OCR Text |
Show Lewis and Clarke' 8 Expedition Tuesday 30. '"e were this morning visited by two p('rsons from the lower viiJage, one the Big White the chief of the village, the other the Chayenne called the Dig Man: they bad been hunting, ami did not return yesterday early enough to attend the couneil. At their request we repeated part of our speech of yesterday, and 1mt the medal round the neck of the chief. Captain Clarke took a pcriogue ami went up the river in search of a good wintering place, and returnell after going seven miles to the lower point of an island .on the north side, about one mile in length; he found the banks on the north side high, with coal occasionally, and the country fine on all sides; but the want of wood and the scarcity of game up the river, induced us to decide on fixing ourselves lower down during ihe winter. In the evening our men danced among themselves io the great amusement of the Indians. 'V cdnesday St. A second chief arri vcd this morning witb an invitation from the grand chief of the Man dans, to come to his village where he wis~ted to present some cot·n to n. and to speak with us. Captain Clarke walked down to hi~ village; ho was first seated with great ceremony on a robe by the side of the chief, who then threw over his shoultlers another robe handsomely ornamented. 'I'he pipe was then smoked 'vith several of the old men who were seated around the chief; after some time he began his discourse, by observing that he believed what we had told him, and that they should soon enjoy peace, lvhich would gratify him as well as hjr, people, because they could then hunt without fear of being attacked, and the women might work in the fields without looking every moment for the enemy, and at night 1mt ofl' their moccasins, a plll'asc by which is conveyed th~ idea of security when the women could undress at night ,vithout fear of attack. As to the Ricaras, he continued, in order to show you that we wish peace with all men, that chief, pointing to his second chief, will go with some warriors back to the Ricaras with their chief now here and smoke with that Up the JJ-Iissou1·i. '123 natiou. " 'hen we ltrar'l of your coming all the nations around returned from theit· hunting to see you, in hopes of receiving large presents; all arc disappointed and some discontented; for his ])art he was not much so, though his village was. He added that he would go and see his great father the 1)residcnt. 'rwo of thr. steel t1·aps stolen from t be ~ .. rcnchmcn were then lai(l br fot·e captain Clarke, and the women brought about twelve busl1cls of corn. Aftct· the chief had finisltcd, captain Chu·kc made an answer to the speech and then returned to the boat, whct·e he found the chief of the third village and Kagohami (the Little Raven) who smoked and talked about an hout·. After they left the boat the grand chief of the Mandans came dressed in the clothes we had given him, with his two chil,h·t.·n, and begged to sec the men dance, in which they willingly gratiJied him. 'l'hursday, No\'·embet• 1st. Mr. l\l'Crackcn, the trader whom we t'ound hct·c, set out to-day on his t•etut•n to the British fort and facto1·y on the Assiniboin river, about one hundred and fifty miles from this place. lie took a letter from captain Lewis to the no1·thwest company, inclosing a copy of the passpol't granted by the Bt·itish minister in the United States. At ten o'c}o,~k the chiefs of the lowt•r village arrived; they rcquesfed that we would call at their village for some corn, that they wc1·e willing to make I>Cace with the Ricaras, that they had never J>rovokcd the war between them, but as the Ricaras had killed some of their chiefs they had retaliated on them; that they had killed them like birds, till they were. tired of killing them, so that they would send a chief and some warl'iot·s to smoke with them. In the evening we drOJ)pcd down to the lower ' 'illage whct·e captain Lewis went on sbot·e, and eaphaiu Cla1·ke pl'oceedcd to a point of wood on the north side. Friday~ November 2. lie thet·cfot•c went up to the vii" lage whct·e elrven bushels of corn were pn~sented to him. In the meantime captain Clat·kc went down with the boats three mileB, and having found a good 11osition wl1crc there |