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tornado; the first blast laid nearly every tent in the camp flat upon the ground, and sent beds, trunks, and tables whirling and tumbling in every direction. Our camp presented for a few minutes a most perfect scene of confusion. As I looked out from under my tent, (which had fallen upon ine and held me fast,) I saw, by the incessant flashes of lightning, officers and men running in all directions through the rain-some trying to find shelter, and others following up a hat, blanket, or tent which the gale had seized upon and was carrying off upon the prairie. Nothing could resist the violence of the storm; it continued about an bour, when the wind abated, and we went to work to put up our tents gain. Everything is soaked, and we shall remain to-morrow to dry, when we hope to be joined by the Fort Smith company.

May 15-This has been a day of general drying throughout camp, and we are now ready to move forward again, as soon as we learn that Captain Dillard is near us. Dr. Rogers was so unfortunate as to have all his botanical specimens ruined by the storm last night; this is to be much regretted, as he had a great variety of plants and flowers which he will not meet with again, being near the Grand Prairie where the characler of vegetation is entirely different from what we have passed.

May 16.-Learning that the Fort Smith company are near us, upon the other side of the creek, I started this morning and moved a few miles up the valley.

The grass in the creek bottom is fine and the soil good.

May 17.-This morning we continued up the creek for about a mile, then turned to the left, and struck the Divide in the "Cross Timbers;" after marching six miles, we reached the large prairie between the two "Cross Timbers" and encamped upon the head of Chouteau's creek, where we found good grass, fine clear spring water, and oak wood.

Through the "Cross Timbers" the wood is black-jack, post oak, overeup, and hackberry: The soil is gravelly sand, and the rocks a dark, hard sandstone. I found iron ore upon Chouteau's creek, and the soil conunues to be ferruginous. We have seen some deer to-day; but game is

not abundant.

May 18.-Continuing upon the high and dry dividing ridge, we made eleven miles; the soil is of a good quality, but there is no timber and but little water; we, however, found wood, water, and grass sufficient for camping purposes. We have seen occasionally detached pieces of gypsum to-day, and some limestone, but the rocks have generally been a soft, Coarse standstone. Our road approached within two miles of the Cauadan at one point of our march to-day, and directly at this place we were pposite the mouth of "Spring creek," a very beautiful stream of pure spring water; has good grass upon it, and wood sufficient for camping purposes. The Fort Smith company joined us yesterday, and we shall now move on more rapidly.

May 20.-This being Sunday, and a very rainy day, we remained in camp; the rain commenced with one of those thunder showers which are so frequent upon the prairies, and, as usual, it was accompanied by a perfect tempest of wind. We are now near the "Upper Cross Timbers," and I find upon examination that we cannot follow the "Divide" through, as it becomes very rough and broken immediately upon entering the timber. I shall, therefore, leave the "Divide," cross Spring creek, and take the high prairie

between that stream and the Canadian. In this way I shall be en to pass on the prairie entirely around the Upper Cross Timbers.

I met with the wild squash to-day; it has much the appearance cultivated varieties, except that the leaves are of a light blue color; are now in blossom.

May 21.-Our road to-day continued on the "Divide" for three when, coming near the Timbers, we turned to the right and took the p valley up "Spring creek," skirting the lower edge of the "Cross bers;" here we found a fine road, and moved along with great ea our animals. We encamped upon one of the numerous spring bran which flow into Spring creek, and found an abundance of good w water, and grass.

May 22. This morning we continued up the south side of the for three miles further, where we turned to the right and crossed to dividing ridge lying between the creek and the Canadian; at the where the road strikes the crest of the ridge we found ourselves only mile from the river, and continued that distance from it until we rea the head of Spring creek, where we encamped, making our day's m sixteen miles. The valley of Spring creek is beautifully situated for fa slopes gently to the south, and is a mile in width, abundantly wat arable soil, and timbered with black walnut, elm, hackberry, and co wood. It is in the immediate vicinity of the Upper Cross Timbers, w post-oak timber is abundant, affording a good material for building fencing purposes. It is also directly opposite the head of the Little Was river, where there is said to be hickory and sugar-maple timber, with distance of ten miles from this place.

These advantages, in connexion with the fact that there are no o streams for three hundred miles west of here upon our route, which good soil, or any other building timber except cottonwood, (and tha very small quantities,) render this stream a suitable point for the estab ment of a military station, should the government determine to troops upon this road. It is also a place where the Comanches Kioways frequently resort for the purpose of killing buffaloes. Mored no settlements can be made upon our road west of this point, as the no place where the soil and timber will admit of it.

