The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 Part 38

[Clark, November 13, 1804]

13th Novr. Tuesday 1804 The Ice began to run in the river 1/2 past 10 oClock P. M we rose early & onloaded the boat before brackfast except, the Cabin, & Stored away in a Store house--at 10 oClock A M the Black Cat the Mandin Chief and Lagru Che Chark Chief & 7 men of note visited us at Fort Mandan, I gave him a twist of Tobacco to Smoke with his people & a Gold Cord with a view to Know him again, The nation Consists of about 600 men, hunt in the Plains & winter and trade on the Ossiniboin River, they are Decendants of the Siaux and Speake their language, they Come to the nations to this quarter to trade or (make preasthts) for horses the method of this Kind of Trafick by addoption Shall be explained hereafter &, Snow'd all day, the Ice ran thick and air Cold.

[Clark, November 14, 1804]

Fort Mandan 14th of November Wednesday 1804 a Cloudy morning, ice runing verry thick river rose 1/2 Inch last night Some Snow falling, only two Indians visit us to day Owing to a Dance at the Village last night in Concluding a Serimoney of adoption, and interchange of property, between the Ossiniboins, Christinoes and the nations of this neighbourhood--we Sent one man by land on hors back to know the reason of the Delay of our hunters, this evening 2 french men who were traping below Came up-with 20 beaver we are compelled to use our Pork which we doe Spearingly for fear of Some falur in precureing a Sufficiency from the Woods.

our Interpeter informs that 70 Lodges one of 3 bands of a.s.sinniboins & Some Crestinoes, are at the Mandan Village. The Crrirstinoes are abt.

300 men Speak the Chipaway-Language, the live near Fort De peare

[Clark, November 15, 1804]

15th of November Thursday 1804 a Cloudy morning, the ice run much thicker than yesterday at 10 oClock G Drewyer & the frenchman we Dispatched yesterday came up from the Hunters, who is incamped about 30 miles below--after a about one hour we Dispatched a man with orders to the hunters to proceed on without Delay thro the floating ice, we Sent by the man Tin, to put on the parts of the Perogue exposed to the ice & a toe roape--The wind Changeable--all hands work at their huts untill 1 oClock at night Swans pa.s.sing to the South--but fiew fowls water to be Seen--not one Indian Came to our fort to day

[Clark, November 16, 1804]

16th November Friday 1804 a verry white frost all the trees all Covered with ice, Cloudy, all the men move into the huts which is not finishd Several Indians Come to Camp to day, The Ossiniboins is at the Big bellie Camp, Some trouble like to take place between them from the loss of horses &c. as is Said by an old Indian who visited us with 4 buffalow robes & Corn to trade for a pistol which we did not let him have, men imployed untill late in dobing their huts, Some horses Sent down to Stay in the woods near the fort, to prevent the Ossniboins Steeling them

[Clark, November 17, 1804]

17 th November Satt.u.r.day 1804 a fine morning, last night was Cold, the ice thicker than yesterday, Several Indians visit us, one Chief Stayed all day we are much engaged about our huts.

[Clark, November 18, 1804]

18th Novr. Sunday 1804 a Cold morning Some wind the Black Cat, Chief of the Mandans Came to See us, he made Great inquiries respecting our fas.h.i.+ons. he also Stated the Situation of their nation, he mentioned that a Council had been held the day before and it was thought advisable to put up with the resent insults of the Ossiniboins & Christonoes untill they were Convinced that what had been told thim by us, Mr. Evins had deceived them & we might also, he promised to return & furnish them with guns & amunitiion, we advised them to remain at peace & that they might depend upon Getting Supplies through the Channel of the Missouri, but it requred time to put the trade in opperation. The a.s.siniboins &c have the trade of those nations in their power and treat them badly as the Soux does the Ricarees and they cannot resent for fear of loseing their trade &.

[Clark, November 19, 1804]

19th of November 1804 our hunters return with 32 Deerr, 12 Elk & a Buffalow Ice ran which detained the huntes much Cap lewis visit the Me ne tar rees, the 25th and returned the 27th of Nov. with 2 Chiefs &c.

