Captain Bell's party, with the exception of three soldiers last mentioned in the foregoing list, who deserted on the march, arrived in safety at Belle Point, their place of destination, having performed the duties assigned them.
On separating from Captain Bell, the detachment under my direction proceeded southwardly in view of the mountains about one hundred and fifty miles, and arrived at a creek, having a southwardly course, which we took to be tributary to Red river. Having travelled down its valley about two hundred miles, we fell in with a party of Indians of the nation of Kaskaias, or Bad-hearts, who gave us to understand that the stream along which we were travelling was Red river. We accordingly continued our march down the river several hundred miles further; when, to our no small disappointment, we discovered that it was the Canadian of the Arkansa, instead of Red river, that we had been exploring. Our horses being nearly worn out with the fatigue of our long journey, which they had to perform bare-footed, and the season being too far advanced to admit of retracing our steps and going again in quest of the source of Red river with the possibility of exploring it before the commencement {195} of winter, it was deemed advisable to give over the enterprize for the present, and make our way to the settlements on the Arkansa. We were led to the commission of this mistake in consequence of our not having been able to procure a guide acquainted with this part of the country. Our only dependence, in this respect, was upon Pike's map, which assigns to the head-waters of the Red river the apparent locality of those of the Canadian. We continued our march, therefore, and arrived at Belle Point on the Arkansa on the 13th September, four days after the arrival of Captain Bell and his party.
Both parties suffered occasionally for the want of food and water; but in general the game of the country yielded us an ample supply of the former, and the watercourses, along which we for the most part travelled, satisfied our demands for the latter. In regard to health we were all highly favoured, except Mr. Say, who was more or less indisposed throughout the tour. Some of the rest were occasionally affected with slight indisposition.
It is a source of much regret that we had the misfortune to lose some of our most valuable manuscripts by the desertion of three soldiers of Captain Bell's party before mentioned. They deserted on the head-waters of the Verdigrise river, within about two hundred miles of the upper settlements of the Arkansa, taking with them three horses, the best belonging to the party, four saddle-bags, containing wearing apparel and other things belonging to the gentlemen of the party, besides the following manuscripts: viz. Journal of the Tour, one number; Manners and Customs of the Indians, one number; Zoological Description and Remarks, one number; Vocabularies of Indian Languages, two numbers; all by Mr. Say; and one number, containing Topographical Notes and Sketches, by Lieutenant Swift. In addition to the above, the loss of a few horses that died {196} on the march was the only accident or misfortune worthy of notice that befell the expedition.
From Belle Point the exploring party proceeded across the country in a north-eastwardly direction to Cape Girardeau, where they arrived on the 10th October, having been occupied a little more than four months in the performance of the tour from the Council Bluff.
Throughout the whole excursion the attention of the gentlemen of the expedition was constantly occupied upon the several subjects of investigation which were deemed essential to a topographical and scientific description of the country. In the discharge of our duties, however, we laboured under many disadvantages for want of a sufficient variety of instruments to furnish all the data proper and desirable in giving an account of the geology and meteorology of the country. A barometer would have been particularly useful; but out of three belonging to the expedition two were rendered completely unfit for use, partly by accident and partly by defects in their construction, and the third was in such a condition that it was not deemed advisable to take it with us, as it was not likely to remain fit for service but for a short time only. In ascertaining the humidity of the atmosphere a hygrometer would have been particularly useful, but it has never been in my power to procure one that had any claim to being accurate. In taking the various observations, however, that could be effected by means of the few instruments we had with us, no pains were spared, and no opportunities lost; those in particular, for the calculation of latitude and longitude, were taken as often as it was thought necessary, and with the utmost care and precision that circumstances would permit.
On our arrival at Cape Girardeau we had contemplated to embark on board of the Western Engineer, which was at that port ready for our accommodation, {197} and sail for Louisville; but, learning that the water of the Ohio was at that time too low to admit even the passage of a boat drawing no more than fifteen or sixteen inches of water, we were compelled to seek another mode of conveyance. Those of the expedition who had been on duty during the two last seasons, being very anxious to visit their homes, arrangements were accordingly made for their return to Philadelphia, when they would be enabled to complete and report the intelligence they had collected. Messrs. Say, Peale, Seymour, and Lieut. Graham, being desirous to return by water, waited the opportunity of taking a passage to New Orleans, and thence to Philadelphia. Most of the curiosities collected by the expedition were placed in the charge of Mr. Say, to be shipped for this place.
Lieut. Swift was left in command of the steam-boat and crew, with instructions to proceed with them to Louisville as soon as the water would permit. He was instructed to leave the boat in the care of the pilot employed on board of her,—order her crew of United States' soldiers to Newport, Kentucky, for winter quarters and subsistence, and report in person at Philadelphia, for topographical duty.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY TRAVERSED BY THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION
Having given the foregoing brief account of the movements of the expedition, we next proceed to a consideration of the region explored by them, which embraces a very considerable portion of the immense valley situated between the Alleghany and Rocky Mountains. The portion of this valley to which their attention has been more particularly directed, and relative to which intelligence has been collected, is situated between thirty-five and forty-two degrees of north latitude, and eighty and one hundred and six degrees of west longitude, embracing an extent of {198} about five hundred miles in width from north to south, and thirteen hundred miles in length from east to west. As might be expected in a region of this extent, a great diversity of surface is presented to view, exhibiting all the varieties, from the most level and unbroken to the most rugged and mountainous aspect. The most broken parts of this region are those situated along the Ohio, from its source to its confluence with the Mississippi, and on the west of the Mississippi, between Red river and the Arkansa, and between the latter and the Missouri, extending westward about four hundred miles from the Mississippi. The whole region, in a geological point of view, is constituted of three varieties of formations, which characterize the surface throughout; viz. transition, secondary, and alluvial. A tract, however, of considerable extent, including the hot springs of the Washita, and extending northwardly to the lead mines back of St. Genevieve, has, by some, been considered as possessing a primitive character; but it is believed that the rocks discoverable therein are not sufficiently uniform to warrant such a decision. Moreover, an insulated tract of primitive country, surrounded by others exhibiting the most unequivocal marks of their being secondary, and at the same time presenting a similar conformation in their general aspect, is such an anomaly in natural science as requires more than ordinary proof to be admitted. The particular tract under consideration is probably analogous to other tracts within the region above specified, exhibiting a surface characterized by primitive formation superincumbent upon others of a secondary character.