie. It is navigable, without interrup- 
 tion, from its junction with the Mississippi to its falls, a distance of two 
 thousand miles. 
 
 The Ohio is a thousand miles in length from its head, at Pittsburgh, to 
 its junction with the Mississippi, and, in its passage, successively washes 
 the shores of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illi- 
 nois — shores which are covered with villages, towns, and settlements, and 
 lined with an industrious and hardy population. 
 
 The Illinois is also a stream affording a great length of navigation, and 
 lands of superior quality, and has a natural connection with the great 
 north-western lakes, into which boats may, at certain seasons, uninter- 
 ruptedly pass. 
 
 These rivers, communicating with all parts of the country by their 
 tributaries, afford the advantages of commercial exchange, trade, and 
 manufactures, to a greater extent, and a richer description of country, 
 than is anywhere to be found in Europe, Asia, or Africa. 
 
 Of these advantages, the Territory of Missouri, occupying so command- 
 ing a position in the geography of the country, must always partake 
 largely, and may, from the wealth already concentrated in its capital, 
 St. Louis, enjoy almost exclusively the trade of the Missouri and upper 
 Mississippi. 
 
 The streams which originate within the lines described by the political 
 boundaries of the Territory, and which, either during their whole course, 
 or for a considerable distance, meander through it, are the Osage, the 
 Gasconade, Maramec, Salt river, St. Francis, and Black river. Of a lesser 
 magnitude are Mine river, Chariton, Currents, Fourche k Thomas, Eleven- 
 points, and Spring rivers ; the four latter running southerly into the 
 Arkansas Territory, and discharging their waters into Black river, which 
 is itself a tributary of White river. 
 
 The Osage originates in a prairie country, near the ninety-sixth degree 
 of west longitude, about one hundred miles north of the Arkansas, and, 
 after meandering in an east and north-east direction for a distance of five 
 hundred miles, unites with the Missouri one hundred and thirty miles 
 above St. Louis. In its course it is swelled by several tributaries, the 
 principal of which is the Little Osage, its great south-eastern fork. This 
 river affords, in its whole length, large bodies of the choicest prairie- 
 land, interspersed with woodland, and occasionally with hills, and is 
 navigable for moderate sized boats. Its banks afford exhaustless beds 
 of stone-coal, and some iron and lead is found, while its upper forks 
 reach into the country of the Pawnees — a country rich in salt. The 
 Osage Indians inhabit its banks; but a part of their lands have been 
 purchased by the United States. It is a very beautiful stream, and 
 
 P 
 
226 APPENDIX. 
 
 situated in a delightful climate ; and when its borders are opened for 
 emigration, and its resources properly drawn forth, will support a large 
 population, and a profitable trade. Its fertile soil and genial climate 
 entitle it to the rank of one of the first tributaries of the Missouri. 
 
 In estimating the length of western rivers, there is one circumstance 
 which is not properly estimated by an eastern reader. It is their serpen- 
 tine course, which is so remarkable, that, in running one hundred miles 
 on a geographical line, they will, by their great windings, measure at 
 least double that distance ; so that a river stated to be one thousand miles 
 in length by its banks, cannot be calculated to traverse a country of more 
 than five hundred miles in extent ; indeed, I believe that a fair average 
 of distances would show the geographical distance to be less. 
 
 The Gasconade enters the Missouri one hundred miles above St. Louis. 
 Its length is about two hundred miles, and it is navigable for half that 
 distance. It is made up of several streams running from a ridge of high 
 lands, separating the waters which fall on the north into the Missouri, 
 from those which flow on the south into the Mississippi. Its banks afford 
 but a small proportion of tillable lands, being bordered with rocks and 
 sterile hills. The rocks are, however, cavernous, and afford saltpetre ; 
 and the hills are covered by pinetimber, which is sawed into boards and 
 plank. In these, two articles, the commerce of this river will always 
 principally consist. The current is rapid, and affords by its fall many 
 mill-seats, so that boats and rafts may descend with ease ; but its ascent 
 is attended with great labor. On this stream are already situated several 
 saw-mills. 
 
 The Maramec also originates in high lands, two hundred and fifty 
 miles south-west of its mouth, and is separated from the waters of the 
 Gasconade only by a dividing ridge of land. It is swelled in its course 
 by a great number of streams, the most noted of which are the Little 
 Maramec, Bourbuse, Fourche h Courtois, Big river, and Mineral Fork. 
 It forms a junction with the Mississippi eighteen miles below St. Louis, 
 where it is two hundred yards wide. It is only navigable about fifty 
 miles, except in high floods in the spring and fall, when most of its tribu- 
 taries may be ascended with boats. This stream waters' the country of 
 the mines, and interlocks, by its affluents, with the Gasconade on the 
 west, and the St. Francis on the south. The mines of Missouri are 
 situated on its southern shores. 
 
 Salt river enters the Mississippi one hundred and three miles above St. 
 Louis, and seventy-three miles above the mouth of the Illinois. The 
 settlements on its banks are rapidly progressing, and the lands are noted 
 for their fertility. 
 
 The St. Francis originates, with Big river, in broken lands in the 
 southern part of Washington and St. Genevieve counties, and joins the 
 Mississippi five hundred miles below. The most noted bodies of iron-ore 
 
GEOGRAPHY OF MISSOURI. 227 
 
 in the western country lie on its head, at Bellevieu. The La Motte 
 lead-mines also lie along the banks of one of its tributaries. It affords, 
 in its course, a proportion of excellent land, mixed with some that is 
 rocky, and bordered near its mouth with much that is swampy, low, and 
 overflown. A raft of trees, about two hundred and fifty miles above its 
 month, obstructs the navigation, which would otherwise be good to within 
 fourteen miles of St. Michael, the seat of justice for Madison county. 
 
 Black river has its origin near the heads of the Gasconade and the 
 Maramec, and is swelled in its course by the river Currents, Fourche k 
 Thomas, Eleven-points, Spring and Strawberry rivers, and forms a junc- 
 tion with White river about forty miles below Poke Bayou, where the 
 road to Arkansas and Red river crosses it. The banks of Black river, 
 and of all its tributaries, afford rich alluvial land of more or less extent ; 
 but the intervening ridges are rocky and sterile. 
 
 Although there is much high land in this Territory, there is perhaps 
 none which, strictly speaking, is entitled to the appellation of a mountain. 
 A ridge of high land, called the Ozark chain, commencing on the banks 
 of the Maramec, near the Fourche k Courtois, extends in a south-west 
 direction to the banks of White river, in Arkansas Territory, a distance 
 of about four hundred miles, and occasionally rises into peaks of moun- 
 tain height. This ridge serves to divide the waters of the Missouri from 
 those of the Mississippi ; the streams on one side running south into the 
 latter, and those on the other running north into the former. The body 
 of red granite found on the head of the St. Francis, lies in mountain 
 masses, and forms, in connection with the accompanying rocks, some of 
 the most rude and terrific scenery, full of interest in a mineralogical, as 
 well as a geological point of view. 
 
 In the preceding view of the lead-mines of Missouri, and in the cata- 
 logue of minerals subsequently introduced, I have already anticipated 
 much that might with propriety be given here ; it may therefore be suffi- 
 cient to give a brief synopsis of both. 
 
 The lead-mines in this Territory are situated about forty miles west of 
 the Mississippi, and sixty miles south-west of St. Louis. They occupy a 
 district of country between the waters of the St. Francis and the Mara- 
 mec, one hundred miles in length, by about forty in breadth. The first 
 lead-ore was discovered by Philip Francis Renault and M. La Motte, 
 acting under the authority of the Company of the West, about the year 
 1720 ; since which period, the number of mines has been greatly aug- 
 mented by new discoveries. The quantity of lead annually smelted from 
 the crude ore, I have estimated at three millions of pounds ; and the 
 number of hands to whom it furnishes employment, at eleven hundred. 
 
 Iron-ore is found in very large bodies in Bellevieu, Washington county 
 — on Fourche k Courtois, where it is accompanied by manganese — on Big 
 river — on Flatten and Joachim creeks — and on the waters of the St. 
 
228 APPENDIX. 
 
 Francis and Black rivers. Stone-coal exists in large bodies at Florissant, 
 and in various places on the Osage river. 
 
 On the banks of the Maramec and the Gasconade are found numerous 
 caves, -which yield an earth impregnated largely with nitre, procured 
 from it by lixiviation. On the head of Currents river are also found 
 several caves, from which nitre is procured ; the principal of which is 
 Ashley's cave, on Cave creek, about eighty miles south-west of Potosi. 
 This is one of those stupendous and extensive caverns which cannot be 
 viewed without exciting our wonder and astonishment, which is increased 
 hy beholding the entire works for the manufacture of nitre, situated in 
 its interior. The native nitrate of potash is found in beautiful white 
 crystals, investing the fissures of the limestone rock, which forms the 
 walls of this cave ; and several others in its vicinity exhibit the same 
 phenomenon. 
 
 Of the number of inhabitants now resident in the Territory, I have 
 estimated eleven hundred to be engaged in mining ; but the number was 
 much greater at a former period, one thousand men having been em- 
 ployed at Mine k Burton alone. The residue of the population are farm- 
 ers, mechanics, and manufacturers, including professional men. There 
 is also another class of society, which I shall notice under the name of 
 hunters. The farming class is by far the largest, as the fertility of the 
 soil, and the advantage of procuring lands on easy terms, and in a mild 
 climate, afford the strongest and surest prospects of gain to the emigrant. 
 There are probably fewer mechanics than are required by the existing 
 population. The wages of mechanics of all kinds are very high. A car- 
 penter or bricklayer cannot be hired for less than two dollars per day, 
 and often receives more. Other mechanics are also in demand, particu- 
 larly in the new settlements : and these are increasing with such rapidity, 
 as to invite the emigration of skilful and industrious artisans from all 
 parts, with the sure prospect of success. 
 
 The manufactures of the Territory, in addition to its grand staple, 
 lead, consist in the distillation of whiskey from rye and corn, in the flour- 
 ing of wheat, the fabrication of coarse cotton goods, and tow cloth in 
 private families, and of patent shot. Some white lead has been made at 
 St. Louis. A clothier's and fuller's works have been recently established 
 on Big river ; and a number of tan-yards, where raw hides are manufac- 
 tured into leather, are in successful operation in various sections of the 
 country. 
 
