14th of
November Wednesday 1804. Fort Mandan—
a cloudy morning, ice runing verry thick, river rose 1/2
Inch
last night Some snow falling, only two Indians visit
us to day owing to a
Dance at the Village last night in Concluding
a serimoney of adoption,
[19]
and interchange
of property,
between the Ossinboins, Christinoes (
Knistenaux)
[20]
and the
nations of this neighbourhood. we Sent
one man by land on
horseback to know the reason of the Delay of our
hunters,
this evening 2 frenchmen who were
traping
below Came up
with 20 beaver. we are compelled to use our Pork which we
doe Spearingly for fear of some falur in precureing a Sufficiency
from the woods.
our Interpeter informs that 70 Lodges one of 3
bands of
Assinniboins & Some Crestinoes, are at the Mandan Village.
The Crestinoes are abt. 300 (240) men Speak the Chipaway
Language, the[y] live near
Fort De prari (on Assiniboin &
Assaskashawan
[Saskatchewan—Ed.] they are
bands of the
Chippeways)
