Sibley. on the country between Misipi & Rio Bravo.

on the Sabine are Salines.

rich low grounds about 3. miles wide

in dry weather but a creek

from Bayou Patron to Nacogdoches to a great extent is the handsomest country in the world. gentle hills with pleasant rich vallies & meadows.

continues to Trinity river. beyond tht more prairie.

from the river Nueces [Walnuts] to Rio bravo, poorer, abounds with Prickly pear 10. or 12. f. high. cochineal

on the Trinity many wild cattle, & millions of horses.

Nacogdoches. 100. families.

25. soldiers. all cavalry.

St. Antonio 250. houses mostly of stone.

the country round, rich prairie, gently hilly, beautiful clear gravelly streams of water. little timber

river heads 20 mi. above the city. used for irrigation.

sugar cane grows well here.

residence of the Govr. of Texas & a bishop.

60. or 70. souldiers.

from the river St. Antonio to Nueces very rich.

no settlements. silver ore

Labahie 100. below St. Antonio, on same river, 120 houses

60. or 70. souldiers.

Rio bravo or Grande.

on E. bank a town La Rado. 110. families

a company of souldiers.

here is the crossg. place frm. St. Antonio or Labahie to Mexico.

this is the only town on the E. bank of Rio Bravo below the settlemts of Sta. Fé which are 1000. mi. above

from La Rado to the mouth of Rio bravo 100. leagues

on the W. side of Rio Bravo, about 60. mi. above La Rado is a town Placido Riogrande, the more common crossg. place from St. Antonio to Mexico.

Ravillia, a handsome town a few leagues below LaRado, on W. bank.

no troops. much & fine cochineal.

West of Rio grande the country hilly, full of towns in the vallies amongst the mines of silver ore.

Valesillo is the 1st. mine worked, 50. mi. from river on the road to Mexico.

country full of sheep. some individuals 20, or 30,000

Montelrey, Montclova, Guawiela, Santander, are towns of 3. to 5000 inhab. buildgs. stone, streets pavd.

at Montelrey 100. coaches.

raise much chocolate.

150. mi. N. from St. Antonio towds. Red river, a mine of Platine not worked.

Santa fé half the size of N. Orleans. 5. or 6000. inhab. rich place. considble military. many small towns of 1. to 300 families in vicinity. Santa fé is a considble distance N.E. from river surrounded by high mountains, & rich silver mines the silver carried on mules to Mexico.

surrounded by Appaches, Hietans & Cances.

Rio grande near as large as Misipi. currt not stronger clear water, does not overflow

Nacogdoches, St. Antonio, Labahie, & La Rado are the only settlemts. in the province of Techas.

3. companies of souldiers among them all

their whole militia 7. or 800. most of them metifs, i.e. mixed Indian & Spanish.

Mattagordo, a small distance E. of the mouth of St. Antonio

water for large vessels. settlemt proposed there.

the Accokesas near the mouth of Trinity. beautiful country. the Spaniards had a mission there 40. y. ago, which was broke up when Nacogdoches was established.

 

Distances.
Natchitoches to
	mi.
Fort Adaize	21	.
Bayou Pedrie	9	.
La Nanne	12	.
Sea’s ferry on Saline	15	.
Bayou Patron	6	.
Labinia	10	.
Aiche Bayou	12	.
Attoyaque Riv.	15
Amoledanes	3	.
Bayou Attascosa	15	.
Nacogdoches	10
	128
Nacogdoches to
	mi.
Angelina Riv.	21	.
Naches Riv.	21
Trinity Riv.	35
Bayou Navasota	50	.
R. Los Brazos dios	50
R. Colorado (red)	100	.
R. St. Marcos	55	.
R. Guadeloupe	25	.
R. & city St. Antonio	30
Madina R.	15	.
R. Nueses, a branch of Rio grande	85
Rio Grande	100	.
	587
St. Antonio to
	mi.
Labahie	100	1
St. Anto. to Rio Grande	200
Labahie to the Gulph	20
St. Antonio to Sta. Fé	600

---

Sibley’s account of Red river.

the mouth of Red river, followg Misipi, 220. mi. from N. Orl.

water red, brackish. currt 2. mi. an hour.

Avoyelles, at high water, is an island abt 30. or 40. f abve high water.

the settlement is round a prairie 40. mi. circumference.

Hoomes’s is on a bluff 120. above mouth of river

adjoining are low grounds 40. mi. sq. extendg to Appalousa. rich. drained & watered by Bayou Robert & Bayou Boeuf, two streams of clear water, rising in the highlands between Red R. & Sabine, & falling into Chaffalya. well timbered.

Bayou rapids settlemt. handsome plantns

upper end of the Bayou choaked

this rapid is over a shoal of soft rock, easily cut.

from July to Dec. not water enough on it for loaded boats

River cane settlemt. wealthy inhabitants, on the Southern channel of an island 50. mi. long. 3. mi. broad.

40. families

Natchitoches. irregular village, meanly built, except half a dozen houses.

40. families, of which 12 or 15 are merchts. French.

