Identifier: reportsofexplora03unit_0 (find matches)
Title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean
Year: 1855 (1850s)
Authors: United States. War Dept Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subjects: Pacific railroads Discoveries in geography Natural history Indians of North America
Publisher: Washington : A.O.P. Nicholson, printer (etc.)
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

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es, looking like a cultivatedvineyard. The fruit, which covers the vines in magnificent clusters, is small, juicy, and of anagreeable flavor. It does not appear yet to be fully ripe. We have passed to-day hills similarin character and form to the Antelope hills. These appear to be the last mesa remnants of allano, or prairie, which once covered the whole region. The other parts of the formation havebeen abraded and swept away, forming undulating prairies, valleys, ravines, and sometimescanons. September 9—Camp 39.—At our last camp grama grass was more abundant than usual. Thewater in the channel of the Canadian was probably three feet deep, and moderately clear.After leaving camp we crossed a spur of hills that approached the river, and again descended tothe valley, which became wide and contained good grass and clumps of trees. Six miles brought * Vincente. upon learning this afterwards, said they were medicine men, and very bad. He has great fear of their spells andincantations.
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KAIOWA ENCAMPMENT.—MEXICAN CAPTIVES. 31 tis to the mouth of a wooded creek without water flowing upon the surfaoe. Here were theremains of an extensive Indian encampment, with signs quite recent. The crotched sticksof hundreds of wigwams had been left standing. The grass was closely cropped, and the trailsto the river were large and fresh. Wild grapes were again abundant; tempting the men, someof whom had already suffered severely from eating to excess. Few, however, can set bounds toan appetite so seldom gratified upon the prairie. We soon entered a large Indian trail, which,leading through a deserted camp, brought us in sight of an Indian village. Great excitementwas produced, each one being desirous to be among the first to encounter the strangers. TheIndians met us at Valley river, a rapid stream, flowing into the Canadian a hundred yardsbelow. A curious scene was now presented. On one side of the stream was collected a crowdof wild Indians, apparently in great excitement; and o

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