&c. and told me that 2 Clerks & 5 men of the N W Company & Several of the hudsons Bay Company had arrived with goods to trade with the Indians a Mr. La Roche & Mc Kinzey are the Celerks (Distant 150 Miles across)

[Clark, November 19, 1804]

19th Novr. Monday a Cold day the ice Continue to run our Perogue of Hunters arrive with 32 Deer, 12 Elk & a Buffalow, all of this meat we had hung up in a Smoke house, a timeley supply--Several Indians here all day--the wind bley hard from the N. W. by W. our men move into their huts, Several little Indian aneckdts. told me to day

[Clark, November 20, 1804]

20th November Tuesday 1804 Capt Lewis & my Self move into our huts, a verry hard wind from the W.

all the after part of the day a temperate day Several Indians Came Down to Eat fresh meat, three Chiefs from the 2d Mandan Village Stay all Day, they are verry Curious in examining our works. Those Chiefs informs us that the Souix settled on the Missourie above Dog River, threten to attacked them this winter, and have treated 2 Ricares who Carried the pipe of peace to them Verry roughly. whiped & took their horses from them &c. &c. & is much displeased with Ricares for makeing a peace with the Mandans &. &. through us, &. we gave them a Sattisfactory answer. &c. &c.

[Clark, November 21, 1804]

21st Novr. Wednesday a fine Day dispatched a perogu and Collected Stone for our Chimnys, Some wind from the S. W. arrange our different articles--maney Indians visit us to day, G D hurd his hand verry bad- all the party in high Spirits--The river Clear of ice, & riseing a little

[Clark, November 22, 1804]

22nd of November Thursday 1804 a fine morning Dispatched a perogue and 5 Men under the Derection of Sergeant Pryor to the 2nd Village for 100 bushels of Corn in ears which Mr. Jessomme, let us have did not get more than 80 bushels--I was allarmed about 10 oClock by the Sentinal, who informed that an Indian was about to Kill his wife in the interpeters fire about 60 yards below the works, I went down and Spoke to the fellow about the rash act which he was like to commit and forbid any act of the kind near the fort- Some missunderstanding took place between this man & his wife about 8 days ago, and She came to this place, & Continued with the Squars of the interpeters, 2 days ago She returned to the Villg. in the evening of the Same day She came to the interpeters fire appearently much beat, & Stabed in 3 places--We Detected that no man of this party have any intercourse with this woman under the penelty of Punishment--he the Husband observed that one of our Serjeants Slept with his wife & if he wanted her he would give her to him, We derected the Serjeant Odway to give the man Some articles, at which time I told the Indian that I believed not one man of the party had touched his wife except the one he had given the use of her for a nite, in his own bed, no man of the party Should touch his Squar, or the wife of any Indian, nor did I believe they touch a woman if they knew her to be the wife of another man, and advised him to take his Squar home and live hapily together in future,--at this time the Grand Chief of the nation arrived, & lect.u.r.d him, and they both went off apparently dis

The grand Chief continued all day a warm Day fair afternoon--many Indian anickdotes one Chief & his familey Stay all night.

[Clark, November 23, 1804]

23rd, a fair warm Day, wind from the S. E. Send after Stone Several men with bad Colds, one man Sheilds with the Rhumitism the river on a Stand haveing rose 4 Inches in all

[Clark, November 24, 1804]

24th of November Satt.u.r.day 1804 a warm Day Several men with bad Coalds we continue to Cover our Huts with hewed punchens, finishd. a Cord to draw our boat out on the bank, this is made 9 Straps of Elk Skin,--the wind from the S. E.

[Clark, November 25, 1804]

25th of Novr. Sunday 1804 a fine day warm & pleasent Capt. Lewis 2 Interpeters & 6 men Set out to See the Indians in the different Towns & Camps in this neighbour hood, we Continu to Cover & dob our huts, two Chiefs Came to See me to day one named Wau-ke-res-sa-ra, a Big belley and the first of that nation who has visited us Since we have been here, I gave him a Handkerchef Paint & a Saw band, and the other Some fiew articles, and paid a perticular attention which pleased them verry much, the interpeters being all with Capt. Lewis I could not talk to them. we Compleated our huts--Several men with bad Colds, river fall 11/2 inch

[Clark, November 26, 1804]

26th of Novr. 1804 Monday Fort Mandan a little before day light the wind s.h.i.+fted to the N. W. and blew hard and the air Keen & Cold all day, Cloudy and much the appearance of Snow; but little work done to day it being Cold &c.

[Clark, November 27, 1804]

27th of November Tuesday 1804 a cloudy morning after a verry Cold night, the River Crouded with floating ice wind from the N W. finished Dobing Capt. Lewis returned from the Villages with two Chiefs Mar-noh toh & Man-nes-sur ree & a Considerate man with the party who accompanied him, The Menitares, (or Big bellies) were allarmed at the tales told them by the Mandans Viz: that we intended to join the Seaux to Cut off them in the Course of the winter, many Circ.u.mstances Combind to give force to those reports i e the movements of the interpeters & their families to the Fort, the strength of our work &. &.