was seized with an impression that it must be a Sabbath day, and calculating mentally from Saturday, the 27th of May, when we marched, I found that it is indeed Sunday!

July 3rd. This morning, which is perfectly clear-wind south, is so cold at 7 o'clock as to make the great coat over woolen clothes necessary to comfort.

I sent at daylight for the buffalo; the party returning brought with them a Mexican (Indian). He speaks Spanish and says he was of the party defeated by Texans June 20th; that he had been lost about a week with another who was wounded and died last night. This account which stood cross questioning, disagreed from the Texan story in these important particulars that there were but fifty of them, armed with bows. principally and poor Mexican guns, and that they had returned to them, when liberated, but three. One hundred and eighty American rifles bravely attack 48 Mexican mongrels, slaughtering 30 or 40, without receiving a scratch!

He states further they had left Gov. Armijo with 400 men at some point 90 miles off, where he had built wooden houses (or a fort); and that he had sent 200 men to the Semirone. The Texans had deprived his party of all their mules and horses.

The caravan arrived before 11 o'clock and encamped just below; they cross tomorrow. I have received here a letter from them on the subject of the disarmament. Wind high today, east of South. The east wind seems to lose here some of its rain bringing qualities.

A small hunting party saw today, in the edge of the sand hills, over the river, two wild Indians. No doubt Comanche spies. They have a mortal dread of dragoons and will not

come near.

July 4. The sun this morning was saluted by the discharge of a shell; it exploded as it struck beyond the river. (The Mexican drivers, when they heard it, and saw the smoke, thought it was the Texans firing back on us!)

Capt. Moore, in chasing buffalo yesterday, got a severe fall which has placed him on the sick list. This morning Corporal Van-Alstine of Company F, broke an arm in the same manner. A great danger of the chase is the holes in the prairie, made chiefly by prairie dogs-those lively drudges which make habitations for owls, snakes, etc. These accidents are the result of necessary hunting on the smallest scale.

Three men reached here this morning, express; three days. from "Bent's Fort" with information of the Texans being here in force (as they were a week ago when Mr. Bent heard of them). These men saw a party of Chians and Arapahos at Choutran's Island 40 miles above; and also report some thousand of Comanches and Knaivas in the neighborhood; this agrees with the Texan story.

RATON PASS, N. M.-HIGHEST ELEVATION ON NATIONAL OLD TRAILS ROAD. Never Obstructed. It Is 25 Miles Across, Therefore an Easy Grade.

The Chian Indians wander between the upper waters of the Arkansas and Platte rivers, living like the Arabs in tents (skin tents or "lodges") and following, not driving, their flocks-the buffalo-to pasture. They are about 5000 souls; armed generally with guns which they procure at the trading houses-sundried brick "forts"-of American trading companies on both rivers, exchanging buffalo robes and some beaver; they are now friendly. What is said of them applies equally in every particular to the Arapahos, they live in friendship, often intermarry and can discourse together.

With the Comanches and Knaivas, Mr. Charles Bent made here a kind of peace or truce last summer; they asked for traders amongst them and in the fall he established a house about 200 miles to the south on the Canadian river; they abide on the waters of the Arkansas. They too, are nomads; following the buffalo for a living. This animal is everything to them—food, clothing and lodging. The Comanches are about 1500 lodges, say 6000 souls; the Knaivas number about 1200. They refused, at the council on the Brasas river, to make peace with the Texans, and alike make war on Mexico. Last winter, near Chihuahua, they took 150 women and children prisoners, having slain the men. They rob them of horses and mules; these, besides buffalo robes, they offer to Mr. Bent in trade. He declined the mules for fear of their stealing them.

I had heard at Walnut Creek of a war party of 500 of these Indians, about to cross my front to attack the Pawnees (of the Platte). These latter are at war with the Sioux (immemorially), the Chians (probably means "Cheyenne") and Arapahos, the Comanches and Kiowas and the Mexicans. The Chians are warlike; the Arapahos, Comanches and Kiowas are generally cowardly as to attacks, but some think them as brave as the Pawnees, of whom they have slain perhaps 200 in the last year or two; in this battle the Pawnees were far from home and were probably the aggressors.

We have discovered today another Mexican among the sand hills. His story agrees well, I am told, with that of the other; he says they were 48 in number.

The traders are crossing their wagons in a gale, as is so usual in this open country; some hundred mules and oxen and half as many Mexicans, floundering incessantly in the water, sound like a great waterfall; dashed with wild yells of encouragement to the mules. The last wagon is over-ten hours were consumed in crossing. I have received a letter from the company thanking me for my efficient protection.

The following is a report I have also received of their numbers, merchandise, etc.: American owners, 10; Mexican owners, 6; armed Americans, 68; armed Mexicans, about the same. Wagons, large and small, American owners, 24: Wagons large, Mexican owners, 32.

