The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 31

Win Clark Cpt &.

Meriwether Lewis River Marapa Capt. 1st U.S. Regt. Infty

[Clark, October 9, 1804]

9th of October Tuesday 1804 a windey night Some rain, and the wind Continued So high & cold We could not Speck in Council with the Indians, we gave them Some Tobacco and informed them we would Speek tomorrow, all the grand Chiefs visited us to day also Mr Taboe, a trader from St. Louis--Many Canoes of a Single Buffalow Skin made in the form of a Bowl Carrying generally 3 and Sometimes 5 & 6 men, those Canoes, ride the highest Waves--the Indians much a.s.stonished at my Black Servent and Call him the big medison, this nation never Saw a black man before, the wind verry high, I saw at Several times to day 3 Squars in single Buffalow Skin Canoes loaded with meat Cross the River, at the time the waves were as high as I ever Saw them in the Missouri

[Clark, October 9, 1804]

9th of October 1804 Tuesday a windey rainey night, and Cold, So much So we Could not Speek with the Indians to day the three great Chiefs and many others Came to See us to day, we gave them Some tobacco and informed them we would Speek on tomorrow, the day Continued Cold & windey Some rain Sorry Canoos of Skins pa.s.sed down from the 2 villages a Short distance above, and many Came to view us all day, much a.s.stonished at my black Servent, who did not lose the oppertunity of his powers Strength &c. &. this nation never Saw a black man before.

Several hunters Came in with loads of meat, I observed Several Canoos made of a Single buffalow Skin with 2 & 3 Thre Squars Cross the river to day in Waves as high as I ever Saw them on this river, quite uncomposed I have a Slite Plurise this evening Verry Cold &c. &.

1st Chiefs name Ka kawissa.s.sa (lighting Crow.) 2d do do Poca.s.se (or Hay) 3d do do Piaa he to (or Eagles feather)

[Clark, October 10, 1804]

10th of October 1804 at 11 oClock the wind s.h.i.+fted from S. E to N W.

Mr. Taboe visited us--we hear that Some jealousy exists as to the Chiefs to be made--at 1 oclock the Cheifs all a.s.sembled under an orning near the Boat, and under the American Flag. we Delivered a Similar Speech to those delivered the Ottoes & Sioux, made three Chiefs, one for each Village and gave them Clothes & flags--1 s Chief is name Ka-ha-wiss a.s.sa lighting ravin 2d Chief Po-ca.s.se (Hay) & the 3rd Piaheto or Eagles Feather--after the Council was over we Shot the Air gun, which astonished them, & they all left us, I observed 2 Sioux in the Council one of them I had Seen below, they Came to interceed with the Ricaras to Stop us as we were told--the Inds. much astonished at my black Servent, who made him Self more turrible in thier view than I wished him to Doe as I am told telling them that before I cought him he was wild & lived upon people, young children was verry good eating Showed them his Strength &c. &c.--Those Indians are not fond of Licquer of any Kind-

[Clark, October 10, 1804]

10th of October Wednesday 1804.

a fine forming wind from the S. E at about 11 oClock the wind s.h.i.+fted, to the N. W. we prepare all things ready to Speak to the Indians, Mr.

Tabo & Mr. Gravolin Came to brackfast with us the Chiefs &. came from the lower Town, but none from the 2 upper Towns, which is the largest, we Continue to delay & waite for them at 12 oClock Dispatchd Gravelin to envite them to Come down, we have every reason to believe that a jellousy exists between the Villages for fear of our makeing the 1st Cheif from the lower Village, at one oClock the Cheifs all a.s.sembled & after Some little Cerrimony the Council Commenced, we informd them what we had told the others before i e Ottoes & Seaux. made 3 Cheif 1 for each Village. gave them presents.

after the Council was Over we Shot the air guns which astonished them much, they then Departed and we rested Secure all night, Those Indians wer much astonished at my Servent, They never Saw a black man before, all flocked around him & examind. him from top to toe, he Carried on the joke and made himself more turibal than we wished him to doe. (Thos Indians were not fond of Spirits Licquer. of any kind)

[Clark, October 11, 1804]

