10 The Conservative *
with tlioso lateral clmius of lakes , pools ,
swnmps aud marshes , which extend
along the sides of the valley. Their de
sign in leaving the river was to avoid
the singular obstruction to the naviga
tion called the Great Raft , having been
informed by Mr. Toolan , an old and ra-
spected French inhabitant , that it
would bo impossible for them to pass
through it. They had already en
countered three similar obstructions ,
through which they had made their
way with extreme toil , by loosening and
floating out the logs and trunks of trees
that had been piled upon each other in
euch numbers as to fill the bed of the
river from the bottom , usually at the
depth of thirty feet , and rising three or
four feet above the surface of the
water.
The Bayou Datche , as the part of the
river is called into which they entered ,
conducted them to a beautiful lake
called Big Broth ( Lake Bistineau ) . It
is thus described by Mr. Freeman :
"This beautiful sheet of water extends ,
from the place wo first entered it , sev
enty miles in a northwesterly direction ;
and , as far as we saw it , is beautifully
variegated with handsome clumps of
cypress trees thinly scattered in it ; on
the right-hand side it is bounded by
high land , which ascends from the sur
face of the water , and at the distance of
one hundred yards is elevated about
forty feet , and covered with forests of
black oak , hickory , dog-wood , etc. ; soil
good second rate. It is bounded on the
left by a low plain covered with cypress
trees and bushes. The depth of the
water is from two to six feet. High-
water mark ten feet above the present
surface. It is called by the Indians
Big Broth , from the vast quantity of
froth seen floating on its surface at high
water. The passage out of this lake is
by a difficult communication , through
bayous , into another very handsome
lake of about one mile wide called Swan
Lake , and so on , through long crooked
bayous , lakes and swamps , full of dead
standing timber. " Having made their
way for many days along this chain of
lakes , they were at length anxious to
return to the river. After searching
several days for a passage , and finding
their pilot incapable to direct them , they
resolved to wait while they could send
messengers by land to the Ooashatay
village , and procure a guide. The re
turn of this messenger brought them
some information calculated to aid in
extricating themselves from the laby
rinth of lakes in which they were be
wildered , also the promise of the Coash-
atay chief , that ho would join the party
himself , and conduct them to the river
This promise , however , it was not his
intention to fulfill. The party there
fore , on the 20th of June , resumed their
search for a passage , returning some
distance on their route , on the 25th the :
discovered a narrow and obstructed
channel , .through which , after removing
overal rafts , trees , etc. , they found
heir way into the river. "Thus , " says
he''journal ofthe expedition , "after
ourteen days of incessant fatigue , toil
and danger , doubt and uncertainty , we
at length gained the river above the
Great Raft , contrary to the decided
opinion of every person who had any
knowledge of the difficulties we had to
encounter. "
The distance from Natchitoohes to
he point where the party entered Rod
River , above the Great Raft , is two hun-
Ired and one miles by the meanders of
; heir route. Above the Raft the river
s two hundred and thirty yards wide ,
hirty-four feet deep , and has a very
gentle current. The banks are ten or
iwelve feet high. On the north side the
banks rise considerably at a little dis-
ance , and are covered with heavy for
ests of oak , poplar , and red cedar. At
the Coashatay village , .about twenty
miles above the Great Raft , the com
mander of the exploring party received
uformation , by an express , from the
: hief of the principal village of the
dadoes , which is thirty miles further
to the west , "that about three hundred
Spanish dragoons , with four or five
hundred horses and mules , were en
camped near that village , with the de
sign to prevent the further progress of
; ho Americans. " The Coashatay and
Oadoe Indians of this part of Red River
are an agrioulturalhalf-civilized people ,
like the Oherokees.
On the 1st of July a messenger ar
rived at the encampment of the party ,
near the Coashatay village , giving in
formation of the near approach of the
Cadoe chief , with forty young men and
warriors of his village. About noon
they made their appearance on the op
posite bank of the river , and kept up ,
for a few minutes , an irregular firing
by way of salute. This was returned
both from the camp and the-village in
a manner highly gratifying to the Oadoe
party. The customary ceremonies used
in meeting Indians being past , an ex
change of complimentary speeches fol
lowed.
The Cadoe expressed great uneasiness
on account of the Spaniards who were
encamped near the village. Their com
mandant , he said , had oome to see him
had taken him by the hand , and askcc
him , if he loved the Americans ; he
answered , he did not know what to say
but if the Spaniards wished to fight the
Americans , they might go down to
Natchitoohes , and fight them there ; bn
they should not shed blood in his terri
tories. Ho said he was pleased with
what he heard respecting the designs o :
the exploring party ; he wished them to
go on and see all his country and all his
neighbors. "You have far to go , ant
will meet with many difficulties , bn
I wish you to go on. My friends , the
Pawnees , will be glad to see you , aud
will take you by the hand. If you meet
with any of the Huzaa's ( Osages )
ind kill them , I will dance for a month ,
If they kill any of your party , I will go
with my young men andjwarriors , and
ve will be avenged for you. " The
oldiors belonging to the expedition hav-
ng paraded in open order" and single
file , the forty young Cadoes commenced
on the right of the line , and marching
owards the left , shook eaoh'man by the
land in the most earnest manner. When
heir leader had reached the other ex-
remity of the line , they instantly
placed themselves in a corresponding
ine , about three paces distant , and.
Jieir partisan or principal warrior do- .
ivered a short address to the sergeant. tl
"Here we are , " said he , "all men and. w
warriors shaking hands together , let us.
lold fast , and boyfriends forever. " It
was said by the interpreter he prefaced
iis observation by saying , he was glad . '
to see that his new brothers ] [ _ had the
faces of men , and looked like men and
warriors.
After a'delay of a few days thelOadoe.
chief , professing'the most friendly dis
position towards the exploring party ,
withdrew his young men to his own
village. On the llth of July
; he officers of the party , ' hav
ing as yet no certain knowledge of
; he designs of the Spaniards , re-em
barked on board their little fleet , and
3egan to ascendRed _ River from the ] |
oashatay village , having engagedjthe
adoe chief to watch the motions of the
Spanish troops , and to * give timely no-
bice of anything interesting to the ex- .
pedition. The river above the Coash- '
atay village , became very crooked and
wide , and the water was so low that the
boats were often aground , though they
drew no more than from" sixteen to
twenty inches of water.
On the 26th of July , in the afternoon ,
three Indians appeared on the sand
beach , who were found to be the run
ners sent by the Oadoe ] chief , agreeable
to previous engagement. They brought
information that the Spaniards had re
turned to Nacogdoches , for a reinforce
ment and new instructions ; that six
days since they had arrived at the Cadoe
village , about one thousand strong ; that
they had cut down the United States flag
in the Cadoe village , and had said , it was
their intention to destroy the exploring
party. They had taken from the Oadoe
village two young men to conduct them
to a handsome bluff , a few miles above
where they were now encamped , to . .
await the arrival of the party.
The Indian messengers , and the Ca
does who had remained with the party ,
appeared much alarmed , and be
sought the commanding officer to
return , saying , if they met the
Spaniards , not one would como back
alive. The distance to the Spanish
camp was three days' journey. On-
the following day the party made a
deposit of some of their most im
portant papers , with a small stock of.