
audiobook
by Edwin James, Stephen H. (Stephen Harriman) Long, Thomas Say
Early Western Travels 1748-1846 A Series of Annotated Reprints of some of the best and rarest contemporary volumes of travel, descriptive of the Aborigines and Social and Economic Conditions in the Middle and Far West, during the Period of Early American Settlement
CONTENTS OF VOLUME XVII
ILLUSTRATION TO VOLUME XVII
Part IV of James's Account of S. H. Long's Expedition, 1819-1820
{124} CHAPTER I Journey from Belle Point to Cape Girardeau—Cherokee Indians—Osage War—Regulator's Settlements of White River.
{148} CHAPTER II {X} Hot Springs of the Washita—Granite of the Cove—Saline River
CHAPTER III {XI} Red River—Exploring Expedition of 1806—Return to the Arkansa—Earthquakes
A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY TRAVERSED BY THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION
OBSERVATIONS ON THE MINERALOGY AND GEOLOGY OF A PART OF THE UNITED STATES WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
[PART II] Containing the Calculations of Observations made by Major Long and Lieutenant Swift, on a tour from the Council Bluffs on the Missouri river, westward along the river Platte to its head waters in the Rocky Mountains,—thence southwardly to the head waters of the Arkansa and Canadian rivers,—and down said rivers to Belle Point, performed in 1820, under the command of Major S. H. Long, of the United States' Topographical Engineers.
Set against the restless frontier of the early 1800s, this vivid account follows a small party as they push southward from Belle Point toward Cape Girardeau. Along the way they encounter the lingering echoes of Cherokee and Osage societies, glimpse the remnants of bison herds, and pause at isolated homesteads that hint at a world on the brink of settlement. The narrative captures both the harsh realities of the landscape and the delicate task of mapping its latitude, longitude, and natural resources.
Interwoven with detailed observations of mineralogy, geology, and even the vocabulary of native languages, the journal reads like a living laboratory of discovery. Listeners will hear the rhythm of daily travel—crossing creeks, navigating oak‑filled woodlands, and enduring the open prairie’s scorching heat—while the expedition’s leaders record measurements and reflections with scholarly care. The blend of scientific rigor and frontier adventure offers a rare window into a pivotal moment of American exploration, inviting you to travel the trail alongside the explorers themselves.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (475K characters)
Series
Early western travels 1748-1846, v. 17
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Richard Tonsing, Greg Bergquist and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2015-03-13
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1797–1861
A physician, botanist, and explorer of the early American West, he is remembered for joining Stephen H. Long’s expedition and producing some of the first important written accounts of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains. He also made a lasting literary mark by publishing the first English translation of the New Testament from Ojibwe.
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1784–1864
An army engineer and explorer, he helped map large parts of the American West in the early 1800s and left his name on places, plants, and one of the era’s best-known expeditions. His work also reached beyond exploration, touching railroad design and bridge engineering.
View all books1787–1834
Best known as the "father of American entomology," this pioneering naturalist helped name and describe a remarkable range of North American insects and shells. His work also grew out of real field exploration, from trips in the American South to major expeditions in the West and Mexico.
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