The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 37

This place we have named Fort Mandan in honour of our Neighbours.

[Clark, November 3, 1804]

3rd of November Satt.u.r.day 1804 wind hard from the west Commence building our Cabins, Dispatched 6 hunters in a perogue Down the River to hunt, Discharged the french hands, Mr. Jessomme his Squar & child moved to camp, the little Crow loaded his Squar with meat for us also a Roabe, we gave the Squar an ax & &. Cought 2 bever near Camp

[Clark, November 3, 1804]

3rd of November Satterday 1804 a fine morning wind hard from the West we commence building our Cabins, Send Down in Perogue 6 men to hunt Engaged one man, Set the french who intend to return to build a perogue, many Indians pa.s.s to hunt, Mr. Jessomme with his Squar & Children. come Down to live, as Interpter, we recive a hors for our Sirvice, in the evening the Ka goh ha mi or little ravin Came & brought us on his Squar about 60 Wt. of Dried Buffalow meat a roabe, & Pot of Meal &. they Delayed all night- we gave his Squar an ax & a fiew Small articles & himself a piece of Tobacco, the Men were indulged with a Dram, this evening two Beaver Cought This morning--and one Trap Lost

[Clark, November 4, 1804]

4th of Novr. a french man by Name Chabonah, who Speaks the Big Belley language visit us, he wished to hire & informed us his 2 Squars were Snake Indians, we engau him to go on with us and take one of his wives to interpet the Snake language The Indians Horses & Dogs live in the Same Lodge with themselves

[Clark, November 4, 1804]

4th November Sunday 1804 Fort Mandan a fine morning we Continued to Cut Down trees and raise our houses, a Mr. Chaubonee, interpeter for the Gross Vintre nation Came to See us, and informed that he came Down with Several Indians from a Hunting expedition up the river, to here what we had told the Indians in Councl this man wished to hire as an interpeter, the wind rose this evining from the East & Clouded up--Great numbers of Indians pa.s.s hunting and Some on the return-

[Clark, November 5, 1804]

5th November Monday 1804 I rose verry early and commenced raising the 2 range of Huts the timber large and heavy all to Carry on Hand Sticks, Cotton wood & Elm Som ash Small, our Situation Sandy, great numbers of Indians pa.s.s to and from hunting a Camp of Mandans, A fiew miles below us Cought within two days 100 Goat, by Driveing them in a Strong pen, derected by a Bush fence widening from the pen &c. &. the Greater part of this day Cloudy, wind moderate from the N. W. I have the Rhumitism verry bad, Cap Lewis writeing all Day--we are told by our interpeter that 4 Ossiniboin Indians, have arrived at the Camps of the Gross Venters & 50 Lodges are Comeing

[Clark, November 6, 1804]

6th of Nov. Mr. Gravolin our Ricara Interpreter & 2 of our french hands & 2 boys Set out in a Canoe for the Ricaras Mr. ravellin is to accompany the Ricaras Chiefs to the City of Was.h.i.+ngton in the Spring, Great numbers of Geese pa.s.s to the South which is a certain approach of ice

[Clark, November 6, 1804]

6th November Tuesday 1804 Fort Mandan last night late we wer awoke by the Sergeant of the Guard to See a nothern light, which was light, not red, and appeared to Darken and Some times nearly obscered, and open, many times appeared in light Streeks, and at other times a great s.p.a.ce light & containing floating Collomns which appeared opposite each other & retreat leaveing the lighter s.p.a.ce at no time of the Same appearence

This morning I rose a Day light the Clouds to the North appeared black at 8 oClock the wind begun to blow hard from the N W. and Cold, and Continud all Day Mr. Jo Gravilin our ricare interpeter Paul premor, Lajuness & 2 french Boys, who Came with us, Set out in a Small perogue, on their return to the ricaree nation & the Illinois, Mr. Gravilin has instructions to take on the recarees in the Spring &c.--Continue to build the huts, out of Cotton Timber, &c. this being the only timber we have.

