University of Virginia Library

Thursday 21th. August 1806

Musquetors very troublesom in the early part of last night
and again this morning I directed Sergt. Ordway to proceed
on to where there was some ash and get enough for two ores
which were wanting. Men all put their arms in perfect order
and we set out at 5 a.m. over took Sergt. ordway with wood
for oars &c. at 8 A.M. Met three frenchmen Comeing up,
they proved to be three men from the Ricaras two of them

Reeved[16] & Greinyea wintered with us at the mandans in 1804
we Came too, those men informed us that they were on their
way to the Mandans, and intended to go down to the Illinois
this fall. one of them quit[e] a young lad[17] requested a passage
down to the Illinois, we concented and he got into a
Canoe to [ply]an Ore. Those men informd. us that 700 Seeoux
had passed the Ricaras on their way to war with the Mandans
& Menitarras and that their encampment where the Squaws
and children wer, was Some place near the Big Bend of this
river below. no ricaras had accompanied them but were all at
home, they also informed us that no trader had arived at the
Ricaras this Season, and that they were informed that the Pania
or Ricara Chief who went to the United States last Spring was
a year, died on his return at Some place near the Sieoux river
&c.[18] those men had nether powder nor lead we gave them
a horn of powder and some balls and after a delay of an hour
we parted from the 2 men Reevey & Grienway and proceeded
on. the wind rose and bley[w] from the N.W. at half past
11 a.m. we arived in view of the upper Ricara villages, a Great
number of womin Collecting wood on the banks, we Saluted
the village with four guns and they returned the Salute by fireing
Several guns in the village, I observed Several very white
Lodges on the hill above the Town which the ricaras from the
Shore informed me were Chyennes who had just arived.[19] we
landed opposit to the 2d. Village and were met by the most of
the men women and children of each village as also the Chyennes,
they all appeared anxious to take us by the hand and much
rejoiced to See us return. I steped on Shore and was Saluted
by the two great Chiefs, whome we had made or given Medals
to as we assend[ed] this river in 1804, and also Saluted by a
great number both of Ricaras & Chyennes, as they appeared
anxious to here what we had done &c. as well as to here Something
about the Mandans & Menetarras. I Set my self down
on the Side of the Bank and the Chiefs & brave men of the
Ricaras & Chyennes formed a cercle around me. after takeing
a Smoke of Mandan tobacco which the Big white Chief who
was seated on my left hand furnished, I informed them as I
had before informed the Mandans & Menitarras, where we had
been, what we had done and said to the different nations in
there favour and envited Some of their chiefs to accompany us
down and See their great father and receve from his own mouth
his good councils and from his own hands his bountifull gifts
&c. telling pretty much the Same which I had told the mandans
and menitarras. told them not to be afraid of any nation
below that none would hurt them &c. a man of about 32 years
of age was intreduced to me as the 1st Cheif of the nation this
man they call the grey eyes[20] or [blank space in MS.] he was
absent from the Nation at the time we passed up, the man
whome we had acknowledged as the principal chief informed
me that the Grey eyes was a greater Chief than himself and
that he had given up all his pretentions with the Flag and
Medal to the Grey eyes. The principal chief of the Chyenne's
[Ricaras] was then introduced he is a Stout jolley fellow of
about 35 years of age whome the Ricaras call the Grey Eyes I
also told the ricaras that I was very sorrey to here that they
were not on friendly terms with their neighbours the Mandans
& Menetarras, and had not listened to what we had said to
them but had Suffered their young men to join the Sieoux who
had killed 8 Mandans &c. that their young men had Stolen
the horses of the Minetarras, in retaliation for those enjories
the Mandans & Menetarras had sent out a war party and killed
2 ricaras. how could they expect other nations would be at
peace with them when they themselves would not listen to what
their great father had told them. I further informed them that
the Mandans & Menetaras had opened their ears to what we
had said to them but had Staid at home untill they were Struck
that they were still disposed to be friendly and on good terms
with the ricaras, they then Saw the great chief of the Mandans
by my Side who was on his way to see his great father, and was
derected by his nation & the Menetaras & Maharhas, to Smoke
in the pipe of peace with you and to tell you not to be afraid
to go to their towns, or take the Birds in the plains that their
ears were open to our councils and no harm Should be done
to a Ricara. The Chief will speak presently. The Grey eyes
Chief of the ricaras made a very animated Speach in which he
mentioned his willi[ng]ness of following the councels which we
had given them that they had some bad young men who would
not listen to the councels but would join the Seioux, those
men they had discarded and drove out of their villages, that
the Sieoux were the cause of their Missunderstanding &c.
that they were a bad peoples, that they had killed Several of
the Ricaras Since I Saw them That Several of the chiefs wished
to accompany us down to See their great father, but wi[s]hed
to see the Chief who went down last Sumer return first, he
expressed some apprehention as to the Safty of that chiefs in
passing the Sieoux. that the Ricaras had every wish to be
friendly with the Mandans &c. that every mandan &c. who
chose to visit the ricares should be Safe that he Should continue
with his nation and See that they followed the council
which we had given them &c. The Sun being very hot the
Chyenne Chief envited us to his Lodge which was pitched in
the plain at no great distance from the River. I accepted the
invitation and accompanied him to his lodge which was new
and much larger than any which I have Seen it was made
of 20 dressed Buffalow Skins in the Same form of the Seeoux
and lodges of other nations of this quarter about this lodges
was 20 others several of them of nearly the Same Size. I enquired
for the ballance of the nation and was informed that
they were near at hand and would arive on tomorrow and
when all together amounted to 120 Lodges. after Smokeing
I gave a medal of the Small size to the Chyenne Chief &c.
which appeared to alarm him, he had a robe and a fleece of
fat Buffalow meat brought and gave me with the meadel back
and informed me that he knew that the white people were all
medecine and that he was afraid of the midal or any thing that
white people gave to them.[21] I had previously explained the
cause of my g[i]veing him the medal & flag, and again told him
the use of the medal and the caus[e] of my giveing it to him,
and again put it about his neck delivering him up his preasent
of a roab & meat, informing him that this was the medecene
which his Great father directed me to deliver to all the great
chiefs who listened to his word and followed his councils, that
he had done so and I should leave the medal with him as a
token of his cincerity &c. he doubled the quantity of meat,
and received the medal