 Made up of emigrants from all other parts of the United States, and 
 from Europe, the inhabitants can hardly be said to have acquired an 
 uniform character. Hospitality to strangers, enterprise in business, 
 ardor in the pursuit of wealth, an elevated pride of country, and perse- 
 verance under the pressure of many difficulties growing out of the infancy 
 of the settlements, are the most conspicuous traits in the character of the 
 inhabitants west of the Mississippi. They are robust, frank, and daring. 
 
GEOGRAPHY OF MISSOURI. 229 
 
 Taught, by the hardships and dangers incident to a frontier settlement, 
 to depend for security and success upon their own individual exertions, 
 they rely little upon extraneous help, and feel that true independence, 
 flowing from a conviction that their own physical exertions are equal to 
 every call, necessity, and emergency of life. Observations drawn from 
 habitual intercourse, and from witnessing their public debates, would 
 also lead us to conclude, that their enjoyments arise more from those 
 active scenes attendant upon adventures which require corporeal exer- 
 tion, than from the arts of peace, refinement, and intellectual research. 
 
 Duelling is unfortunately prevalent in Missouri ; and the practice, 
 while it continues to receive the sanction of men occupying the first rank 
 in society, cannot be expected to fall into disrepute, but must, on the con- 
 trary, continue to exert its influence over other classes of the community, 
 and to involve, in some measure, in its consequences, those who from 
 principle are opposed to it. 
 
 Those scenes of riot and atrocity, however, which have been imputed 
 to the inhabitants of the mines by former travellers, do not now exist ; 
 the most beneficial changes having been efi"ected in the state of society in 
 that country. Emigration has added to the former population an acces- 
 sion of talents and intelligence, which has served to mark the society at 
 the mines with much of the hospitality, decorum, and refinements of 
 older settlements. 
 
 The first inhabitants of this part of ancient Louisiana were French 
 and Spanish ; the former of whom still constitute a considerable propor- 
 tion of the population, but of the latter there are very few remainino-. 
 The French language is therefore spoken, in many settlements, almost 
 exclusively ; and many of the Americans have found it advantageous to 
 acquire a knowledge of that tongue. 
 
 The hunter class of the population is composed of persons from various 
 sections of the Union, who have either embraced hunting from the love 
 of ease or singularity, or have fled from society to escape the severity of 
 the laws, and to indulge in unrestrained passion. Learning and relio-ion 
 are alike disregarded, and in the existing state of society among the Mis- 
 souri hunters, we are presented with a contradiction of the theories of 
 philosophers of all ages ; for we here behold the descendants of enlio-ht- 
 ened Europeans in a savage state, or at least in a rapid state of advance 
 towards it. These hunters are chiefly located on the "White, Arkansas, 
 and Red rivers. Their numbers may be computed at a thousand or 
 fifteen hundred. The late division of the Territory will throw nearly all 
 of them into Arkansas. 
 
 The principal tribe of Indians in this Territory are the Osages, a pow- 
 erful nation residing on the Osage river. They are remarkable for their 
 tall stature, and their fine proportions. It is very rare to see any of them 
 under six feet. They inhabit a delightful country, and are in ajnity with 
 the United States. Their chiefs are hereditary, and in war they fight on 
 
 20 
 
230 APPENDIX. 
 
 horseback. Their •warriors are called braves, to -which honor no one can 
 arrive -without having previously plundered or stolen from the enemy. 
 Hence, plundering and stealing are acts of the greatest merit, and de- 
 mand rewards proportionate to the adroitness or extent of the act. They 
 are also in the habit of plundering white hunters and travellers, but are 
 never known to commit murders on such occasions. 
 
 A part of the ancient and once powerful tribes of Sha-wnees and Dela- 
 wares, also inhabit this Territory. They are located on the banks of 
 Apple creek and Fourche h Courtois. 
 
 Many of the plantations and mines are worked by slaves, and among 
 them are to be found blacksmiths and carpenters, whose services are 
 extremely valuable to their masters. The introduction of slavery into 
 this section of the vrestern country, appears to have taken place at an 
 early day, and it has led to a state of society -which is calculated to 
 require their continued assistance. 
 
HOT SPKINGS OF WASHITA. 
 
 The attention of the traveller in the interior of Missouri and Arkansas, 
 is frequently arrested by the novelty of the scenery, and the wild and 
 singularly fanciful aspect of the country ; he is often induced to stop, to 
 survey some cavern, water-fall, high, loose-hanging cliff, or other natural 
 phenomenon. It is in this light that those natural curiosities, the Hot 
 Springs of Washita, will be found to reward attention. 
 
 These springs, which have been known for many years, are situated on 
 a stream called Hot Spring creek, which falls into the Washita river 
 eight miles below. They lie fifty miles south of the Arkansas river, and 
 six miles west of the road from Cadron to Mount Prairie, on Red river. 
 
 The approach to the Springs lies up the valley of the creek, which is 
 partly made up of its waters. On leaving the banks of the Washita, the 
 face of the country almost imperceptibly changes from a rich soil, covered 
 with a luxuriant growth of trees, to a sterile mineral tract. On the right 
 hand rises the Hot Mountain, with the springs issuing at its foot ; on the 
 left, the Cold Mountain, which is little more than a confused and mighty 
 pile of stones; and the view in front is terminated by a high point of 
 land, which makes down gradually into the valley, and separates the 
 creek into two forks, of nearly equal size. 
 
 The Hot Mountain is about three hundred feet high, rising quite steep, 
 presenting occasionally ledges of rocks, and terminating at top in a con- 
 fused mass of broken rocks, with here and there a pine or oak tree. Its 
 sides, notwithstanding their sterility and the steepness of the ascent, are 
 covered by a most luxuriant growth of vines, particularly muscadine, the 
 fruit of which is delicious. 
 
 The Cold Mountain is separated from the Hot by a valley of about fifty 
 yards wide, through which the creek flows ; it is nearly as steep as the 
 other, about of an equal height, and terminates in the same confused 
 manner. Some pine trees are found on it, but its sides are destitute of 
 vegetation. 
 
 The springs issue near the foot of the Hot Mountain, at an elevation 
 of about ten feet above the level of the creek. They are very numerous 
 all along the hill-side, and the water, which runs in copious streams, is 
 quite hot. It will scald the hand, and boil an egg hard in ten minutes. 
 Its temperature is considered that of boiling water; but Dr. Andrews, 
 of Red river, tells me that it cannot be reckoned over 200° of Fahrenheit. 
 
 (231) 
 
232 APPENDIX. 
 
 There is a solitary spring, situated seventy feet higher than the others, 
 on the side of the mountain ; but it is also of an equal temperature, and 
 differs in no respect from those below. Evaporation produces a dense 
 fog, •which hangs over the springs, and upon the side of the hill, looking 
 at a distance like a number of furnaces in blast. It is probably the con-l 
 densation of this fog by the cold air at night, which produces such a 
 rank growth of vines on the side of the mountain, where, otherwise, there 
 would hardly exist a sign of vegetable life. 
 
 An idea of the beneficial effects of this water is generally prevalent 
 throughout the Territory, and numbers annually resort to the springs. 
 They are found serviceable in rheumatisms, paralysis, pains in the breast, 
 and all chronic and nervous complaints. The method of using the water 
 is various. Bathing and sweating are generally resorted to. It is also 
 drunk as hot as can be borne, and is not, like ordinary warm water, pro- 
 ductive of nausea in the stomach. Of the chemical or medicinal proper- 
 ties of the water, little is known, as no accurate analysis has been made. 
 The water appears clear, pure, and beautiful; it deposits a sediment, 
 which is sometimes red, and in other places green or yellow. Some of 
 the springs have a petrifying quality. The warmth of the water, acting 
 along the courses of the streams, has a stimulating effect on the 
 vegetation. 
 
 There is abundance of a beautiful green moss growing in the springs, 
 near their edges ; and their devious courses to the creek below are only 
 indicated by a more vigorous growth of grass and moss all along the bor- 
 ders, and a brighter green. 
 
 The mineralogical character of the country around the springs is 
 highly interesting. Three miles above is a quarry of oil-stone, of a pecu- 
 liar and valuable kind. It has a very compact texture, is heavy, trans- 
 lucent, and gives a fine edge to a razor. The rock formations here are 
 limestone, slate, and quartz. Veins of white quartz, four or five feet in 
 width, are found running through the slate rock. Fine crystals of limpid 
 quartz are also abundant in the neighborhood. At the cove on Washita 
 river, fifteen miles below the springs, there is a body of magnetic iron- 
 ore ; sulphates of copper and zinc, and sulphuret of iron, in cubical crys- 
 tals, occur in the same locality. 
 
 These springs, geologically, exist in a primitive formation, which may 
 be considered the southern termination of the Ozark chain. Ancient 
 volcanic forces have raised the beds of slate, sienite, and greenstone, of 
 the chain, to their present elevations. The waters owe their heat to these 
 long-extinguished, but deep-slumbering fires, which may hereafter break 
 out into new activity. 
 
UNICA, OR WHITE RIVER. 
 
 In order duly to estimate the magnitude, position, character, and 
 importance of any of our great western rivers, it is necessary to consider 
 the relation they bear to each other, and to the surrounding country. A 
 mere topographical description of an isolated section of country — a 
 mountain, a stream, or a mine — may possess its value; but without a 
 survey, however cursory, of the contiguous regions, it must lose much of 
 its interest to the general reader, and much of its utility to the geogra- 
 phical student. It will be necessary, therefore, to cast a glance at the 
 extensive country in which this river lies, before its individual consider- 
 ation can be profitably commenced. 
 
