History of the expedition under the command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the sources of the Missouri, thence across the Rocky mountains and down the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean : performed during the years 1804-5-6 by order of the government of the United States; Volume 1

Page 38

ss Lewis atul Clarke's Expetlit·ion · August s. The next morning the ln(lians, with their ~ix chiefs were all assembled under an awning, formed Wlth the m~insail, in presence of all our party, pa~aded for the occasi.O n. A speech was then made, announcmg to tll.o m the change in the government, our promises of pr?tect~on, and advice as to their future conduct. All t~e SIX chiefs replied to our speech, each in his turn, accordmg to rank: they expressed their joy at the change in tho gove~nment; their hopes that we would recommend the~ to then· great father (the preside11t)~ that they might obtam. trade a~d ne­cessaries; they wanted arms as well for huntmg as for de­fence and asked our mediation between them and the Ma­bas, ;vith whom they are now at war. "\\re promised to do so and wished some of them to accompany us to that na­ti~ n, which they declined, for fear of being killed by them. We then proceeded to distribute our presents. The grant\ chief of the nation not being of the party, we sent him a ftag, a medal, and some ornaments for clothing. To the six chiefs who were present, we gave a medal of the second grade to one Ottoe chief, and one Missouri chief; a medal of the thil·d grade to two inferior chiefs of each na­tion: the customary mode of recognizing a chief, being to place a medal round his neck, which is considered among. his tribe as a proof of his consideration abroad. Each of these medals was accompanied by a present of paint, garters, and cloth ornaments of dress; and to this we added a cannis­ter of powder, a bottle of whiskey, and a few presents to the whole, which appeared to make them perfectly satisfied. The airgun too was fired, and astonished them greatly. 'fhe absent grand chief' was an Ot.toe, named Weahrushbah, which, in English, degenerates into Little Thief. 'l'he two principal chieftains present were, Shongotongo, or Big Horse; and Wethea, or Hosllitality; also Shosguscan, Ol' White Ho1·se, an Ottoe; the first an Ottoe, the second a ~lissouri. The incidents just related, induced us to give to this place the name of the Couneil-bluff; the situation of it Up the .Missouri. 89 is exc~e~ingly favourable for a fort and trading factory, as the soli Is well calculated for bricks, and there is an abun­dance of wood in the neighbourhootl, and the air being pure and healthy. It is also central to the chief resorts of the Indians: one day's journey to the OUoes; one and a half to the great Pawnees; two days from the Mahas; two and a quar~er from the Pawnees Loops village; convenient to the huntmg grounds of the Sioux; and twenty-five days journev to Santa Fee. "' The ceremonies of the council being concluded we set sail in the afternoon, and encamped at the distanc~ of five miles, on the south side, where we found the mosquitoes very troublesome. August 4. A violent wind, accompanied by rain, purified and cooled the atmosphere last nigl1t; we proceeded early, and reached a very narrow part of the river, where the channel is confined within a space of two hundred yards, by a. sand point on the north, and a bend on tl1e south'· the banks 1n tbe neighbourhood washing away, the trees falling in, and the channel filled with buried logs. Above this is a tra­ding house, on the south, where one of our party passed two years, trading with the Mahas. At nearly four miles, is a creek on the south, emptying opposite a large island of sand; between this creek and our last night's encampment, the river has changed its bed~ and encroached on the southern shore. About two miles further, is another creek on the south ":hie~, Jik~ the former, is the outlet of three ponds, commu: ?1catmg With each other, and forming a small lake, which 1s fed by straams from the highlands. At fifteen miles, we encamped on the south. 1."'he hills on both sides of the river are nearly twelve or fifteen miles from each oth~r; those of the north containing some timber, while the hills of the south are without any covet·iog, except some scattering wood in the ravines, and near whet·e the c•·eeks pass 1nto the hills; t•ich plains and prairies occupying the intermediate space, and partially covered, near the water, with cotto~-