11th of October Thursday 1804 wind S. E. at 11 oClock met the 1s Chief in Council, he Thanked us for what we had given him & his people promised to attend to our advise, and Said the road was open for us and no one Dare Shut it &c. &. we took him and one Chief on board and Set out, on our way took in the 2d Chief at the mo of a Small Creek, and Came too off the 2d village which is 3 miles above the Island, we walked up with the 2 & 3 Chiefs to their villages which is Situated on each Side of a Small Creek, they gave us Something to eat in thier way, after Conversations on various Subjects & Beareing the civilities of those people who are both pore & dirtey we informed the Chiefs we would here what they had to Say tomorrow and returned on board about 10 oClock P M. Those people gave us to eat Corn & Beans, a large well flavoured Been which they rob the Mice of in the Plains and is verry nuris.h.i.+ng-all tranquillity

[Clark, October 11, 1804]

11th October Thursday 1804 a fine morning the wind from the S. E. at 11 oClock we met the Grand Chief in Council & and he made a Short Speech thanking us for what we had Given him & his nation promisseing to attend to the Council we had given him & informed us the road was open & no one dare Shut it, & we might Departe at pleasure, at 1 oClock we Set out for the upper villages 3 miles distant, the Grand Chief & nephew on board, proceeded on at 1 mile took in the 2d Chief & Came too off the first Second village Seperated from the 3rd by a Creek after arrangeing all matters we walked up with the 2d Chief to his village, and Set talking on various Subjects untile late we also visited the upper or 3rd Village each of which gave us Something to eate in their way, and a fiew bushels of Corn Beens &. &c.

after being treated by everry civility by those people who are both pore & Durtey we returned to our boat at about 10 oClk. P M. informing them before we Departed that we would Speek to them tomorrow at there Seperate Villages. Those people gave us to eate bread made of Corn & Beens, also Corn & Beans boild. a large Been, which they rob the mice of the Prarie which is rich & verry nurris.h.i.+ng also

[Clark, October 11, 1804]

(Ricares)

October the 11th Thursday 1804 we met in Council to hear what the Grand Chief Ka kaw issa.s.sa had to Say in answer to the Speech of yesterday

The Grand Chief rose and spoke as follows i, e,

My Fathers-! My heart is glader than it ever was before to See my fathers.--a repet.i.tion.

If you want the road open no one Can provent it it will always be open for you.

Can you think any one Dare put their hands on your rope of your boat.

No! not one dar

When you Get to the mandans we wish you to Speak good words with that Nation for us. we wish to be at peace with them.

It gives us pain that we do not Know how to work the Beaver, we will make Buffalow roabs the best we Can.

when you return if I am living you will See me again the same man The Indian in the prarie know me and listen to my words, when you come they will meet to See you.

We Shall look at the river with impatient for your return. Finished

[Clark, October 12, 1804]

12th of October Friday after Brackfast we joined the Chiefs & Indians on the bank who wer waiting for us, and proseeded to the 1st village and Lodge of the Poca.s.se, This man Spok at Some lengths, to the Same purpote of the 1 s Chief, & Declareing his intentions of visiting his great father, Some Doubts as to his Safty in Pa.s.sing the Sioux, requested us to take a Chief of their nation and make a good peace with the Mandan for them, that they Knew that they were the Cause of the war by Killing the 2 Mandan Chiefs--this Chief & people gave us about 7 bushels of Corn, Some Tobacco of their own make, and Seed Legins & a Robe We proceeded to the 3rd Chiefs Village which is the largest, after the usial Seremoney of Eating Smokg. &. he Spoke to near the Same amount of the last Chief, & more pleasently, he gave us 10 bushels of Corn, Some Beens & Simmins, after he had Spoken, and I gave Some Sketches of the Power & Magnitude of Our Countrey, we returned to our Boat, I have the rhumetism on my neck the Chiefs accompanied us on board, we gave them Some Sugar Salt and a Sun Gla.s.s each, and after eating a little they returned on Sh.o.r.e leaveing one to accompany us to the Mandans, and we Set out viewed by men womin & children of each village proceeded on about 91/2 miles and Camped on the S S. Clear & Cold--The Ricaras Are about 500 men Mr. Taboe say 600 able to bear arms, and the remains of ten different tribes of Panias reduced by the Small Pox & wares with the Sioux, they are tall Stout men corsily featured, their womin Small & industerous raise great quant.i.tes of corn beans &c also Tobacco for the men to Smoke, they collect all the wood and doe the Drudgery common amongst Savages--Their language is So corrupted that many lodges of the Same village with dificuelty under Stand all that each other Say--They are Dirty, Kind, pore, & extravegent; possessing natural pride, no begers, rcive what is given them with pleasure, Thier houses are close together & Towns inclosed with Pickets, thier Lodges are 30 to 40 feet in Diamuter Covered with earth on Neet Poles Set end wise resting on 4 forks Supporting Beems Set in a Square form near the Center, and lower about 5 feet high other forks all around Supt. Strong Beems, from 8 to 10 of those, with a opening at top of about 5 to 6 feet Square, on the Poles which pa.s.s to the top, Small Willow & gra.s.s is put across to Support the earth--The Sioux exchange, Some merchndze of Small value which they get from Mr.

