University of Virginia Library

CHAP. V.

Wednesday 24th. We set out early in a cloudy
morning. At 9 it began to rain and continued to rain
for an hour. At 12 we came to a hunting party of
the Mandan nation of Indians, and remained with
them until 2 and then continued our voyage. There
were three lodges of these Indians on an island, which
has been cut off the Grand Bend, a short distance
below the Mandan village. We encamped on the
north side. Five of the Indians came to us, and our
Indian went over with them and returned in the
morning.

Thursday 25th. The morning was pleasant, and
we set sail early with a fair wind. Passed a beautiful
bottom on the south side, and hills on the north. A
great many of the natives, some on horseback and
some on foot appeared on the hills on the north side,
hallooing and singing. At 2, we stopped for dinner,
and as we could not get our boat to shore on the
north side, the water being shallow, our Indian was
sent over to them. In the afternoon we passed a
bottom covered with timber on the north side and
hills on the south, and encamped on the north side.
Here our Indian returned accompanied by one of the
Mandans.

Friday 26th. We set out early and had a clear
morning; passed a large Willow bottom on the south
and high land on the north side. The Mandan Indian
left us early in the morning. At 10, we came to a
hunting party of the Mandans, consisting of men,
women and children. There was an Irishman with
them, who had come from the North West Company
of traders. We remained here an hour, and
then proceeded. A number of the Indians kept

along the shore opposite the boat all day, on the south
side, on which side we encamped. Some of them
remained with us to 12 at night and then returned to
their village.

Saturday 27th. The morning was clear and pleasant
and we set out early. At half past seven we
arrived at the first village of the Mandans, and halted
about two hours. This village contains 40 or 50
lodges built in the manner of those of the Rickarees.
These Indians have better complexions than most
other Indians, and some of the children have fair hair.
We passed a bluff on the south side with a stratum
of black resembling coal. There is a bottom on the
north side, where the second Mandan village is situated.
We went about a mile above it, and encamped
in the same bottom, for the purpose of holding a
council with the natives. This place is 1610 miles
from the mouth of the river du Bois, where we first
embarked to proceed on the expedition. There are
about the same number of lodges, and people, in this
village as in the first. These people do not bury
their dead, but place the body on a scaffold, wrapped
in a buffaloe robe, where it lies exposed.[1]

Sunday 28th. The day was clear, and we remained
here; but could not sit in council, the wind blew
so violent.

Monday 29th. We had again a clear day, and
some of the principal men came from each village of
the Mandans, from the Watasoons, Sioux, and one
from the Grossventers; and all sat in council together.
At 11 o'clock, when the Council met, a shot
was fired from our bow piece, and the commanding
officers took the chiefs by the hand. Captain Lewis,
through an interpreter, delivered a speech; gave a
suit of clothes to each of the chiefs and some articles

for their villages. He also sent a suit to the chief of
the Grossventers. At three o'clock another gun was
fired at the breaking up of the council, and they all
appeared satisfied. Captain Lewis gave an iron mill
to the Mandan nation to grind their corn, with which
they were highly pleased.

Tuesday 30th. We remained here to know the
answer of the Indians. The day was clear and pleasant.
At 10, Captain Lewis with a party of our people,
and an Indian or two, went about 6 miles up the
river to view an island, in order to ascertain whether
or not it would suit for winter quarters. At 5 P. M.
they returned and were of opinion that it was not an
eligible place.

Wednesday 31st. A pleasant morning. We remained
here also to day, the Indians having given no
answer. At 12, Captain Clarke and some of the men
went down to the village, and the chief gave 9 or 10
bushels of corn, and some buffaloe robes.

Thursday 1st Nov. 1804. At 3 o'clock P. M. we
returned down the river, to look for a place where
we could fix our winter quarters. At dark we had
descended 9 miles, and came to a bottom covered
with cotton wood, where we encamped.

Friday 2nd. Captain Lewis, myself and some of
the men, went up to the first village of the Mandans,
who gave us some corn. Captain Clarke and the rest
of our party, having dropt half a mile lower down the
river, began to clear a place for a camp and fort.
We pitched our tents and laid the foundation of one
line of huts.

