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Show 178 J,erm$ wzd Clm·ke's Expedition whose pct·secution they would no longer witLstand, am) whom they hoped to repel by uniting with the tribes in thi~ quarter: l1e added that the Ricaras intended to follow our advice and live in peace with all nations, and requested that we would speak in their favour to the Assiniboin Indians. This we willingly promised to do, and assured them that their great father would protect them and no longer suffer the Sioux to haYe good guns, or to injut~e his dutiful children. We then gayc him a small medal, a certificate of hi good conduct, a carrot of tobacco, and 11ome wampum, with which he departed for the Mandan village well satisfied '\l-ith his reception. Having made all our arrangements, we left the fort about five o'clock in the afternoon. The party now consisted of thirty-two persons. Besides ourselves were serjeants John Ordway, Nathaniel Pryor, and Patrick Gass: the privates wc1·e William Bratton~ John Colter, John Collins, Peter Cruzatte, Robert Frazier, Ueuben Fields, Joseph Fields, George Gibson, Silas Goodricl1, Hugh Hall .. Thomas P. Howard, Baptiste Lapage, Francis Labiche~ Hugh l\I,Ncal, John Potts, John Shields, George Shannon, John B. Thompson, William 'Verner, Alexander Willard, RiclJard Windsor, Joseph " ' hitchouse, Peter 'Viser, and captain Clarke's black servant York. The two interpreters, were George Drewycr and Toussaint Chaboneau. 'fJre \Vife of Chaboucau also aceompanied us with her young child, and we hope may be useful as an interpreter among the Snake Indians. She was herself one of that tribe, but having been taken in war by the Minnetarees, by whom she was sold as a slave to Chaboneau, who brought her up and after· wards marr·icd l1er. One of the Man dans likewise cmbat·ked with us, in ordet· to go to the Snake Indians and obtain a peace with them for his countrymen. All this pat·ty with the baggage was stowed in six small canoes and two large periogues. 'Veleft the fort with fair pleasant weather thougl1 t~e northwest wind was high, and after making about four ml1e~ encamtJed on the north side of the Missouri, nearly • U11 tTte .lJlisso UJ'i. 1 / 9 ~pposite the lirst Mandan village. At the same time that we took our departur·e, our barge manned with seven soldiers, two Frenchmen, and ~lr. Gravelines as pilot, sailed for the United States loaded with our presents and despatches. Monday, 8th. 'rhe day was clear and cool, the wind ft•om the north west, so that we travelled slowly. After hr·eakfasting at the second Mandan village we passed the Mahaha at the mouth of Knife river, a handsome stream about eighty yards wide. Beyond this we reached the islaml which captain Clarke had vi sited on the 30th October. This island has timber as well as the lowlands on the north, but its distance from the water had prevented our encamping there during the winter. From the head of this islantl we made three and a half miles to a point of wood on the north, passing a high bluff on the south, and having come . about fourteen miles. In the course of the day one of our boats filled and was ncar sinking; we however saved her with the loss of a little IJiscuit and powder. Tuesday, April 9. 'Ve set off as soon as it was light, and proceeded five nt.iles to breakfast, passing a low gt•ound on the south, covered with gt~oves of cottonwood Hmber. At the distance of six miles, we r·eached on the nortb a hunting camp of )1innetarecs consisting of thirty lodges, and built in the usual form of earth and timber. 1'\vo miles and a quarter farther, comes in on the same side Miry ereek, a sma11 stream about ten yards wide, which, rising in some Jakes near the ~louse river, passes tht·ough beautiful level fertile plains without timbe1· in a dit•ection nearly southwest; the banks ncar its entrance being steep, and t·ugged on hotb sides of the Missouri. 'I'hree miles alJovc this creek we came to a hunting party ofMinnctarecs, who had prepared a park or inclosure aud wea'e waiting the retut·n of the antelope: this animal, which in 1 he autumn retires for food and shelter to the Black mountains dtn•ing the winter, recross the river at this season of the yea£·, and spread themselves through the plain ~ on the nor·th of the Missouri. We halt~ |