depositions of the hot springs; in this high sit- f 1804 uation we found a spring whose temperature is lDecei 1400
After passing the calcareous region, we found the primitive hill covered by a forest, whose trees were not of the largest size; they consisted chiefly of Oak, Pine, Cedar, Holly, hawthorn with many others common to the climate, with a great variety of vines, some said to produce black & some yellow grapes, both excellent in their kinds: the soil is extremely rocky, interspersed with gravel, sand & fine black vegetable mold. When we had advanced about 250 feet perpendicular up the hill, we found a change in the soil; it was equally stoney & gravelly as below with a superficial coat of black mold but immediately under the last was found a basis of fat, tenacious, soapy, red clay, inclining to the • colour of bright spanish snuff; it seemed to be very homogeneous with scarcely any admixture of sand and no saline taste, but rather soft and agreeable; the same timber continues but diminishing in size as we ascend the hill, and rocks increasing to the top: We estimate the whole height of the hill to be about 300 feet above the level of the valley where we are hutted. Therm! at 8!1 p.m. 28? Extremes 26°-5o?
1804 1 it became much warmer and the heavens were December] overcast with one general cloud; the air was still damp and penetrating, and our mansion pervious to the chilling blast, but we made good fires and comforted ourselves in the expectation of favorable weather to enable us to complete our observations and researches. The People arrived about one o'clock in the afternoon with a few things including the instruments.
At 3*? p.m. the thermometer rose to 590 and in the evening at 811 fell to 500, the weather being still disagreeable and cloudy. Some venison was brought in after dinner — The People five in number went back to the river to fetch tools and necessaries, while others were occupied in raising a log-chimney at the end of our Cabin, which we proposed to line with stone as a security against fire. No change in the appearance of the weather at bed-time. Extremes of the therm! 48°-59°
Wednesday 1 2? Thermometer before sun-rise 3 6? The weather has become colder, but still continues overcast, damp and disagreeable, the wind being about north, a few drops of rain fell last evening & during the night. As it still continues cloudy, no astronomical observations could be made, I therefore occupied myself in the forenoon in bringing up and completing my journals, and in the afternoon went to examine all the hot springs with
the the thermometer: four principal springs seemed ["1804 only to merit attention; those which yielded the \December greatest quantity of water were of the highest temperature and are in the following order. N? 1 — 1500 N°2 1450—N° 3 —136 and N? 4 1320 the last in order is the only one on the west side of the creek and I did not perceive any signs of hot water anywhere else on that side of the Creek, I therefore conceived that the spring N? 4 is supplied by a channel under the Creek from the general reservoir in the hill on the East: at the spring N° 3 was a small bason of some little depth, in which was a considerable quantity of the green matter in temperature 134? it had much the appearance of a vegetating body, being detached from the bottom yet connected by something like a stem which rested in Calcareous matter, the body of one of those pseudo-plants was about 4 to 5 inches diameter, the bottom a smooth film of some tenacity & the upper surface divided into ascending fibres of % to 54 of an inch long resembling the gills of a fish, formed into a kind of transverse rows; not being then prepared for a more minute investigation, a future examination will be made with the microscope. Should it prove that this is a vegetable production and not an accumulation caused by precipitation, it will be a new proof of the wonderfull powers of nature in the production of animal & vegetable life in temperatures
1804 \ peratures which have been hitherto thought sufDcccmber/ f,cient to extinguish the vital principle: Should this green matter prove to be vegetable, I shall confidently expect the discovery of animal life; for no plant I believe upon due research will be found without its animal inhabitant. A little farther on, we came to another small muddy bason, in which a vermes about % an inch long, was moving with a serpentine or vermicular motion, the water was found a little warm to the finger : I observed invariably that the green matter forming on stones & leaves covered a stratum of Calcareous Earth, sometimes a little hard & brittle, but at other times soft and imperfect, but whether the lime favors the production of the green matter or vice versa, we probably shall not have time to ascertain. Therm" at 8 p.m. 36? Extremes 36°-5o°
Thursday 13th Therm* before sunrise 26? Wind north. The weather still continues cloudy, dark and disagreeable; finding no probability of making any astronomical observations this day I determined to make an excursion upon the neighbouring western mountain, and having gained one of its summits about % a mile from the Camp, took various courses of Hills & points on the river, & having gone to its extreme summit to the westward about a mile distant, I took courses to the same points in order to ascertain nearly their positions:
We We had several fine prospects from this hill, f 1804 which we estimated to be 300 feet higher than \Dece the valley of the hot Springs where we first ascended, and 400 feet at its western extremity; the valley of the Washita river comprehended between the hills on either side, seemed a perfect flat & about 12 miles wide, on all hands we saw the hills, called here mountains rising behind each other: in the direction of north the most distant were supposed to be 50 miles off, & are considered to be those of the arcansa river, the rugged mountains which divide the waters of the arcansa from those of the Washita prevent the Osage Indians from visiting the Washita river, of whose existence they are in general ignorant; were it otherwise, their excursions here, would prevent this place being visited by White persons or even Indians of other tribes, as they make no difficulty of traveling round the mountains which give birth to the Washita by the great prairies, which lie east of the great dividing Ridge, and it is known that those robbers plunder indiscriminately all they can find. In the direction of S.W. we saw at about 50 miles distance, a ridge perfectly level which we supposed to be the high prairies or planes of the red river, so that we had under our Eye an horizon whose diameter was 100 miles, incomplete to the East & N.W. Notwithstanding the late severity of the weather, we found along the ridge a considerable
1804 1 siderable number and some variety of plants in December J flower, & others retaining their verdure, We found indeed the ridge much more temperate than the valley; When we left the valley it was extremely damp, cold and penetrating; upon ascending the ridge, the atmosphere became dry & mild, so that walking thereon was perfectly agreeable: a few of the plants in flower were collected for specimens, but what surprised us much was to find upon this ridge a species of Cabbage, the plants grew with expanded leaves spreading on the ground, of a deep green with a shade of purple, the taste of the cabbage was plainly predominant with an agreeable warmth inclining to the raddish; several tap-roots penetrated into the soil, of a white colour, having the taste of horse raddish, but much milder; a quantity of them were brought to camp & when dressed proved palatable & mild; it is highly improbable that any Cabbage seed has ever been scattered upon this ridge, the hunters ascending this River have always pursued far different objects; we must therefore consider this Cabbage (untill farther elucidation) as indigenous to this sequestered quarter & may be denominated the Cabbage raddish of the Washita. I shall preserve and take with me several living plants in hopes of procuring in due time seeds from which the curious may be furnished. We also found growing here a plant which is now green, called by
the