Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806 printed from the original manuscripts in the library of the American Philosophical Society and by direction of its committee on historical documents |
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13th.. Nov. Tuesday 1804
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| VIII. |
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 | Chapter V Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806 |  |
13th.. Nov. Tuesday 1804 —
The Ice began to run in the river 1/2 past 10 oClock P.M.
we rose early & onloaded the boat before brackfast except, the
Cabin, & stored away in a Store house at 10 oClock A.M.
the
Black Cat the Mandin Chief and Lagree (Fr. name) Che
Chank a Chief
& 7 men of note visited us at Fort Mandan, I
gave him a twist of
Tobacco to Smoke with his people & a
Gold Cord, with a view to know
him again, This nation consists
(This chief was one of 3 bands of Assns who
rove between the
Missouri & Assn river. The 3
consist) of about 600 men, hunt
in the Plains & winter and trade
on the Ossiniboin River,
(here decribe all Assns) they are the Decendants of the Seaux
and Speake
their language, they come to the nations in this
quarter to trade or (make
preasents) for horses[18]
the Method
of this Kind of Trafick by addoption
Shall be explained hereafter
etc., Snow'd all
day, the Ice ran thick and air Cold.
La Vérendrye, who
visited the Mandan in 1738, thus speaks of their relations
with their
northern neighbors: "The Assiliboille
[Assiniboin], although numerous,
and strong and robust men, are not
brave; they are in great fear of the Sioux, whom
they regard as braver.
The Mantannes [Mandan] know their weakness, and profit
by [it] on
occasion. . . . Public notice was given throughout the village, warning
every one to be ready to march on the second day after, the 30th of the
month; this
made some further delay among the Mantannes, who knew well how
to profit thereby
in trading their grain, tobacco, peltries, and painted
feathers, which they know the
Assiliboille highly value. The latter had
brought, and were now giving in exchange,
muskets, axes, kettles, powder,
bullets, knives, and bodkins. The Mantannes are
far more crafty in trade,
and in all other relations, than are the Assiliboille, who are
constantly
duped by them. . . . The Assiliboille had purchased everything which
their
means permitted, such as painted buffalo-robes; skins of deer and antelope well
dressed, and ornamented with fur; bunches of painted feathers; peltries;
wrought
garters, headdresses, and girdles. These people [the Mandan] dress
leather better
than do any other tribes, and do very fine work on furs and
feathers, which the Assiliboille
are not
capable of doing. They are cunning traders, despoiling the Assiliboille
of
all that they may possess."—See his "Journal," in Canad. Archives Rep., 1889,
p. 14.—Ed.
| Chapter V Original journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, 1804-1806 | |