,
1
"Che Conservative.
upper cud being closed with logs and
billets of wood matted together , as it
turned out in the present instance ; for
tunately , after the labor of an hour , we
were able to remove the obstacles , else
we should have been compelled to re
turn. Opposite the head of the island
there is a tolerable log house , and some
land cleared ; the tenant , a new comer ,
with a wife and six children , had
nothing to givejn1 sell. Here the banks
fell in very much ; the river more than
a mile wide. A great impediment in
opening lands Son this river , is the
dilapidatiou of the banks , which im
mediately ensue when the trees are cut
away , from ' the rapid current acting
upon a light'soil of a texture extremely
loose. It will be found absolutely
necessary to leave the trees to stand on
the borders of the river. The river ex
ceedingly crooked in the course of this
day. A number of plantations on both
sides. Having made about fourteen
miles , we put to shore.after passing a very
difficult embarras. This word needs some
explanation. Independent of the cur
rent 'of that vast volume of water rol
ling with vast impetuosity , the naviga
tion is obstructed by various other im
pediments. t the distance of every
mile or two , and frequently at less dis
tant intervals , there are embarras , or
rafts , formed by the collection of trees
closely matted , and extending from
twenty to thirty yards. The current ,
vexed by these interruptions , rushes
round them with great violence and
force. We may now judge what a boat
encounters in grappling round these
rafts. When the oars and grappling
hooks were found insufficient , the tow
ing line was usually resorted to with
success. There is not only difficulty
here , but considerable danger , in case
the boat should swing round. In bends
where the banks fall in , as in the Missis
sippi , trees lie for some distance out in
the river. In doubling points , in pass
ing sawyers , difficulties are encountered.
The water is generally too deep to ad
mit of poling ; it would be absolutely
impossible to stem the current further
out than a few yards ; the boat usually
passes about this distance from the
bank. Whore the bank has not been
washed steep , which is most usually
the } case , and the grotind newly formed ,
the young trees , of the willow , cottonwood -
wood &c. , which overhang the stream ,
afford much assistance in pulling the
boat along with the hands.
"April 17th. Breakfasted under sail.
Passed the Grand river , N. E. side. It
is two hundred yards wide at its mouth ;
a very long river , navigable six or
eight hundred miles , and takes its
waters with the river Des Moines. The
traders who were in the habit of visiting
the Malms , six hundred miles above
this on the Missouri , were formerly
compelled to ascend this river in order
to avoid the Kansas Indians , who were
then the robbers of the Missouri. There
is a portage of not more than a couple
of days , from the Grand river to the
Mahas.
"April 27th. About eleven , met a
party of traders in two canoes lashed
together , which form a kind of raft ,
heavily laden witli furs and skins.
They came from the Sioux , who , they
say , are peaceably disposed. Towards
evening , passed Benito's island and
sandbar , S. W. side , so called , from a
trader of that name having been robbed
by the Ayuwas of his peltry , and he ,
with his men , forced to carry enormous
burdens of it on their backs to the river
Des Moines. Instances of such insults
were formerly very usual ; several spots
have been shewn to me where like acts
have been committed , and even accom
panied with murder. Having come
within two leagues of the Kansas river ,
we encamped. [ At Kansas City , there
fore. ]
"April 28th. Passed the Kansas , a
very large river , which enters on the S.
W. side. It heads between the Platte
and the Arkansas the country on its
borders is entirely open. The river can
be ascended with little difficulty , more
than twelve hundred miles. The Kan
sas nation of Indians reside upon it. In
the evening we passed the little river
Platte , navigable with canoes fifty or
sixty miles , and said to abound with
beaver. We encamped near a mile
above it , having made about fifteen
miles.
"April 29th. Passed in the course of
this day , some beautiful country on
both sides : the upland chiefly S. W. ,
and a greater proportion of prairie than
we have yet seen. The river generally
narrow , and the sandbars of great ex
tent. Having made about thirty miles ,
we encamped a short distance below
Buffaloe island , opposite a range of hills ,
and at the upper end of a long view.
During the whole of. the day we saw
astonishing quantities of game on the
shore ; particularly deer and turkeys.
The buffaloe or elk are not yet seen.
"April 80th. Last night there was
much thunder and lightning , but little
rain. At daylight embarked with a
favorable wind , which continued until
seven , when , ' from the course of the
river , the wind failed us for an hour.
The river extremely crooked. Mr.
Lisa and myself went on shore , and
each killed a deer. There were great
numbers of them sporting on the sand
bars. There are great quantities of
snipes , of beautiful plumage , beiug a
curious mixture of dove color and white.
I saw one of a different kind , which
was scarlet underneath the wings. At
two o'clock we hoisted sail at the be
ginning of a long reach , to the great
joy of the whole company. High prai
ries S. W. side continued under sail
through another long reach , and had a
view of the old : Kansas village at the
upper end of it. It is a high prairie ;
smooth , waving hills , perfectly green ,
with a few clumps of trees in the hol
lows. But for the scarcity of timber
this would bo a delightful situation for
a town. "
This seems to bo whore Doniphau ,
Kansas , just above Atchison , now
stands.
Next day , May 1st , they passed St.
Joseph The site of South St. Joseph ,
where the packing houses are , seems to
have been called "St. Michael's prairie. "
"Passed St. Michael's prairie , a hand
some plain in front , with variegated
hills in the background , and but little
wood. At two o'clock we came to a
very great bend in the river , but did
not get through until evening. The
river from being narrow , changes to an
unusual width , and very shallow. Wo
were detained about an hour , having
been so unlucky as to run aground. "
They hurried past the "Nodowa ,
Nimeha and Tarkio creeks , " and came
to Nebraska.
"Great exertions have certainly been
made and no moments lost , in advanc
ing our voyage , but much of the time *
we were carried along by the wind ,
when there was no need for any labor
on the part of the men. The weather
is now fine , and their labor diversified ,
when there is no wind , by the pole , the
oars , or cordelle , which is little more
than a promenade along the sandbars.
"May 6th. About ten this morning ,
passed a river called Nis-ua-botona ,
after which there are some long
reaches very favorable for sailing. At
four o'clock arrived at the little Nimeha ;
the course of the river here is for a
considerable distance nearly N. E.
Wind being N. W. were enabled to
hoist sail , but having proceeded about a
mile , a squall suddenly sprung up from
the N. ; we were compelled with all
despatch to take in sail , and gain the
shore S. W. side. Here a dreadful
storm raged during the remainder of
the evening and the greater part of the
night. Our encampment is at the edge
of a large prairie , but with a fringe of
wood along the bank of the river. The
greater part of the country , particularly
on the S. W. side , is now entirely open.
The grass is at this time about six
inches high. " This will have been
Nemaha City.
"May 7th. Continued our voyage at
daylight , the weather fine , though
somewhat cool. Wind still continues
N. W. Passed an island and sandbar ,
and towed along a prairie S. side for
nearly a mile. This prairie is narrow ,
bounded by hills somewhat broken and
stony. At ten o'clock arrived at L'islo
si beau soleil ; [ Fair Sun Island ; Sonora
Island , or very near there ] the wind
here became so high that we proceeded
with great difficulty. In the evening ,
arriving at the head of the island , were
compelled to put to shore. Mr. Lisa