July 5th. This morning we saw two Mexicans over the river lance two buffalo bulls to death. The Mexicans are fine iders and would be formidable as lancers if they would only fight.

I marched early to return. Touching for water at two points of the river (at one of which there was a well when I had encamped), the camp was established for the night, five miles below the Caches, at a bend of the river touching the road; here, in a first bottom, is better grass than has been found at any other point. Buffalo were found today returning to their wonted haunts; two were killed in the forenoon. The wind Southeast, very high as usual, and very warm and bad for the eyes. There has been little or no dew for a week. The command again receive full rations of flour. The march today, 28 miles.

July 6th. Marched early; when about to pass within two miles of Jackson Grove, I detached an officer and 13 sabres to cross the Arkansas and observe the Texan trail, etc. He rejoined me at noon six or seven miles beyond and reported they appeared to have been gone three days and had made a trail east of south; several seemed to have been on the ground; none lately. Possibly hunters, which they said were lost, or men left with the wounded man; no grave was seen.

We have seen today many buffalo, and two shells were discharged unsuccessfully by an officer who made his first trial: none were killed, and as I write, two have marched nearby into camp and seven men have fired a volley without killing. One of the cows has been slaughtered. We are chary of our horses now. Some of our sure hunters are detached on hunt. Twenty dragoons horses may be injured in the chase without the success habitual to a trained horse and hunter. No authority to hire a hunter was given; instead, some Indians were to be invited to ride their horses out (and a hunting horse is always led) and subsist us (and themselves). The invitation was given but not accepted.

July 7th.

The camp is on muddy pool water. The grass is bad; none better to be had without a detour of five or six miles to the Arkansas River. Wind south and very warm. March, 24 miles. Marched early, expecting to go to the Pawnee Fork, but found it five miles further than supposed. The morning was excessively hot; the air was breathless; fortunately at 10 o'clock an east wind rose and blew for the day, and it seems to recover the character which it possesses on two continents; for with it came clouds, promising the rain which we did need on the dry barren hills, such as we pass no more. The camp was made at 5:30 o'clock on a branch of the Pawnee Fork; on its further bank two miles up we see Capt. Territt's tents. I am in communication with him. The Texans are still with him. My buffalo calves have died here and a fine one caught this afternoon by an officer died before it reached camp in a wagon.

They are as tender as the grown animal seems tough or invulnerable; tough, in one sense they are not, for we pronounce the meat decidedly superior to beef; the liver is always sound; the marrow is hard and exceedingly rich. Our animals have been all killed in the chase and generally selected, but we have been almost too early for the cows.

My command now turns out fully armed for inspection (or action) in two minutes and a half from the first note of the "assembly" at day dawn. They commenced with six minutes. The march, 32 miles.

July 8th. It rained last night. Joined the first squadron at 7:30 o'clock. Two of the party which originally seceded from Snively joined the Texans here and with one of them departed for Missouri two days ago. From Capt. Territt's and Lieut. Mason's account, these men are mere cut throat outlaws, and their principal men lie like pickpockets on all subjects. Capt. Territt found it advisable to take precautions as rigid as if against inveterate enemies in the same circumstances.

After marching a mile or two today they made a request for a passport to Texas, and their arms and rations if I could spare them; they had only dry meat. At Ash Creek-five miles

I halted and wrote a passport through the Indian country to Texas and also gave them 420 pounds of flour and 25 pounds of coffee (which was believed to be surplus and not worth its transportation); also as they had but three rifles, I gave them two more and a pistol. They left us under a Dr. Herrick as leader. (These arrangements consumed no more than fifteen minutes.)

I halted and grazed the horses more than an hour at the pond and reached Walnut Creek in a great rain and thunderstorm; it was crossed and the camp established-the squadrons being placed on the higher ground of the immediate bank. buffalo today.

No

The Pawnee Fork-when we cross it is the margin of the region of buffalo grass, where it is a seclusive production of the soil; thus, Nature, when so barren, provident for its creatures, devotes every fructifying power to the production of a grain; this bountifully feeds the buffalo and the millions of prairie dogs too.

About 5 o'clock this afternoon as we approached the Walnut, a phenomenon was observed; the wind had been south until mid-day-then east, and it was still very warm; when suddenly-seeming to issue from a black culminating cloud, it came rushing very cold from the north. The mosquitos, gnats and flies, which had almost maddened the horses, suddenly vanished, were whistled down the wind," and we put on our great coats. Then, as suddenly, the wind quite as high, became hot; our coats were thrown open. This lasted three minutes, when as suddenly it was cold as ever. This seemed a different matter from the veins of cool air we frequently pass in

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