Santa Fe. The journal of Williams,
from which I shall quote freely, is to be found in _The Lost Trappers_,
a work long out of print.[11] As the country was an unexplored region,
he might be on a river that flowed into the Pacific, or he might be
drifting down a stream that was an affluent to the Gulf of Mexico. He
was inclined to believe that he was on the sources of the Red River. He
therefore resolved to launch his canoe, and go wherever the stream might
convey him, trapping on his descent, when beaver might be plenty.

The first canoe he used he made of buffalo-skins. As this kind of water
conveyance soon begins to leak and rot, he made another of cottonwood,
as soon as he came to timber sufficiently large, in which he embarked
for a port, he knew not where.

Most of his journeyings Captain Williams performed during the hours of
night, excepting when he felt it perfectly safe to travel in daylight.
His usual plan was to glide along down the stream, until he came to a
place where beaver signs were abundant. There he would push his little
bark among the willows, where he remained concealed, excepting when he
was setting his traps or visiting them in the morning. When he had
taken all the beaver in one neighbourhood, he would untie his little
conveyance, and glide onward and downward to try his luck in another
place.

Thus for hundreds of miles did this solitary trapper float down this
unknown river, through an unknown country, here and there lashing his
canoe to the willows and planting his traps in the little tributaries
around. The upper part of the Arkansas, for this proved to be the river
he was on,[12] is very destitute of timber, and the prairie frequently
begins at the bank of the river and expands on either side as far as the
eye can reach. He saw vast herds of buffalo, and as it was the rutting
season, the bulls were making a wonderful ado; the prairie resounded
with their low, deep grunting or bellowing, as they tore up the earth
with their feet and horns, whisking their tails, and defying their
rivals to battle. Large gangs of wild horses could be seen grazing on
the plains and hillsides, and the neighing and squealing of stallions
might be heard at all times of the night.

Captain Williams never used his rifle to procure meat, except when
it was absolutely necessary, or could be done with perfect safety. On
occasions when he had no beaver, upon which he generally subsisted, he
ventured to kill a deer,