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Show CHAPTER V. Council held with the 1\tanuans-A 1•rairie on fh·e, and a ain~lu instance of preser,•ation-Peace established between the Mandans and Rica1·as-The plr· ty encamp for the winter-Indian mode of catching goats-Beautiful appear· ance of northern lights-FI'iendly character of the Indians-Some account of the Mandans-The Ahnahaways and the Minnetarees-The party acquire the confidence of the Mandans by taking part in their contt·oversy with the Sioux-Religion of the Mandans, and their singular conception of the term medicine-Theit· tradition-The sufferings of the party ft·om the severity of the season-Indian game of billiards described-Character· of the Mis· souri, of the surrounding country, And of the ri,·ers, ct·eeks, islands, &tc. Satut·day, October 27. AT an early hour we 1n•oeeeded and anchored off the village. Captain Clarke went on shore, and after smoking a pipe with the chiefs, was desired to re· main and cat with them. lie declined on account of his being unwell; but his 1·efusal gave great offence to the In· dians, who considered it disrespectful not to eat when invited, till the cause was explained to their satisfaction. We sent them some tobacco, and then proceeded to the second village on t.he north, passing by a bank containing coal, and a second village, and encamped at four miles on the north, opposite to a village of Ahnahaways. \Ve here met with a Frenehman, namedJesseaume, who lives among tbe Indians with his wife and children, and who we take as an interpreter. The Indians had flocked to the bank to see us as we passed, and they visited in great numbers the camp, wlwrc some of' them remained all night. We sent in the evening tbt·ce young Indians with a }lresent of tobacco for the chiefs of the three upper villages, inviting them to come down in the morning to a council with us. Accordingly the next day, Sunday, Octoher 28, 've were joined by many of tile 1\finnetarecs and Ahnahaways from above, but the wind was so violent fl'om the southwest that the chiefs of the lower Ijewis and Clarke's Expedition, &c. 119 villages could not como up, and the council "\Vas deferred till to-morrow. In the mean while we cnte1·tained our visitors by showing them what was new to them in the boat; all which, as well our black servant, they called Great Medicine, the meaning of which we afterwards learnt. \Ve also consulted the grand chief of the Mandans, Black Cat, and Mr. Jesseaume, as to the names, charactet·s, &c. of the chiefs with whom we are to hold the council. In the course of the day we received several presents ft·om the women, consisting of corn, boiled hominy, and garden stuffs: in our turn we gratified the wife of the great chief with a gift of a glazed earthen jat•. Our hunte•· brought us two beaver. In the afternoon we sent the ~finnetarce ehiefs to smoke fot• us with the great chief of the Mandans, and told them we would speak in the morning. Finding that we shall be obliged to pass the winter at this place, we went up the river about one and a half miles to-day, with a view of finding a convenient spot for a fort, but the timber was too scarce and small for our purposes. Monday, October 29. The morning was flue and we prepared our presents anti speech fot• the coun('il. After breakfast we were visited by an old chief of the Ahnahaways, who finding himself growing old and weak had transferred his power to his son, who is now at war against the Shoshonees. At ten o'clock the chiefs were all assembled under an awning of our sails, stretched so as to exclude the wind which had become high; that the impression might be the mot•e forcible, the men were all paraded; and the council opened by a discharge ft•om the swivel of the boat. We then delivered a speech, which like those we had already made intermingled advice with assurances offl'iendship and trade: while we were speaking the o]d Ahnahaway chief gt·ew very restless, and observed that he could not wait long as his camp was exposed to the hostilities of' the Shoshonces; l1e was instantly rebuked with great dignity by one of the chiefs for this violation of tlccorum at sneh a moment, and remain- |