 In looking on the map of ancient Louisiana, the most striking physical 
 trait presented is the Rocky mountains, extending from Mexico into the 
 unexplored regions north and west of lake Superior, with the del Norte, 
 Red river, Arkansas, Kanzas, La Platte, and Yellowstone, all issuing 
 from its sides near the same point, and uniting (with the exception of the 
 former) at different points in the vast basin below, with the Missouri, the 
 Ohio, and the Mississippi, in whose congregated floods they roll on to the 
 Mexican gulf. Other streams traverse the country ; but these are the 
 principal rivers of Louisiana, whose heads rest on the Rocky mountains. 
 Immediately at the foot of these mountains commence the almost inter- 
 minable plains of sand, or Kanzian desert, stretching from north to south 
 for more than a thousand miles, and with an average breadth of six hun- 
 dred. To this succeed the highlands and mountains of the present Terri- 
 tories of Missouri and Arkansas, which preserve a pretty exact parallel- 
 ism, from north to south, with the Rocky mountain chain, and give rise 
 to several rivers of secondary magnitude. This again is bounded by the 
 alluvial tract of the Mississippi, being the third grand parallel division 
 presented by the surface of the soil. Through these, the Red river and 
 the Arkansas hold their unaltered course, and reach the Mississippi with- 
 out a fall ; while the Kanzas, the La Platte, and the Yellowstone, bending 
 northward, reach the Missouri, without meeting any mountains to oppose 
 their progress. The rivers of secondary magnitude, whose origin is east 
 of the highlands bordering the western desert, are the Teche, Vermillion, 
 Tensaw, Washita, Little Missouri, Courtableau, Boeuf, Little Red, Grand, 
 White, Black, Osage, Maramec, Gasconade, and St. Francis rivers. Of 
 these, White river, a stream hitherto almost wholly unknown, or only 
 20 * (233) 
 
234 APPENDIX. 
 
 known to hunters, and which has not received its deserved rank on any 
 existing map, is one of the most considerable. It was therefore with 
 surprise that I found, on travelling into those remote regions, so consi- 
 derable a stream unnoticed by geographers, or only noticed to attest their 
 ■want of information respecting its size, length, tributaries, character, 
 productions, and importance. I therefore concluded that a summary of 
 these particulars, as observed by myself during a tour into that quarter, 
 would be an acceptable piece of service, and, with this view, began these 
 observations. 
 
 White river originates near the ninety-seventh degree of west longi- 
 tude, and about the thirty-sixth of north latitude, and, after running in 
 a very serpentine course for thirteen hundred miles, enters the Missis- 
 sippi fifty miles above the mouth of the Arkansas, and seven hundred 
 above New Orleans. Its waters, unlike most of the western rivers, are 
 beautifully clear and transparent, being wholly made up of springs that 
 gush from the diluvial hills which are found, for more than half its 
 length, within a few miles of, and often immediately upon, its banks. So 
 much of the country through which it runs, is, therefore, sterile and 
 rough ; but the immediate margin of the river uniformly presents a strip 
 of the richest alluvial bottom-land, from a quarter of a mile to a mile and 
 a half in width. On this, corn, wheat, rye, oats, flax, hemp, and potatoes, 
 have a vigorous growth ; the mildness of the climate, and the fertility of 
 the soil, combining to render it one of the most favorable of all countries 
 for the pursuits of agriculture. Cotton also succeeds on the banks of this 
 river as high up as settlements have extended, and will hereafter be an 
 important item among its agricultural productions. The district of tilla- 
 ble land on this river, like many others west of the Mississippi, is chiefly 
 confined to its banks. Bordering this, is found a chain of hills on either 
 side, which sometimes close in upon the river's banks in perpendicular 
 cliflfs ; and the adjacent country may in general be considered as sterile. 
 To this remark, all its tributaries are exceptions ; for they invariably 
 afford, however small, tracts of the most fertile land, covered with a heavy 
 growth of forest trees and underbrush. The cane is also common to this 
 stream in its whole course, and affords a nutritious food for cows, horses, 
 and hogs, who are fond of it, and fatten upon it. This plant being an 
 evergreen, cattle and horses may feed upon it all winter ; and it is accord- 
 ingly given to them, as a substitute for hay, by the Indians and hunters. 
 
 The only inhabitants on the upper part of White river, so far as inha- 
 Ijitants have penetrated, are hunters, who live in camps and log cabins, 
 and support themselves by hunting the bear, deer, buffalo, elk, beaver, 
 raccoon, and other animals, which are found in great plenty in that 
 region. They also raise corn for bread, and for feeding their horses. 
 They seldom, however, cultivate more than an acre or two, subsisting 
 chiefly on animal food and wild honey, and pay no attention to the culti- 
 vation of garden vegetables, if I except some cabbages, noticed at a few 
 
WHITE RIVER. 235 
 
 habitations. When the season of hunting arrives, the ordinary labors 
 of a man about the house and cornfield devolve upon the women, whose 
 condition in such a state of society may readily be imagined. The inha- 
 bitants, in fact, pursue a similar course of life with the savages, having 
 embraced their love of ease, and their contempt for agricultural pursuits, 
 with their sagacity in the chase, their mode of dressing in skins, their 
 manners, and their hospitality to strangers. 
 
 The furs and peltries which are collected during repeated excursions 
 in the woods, are taken down the river at certain seasons in canoes, and 
 disposed of to traders, who visit the lower parts of this river for that 
 purpose. Here they receive, in exchange for their furs, woollen cloths, 
 rifles, knives, hatchets, salt, powder, lead, iron for horse-shoes, blankets, 
 iron pots, shoes, and other articles of primary importance in their way 
 of life. Those living near the cultivated parts of Lawrence county, in 
 Arkansas Territory, also bring down, in exchange for such articles, 
 buffalo beef, pork, bears' meat, beeswax, and honey, which are again sold 
 by the traders along the banks of the Mississippi, or at New Orleans. 
 Very little money is paid, and that in hard cash only ; no bank-bills of 
 any kind being taken in that quarter. I happened to be present, on my 
 return from the head-waters of White river, at one of these exchanges, 
 where a further opportunity was offered of observing the manners and 
 character of these people. Bears' meat was sold at $10 per cwt. ; buffalo 
 beef at $4 ; cows' beef at $3 ; pork, in the hog, at $3 50 ; venison hams 
 at 25 cents each ; wild turkeys, the same ; wild honey at $1 per gallon ; 
 beaver fur, $2 per lb. ; bearskins, $1 50 each ; otter skins, $2 ; raccoon 
 skins, 25 cents ; deerskins, 25 cents per lb. These prices were considered 
 high by the purchaser ; but they were only nominally so, as he paid them 
 off in articles at the most exorbitant rates. Common three-point or 
 Mackinaw blankets were sold at $8 each ; butcher-knives at $2 ; rifle- 
 locks at $8 ; common coarse blue cloth at $6 per yard ; coffee at 75 cents 
 per lb. ; salt at $5 per bushel ; lead at 25 cents per lb. ; gunpowder at $2 
 per lb. ; axes at $6 each ; horseshoe-nails at $3 per set, &c. The trade 
 of this river is consequently attended with profits which amply repay the 
 risks and fatigues incident to a voyage in that quarter. Vast quantities 
 of furs and skins are annually brought down this river, with some bees- 
 wax, honey, beef, bacon, &c. ; and whenever the hunter population yields 
 to the farming and mechanical class, the list of its productions will be 
 swelled by corn, rye, wheat, oats, flax, hemp, and cotton ; a suiSciency 
 of each of which has already been raised, to show that the climate and 
 soil are well adapted to their culture. Its mineral products are also 
 worthy of attention. Iron-ore, lead, zinc, and manganese, have already 
 been discovered ; and among its earthy minerals may be enumerated 
 marble, agate, jasper, hornstone, and rock crystal ; specimens of which, 
 with some others, I picked up during my journey there. Caves with 
 nitre are also common ; and large forests of pine timber, which will be 
 
236 APPENDIX. 
 
 wanted in the progressing settlements on theJMississippi, are situated on 
 its northern tributaries, and may be floated down at an inconsiderable 
 expense. 
 
 White river runs through a section of country which, according to a 
 recent political division, belongs chiefly to the Territory of Arkansas ; 
 but several of its tributaries originate in Missouri, the chief of which are 
 James river. Great North Fork, or Pine river, and Black river, with its 
 auxiliaries — Currents, Fourche k Thomas, Spring, Eleven-points, and 
 Strawberry rivers. 
 
 About a hundred and fifty miles below the Pawnee mountains, the 
 main south fork of White river is joined by the War Eagle and Osage 
 forks ; a region remarkable for the abundance of beaver found in its 
 streams. In the course of the succeeding two hundred miles, it is joined 
 by King's river and Tower creek on the south, and by Roaring fork and 
 James river on the north ; the latter being by far the largest stream it 
 has thus far received, and contributing nearly as much water as all the 
 others put together. From the mouth of James river to its junction with 
 the Mississippi, it is successively joined by Long, Bull, Swan, Beaver, 
 and Big creeks, by the Little and Great North Forks, Black and Cash 
 rivers, on the north ; and on the south by Bear and Crooked creeks, 
 BufiFalo Fork, and Little Red river ; and it is finally connected with the 
 Arkansas river by a natural canal called the cut-off', about thirty miles 
 above its junction with the Mississippi, which afi'ords a navigable water 
 communication at all seasons. Many of the above tributaries are streams 
 of no ordinary magnitude, and afford boat navigation for many hundred 
 miles ; they are all characterized by tracts of rich alluvial lands on their 
 banks. James river, Buffalo Fork, Great North Fork, Black river, and 
 Little Red river, merit individual attention, 
 
 James river originates in the Ozarks, a few miles south of the Gascon- 
 ade, in Missouri Territory, and, after running in a south-west direction 
 for two hundred miles, in the course of which it is swelled by Findley's 
 river, and by other streams, forms a junction with AVhite river a thousand 
 miles above the mouth of the latter. Its waters are as pure as crystal ; it 
 lies under a climate the most mild, salubrious, and delightful ; and on its 
 banks are situated a body of the most fertile and beautiful lands which 
 the whole valley of the Mississippi affords. The timber on its banks is 
 abundant; a remark which cannot with justice be made of many parts 
 af the adjacent country, and nothing can exceed the vigor and the ver- 
 dure of vegetable nature on the borders of this beautiful stream. Prairies 
 are also found within a mile of its western banks, and extend towards 
 the Grand Osage, as far as the eye can reach, level as a graduated plain, 
 and waving with tall grass, on which the elk, the buffalo, and the deer, 
 feed in countless numbers. 
 