The Big White chief of the Mandans Spoke at some length
explaining the cause of the Misunderstanding between his
nation and the ricaras, informing them of his wish to be on the
most friendly termes &c. the Chyennes accused both nations
of being in folt [fault]. I told to them all that if they wished
to be hapy that they must Shake off all intimecy with the Seioux
and unite themselves in a Strong allience and attend to what
we had told them &c. which they promesed all to do and we
Smoked and parted on the best terms, the Mandan Chief was
Saluted by Several Cheifs and brave men on his way with me
to the river. I had requested the ricaras & Chyennes to inform
me as Soon as possible of their intentions of going down with
us to see their great father or not. in the evening the Great
Chief requested that I would walk to his house which I did,
he gave me about 2 quarts (carrots) of Tobacco, 2 beaver Skins
and a trencher of boiled corn & beans to eat (as it is the custom
of all the Nations on the Missouri to give Something to every
white man who enters their lodge something to eat) this chief

informed me that none of his chiefs wished to go down with us
they all wished to see the cheif who went down return first,
that the Chyennes were a wild people and were afraid to go.
that they Should all listen to what I had said. I gave him
Some ribon to Suspend his Medal to and a Shell which the
Snake indians gave me for which he was very much pleased.
The interpreter informed me that the cheifs of those villages
had no intention of going down one the cheifs of the village
on the island talkd. of going down. I returned to the
boat where I found the principal chief of the lower vilege
who had cut part of his hair and disfigured himself in Such
a manner that I did not know him, he informed me the Seeux
had killed his nephew and that [he] Was in tears for him &c.
we deturmined to proceed down to the Island and accordingly
took the chief on board and proceeded on down to the 1sd. village
at which place we arived a little before dark and were met
as before by nearly every individual of the Village, we Saluted
them and landed imediately opposit the town. The one arm
2d. Cheif of this village whome we had expected to accompany
us down Spoke to the mandan Cheif in a loud and thretening
tone which caused me to be Some what alarmed for the Safty
of that cheif, I inform the Ricaras of this village that the
Mandans had opened their ears to and fold. our councils, that
this cheif was on his way to see their Great Father the P. of
U S. and was under our protection that if any enjorey was done
to him by any nation that we Should all die to a man. I told
the Ricaras that they had told us lies, they promised to be at
peace with the mandans & Menetarras. that our back was
Scercely turned before they went to war & Killd. them and Stole
their horses &c. The Cheif then envited me & the Mandan
Chief to his house to talk there. I accompanied him, after
takeing a very Serimonious Smoke the 2d. Cheif informd. me that
he had opened his ears to what we had said to him at the time
we gave him the medal that we had not been to war against
any Natn. since, that [he had] once been to See the mandans
and they were going to kill him, they had not killed the Mandans
it was the Seeoux who killed them and not the ricaras,
he Said that the Mandan cheif was as Safe as if he was in his
own vilg that he had opened his ears and could here as well as
the mandans. I then informd them what I had told the upper
villages and we all become perfectly reconsiled all to each other
and Smoked in the most perfect harmony we had invatations
to go into their lodges and eate. I at length went to the grand
chiefs Lodge by his particular invitation, the Mandan chief
Stuck close to me the Chief had prepd. a Supper of boiled
young corn, beens & [s]quashes of which he gave me in
Wooden bowls he also gave me near 2 quarts of the Tobacco
(Seed), & informed me he had always had his ears open to
what we had Said, that he was well convinced that the Seeoux
was the caus[e] of all the trouble between the Mandans & them
the Ricaras had Stolen horses from the Mandan which had
been returned all except one which could not be got, this
mischief was done by some young men who was bad. a long
conversation of explanations took place between the Ricara
& mandan chiefs which appeared to be Satisfactory on both
Sides. the Chief gave a pipe with great form and every thing
appeared to be made up. I returned to the river & went to
bead. the Indians contd. on board. made 22 miles to day
only.