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Show 170 Lewis awl Cla~·ke's .E.'~t]Jedilion mildly asked them if they still preserved their affection for rach othet•; and on their declaring that want, and not a change of affection had induced them to return, be gave up his wife to he1• lover, with the liberal present of three horses, and restored them both to his favour. Monday 11. The weather was cloudy in the morning and a little snow fell, the wind then shifted from southeast to northwest and the day became fair. It snowed again in the evening, but the next day, '11uesday 12, was fair with the wind fl'om the northwest. 'Vednesday 13. We had a fine day, and a southwest wind. ~Ir. M•Kenzie came to see us, as did also many Indians who are so anxious for battle-axes that our smiths ha,re not a moment's leisure, and procure us an abundance of corn. The river rose a IiUle to-day, and so continued. Thursday 14. The wind being from tl1e west, and thr day fine, the whole party were employed in building boat~ and in shelling corn. Friday 15. The day is clear, Illeasant and warm. "·c take advantage of the fine weather to hang all our Indian presents and other articles out to dry before our departure. Saturday 16. The weather is cloudy, the wind from the southeast. A Mr. Gart·ow, a Frenchman who has resided a long time among the Ricaras and 1\'landans, explained to us the mo,le in which they make their large beads, an art which they are said to have derived from some prisoners of the Snake Indian nation, and the knowledooe of which is t) a secret even now confined to a few among the Mandans and Ricaras: the process is as follows: glass of different colours is first pounded fine and washed, till each ldnd, which is kept separate, ceases to stain the water thrown over it: some well seasoned clay, mixed with a sufficient quantity of sand to prevent its hecoming very hard when ex1wscd to heat, and reducecl by water to the consistency of dough, . is then rolled on the palm ot' the hand, till it becomes of the thickness wanted for the hole in the bead: these sticks of Up the .JJiissouri. 111 ulay are placed upt·ight, each on a little pedestal or ball of the same material about an ounce in weight, and distl•ibu ~ ted over a small eat•thcn platter, wllich is laid on the fire for a few minutes, when they are takelt off to cool: with. a little paddle or shovel three or four inches long and sharpened at the end of the handle, the wet pounded glass h placed in the palm of the hand: the beads are made of an oblong form wrapped in a cylindrical form round the stick of clay which is laid crosswise over it, and gently rolled backwards and forwards till it becomes perfectly smooth. If it IJc desired to introduce any other colour, the surface of the bead is perforated with the pointed end of the paddle and the cavity filled with pounded glass of that colour: tl1e sticks with the string of beads arc then rrplaced on thei1· pedestals, and the platter deposited on burning coals or hot embers: over the platter an earthcrn pot containing a&.out three gallons, with a mouth large enough to covet• the plat ter, is reversed, being completely closed except a small aperture at the top, through which are watched the bead: a quantity of old dried wood formed into a sort of dough or paste is placed round the pot so as almost to cover it, and afterwards set on iire: the manufacturer then looks through the small hole in the pot, till he sees the beads assume a deep red colour, to which succeeds a palet· or whitish red, or they become 11ointcd at the UJlper extremity; on which the fire is removed and tbe pot suffet·cd to cool gt·adually: at length it is removed, the beads taken out, the cJay in the hollow ol' them picked out with an aw I or needle, and it ii then fit for use. 'I"he beads thus fo1·med are in g•·cat demand among the Indians, and used as pendants to their ears and hair, and at·e sometimes wot·n round the neck. Sunday 17. A windy but clear -and pleasant day, the river rising a little and open in several places. Oul' Minnetaree interpreter Chaboneau, whom we intended taking with us to the Pacific, had some days ago been worket! |