An Indian guide conducted them for the first forty miles, along the river banks, with which Mr. Carson was not familiar.  He then left them and they entered upon that vast ocean of prairie which extended, with scarcely any interruption, to the base of the Rocky mountains.

The borders of nearly all these western streams are fringed with a narrow belt of forest.  Here where there was abundance of water, the richest of soil, which needed but to be “tickled with a hoe to laugh with a harvest,” and where there was an ample supply of timber for building and for fuel, they found many good-looking Indian farms with Indians riding about in their picturesque costumes.

At an early hour in the afternoon they encamped in a smooth and luxuriant meadow, upon the banks of a small stream flowing into the Kansas.  Nearly all the party were experienced backwoodsmen.  Speedily, and with almost military precision, the camp was formed in the following manner:  The eight carts were so arranged as to present a sort of barricade, encircling an area about eighty yards in diameter.  The cloth tents, such as are used in the army, were pitched inside the enclosure.  The animals were all hobbled and turned out to feed in the meadow.  The company was divided into four messes of seven men each.  Each mess had its cook.  They quickly prepared the evening meal.

At nightfall all the animals, having been well fed on the abundant grass, were driven within the enclosure for the night and picketed.  A small steel-shod picket was driven firmly into the ground, to which the animal was fastened by a rope about twenty feet long.  The carts were regularly arranged for defending the camp.  A guard was mounted at eight o’clock, consisting of three men, who were relieved every two or three hours.  At daybreak the camp was roused.  The hobbled animals were again turned loose upon the meadow or prairie to obtain their breakfast.  The breakfast of the men was generally over between six and seven o’clock.  The march was then resumed.  There was a halt at noon for about two hours.  Such was the usual order of the march day after day.

The second night, just as they were about to encamp, one of the loose horses started upon the full gallop, on his return, and was followed by several others.  Several men were sent in pursuit.  They did not return with the fugitives until midnight.  One man lost his way and passed the whole night upon the open prairie.  At midnight it began to rain violently.  By some strange oversight, the tents were of such thin cloth that the rain soaked through, and those within them were thoroughly drenched.  The discomfort of the night, however, was forgotten as the dawn of the morning ushered in another lovely summer day.

The journey through the beautiful and picturesque scenery was a delight.  In the serene close of the afternoon they encamped on one of the Kansas bluffs.  From this spot they had an enchanting view of the valley, about four miles broad, interspersed with beautiful groves and prairies of the richest verdure.  This evening they killed one of their oxen for food.  Thus far their route had been along the southern bank of the Kansas.  The next day they reached what was called the ford of that river, a hundred miles from its entrance into the Missouri.