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May 23.-We turned slightly to the left this morning, and, after tra ling two miles, struck the main "Divide" of Washita and Canad Continuing on this "Divide" for thirteen miles, we passed several round mounds of a very soft red sandstone, rising up almost perpend larly out of the open table land, and can be seen for a long distance be reaching them. At the base of the southern mound, following an Indian trail, it led us down into a deep ravine, where there is a fine sp of cool water, with wood and grass.

Our road from here took a direct course for a point of timber w can be seen from the top of the largest mound, but deviates somew from the general bearing. As we found little water to-day, we made digression for the purpose of seeking a camping-place, and were m delighted, on arriving at the timber, to find a splendid spring of wa rising in a basin of white limestone, as perfectly hollowed out as it co have been done by art, and filled with fine cool water. About five h dred yards below this the stream formed by the water of the spring comes enlarged, and contains an abundance of sunfish.

The soil upon our route to-day has been gravelly sand, and no timber except upon the borders of ravines. There is wood sufficient for encamping upon this stream, and fine grass.

May 24.-Our road continued on the Divide during the whole day, and was very fine and good. We are now passing through a country when gypsum is found in great quantities; in many places the surface of the earth is covered with a white incruscation of decomposed gypsum, and frequently large blocks were seen, in which there were all varieties, from beautiful transparent selenite to common "plaster of Paris," gradually merging from opaque to pure transparent. The fibrous varieties were also found frequently. The soil upon our road has been very poor, and but little water; at our encampment to-night we have water that is bitter and unpalatable, but will answer for cooking when none other can be obtained.

May 25.-Our road has kept the Divide all day and, as usual, was firm and smooth; passes over a gypsum formation, and many off the hills have been entirely composed of it. At our camp we have good wood and grass, but the water is as usual where gypsum abounds-far from being sweet. We have seen many antelopes and turkeys during the last few days, but deer are becoming scarce as we advance. Buffalo tracks have been seen frequently, but as yet none of the animals themselves.

May 26.-We continued to follow the dividing ridge to-day for thirteen miles, when we came to a large lateral ridge, running off from the main Divide, which we followed, and did not discover our mistake until we had gone about three miles, where we encamped on a branch of the Canadian.

We found the wood and grass good, but the water continues slightly saline. There is elm, cottonwood, hackberry, and wild china upon the creek where we are encamped. As I was riding in advance of the train to-day I saw the first buffalo; there were two bulls, quietly feeding, about three miles from me. I gave them a chase of about ten miles, fired some five or six balls into one of them, but did not succeed in getting him to the ground. I had a most exciting chase, but it was very severe upon my horse, and I have no doubt it injured him more than three weeks' travfelling. Poor fellow! he performed his part most nobly, for which I reAwarded him with a good feed of corn on my return to camp; and, as he had been living on grass alone for several weeks, I have no doubt he felt well rewarded for his labor-at all events, his countenance assumed a most grateful expression when it was placed before him.

May 27.-To-day, (Sunday,) in accordance with a rule I have adopted, we "lay by," to give the men time to wash, and the animals to graze and recruit.

May 28.-We retraced our steps back to the dividing ridge this morning, and placed a stake, with directions to those following us "to keep the left hand trace." Our road passed from here to our camp upon high rolling prairie; with no water or wood, and we were obliged to turn from the dividing ridge down to the bank of the Canadian. We passed down over a gap in the bluffs; found good wood, water, and grass.

May 29.-The country we have passed over to day, near the Divide, has been principally a formation of gypsum and blue limestone ledges, in which we discovered petrifactions of oysters and muscles. These are the first fossils we have seen upon our road.

We encamped on a branch of the Little Washita; found wood and

grass abundant. The country between our road and the two river much broken by hills and ravines, which appear to have been thrown without the slightest reference to finish or utility; and I am convin that the only place along near our route where a natural wagon road be found is directly upon the crest of the Divide. From a high ridge our camp we can see the Antelope, or Boundary mounds, far to the w May 30.-Our road was upon the dividing ridge all day, and very and smooth, but somewhat circuitous, following the windings of "Divide;" this has generally been very direct, and, for the two hund miles we have travelled upon it, I have never seen a better natural re The country upon each side falling off towards the Canadian Washita, leaves the crest perfectly dry at all seasons. There are nu ous small branches rising near the road which are skirted with tin and grass, thereby giving the traveller an opportunity to encamp at aln any time he feels disposed. The soil is unfit for cultivation, being a h gravelly sand, and very poor. We left the Divide near our camp, are upon a branch of the Canadian; the water, wood, and grass good.

