The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 62, July 1958 - April, 1959 Page: 525

Notes and Documents

Accoaut of the Yourqle of iard de la liarpe
Discovery miade bY Jix of Several Aatios
Situated i# the West
Translated and annotated by RALPH A. SMITH
[The following is the conclusion of the account of Bdnard de la
Harpe (1718-1720), the first section of which appeared in the July,
1958, Quarterly.]
The Ist [of September], we crossed the branch of the river,
in which there was then only two to three feet deep of water; we
followed a path to the right along a rather thick woods, which
led us to uplands; we descended into prairies and dales, where we
passed a stream, full of large shells, made in the shape of ricados,72
in one of which I found a pearl of very beautiful water. I showed
it to the Naouydiche chief; he assured me that some days journey
above the villages where I was going, they found very many in
shells that they fish out of the river. We passed near this place a
stream, then we entered into a vast prairie, where we were out of
water. At seven o'clock in the evening we stopped near a small
reservoir of water, which was in a bottom; we advanced this day
several leagues to the north.
The 2nd, we continued to cross great prairies in which we
found two streams between groves, near which we discovered
several mines abundant in pit coal. We spent the night in a
bottom near a pond of water; we made this day eight leagues to
the north.
The 3rd, we continued to advance in the prairies to a woods
near a stream, where the high chief of the Touacara nation, accom-
panied by six other chiefs of the nations, awaited me, having had
news of my arrival through some Naouydiches who had gone
ahead; they were mounted upon very beautiful horses saddled
and bridled according to the Spanish mode. Our first compli-
72The writer has been unable to find this word in any dictionary.

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