Saturday 3d. A clear day; we continued building,
and six men went down the river in a periogue
to hunt. They will perhaps have to go 30 or 40
miles before they come to good hunting ground.—
The following is the manner in which our huts and
fort were built. The huts were in two rows, containing
four rooms each, and joined at one end forming

[ILLUSTRATION]

Captain Clark & his men building a line of Huts.

Page,60.

an angle. When raised about 7 feet high a floor
of puncheons or split plank were laid, and covered
with grass and clay; which made a warm loft. The
upper part projected a foot over and the roofs were
made shed-fashion, rising from the inner side, and
making the outer wall about 18 feet high. The part
not inclosed by the huts we intend to picket. In the
angle formed by the two rows of huts we built two
rooms, for holding our provisions and stores.

About the 16th, the weather became very cold, and
the ice began to run in the river. We sent a Frenchman
down to enquire about the hunters and periogue.
He and one of the hunters returned to the fort,
having left the periogue and the rest about 30 miles
below. The Frenchman was sent down again with a
rope, and returned by land. On the 19th the hunters
came up with the periogue loaded with the meat of
about thirty deer, eleven elk and some buffaloe. In
the cold weather we moved into the huts, though
not finished. From the 20th to the 27th we had fine
pleasant weather, and on the evening of the latter
finished the roofs of our huts. These were made
of puncheons split out of cotton wood and then
hewed. The cotton wood resembles the lombardy
poplar, and is a light soft wood. The largest trees
are in thickness about eighteen inches diameter. On
the night of the 27th the snow fell seven inches deep,
and the 28th was stormy.

Thursday 29th. This day was clear, but cold. We
went to unrig the boat, and by an accident one of
the sergeants had his shoulder dislocated. The 30th
the weather continued the same. Early in the morning
of this day we saw an Indian on the opposite
side of the river, and brought him over. He informed
us, that a few days ago, eight of his nation
were out hunting, and were attacked by a party of the
Sioux tribe, who killed one and wounded two more;
and also carried off their horses. Captain Clarke

and twenty-three men immediately set out with an
intention of pursuing the murderers. They went up
to the first village of the Mandans, but their warriors
did not seem disposed to turn out. They suggested
the coldness of the weather; that the Sioux
were too far gone to be overtaken: and put off the
expedition to the spring of the year. Captain Clarke
and his party returned the same evening to the fort.
We have been daily visited by the Indians since we
came here. Our fort is called Fort Mandan, and by
observation is in latitude 47. 21. 33. 8.[2]

Saturday 1st December, 1804. The day was pleasant,
and we began to cut and carry pickets to complete
our fort. One of the traders from the North
West Company came to the fort, and related that
the Indians had been troublesome in his way through.
An Indian came down from the first Mandan village,
and told us that a great number of the Chien or Dog
nation had arrived near the village.

Sunday 2nd. The day was pleasant, and the snow
melted fast. A party of the Chien Indians with some
of the Mandans came to the fort; they appeared civil
and good natured.

The 3rd, 4th and 5th were moderate and we carried
on the work; but the 6th was so cold and stormy,
we could do nothing. In the night the river froze
over, and in the morning was covered with solid ice
an inch and an half thick.

Friday 7th. A clear cold morning. At 9 o'clock,
the Big-white head chief, of the first village of the
Mandans, came to our garrison and told us that the
buffaloe were in the prairie coming into the bottom.
Captain Lewis and eleven more of us went out immediately,
and saw the prairie covered with buffaloe
and the Indians on horseback killing them. They
killed 30 or 40 and we killed eleven of them. They
shoot them with bows and arrows, and have their
horses so trained that they will advance very near
and suddenly wheel and fly off in case the wounded
buffaloe attempt an attack.

Saturday 8th. In our hunt of yesterday, two men
had their feet frost-bitten. Captain Clarke and another
party went out though the cold was extreme,

to hunt the buffaloe; and killed nine and a deer.
One man got his hand frozen, another his foot; and
some more got a little touched. Two men encamped
out to take care of the meat.

