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Kansas lies between the thirty-seventh and fortieth degrees of north latitude. The
Indian Territory bounds it on the south, Utah and New Mexico on the west, Nebraska on the
north, and Missouri on the east.
There are numberless streams of water in the Territory. The Arkansas which rises in the
Rocky Mountains, runs nearly six hundred miles through it. Kansas River, which empties
into the Missouri near Kansas City, has many forks of considerable size, viz., the
Republican, Solomon Fork, Grand Saline Fork, Vermilion, Little Vermilion, Soldier Creek,
Grasshopper Creek, Big Blue, Pawnee Fork, Walnut Creek, Wakarusa, and several others. The
country is well watered, and on all the rivers grows timber of large size and in great
variety. The river bottoms are very fertile, being covered with an alluvial black soil
from twelve to twenty-four inches deep. The bottoms vary in width from four to seven
miles.
Another bottom over which the waters must have once flowed, is elevated about sixteen
feet from the river, and high up some sixty to seventy feet, lies the immense undulating
prairie, teeming with buffalo, blacktail, deer, antelope, sage, and prairie chickens.
Thousands of coyotes—a small wolf, make night hideous with
their shrill discordant bark. The large white wolf is also found in great numbers on the
rivers. We killed wild turkeys and ducks. The second bottoms are studded with groves of
timber. The various kinds of oak, maple, elm, redflowered maple, black walnut, locust,
beech, box, elder, wild-cherry, and cottonwood, attain a large size, and are to be found
on the Kansas River and its many tributaries in quantities.
Grasses of a hundred different kinds, some of them rank and high, but the most of them
possessing highly nutritive qualities, grow spontaneously on the prairies, and afford
nourishment to immense quantities of game.
The water of the Kansas partakes in color of the character of the soil over which it
passes. It is, I am inclined to believe, always turbid. I found it quite unfit for
daguerreotype purposes, and had to preserve many of my plates until we approached the
crystal streams from the Rocky Mountains, to finish them. During our long camp on Salt
Creek, our topographical engineer and myself explored the country for miles. Coal in
abundance is to be obtained with but little exertion; it many instances it crops out on
the surface of the ground. The general character of the formation of this country is the
same as Missouri—a secondary limestone.
Dear S—:
To-day we had a delightful jaunt through the woods which fringe the forests of Salt
Creek. Cottonwood, oak, elm, ash, hickory, grow luxuriously, some of them to an immense
height. Our Delaware that accompanied Egloffstien and myself suddenly stopped, and pointed
upward. There, at a height of over one hundred feet, suspended between to oaks, were
grapevines loaded with rich luscious looking fruit.
How were we to obtain them? I could not climb so tall a tree. Mr. Egloffstien declined,
and we both depended on our Delaware. He looked very grave and said: "Suppose
Delaware want grapes, he know how to get them."
By this time our desire increased to obtain the prize, which seemed to say, "Come
and take me." I commenced climbing one tree, and my friend the other. When we had
exerted ourselves, and had earned the first limb, on which we stopped to rest, we heard a
grunt from our Delaware, and almost at the same moment, the whole vine came tumbling down
on his head. He purposely waited until we were in the trees, to see how "white men
gathered grapes." He took hold of the grape vine , and with one tremendous pull, down
it came; when we descended, he was quietly stowing away the choicest bunches in his
hunting shirt. I never would have dreamed of destroying such a noble vine, to gratify my
appetite.
The grapes were small, but sweet and well flavored. I ate a great many of them. I had
been without fruit or vegetables for four weeks, and they were very grateful to me. I hope
I shall not suffer for my imprudence. Good night.
Brandy versus Poison.