 Findley river forms a junction with this stream, near the centre of this 
 choice body of land, and about one hundred miles above its mouth. 
 
WHITE RIVER. 237 
 
 Twenty miles above the junction of these streams, on the immediate 
 banks of James river, are situated some valuable lead-mines, which have 
 been known to the Osage Indians, and to a few White river hunters, for 
 many years. The Indians have been in the habit of procuring lead for 
 bullets at that place, by smelting the ore in a kind of furnace, made by 
 digging a pit in the ground, and casing it with some flat stones, placed 
 so as to resemble the roof of a house inverted ; such is the richness of the 
 ore, and the ease with which it smelts. The ore has not, however, been 
 properly explored, and it is impossible to say how extensive the beds or 
 veins may prove. Some zinc, in the state of a sulphuret, is found accom- 
 panying it. There is not one inhabitant on all this stream ; my own 
 cabin, erected for a temporary purpose at the mines in January last, 
 being the only human habitation within two hundred miles of that place. 
 
 Buffalo Fork originates near the north banks of the Arkansas, and, 
 after traversing a rocky country for about one hundred and eighty miles 
 in a north-east course, joins White river at the Buffalo Shoals, about 
 seven hundred miles above the Mississippi. It is a fine region for game, 
 and affords some good lands. 
 
 The Great North Fork, or Pine river, is a stream of two hundred miles 
 in length, and a hundred yards wide at its mouth. Its waters are clear, 
 being entirely made up of springs, which are numerous all along its 
 banks ; but the navigation is interrupted by rapids. It originates with 
 James river and the Gasconade, in a ridge of high land, which throws a 
 part of its waters into the Missouri, and a part into the Mississippi, the 
 streams running in opposite directions. In travelling into that country, 
 I accidentally arrived at the extreme head of this river, where it consists 
 only of some drizzling springs, and pursued it doAvn, in all its windings, 
 to its junction with White river, about twelve miles below the mouth of 
 Buffalo Fork. It is bordered on both sides by limestone bluffs, covered 
 generally with tall pines, and affording some detached strips of valuable 
 land. On the whole, however, it must be considered a sterile region, 
 ■which will never admit of a dense population. The bottoms are overrun 
 by cane and brier, which render travelling extremely fatiguing. 
 
 This stream appears generally to have been considered by geographers 
 as the head of White river, which is accordingly, on most maps, made to 
 originate at this place. The error has been, in some degree, corrected in 
 Robinson's new map of Louisiana, lately published at Natchez, which 
 may be esteemed the best map extant respecting that section of country. 
 He calls it Pine river. 
 
 Black river is a large, deep, and gentle stream, composed of numerous 
 auxiliaries, which draw their waters from the counties of Wayne, New 
 Madrid, and Lawrence; the two former lying in Missouri Territory, and 
 the latter in Arkansas. It is navigable with boats of the largest burden, 
 at all seasons of the year, for more than one hundred miles. Little 
 Black, Currents, Fourche h Thomas, Eleven-points, Spring, and Straw- 
 
r 
 
 238 APPENDIX. 
 
 berry rivers, are all streams of considerable size, coming in on the west, 
 and deserve particular notice on the future maps of that country. Their 
 banks afford choice bodies of fertile lands, which are already the seat of 
 many plantations and farms, where corn, rye, wheat, oats, flax, hemp, 
 and cotton, are raised in the greatest perfection, and the settlements are 
 rapidly increasing. Considerable quantities of beef and pork are also 
 put up for the New Orleans market, every facility being afforded by the 
 luxuriance of grass in the woods, and the abundance of acorns in the 
 fall, for raising and fattening hogs and cattle. Lawrence county is gene- 
 rally considered among the first farming districts west of the Mississippi. 
 Davidsonville, the seat of justice for this county, is situated on the west 
 bank of Black river, at the junction of Spring river. The settlements on 
 Strawberry river, on the Currents, Fourche ^ Thomas, Poke Bayou, and 
 other places, are in a flourishing condition. 
 
 Little Red river issues near the sources of Buffalo Fork, and runs 
 parallel with the Arkansas for a great distance, but inclines gradually to 
 the north-east, and joins White river about two hundred miles above its 
 mouth. It affords a considerable body of choice land, but is subject to 
 very sudden rises, which overflow its banks, and have retarded, to some 
 extent, the further settlement of its valley. 
 
 Such are the principal tributaries of White river ; a stream which is 
 navigable, with keel-boats of thirty tons burden, to the foot of Buffalo 
 Shoals, a distance of seven hundred miles from its mouth, and may be 
 ascended with light vessels five hundred miles higher. It draws its 
 waters from a district of country about three hundred miles in width, by 
 seven or eight hundred in length, having on its borders and tributaries 
 large bodies of very rich lands, mixed with much that is poor and unfit 
 for cultivation : but, taking into view its advantageous situation for com- 
 merce, its political relation to the two Territories, in a part of each of 
 which it lies, and the extensive bodies of farming-lands on James river, 
 Buffalo Fork, and Black river, we may anticipate the period when a 
 large population shall find their support on its banks — when numerous 
 villages and towns shall decorate its shores, and the productive labor of 
 its inhabitants swell greatly the commerce of the western country, while 
 they themselves command an important influence in its political trans- 
 actions. 
 
 One of the most interesting events connected with the history of this 
 river, is the visit paid to it by De Soto in 1542. The place of his crossing 
 it is not certainly known. 
 
STEAM NAVIGATION ON THE MISSISSIPPI. 
 
 Steamboats were first introduced on the Mississippi about 1812 ; and, 
 ■within seven years of that time, not less than fifty boats, of all classes, 
 had been built. The following list, which I made in 1819, embraces all 
 the steam-vessels which are known to have been put upon that stream 
 and its tributaries, prior to that era, and is believed to give with accuracy 
 their names and tonnage. 
 
 Fulton's first successful experiment in the application of Savary's 
 steam-engine, as improved by Watt and Bolton, to the propulsion of ves- 
 sels, dates in 1807 ; so that but five years elapsed before the invention 
 was introduced, and twelve years before it was spread, on the western 
 waters. The impracticability of navigating those waters by the force of 
 sails, caused the invention to be hailed there with acclamation ; and this 
 explains the cause of its rapid multiplication. 
 
 No. Names. Tons. No. Names. Tons. 
 
 1. Etna 200 
 
 2. Vesuvius 280 
 
 3. Orleans 200 
 
 4. Alabama 300 
 
 5. Columbus 400 
 
 6. Tamerlane 200 
 
 7. James Ross 250 
 
 8. United States 500 
 
 9. Paragon 250 
 
 10. Thomas Jefferson 200 
 
 11. Ohio ..300 
 
 12. General Jackson 100 
 
 13. Maysville 152 
 
 14. Exchange 154 
 
 15. Volcano 140 
 
 16. Madison 100 
 
 17. Kentucky 60 
 
 18. Hecla 100 
 
 19. Napoleon 200 
 
 20. Washington 150 
 
 21. Buffalo 100 
 
 22. James Monroe 70 
 
 23. Cincinnati 85 
 
 24. St. Louis 200 
 
 25. General Pike 75 
 
 26. Independence 100 
 
 27. St. Louis Packet 150 
 
 28. Ramapo 100 
 
 29. Rising States 150 
 
 30. Maid of Orleans 100 
 
 31. Hamlet 100 
 
 32. Perseverance 50 
 
 33. Johnson 75 
 
 34. Eagle 100 
 
 Vesta 110 
 
 Harriet 40 
 
 Constitution 45 
 
 Louisiana 60 
 
 Governor Shelby 60 
 
 40. Franklin 80 
 
 41. Rifleman 60 
 
 42. Newport 45 
 
 43. Expedition 150 
 
 General Clark 150 
 
 Henderson 150 
 
 Tornado 250 
 
 Elizabeth 175 
 
 48. Missouri Packet 100 
 
 49. Post-Boy (for pas'gers only) .. . 
 
 50. Western Engineer 40 
 
 35. 
 36. 
 37. 
 38. 
 39. 
 
 44. 
 45. 
 
 46. 
 47. 
 
 Total. 
 
 ,7306 
 
 (239) 
 
240 APPENDIX. 
 
 In addition to these, there are two new boats building at Pittsburgh, 
 one at Wheeling, one at Steubenville, one at Marietta, two at Cincinnati, 
 one at Frankfort, two at Shippingport, one at Madison, and two at New 
 Albany, making a total number of sixty-three. There are also several 
 more in contemplation, so that it is probable another year will consider- 
 ably augment the number. The first steamboat on the western waters 
 was built at Pittsburgh in 1811, eight years ago. Hence it appears there 
 has been an average increase of eight boats per annum ; but by far the 
 greatest proportion have been built within the last three years. 
 
 7306 tons, at 4 cents per lb. freight up from New Orleans, 
 
 amounts to $584,480 00 
 
 7306 tons, at 1 cent per lb. freight down to New Orleans . . . 146,120 00 
 
 10 passengers down in each boat, at $60 39,800 00 
 
 5 " up in each boat, at $100 31,500 00 
 
 $801,900 00 
 
 It is presumable that each boat will perform three trips to and from New 
 Orleans per annum, which will make an aggregate amount of freight and 
 passage money of $2,405,700 per annum. From this, some idea of the 
 trade, population, and business of the vast valley of the Mississippi, may 
 be formed. And let it be remembered, at the same time, that the trans- 
 portation of merchandise is not wholly done by steamboats. The Ohio 
 and Mississippi are still lined with keel-boats and barges ; and much of 
 the produce is still carried to market in flat-bottomed boats, of a tempo- 
 rary construction, which are not calculated to ascend the stream, and are 
 therefore generally sold for a trifle, or abandoned. 
 
 The following is extracted from a comparative statement of the increase 
 of the principal articles of produce which arrived at the New Orleans 
 market during a period of three years. 
 
 Productions. 1815. 1816. 1817. 
 
