Dunbar-Hunter Expedition – Object #3

The Red and Arcansa Rivers, whose courses are very long, pass through portions of this fine country. They are both navigable to an unknown distance to an unknown distance by boats of proper construction; the Arcansa River is, however, understood to have greatly the advantage with respect to the facility of the navigation. The Arcansa river is to present safe, agreeable and uninterrupted navigation as high as it is known. The lands on each side are of the best quality, and well watered with springs, brooks and rivulets affording many situations for mill seats. From description it would seem that along this river there is a regular gradation of hill and dale, presenting their extremities to the river the hills are gently swilling eminences, and the dales spacious vallies with living water meandering through them. The forests consist of handsome trees, chiefly what is called open woods. The quality of the land is supposed superior to that on Red River, until it ascends to the prairie country, where the lands on both rivers are probably similar. About two hundred leagues up the Arcansa is an interesting place called the Salt prairie; there is considerable fork of the river there, and a kind of savanna where the salt water is continually oozing out and spreading over the surface of plain…This place is not often frequented on account of the danger from the Osage Indians; much less dare the white hunters venture to ascend higher, where it is generally believed that silver is to be found. It is further said, that high up the Arcansa river is found in form of solid rock, and may be dug out with the crow-bar. The waters of the Arcansa, like those of the Red river, are not potable during the dry season, being both charged highly with reddish earth or mould, and extremely brackish, This not greatly felt upon Arcansa, where springs and brooks of fresh water are frequent; the Red river is understood not to be so highly favored. Every account seems to prove that immense natural magazines of salt must exist in the great chain of mountains to the westward; as all the rivers in the summer season, which flow from them are strongly impregnated that mineral, and are only rendered palatable after receiving the numerous streams of fresh water which join them in their course. The great western prairies, besides the herds of wild cattle, (bison, commonly called Buffaloe) are also stocked with vast numbers of wild goat (not resembling the domestic goat) are extremely swift footed…