would always be preferred, is this small jam of timber at the point, just below the bayau Channo, as it is called.

After the receipt of your letter, I had an opportunity of seeing some of the inhabitants who live near this place, who informed me, that that small raft was easily broken, and that they had lately been talking of doing it. I persuaded them to make the attempt, and they accordingly appointed the Friday following, and all the neighbours were to be invited to attend and assist. They met accordingly, and effected a passage next to one bank of the river, so that boats could pass, but did not entirely break it; they intend to take another spell at it, when the water falls a little, and speak confidently of succeeding.

The country about the head of lake Bistino, is highly spoken of, as well the high lands, as the river bottom. There are falling into the river and lake in the vicinity, some handsome streams of clear wholesome water from towards Washita, one in particular called bayau Badkah by the Indians, which is boatable at some seasons; this bayau passes through a long, narrow and rich prairie, on which, my informant says, 500 families might be desirably settled; and from thence up to where the Caddos lately lived, the river banks are high, bottoms wide and rich as any other part of the river. From thence it is much the same to the mouth of the Little river of the left; this river is generally from 50 to an 100 yards wide; heads in the great prairies, south of Red river, and interlocks with the head branches of the Sabine and Trinity rivers; and in times of high water is boatable 40 or 50 leagues, affording a large body of excellent, well timbered and rich land, the low grounds from 3 to 6 miles wide: but the quality of the water, though clear, is very inferiour to that of the streams that fall into Red river on the north side. The general course of the Red river from this upwards is nearly from west to east, till we arrive at the Panis towns, when it turns northwestwardly. After leaving the mouth of the Little river of the left, both banks are covered with strong, thick cane for about 20 miles; the low grounds very wide, rich, and do not overflow; the river widening in proportion as the banks are less liable to overflow; you arrive at a handsome, rich prairie, 25 miles long on the right side, and 4 or 5 miles wide; bounded by handsome oak and hickory woods, mixed with some short-leaved pine, interspersed with pleasant streams and fountains of water. The opposite, or left side is a continuation of thick cane; the river or low lands 10 or 12 miles wide. After leaving the prairie,the cane continues for about 40 miles; you then arrive at another prairie, called Little prairie, left side, about 5 miles in length, and from 2 to 3 in breadth; opposite side continues cane as before; low lands wide, well timbered, very rich, and overflow but little; the river still widening. Back of the low grounds, is a well timbered, rich upland country; gently rolling and well watered; from, the Little prairie, both banks cane for 10 or 12 miles, when the oak and pine woods come bluff to the river for about 5 miles; left hand side, cane as before; then the same on both sides, for from 10 to 20 miles wide, for about 15 miles, when the cedar begins on both sides, and is the principal growth on the wide, rich river bottom for 40 miles; in all the world there is scarcely to be found a more beautiful growth of cedar timber; they, like the cedars of Libanus, are large, lofty and straight.

You now arrive at the mouth of the Little river of the right; this river is about 150 yards wide: the water clear as chrystal; the bottom of the river stony, and is boatable, at high water, up to the great prairies near 200 miles by the course of the river; the low grounds generally from 10 to 15 miles wide, abounding with the most luxuriant growth of rich timber, but subject to partial inundation at particular rainy seasons. After leaving this river, both banks of Red river are cane as before, for about 20 miles, when you come to the round prairie, right side, about 5 miles in circumference. At this place Red river is fordable at low water; a hard stony bottom, and is the first place from its mouth where it can be forded. This round prairie is