Previous to leaving New York, I had two tin flasks made, to contain about
a quart each, which I intended to have filled with alcohol for daguerreotype purposes. At
Westport, I purchased a quart of the best quality of old cognac, filled one of them for
medicinal purposes, and carefully packed my flask in my daguerreotype boxes. One day
during our camp at Salt Creek, one of our Indians being ill, I opened my flask and pouring
out about an ounce, replaced it. I noticed, however, that a chemical action had taken
place, turning the brandy exactly the color of ink. One of our mess saw me open my box and
appropriate a portion of the contents of the bottle; I am not certain but that I tasted it
myself.
The next day I had occasion to go to my box, when to my utter astonishment, my flask of
brandy was gone. I immediately suspected the very person who afterwards proved to be the
thief. Keeping my loss a secret, at dinner I carefully watched the countenances and
actions of the whole party, and the effects of liquor were plainly visible on the person
of this man.
"How excellent," said I, "would a bottle of old cognac be as a digester
to our tough old buffalo bull.—Gentlemen, how would you like a
drop?" "Bring it forward by all means, Carvalho. You have, I verily believe,
Pandora's box; for you can produce everything and anything at a moment's notice, from a
choice Havana to old brandy."
"With your leave, gentleman, I will procure it. I have two flasks exactly alike;
one contains poison, a mixture of alcohol, and some poisonous chemicals for making
daguerreotypes; the other contains the best brandy to be had on the Kansas River."
I went to my box, and turning up my bands with an exclamation of surprise, announced to
the mess that the "bottle containing the poison, and which I laid on the top of my
box last night, is missing." Like Hamlet I looked into the face of the delinquent,
and I never shall forget his expression when I remarked that "the liquid in the
purloined flask was poison, and perfectly black, and although it would not kill
immediately, an ounce will produce certain death in 48 hours."
"Gentlemen! I shall, in consequence, have to reserve the brandy to make another
similar mixture, to substitute for alcohol; therefore I am sorry I cannot treat you as I
intended."
Of course the innocent parties felt indignant that my flask had been stolen, and that
one of their party was suspected.
The thief was discovered, although he nor any one else knew that I detected him. The
next day I went to my box again, and in its proper place, I found my brandy flask about
half full. Our friend had taken several strong pulls during the night and morning, and
likely enough he looked at the contents, and finding them black as ink, believed all about
the poison, and fearing to die, replaced the flask, without detection. When I discovered
it, I showed it around and also the color of the contents, and told them it was not poison
but "good old brandy." I tasted a little, and divided it among the party.
The man that took it knew I suspected him, and his whole conduct to me during the
journey, was influenced by that event, although I never taxed him with it.
Dear S—:
Yesterday being a fine mild day, I thought I would examine my wardrobe, and have such
articles as I bad worn during the last three weeks washed. I collected three shirts, as
many pairs of stockings, together with handkerchiefs and drawers; I made up a dozen
pieces; and I assure you, that how or by whom they were to be washed, never entered into
my mind. I offered some compensation to one of our muleteers if he would wash them, but he
was perfectly independent of the necessity of obtaining money in that way. I soon
discovered, that I would have to become my own washerwoman; and obtaining some soap from
the quarter master, I gathered up my duds, and made my way down the banks of the creek, to
a convenient place, and there I entered upon my novitiate. I rubbed the skin off my hands
during the operation, but after considerable application, I succeeded in cleansing them,
and hung them out to dry. I doubled them up, and laid them carefully under my buffalo robe
couch, last night; and this morning they are as smooth as if they had been
"mangled." To-day I employed myself making a pair of buckskin mitts and shall
require them before many weeks; most of the Indians and muleteers are out, looking for a
large black mule, the finest animal in the collection, which was missing last night.
Yesterday two beaver trappers came into the Delaware camp, and traded for sugar and
coffee with the Delawares. I have my suspicions that our mule conveyed them away, as they
are no longer on the creek where they set their traps yesterday.
I must leave off my journal, as it is my usual hour for rifle practice; I have become
quite an expert; at one hundred paces, I have hit the "bull's eye" twice in five
times, which is not bad shooting, considering I have had no practice since I was a member
of a rifle volunteer company in Charleston, some twenty years ago.
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