May 31.-This morning we followed down the creek, and travelled several miles upon the Canadian; finding this part of our road san however, we soon turned back, and came upon the high prairie betw two of the Antelope buttes. These hills are about one hundred and feet high, of porous sandstone, and appear to be the result of volca action. They rise almost perpendicularly from the smooth prairie, flat upon the top, and present every indication of having been raised of the earth by volcanic agency. They are near the 100th degree longitude, and are sometimes called the Boundary mounds, as being the line formerly claimed by Texas as her eastern boundary. We camped this evening without wood at some holes of water in the prai we could have found wood by going six miles further, but our m were wearied, and I concluded to use the "buffalo chips" rather t drive that distance.

June 1.-Taking the "Divide" again this morning, we marched f teen miles over a very direct and firm road, without a hill or ravine, u we reached our camp, upon a small lake on the high prairie. Ther an abundance of never-failing water in the lake, and the buffalo g grows luxuriantly upon its banks. This grass is very short and th but animals are extravagantly fond of it, and it is very nutritious. T are hills about a mile to the east of the lake similar to the "Aute buttes;" these can be seen for a long distance upon our road, and good landmarks. As it is half a mile from the lake to the nearest w I would recommend to travellers to throw a few sticks for cooking their wagons before reaching here. We received a visit this evening f four Kioway Indians, dressed in their war costume, and armed rifles, bows, lances, and shields. They were on their way (as they us) to Chihuahua, Mexico, where they were going to steal mules horses, and expected to be absent from here a year or more. I brot them into camp, presented them with some tobacco and pipes, gave t supper, and told them that we were disposed to be friendly and at p with the Kioways; that it was the desire of their "great father, President of the United States, to be on terms of peace with all his children." This appeared to please them, and they replied that

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would communicate my "talk" to their people, who live forty miles horth of here upon the north fork of the Canadian. I was much surprised at the ease and facility with which "Beaver" communicated with them by pantomime. This appears to be a universal language among Indians, and the same signs and gestures are made use of and understood by all tribes. The grace and rapidity with which this mute conversation was carried on upon a variety of topics relative to our road and their own affairs astonished me beyond measure. I had no idea before that the Indians were such adepts at pantomime; and I have no hesitation in saying that they would compare with the most accomplished performers of

our operas.

June 2.-We travelled sixteen miles to-day over a very good road, with but little water near it, however, until we reached our present camp; here we have wood and water in a ravine. The country, as we advance, becomes gradually higher, and the soil continues poor, with but little timber. We are yet upon the "Divide" of the Washita and Canadian— about five miles from the latter, and three miles from a large branch of the former. The wife of one of the emigrants encamped near us has been sick for several days, and reported to-night as very low. The fatigue ad inconveniences to which she is necessarily exposed in a journey over the prairies, has, no doubt, had a tendency to aggravate her disease. Being a lady of delicate constitution, and having never before been subected to the privations and hardships of a camp life, she is but poorly fitted to endure in sickness a march of this kind.

June 3.-This being Sunday, we stopped to recruit our men and animals.

June 4.-We made a march of ten miles to-day, and reached Dry river, crossed and encamped on the west bank. We found bluffs about two hundred feet high on the east side, very abrupt, and crowned with edges of sandstone; but after a short examination, discovered a pass which led us by a very gradual descent to the river bottom. The distance between the top of the bluffs, from one side of the stream to those of the other, is five miles, and the valley where we crossed about two mies in width. There is wood, water, and grass in abundance here, and it is a fine camping place. The bed of the stream is one hundred and fifty feet from bank to bank; but when we arrived in the evening there was no water, except in holes. The next morning, however, there was water running over the quicksand, forming a stream some ten feet wide. I could account for this in no other way than from the fact that the quicksand absorbs a large portion of the water flowing through the stream, and in the daytime the sun evaporates the remainder; but in the night, there beng but little evaporation, the water not absorbed passes off over the bed of the river.

On approaching Dry river from the east, our road passed up the ridge dividing the head branches of the Washita from "Dry river;" here the Divide, which our road has followed about two hundred and fifty miles, tuns away to the south, and from this place we see it no more. I am formed by Beaver, who is well acquainted with this part of the country, that this stream has its source in an extensive salt plain southwest of here, and that "Red river," which has never been explored to its head, ises in the same plain, and near the same place. It has generally been supposed that Red river extended far west of here, near the Pecos, and