In the latter part of October 1820, at the time of our journey, the Washita at Keisler's settlement, about fifteen miles below the springs, was something {157} less than one hundred yards in width, flowing in a deep and unequal channel over a bed of clay-slate. The water is here ten or fifteen feet deep in many places, and the currents scarce perceptible; as we looked down upon the river from the elevated banks it appeared like a quiet lake, and the unusual blackness of the waters suggested the idea of its great depth. Little groups of naked rocky islands were disclosed here and there in different parts of the channel. On examination we found the apparent dark colour of the water to depend upon the complexion of the rocks which form the bottom and sides of the bed, they being principally of a dark-coloured argillite; and not only these, but the small fragments of quartz and other whitish stones, had acquired, from lying in the water, a peculiar tinge of dark brown. We expected to find an incrustation covering the surfaces of these stones, but upon examination the colouring matter seemed inseparably blended with the rock itself. The water, seen by transmitted light, was entirely transparent, and had no perceptible saltness.
At the distance of five or six miles south-east from the hot springs, on the road leading towards the town of Little Rock, on the Arkansa, commences a tract of land, having a fertile soil and a beautiful situation, and extending to the Washita. Some parts of this region afford exceptions to the remark generally applicable to Arkansa territory, that the best soils are found in the alluvion of the rivers. Some extensive districts of primary soil along the base of the mountains are of a quality rarely surpassed in fertility, bearing heavy forests of oak, ash, and sugar maple, which attain here to greater size than we have seen in other parts of the United States.
We arrived about sunset on the 28th at Keisler's plantation,[45] where we made application for permission to spend the night. This was readily granted, though, as is often the case in such remote and solitary habitations, the house was not in the most complete {158} readiness for the accommodation of travellers. A quantity of Indian corn was immediately gathered in the adjoining field, a part of it given to our horses, and a part prepared for our own supper. During the green-corn season, which is a time of jubilee and rejoicing among the agricultural Indians, and scarcely less so with many of the white settlers, those who live remote from corn mills use no other bread than such as we now saw prepared, within the space of an hour, from the standing corn. Such ears are selected as are fit for roasting, and the corn grated from the cob by means of the side of a tin lanthorn, or some portion of an old coffee-pot, perforated with several holes. In this state it forms a soft paste, which, with the addition of a little salt, is spread upon a heated stone or an iron pan, and baked before the fire. Our supper consisted of bread of this sort, bear's meat, and coffee—a treat worthy the attention of an epicure.
The Cove is a valley commencing among the mountains at no great distance to the east of the hot springs, and containing a small rivulet which enters the Washita six or eight miles below Keisler's.[46] This valley is bounded towards the west by loamy hills, disclosing at intervals cliffs and ledges of clay-slate and petrosilex. In the lowest part of this valley, at a place called Roark's settlement, we discovered a bed of granite forming the basis of a broad hill, which rose by a very gradual ascent towards the east. We were directed to the examination which brought us acquainted with the existence of this rock by the representation of Roark, that in his corn field, not far from the house, was a bed of plaister of Paris. Being conducted to the spot, we found a quantity of loose granitic soil, that had been raised from a shallow excavation, and was intermixed with numerous large scales of talc. The examination had been carried a few feet below the surface, and had terminated upon the granite in question. Having collected {159} several beautiful masses of an aggregate of felspar, talc and quartz, we returned to the house where our breakfast was in preparation. Being informed by our landlord that blue vitriol, native copper, and other interesting minerals, had been formerly discovered near the sources of the little brook that ran past the house, we delayed our journey some time, that we might continue our examination. In following the brook towards its sources, we were much gratified in finding an extensive bed of native magnet, which seemed to be embraced in the granite. Not far distant the same rock contained large masses of pyrites and of bluish green mica. In these we readily perceived the blue vitriol and native copper mentioned by our host. In some places we found the bed of the brook paved almost exclusively with detached schorls. We collected also several other interesting imbedded minerals. More extensive examinations will hereafter show this spot to be one among the most interesting in America to a mineralogist. The great depth of soil resting upon this formation of granite prevented our examining it at as many points as we could wish; also from ascertaining to our satisfaction its extent, and its connexion with the neighbouring rocks. It appears, however, at several points in an area of fifteen or twenty acres, and always in place. We saw not a single detached mass at any distance. This may be owing in part to the perishable structure of the granite, and in part to its being surrounded on all sides by more elevated rocks of slate or sandstone. On the summit of the hill a grave had recently been dug. In the granitic soil which lay about it we saw many fragments of pyrites, also uncommonly large and beautiful laminæ of talc intermixed with scales of mica. These two minerals are, we think, rarely found in such intimate connexion, yet retaining so perfectly their distinctive characters, as in the instance under consideration. The talc in some instances forms an integrant part of the granite, and {160} we have seen it blended with mica in the same specimen.
