OCR Text |
Show 56 Le-wis and Cla.t·T~e's Expet.lition about seventy o1•eighty feet high. Further on is another blutr, or a brownish colour, on the north side; and at the distance or eight and a half miles is the beginning. of Calumet bluff, on the !outh side, under which we f01·med our camp, in a beautiful plain, to wait the arrival of the Sioux. At the tirst bluff the young Indian left us and joined their camp. Bcf01·e reachin~ Calumet bluff one of the periogucs ran upon a log in ibe river, and was rendered unfit for service; so that all our loadio~ was put into the sccontl pcl'iogue. On both sides of the river are fine prairies, with cotton wood; and near the bluff there is more timber in the points and valleys than we have been accustomed to see. Wednesday, 29th. W c had a violent storm of wind and rain last evening; and were engaged during the day in re· pairjng the periogue, and other necessary occupations; when, at four o'clock in the afternoon, sergeant Pt·yor and his party arrived on the opposite side, attended by five chiefs, and about seventy men and boys. We sent a boat for them, and they joined us, as did also Mr. Dorion, the son of our interpreter, who happened to be trading with the Sioux at this time. He returned with sergeant Pryor to the Indians, with a present of tobacco, corn, and a few kettles; and told them that we would speak to their chiefs in the morning. Sergeant Pryor reported, that on reaching tbeil· village, which is at twelve miles distance from our camp, he was met by a party with a buffaloc robe, on which they de· $ired to carry their visitors: an honour which they declined, informing the Indians that they were not the commanders of the boats: as a great mark of respect, they were then presented with a fat dog, already cooked, of which they partook heartily, and found it well ilavoured. The camps of the Sioux are of a conical form, covered with buffaloe robes, painted with various figures and colours, with an aperture in the top for the smoke to pass through. The lodges contain from ten to fifteen persons, and the intcriol' arrangement is compact and handsome, each lodge having a place for cooking detached f1•om it. Up the .iUissoul'i. 57 August 30th. Thut·sday. The fog was so thick that we could not see the Indian camt> on the opposite side, but it "-]eared off aLout eight o·clock. 'Ve J>rcparcd a speech, and !Ome p•·cs•·nts, and then sent for the chiefs and wal'l'iot·s, whom we received, at twelve o"clock. undtw a large oak tree, near to which the fi.ag of' the United States was flying. Captain Lewis delivered a speech, with the usual advice and counsel for· their future conduct. " 'e then acknowledged their chiefs, by giving to the g•·and chief a flag, a medal, a oer·tilicatt-, with a string of wam1lum; to which we added a chief's coat; that is, a ri<·hly laced uniiorm of the United States artillery COI'J)S, and a cockec.l hat and red fcafher. One second chief and three inferior ones were made or recognised by medals. and a suitable present of tolJacco and artJ. cI cs of clothing. 'Ve then smoked the pipe of peace' , aO(I the chiefs retil·cd to a bower, formed of bushes, lJy theii· young men, whe1·e they divided among carh other the presen~ s, and smoked and cat, and held a council on the answel' w lucl~ they ":ere to make us to-mort•ow. The young people exet•cased .thc1r bows and a1•rows in ~hooting at ma1·ks fol' beads, w~nch we dist1·ihutcd to the best ma1·ksmen; and in the evenmg the whole par·ty danced uutil a late hour, and in th~ course of their amusement we threw among them some kmvcs, tobacco, bells, ta1,c, and binding, with which they were much pleased. rrhch~ musical insh·uments were the drhu •m , and• a sort of Jittlc bag made of l>u1faloe hide ' d • _. .. I CSSou ~ 1te, .w•th small shot or pelJLles in it, and a bunch of hair tied to 1t. This produces a sor·t of rattling music with which. the.party was annoyed by four musicians duri~g the (3ounml tlus morning. August 31. In the morning, after breakfast, the chiefs ,n~et, and sat down in a row, with pipes of peace, highly ornamented, and all pointed towards the seats intended for (•aptaios Lewis and Clarke. 'Vhe-n they arl'ived and were st-atf!d, the grand chief, whose Indian name Wcucha is l. n E ngl isb Sb ake Band, and, in French, is' ealled I A,t J;i-' vor... r. T |