[Clark, November 7, 1804]

7th November Wednesday 1804 a termperate day we continued to building our hut, Cloudy and fogging all day

[Clark, November 8, 1804]

8th Novr. Thursday 1804 a Cloudy morning Jussome our interpreter went to the Village, on his return he informed us that three English men had arrived from the Hudsons Bay Company, and would be here tomorrow, we Contd. to build our huts, many Indians Come to See us and bring their horses to Gra.s.s near us

[Clark, November 9, 1804]

9th Novr. Friday 1804 a verry hard frost this morning we Continue to build our Cabens, under many disadvantages, Day Cloudy wind from the N W. Several Indians pa.s.s with flying news, we got a White weasel, (Taile excepted which was black at the end) of an Indian Capt Lewis walked to the hill abt. 3/4 of a mile--we are Situated in a point of the Missouri North Side in a Cotton wood Timber, this Timber is tall and heavy Containing an imence quant.i.ty of water Brickle & Soft food for Horses to winter (as is Said by the Indians) The Mandans Graze their horses in the day on Gra.s.s, and at night give them a Stick of Cotton wood to eate, Horses Dogs & people all pa.s.s the night in the Same Lodge or round House, Covd. with earth with a fire in the middle

great number of wild gees pa.s.s to the South, flew verry high

[Clark, November 10, 1804]

10th November Satt.u.r.day 1804 rose early continued to build our fort numbers of Indians Came to See us a Chief Half Partia & brought a Side of a Buffalow, in return We Gave Some fiew small things to himself & wife & Son, he Crossed the river in the Buffalow Skin Canoo & and, the Squar took the Boat and proceeded on to the Town 3 miles the Day raw and Cold wind from the N W, the Gees Continue to pa.s.s in gangues as also brant to the South, Some Ducks also pa.s.s

[Clark, November 11, 1804]

11th November Sunday 1804 Fort Mandan a Cold Day Continued at work at the Fort Two men Cut themselves with an ax, The large Ducks pa.s.s to the South an Indian gave me Several roles of parched meal two Squars of the Rock Mountain, purchased from the Indians by a frenchmen Came down The Mandans out hunting the Buffalow

[Clark, November 12, 1804]

12th November Monday 1804 a verry Cold night early this morning the Big White princapal Chief of the lower Village of the Mandans Came Down, he packd about 100 W. of fine meet on his Squar for us, we made Some Small presents to the Squar, & Child gave a Small ax which She was much pleased--3 men Sick with the ____ Several, Wind Changeable verry cold evening, freesing all day Some ice on the edges of the river.

Swans pa.s.sing to the South, the Hunters we Sent down the river to hunt has not returned

The interpeter Says that the Mandan nation as they old men Say Came out of a Small lake where they had Gardins, maney years ago they lived in Several Villages on the Missourie low down, the Smallpox destroyed the greater part of the nation and reduced them to one large Village and Some Small ones, all nations before this maladey was affrd. of them after they were reduced the Sioux and other Indians waged war, and killed a great maney, and they moved up the Missourie, those Indians Still continued to wage war, and they moved Still higher, untill they got in the Countrey of the Panias, whith this ntn. they lived in friends.h.i.+p maney years, inhabiting the Same neighbourhood untill that people waged war, They moved up near the watersoons & winataree where they now live in peace with those nations, the mandans Specke a language peculial to themselves

they can rase about 350 men, the Winatarees about 80 and the Big bellies about 600 or 650 men. the mandans and Seauex have the Same word for water-The Big bellies Winitarees & ravin Indians Speake nearly the Same language and the presumption is they were origionally the Same nation The Ravin Indians have 400 Lodges & about 1200 men, & follow the Buffalow, or hunt for their Subsistance in the plains & on the Court not & Rock Mountains, & are at war with the Sioux Snake Indians

The Big bellies & Watersoons are at war with the Snake Indians & Seauex, and were at war with the Ricares untill we made peace a fiew days pa.s.sd.--The Mandans are at War with all who make war on them, at present with the Seauex only, and wish to be at peace with all nations, Seldom the agressors-

[Clark, November 13, 1804]

13th The Ice begin to run we move into our hut, visited by the Grand Chief of the Mandans, and Che chark Lagru a Chief of the a.s.sinniboins & 7 men of that Nation, I Smoke with them and gave the Chief a Cord & a Carrot of Tobacco--this Nation rove in the Plains above this and trade with the British Companes on the Ossinniboin River, they are Divided into Several bands, the decendants of the Sioux & Speak nearly their langguage a bad disposed Set & Can raies about moo men in the 3 bands near this place, they trade with the nations of this neighbourhood for horses Corn & Snow all Day Capt. L. at the village.