Cameron of St. Peters for Corn &c and have great influence over this people treat them roughly and keep them in contineal dread--The Ricaras are at war with the Crow Indians and Mandans-&c. &--The Ricaras, have a custom Similar to the Sioux in maney instances, they think they cannot Show a Sufficient acknowledgement without to their guest handsom Squars and think they are despised if they are not recved

The Sioux followed us with women two days we put them off. the Ricarries we put off dureing the time we were near their village--2 were Sent by a man to follow us, and overtook us this evening, we Still procisted in a refusial-The Dress of the Ricara men is Simpally a pr.

of Mockersons & Legins, a flap, and a Buffalow Robe--Their Hair is long and lais loose their arms & ears are decerated with trinkets

The womin Dress Mockersons & Legins & Skirt of the Skin of the Cabre or Antelope, long fringed & roab to the fringes & with Sleaves, verry white, and Roabes--all were Dressed to be without hare in the Summer

Those people make large Beeds of Diferrent colours, out of gla.s.s or Beeds of Dift colours, verry ingeniously

[Clark, October 12, 1804]

12th October Friday 1804 I rose early after brackfast we joined the Indians who were waiting on the bank for us to come out and go and Council, we accordingly joined them and went to the house of the 2nd Chief La.s.sil where there was many Chief and warriers & about 7 bushels of Corn, a pr Leagins a twist of their Tobacco & Seeds of 2 Kind of Tobacco we Set Some time before the Councill Commenced this man Spoke at Some length declareing his dispotion to believe and prosue our Councils, his intention of going to Visit his great father acknowledged the Satisfaction in receiveing the presents &c. rais'g a Doubt as to the Safty on pa.s.sing the nations below particularly the Souex. requested us to take a Chief of their nation and make a good pact with Mandins & nations above. after answering those parts of the 2d Chiefs Speech which required it, which appeared to give General Satisfaction we went to the Village of the 3rd Chief and as usial Some Serimony took place before he Could Speek to us on the Great Subject. This Chief Spoke verry much in the Stile on nearly the Same Subjects of the other Chief who Set by his Side, more Sincear & pleasently, he presented us with about 10 bushels of Corn Some beens & quashes all of which we acksepted with much pleasure, after we had ansd. his Speech & give them Some account of the Magnitude & power of our Countrey which pleased and astonished them verry much we returned to our boat, the Chiefs accompanied us on board, we gave them Some Sugar a little Salt, and a Sun Gla.s.s, & Set 2 on Sh.o.r.e & the third proceeded on with us to the Mandens by name, at 2 oClock we Set out the inhabitints of the two Villages Viewing us from the banks, we proceeded on about 91/2 miles and Camped on the S. S. at Some woods pa.s.sed, the evening Clear & pleasent Cooler

The Nation of the Rickerries is about 600 men able to bear arms a Great perpotion of them have fusees they appear to be peacefull, their men tall and perpotiend, womin Small and industerous, raise great quant.i.ties of Corn Beens Simmins &c. also Tobacco for the men to Smoke they Collect all the wood and do the drugery as Common amongst Savages.

Thise nation is made up of 10 Different Tribes of the Pania, who had formerly been Seperate, but by Commotion and war with their neighbours have Come reduced and compelled to Come together for protection, The Curruption of the language of those different Tribes has So reduced the language that the Different Villages do not understade all the words of the others.--Those people are Durtey, Kind, pore, & extravigent pursessing national pride. not beggarley reive what is given with great pleasure, Live in worm houses large and built in an oxigon form forming a Cone at top which is left open for the Smoke to pa.s.s, those houses are generally 30 or 40 foot Diamiter. Covd. with earth on poles willows & gra.s.s to prevent the earths pa.s.sing thro, Those people express an inclination to be at peace with all nations The Seaux who trade the goods which they get of the British Traders for their corn, and great influence over the Rickeres, poisen their minds and keep them in perpetial dread.