The road, leading towards the Little Rock on the Arkansa, passes from the granite of the Cove over a coarse hard sandstone, embracing beds of conglomeratic or puddingstone, and in many respects closely resembling some of the varieties of the old red sandstone of the Alleghany mountains. Towards the east the surface of the country rises gradually, and the sandstone, without giving place to any other stratum, becomes more micaceous and slaty, and at length assumes all the characters of a sandstone accompanying coal.
In the afternoon of the 29th we arrived at Lockhart's settlement, on the Saline Fork of the Washita. The soil of some of the bottom lands along this stream is not inferior to any we have seen west of the Mississippi. It is well watered, and abounds in excellent timber. Pine and oak are intermixed with the ash, hickory, and sugar maple. Here are some well cultivated gardens, and extensive plantations of corn, cotton, and tobacco. Mr. Lockhart and his family, who are emigrants from North Carolina, consider the climate more agreeable than that of the country they came from, and have continued, during a residence of several years, to enjoy good health. We could not fail to attribute this remarkable exemption from disease, in a great measure, to the regularity, neatness, and good order of their domestic economy.
October 30th. In crossing some broken ridges of sandstone, which occupy the high and uninhabited tract between the vallies of the Arkansa and Washita, we followed the obscure path communicating between the settlements on the Saline and the town of Little Rock. As we were descending from one of these ridges our attention was called to an unusual noise, proceeding from a copse of low bushes on our right, at a few rods from the path. On arriving at {161} the spot we found two buck deer, their horns fast interlocked with each other, and both much spent with fatigue, one, in particular, being so much exhausted as to be unable to stand. As we perceived it would be impossible they should extricate themselves, and must either linger in their present situation until they died of hunger, or were destroyed by the wolves, we despatched them with our knives, not without having first made an unavailing attempt to disentangle their antlers. Leaving their bodies in the place where we had killed them, we called at the cabin of a settler, which we found within a few miles, and requested him to go back and fetch the venison for the use of his family.
From the occasional occurrence of the skulls of deer and elk with the horns interlocked with each other, and from the fact above mentioned, it appears that the contests of these animals at the rutting season often prove fatal to both parties. From the form of the horns, and the manner of fighting, it seems probable they must often be entangled with each other, and when this is the case both fall an easy prey to the wolves.
The Saline has an entire length of about one hundred and fifty miles, running all the way nearly parallel to the Washita, to its confluence near the latitude 33° north. After entering the state of Louisiana, the Washita receives from the east the Barthelemi, the Boeuf, the Macon, and the Tensa, all of which, having their sources near the west bank of the Mississippi, may be considered as inosculating branches of that river, since at times of high floods they are fed from the Mississippi. The western tributaries are the Saluder, Derbane, and Ocatahoola, deriving their sources from a spur of the Ozark mountains, which, in the northern part of Louisiana, divides the broad alluvial valley of Red river from that of the Mississippi. About twenty miles south-west from the confluence of the Tensa, Washita, and Ocatahoola, {162} the latter expands into a considerable lake, and sends off a branch to Red river. Indeed the Washita might, without great impropriety, be considered as entering the Mississippi at the point where its waters unite with those of the Ocatahoola and Tensa. The periodical inundations cover the country westward to this point, and even in times of low water the channels communicating with the Mississippi are numerous. From this point there is an uninterrupted connexion, through a system of lakes and watercourses, stretching along parallel to the Mississippi, about thirty miles distant, and communicating, through the river and lake Atchafalaya, with the gulf of Mexico, at a point more than one hundred and fifty miles west of the principal debouchure of the Mississippi.[47]