 Bacon and hams, cwt 7,000 13,000 18,000 
 
 Butter, lbs 500 1,800 
 
 Cotton, bales 60,000 65,000 65,000 
 
 Corn, bushels 120,000 130,000 140,000 
 
 Flour, barrels 75,000 98,000 190,000 
 
 Molasses, gallons 500,000 800,000 ' 1,000,000 
 
 Pork, barrels 8,000 9,700 22,000 
 
 Sugar, hhds 5,000 7,300 28,000 
 
 Taffia, gallons 150,000 300,000 400,000 
 
 Tobacco, hhds 5,000 7,300 28,000 
 
 Wheat, bushels 95,000 
 
 Whiskey, gallons 150,000 230,000 250,000 
 
ANTIQUITIES AND INDIAN HISTORY. 
 
 SOME ARTICLES OF CURIOUS WORKMANSHIP FOUND IN AN 
 ANCIENT BARROW. 
 
 An opinion is entertained by many well-informed persons in the 
 United States, that the country has, at some remote period, been inha- 
 bited by a civilized people, prior to its settlement or subjugation by the 
 savages. To the many evidences furnished to strengthen this opinion, 
 by the remnants of fortifications, tumuli, &c., may be added the disco- 
 very of several articles of antiquarian value, and of singular workman- 
 ship, of glass, or antique enamel, lately made on the eastern shores of 
 lake Erie. 
 
 I have had an opportunity of examining a specimen of these antique 
 glasses, and, on the authority of my informant, am enabled to remark 
 that they were taken up about two months ago, from an ancient barrow 
 in the town of Hamburg, where they were found deposited in an earthen 
 pot. Contiguous to this pot were also found a skull, and some other 
 human remains, thought to be of an unusual size. This mound, or sup- 
 posed repository of the dead, is situated in an uncultivated part of the 
 town, and several trees were growing upon it at the time the excavation 
 was made; some of which were judged to be upwards of two feet in 
 diameter. 
 
 The glass relic which I had an opportunity to examine, (and I am told 
 they are all alike,) is in the form of a large barrel-shaped bead, consisting 
 of a tube of transparent green glass, covered with an opaque coarse red 
 enamel. Its length is nine-tenths of an inch, its greatest width six and 
 a half tenths of an inch, and the bore of the tube two-tenths of an inch. 
 Near the circle of the bore of this tube, is an aperture of the size of a 
 large needle, perforating the tube from one end to the other. The enamel 
 which coviers the tube of transparent glass appears to have been orna- 
 mented with painting, in figures resembling a spindle, or two inverted 
 sections of a circle ; bu-t they are now hardly perceptible, as the bead 
 appears to have been considerably worn. 
 
 21 Q (241) 
 
242 APPENDIX. 
 
 But the circumstance most indicative of art in the making of this head, 
 is a species of enamelling which has been performed both on the external 
 and internal surfaces of the tube, previous to its being covered by the 
 coarse red enamel. This second enamel is white, and, as the external 
 surface of the tube was not smooth, but in parallel strie or veins, exhibits 
 the appearance of a white vine between the green tube and the red 
 enamel. This enamelling appears to have been done, not by melting on 
 any vitreous composition, as is practised at the present day, but by the 
 effect of calcination for some time in a low red heat. This, it is known, 
 will deprive glass, especially green glass, of its transparency, and render 
 the surface white to a certain depth. 
 
 The composition of the tube of glass, I have judged to be simply a 
 eilicious sand and an alkali, probably with a small addition of lime or 
 vegetable ashes. It is hard, and will not receive scratches like the lead 
 glasses ; and I conclude from this circumstance that there is no lead in 
 the composition. Its color seems also owing to the impurity of the mate- 
 rials employed, like the common window and bottle glass, and is probably 
 caused by a minute portion of iron, in the state of an oxide, combined 
 with the sand and alkali. 
 
 The red enamel covering the tube, and the pot in which these glasses 
 were found, seem to have been constructed of similar materials, as they 
 differ very little in color, texture, or other external character. Probably 
 a very fusible brick-clay, highly impregnated with the oxide of iron, and 
 pulverized fragments of green glass, are the principal ingredients of both. 
 The earthen pot is manifestly constructed of different materials from 
 those employed for brown pottery at the present period. It is a more 
 imperishable substance, of a close texture, and vitreous appearance. 
 
 I shall not presume to speculate in opinions which discoveries of this 
 interesting nature are calculated to create ; it may, however, here be 
 added, that the fabrication of these glasses would suppose a perfection in 
 the arts, which none of the Indian tribes inhabiting this country at the 
 period of its discovery, had arrived at. That if introduced by the French 
 from Canada, in their earliest communications with the Indians inhabit- 
 ing the western parts of the State of New York, a sufficient time would 
 hardly have elapsed for the growth of trees of such size as were found 
 upon the mound from which these relics were taken. And that, if not 
 introduced by the French at the period alluded to, we must refer their 
 manufacture back to a very remote date, and one on which Indian tradi- 
 tion is wholly silent. 
 
 Since visiting the western country, I have had occasion to notice a 
 similar discovery on Big river, in the Territory of Missouri. On opening 
 an Indian grave (or what was considered such) on the bank of this river, 
 several beads of glass, of a similar character, were found. They were 
 accompanied by many bones of the human frame, of extraordinary size, 
 and which indicated, to common observation, a stature of seven or eight 
 
ANCIENT INDIAN CEMETERY. 243 
 
 feet in height. The person appeared to have been deformed, either by 
 birth or accident, as the right jaw-bone ran in a straight line from the 
 mouth back, while the left preserved the usual curve. The excavation 
 ■was made near the edge of the stream, where the soil is a rich alluvion, 
 and covered b}'' a heavy growth of forest trees, such as are peculiar to 
 the richest Ohio and Mississippi bottom-lands. We may add, that it cor- 
 responds best vsith history and probability to attribute these relics to the 
 early period of the fur-trade. 
 
 ANCIENT INDIAN CEMETERY IN THE VALLEY OF THE 
 MARAMEC RIVER. 
 
 In the autumn of 1818, the existence of a number of small tumuli, or 
 antique Indian graves, was made known in the valley of the Maramoc. 
 This discovery was made about fifteen miles south of St. Louis. Curiosity 
 led several persons to visit the spot and examine them, and my attention 
 •was thus called to the subject. It was conjectured that the bones found 
 in these graves were the remains of a race of beings much smaller than 
 those of the present day. 
 
 The essential facts connected with these discoveries, are these : — The 
 tumuli, which are small, occupy a wood near the dwelling of a Mr. Long. 
 The attention of this gentleman was arrested by this smallness of ceme- 
 terial dimensions, or place of burial. Drs. Walker and Grayson, of St. 
 Louis, proceeded to the spot, opened several of the graves, and examine'd 
 their contents. The length of the stature of the interred persons, mea- 
 sured by their stony casings, varied from twenty-three inch^, to four feet 
 two or three inches. But the skeletons, with the exception of the teeth, 
 were reduced to a complete limy substance, and their forms destroyed. 
 The graves had originally been cased with rude flat stones at the sides, 
 and also at the head and feet. A flat stone had also, in some instances, 
 been laid over the top, and earth piled on the grave, above the surface 
 of the ground, to the general height of three feet. This was a charac- 
 teristic feature, and seemed designed to mark the locality. In this stony 
 coffin, all the softer and destructible parts of the body had submitted to 
 decay, with the exception before mentioned — the teeth. The examination 
 of these became, therefore, the principal source of interest. They found 
 the enamel perfect, and were surprised to discover that they were the 
 teeth of rather young persons, who had, however, passed the age of 
 puberty. The molars and incisors were of the ordinary dimensions and 
 character of second teeth. The jaw-bone of the first specimen examined, 
 appeared to have its full complement, except the dentis sapienta, which 
 
244 APPENDIX. 
 
 physiologists do not generally recognize until after the ages of eighteen 
 to twenty-three. 
 
 Many graves were examined, which differed more or less in length, 
 between the extremes stated, but agreed in their general conformity of 
 parts ; from all which, these gentlemen came to the conclusion that the 
 remains denoted a stature of inferior size, while appearances indicated a 
 remote antiquity as the epoch of burial, which might as well be supposed 
 to be five centuries as one. This antiquity was inferred, as well from 
 the reduction of the bones to their elements, a8 from the growth of large 
 trees upon the graves, the roots of which penetrated into their recesses. 
 
 Upon this exhibition of facts, a legal gentleman* of intelligence calls 
 attention, with great pertinency, to the ancient manners and customs of 
 the Indians, in the burial of their dead. 
 
 "As yet, I have seen no attempt to account for the size and appearance 
 of these skeletons, upon any other supposition than that they are the 
 remains of a people far less in size than any known at the present day. 
 Unwilling to adopt a belief so contrary to the general order of nature, 
 and to the history of the human species, so far as it has been transmitted 
 to us, I shall hazard some conjectures upon the subject, which I think 
 will, in some measure, tend to dissolve the mystery that hovers over these 
 bones, and to reconcile their appearance with the general history of our 
 race. To be sure. Nature, in her sport, has now and then produced mon- 
 sters. A taste for the marvellous among travellers and historians, has 
 occasionally conjured up a race of giants, or a nation of pigmies ; but 
 when the light of truth has reached us from the distant corners of the 
 earth, where they were said to dwell, we have found them to assume the 
 size, shape, and attitude of men, and nothing more. So far as observa- 
 tion or history extends, we find the species nearly the same in all ages 
 and in all countries. Climate has had some effect upon the size, and 
 upon the c(^iiplexion. The excessive cold of the north has shortened an 
 inch or two the necks of the Esquimaux, and the heat of the south has 
 colored the African. But what, in this genial climate, should make 
 dwarfs? It is here, if anywhere, that we should naturally expect to find 
 giants ! All the other productions of nature are here brought forth in 
 the highest perfection. And shall man here grow a pigmy ? Unless we 
 are ready to adopt the opinion of certain naturalists, that the human 
 species are the legitimate descendants of the apes, and that they once 
 wore tails, and were of their diminutive size — unless we are ready to 
 believe the history of the Lilliputians, and of Tom Thumb — I think we 
 shall discard the idea of a nation of dwarfs, as wholly preposterous. But 
 how, on any other supposition, shall we account for the appearances upon 
 the farm of Mr. Long? 
 
