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Show 168 Lewi~ cmd Clat•ke' s Expedition Mm· ne t arees • Ohhaw second chief of the lo. wer }linnetaree v1'I I age ca me to see us • 'fhe river rose a httle and overran the ice, so as to render the crossing difficult. Thul'sday, 7th. 1,he day was somewhat cloudy, and ld r than usual· the wind f1•om the northeast. Shotawho-co c ' d' . rora visited us with a sick child, to whom some me ICJoe was• a d mm· 1· s tet•ed • 'fhere weJ•c also other Indians wl1o brought corn and dried buffaloe meat in exchange for black· smith's work. Fl'iday s. The day cold and fair with a high easterly wind: we were visited by two Indians who gave us an ac. count of the country and people near the Rocky mountains where they had been. . Saturday 9. rrhe morning cloudy and cool, tho wm~ from the north. The grand chief of the Minnetarces, wbo Is cal· led by the French Le Borgne, from his having but one ~ye, came down for the first time to the fort. lie was recelVed with much attention, two guns were fired in honoUl' of his arrival, the curiosities were exhibited to him, and as he said that he bad not received the presents which we had sent to him on his arrival, we again gave him a flag, a medal, shirt, arm braces and the usual presents on such occasions, with all which he was much pleased. In the course of the conversa· tion, the chief observed that some foolish young men of his nation had told him there was a person among us who was quite blach:, and he wished to know if it could be true. We assured him that it was true, and sent for York: the Bot·gnc was very much surprised at his appeat·ancc, examined him closely, and spit on his finger and rubbed the skin in order to wash off the paint; nor was it until the negro uncovet·ed his head, and showed his short hair, that the Borgnc could be persuaded that he was not a painted white man. Sunday 10. A cold windy day. Tetuckopim·eha, chief ot' t.he Ahnahaways, and the Minnetaree chief Ompschara, passed the day with us, and the former remained during the uigl1t. We had occasion to sec an instanoe of the summary Vp the JJ-Iissozwi. justice of the Indians: a. young lHinnetaree had carrietl off the daughter of Cagonornokshe, tlte RaY en 1\Ian, second chief of the upper village of the l\Iandans; the failier went to the village and. four.•d his daughtet·, whom he brought home, and took w•th htm a hot·se belonging to the oflcnder: this I'CI•risal satisfied the vengeance of the father and of the nation, as the young man would not dare to reclaim his hot•sc which ft·om that .time became the 1woperty of the injured party. The stcalmg of young women is one of the most common ofleuces against the llOJiee of the village, and the punishment of it always measured by the power or the passions of the kindt·ed of the female. A voluntary elopement is of course more rigorously chastised. One or the wh·es of the Borgnc deserted him in favour of a man who had Lccn her lover before the marriage, and who after some Hme IcfL her, and she was oblig·ed to return to bet• father's house. As soon as he heard it the Borgne walked thet·e and found her sitting neat• the flt·c: without noticing his wife, he be. gan to smoke with the father; when they were joined by the old men of the village, who knowing Lis temper hatl followed in hopes of appeasing him. IIo continued to smoke qui~ tly with them, till rising to return, he took his wjfe by the hair, led her as far as the door, and with a single stroke of his tomahawk put her to death before her father's eyes: then tw·ning fiercely upon the spectators, he said that if ~tny of Iter relations wished to avenge her, they might always find him at his lodge; but the fate ot' the woman had not sufficient intct·cst to excite the vengeance of the family. 'l::U.e caprice or the generosity of the same chief ga1•e a very daifcrent result to a similar incident which oceur·red some time afterwards. Another of his wives eloped with a young man, who not being aule to suppol't her as she wished they both 1·eturncd to the village, and she presented herself befot ·c the husband, SUI)l)lieating his I>ardon for her conduct: the Borgne sent for the Io,·er·: at the moment when tJJe youtb expected that he would be put to death, the eJtief ~OL. l , 7. |