high and pleasant, surrounded by handsome oak and hickory uplands; left side cane as before, and then the same both sides for 20 miles, to the long prairie, left side, 40 miles long; opposite side cane as before; near the middle of this prairie, there is a lake of about 5 miles in circumference, in an oval form, neither tree nor shrub near it, nor stream of water running either in or out of it; it is very deep, and the water so limpid that a fish may be seen 15 feet from the surface. By the side of this lake the Caddoquies have lived from time immemorial. About one mile from the lake is the hill on which, they say, the great spirit placed one Caddo family, who were saved when, by a general deluge, all the world were drowned; from which family all the Indians have originated. For this little natural eminence all the Indian tribes, as well as the Caddoquies, for a great distance, pay a devout and sacred homage. Here the French, for many years before Louisiana was ceded to Spain, had erected a small fort; kept some soldiers to guard a factory they had here established for the Indian trade, and several French families were settled in the vicinity, built a flour mill, and cultivated wheat successfully for several years; and it is only a few years ago that the mill irons and mill stones were brought down it is about 25 years since those French families moved down, and 14 years since the Caddoquies left it. Here is another fording place when the river is low. On the opposite side a point of high oak, hickory, and pine land comes bluff to the river for about a mile; after which, thick cane to the upper end of the prairie; then the same on both sides for about 12 miles; then prairie on the left side for 20 miles, opposite side cane; then the same for 30 miles, then an oak high bluff 3 miles, cane again for about the same distance, on both sides; then for about one league, left side, is a beautiful grove of pacans, intermixed with no other growth; after which, cane both sides for 40 miles; then prairie, left side, for 20 miles, and from one to two miles only in depth; about the middle of which comes in a bayau of clear running water, about 50 feet wide; then cane again both sides the river for about 40 miles; then, on the right side, a point of high pine woods bluff to the river for about half a mile, cane again 15 or 16 miles; then a bluff of large white rocks for about half a mile, near 100 feet high, cane again about 45 miles, to a prairie on the right side, of about 30 miles long, and 12 or 15 miles wide; there is a thin skirt of wood along the bank of the river, that when the leaves are on the trees, the prairie is, from the river, scarcely to be seen. From the upper end of this prairie it is thick cane again for about six miles, when we arrive to the mouth of Bayau Galle, which is on the right side, about 30 yards wide, a beautiful, clear, running stream of wholesome well tasted water; after passing which it is thick cane again for 25 miles, when we arrive at a river that falls in on the right side, which is called by the Indians Kiomitchie, and by the French La Riviere la Mine, or Mine river, which is about 150 yards wide, the water clear and good, and is boatable about 60 miles to the silver mine, which is on the bank of the river, and the ore appears in large quantities, but the richness of it is not known. The Indians inform of their discovering another, about a year ago, on a creek that empties into the Kiomitchie, about three miles from its mouth, the ore of which they say resembles the other. The bottom land of this river is not wide, but rich; the adjoining high lands are rich, well timbered, well watered and situated. About the mine the current of the river is too strong for boats to ascend it, the country being hilly. After passing the Kiomitchie, both banks of the river are covered with thick cane for 25 miles, then, left side, a high pine bluff appears again to the river for about half a mile, after which nothing but cane again on each side for about 40 miles, which brings you to the mouth of a handsome bayau, left side, called by the Indians Nahaucha, which, in English, means the Kick; the French call it Bois d'Arc, or Bow-wood creek, from the large quantity of that wood that grows upon it. On this bayau trappers have been more successful in catching beaver than on any other water of Red river; it communicates with a lake, three or four miles from, its mouth, called Swan lake,

