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Show 132 Lewis and Clm·ke's Expedition d . the night were astonished at di~co. and. having enhgage :: fighting with men who spoke tltcit· vermg that t ey wei . ll' 'l,h arne of GrosYentrcs, or B1gbe u.•s own language. c n v ll I is g1. ven to t 11 ese '.~.. .'l 'm ne larees ' as 'veil as to all the r a . n~ d. ' . 1 b't ts of these five villages, all or which 1ans. ']he 1111a 1 an . . . . are within the distance of six miles, hve ~~ hat mony With each other. The Ahnaltaways understand m part the la.n· guage of the ~iinnctarces: the dialect ~f the Mandans dtf· fers widely from both; but their long residen~e together has insensibly blemled their manners, and oecasiO~cd some ~pproximation in language, particularly as to obJects of dally occurrence and obvious to the senses. November 22. The morning was fine, and the (lay warm. We purchased from the Mandans a quantity of corn of a mixed colour, which they dug up in ears from hole~ made near the front of their lodges, in which it is buried durmg ~he \Vinter: this mol'ning the sentinel informed us that an lndmn was about to kill his wife near the fort; we went down to the house of our interpreter 'vbere we found the parties, an.d after forbidding any violence, inquired into the cause of h1s intending to commit such an atrocity. It aprtearcd that some days ago a quarrel hall taken place between him at~d his wife in consequence of which she had taken refuge m the lw:se where the two squaws or our interpreter lived: by running away she forfeited her life, 'vhich might have been lawfully taken by the husband. About two days ago she bad returned to the village, but the same evening came hack to the fort much beaten and stabbed in three places, and the husband now came for the purpose of completing his revenge. He observed that be had lent her to one of our serjeants for a night, and that if be wanted her be would give her to him altogether: we gave him a few presents and tried to persuade him to take his wife home; the gl'and chief too happened to arrive at the same moment, and reproached him with his violence, till at length they went off together, but by no means in a state of much apparent love. Up the t~llissouri. 133 November 23. Again we had a fair and warm day, with the wind from the southeast: the river is now at a stand ha. Ying risen four inches in the whole. Novembel' 24. The wind continued from the same quarter ami the wcatbet• was wa1·m: we were occupied in finishing our huts and making a large rope of elk-skin to d1·aw out• boat on the bank. Sunday, November 25. The weather is still fine, warm and pleasant, and the river falls one inch and a half. Captain Lewis went on an excursion to the villages accompanied by eight men. A Minnetaree chief, the fir·st who has visited us, carne down to the fort: his name was Waukerassa, but as both the interpreters had gone with captain Lewis we were obliged to confine our civilities to some presents with which he was much pleased: we now completed our huts, and fortunately too, for the next day, Monday, No,'ember 26, before daylight the wind shifted to the northwest, and blew ver·y hard, with cloudy weather aml a keen cold air, which confined us much and prevented us from working: the night continued very cold, and, Tuesday 27, the weather cloudy, the wind continuin"' f• 0 rom the northwest and the river crowded with floating icc. Captain Lewis returned with two chiefs Malmotah, an Ahnabaway, and Minnessurraree a Minnctaree, and a third warrior: they explained to us that the reason of their not having come to see us, was that the Mandaos had told them that we meant to combine with the Sioux and cut them off in the course of the winter: a suspicion increased by the strength of the fort, and the circumstance of our interpreters having both removed there with their families: these reports we did not fail to disprove to their entire satisfaction, and amused them by every attention, particularly by the dancing of the men which diverted them highly. All the Indians whom captain Lewis had visited were very well disposed, andreceived him with great kindness, except a principal chief of onv of the upper villages, named Mabpahpaparapassatoo or |