 " None of the graves found there exceed four feet in length, many of 
 
 * Rufus Pettibone, Esq., of St. Louis. 
 
ANCIENT INDIAN CEMETERY. 245 
 
 them fall short of three, and the teeth found in all of them show that 
 they contain the remains of human beings who had arrived at years of 
 maturity. The manners and customs of the Indians with respect to the 
 treatment of their dead, will, I think, solve all difficulties, and satisfac- 
 torily account for these ajDpearances, without doing violence to nature. 
 According to the testimony of travellers and historians, it has been the 
 custom among many tribes of Indians to hang their dead in baskets upon 
 trees and scaffolds, until their flesh was consumed, and then to take them 
 down, clean their bones, and bury them. There existed an order of men 
 among them called hone-pickers, with long nails like claws, whose business 
 and profession it was to clean the unconsumed flesh from the bones, pre- 
 vious to burial. This custom still exists among the Indians on the waters 
 of the Missouri, and rationally accounts for the appearances upon the 
 farm of Mr. Long. The bones of a skeleton of the ordinary size, when 
 separated, would naturally occupy a grave of three or four feet in length. 
 It appears that in all the graves which were opened, the bones, except 
 the teeth, were reduced to a chalky substance, so that it would be impos- 
 sible to know, with any certainty, in what state, condition, or form, they 
 were deposited there. These skeletons are said to rest on their sides. 
 Taking this fact to be true, it goes to strengthen my ideas on this subject. 
 In burying a corpse, it is natural, and, so far as we are acquainted, 
 universally the custom, to bury them with the face upwards. We can 
 look upon our dead friends with a melancholy complacency — we cast a 
 long and lingering look after them until they are completely shut from 
 our view in the grave ; and nothing is more hard and heart-rending than 
 to t«ar our last looks from them. It is natural, then, that the body 
 should be placed in such a position as most to favor this almost universal 
 desire of the human heart. But, in burying a skeleton, it would be as 
 natural to avert the horrid grin of a death's-head from us. To face the 
 grinning skeleton of a friend, must fill us with horror and disgust. ' Turn 
 away the horrid sight,' would be the language of nature. If we adopt 
 my supposition as correct in this case, all the facts correspond with 
 nature. But if we adopt the opinion of a recent writer, our conclusions 
 will be at war with nature, reason, and universal observation." 
 
 The following observations by the Rev. J. M. Peck, of St. Louis, may 
 also here be added : 
 
 " One grave was opened which measured four feet in length ; this was 
 formed by laying a flat stone at the bottom, placing one on each side, 
 one at each end, and covering the mouth with another. In the last cir- 
 cumstance, this grave differed from the others that were opened ; the 
 contents were a full-grown skeleton, with the head and teeth, part of the 
 spine, the thigh and leg bones, in a tolerable state of preservation. The 
 leg-bones were found parallel with the bones of the thighs, and every 
 appearance indicated, either that the corpse had been entombed with the 
 legs and thighs placed so as to meet, or that a skeleton had been depo- 
 
 21* 
 
246 APPENDix. 
 
 sited in this order. The first opinion seems the most probable, from the 
 fact that a large stone pipe was found in the tomb, which I understand 
 is now in the possession of Mr. Long." 
 
 Both implements of war, and of domestic use, are buried with the dead 
 bodies of the Indians ; but it admits of a query if they are ever depoHited 
 ■with the mere skeleton. 
 
 " It is a well-known fact," says Bishop Madison, while writing on the 
 supposed fortifications of the western country,* " that, among many of 
 the Indian tribes, the bones of the deceased are annually collected and 
 deposited in one place, that the funeral rites are then solemnized with 
 the warmest expressions of love and friendship, and that tbis untutored 
 race, urged by the feelings of nature, consign to the bosom of the earth, 
 along with the remains of their deceased relatives, food, weapons of war, 
 and often those articles they possessed, and most highly valued, when 
 alive." 
 
 This fact is substantiated from various respectable sources. The pious 
 custom of collecting the relics of the dead, which accident, or the events 
 of a battle, might have dispersed through the wilderness, easily accounts 
 for the graves on the Maramec, as well as explains the origin of the arti- 
 ficial mounds in the vicinity. If these were opened, there would be 
 found promiscuously deposited the bones of the aborigines, which pious 
 veneration, from year to year and from century to century, industriously 
 collected. The cemetery alluded to, on the plantation of Mr. Long, may 
 be viewed as the public burial-place of some powerful nation of the some 
 size, and similar customs, with other Indians. 
 
 WWW\/WVW>I 
 
 OSAGES. 
 
 This tribe claims, as original possessors, the territories of the Ozarks, 
 over which my journeys have chiefly laid. They claim all the country 
 north of the Arkansas, to the Maramec. The term Ozark appears to me 
 to be compounded from Osage and Arkansas. 
 
 They are manly, good-looking, stout-limbed men, erratic in their mode 
 of life, living a part of the year in fixed villages, and roving with their 
 families through the forests, in search of game, the remainder. Their 
 territories are immense. 
 
 The Osages, if we may judge from popular opinion, are very much in 
 the condition of the sons of Ishmael — "Their hand is against every man, 
 
 * See American Philosophical Transactions, Vol. VI. 
 
THE OSAGES. 247 
 
 and every man's hand against them." It is remarkable that they pos- 
 sess so much skill as they do in public negotiations, which they manage 
 with address, with a bold, direct air, employing enlarged thoughts and 
 phrases, which are calculated to impress the hearer favorably as to their 
 mental abilities. 
 
 But little opportunity has been had of personal observation ■"on their 
 manners and customs. Their mode of encampment has been seen, and 
 is so arranged as to place the chiefs of the village, or camp, in the posi- 
 tion of honor. It is stated that, at daybreak, a public crier makes pro- 
 clamation of the expected events and duties of the day, which, to ears 
 uninitiated, sounds like a call to prayer. I fancy the prayer of Indians, 
 if they pray at all, is for deer and buffalo. 
 
 It appears from the manuscript records of General William Clark, at 
 St. Louis, which I have been permitted to see, that they have a tale, or 
 fiction, of their origin from a snail and beaver. If this is an allegory, 
 we are to suppose that persons bearing these names were their progeni- 
 tors. I avail myself of the public interpreter of the language to submit 
 the following vocabulary of it.* 
 
 * Omitted. 
 
EXTRACTS FROM THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
 
 Notice of " A View of the Lead-Mines of Missouri, including some Observa- 
 tions on the Mineralogy, Geology, Geography, Antiquities, Soil, Climate, 
 Population, and Productions, of Missouri and Arkansas, and other sections 
 of the Western Country; accompanied by three Engravings. By Henry 
 R. Schoolcraft, Corresponding Member of the Lyceum of Natural His- 
 tory of New York." 1821. 
 
 As this work has been more than a year before the American public, 
 and is already well known, it may seem superfluous to make any remarks 
 upon it at so late a period. It was our purpose to have given it an early 
 notice, but circumstances which could not be controlled, prevented. Still, 
 as it is devoted to subjects which form a prominent object in this Journal, 
 and is, as far as we are informed, the only elaborate and detailed account 
 of a mining district in the United States, we are not disposed to remain 
 silent, especially as the discharge of the duty is not likely to be painful, 
 either to ourselves or to the author. Reviews iu form, although within 
 the plan of this Journal, do not constitute one of its most leading objects, 
 and we do not hold ourselves responsible for analyses or even for notices 
 of new American books, unless they appear particularly interesting or 
 important, or hold a very intimate connexion with the great design of our 
 work. 
 
 We have already intimated that we regard Mr. Schoolcraft's work in 
 this light. We take it for granted that the statements of facts made by 
 this author, are both faithful and accurate ; the information which we 
 have incidentally derived from other sources, certainly countenances this 
 impression, but the whole amount of it is small, compared with the details 
 contained in the present volume. 
 
 Mr. Schoolcraft's opportunities for observation were extensive, particu- 
 larly in relation to the mines of lead in the Missouri region. Among 
 those mines he spent a year. " I have made (says he) a personal exami- 
 nation of every mine of consequence, with a view to ascertain its general 
 character and value and its peculiarities. I have travelled on foot over 
 the whole mine country, exploring its minerals, its geological structure, 
 its geographical position, soil, climate, productions, towns, streams, set- 
 
 (248) 
 
REVIEW. 249 
 
 tlements, and whatever else appeared to me to be necessary to describe, 
 explain and illustrate the subject before me." 
 
 Mr. Schoolcraft appears to have made good use of the advantages 
 ■which he enjoyed, and his countrymen are indebted to him for a great 
 amount of valuable information. He appears also to have studied the 
 observations of preceding writers, and, with their works before him, it 
 was in his power to correct errors and to supply deficiencies. 
 
 He has prefixed an historical sketch which we presume will be accepta- 
 ble to every reader. The French, as is well known, were the original 
 discoverers and settlers of the Missouri, and Hlinois regions, which were 
 embraced in their vast scheme of forming a chain of posts and settle- 
 ments from the mouth of the St. Lawrence, to that of the Mississippi. 
 They did not occupy the country of the Missouri and Illinois till more 
 than a century after the settlement of Quebec, and about a century before 
 the present period. At that time, (1720,) the lead mines were discovered 
 by Philip Francis Kenault, and M. La Motte, and by them they were 
 wrought, although they and the adventurers under them were disap- 
 pointed in their expectations of finding gold and silver. 
 
 At the end of about half a century, the country passed into the hands 
 of the Spaniards, and under their dominion, probably about forty years 
 since, the principal mine was discovered by a man of the name of Burton, 
 and from him it has derived the name of Mine h Burton. 
 
 It appears that the processes of mining under the Spaniards were very 
 imperfect, as they obtained only fifty per cent, of lead from the ore, threw 
 away the lead ashes, and did not attempt any manufactures of shot or 
 any other articles. They employed only the open log furnace. 
 
