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Show 136 1~ CWt.S a•• td Cllt1·ke•s Expedition desu. ·ed I.t , J,e t we (r 1 d not believe that tlu~y wouhl d be· faith~ f I J "such father, was my language to t em m your u ong. ' · · o d presence, and You see that instead of hstenmgd t o your gt o Is they have spilt our blood. A few ays ago wo counsc · 'II Ricaras came l 1ere and told us that two of thC.J r V. J ages were mak.m g moccas.m s, that the Sioux wrre stJrrmg them up agam. s t us, an d that we ought to take care of our horses; yet t J1 ese very Rl·ca( i'as we ·s ent borne as soo.n as the . news reacb e d us to · day' le·s t our people should kill .t hem m the :first momcn t o f oP 'J·ief for their mur(lcred re•l ativ• es. F.o ut• of the 'Vattasoons whom we expecte(l back m SIXtren day~ have been absent twenty-four, aml we fear have fallen. But father the snow is now deep, the weathet· cold, and our hor-ses ca nnot travel through the plains: th.e murderers have 1 4} , gone of f:.. 1'f you will conduct us in the S}Jl'mg, w lend "' Ie sno'~ has disappeared, we will assemble all the surroun mg war-riors and follow you." . . Captain Clarke replied that we were always w1lhng and able to defend them; that he was sorry that the snow pre· vented their marching to meet the Sioux. since he wished to show them that the warl·iors or their great father would chastise the enemies of his obedient children who opened their ears to his advice; that if some Ricaras had joined the Sioux, t.l1ey should remember that there were bad men in every nation, and that they should not be offended at the Ricaras till they saw whethrr these ill-lliSilOsed men were countenanced by the whole tribe; that the Sioux possessed great influence over the Ricaras, whom they supplied with military stores, and sometimes led them astray, because they were afraid to!oppose;them: but that this should .be the less of· fensive since the Mandans themselves were under the same ap· prehensions from the Assiniboins and Knistenaux, and that while they were thus dependant, both the Ricaras and Man· dans ought to keep on terms with their powerful neighbours, whom they may afterwards set at defiance, when we sball sup· ply them with arms, and take them uYJder our protection. Up the JJiissouJ•i. 1S7 Aftf'r two hours conversation captain Clarke left the village. 'l'he chief repeatedly thanked him for the fatherly protection he had given them, observing that the whole village had uccn weeping all night and day for the brave young man who had been slain, but now they would wipo their eyes and weep no more as they saw that their father would protect them. He then crossed the river on the ice and returned on the north side to the fort. The day as well as the evening was cold, and the river rose to its former height. Saturday, Dccembet• 1. The wind was ft·om the northwest, and the whole party engaged in picketing the fort. About ten o'clock the half-brother of the man who had been killed, came to inform us that six Shar·has or Chayenne Indians bad arrived, bringing a pipe of peace, and that their nation was three days march behind them. Three Paw~ nees had accompanied the Sharhas, and the 1\Ia.ndans being afraid of the Sharhas on account of their being at peace with the Sioux, wished to put both them and the three I>awnees to death; but the chiefs had forbidden it as it would be contrar·y to our wishes. 'Ve gave him a present of tobacco, and although from his connexion with the suffere~ ·, he was more eJUbittored against the Pawnees than any othet· Mandan, yet he seemed {Jerf'ectly satisfied with OUl' pacific counsels and advice. The ~Iandans, we observe, call all the Ricaras by the name of I..,awnees; the name oi' Ricaras being that by which the nation distinguishes itself: In the evening we were visited by a Mt·. llcruler·son, who came f1·om the lludson bay company to tJ·ade with t}w Minnetarees. lie had been auout eight dnys on his route in a direction nearly south, and IJrought with him tobacco, heeds, and other met•<•.handize to ti·adc for furs, and a few guns which ar·e to be exchanged for Jwrses. Sunday, December 2. The IaUer· llart of the evening was warm, and a thaw continued till the morning, when the wind shifted to the norf h. At eleven o'<>Iocl< the chiefs of VOL. I . T |