from the great number of swan that frequent it; it is believed that this bayau is boatable at high water, for 20 or 30 leagues, from what I have been informed by some hunters with whom I have conversed, who have been upon it. The low grounds are from three to six miles wide, very rich, the principal growth on it is the Bois d'arc. The great prairies approach pretty near the low grounds on each side of this creek; leaving which it is cane both sides for about eight miles, when we arrive at the mouth of the Vazzures, or Boggy river, which is about 200 yards wide, soft miry bottom, the water whitish, but well tasted. Attempts have been made to ascend it in perogues, but it was found to be obstructed by a raft of logs, about 20 miles up. The current was found to be gentle, and depth of water sufficient was the channel not obstructed might be ascended far up The low grounds on this river are not as wide as on most of the rivers that fall into Red river, but very rich; the high lands are a strong clay soil; the principal growth oak. After leaving this river the banks of Red river are alternately cane and prairie; timber is very small and scattered along only in places; it is only now to be seen along the water courses. From the Boggy river to the Blue river is about 50 miles, which comes in on the right side. The water of this river is called blue, from its extreme transparency; it is said to be well tasted, and admired, for its quality, to drink. The bed of this river is lined generally with black and greyish flint stones; it is about 50 yards wide, and represented as a beautiful stream; perogues ascend it about 60 or 70 miles. The low grounds of Blue river are a good width for plantations, very rich; the growth pacan, and every species of the walnut. The whole country here, except on the margin of the water courses, is one immense prairie. After passing this river, copses of wood only are to be seen here and there along the river bank for about 25 miles, to a small turgid river, called by the Indians Bahachaha, and by the French Fouxoacheta; some call it the Missouri branch of Red river; it emits a considerable quantity of water; runs from north to south, and falls into Red river nearly at right angles, and heads near the head of the Arkensa, and is so brackish it cannot be drank. On this river, and on a branch of the Arkensa, not far from it, the Indians find the salt rock; pieces of it have often been brought to Natchitoches by hunters, who procured it from the Indians. From the mouth of this river, through the prairie, to the main branch of the Arkensa, is three days journey; perhaps 60 or 70 miles in a straight line. From this to the Panis, or Towrache towns, by land, is about 30 miles, and by water, double that distance; the river is nearly a mile wide. The country on each side, for many hundreds of miles, is all prairie, except a skirt of wood along the river bank, and on the smaller streams; what trees there are, are small; the grass is green summer and winter. In between 33 and 34 degrees of north latitude, the soil is very rich, producing, luxuriously, every thing that is planted in it: the river, from this upwards, for 150 miles, continues at least a mile wide, and may be ascended in perogues.

Mr. Grappe, to whom I am indebted for the foregoing accurate description of Red river, informed me, that his personal knowledge of it did not extend but little above the Panis towns; but Mr. Brevel, of the Isle Brevel, who was born at the Caddo old towns, where he was, had been farther up it, and that whatever account he gave me might be relied on.

I therefore sought an opportunity, a few days after, to obtain from Mr, Brevel the following narrative, which I wrote down from his own mouth, as he related it:

"About 40 years ago, I sat off, on foot, from the Panis nation (who then lived about 50 leagues above where they now live) in company with a party of young Iudian men, with whom I had been partly raised, on a hunting voyage, and to procure horses. We kept up on the south side of Red river,as near it as we could conveniently cross the small streams that fall in, sometimes at some distance, and at others very near it, and in sight of it. We