 In 1797, Closes Austin, Esq., a native of Connecticut, who had been 
 occupied with lead mines in Wythe county, in Virginia, obtained from 
 the Spanish government, a grant of a league square in- the mining district 
 in consideration of his introducing a reverberatory furnace. He sunk 
 the first regular shaft — the mining having, till that time, been prosecuted 
 solely by open digging, in the manner of quarries. Mr. Austin also 
 introduced the manufacture of shot, and that of sheet lead soon followed. 
 About the same time several other American families collected at the 
 mines, and infused new spirit and enterprise into the mining operations, 
 so that they were carried on with considerable vigour at the time when 
 (in 1803) the country was transferred to the United States. Mr. School- 
 craft, from whom these facts are taken, remarks, that since 1804, the 
 number of mines has been astonishingly multiplied — population has 
 flowed rapidly in — the processes on the ore have been much improved — 
 better furnaces have been constructed, and "every season is adding to 
 the number of the mines." "Every day is developing to us the vast 
 resources of this country, particularly in lead," and the author expresses 
 his opinion that "the mines of Missouri are paralleled by no other mineral 
 district in the world." 
 
250 APPENDIX. 
 
 From the specimens which we possess of this ore, and from the docu- 
 ments produced by the author respecting the produce of the mines, we 
 believe his opinion is correct, especially if we consider the fact that " the 
 earth has not yet been penetrated over eighty feet;" " we know not what 
 may be found in the lower strata." "There is reason to believe that the 
 main bodies of ore have not been hit upon, that they lie deeper, and that 
 we have thus far been only engaged upon the spurs and detached masses." 
 
 Mr. Schoolcraft informs us that although the mining business is much 
 improved, there is still a great deficiency both of capital and of skill — 
 there is in the whole district but one regular hearth furnace for smelting, 
 and that not the best; — among forty mines, there are only four or five 
 regular shafts — there is among all the mines, no engine of any description 
 for raising water, and some of the richest mines with the best prospects 
 in view, have been in consequence abandoned. Yet, under all these dis- 
 advantages, the annual produce of the mines is estimated at three millions 
 of pounds of lead. 
 
 The author suggests the expediency of establishing a school of mines 
 and minerals in the midst of the mines themselves ; this would, without 
 doubt, be a very proper measure, but in the meantime, skilful practical 
 miners, and captains of mines, such as are found in every mining district 
 in Europe, would supply the immediate demands of the country. 
 
 The mining district, formerly called the lead mines of Louisiana, is 
 situate between the 37th and the 38th degree of north latitude, and be- 
 tween the 89th and 92d degree of west longitude, covers three thousand 
 one hundred and fifty square miles — it is from seventy to one hundred 
 miles long by forty or forty-five, extending in width from the Mississippi 
 southwest to the Fourche h Courtois, and in length from the head waters 
 of St. Francis northerly to the Maramec. 
 
 Lead ore is found in almost every part of this district. Mr. Schoolcraft 
 says, "the general aspect of the country is sterile, though not mountain- 
 ous : the lands lie rolling, like a body of water in gentle agitation. In 
 Bome places the hills rise into abrupt clifi"s, where the great rock forma- 
 tions of the country may be seen ; in others, they run into level plains — 
 a kind of highland prairie." 
 
 "The soil is a reddish colored clay, stiff and hard, and full of fragments 
 of flinty stones, quartz and gravel ; this extends to the depth of from ten 
 to twenty feet, and is bottomed on limestone rock. It is so compact in 
 some places, as almost to resist the pick-axe ; in others it seems to par- 
 take of marl, is less gravelly, and readily penetrated. The country is 
 particularly characterized by quartz, which is strewed in detached pieces 
 over the surface of the ground, and is also found imbedded in the soil at 
 all depths. This is here called blossom of lead. Iron ores and pyrites 
 are also scattered over the surface of the ground, and occasionally lead 
 ore. Such is the general character of the mineral hills, which are inva- 
 riably covered by a stinted growth of oaks." 
 
REVIEW. 251 
 
 Walnut is also found on the hills, and there is a ridge of yellow pine, 
 not more than six or eight miles wide, running nearly southeast and 
 northwest, but it is nearlj' or quite destitute of lead — the mines lie gene- 
 rally east of it. In summer the flinty aspect of the country is veiled by a 
 luxuriant growth of grass, which gives it a very pleasing and picturesque 
 appearance." 
 
 The valleys have a rich alluvial soil, well fitted for cultivation ; but our 
 limits will not allow us to mention the vegetable productions of the coun- 
 try. This region is well irrigated, and very healthy, being possessed of 
 a fine climate. Mr. Schoolcraft remarks, that during a residence of ten 
 months he never heard of a death ; the country is free from the fevers 
 ■which infest some of the neighboring regions. It seems, however, that 
 the animals are visited by what is called the mine sickness. " Cows and 
 horses are frequently seen to die without any apparent cause. Cats and 
 dogs are taken with violent fits, which never fail, in a short time, to kill 
 them." It is said that the inhabitants impute these affections to the sul- 
 phur exhaled in smelting the lead, as the cattle are often seen licking 
 about the old furnaces. But sulphur is not poisonous either to men or 
 animals. The author imputes it to the sulphate of barytes, with which 
 the district abounds, which he states is a " poison to animals." 
 
 The carbonate of barytes is eminently poisonous ; but we have never 
 heard that the sulphate is so. May not the licking around the furnaces 
 expose the cattle to receive lead in some of its forms, minutely divided ? 
 or, if it be not active in the metallic state, both the oxides and the 
 carbonate, which must of course exist around the furnaces, would be 
 highly active and poisonous. Is it not possible, also, that some of the 
 natural waters of the country may, in consequence of saline or acid 
 impregnations, dissolve some of the lead, and thus obtain saturnine 
 qualities ? We must allow, however, that we are not acquainted with the 
 existence of any natural water thus impregnated. 
 
 Among the mineral productions of this region, certainly not the least 
 remarkable mentioned by Mr. Schoolcraft, is the Iron Mountain, where 
 the ore is piled in such enormous masses as to constitute the entire south- 
 ern extremity of a lofty ridge, which is elevated five or six hundred feet 
 above the plain : the ore is the micaceous exide, and is said to yield good 
 malleable iron. 
 
 There is another body of iron ore five miles west of the iron mountain, 
 scarcely inferior to that mentioned above, and it appears that several 
 other beds exist in the same vicinity. 
 
 Zinc is abundant, but as the ore is the sulphuret, it is not very valua- 
 ble. It is not mentioned that calamine, which is the useful ore of zinc, 
 has been found. 
 
 As to the geological nature of the country, in which the lead mines are 
 situate, he informs us that " Bellevue abounds in granite ;" that the only- 
 vein of granite rock in the mine country (as far as ho had epportunity to 
 
252 APPENDIX. 
 
 observe) passes across the southwestern end of Madison county — runs 
 into Bellevue- — is four or five miles wide, and twenty or thirty miles in a 
 direction from southeast to northwest. 
 
 The granite is spoken of in another place, (p. 170,) as being a geologi- 
 cal phenomenon, as containing imbedded in it or lying upon its surface, 
 gneiss, green stone, porphyry, iron ores, &c.; it is spoken of as a red 
 granite, containing very little mica, and as being used for mill-stones. 
 It is mentioned as the " only mass of granite known to exist between the 
 primitive ranges of the Alleghany and Rocky mountains," and as being 
 surrounded on all sides, and to an almost immeasurable extent, with 
 secondary limestone. 
 
 Again, (p. 193,) the granite is cited as the "old red granite in mountain 
 masses, with some veins of green stone, green stone porphyry, and 
 gneiss;" it is said to terminate in very rough and bi'oken high lands. 
 At page 213, it is mentioned, still again, as giving origin to the river St. 
 Francis, whose "springs gush out among these stupendous piles of red 
 granite." Besides the ores of iron, lead and zinc, " quartz, feldspar, 
 shorl, mica, and graphite are among the minerals furnished by that 
 region, and "green stone, gneiss, and green stone porphyry, are among 
 the larger masses of rock." The green stone, it seems, " is found in 
 large isolated fragments, lying promiscuously among the fragments of 
 granite which have tumbled down from the lofty cliflfs above, and is ren- 
 dered porphyritic by crystals of green and flesh-colored feldspar." 
 
 We have no right to doubt that the rock described .is granite, as the 
 principal features delineated, correspond with that supposition. As it is 
 described as being solitary, the only granite between the Alleghanies and 
 the Rocky mountains, we are led to ask, is it a portion of the nucleus 
 of our globe, covered on every side, for many hundred miles, with secon- 
 dary rocks, and here heaving its head through the superincumbent strata, 
 and standing alone ? But what are we to conclude of the limestone ? We 
 should have liked especially to have had the relations of this limestone 
 with that remarkable granite region pointed out. Does this latter repose 
 on the granite, where it dips obliquely under, as it probably docs, in 
 order to find its way beneath the other rocks, and to vindicate its claim 
 to a fundamental position ? But, perhaps we are asking more than is 
 reasonable, for, it may be that there are no such sections in the strata as 
 would expose all these facts to view, and enable the observer to decide. 
 
 These hints we have dropped, not, we trust, from a captious disposition, 
 but because we have found a real difficulty in conceiving clearly of the 
 geological nature of this limestone, which, it seems, is the basis of the 
 lead-mine country, and therefore it is very important that its characters 
 should be indubitably fixed. Wo have not been so fortunate as to see 
 Mr, Schoolcraft's specimens ; possibly a view of them would have ren- 
 dered the preceding remarks, in part at least, unnecessary. 
 
 Leaving the geological features of the lead-mine district, we proceed to 
 
REVIEW. 253 
 
 cite some interesting and important facts from Mr. Schoolcraft's work : — 
 " The soil," he remarks, " is a reddish colored clay, stiff and hard, and 
 full of fraj^ments of flinty stone, quartz and gravel ; this extends to the 
 depth of from ten to twenty feet, and is bottomed on limestone rock. It 
 is 80 compact in some places as almost to resist the pick-axe ; in others it 
 seems to partake of marl, is less gravelly, and readily penetrated. The 
 country is particularly characterized by quartz, which is strewed in 
 detached pieces over the surface of the ground, and is also fuund imbedded 
 in the soil at all depths. This is here called blossom of lead. Iron ores 
 and pyrites are also scattered over the surface of the ground, and occa- 
 sionally lead ore. The mineral productions of the country, in addition to 
 lead, are zinc, iron, ochre, red chalk, saltpetre, sulphur, alum and salt." 
 