Sunday 9th. Captain Lewis and twelve more of us,
went down to the bottom where the two men were
taking care of the meat. We found some buffaloe
had come into the woods, and we killed ten of them
and a deer. Having dressed them we loaded four
horses with meat and sent them with some of the
party to the fort: Captain Lewis and the rest of us
encamped out, and had tolerable lodging with the
assistance of the hides of the buffaloe we had killed.

Monday 10th. After breakfasting on marrow
bones, Captain Lewis and four of us set out for the
fort. Four hunters and another man to keep camp
remained out. On our return we met one of our men,
who said that a party had gone down with the horses
for more meat. This day was very cold: an experiment
was made with proof spirits, which in fifteen
minutes froze into hard ice. In the evening two of
our hunters came in with the horses, but had killed
nothing. Five encamped out.

Tuesday 11th. Captain Lewis and Captain Clarke
thinking the weather too cold to hunt, sent men
down to the camp to bring up the remainder of the
meat, and orders for the hunters to return. The
hunters came in at dark. They had killed four buffaloe,
and had dressed two of them. The cold was
so severe they could do nothing with the other two.

Wednesday 12th. We all remained at the garrison,
the weather being intensely cold. We made
three small sleds to haul in the meat with.

Thursday 13th. The weather this day, began to
be more moderate. Two hunters went out and killed
two buffaloe. One came in, and he and some of the
men went out and brought in the meat.

Friday 14th. This day was more moderate, and

light snow showers fell. Captain Clarke and fourteen
men went out to hunt; and took the three sleds
with them. In the evening five of them returned.
Captain Clarke and the other 9 encamped out, and
killed two deer. The snow fell about three inches
deep.

Saturday 15th. A cloudy day. Some of the natives
paid us a visit, and brought presents of meat to the
commanding officers. About 1 o'clock Captain Clarke
and his party returned, but had killed nothing more.
The buffaloe were gone from the river. Some slight
showers of snow fell during the day.

Sunday 16th. A clear cold day; I went up with
some of the men to the 1st and 2nd village of the
Mandans, and we were treated with much kindness.
Three of the traders from the N. W. Company came
to our fort, and brought a letter to our commanding
officers. They remained with us all night. The
object of the visits we received from the N. W. Company,
was to ascertain our motives for visiting that
country, and to gain information with respect to the
change of government.[3]

Monday 17th. This was a cold clear day, and we
all remained in the garrison. A sled was fitted up
for one of the N. W. traders to return in. In the
evening one of the natives came down and told us
the buffaloe were again come to the river.

Tuesday 18th. A very cold day. Six of us went
out to look for the buffaloe; but could see nothing but
some goats. At 9 we returned and found the men
from the N. W. Company had set out on their return,
notwithstanding the severity of the weather.

Wednesday 19th. This was a more pleasant day
and we began to set up the pickets.

The 20th and 21st were quite warm and pleasant,
and we advanced with our work.

Saturday 22nd. The weather continued clear,
pleasant and warm. A great number of the natives
came with corn, beans and mockasins to trade, for
which they would take any thing—old shirts, buttons,
awls, knives and the like articles.

Sunday 23rd. The weather continued pleasant,
and we proceeded in our operations in setting up the
pickets.

Monday 24th. Some snow fell this morning; about
10 it cleared up, and the weather became pleasant.
This evening we finished our fortification. Flour,
dried apples, pepper and other articles were distributed
in the different messes to enable them to celebrate
Christmas in a proper and social manner.

Tuesday 25th. The morning was ushered in by
two discharges of a swivel, and a round of small arms
by the whole corps. Captain Clarke then presented

to each man a glass of brandy, and we hoisted the
American flag in the garrison, and its first waving in
fort Mandan was celebrated with another glass.—
The men then cleared out one of the rooms and
commenced dancing. At 10 o'clock we had another
glass of brandy, and at 1 a gun was fired as a signal
for dinner. At half past 2 another gun was fired, as
a notice to assemble at the dance, which was continued
in a jovial manner till 8 at night; and without the
presence of any females, except three squaws, wives
to our interpreter, who took no other part than the
amusement of looking on. None of the natives came
to the garrison this day; the commanding officers
having requested they should not, which was strictly
attended to. During the remainder of the month
we lived in peace and tranquility in the garrison, and
were daily visited by the natives.