Fort Claiborne 30. f. above river banks.

the lakes furnish plenty of shells for lime, also building stone, & stone coal.

Salines 12. miles N. of Natchitoches. water nearly saturated.

a Bayou from Spanish Lake. the lake 50. mi. circumf.

from this lake Bayou Dupont admits boats to within 1½ mi. of Fort Adaize.

one mile above Grand ecore begins an isld 100. mi. long 30. mi. wide

on the S. branch is the Bayou Pierre stony creek2 settlemt. settled by France before she ceded Louisa. to Spain, & was under the Comandt. of Natchitoches till 20. y. ago when by an agreemt between M. Vogene then Comdt. Natchitoches & M. Elibarbe Comdt. Natchitoches it was placed under the latter.

40. families. abound with provns.

Campti settlemt. a few families. 25. mi. in a streight line above Natchitoches. here begins the great raft. which choaking the river at the points of land prevents navign 100. mi. but boats pass up thro’ lake Bistino.

Red river free of all obstructions from hence to Mountains

from the mouth of Little river Cane begins to abound and broad rich low grounds from 3. to mi. wide not subject to overflow.

at Long prairie there is a lake, antt. settlemt. of Caddos where the French had a settlement many years before they ceded Louisa. to Spain, they had here a fort, some soldiers, a factory, & a flour mill. a few years ago the mill irons & mill stones were brought down; about 25. years ago the French families moved down, & the Caddos 14. y. ago.

the river is forded here.

Riviere la Mine. silver mines 60. miles up it.

River Bahacheha, or Faux oacheta, or Missouri branch of Red river, heads near head of Arkansa so brackish cannot be drunk. on this & a branch of Arkansa the Panis find the Salt rock. from the mouth of this river to the main branch of the Arkansa 60. or 70. mi. the country between 33. & 34.° Lat.

Red river here & for 150. mi. up is a mile wide

About 40. y. ago Brevel went with party of Indians up Red river on a hunting voyage & to get horses. kept on S. side. the country generally a prairie. copses of cedar, button wood or Muskets, but not a stick 6. I. diam.

then mountainous country, & great deal of rock salt & silver ore. river now small & ramified.

after crossg. many mountains came to a stream running West.

went on to where streams became large & lands level, soil rich black loam. here many tribes of Hietans, Appaches, Cansas.

spotted tygers & white bears.

steered nearly South east for Sta. Fé. passed prairies, then hills, silver mines & arrived at a town of 100. houses in Sta. Fé settlemt.

many such towns for a great extent Southwardly towds. Mexico.

inhabitants christian Indians & Metifs

rich mines. oar carrd on mules.

very high mountain between Sta. Fé & Red river.

from Sta. Fé settlemt reachd Panis towns in 18. days

he supposes a right line of 300. miles, all prairie.

Red river boatable a little above Pani old towns. above that for hundreds of miles not a tree large enough to make a canoe.

animals wild horses, buffalo, bears, wolves, elk deer, Foxes, Sangliers or wild hogs, antelope white hares, rabbits, spotted tyger, panther, wild cat

 

from mouth Red river to
			mi.
Black river			31
Avoyelles, lower end.			51	.
La glaise, uppr end do.			15	.
Rice’s			6	.
Hoome’s			18	.
Grubb’s			21	.
Bayou rapide			15	.
Indian villages			22
Mt. Pleasant. Gillard’s			7	.
Rigolet Bondieu			6	.
Monnet’s			10	.
Little River			24	.
Bayou Brevell			20	.
Natchitoches	266.		20
Grand ecore			10	.
Campti			20	.
Bayou Channo.			15	.
Lake Bistino, thro’ Channo			3	.
thro’ Bistino to uppr end			60	.
thro’ Bayou Daichet to the rivr			9	.
late Caddo villages.			80	.
Little river of the left.			80
Long prairie, right side			25
upper end of do.			25
Little prairie, left side			40	.
upper end do.			5	.
Pine bluff right side			12	.
upper end do.			5.	.
Cedars			15	.
upper end of do. at mouth of Little river of the right			40
round prairie right side first fording place	464.		20
lower end long prairie, left side			25
upper end do.			40
next prairie same side			12	.
upper end do.			20
3 mile oak & pine bluff			30
Paccan grove			9	.
upper end of the same			6	.
carried forward			142
brought forward			142	.
prairie next above Paccans			40	.
upper end of the same			25	.
pine bluff right side			45
white rock bluff			15
next prairie, right side			45
upper end do.			30
bayou Galle right side			6	.
mouth of Mine river (Kiomichee)			25	.
Pine bluff left side			25	.
Bayou kick, or Bois d’arc creek			40	.
the Pazzures, or Boggy R. rt side			8	.
Blue river. right side			50	.
Faux Oacheta, or Missouri branch			25	.
Panis, or Towiache towns			70	.
Panis, or Towiache old towns			150	.
head bra. of Red R. or dividg. ridge			300
			1041
			266
			464
			1771
add gained by going thro’ L. Bistino instead followg river			60
whole length of Red river			1831
then to the sea along the Misipi or Chafaleya	320.