Wednesday 11th. August 1806
I set out early this morning, at 10 A. M. landed on a Sand
bar and brackfast dureing brackfast and my delay at this
place which was 2 hours had the Elk meat exposed to the Sun.
at Meridian I set out and had not proceeded more than 2
miles before I observed a canoe near the Shore. I derected
the canoes to land here I found two men from the illinoies
Jos. Dixon, and [blank space in MS.] Handcock those men
are on a trapping expedition up the River Rochejhone. They
inform me that they left the Illinois in the Summer 1804.
the last winter they Spent with the Tetons in company with
a Mr. Coartong (Qu: Ceautoin) who brought up goods to trade
The tetons robed him of the greater part of the goods and
wounded this Dixon in the leg with a hard wad. The Tetons
gave Mr. Coartong some new robes for the articles they took
from him. Those men further informed me that they met the
Boat and party we Sent down from Fort Mandan near the
Kanzas river on board of which was a chief of the Ricaras, that
he met the Yankton chiefs with Mr. Deurion, McClellen &
Several other traders on their way down. that the Mandans
and Menitarrais wer at war with the Ricaras and had killed two
of the latter. the Assinniboins were also at war with the
Mandans &c. and had prohibited the N W. traders from comeing
to the Missouri to trade. they have latterly killed one
Trader near the Mous River and are now in wait for Mr.
Mc. Kenzey one of the Clerks who have been for a long time
with Menetarras.[70]
Those dificulties if true will I fear be a bar
to our expectations of having the Mandan Minetarra & Ricara
chief to acompany us to the U. States. Tho we shall endeaver
to bring about a peace between Mandans Mennetarres &
Ricaras and provail on some of their Chiefs to accompany us
to the U. States proceeded on to a point on the S W Side
nearly opposit the enterance of Goat pen creek
[71]
and encamped
found the Musquetors excessively troublesom.