found the country all prairie, except small copses of wood, cedar, cotton wood, or musketo, amongst which a stick six inches in diameter could not be found; the surface becoming more and more light, sandy and hilly, with hedges of clifts of a greyish sandy rock, but every where covered with her. bage. We found many small streams falling into the river, but none of any considerable size, or that discharged much water in dry seasons, but many deep gullies formed by the rain water. After travelling for several days over a country of this description, the country became more broken, the hills rising into mountains, amongst which we saw a great deal of rock salt, and an ore the Indians said was my (meaning the white people's) treasure, which I afterwards learned was silver. And that amongst these mountains of mines, we often heard a noise like the explosion of a cannon, or distant thunder, which the Indians said was the spirit of the white people working in their treasure, which, I afterwards was informed, was the blowing of the mines, as it is called, which is common in all parts of Spanish America where mines exist. The main branch of the river becoming smaller, till it divided into almost innumerable streams that issued out of the vallies amongst these mountains; the soil very light and sandy, of a reddish grey colour. We travelled on from the top of one mountain to the top of another, in hopes the one we were ascending was always the last, till the small streams we met with ran the contrary way, towards the setting sun, and the lands declining that way. We continued on till the streams enlarged into a river of considerable size, and the country became level, well timbered, the soil a rich black loam; the waters were all clear and well tasted. Here we found a great many different tribes of the Hietan, Appaches and Concee Indians; we likewise fell in with them frequently from the time we had been a few days out from the Panis towns, and were always treated kindly by them. I believe the distance from the Panis old towns to where we saw the last of Red river water, is at least one hundred leagues; and in crossing over the ridge, we saw no animals that were not common in all the country of Louisiana, except the spotted tyger, and a few white bears. After spending some days on the western waters, we sat off for the settlements of St. a Fé ; steering nearly a south east course, and in a few days were out of the timbered country into prairie; the country became broken and hilly; the waters all running westwardly; the country cloathed with a luxuriant herbage, and frequently passing mines of silver ore. We arrived, at length, at a small, meanly built towa in the St. a Fé settlement, containing about one hundred houses, round which were some small, cultivated fields, fenced round with small cedar and musketo brush, wattled in stakes. This little town was on a small stream of water that ran westwardly, and in a dry season scarcely run at all, and, that the inhabitants were obliged to water their cattle from wells. And I understood that the bayau upon which this town is situated, was no part of Rio Grandi, but fell into the western ocean; but of that I might have been mistaken. I understood that similar small towns, or missions, were within certain distances of each other for a great extent southwardly, towards Mexico; and that the inhabitants were mostly christianised Indians and Matiffs. That the mines in that settlement afforded very rich ore, which was taken away in large quantities, packed on mules, and had the same appearance of what we met with about the he ad branches of Red river. After furnishing ourselves with horses at this place, we sat off again for the Panis towns, from whence we started, steering at first southwardly, in order to avoid a high, mountainous country that is difficult to cross, that lies be. tween St. a Fe and Red river. After travelling some distance south, we turned our coarse northeast wardly, and arrived at the Panis towns in eighteen days from the day we left St. a Fe settlements; and three months and twenty days from the time we started."

He is of the opinion that from the Panis towns to St. a Fe, in a right line, is nearly three hundred miles, and all the country prairie, a few scattering cedar knobs excepted. After he had finished his narrative, I asked him how

far Red river was boatable. He said, not much above the Panis old towns not that he knew of any particular falls or obstructions, but that the head branches of the river came from steep mountains, on which the rain often poured down in torrents, and runs into the river with such velocity, sweeping along with it large quantities of loose earth, of which these hills and mountains are composed: that it rolls like a swell in the sea, and would either sink or carry along with it any boat that it might meet in the river. But, he observed at the same time, that his opinion was founded on no experiment that he had ever known made. I asked him if the Indians had no perogues high up in the river. He told me, that the Indians there knew nothing of the use of them, for instead of there being for hundreds of miles a tree large enough for a cance, one could scarcely be found large enough to make a fowl trough. I asked him what animals were found in the Great prairies. He told me, from Blue river, upwards, on both sides of Red river, there were innumerable quantities of wild horses, buffaloe, bears, wolves, elk, deer, foxes, sangliers or wild hogs, antelope, white hares, rabbits, &c. and on the mountains the spotted tyger, panther, and wild cat. He farther told me, that about 23 years ago, he was employed by the governour of St. Antoine, to go from that place into some of the Indian nations that lived towards St. a Fe, who were at war with the Spaniards, to try to make a peace with them, and bring in some of the chiefs to St. Antoine. He sat off from that place with a party of soldiers, and was to have gone to St. a Fe; they passed on a northwestwardly course for about 200 miles, but after getting into the Great Prairie, being a dry season, they were forced to turn back for want of water for themselves and horses, and that he does not know how near he went to St. a Fe, but believes he might have been half way.

The accounts given by Mr. Brevel, Mr. Grappe, and all other hunters with whom I have conversed, of the immense droves of animals that, at the beginning of winter, descend from the mountains down southwardly, into the timbered country, is almost incredible. They say the buffaloe and bear particularly, are in droves of many thousands together, that blacken the whole surface of the earth, and continue passing, without intermission, for weeks together, so that the whole surface of the country is, for many miles in breadth, trodden like a large road. I am, sir, &c. &c. (Signed)

Natchitoches, 10th April, 1805.

JOHN SIBLEY.

Distances up Red river, by the course of the river.