 The ore (the author remarks) is the lead glance, galena, or sulphuret 
 of lead. It is very rich and beautiful, and specimens in our possession 
 fully confirm Mr. Schoolcraft's account ; they have a very broad and per- 
 fectly foliated fracture, and a high degree of metallic lustre ; they break 
 in cubical fragments, and the minutest portions still retain this form. 
 
 We have already observed that large fragments are found loose in the 
 earth : they sometimes weigh four or five pounds ; we have such speci- 
 mens from these mines ; they are of a cubical form, and are surrounded, 
 except whore they have Vjeen broken, by an earthy incrustation. 
 
 It is observed that the marly earth thrown out from the pits, enriches 
 the ground, so that in a few years it is covered with a very rank growth 
 of trees, vines, &c., and this is a regular characteristic of old diggings. 
 Innumerable portions of radiated quartz, and sharp fragments of flinty 
 stones are mixed with the clay, and form the first stratum of about four- 
 teen inches. The next is of a red clay, and is four or five feet thick, and 
 less mixed with similar siliceous substances. Then comes a layer of 
 gravel and rounded siliceous pebbles, about one foot thick, containing 
 small portions of lead ore. The thickness of the bed of ore is generally 
 a foot ; and the lumps of ore appear to have been rounded by attrition, 
 like common gravel. " This is the character of what is called the gravel 
 ore, and no spars are found accompanying it. The greatest proportion 
 of lead ore is, however, found imbedded in, and accompanied by, the 
 sulphate of barytes, resting in a thick stratum of marly clay, bottomed 
 on limestone rock." They invariably arrive at the rock at the depth of 
 from fifteen to twenty, or sometimes thirty feet ; a new process by boring 
 and blasting is now necessary, and most diggers abandon their pits 
 rather than prosecute them at this expense. If, however, as there can 
 be little doubt, the limestone is the real matrix of the lead ore, the time 
 ■will come when the present diggings will be considered as merely super- 
 ficial beginnings, and the work will be resumed where hitherto it has 
 been abandoned. It seems that the almost invariable practice of the 
 miners is, to persevere till they strike the rock, and then to go and dig 
 elsewhere ; they cannot, if disposed, prosecute the business by levels or 
 22 
 
254 APPENDIX. 
 
 galleries, for they are not permitted to carry on their mining except 
 immediately under the surface that is covered by their respective leases, 
 or by twelve feet square, which, if unoccupied, an adventurer may cover 
 by occupancy. Among the substances accompanying the lead, blende 
 and the sulphate of barytes are said to be very abundant ; the latter in 
 epecimens which we have, is particularly brilliant and white ;* the quartz 
 is often prettily crystallized, and is so invariable a concomitant of the ore, 
 that the miners, as we have before remarked, give it the meaning appella- 
 tion of mineral blossom. 
 
 A curious fact is mentioned by Mr. Schoolcraft, respecting the Elliott's 
 mines. "During the remarkable earthquakes of 1812, a fine spring of 
 water at the mouth of the mines suddenly became warm and foul, and in 
 a few days dried up entirely, and no water has run there since." " Illu- 
 minations in the atmosphere are frequently observed in this vicinity on 
 the approach of night."! 
 
 It seems thei'e is a considerable quantity of a greyish white sublimate 
 collected at the log hearth furnaces, and rejected by the workmen upon 
 the supposition that it is sulphur and arsenic ; but Mr. Schoolcraft, by 
 unquestionable experiments, ascertained that it was lead, as would 
 appear, in the form of a carbonated oxide. A considerable loss is in this 
 manner sustained, and in a more advanced state of the metallurgic ope- 
 rations of these mines, the author's valuable suggestions will not be 
 neglected. There is one mine (M'Kain's) where the ore is of the steel- 
 grained variety — it is said to yield less lead, and is inferred to contain 
 more silver than the common ores ; we are aware that this is the common 
 impression, but our own experiments on different varieties of lead ore 
 would induce us to think that it cannot be relied upon. We have exam- 
 ined fine 8teel-grained ore which coutained very little silver ; in one spe- 
 cimen only one five-thousandth part, and in another, and that a foliated 
 specimen, we found three and a half per cent, of silver. 
 
 The methods of digging for the ore are sufiiciently simple. " A pick-axe 
 and shovel are the only tools used for removing the earth, and the drill, 
 hammer and priming rod are added when it is necessary to blast." The 
 process is carried on as in digging a common well. 
 
 We must refer our readers to the book itself for a clear account of the 
 furnaces and furnace operations, employed for smelting the lead ; it will 
 be the more intelligible, as it is accompanied by two good plates contain- 
 ing views and sections of the furnaces. A circumstance which appears 
 very extraordinary is, that the furnaces are most commonly built of lime- 
 
 * It is mentioned by the author, as a chemical test or reagent : it may, by 
 decomposing it by ignition with charcoal, or with an alkaline carbonate, be made to 
 afford its earth for the preparation of barytic tests, but we are not aware that it is 
 itself ever used as a test. 
 
 •j- They are attributed by the author to phosphorus. Is it supposed to be in the 
 form of phosphuretted hydrogen? May not these be electrical phenomena? 
 
REVIEW. 255 
 
 stone, which is of course calcined, and brought to the condition of quick- 
 lime by a few blasts, and then it crumbles and the furnaces must be 
 rebuilt. 
 
 The ore yields at first fifty per cent., and then the ashes give fifteen 
 per cent, more — sixty-five* in the whole.f 
 
 Custom, says the author, has established a number of la-ivs among the 
 miners, with regard to digging, which have a tendency to prevent dis- 
 putes. Whenever a discovery is made, the person claiming it is entitled 
 to claim the ground for twenty-five feet, in every direction from his pit, 
 giving him fifty feet square. Other diggers are each entitled to twelve 
 feet square, which is just enough to sink a pit, and afi"ord room for 
 throwing out the earth. Each one measures and stakes off his ground ; 
 and though he should not begin his woi'k for several days afterwards, no 
 person will intrude upon it. On this spot he digs down, but is not allowed 
 to run drifts horizontally, so as to break into or undermine the pits of 
 others. If appearances are unpromising, or he strikes the rock, and 
 chooses to abandon his pit, he can go on any unoccupied ground, and, 
 observing the same precautions, begin anew. In such a case, the aban- 
 doned pit may be occupied by any other person ; and sometimes large 
 bodies of ore are found by the second occupant, by a little work, which 
 would have richly rewarded the labors of the first had he persevered. 
 
 Mr. Schoolcraft, from various particulars, infers that the average 
 annual produce of the Missouri lead mines, as mentioned before, is three 
 million pounds per annum, and the lead was worth in 1819, at the mines, 
 four cents per pound. J For the last three years, up to 1819 inclusive, 
 the produce of the mines was estimated at three million seven hundred 
 twenty-six thousand six hundred and sixty-six pounds per annum of pig 
 lead, which the author supposes to be not more than one half what the 
 mines are capable of yielding. 
 
 The number of miners is between eleven and twelve hundred, and the 
 number of hands employed in labor at different mines is from twenty to 
 two hundred and forty, including in both cases persons of all descriptions. 
 
 Many miscellaneous topics connected with the general subject of his 
 work, are introduced by Mr. Schoolcraft, such as the sections relating to 
 the manufactures, and uses of lead, &c., but it is not our object to advert 
 to these topics. 
 
 Among the miscellaneous mineral productions of the western regions, 
 there are some that are interesting ; and it will be seen from the author's 
 table of minerals, that the list is various. There are several caverns 
 which produce nitrate of potash by the usual treatment ; and Ashley's 
 
 * According to Dr. Meade, the Missouri ore affords only a trace of silver. (See 
 Bruce's Mini. Journal, vol. 1, p. 10.) 
 
 •|- Mr. Schoolcraft thinks it may yield seventy per cent. — it gave him by analysis 
 eighty-two per cent. 
 
256 APPENDIX. 
 
 Cave, about eighty miles from Potosi, is said to be one of stupendous 
 size, and to "afford native nitrate of potash in beautiful white crystals." 
 
 The novaculite is mentioned as occurring on Washita, as described by 
 Mr. Bringier in the present number. 
 
 Steatite exists in abundance at the falls of St. Anthony, on the Missis- 
 sippi, and is used by the Indians for pipes. 
 
 The flu ate of lime, near Shawneetown, was described in the first 
 volume of this journal. 
 
 Among other minerals, Mr. Schoolcraft mentions chalcedony in several 
 varieties, earthy oxide of lead, native copper, alum, manganese, opalized 
 and agatized wood, opal, jasper, coal, gypsum, native epsom salts, pumice 
 stone, agate, onyx, burr millstone, native iron, &c. ; for the localities and 
 descriptions of which, we must refer to the book itself. 
 
 Those facts of Mr. Schoolcraft's volume which relate to statistical and 
 political topics, do not come within the plan of these remarks. 
 
 During our cursory notice of this work, we have cited a number of the 
 most prominent facts which it contains, both because they are in them- 
 selves important, and because we were willing to call the attention of our 
 readers both to them, and to the volume in which they are contained. 
 Both are, in our view, entitled to great respect; and we confess ourselves 
 very much indebted to Mr. Schoolci'aft for a great mass of valuable 
 information, which, in a connected form, is, we believe, nowhere else to 
 be found. His statements (as regai-ds the most valuable part) are drawn 
 from his own research and observations, and have evidently been the 
 result of much effort, and of no small share of fatigue and personal pri- 
 vation. We trust that so valuable a work will not stop with a single 
 edition, and perhaps we might venture to suggest to the author, that in 
 a second, he might advantageously condense into one view some facts 
 which are several times repeated in different parts of the volume — such 
 as those respecting the granite and its connected rocks, the lead ore and 
 its associated minerals, &c. 
 
 We consider the present work as an acquisition to our means of infor- 
 mation respecting our mineral resources, and believe that it must he a 
 regular volume of reference for all those who are interested in the inves- 
 tigation of these subjects. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 ^^ INDIAN A 46962 ^ ^. ^^ 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 I nil II 
 
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